Once you turn 50 years old there is a new adventure ahead of you……or should I say behind you? Every time I go see Dr. Glenn or Dr. Hirsch they want to know if I have had my colonoscopy. This question has replaced top priority over the mammogram question. Well I was only one year and 357 days late. Since I had met my deductible, my friend and I decided to schedule our test together. Kind of like an “end of the year blow-out.”

We went to a doctor in Gonzales for our “face to face” visit. The office was previously a house located on Highway 44. It shares a driveway with Scooterville and you can also get your vehicle inspected.

The doctor came in and began going over the preparations for the procedure. She grabbed a yellow sheet of paper and began circling things. Then she asked me if I had any questions. “Where are you from,” I asked. “I can’t understand anything you said.” She is Polish with a strong accent. I had her get another yellow sheet of instructions and start completely over.

I decided to go with the four pills and a gallon of the digestive cleanser; my friend went with the eight pills and eight ounces of liquid. The day before the procedure we had to stay with clear liquids only. That proved to be the longest day of my life. Later that night I thought I wouldn’t make it and it wasn’t because I was hungry.

The day before the procedure I went to work stocked up on Jell-O and various vitamin drinks. I survived the morning however lunch was rough. At 12:30PM I sent out for Wonton soup. I drank the broth and it was delicious. I felt like Oliver slurping up the porridge at the orphanage. In fact it has been a long time since something tasted that good. It had a real beef taste. I can still remember how good that soup tasted.

A lady came to my office after lunch for notary work. She needed someone to go to the jail to notarize a document for her son who was incarcerated. It was rainy; I was hungry. I had taken my four pills and didn’t know when they would kick-in. I told her $100.00 and she said O.K.

We had to wait for awhile. It seems there was a Christmas party at the jail. She was outdone that she wasn’t notified. I told her that her son must not be on the V.I.P. list (very important prisoner). I kept eyeing the snack machine and the distance to the bathroom.

My work day ended and I began the toxic juice at 5:00PM. It took two hours for it to kick in. This is of course the worse part of this procedure. Someone told me he, his sister, and mother planned to do this together to make it fun. He had the fruit juices and the toilet tissue stacked up. Once things started moving, the fun was over and there was a lot of screaming “get out of my way.” It is really difficult to make a party out of this.

Three hours later I looked like a crack addict. My eyes were sunken in and I had dark circles around them. I had neither appetite nor any bodily fluids.

My mother had the procedure done a few years ago. Once she returned home I called to check on her. She said she couldn’t wait to pour the rest of her “juice” on the red ants. She was anxious to see what it would do to them.

Procedure day arrived and we lived to see it. My friend and I were weak and miserable; however we did have really flat stomachs. Her husband basked in our misery and laughed all the way to Gonzales knowing we wouldn’t want to go shopping after this. We were still too worn out from the night before to think about breakfast or even the procedure ahead. We did manage to have the strength to wear our Christmas socks.

The procedure itself is a breeze. I watched as they wheeled my friend out and as our doctor handed out jewelry to the staff. She also makes jewelry in her spare time. At our follow-up visits we suggested a cute bracelet or earrings would be a nice souvenir after the procedure and could entice more women to have the test done.

The drug we were given is wonderful. It puts you in a deep sleep and you don’t remember anything. I could use that on some days in smaller doses.

I hope I have inspired those of you who are due for the procedure to schedule it. Just think of it as a “photo shoot”. I do have some nice photos that I am having made into Christmas cards for those “special” people on my list in 2007.

Should You Choose Roth or Traditional IRA?

If you are eligible to choose between IRAs, which one should you pick? The traditional tax-deferred IRA? Or the Roth IRA, which offers the potential for tax-free earnings?

Generally speaking, tax-free beats tax-deferred. But if you can make deductible contributions to a traditional IRA and you wil be in a lower tax bracket upon retirement, you could come out ahead by selecting the traditional IRA.

Keep in mind, though, that with a traditional IRA, you must start taking withdrawals when you reach 70 - 1/2. If you own a Roth IRA, you are never required to take withdrawals. This difference can be an important factor in determining how you’ll manage your taxes and income during retirement.

See your tax adviser for help in making the right choice - but don’t wait too long to put an IRA to work for you.

Happy New Year to all of you out there; 2006 was a year to remember. Just to mention a few, our beloved Saints win the NFC South under new head coach Sean Payton, the LSU Tigers finish the 2006 season in the top five, again, LSU basketball sends the men and women to the final four last April, the DHS Tiger Boy’s basketball team goes to the Top 28 and the football team wins a playoff game at home for a first in some time. on and on. We have been blessed with some outstanding performances by the teams we pull for each day.

I must start out with our Saints as they are heading to the NFC championship game versus the Chicago Bears for the first time in team history. I truly believe that the Saints under the direction of Coach Payton have a great shot to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl in Miami. The Saints have gone from a 3-13 team that looked helpless to a contender with a bunch of bright stars playing for them. I will go on record to predict, Saints versus Colts in the Super Bowl. New Orleans native Peyton Manning will get to face the team his dad, Archie Manning, played for back in the day. Don’t bet the house on this one, just a hunch.

The LSU Tigers dismantled the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 41-14 in the Sugar Bowl. What a coming out party for QB Jamarcus Russell. He will be throwing passes on Sunday to all pro wide receivers and could possibly be the number one pick in the April 2007 draft. The Florida Gators whipped the Ohio State Buckeyes 41-14, (see the theme), to claim their first national championship in ten years. The SEC ended up 6-3 in the bowl games, not bad even though Tennessee and Alabama both lost. Speaking of BAMA, they hired a new football coach named.... you guessed it Nick Saban. Saban got tired of the NFL gig with the Dolphins and signed a measly 32 million dollar deal for 8-10 years with the Crismson Tide. The LSU faithful get to cheer against the beloved Saban in November 2008 in Death Valley. That should be interesting.

Our local basketball teams are playing well, most notably the ACHS girls who are off to a surprising 2-0 start in district. My February article will have a recap of the regular season and possible playoff teams. Good luck to our local teams, please go out and support our local athletes. High School sports can be heard on KKAY 1590 AM. Baseball and Softball will be starting in mid February. I can’t wait.

As I said earlier, 2006 has truly been a wonderful year for our local high school, college and pro teams. 2007 is sure to bring some firsts... maybe a state championship for one of our local high schools, a national championship for Coach Les Miles at LSU or even better, The New Orleans Saints beat the Colts 27-24 in Miami to win the Super Bowl. I may be dreaming, but how nice of a gift for a state ravaged by two hurricanes less than two years ago. Time will tell; it’s still fun to dream. I can be reached at troyleboeuf@hotmail.com for comments and or stories.

Branding For Success

When people hear your name, they conjure up a set of impressions that influence how they think and buy. Those thoughts define your brand. Your brand resides in your customer’s mind as a result of all the impressions made by encounters with your name, logo, and marketing messages.

When your marketing communications create a single impression for your business, they build a strong brand. Stay consistent in your marketing by projecting a consistent look, tone and level of quality.

Six Steps To Brand Management

Define why you’re in business. What does your business do? How do you do it better than anyone else? Put into writing the reason that your business exists and the positive change you aim to achieve.

Consider what you want people to think when they hear your name. What do you want current and prospective employees to think about your business? You can’t be different things to each of these different groups and still have a well-managed brand.

Think about the words you want people to use when defining your business. If everyone is saying the same thing -- and if those words are the words you want associated with your name — you have a well-managed brand.

Pinpoint the advantages you want people to associate with your business. Figuring out these benefits helps you land on the advantages you want to communicate in your marketing communications.

Define your brand by looking at your business through a customer’s or prospect’s eyes as you define your brand.

Build your brand through every impression that you make. Clarity and consistency are key to getting it right -- each and every time!

A well-managed brand creates a strong emotional connection, and a strong emotional connection fosters loyal customer behavior. Protect and project your brand through every representation of your business in the marketplace

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