By Kevin Chiri

I’m beginning to think that Riverbend Lanes might be one of the best kept secrets in St. John Parish.

OK, so maybe our local bowling alley isn’t that big of a secret, but at times it sort of seems like it is.

Tucked quietly behind the Cambridge Shopping Center at 947 Cambridge Dr., the local bowling alley has never struck me as a place that is making a lot of noise to get as much attention as it probably should.

But every time I decide to take the wife and kids, and go bowl a few games on a Saturday afternoon, it seems like one of the most enjoyable outings I could have right here in St. John Parish. And that’s saying a lot since we definitely have lots of great activities around here.

I guess my point is just to remind you that we have a really great bowling alley here in LaPlace, and if you are looking for some really wonderful, family fun, you have got to make it more of a regular outing for the family.

My wife, son and I headed over there Saturday, something we do once in a while when we are looking for something to do. Riverbend had run some advertising in our paper in recent weeks, and it even helped remind me about going. That’s what I mean about being a place that doesn’t seem to jump to the forefront of your mind all the time. And you can see that advertising really works, since it actually even got me to see the ad, and think about going the next week.

Anyway, we always have a lot of fun over there. They have a very helpful staff, and well kept, clean place that is taken care of so everyone can enjoy themselves.

I know, now you want to know what I bowled. Well you have to notice that I don’t go as a regular, league kind of bowler, but I still managed to bowl 140 in the first game of two. After that, I took a bit of a slip, but still managed to hold off my wife and son by a few pins to win the second game.

Mikey has finally developed a regular shot and is now going to get competitive against me, something my wife has always, always been when we hit the lanes.

So I just wanted to give you a reminder. Don’t forget about a local place that can give you a world of fun for a low price. Even though there is league play, you can still bowl individually most of the time it seems. Just call ahead first to check, 651-9111.

I’ve been holding this bit of news for longer than I should, but with so much to always try to get into this column space, I haven’t been able to say what great coffee cake is baked by Linda Madere.

Where did I get this great coffee cake, you ask? No other place except with a stop by IberiaBank on Belle Terre Boulevard. I made what was supposed to be a quick stop there a couple of weeks ago to drop off some Rotary pictures to fellow Rotarian Trudy Torres.

I walked into the front lobby and there is Trudy, Linda and Sylvia Kimball just sitting around, chatting it up.

On the table is coffee, the aforementioned coffee cake, and other goodies that Trudy tried to get me to eat plenty of.

I decided it wasn’t worth the fight to say hello and run, so I took some coffee cake, and a nice cup of coffee, making it a foursome as I sat down to chat with the ladies. That’s when I found out what tasty coffee cake Linda makes. Nice job Linda!

The next thing you know we are talking about grandchildren, and how WE grandparents—yup, I’m officially in the club now—are actually calling our kids to visit, but really doing it because we want to see the grandkids, and not so much the kids.

No, no, you know I love my kids. But I have gone down hook, line and sinker for my little granddaughter Abby, who lives in Texas with mom and dad. Again a couple of weeks ago I just had to see this sweet little “pumpkin, doodle” as my wife calls her, using one of a thousand nicknames.

Sylvia just laughed about it all and said she had the same problem, which got so bad, that the last time her son brought the grandkids over, he walked to the front door, told his mom that “you are going to kiss me and say you are glad to see me first,” or he was not even going to get the grandchildren out of the car, and was going to head straight home. Up until that time, he was not allowing them out of the car since he said the visits had become “all about the grandkids now.”

So I know where you are coming from ladies.

I’ve got grandchild number two here now in 6-month-old Jerry Scott, III, and grandchild number three in the oven in Texas. You know what I mean….Jenny is pregnant again.

So now we have to be a little careful when we call the kids and say “hey honey, your mom and I want to come over to the house next weekend since we really miss Abb….I mean, miss you kids.”

I view it as a little problem to deal with, that has a mighty big benefit for the trouble it causes.

Kevin Chiri is Publisher of L’Observateur and can be reached at (985) 652-9545 or at kchiri@bellsouth.net