The event was planned for months. First game in expanded stadium. Bigger crowds, more noise, and two jumbotrons! Made an early scouting trip last week to find a new tailgating spot, since the reseating put us on the other side. Decided to shoot for a spot near the Student Union. Smaller crowds, shaded, and shouting distance to real restrooms, and worse case, weather shelter. My early years of Boy Scouting done kicked in!
I gave man cub instructions to find a spot "under a tree, near the road, on high ground, in case of rain." He did an outstanding job! Car was loaded to the top with enough chairs and food for a small army. Some stuff will be staying in Starkville for future gameday Saturdays.
Food pics were posted to FB as they were finished. Oatmeal butterscotch cookies, chocolate chip pecan cookies, dawgbone sugar cookies, and cheese straws were prepared the night before. Morning of the game the sausage balls were put in the oven. Figured out to make rotel with sausage on game day, put in ziploc bags and store in insulated bag. Doesn't take very long to reheat in chafing dish since cheese is still warm.
Called the man cub as we were leaving to remind him to pick up bottled water and three bags of ice. We had the rest covered. Man cub wanted brats with onions and peppers for the first game. His responsibilities were tent setup, and bringing the Weber Q and the propane.
The spousal unit had been worried about the weekend weather. She was watching the updated rain reports every 30 minutes. It got comical seeing 56.2% chance then 81.9% chances for rain. We arrived bone dry. We were able to unload the car within 30 yards of our spot. Outstanding! Friend Theo, one of those Southern Golden Buzzard fans arrived and assisted with the setup while I went to park.
Man cub arrived a few minutes later, with the three bags of ice, a case of bottled water and the girly friend in tow. I gave him a quick look, then he got the "rut row" look from me. I casually commented, "and.... where is the grill and gas???" The look he gave me was priceless!
Back to the condo he went! Only a 15 minute round trip, plus parking, plus the walk back to the tent. He arrived, carrying the propane bottle on his shoulder, pulled the Weber Q, soaking wet from head to toe. The round trip was during the biggest downpour of the day. I hen asked, "I guess you forgot the griddle too? He just melted, I'm cracking up! fortunately I brought some metal pie pans and heavy duty foil just in case. Boy Scout kicking in again!
The fellow campers were tailgating in style. Big and small tents, charcoal and gas grills a blazing, generators humming, and sound was blaring from TV's and stereos. Wide screen TV's went blank once the weather hit. It is comical watching these people scramble to protect their investments, especially on a day with 80+% chance of rain! Later, everything went quiet when the generators began running out of gas.
We had a good many visitors during the day with a few no shows. Surprised by the number of folks wearing that black and gold polyester! Had way too much food, but hey, gotta feed the man cub during the week.
Suddenly , we heard a band playing and marching down the street. It was the Southern Miss Band on their way to the stadium. Their sound was soon drowned out by the clanging of hundreds of cowbells ringing!
Stadium now has lots of entrances to choose from. Having two jumbotrons is amazing. They got some work to do on the sound, as all we heard was muffled conversations. The sound on the new screen wasn't turned on, yet...
Game for Bulldogs was outstanding. The excitement level will build as the season grows. I loved the short walk from our spot. Seat is great with minimal steps. Nephew Chase and Tara are only 9
seats away. Gonna have to practice ringing my cowbell dinner bell for concession service from him!
Every game has its drunks, and we had a few down in front of us. Lots of words throw about, and a visit by the Popo. Nuthing but feeling got hurt on this day, thankfully.
Packing up was not much fun. With over 66,000 in attendance, traffic was outbound only. Gotta work on departure logistics for future games.
Retired in 2012. I'm trying to out run old age and boredom. So far, I'm winning the race!
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Back in the Day
Reminiscing about days gone bye. Don't necessarily want to go back in time, but:
1. Listening to the attic fan pulling bugs through the screened window
2. Hand cranking homemade ice cream.
3. Cotton trailer stomping parties during picking season
4. Being hot a thirsty from mowing yards and killing a quart coke in those returnable bottles.
5. RC Cola and a moon pie!
6. First time to ever microwave a whole egg. Kaboom!
7. Riding in the back of a pickup!
8. First time finding WZZQ on the FM band on the radio.
9. First adult purchase. A Pioneer receiver and a pair of Jenson speakers. Damn! You mean I gotta add a turn table and cassette deck too!
10. That first Olds Cutlass that looked like the 442!
11. My bright yellow firebird. Got more tickets in the shortest time span in that car!
12. My second pair of glasses. Wire rimmed frames paid for with my own hard earned money!
13. First time I ever saw a piece of filet mignon. What the hell is that small round ball of meat????
14. First Ole Miss football game. Brother Jim, Billy Davis and I went with Billy's uncle, Gordon Wayne Davis, parking the car in the Grove, and seeing Southern Miss beat Archie Manning and his Rebels.
15. Coming to Jackson to Memorial Stadium for a double header. Ole Miss vs LSU during the day then MSU vs Alabama.
16. First time seeing puppies born. You gotta be kidding me!!!!
17. Mississippi Delta dove hunts!
18. First time to buy a fifth of whiskey. 17 years old, football weekend in Starkville. I can still see the snicker on that old man's face as he handed me my change!
19. Discovering the Manhattan's album "After Midnight" with the girl of my dreams. Been dreaming with the same gal ever since.
20. First trip to New Orleans. Haven't been the same since!
I sure hope my memory never fades. I've had way too much fun in my lifetime to begin forgetting it now. Been fin, and I ain't done yet!
1. Listening to the attic fan pulling bugs through the screened window
2. Hand cranking homemade ice cream.
3. Cotton trailer stomping parties during picking season
4. Being hot a thirsty from mowing yards and killing a quart coke in those returnable bottles.
5. RC Cola and a moon pie!
6. First time to ever microwave a whole egg. Kaboom!
7. Riding in the back of a pickup!
8. First time finding WZZQ on the FM band on the radio.
9. First adult purchase. A Pioneer receiver and a pair of Jenson speakers. Damn! You mean I gotta add a turn table and cassette deck too!
10. That first Olds Cutlass that looked like the 442!
11. My bright yellow firebird. Got more tickets in the shortest time span in that car!
12. My second pair of glasses. Wire rimmed frames paid for with my own hard earned money!
13. First time I ever saw a piece of filet mignon. What the hell is that small round ball of meat????
14. First Ole Miss football game. Brother Jim, Billy Davis and I went with Billy's uncle, Gordon Wayne Davis, parking the car in the Grove, and seeing Southern Miss beat Archie Manning and his Rebels.
15. Coming to Jackson to Memorial Stadium for a double header. Ole Miss vs LSU during the day then MSU vs Alabama.
16. First time seeing puppies born. You gotta be kidding me!!!!
17. Mississippi Delta dove hunts!
18. First time to buy a fifth of whiskey. 17 years old, football weekend in Starkville. I can still see the snicker on that old man's face as he handed me my change!
19. Discovering the Manhattan's album "After Midnight" with the girl of my dreams. Been dreaming with the same gal ever since.
20. First trip to New Orleans. Haven't been the same since!
I sure hope my memory never fades. I've had way too much fun in my lifetime to begin forgetting it now. Been fin, and I ain't done yet!
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Internet Shopper
I was working my job as an assembly technician yesterday in the City of Vicksburg. After putting in a long day, I now understand the term "the dog days summer", in August. OMG, was it hot!
I finished my last item, then headed to the receiving department, to begin the process of disposing of all my trash. As I made my way, I noticed a grill still in a box that was a custom order. I thought, that dude shoulda requested for it to be assembled, free at Home Depot.
Trash all done, I headed to the service desk to get the required signature on my paperwork. Get there, and the service manager is busy with a customer. OK, guess I'll wait my turn. At least its cool inside.
As I wait, I observe that the service manager if working with this customer, who had placed an internet order. He bought the exact model that was in the box back in receiving. The manager tells him that his grill is here, and back in receiving. I'm thinking, yep, this old guy shoulda had it assembled.
The customer, then says, " and I want it assembled". I'm standing there, next to him, in my assembler t-shirt. I'm thinking, you know, I've been here all day, I'm hot, I'm tired, I'm covered in sweat, I'm gonna just keep my mouth shut!
The service manager says "I'm checking with the sales associate in the garden center to see how long it will take the assembler to put it together for you. He is here today and he only comes one day a week now that the summer is winding down. Up to this point she has not looked my way during this entire transaction. Mouth is still shut.
Customer says OK, and decides he wants to inspect the box for damage. Off he goes. My mouth is still shut. Its now my turn.
Service manager finally looks up, and I hand her my invoice for her to sign. Startled, she says, " oh, you're the assembly tech!". I say yes ma'am. She then asks the dreaded question "you got time"? I tell her that I have been here since 7 this morning (its now 4:20), and they brought a bunch of items to assemble, but that grill wasn't one of them. She kinda chuckles, and says that this order was an online purchase and the sale did not come through until 4. I say, " that was twenty minutes ago, and I've been standing here for at least ten!"
The guy was at home and ordered the grill online. Home Depot sent him an automated text message indicating that the grill was at his local Home Depot, waiting on him. He must a flew to get to the store in ten minutes, and he was expecting it to already be assembled?
Wow! See how amazing ordering off the internet can be? Sorry dude, grill won't be assembled for another week!
I finished my last item, then headed to the receiving department, to begin the process of disposing of all my trash. As I made my way, I noticed a grill still in a box that was a custom order. I thought, that dude shoulda requested for it to be assembled, free at Home Depot.
Trash all done, I headed to the service desk to get the required signature on my paperwork. Get there, and the service manager is busy with a customer. OK, guess I'll wait my turn. At least its cool inside.
As I wait, I observe that the service manager if working with this customer, who had placed an internet order. He bought the exact model that was in the box back in receiving. The manager tells him that his grill is here, and back in receiving. I'm thinking, yep, this old guy shoulda had it assembled.
The customer, then says, " and I want it assembled". I'm standing there, next to him, in my assembler t-shirt. I'm thinking, you know, I've been here all day, I'm hot, I'm tired, I'm covered in sweat, I'm gonna just keep my mouth shut!
The service manager says "I'm checking with the sales associate in the garden center to see how long it will take the assembler to put it together for you. He is here today and he only comes one day a week now that the summer is winding down. Up to this point she has not looked my way during this entire transaction. Mouth is still shut.
Customer says OK, and decides he wants to inspect the box for damage. Off he goes. My mouth is still shut. Its now my turn.
Service manager finally looks up, and I hand her my invoice for her to sign. Startled, she says, " oh, you're the assembly tech!". I say yes ma'am. She then asks the dreaded question "you got time"? I tell her that I have been here since 7 this morning (its now 4:20), and they brought a bunch of items to assemble, but that grill wasn't one of them. She kinda chuckles, and says that this order was an online purchase and the sale did not come through until 4. I say, " that was twenty minutes ago, and I've been standing here for at least ten!"
The guy was at home and ordered the grill online. Home Depot sent him an automated text message indicating that the grill was at his local Home Depot, waiting on him. He must a flew to get to the store in ten minutes, and he was expecting it to already be assembled?
Wow! See how amazing ordering off the internet can be? Sorry dude, grill won't be assembled for another week!
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Life Lessons
In all of my almost 58 years, there are some things you should not try to learn on your own:
1. Buying a car. You would think that something that big would not take all day to purchase. After you're done, you feel like you've been beat up with a broom stick and then you feel that stick again when you take it in for a service item that ain't covered by that extended warranty that they "snuck into the contract"!
2. Cooking with an iron skillet. First off you never start off with a brand new one. You give the new one to your parents and take theirs, then bring it back in a year. Get your momma (or daddy) to show you how to clean it and keep it seasoned. My uncle had one so old that he eventually cooked a hole in it!
3. Driving a standard transmission vehicle. This is something that must be learned. I still feel the effects of whiplash from teaching the spousal unit and the boys. Once you learn it, you never forget it, or the process it took to learn it.
4. Setting up a tailgating tent. Don't know how many times I see folks with pinched fingers or broken poles from setting up one of these tents the first time. Then they get in a hurry during take down and learn them all over again.
5. Cooking a turkey for the first time. Amazing how intelligent people can't just look it up on the internet. " Damn! I didn't know it had a neck up in the carcass? And what do you mean, when you say a sack of innards???" Then there are those that darn near burn the house down trying to fry one!
6. Go Sam's Wholesale Club. Never go by yourself the first time. You won't stop grabbing until your cart is full, and still you might grab a second one. Then, how do you get all that stuff home and where do you store it?
7. Power tools, enough said. Done cut myself, done cut a few 11cords, drilled and stapled a finger or two. Still have all my digits though.
8. Turn a parent over the age of 70 loose on a computer without monitoring their activity for a couple of hours. Mine ended up on eBay in less than 24 hours! The other set of grandparents never know how all those popups got on their machine!
9. Homemade ice cream. Seriously! One neighbor forgot to put the dasher in and didn't figure that out until an hour later. Another plugged up the drain hole in the bucket, causing salt water to creep into the freezer bucket!
10. Women. Raised by one. Got a sister. Been married to one for over 30 years and still trying to figure them out!
1. Buying a car. You would think that something that big would not take all day to purchase. After you're done, you feel like you've been beat up with a broom stick and then you feel that stick again when you take it in for a service item that ain't covered by that extended warranty that they "snuck into the contract"!
2. Cooking with an iron skillet. First off you never start off with a brand new one. You give the new one to your parents and take theirs, then bring it back in a year. Get your momma (or daddy) to show you how to clean it and keep it seasoned. My uncle had one so old that he eventually cooked a hole in it!
3. Driving a standard transmission vehicle. This is something that must be learned. I still feel the effects of whiplash from teaching the spousal unit and the boys. Once you learn it, you never forget it, or the process it took to learn it.
4. Setting up a tailgating tent. Don't know how many times I see folks with pinched fingers or broken poles from setting up one of these tents the first time. Then they get in a hurry during take down and learn them all over again.
5. Cooking a turkey for the first time. Amazing how intelligent people can't just look it up on the internet. " Damn! I didn't know it had a neck up in the carcass? And what do you mean, when you say a sack of innards???" Then there are those that darn near burn the house down trying to fry one!
6. Go Sam's Wholesale Club. Never go by yourself the first time. You won't stop grabbing until your cart is full, and still you might grab a second one. Then, how do you get all that stuff home and where do you store it?
7. Power tools, enough said. Done cut myself, done cut a few 11cords, drilled and stapled a finger or two. Still have all my digits though.
8. Turn a parent over the age of 70 loose on a computer without monitoring their activity for a couple of hours. Mine ended up on eBay in less than 24 hours! The other set of grandparents never know how all those popups got on their machine!
9. Homemade ice cream. Seriously! One neighbor forgot to put the dasher in and didn't figure that out until an hour later. Another plugged up the drain hole in the bucket, causing salt water to creep into the freezer bucket!
10. Women. Raised by one. Got a sister. Been married to one for over 30 years and still trying to figure them out!
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Football, Politically Correct
Football season is officially upon us. High School Jamborees have arrived, and NFL preseason games are in full swing. With the way the world is evolving, eventually political correctness will totally take over the football arena.
Already, inappropriate banners are banned from high school stadiums. No more "we're gonna beat the crap out of you". Now its just " go team go!"
In the NFL, the Washington Redskins are in a battle to keep their team name and logo. You gotta be kidding me. The New Orleans Saints are all about smash mouth football, and they are the "saints?". The Tennessee " Titans", now that makes a whole lot more sense.
In the town of Oxford, they have a bigger battle on their hands. The Rebel flag: it took some maneuvering to rid the stadium of these. First the school stopped supplying them. Then they finally had to ban sticks from the stadium. Hummmm, the drummers still have theirs. Colonel Reb: this character was modeled after a black man. His image was removed from the football helmets. Then, he was dropped as a school representative, and not allowed on the field of play. Next, he was banned from the stadium, regardless of who was wearing the suit. Now, the trademarked image is locked up in the vault and no longer available for sale. And the Black Bear, you gotta be kidding me.....
These Rebel fans are now in an uproar over the use of their beloved "Ole Miss". Dan Jones has stepped on a hornets nest in his attempt to make this name go away. I can just hear it " first DOWN, the University of Mississippi!". Or "We ARE, the University of Mississippi Rebels!". Sorry, just too wordy. And the team name, " Rebels", don't even go there, yet......
At Mississippi State, the cowbell has made its return. It was banned when the Auburn head coach complained that it made too much noise. Now that college stadiums can hold over 100,000 screaming fans it has become a mute point and now the bell is back, clanging away, until the center is over the ball. Now that the stadium expansion is complete, forming a continuous "U", the bulldog fan noise factor has just gone up! And I guess State's favorite cheer " go to hell Ole Miss, go to hell" will be soon forgotten. TSUN was a stroke of genius by Dan Mullen......
I'm guessing concessions will be taking the next hit. Hot dogs will be vegan dogs. It already started when they pulled the Bryan Hot Dog, for that Carolina Pride dog two years ago. Burgers, if you can find one, will be veggie burgers. Pulled pork nachos will become humus nachos. And pork skins, forget about it! Sugar is supposed to be bad for you, so say good bye to that coke you've been putting in your bourbon! Peanuts will be banned when the cleanup crews start protesting about the mess!
Stay tuned for what they come up with next!
Already, inappropriate banners are banned from high school stadiums. No more "we're gonna beat the crap out of you". Now its just " go team go!"
In the NFL, the Washington Redskins are in a battle to keep their team name and logo. You gotta be kidding me. The New Orleans Saints are all about smash mouth football, and they are the "saints?". The Tennessee " Titans", now that makes a whole lot more sense.
In the town of Oxford, they have a bigger battle on their hands. The Rebel flag: it took some maneuvering to rid the stadium of these. First the school stopped supplying them. Then they finally had to ban sticks from the stadium. Hummmm, the drummers still have theirs. Colonel Reb: this character was modeled after a black man. His image was removed from the football helmets. Then, he was dropped as a school representative, and not allowed on the field of play. Next, he was banned from the stadium, regardless of who was wearing the suit. Now, the trademarked image is locked up in the vault and no longer available for sale. And the Black Bear, you gotta be kidding me.....
These Rebel fans are now in an uproar over the use of their beloved "Ole Miss". Dan Jones has stepped on a hornets nest in his attempt to make this name go away. I can just hear it " first DOWN, the University of Mississippi!". Or "We ARE, the University of Mississippi Rebels!". Sorry, just too wordy. And the team name, " Rebels", don't even go there, yet......
At Mississippi State, the cowbell has made its return. It was banned when the Auburn head coach complained that it made too much noise. Now that college stadiums can hold over 100,000 screaming fans it has become a mute point and now the bell is back, clanging away, until the center is over the ball. Now that the stadium expansion is complete, forming a continuous "U", the bulldog fan noise factor has just gone up! And I guess State's favorite cheer " go to hell Ole Miss, go to hell" will be soon forgotten. TSUN was a stroke of genius by Dan Mullen......
I'm guessing concessions will be taking the next hit. Hot dogs will be vegan dogs. It already started when they pulled the Bryan Hot Dog, for that Carolina Pride dog two years ago. Burgers, if you can find one, will be veggie burgers. Pulled pork nachos will become humus nachos. And pork skins, forget about it! Sugar is supposed to be bad for you, so say good bye to that coke you've been putting in your bourbon! Peanuts will be banned when the cleanup crews start protesting about the mess!
Stay tuned for what they come up with next!
Friday, August 15, 2014
Beaching Secrets
Mixed feelings today as we head home tomorrow. Since this is our last beach trip for 2014, I figured it was time to let ya know about some of the secrets and hints for a fun time at the beach.
If you just got married and you are on your honeymoon, you don't need any help. You probably won't ever leave your room!
If you have a 1-2 year old, bring grand parents along. They make great babysitters that give you free time to enjoy the beach.
Beach chair and umbrella setups run around $40 per day. Invest in a set of good beach chairs and an umbrella that run about $100. You have already saved money and you should get 1-3 years use out of them.
If your beach front is a bit overcrowded, consider moving to a State park. Admission is about $6 for up to eight people in Florida. Be sure to pack a picnic lunch, and plenty of cool drinks. With your own umbrella and chairs you will have a great time on a sparsely populated stretch of beach.
My cooler of choice is a soft sided one. Sometimes I bring two. Bring along some Capri Sun's and freeze them as a great substitute for ice. Margaritas made the mofght before and frozen in quart ziploc bags are my favorite ice substitute. This beats hauling/dragging a big cooler around, or worse that heavy Yeti!
Use Gladware or Ziploc storage boxes for transporting sandwiches. They stay dry and keep their shape better.
We stay in units that have washers and dryers in the units. You go home with clean clothes. Its such a relief to walk in the door at home knowing the laundry is already done.
When eating out, go early. Much shorter wait if you go between 5&6. If you have a large party, break it into parties of 4-6 and you will get seated faster, and you avoid that 18% add on for a mandatory tip. I'm a pretty good tipper unless the service sucks.
If you are leaving real early in the morning, grab the luggage cart the night before. No scrambling around the next morning looking for it!
If you have a Netflix account, don't forget to bring your latest movies along or a patch cable for the online ones. Saves you a trip to Redbox and the DVDs at the complex are usually dated.
Check with the complex before you start you trip too see if the have a grill area, and whether its gas or charcoal. This helps you decide about cooking and eating in a night or two.
Its been a great season of beaching for the spousal unit and yours truly. We are already working on plans for next year, probably the Sandestin and Panama City beaches. Would love to have some company !
Thursday, August 14, 2014
You Know Its Time
Every vacation trip must eventually come to an end. Fortunately ours still has two more days. There are signs that appear that give you hints that the end is near:
When you have used up a whole roll of toilet paper in each bathroom, you know its almost time.
When you open up the refrigerator to discover there are only leftovers on the shelves, you know its is almost time.
When you have gone thru two fifths of tequila making margaritas you know its time.
When you have sunburn on burn, you know its almost time.
When you get a notice from your credit card company that you are over your limit, it is definitely time.
When you have eaten at all of your favorite restaurants, its almost time.
When you spend time on the beach with the timeshare sales lady you know you have overstayed, and its time.
When your spousal unit tells you that you have enough pictures of the wildlife you just got a hint that its almost time.
When you are on the last few slots in your pill box it is almost time.
When your spousal unit wants to look at buying a condo, its definitely time!
Probably a lot more!
When you have used up a whole roll of toilet paper in each bathroom, you know its almost time.
When you open up the refrigerator to discover there are only leftovers on the shelves, you know its is almost time.
When you have gone thru two fifths of tequila making margaritas you know its time.
When you have sunburn on burn, you know its almost time.
When you get a notice from your credit card company that you are over your limit, it is definitely time.
When you have eaten at all of your favorite restaurants, its almost time.
When you spend time on the beach with the timeshare sales lady you know you have overstayed, and its time.
When your spousal unit tells you that you have enough pictures of the wildlife you just got a hint that its almost time.
When you are on the last few slots in your pill box it is almost time.
When your spousal unit wants to look at buying a condo, its definitely time!
Probably a lot more!
Wasting Away
After a wonderful afternoon at Henderson Beach State Park, we packed up our beach gear and made our way back to the parking lot. Since we had spent most of the day taking in this beautiful day wasting away, listening to the surf crashing on the beach, watching the pidgeons fight the gulls for bits of food, and drinking frozen margaritas, it just made since to end the day eating a cheeseburger in Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville!
We made our way to the Harbor Walk, down by Destin Harbor. Lots of activity down there with addition of additional store fronts. As we strolled by the booth for the Margaritaville Vacation Club, we were stopped by an older lady that was all decked out in Margaritaville attire. She tried to entice us with her friendly conversation. As we accepted a merchant discount card from her, it was real obvious that she "ain't from around here".
We joked around a bit, and learned that she was a retiree, originally from the State of Maine. I mentioned that I have a friend, Penny Winger, that is stranded in Northern Maine with her husband JL due to his job with the National Weather Service. She is an Alabama gal trying to deal with nine months of snow and ice. We compared stories of dining on Maine lobsters on our trips to the North Country. It won't be long before they are once again iced in, poor ole Penny!
Our wait for a table was very short. Our spot was a window seat on the harbor side. The waiter had a shadow with him trying to learn the trade. It was entertaining watching him, go back and try to work tables enjoying their food. The dude has the lingo down, but he has a way to go to put his diners at ease. I think I have eaten at way too many restaurants!
We gave the menu a good look, and stayed with our original idea of the Cheeseburger in Paradise. Their menu has a limited number of items on it, so they pretty much have food prep down to a science.
As we waited for our food, sipping on a Landshark brew and a frozen Rita, we were drawn to the view of the harbor. What a busy place this harbor is. Boats of all kinds were coming and going. From deck boats, to fishing boats, to tourist attraction boats, the view of water traffic seemed endless. We watched the pirate ship take forever to depart, then surprisingly return in less than an hour.
The building is of an open air design. The gulf breeze provided for a pleasant dining experience. We finished our meal and declined the desserts of the day. It was time to make our way back to the car. It's a challenge finding a parking spot and was a consistent theme as we dodged others looking for the same.
Got two days left on the vaca. I'll continue to keep my eyes and ears open for interesting stories to tell. Stay tuned my blog reading friends!
We made our way to the Harbor Walk, down by Destin Harbor. Lots of activity down there with addition of additional store fronts. As we strolled by the booth for the Margaritaville Vacation Club, we were stopped by an older lady that was all decked out in Margaritaville attire. She tried to entice us with her friendly conversation. As we accepted a merchant discount card from her, it was real obvious that she "ain't from around here".
We joked around a bit, and learned that she was a retiree, originally from the State of Maine. I mentioned that I have a friend, Penny Winger, that is stranded in Northern Maine with her husband JL due to his job with the National Weather Service. She is an Alabama gal trying to deal with nine months of snow and ice. We compared stories of dining on Maine lobsters on our trips to the North Country. It won't be long before they are once again iced in, poor ole Penny!
Our wait for a table was very short. Our spot was a window seat on the harbor side. The waiter had a shadow with him trying to learn the trade. It was entertaining watching him, go back and try to work tables enjoying their food. The dude has the lingo down, but he has a way to go to put his diners at ease. I think I have eaten at way too many restaurants!
We gave the menu a good look, and stayed with our original idea of the Cheeseburger in Paradise. Their menu has a limited number of items on it, so they pretty much have food prep down to a science.
As we waited for our food, sipping on a Landshark brew and a frozen Rita, we were drawn to the view of the harbor. What a busy place this harbor is. Boats of all kinds were coming and going. From deck boats, to fishing boats, to tourist attraction boats, the view of water traffic seemed endless. We watched the pirate ship take forever to depart, then surprisingly return in less than an hour.
The building is of an open air design. The gulf breeze provided for a pleasant dining experience. We finished our meal and declined the desserts of the day. It was time to make our way back to the car. It's a challenge finding a parking spot and was a consistent theme as we dodged others looking for the same.
Got two days left on the vaca. I'll continue to keep my eyes and ears open for interesting stories to tell. Stay tuned my blog reading friends!
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Henderson Beach State Park
Ever get tired of going to the beach and finding it a bit overcrowed? The beach chair guy gets there early and sets up all of chairs and umbrellas up in neat rows, waiting for bleachers to come fill them. Beach goers set their stuff up in front, in
between, or behind the rentals.
Show up late, and good luck finding your spot in the sand. I've got two chairs and two umbrellas, so it takes a little not more time. What do you do? Where can you go?
A friend from the Destin area was off work, and she agreed to meet us for the day. She suggested Henderson Beach State Park. It was is located between Destin and Sandestin. The admission price is $6 for the day and it covers up to eight visitors too the park.
The entrance is off HWY 98 across from Wally World. There are several pavilions with picnic tables and charcoal grills. The park was wooden walk ways to get past the sand dunes to the beach.
To our delight, there were very few beach goers present. No sooner do we get umbrellas and chairs in place, we spot a sting ray in the water. That was cool.
We enjoyed our picnic lunch and the frozen margaritas that I had made. It was really nice not to feel crowded in. Next time you are in the area, give it a try. Here are some pictures from today:
between, or behind the rentals.
Show up late, and good luck finding your spot in the sand. I've got two chairs and two umbrellas, so it takes a little not more time. What do you do? Where can you go?
A friend from the Destin area was off work, and she agreed to meet us for the day. She suggested Henderson Beach State Park. It was is located between Destin and Sandestin. The admission price is $6 for the day and it covers up to eight visitors too the park.
The entrance is off HWY 98 across from Wally World. There are several pavilions with picnic tables and charcoal grills. The park was wooden walk ways to get past the sand dunes to the beach.
To our delight, there were very few beach goers present. No sooner do we get umbrellas and chairs in place, we spot a sting ray in the water. That was cool.
We enjoyed our picnic lunch and the frozen margaritas that I had made. It was really nice not to feel crowded in. Next time you are in the area, give it a try. Here are some pictures from today:
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Foodies
Trout:
Went to Louisiana Lagniappe for dinner tonight. On the menu they had grouper almondine. I got a good chuckle out of that. Years ago, we would go to Morrison's Cafeteria at North Park Mall. The spousal unit would order the trout almondine. It was a rectangular piece of fish encrusted in almonds. One night we ventured out to the Fishermen's Wharf. They had trout almondine on the menu, so the spousal unit ordered it. The plate was put in front of her. Staring up at her was a whole fish, including head and eyeball! She freaked out, then calmly placed her slice of tomato garnish on top on the head, then nibbled away.
Calamari:
Took Morgan and his friend Nick to Orlando one summer. All Nick wanted to eat was chicken nuggets and Mac & Cheese. I made it my challenge to expand his eating habits. At the next restaurant I ordered an appetizer, calamari. We worked on ole Nick. We said it looked like onion rings. We finally had Nick talked into trying it. As he was putting it into his mouth, he asked "now, what is this again?". I looked at him all serious and said " squid testicles, I mean tentacles!". That boy couldn't spit it out fast enough!
Brunswick Stew
Growing up, my dad was always cooking one of his family recipes. This time it was his Brunswick stew. The primary ingredient in this batch was a pig's head. My sister had company that night, a girl friend named Meg. Meg served up a bowl of the stew and took up a seat at the table. As she began to eat, she said that she had never had this dish before and it was quite good. Her next spoonful ended up having a tooth in it! My dad said "well dang, I thought I got them all". Despite that, Meg took a few more bites. And she got another tooth. That was the end of that meal for ole Meg!
Went to Louisiana Lagniappe for dinner tonight. On the menu they had grouper almondine. I got a good chuckle out of that. Years ago, we would go to Morrison's Cafeteria at North Park Mall. The spousal unit would order the trout almondine. It was a rectangular piece of fish encrusted in almonds. One night we ventured out to the Fishermen's Wharf. They had trout almondine on the menu, so the spousal unit ordered it. The plate was put in front of her. Staring up at her was a whole fish, including head and eyeball! She freaked out, then calmly placed her slice of tomato garnish on top on the head, then nibbled away.
Calamari:
Took Morgan and his friend Nick to Orlando one summer. All Nick wanted to eat was chicken nuggets and Mac & Cheese. I made it my challenge to expand his eating habits. At the next restaurant I ordered an appetizer, calamari. We worked on ole Nick. We said it looked like onion rings. We finally had Nick talked into trying it. As he was putting it into his mouth, he asked "now, what is this again?". I looked at him all serious and said " squid testicles, I mean tentacles!". That boy couldn't spit it out fast enough!
Brunswick Stew
Growing up, my dad was always cooking one of his family recipes. This time it was his Brunswick stew. The primary ingredient in this batch was a pig's head. My sister had company that night, a girl friend named Meg. Meg served up a bowl of the stew and took up a seat at the table. As she began to eat, she said that she had never had this dish before and it was quite good. Her next spoonful ended up having a tooth in it! My dad said "well dang, I thought I got them all". Despite that, Meg took a few more bites. And she got another tooth. That was the end of that meal for ole Meg!
Beach Funnies
Umbrella
Lady shows up at the beach with her young son and mother. It was obvious to me from the start that grandmother would not be tolerating the sun for very long. The daughter went about setting up the umbrella for shade for her dear mother. It was a breezy day, and a gust of wind blew half of the canopy off of the umbrella. She gets it put back together, then once again the wind blows the canopy half way off. She finally figured out that she needed to lean the umbrella into the wind. That seemed to work, NOT! The next gust of wind collapsed half of the canopy into the umbrella pole. The next gust wind separated the canopy from the rods. That woman spent the better part of the day working on that umbrella to keep her mom in the shade. Darling, next time, either bring a better umbrella or leave granny in the condo!
Runaway Kid
I was sitting on a bench at the wharf waiting on the spousal unit to finish her purchase in the candy shop. This young couple with a toddler came walking by. The parents got distracted in a conversation between themselves. Their little boy made a mad dash for the garbage can next to the bench I was sitting on. Something in the can caught his eye and he was bound and determined to reach in and get it. His mom looked up in horror, screamed "oh my God!". She reached into her purse as she was rushing over to him. She grabbed his hands and began to squirt sanitizer on them while the boy began screaming " no momma no!". I'm cracking up, with visions of this woman chasing her son the rest of his childhood with that bottle of sanitizer and him yelling "no, momma no!"
Waiter
Back from the beach, and all cleaned up, it was time for dinner. It was my time to pick. It was time for chargrilled oysters at Acme Oyster House. Our waiter arrived at our table to take our order. He said his name was Angel. He was wearing one of Acme's black t-shirts. I asked him "don't angels wear white?". He looked at me for a minute, then replied " I must be a dark angel!". Great service. Ask for Angel on your next visit!
Freebies
The condo we are staying in has some kind of deal with a supplier that sends them freebies for the spring breakers every year. Last year, when you checked in, there was a basket full of tooth paste and disposable razors. This year they have disposable razors again and feminine shaving cream for women. The clerk said, please, take all you want! I asked. They get 50 to 60,000 of these freebies. Anybody want a razor????
Lady shows up at the beach with her young son and mother. It was obvious to me from the start that grandmother would not be tolerating the sun for very long. The daughter went about setting up the umbrella for shade for her dear mother. It was a breezy day, and a gust of wind blew half of the canopy off of the umbrella. She gets it put back together, then once again the wind blows the canopy half way off. She finally figured out that she needed to lean the umbrella into the wind. That seemed to work, NOT! The next gust of wind collapsed half of the canopy into the umbrella pole. The next gust wind separated the canopy from the rods. That woman spent the better part of the day working on that umbrella to keep her mom in the shade. Darling, next time, either bring a better umbrella or leave granny in the condo!
Runaway Kid
I was sitting on a bench at the wharf waiting on the spousal unit to finish her purchase in the candy shop. This young couple with a toddler came walking by. The parents got distracted in a conversation between themselves. Their little boy made a mad dash for the garbage can next to the bench I was sitting on. Something in the can caught his eye and he was bound and determined to reach in and get it. His mom looked up in horror, screamed "oh my God!". She reached into her purse as she was rushing over to him. She grabbed his hands and began to squirt sanitizer on them while the boy began screaming " no momma no!". I'm cracking up, with visions of this woman chasing her son the rest of his childhood with that bottle of sanitizer and him yelling "no, momma no!"
Waiter
Back from the beach, and all cleaned up, it was time for dinner. It was my time to pick. It was time for chargrilled oysters at Acme Oyster House. Our waiter arrived at our table to take our order. He said his name was Angel. He was wearing one of Acme's black t-shirts. I asked him "don't angels wear white?". He looked at me for a minute, then replied " I must be a dark angel!". Great service. Ask for Angel on your next visit!
Freebies
The condo we are staying in has some kind of deal with a supplier that sends them freebies for the spring breakers every year. Last year, when you checked in, there was a basket full of tooth paste and disposable razors. This year they have disposable razors again and feminine shaving cream for women. The clerk said, please, take all you want! I asked. They get 50 to 60,000 of these freebies. Anybody want a razor????
Monday, August 11, 2014
Hi, My Name is Peggy!
Remember that credit card commercial where the card holder dials up customer service and they get "Peggy"? Ole Peggy is a scruffy male eastern european impersonating a cute little telephone operator.
I get a few friend requests from time to time that I think are a lot like Peggy. The friend request will come from someone you don't know. You do a quick look to find that most of the account is locked from view. You see that you have several mutual friends. You then look to see that all the mutual friends are male. Hum....
Sometimes Peggy has a picture posted that you find enticing. Your curiosity gets the best of you. You click add a friend. Minutes later you get an instant message from Peggy telling you hello. She asks what kind of music do you like. She would like to learn more about you. Maybe send you some pictures. What's your cell number? You send it to " her", no harm, no foul.
Well, Peggy now has you. You would be amazed what can happen to your cell phone account. It gets hacked. You get a call from your cell provider informing you that your data plan is over the limit, or all kind of strange charges are now on your account.
Turns out Peggy isn't real. Peggy is part of a criminal element out there fishing FB for people like you. They suck you in, then bleed you dry.
Peggy will work her way through your contact list, looking for another you. She will also Clone your account and try to befriend all of your contacts in hopes of finding personal information, phone numbers, email addresses, and even credit card numbers.
Next time you get a strange friend request, be careful, it just might be Peggy!
I get a few friend requests from time to time that I think are a lot like Peggy. The friend request will come from someone you don't know. You do a quick look to find that most of the account is locked from view. You see that you have several mutual friends. You then look to see that all the mutual friends are male. Hum....
Sometimes Peggy has a picture posted that you find enticing. Your curiosity gets the best of you. You click add a friend. Minutes later you get an instant message from Peggy telling you hello. She asks what kind of music do you like. She would like to learn more about you. Maybe send you some pictures. What's your cell number? You send it to " her", no harm, no foul.
Well, Peggy now has you. You would be amazed what can happen to your cell phone account. It gets hacked. You get a call from your cell provider informing you that your data plan is over the limit, or all kind of strange charges are now on your account.
Turns out Peggy isn't real. Peggy is part of a criminal element out there fishing FB for people like you. They suck you in, then bleed you dry.
Peggy will work her way through your contact list, looking for another you. She will also Clone your account and try to befriend all of your contacts in hopes of finding personal information, phone numbers, email addresses, and even credit card numbers.
Next time you get a strange friend request, be careful, it just might be Peggy!
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Beaching, I Just Love My Job!
With beaching, there come a responsibility to report the facts of the day. Some days are full of reportable events, other days you must always be at the ready with camera in hand.
Believe it or not, this is a very difficult task. You must take care of yourself first in order to report second. Sun screen is priority one. One must be well hydrated with your favorite beverage. Snacks must be at the ready in case of a hunger attack. You must not be distracted from your chore.
You must make sure that your phone is fully charged. Some have an external battery supply to insure that they have enough power to make it through the day. You need to be able to flick the lens to a higher power in an instant for those closeups. For every good pictures you get, there are 10 to twenty that you missed or were out of focus.
I take my seat and wait for things to happen. And indeed they do. Here are some samples in that I was able to capture in just three hours before the rain ran us off:
These boys were at each other for quite a while. No clear winner was declared.
It was quite amusing to see all of these birds with their metal tags attached to their wrists. I'm guessing the local game and fish department was responsible for the catch, tagging, and release. I'm not sure what to do with the tag if I'm able to capture one. Gotta be as much fun as the tagging.
Believe it or not, this is a very difficult task. You must take care of yourself first in order to report second. Sun screen is priority one. One must be well hydrated with your favorite beverage. Snacks must be at the ready in case of a hunger attack. You must not be distracted from your chore.
You must make sure that your phone is fully charged. Some have an external battery supply to insure that they have enough power to make it through the day. You need to be able to flick the lens to a higher power in an instant for those closeups. For every good pictures you get, there are 10 to twenty that you missed or were out of focus.
I take my seat and wait for things to happen. And indeed they do. Here are some samples in that I was able to capture in just three hours before the rain ran us off:
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| This is diaper gangsta. Pants on the floor, pants on the floorfloor
This fellow may have been packing a full load, or the diaper was on a high rise, or he was doing his best to imitate a gangsta from the daycare hood. I'll never know.
|
 |
| WWE wrestlers practing their moves |
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| Bird subject #1 with wrist tag(beer can) |
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| Bird subject #2 with metal tag |
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| Bird subject #3 with metal tag |
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| Bird subject #4 with metal tag. |
It was quite amusing to see all of these birds with their metal tags attached to their wrists. I'm guessing the local game and fish department was responsible for the catch, tagging, and release. I'm not sure what to do with the tag if I'm able to capture one. Gotta be as much fun as the tagging.
Hoping for a full week of surprises, stay tuned!
Remembering Belzoni, so Many Years Ago
My friend Andy, the Rhino, Halbrook, posted a small video clip about the 9:00pm whistle that is blown every evening in Belzoni. Lots of folks have viewed it, liked it, and commented on it. All this got me to reminiscing about my six yeat stay in this Delta Town.
I remember the first day we moved into the house on Kelli street. My dad had just completed his last your with the Army and it was his time to move on with his life.
Kelli street was in a new subdivision, being built by Mr. Shannon. Kelli was the name of his oldest daughter and low and behold, we were living on her name sake. One of my sister Julie's closest friends was her sister, Julie. Always thought that was kinda funny.
With the subdivision being relatively new, there were lots of opportunities to pieces of lumber. All the boys in the neighborhood would join in, grab a few boards, and we would stock pile them in our back yard. We would save up our grass cutting money, then get on our bikes and head to downtown to the hardware store. They sold nails by the pound, which they poured into a paper sack and we were lucky if we got home with the package intact! We would spoend days, sawing and nailing, and fetching even more wood, til our fortress was complete! Many an afternoon was spent playing army soldier, sometimes with an overtrnight camp out, bugs and all. Those were the days.
We would also trek over to the Cooper plant where they made Jockey underwear. Nowadays you call them tightywhities! We would raid their dumpster and pull out all of the giant cardboard boxes. We would end up in Archie Waid's backyard and make a club house out of them. It would be a maze of tunnels and everybody had their own room. Many a war battle was fought with sling shots and China berries from the tree next door. Thank God we were poor shots! Those were the days.
Many a latest spring and early summer was spent at the little league ball park.. Some older folks invented the right field lounge sitting on homemade benches along the fence, under the shade of some mighty oak trees. I was never lucky enough to hit one over the fence. Brother Jim had the right swing and was good for at least one or two a week. Stubbs Drug Store gave away free milk shakes for every home run. When Jim would hit two in a week, I was they lucky recipient of the second. Those were the days.
Once I had graduated from playing, Dot Barron gave me a job working in her concession stand. Her hot dogs and buns were kept warm in a steam box. Those were by far the best dogs I had ever eaten, especially the leftovers at the end of the night. Those were the days.
The Indian mound by the Turner house was full of activity year round. Baseball games in the spring and summer, football games in the fall, and the fun had during snow days, sliding down the mound on a Coca Cola bottle top sign. Those were the days.
Trips to the Yazoo River. I think every boy in town swung on that tree vine next to the cemetery and over that river, and nobody ever got hurt when they fell off. To my knowledge, nobody ever drowned swimming across and back. Jim and I got busted my Mom, who found our dirty underwear. Turns out that river at the time was the sewage dump for the town. Mom took us to the health department for a typhoid fever shot. I thought Jim's arm was gonna fall off during baseball practice that afternoon. Those were the days.
Watching Mr. Earl chop up that barbeque at the Pig Stand was like watching a habashi chef these days. My favorite was the steak finger basket I would get for Sunday lunch. Those were the days.
My Granddad was best friends with the jailer, Mr. Huffstickler. Many a night was spent watching the old folks play dominos at the jail. Never did get to see the inside of that jail, now, kinda glad I didn't! Those were the days.
Summers would get kinda slow in town. Mr. Herb Guffrey came up with a moonlight madness carnival. Downtown was all lit up, stores open, and people shopping, visiting, and taking in the entertainment that Mr.Guffrey had lined up. It was even playing live over the radio of WELZ! Those were the days.
Trips to the movie theater included double features. White folks down stairs, black folks upstairs. That's just the way it was back then. Good or bad, those were the days.
The Boy Scout hut was the center of activity for boys that needed to stay out of trouble. I don'..emember ever getting bit by mosquitos back then, must a been all that DDT they were spraying back then. Mr. Howell and Mr. Lister were like second and third fathers to me while my was slaving away trying to make a living farming. It just wasn't the s.ame once the older guys left for othe
r things, leaving me to pass on the teachings to the younger ones coming up. Those were the days.
I wasn't much of an athlete back then. Jack Reed was coaching the Humphreys Academy baseball team back then. As a ninth grader, he let me be the equipmcourthouse.r. Got too see him hit a few. New was a ball player, yes indeed! Those were the days.
During the heyday of the catfish industry, the Catfish Festival was founded. People from all over the State would come to town to visit, shoo the arts and crafts, listen to the entertainment, see the catfish queen and watch the catfish eating contest. The highlight of the festival was getting a plate of fish, fries, and hush puppies, and taking a seat under one of the mighty oak trees surrounding the coLousiana. They still have the Catfish Festival each year, but the industry has long been suffering, and those mighty oak trees are now gone. Those were the days.
My friend Andy Halbrook still makes regular trips back from his home in Louisiana. Looking forward to his next video clip and the story telling that comes with them. Keep it up Rhino, your yarns about days past are quite entertaining. Yep, those were our days!
I remember the first day we moved into the house on Kelli street. My dad had just completed his last your with the Army and it was his time to move on with his life.
Kelli street was in a new subdivision, being built by Mr. Shannon. Kelli was the name of his oldest daughter and low and behold, we were living on her name sake. One of my sister Julie's closest friends was her sister, Julie. Always thought that was kinda funny.
With the subdivision being relatively new, there were lots of opportunities to pieces of lumber. All the boys in the neighborhood would join in, grab a few boards, and we would stock pile them in our back yard. We would save up our grass cutting money, then get on our bikes and head to downtown to the hardware store. They sold nails by the pound, which they poured into a paper sack and we were lucky if we got home with the package intact! We would spoend days, sawing and nailing, and fetching even more wood, til our fortress was complete! Many an afternoon was spent playing army soldier, sometimes with an overtrnight camp out, bugs and all. Those were the days.
We would also trek over to the Cooper plant where they made Jockey underwear. Nowadays you call them tightywhities! We would raid their dumpster and pull out all of the giant cardboard boxes. We would end up in Archie Waid's backyard and make a club house out of them. It would be a maze of tunnels and everybody had their own room. Many a war battle was fought with sling shots and China berries from the tree next door. Thank God we were poor shots! Those were the days.
Many a latest spring and early summer was spent at the little league ball park.. Some older folks invented the right field lounge sitting on homemade benches along the fence, under the shade of some mighty oak trees. I was never lucky enough to hit one over the fence. Brother Jim had the right swing and was good for at least one or two a week. Stubbs Drug Store gave away free milk shakes for every home run. When Jim would hit two in a week, I was they lucky recipient of the second. Those were the days.
Once I had graduated from playing, Dot Barron gave me a job working in her concession stand. Her hot dogs and buns were kept warm in a steam box. Those were by far the best dogs I had ever eaten, especially the leftovers at the end of the night. Those were the days.
The Indian mound by the Turner house was full of activity year round. Baseball games in the spring and summer, football games in the fall, and the fun had during snow days, sliding down the mound on a Coca Cola bottle top sign. Those were the days.
Trips to the Yazoo River. I think every boy in town swung on that tree vine next to the cemetery and over that river, and nobody ever got hurt when they fell off. To my knowledge, nobody ever drowned swimming across and back. Jim and I got busted my Mom, who found our dirty underwear. Turns out that river at the time was the sewage dump for the town. Mom took us to the health department for a typhoid fever shot. I thought Jim's arm was gonna fall off during baseball practice that afternoon. Those were the days.
Watching Mr. Earl chop up that barbeque at the Pig Stand was like watching a habashi chef these days. My favorite was the steak finger basket I would get for Sunday lunch. Those were the days.
My Granddad was best friends with the jailer, Mr. Huffstickler. Many a night was spent watching the old folks play dominos at the jail. Never did get to see the inside of that jail, now, kinda glad I didn't! Those were the days.
Summers would get kinda slow in town. Mr. Herb Guffrey came up with a moonlight madness carnival. Downtown was all lit up, stores open, and people shopping, visiting, and taking in the entertainment that Mr.Guffrey had lined up. It was even playing live over the radio of WELZ! Those were the days.
Trips to the movie theater included double features. White folks down stairs, black folks upstairs. That's just the way it was back then. Good or bad, those were the days.
The Boy Scout hut was the center of activity for boys that needed to stay out of trouble. I don'..emember ever getting bit by mosquitos back then, must a been all that DDT they were spraying back then. Mr. Howell and Mr. Lister were like second and third fathers to me while my was slaving away trying to make a living farming. It just wasn't the s.ame once the older guys left for othe
r things, leaving me to pass on the teachings to the younger ones coming up. Those were the days.
I wasn't much of an athlete back then. Jack Reed was coaching the Humphreys Academy baseball team back then. As a ninth grader, he let me be the equipmcourthouse.r. Got too see him hit a few. New was a ball player, yes indeed! Those were the days.
During the heyday of the catfish industry, the Catfish Festival was founded. People from all over the State would come to town to visit, shoo the arts and crafts, listen to the entertainment, see the catfish queen and watch the catfish eating contest. The highlight of the festival was getting a plate of fish, fries, and hush puppies, and taking a seat under one of the mighty oak trees surrounding the coLousiana. They still have the Catfish Festival each year, but the industry has long been suffering, and those mighty oak trees are now gone. Those were the days.
My friend Andy Halbrook still makes regular trips back from his home in Louisiana. Looking forward to his next video clip and the story telling that comes with them. Keep it up Rhino, your yarns about days past are quite entertaining. Yep, those were our days!
30A
The spousal unit and I hit the road this morning south bound, destination, the sugar sand beaches of the Florida Panhandle.
Road trips never cease to amaze me. We barely get started, and we come across a line of traffic on hwy 471. Its a group of cars lined up behind a tractor with a bush hog attachment. The dude has his left arm fully extended, which to me, alerts you that he is about to make a left turn. This is a hand signal, used by bike riders and anybody else that does not have a turn signal. The drivers behind him begin to PASS him! Either they are too impatient to wait, or they didn't have a clue about the rules of the road!
Since we are headed through Mobile, the spousal unit used her iPhone app to confirm the congestion at the tunnel. We have learned to avoid it by using the Bay Bridge route. We usually travel Hwy 98, then take Hwy 63 to Moss Point to get on I10 then go north on I65 to the I165 exit. Since it was Saturday, I figured I would just stay on Hwy 98 all the way to Mobile. Figured I would miss all the busy work day traffic that clogs this route from experiences from years past. Wrong! Seems everyboby from that area was out and about.
The Bay Bridge route makes it a piece of cake. Yoiu reach I10 at the first exit past the tunnel exit. I was in the wrong lane and missed the on ramp. No biggie, there is an entrance to I10 just three miles up the road. Whoops! That entrance was blocked by what looked like fire damage of all things! Now what? On to Spanish Fort via Hwy 98! Guess what, there are several restaurants on that stretch of road! We will be checking them out on future trips for sure. As we entered I10, the road ahead of us was free and clear. All that road congestion was behind us. The traffic heading west was not so lucky, as it was still bumper to bumper!
We made the trip in six hours, with only one gravity stop for the spousal unit. That my friends is a record! Got checked in to the condo and we were now ready for our next adventure.
Since road trip days don't leave you much time at the end of the day for beaching, we had decided to do a road trip down 30A. This is a stretch of road that follows the coastline from Sandestin to Panama City. We haven't been down that stretch of road in years, which was a side trip to Seaside. I'd seen pictures of Rosemary Beach and that was our ultimate destination.
Rosemary Beach is easy to get to if you just travel Hwy 98 to the west entrance of 30A. We took the scenic route. Went through Grayton Beach, Watercolor, and Seaside, reaching our final destination of Rosemary Beach.
Lots of folks have abandoned the Destin area for these stretches of beach. Destin was once known as a sleepy little fishing village. Not anymore. Condos are everywhere! If you are a beach goer, you have to stake out your stretch of sand early because of all the overcrowding. In some spots you can't see any sand because its wall to wall umbrellas!
The thing that struck me as we journeyed down 30A, man, this area is a bit overbuild too! For the most part these are "planned communities" with building height restrictions, nice brick lined pathways, some wonderful eateries, and less congestion on the beaches. All this comes with a price. Lots of money being paid to enjoy a much slower pace, almost a throwback to the beach house lifestyle of the 50's and 60's.
Seaside was one of the first communities built. There is a green space in the community center where they put on a variety of activities. The road side of the green space is lined with "truck kitchens" working out of old airstream trailers. We may return later in the week for an open air movie and truck food!
As we made our way down the rest of 30A, the kick in the head moment was the realization that, don't forget, there are two sides of the road, beach side and across the street. All this money being spent by people staying "across the street" with no immediate access to the beach! These folks that drive all these fancy cars are having to walk or bicycle down the road a bit to find the public access to the beach. Those that are spending even more money are paying it for private access to the beach.
We passed a few waiters standing around, passing the time till the dinner crowd got active. So, where do these guys last be? Certainly not in the community that they were working!
We looked around a bit from the comfort of my KIA Sorento, a distant cousin to the Lexus and Mercedes crowd. Decided to head back to Condo on the back bay of Sandestin, with a stop at Wally world and a bite to eat.
We ended up at Captain Dave's. It was still daylight and all the parking in the area was still occupied by the beach goers. Captain Dave's has a parking lot across the street and the have a tunnel that you can take to avoid the traffic. We chose to dodge the cars. I asked the waiter, "so, where do all the waiters live"? He cracked me up, with a reply that he lives just 3 blocks away and usually rides his skate board to work! Most live in communities inland, like Niceville, and commute to work.
Day one is in the books!
Road trips never cease to amaze me. We barely get started, and we come across a line of traffic on hwy 471. Its a group of cars lined up behind a tractor with a bush hog attachment. The dude has his left arm fully extended, which to me, alerts you that he is about to make a left turn. This is a hand signal, used by bike riders and anybody else that does not have a turn signal. The drivers behind him begin to PASS him! Either they are too impatient to wait, or they didn't have a clue about the rules of the road!
Since we are headed through Mobile, the spousal unit used her iPhone app to confirm the congestion at the tunnel. We have learned to avoid it by using the Bay Bridge route. We usually travel Hwy 98, then take Hwy 63 to Moss Point to get on I10 then go north on I65 to the I165 exit. Since it was Saturday, I figured I would just stay on Hwy 98 all the way to Mobile. Figured I would miss all the busy work day traffic that clogs this route from experiences from years past. Wrong! Seems everyboby from that area was out and about.
The Bay Bridge route makes it a piece of cake. Yoiu reach I10 at the first exit past the tunnel exit. I was in the wrong lane and missed the on ramp. No biggie, there is an entrance to I10 just three miles up the road. Whoops! That entrance was blocked by what looked like fire damage of all things! Now what? On to Spanish Fort via Hwy 98! Guess what, there are several restaurants on that stretch of road! We will be checking them out on future trips for sure. As we entered I10, the road ahead of us was free and clear. All that road congestion was behind us. The traffic heading west was not so lucky, as it was still bumper to bumper!
We made the trip in six hours, with only one gravity stop for the spousal unit. That my friends is a record! Got checked in to the condo and we were now ready for our next adventure.
Since road trip days don't leave you much time at the end of the day for beaching, we had decided to do a road trip down 30A. This is a stretch of road that follows the coastline from Sandestin to Panama City. We haven't been down that stretch of road in years, which was a side trip to Seaside. I'd seen pictures of Rosemary Beach and that was our ultimate destination.
Rosemary Beach is easy to get to if you just travel Hwy 98 to the west entrance of 30A. We took the scenic route. Went through Grayton Beach, Watercolor, and Seaside, reaching our final destination of Rosemary Beach.
Lots of folks have abandoned the Destin area for these stretches of beach. Destin was once known as a sleepy little fishing village. Not anymore. Condos are everywhere! If you are a beach goer, you have to stake out your stretch of sand early because of all the overcrowding. In some spots you can't see any sand because its wall to wall umbrellas!
The thing that struck me as we journeyed down 30A, man, this area is a bit overbuild too! For the most part these are "planned communities" with building height restrictions, nice brick lined pathways, some wonderful eateries, and less congestion on the beaches. All this comes with a price. Lots of money being paid to enjoy a much slower pace, almost a throwback to the beach house lifestyle of the 50's and 60's.
Seaside was one of the first communities built. There is a green space in the community center where they put on a variety of activities. The road side of the green space is lined with "truck kitchens" working out of old airstream trailers. We may return later in the week for an open air movie and truck food!
As we made our way down the rest of 30A, the kick in the head moment was the realization that, don't forget, there are two sides of the road, beach side and across the street. All this money being spent by people staying "across the street" with no immediate access to the beach! These folks that drive all these fancy cars are having to walk or bicycle down the road a bit to find the public access to the beach. Those that are spending even more money are paying it for private access to the beach.
We passed a few waiters standing around, passing the time till the dinner crowd got active. So, where do these guys last be? Certainly not in the community that they were working!
We looked around a bit from the comfort of my KIA Sorento, a distant cousin to the Lexus and Mercedes crowd. Decided to head back to Condo on the back bay of Sandestin, with a stop at Wally world and a bite to eat.
We ended up at Captain Dave's. It was still daylight and all the parking in the area was still occupied by the beach goers. Captain Dave's has a parking lot across the street and the have a tunnel that you can take to avoid the traffic. We chose to dodge the cars. I asked the waiter, "so, where do all the waiters live"? He cracked me up, with a reply that he lives just 3 blocks away and usually rides his skate board to work! Most live in communities inland, like Niceville, and commute to work.
Day one is in the books!
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Damn That Hurt!
Gotta tell one on myself.
Back in the Spring, while working my assembly job at Home Depot, I was charged with assembling 5 pine picnic tables at one location. I had plenty of tools for the job, just not the right one. Seems that there is a special socket that you can use with your impact driver on the wing nuts used in the assembly process. Well, I figured out that a small crowbar worked pretty good when it came to tightening those wing nuts.
As you might guess, these tables have quite a bit of weight and size to them. They are made of 2 inch thick pine that is 8 inches wide and around 5 feet long. I decided to stack the finished ones on top of each other to conserve floor space for the floor. While I was attempting to stack the last one, I lost my grip, and gravity took over. I was able to slow it down a bit with the grip I still had with my other hand.
That table came to rest with a big thud, right on top of my left big toe. I'm not required to wear steel toed boots, but other safety measures are followed in attempts to avoid injury. We have an expression, "if you haven't cut yourself this week, you aren't working!" Well that big toe of mine did a bit of throbbing the rest of the day. When I got home, of went the shoes and socks and on went my flippers. Them toes of mine have got to breathe! Big toe wasn't much on breathing at this moment, as the toenail had turned black. The Spousal unit said I'd be losing that toenail for sure.
I went about my business the rest of the week, working for the weekend. At the neighborhood gathering, people kept asking me what was wrong with my big toe. Told them my little story, and life went on. Couple of days later I ran into some friends, and they were all asking "dude, what's with the toe?" After a while you get tired of answering the same old questions about me and my big toe! I decided I had to do something.
Son #1's girly friend has taken up residence with us until she can get on her feet financially. One of the things she brought with her was her collection of over 500 different colors of nail polish. I got to thinking, "well, maybe she has a color that would match my skin tone. After about 15 minutes of digging, I found three bottles that might work. I set me up a nail polishing station, and picked the closest match. I've painted the inside and out of houses many times, but never my toenail. It took four coats to finally get that black toenail to look a little bit like the others. Hee, Hee, kinda felt proud of my self, God forbid I end up in a nail salon!
When the Spousal Unit and the Girly Friend got home, I just had to share my accomplishment. I showed the Girly Friend the bottle I used, and she began to laugh! I said, "what's so funny?" She replied "Well, the bottle you used is scented!" Now we are all laughing! I offered up my toe for them to take a sniff but got no takers.
I got good use out of those four coats of polish. Made a beach trip and lots of errand trips wearing my flippers, and not one question about my big toe. I guess the scent had worn off. The Spousal Unit eventually began to complain that it was starting to look like it had a fungus.
I finally relented, and off to the bathroom I went. Since it was only one toe, removing the polish was a snap. Once it was clean, I noticed that you could really see that the nail was dead. I reached for the clippers and snip, snip, off went the majority of the nail. Most of the black discoloration was gone too!
Thankfully, a new toenail has begun to grow up under what's left of the old one. Every so often I get out the trimmers and remove a little bit more of the old nail. I learned my lesson with those picnic tables , and fortunately haven't seen one since. I'll be ready for them next spring, with a pair of work boots, and a brand new wing nut socket driver!
I think my luck is changing. I had a run in today with a red wasp, and he just missed my left hand with his stinger. At this point in my life, any karma is good karma. Till next time.......
Back in the Spring, while working my assembly job at Home Depot, I was charged with assembling 5 pine picnic tables at one location. I had plenty of tools for the job, just not the right one. Seems that there is a special socket that you can use with your impact driver on the wing nuts used in the assembly process. Well, I figured out that a small crowbar worked pretty good when it came to tightening those wing nuts.
As you might guess, these tables have quite a bit of weight and size to them. They are made of 2 inch thick pine that is 8 inches wide and around 5 feet long. I decided to stack the finished ones on top of each other to conserve floor space for the floor. While I was attempting to stack the last one, I lost my grip, and gravity took over. I was able to slow it down a bit with the grip I still had with my other hand.
That table came to rest with a big thud, right on top of my left big toe. I'm not required to wear steel toed boots, but other safety measures are followed in attempts to avoid injury. We have an expression, "if you haven't cut yourself this week, you aren't working!" Well that big toe of mine did a bit of throbbing the rest of the day. When I got home, of went the shoes and socks and on went my flippers. Them toes of mine have got to breathe! Big toe wasn't much on breathing at this moment, as the toenail had turned black. The Spousal unit said I'd be losing that toenail for sure.
I went about my business the rest of the week, working for the weekend. At the neighborhood gathering, people kept asking me what was wrong with my big toe. Told them my little story, and life went on. Couple of days later I ran into some friends, and they were all asking "dude, what's with the toe?" After a while you get tired of answering the same old questions about me and my big toe! I decided I had to do something.
Son #1's girly friend has taken up residence with us until she can get on her feet financially. One of the things she brought with her was her collection of over 500 different colors of nail polish. I got to thinking, "well, maybe she has a color that would match my skin tone. After about 15 minutes of digging, I found three bottles that might work. I set me up a nail polishing station, and picked the closest match. I've painted the inside and out of houses many times, but never my toenail. It took four coats to finally get that black toenail to look a little bit like the others. Hee, Hee, kinda felt proud of my self, God forbid I end up in a nail salon!
When the Spousal Unit and the Girly Friend got home, I just had to share my accomplishment. I showed the Girly Friend the bottle I used, and she began to laugh! I said, "what's so funny?" She replied "Well, the bottle you used is scented!" Now we are all laughing! I offered up my toe for them to take a sniff but got no takers.
I got good use out of those four coats of polish. Made a beach trip and lots of errand trips wearing my flippers, and not one question about my big toe. I guess the scent had worn off. The Spousal Unit eventually began to complain that it was starting to look like it had a fungus.
I finally relented, and off to the bathroom I went. Since it was only one toe, removing the polish was a snap. Once it was clean, I noticed that you could really see that the nail was dead. I reached for the clippers and snip, snip, off went the majority of the nail. Most of the black discoloration was gone too!
Thankfully, a new toenail has begun to grow up under what's left of the old one. Every so often I get out the trimmers and remove a little bit more of the old nail. I learned my lesson with those picnic tables , and fortunately haven't seen one since. I'll be ready for them next spring, with a pair of work boots, and a brand new wing nut socket driver!
I think my luck is changing. I had a run in today with a red wasp, and he just missed my left hand with his stinger. At this point in my life, any karma is good karma. Till next time.......
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Are you ready for some football?????
Ok. The countdown has begun! We are officially under thirty days till its time for some FOOTBALL! Ready or not, its time to get ready!
Hopefully your season tickets are paid for and any day now they will be arriving in the mail. At most schools, you are already used to sitting in the same seat you have had for years, with the same folks filling in the space around you.
At Mississippi State, its a whole new ball game. The end zone redo is almost complete. Seats have been reassigned based on your priority ranking and either you are in a new spot or all the folks around you are! New skyboxes are now full of those people that have been on the waiting list for years. Others have paid a bunch more money to enjoy all the new features down in the Zone. To me, its still the Zone, and that new fancy video board is behind you. And, in front of you, will be one big mass of humanity called the student section. That end zone is gonna be wild with a whole lot of new traditions to come!
Up in Oxford its a different kinda thing. With the construction of their new round ball arena right behind the stadium there is a new uproar in town. They are building a parking garage to make up for the parking lot that's now a dirt hole. That means the dudes that pay all the money have got to park somewhere else until that sucker is finished. That means the regular folks have been reshuffled to other lots further away or no lot at all! Some of those Rebel faithful are again not happy, especially after last years shutdown of campus traffic to those without the pass. Plus, if you've seen the pictures of the construction, there ain't much room for those party people to stand around to finish off that last cup of Rebel Yell before entering the stadium. Hopefully the dirt will be covered up with something to keep all those high heels from getting dirty!
Southern Miss has got some things to prove. Its been a few years since Fedora left them high and dry for NC and leaving the talent pool totally empty. There loyal fan base will be there in their finest black and gold polyester yelling for their Eagles. We will see what they got real early, with a game in Starkville first up!
Those Rebels and Dawgs have lots to prove this year. Rebs want that Golden Egg back after their boy did his version of "planking" a few yards short of the end zone. They will be getting it all started in Atlanta vs Boise State. All those young horses from last year have a year behind them, hopefully some maturity will come with it! The Dawgs have been hearing all the hype the past four months on the Dakattack and the others on all those watch lists. Well we will be watching all right, me with my fingers crossed that there is actually something to all the talk!
For me, the games are just an afterthought. I'm all about the pregame! A whole new crop of freshmen are inbound and they are quite the sight. Some haven't yet been schooled about the proper attire for Gameday Saturday. One year I spotted a coed all decked out in her finest. Problem was, she forgot to do the spray tan thing before the first game day. There she was, just a strutting down the street, all decked out, 3 inch heels and all, with lily white feet up to where she had been wearing ankle socks all summer. I nearly wrecked the car!
Whole new wardrobes have to be assembled. God forbid you wear something from last year! Color selections are pretty easy, black and gold, maroon and white, and red and blue. Shoes are a no brainer, heels in Oxford, and cowgirl boots in Starkville, and its up for grabs in the Burg!
Its time to start prepping for tailgating. You have either already written your check to the tailgate setup guy or have taken out a second mortgage for the use of one of the Southern Tradition Tailgating black tents with all the amenities. If not, then get to checking on your tent for broken poles or a faded or torn canopy. You find out real quick that its easier to start out new than find replacement parts.
I can't wait to see what's the latest gadget. By now everybody has a fold up wagon. I'm ready for one that you can actually steer. I'm sure there will be a new chair design since those bag chairs are only good for a season or two. Will there be a new game to play? The satellite dishes will all be tuned into the new SEC network, and I can hear it "why you watching ESPN?"
You can't have a decent tailgate without the food. Your babies chicken nuggets have been replaced by the chicken strip. Remember when chicken came in a bucket and had bones in it? There will be ribs wet and dry, pulled pork and a brisket or two, and wings with all kinds of sauce. Chafing dishes will bring on the smell of sterno. The rotel will be simmering and there will be chips of all kinds and colors. The ladies will have their fancy dips and cheese spreads, and folks will get sick from something with mayo left in the heat a bit too long.
Hopefully the stadium concessionaires will have the hotdog thing figures out. The dog of choice, Bryan, is history, and hopefully that Carolina thing will be just a bad memory. Oxford will have new cup designs so you'll have to buy a whole new set for the unlimited refills. Maybe MSU will have it this time around.
If you are new to this game, you have a lot of catching up to do. And you thought the first semester tuition was a sticker shock! But hey, its just an investment in something called Football Saturday. I'm ready, are YOU?????
Hopefully your season tickets are paid for and any day now they will be arriving in the mail. At most schools, you are already used to sitting in the same seat you have had for years, with the same folks filling in the space around you.
At Mississippi State, its a whole new ball game. The end zone redo is almost complete. Seats have been reassigned based on your priority ranking and either you are in a new spot or all the folks around you are! New skyboxes are now full of those people that have been on the waiting list for years. Others have paid a bunch more money to enjoy all the new features down in the Zone. To me, its still the Zone, and that new fancy video board is behind you. And, in front of you, will be one big mass of humanity called the student section. That end zone is gonna be wild with a whole lot of new traditions to come!
Up in Oxford its a different kinda thing. With the construction of their new round ball arena right behind the stadium there is a new uproar in town. They are building a parking garage to make up for the parking lot that's now a dirt hole. That means the dudes that pay all the money have got to park somewhere else until that sucker is finished. That means the regular folks have been reshuffled to other lots further away or no lot at all! Some of those Rebel faithful are again not happy, especially after last years shutdown of campus traffic to those without the pass. Plus, if you've seen the pictures of the construction, there ain't much room for those party people to stand around to finish off that last cup of Rebel Yell before entering the stadium. Hopefully the dirt will be covered up with something to keep all those high heels from getting dirty!
Southern Miss has got some things to prove. Its been a few years since Fedora left them high and dry for NC and leaving the talent pool totally empty. There loyal fan base will be there in their finest black and gold polyester yelling for their Eagles. We will see what they got real early, with a game in Starkville first up!
Those Rebels and Dawgs have lots to prove this year. Rebs want that Golden Egg back after their boy did his version of "planking" a few yards short of the end zone. They will be getting it all started in Atlanta vs Boise State. All those young horses from last year have a year behind them, hopefully some maturity will come with it! The Dawgs have been hearing all the hype the past four months on the Dakattack and the others on all those watch lists. Well we will be watching all right, me with my fingers crossed that there is actually something to all the talk!
For me, the games are just an afterthought. I'm all about the pregame! A whole new crop of freshmen are inbound and they are quite the sight. Some haven't yet been schooled about the proper attire for Gameday Saturday. One year I spotted a coed all decked out in her finest. Problem was, she forgot to do the spray tan thing before the first game day. There she was, just a strutting down the street, all decked out, 3 inch heels and all, with lily white feet up to where she had been wearing ankle socks all summer. I nearly wrecked the car!
Whole new wardrobes have to be assembled. God forbid you wear something from last year! Color selections are pretty easy, black and gold, maroon and white, and red and blue. Shoes are a no brainer, heels in Oxford, and cowgirl boots in Starkville, and its up for grabs in the Burg!
Its time to start prepping for tailgating. You have either already written your check to the tailgate setup guy or have taken out a second mortgage for the use of one of the Southern Tradition Tailgating black tents with all the amenities. If not, then get to checking on your tent for broken poles or a faded or torn canopy. You find out real quick that its easier to start out new than find replacement parts.
I can't wait to see what's the latest gadget. By now everybody has a fold up wagon. I'm ready for one that you can actually steer. I'm sure there will be a new chair design since those bag chairs are only good for a season or two. Will there be a new game to play? The satellite dishes will all be tuned into the new SEC network, and I can hear it "why you watching ESPN?"
You can't have a decent tailgate without the food. Your babies chicken nuggets have been replaced by the chicken strip. Remember when chicken came in a bucket and had bones in it? There will be ribs wet and dry, pulled pork and a brisket or two, and wings with all kinds of sauce. Chafing dishes will bring on the smell of sterno. The rotel will be simmering and there will be chips of all kinds and colors. The ladies will have their fancy dips and cheese spreads, and folks will get sick from something with mayo left in the heat a bit too long.
Hopefully the stadium concessionaires will have the hotdog thing figures out. The dog of choice, Bryan, is history, and hopefully that Carolina thing will be just a bad memory. Oxford will have new cup designs so you'll have to buy a whole new set for the unlimited refills. Maybe MSU will have it this time around.
If you are new to this game, you have a lot of catching up to do. And you thought the first semester tuition was a sticker shock! But hey, its just an investment in something called Football Saturday. I'm ready, are YOU?????
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