We are down here in NOLA for the Sugar Bowl, but that's only one event.
You can't come this far and not go to Acme Oyster House. We like the location out by Lakeside Mall. The food is always good and the service comes with an accent that can't be beat. The best part of eating their chargrilled oysters is dipping the French bread into the drippings!
The ride into town took us past "Mother's" which had a line out the door a block long. Been there, done that. On to the Quarter! Parked near the Westin, total for the day, $40, not bad considering the time and place.
Had a ball handing our my red and blue beads to people wearing the right colors. Even swapped bead colors with a couple of OSU fans, all for the love of the game! The guy caught a "Beat OSU" button and said "here! It will look better on you!"
The Sugar Bowl Parade had the feel of Mardi Gras! Beads and stuff flying all over the place. Both fan bases were treated to school fight songs by their bands. Our favorites were the local high school bands that added their own style to their march!
With dinner reservations for 6:00 it was time to roll. We worked our way toward Canal to make a call to Uber. Traffic stalled and I was able to hail down a taxi. Best $20 taxi ride ever!
The restaurant was Carrollton Market, at the end of the St. CHARLES Street car line. The food was out of this world! We had such a good time interacting with the waitstaff that the general manager waived the late cancellation fee on our second table. The meringue on the lemon ice box pie tasted like divinity! Everything was fresh and made from scratch. Highly recommend it.
The owners wife is from Leland, and Julie McGregor's daughter designed the signage. The owners aunt, Mary Frances Hammond has been on me for several years to try them and they did not disappoint.
We took the St. Charles Street car back to Canal
Street. Had a blast talking restaurants with the driver and making suggestions of things for a couple from Iowa to do. Several lady passengers were dressed for a "twenties" party. I almost joined them!
Our walk back thru the Quarter took us down Bourbon Street, and low and behold we run into our Grove buddy Kyle Phipps and his girlfriend. Then my cousin Barbara Ann Beckham spotted us. We swore to tell her dad that we spotted her inside St. Louis Cathedral lighting a candle and doing a confessional!
Feet began to fail us so we opted for a bicycle taxi. Lord! I thought we had done stripped his gears when he tried to crank it up!
We ended the night at Cafe Du Monde for coffee and beignets. Met a new friend at the next table, from Brandon, works for Atmos Energy and knows my brother Jim. Small world.
Time to recharge our batteries to tomorrow
2016 is uncertain, but 2015 has been a "Happy New Year!"
Retired in 2012. I'm trying to out run old age and boredom. So far, I'm winning the race!
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Friday, December 25, 2015
The Christmas Spirit
Once your kids have reached adulthood, the Christmas season takes on a new meaning. The boys still have that look in their eye come gift opening time, but these days their time is divided between their devotion to us parents, and the girly side of things.
The spousal unit used to take joy in decorating for the season. Hours were spent decorating the tree and setting out the 100+ Santas and Angels about the house. When the boys jumped ship, she brought in our adopted daughter for the day. Now, is just an effort to say it's done.
The attic is full of Christmas yard art, illuminated reindeer, and strings of lights. With the boys all grown and not here much, all that stuff has just stayed put.
Working at Home Depot this time of year, you get an earful of "old time Christmas songs", so much so that you resort to wearing earplugs.
When you think about all this and begin reflecting on all this, you think, "has the holiday flame flickered out?"
But, that's when you walk into to Kroger and pass the volunteer for the Salvation Army, just singing away, wishing everyone a happy holiday season as they rush by.
The other day at Home Depot, the day was coming.to an end. My buddy Sam, walked up with a customer in tow, asking "you got time to assemble another one?" The lady had that look in her eye. This high end grill was going to be a special gift for someone. Her husband had just been released from the hospital this week and was wanting to grill, but their old one had bit the dust a few months back. I said "sure, Merry Christmas". The box was delivered to me, and the "will call" sticker had a note "if completed before 9, call for customer pickup". I finished it and took it to customer service so they could call the lady for pickup. Hope her husband enjoyed firing it up!
With no young ones in our immediate future, we do have a pretty good substitute. On the spousal unit's side there are the Grandbaby niece and nephew that are just now figuring this Christmas thing out. One of the nieces has her first bundle of joy. That holiday flame has relit itself through them! I could not resist getting a baby daddy project, a mimi me toy grill that had to be at least a three hour assembly project!
Last night, we made the road trip to Inverness to see my parents, sister, and others. My mom has gotten a bit "chatty" in her 80+ years. We got to here the stories of her giving chase to my Dad, how they got married, and survived on less than $200 per month. Nobody can tell stories like these but Granny! My Dad will be "retiring" from his current job in the next few days. I didn't realize that the word "retirement" was in his vocabulary!
Some traditions will always be. Cooking is what I enjoy the most. I have a few "lady friends" that like my Christmas sugar cookies that are always calling. This year I made 40 boxes of cheese straws for customers. Made my first fixing of "trash" for son #1. Last night was my first attempt at prime rib and it did not disappoint.
Tonight we will all share in the preparation of the evening holiday meal. Everyone has their assigned task, and are looking forward to "our time" together.
Yep, that holiday flame that I thought had died out was just down to a slow flicker. Soon, girly friends will become "for real" family members and the circle will be complete. Their lives will just be getting started and me and the spousal unit will get to relive it through their eyes.
The holiday spirit is alive and well. Merry Christmas from our house to yours!
The spousal unit used to take joy in decorating for the season. Hours were spent decorating the tree and setting out the 100+ Santas and Angels about the house. When the boys jumped ship, she brought in our adopted daughter for the day. Now, is just an effort to say it's done.
The attic is full of Christmas yard art, illuminated reindeer, and strings of lights. With the boys all grown and not here much, all that stuff has just stayed put.
Working at Home Depot this time of year, you get an earful of "old time Christmas songs", so much so that you resort to wearing earplugs.
When you think about all this and begin reflecting on all this, you think, "has the holiday flame flickered out?"
But, that's when you walk into to Kroger and pass the volunteer for the Salvation Army, just singing away, wishing everyone a happy holiday season as they rush by.
The other day at Home Depot, the day was coming.to an end. My buddy Sam, walked up with a customer in tow, asking "you got time to assemble another one?" The lady had that look in her eye. This high end grill was going to be a special gift for someone. Her husband had just been released from the hospital this week and was wanting to grill, but their old one had bit the dust a few months back. I said "sure, Merry Christmas". The box was delivered to me, and the "will call" sticker had a note "if completed before 9, call for customer pickup". I finished it and took it to customer service so they could call the lady for pickup. Hope her husband enjoyed firing it up!
With no young ones in our immediate future, we do have a pretty good substitute. On the spousal unit's side there are the Grandbaby niece and nephew that are just now figuring this Christmas thing out. One of the nieces has her first bundle of joy. That holiday flame has relit itself through them! I could not resist getting a baby daddy project, a mimi me toy grill that had to be at least a three hour assembly project!
Last night, we made the road trip to Inverness to see my parents, sister, and others. My mom has gotten a bit "chatty" in her 80+ years. We got to here the stories of her giving chase to my Dad, how they got married, and survived on less than $200 per month. Nobody can tell stories like these but Granny! My Dad will be "retiring" from his current job in the next few days. I didn't realize that the word "retirement" was in his vocabulary!
Some traditions will always be. Cooking is what I enjoy the most. I have a few "lady friends" that like my Christmas sugar cookies that are always calling. This year I made 40 boxes of cheese straws for customers. Made my first fixing of "trash" for son #1. Last night was my first attempt at prime rib and it did not disappoint.
Tonight we will all share in the preparation of the evening holiday meal. Everyone has their assigned task, and are looking forward to "our time" together.
Yep, that holiday flame that I thought had died out was just down to a slow flicker. Soon, girly friends will become "for real" family members and the circle will be complete. Their lives will just be getting started and me and the spousal unit will get to relive it through their eyes.
The holiday spirit is alive and well. Merry Christmas from our house to yours!
Friday, December 4, 2015
Oh Christmas Tree
It's that time of year again. Some start early November with the decorating. For others, the first days after Thanksgivivng. Others, like is, sometime in December.
Growing up, my memories are bittersweet. For some reason, we would make the drive from Belzoni to Yazoo City to pick up a tree that an uncle had picked out for us. It would be standing in a bucket on the side of the house, in the shade. Then, when we moved to Inverness, as teenagers with a driver's license, my mom told us to drive over to Indianola to pick out a tree and bring it home to decorate. What??? We get to pick it out? How big? What kind? We were full of questions about an event that we were about to experience for the first time!
We ended up with the same scotch pine tree that our uncle always picked out. It didn't matter, because it was our tree! We didn't know to check out the trunk for straightness. I don't think any scotch pine ever had a straight trunk. I think this one fell over a couple of times before we secured it to the wall. Again, it didn't matter, because it was ours!
When our kids were small, we made tree buying a family event. Our favorite was the Frasier Fur. Needles didn't stick, good shape, and easy to decorate. We did this every year, til the time we got it home, and the boys announced "we're done. Off to something else!" That tree sat in the stand, outside for quite some time, before it was brought inside, again waiting for someone to decorate it. Eventually, it got done, but the family experience time was changed forever.
Next up was our first purchase of a prelit artificial tree. Big one, from Callaways, during the big after Christmas sale. We justified the cost by figuring that it would last at least ten years, and no issues with watering or needle dropping.
We had the same issues with decorating the tree, two boys with no interest. The spousal unit had a stroke of genius, borrow our little friend Jessica for a day and "get r done"! That worked great for a few years, but now, Jessica is all grown up and off to college.
Well, that tree served us well. The strings of lights eventually failed. OMG! The time I spent pulling off the old and adding the new! This past year, we finally went the full circle of life. The boys and a girly friend did the decorating! It seemed to be the appropriate send off for that tree! Off it went to garbage dump land!
Now, a year has past, and no tree. It's almost like my teenage years again. Been so long, live or artificial? Prelit or not? Big and tall, or scaled back? Wonder who will be decorating it this go round? Yep! We've come full circle around the.Ole Christmas Tree!
Growing up, my memories are bittersweet. For some reason, we would make the drive from Belzoni to Yazoo City to pick up a tree that an uncle had picked out for us. It would be standing in a bucket on the side of the house, in the shade. Then, when we moved to Inverness, as teenagers with a driver's license, my mom told us to drive over to Indianola to pick out a tree and bring it home to decorate. What??? We get to pick it out? How big? What kind? We were full of questions about an event that we were about to experience for the first time!
We ended up with the same scotch pine tree that our uncle always picked out. It didn't matter, because it was our tree! We didn't know to check out the trunk for straightness. I don't think any scotch pine ever had a straight trunk. I think this one fell over a couple of times before we secured it to the wall. Again, it didn't matter, because it was ours!
When our kids were small, we made tree buying a family event. Our favorite was the Frasier Fur. Needles didn't stick, good shape, and easy to decorate. We did this every year, til the time we got it home, and the boys announced "we're done. Off to something else!" That tree sat in the stand, outside for quite some time, before it was brought inside, again waiting for someone to decorate it. Eventually, it got done, but the family experience time was changed forever.
Next up was our first purchase of a prelit artificial tree. Big one, from Callaways, during the big after Christmas sale. We justified the cost by figuring that it would last at least ten years, and no issues with watering or needle dropping.
We had the same issues with decorating the tree, two boys with no interest. The spousal unit had a stroke of genius, borrow our little friend Jessica for a day and "get r done"! That worked great for a few years, but now, Jessica is all grown up and off to college.
Well, that tree served us well. The strings of lights eventually failed. OMG! The time I spent pulling off the old and adding the new! This past year, we finally went the full circle of life. The boys and a girly friend did the decorating! It seemed to be the appropriate send off for that tree! Off it went to garbage dump land!
Now, a year has past, and no tree. It's almost like my teenage years again. Been so long, live or artificial? Prelit or not? Big and tall, or scaled back? Wonder who will be decorating it this go round? Yep! We've come full circle around the.Ole Christmas Tree!
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Major Fails This Football Season
Back home from the 2015 Egg Bowl, with a few hours rest. I've been reflecting on the "major fails" from this season of football Saturday, and some have made swallowing last night's pill a little easier.
1. Dear MSU defensive player number 11. I didn't even bother to look your name up. It's bad enough that you had all those missed tackles, but to have a little running back from TSUN bowl you over not once, but twice? I commented that at least you were no longer in the game, then all my neighbors said "thank God!"
2. To the man cub's girly friend that announced "oh dear, I seem to have left my student ID back at the house" is BAD, especially when that is your ticket into the game! Thankfully a scalper accepted $10 for an upper deck ticket!
3. To the man cub for forgetting to bring the grill from the house, when grilled brats with onions and peppers was the "food item of the day". God dropping all that rain on you during you return trip with grill in hand was a great explanation point!
4. Spousal unit was a dot of red and blue in a sea of maroon last night. She stood up to shake her red pom pom and was drowned out by the surrounding neighbor seats clanging their cowbell at her! At one point, I had my cowbell tucked under my elbow and firmly planted on my thigh. Turned out that red pom pom was stuck under the bell several times during the game. Neighbor lady said "nice touch"!
5. To all those well intended Grove beer drinkers that had a cooler crash and burn on that little bump in the road, or the ones that bought that cheap Styrofoam cooler with the faulty top, "better luck next time!"
6. To the Ole Miss fan doing 80 mph up hwy 25 in the Blue Toyota 4 Runner with all those magnets on your car. And you wonder why you were the one that got pulled over by MHP???
7. One on me. Had the truck loaded with gear and cart to haul tailgate stuff to the parking lot. I casually set the bag with the chafing dish on top. On the trip up HWY 25, a huge gust of wind rocks me like crazy! I look in the mirror and see the chafing dish bag blowing out of the back, bam! Landing in the middle of the road! Quick uturn, pick it up before oncoming traffic arrives, open the bag, no harm, no foul. WHEW!
8. To the dude preparing the boiled peanuts at MSU, Dude! Add some spice in that pot! Worst goobers ever!
9. To the sound system guy in Starkvegas. You have had two years to fix the muffled PA system when the house is at full capacity. Time to punt and call in a backup!
10. To the casual fan that brings bottle beer without screwtops and doesn't bring an opener, really???
11. To the SEC and TV people that schedule those September games in the heat of the day, kiss my a$$! I've done it in Starkvegas once and Oxford once. These bones are too old for this! Will be passing these up in favor of the shade of a tailgate tent and an ice cold adult beverage of my choice!
12. To the guy buying an ice cream cone in the student union. The look on your face when the scoop of butter pecan fell off your cone onto the floor: priceless! Checkout clerk, replacement cone was a good save!
13. Arriving at the park and ride lot at the Cochran Center 45 minutes too early, was a major fail. But, got to walk off that huge burger from Mugshots! Shuttle ride back had us out and on the highway in no time!
14. As my buddy Kyle will attest, chafing dishes in weather with Temps of 40 and lower will not warm up without at least three or more burners lit under them. Heated crockpot stored in insulated ice chests stay warm for hours!
15. To those "fair weather fans" that are always looking for tickets, support your school, order season tickets or pony up and pay the going rate to resellers! Sold out season ticket allotments and stadiums are a good thing!
That's a wrap for 2015. Bowl games are right around the corner then we begin the eight plus month wait to do it all over again!
1. Dear MSU defensive player number 11. I didn't even bother to look your name up. It's bad enough that you had all those missed tackles, but to have a little running back from TSUN bowl you over not once, but twice? I commented that at least you were no longer in the game, then all my neighbors said "thank God!"
2. To the man cub's girly friend that announced "oh dear, I seem to have left my student ID back at the house" is BAD, especially when that is your ticket into the game! Thankfully a scalper accepted $10 for an upper deck ticket!
3. To the man cub for forgetting to bring the grill from the house, when grilled brats with onions and peppers was the "food item of the day". God dropping all that rain on you during you return trip with grill in hand was a great explanation point!
4. Spousal unit was a dot of red and blue in a sea of maroon last night. She stood up to shake her red pom pom and was drowned out by the surrounding neighbor seats clanging their cowbell at her! At one point, I had my cowbell tucked under my elbow and firmly planted on my thigh. Turned out that red pom pom was stuck under the bell several times during the game. Neighbor lady said "nice touch"!
5. To all those well intended Grove beer drinkers that had a cooler crash and burn on that little bump in the road, or the ones that bought that cheap Styrofoam cooler with the faulty top, "better luck next time!"
6. To the Ole Miss fan doing 80 mph up hwy 25 in the Blue Toyota 4 Runner with all those magnets on your car. And you wonder why you were the one that got pulled over by MHP???
7. One on me. Had the truck loaded with gear and cart to haul tailgate stuff to the parking lot. I casually set the bag with the chafing dish on top. On the trip up HWY 25, a huge gust of wind rocks me like crazy! I look in the mirror and see the chafing dish bag blowing out of the back, bam! Landing in the middle of the road! Quick uturn, pick it up before oncoming traffic arrives, open the bag, no harm, no foul. WHEW!
8. To the dude preparing the boiled peanuts at MSU, Dude! Add some spice in that pot! Worst goobers ever!
9. To the sound system guy in Starkvegas. You have had two years to fix the muffled PA system when the house is at full capacity. Time to punt and call in a backup!
10. To the casual fan that brings bottle beer without screwtops and doesn't bring an opener, really???
11. To the SEC and TV people that schedule those September games in the heat of the day, kiss my a$$! I've done it in Starkvegas once and Oxford once. These bones are too old for this! Will be passing these up in favor of the shade of a tailgate tent and an ice cold adult beverage of my choice!
12. To the guy buying an ice cream cone in the student union. The look on your face when the scoop of butter pecan fell off your cone onto the floor: priceless! Checkout clerk, replacement cone was a good save!
13. Arriving at the park and ride lot at the Cochran Center 45 minutes too early, was a major fail. But, got to walk off that huge burger from Mugshots! Shuttle ride back had us out and on the highway in no time!
14. As my buddy Kyle will attest, chafing dishes in weather with Temps of 40 and lower will not warm up without at least three or more burners lit under them. Heated crockpot stored in insulated ice chests stay warm for hours!
15. To those "fair weather fans" that are always looking for tickets, support your school, order season tickets or pony up and pay the going rate to resellers! Sold out season ticket allotments and stadiums are a good thing!
That's a wrap for 2015. Bowl games are right around the corner then we begin the eight plus month wait to do it all over again!
Sunday, November 22, 2015
HYDR Tailgating Crew
Being a split household can take its toll on you in the fall. Two sets of tickets, travel in two different directions, food planning without duplication, and not mixing up you cheering!
We have two separate groups: man cub and company in Starkvegas and the HYDR Tailgating Crew in Oxford. Last weekend was our last gathering in Starkvegas and last night was the conclusion of "the Grove".
HYDR Tailgating Crew is quite a collective. Members come, not every gameday, from Texas, Kansas, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Alabama, and of course Mississippi. One weekend, We even had a group of guys join us that were from several other northern countries. Occasionally, we get walk up guests from the opposing team looking for a cup, advise, drink, or even a meal!
We are quite a collective. Queen Charla is the mother of all things Rebel. The Allen Clan has pulled in members from far and wide. Brother Kyle is the king of the Weber Q, grilling quail, rabbit, boudin, green tomatoes, and lots of other things here and there. Gina has a husband, Danny, that can somehow manage to get a hotel room when there are no rooms to be had! We even have a collective of single, divorced women, that are a joy to clown around with! Very few of us have anything in common, except for a love of tailgating in the land of the Grove!
Some were sorority sistas, some mutual friends from Rebel chat forums, and others were befriended at the annual Ladies forum. Me, I'm just a tag along spouse of 30 years that loves a party when food is involved!
We have had our spot, on the corner of University Blvd an Grove Loop for years. The UPD tent is right in front, in the strategic location, for educating the public on the "do's and don'ts of beer 101". Several of these uniformed characters are kept well fed by HYDR!
The last game was special, with a victory over the corndog rivals from across the river. But for our crew, it's not about the game. It's all about the tailgate by golly! And just think, We get to do it all over again in nine months! Hobby Lobby!
We have two separate groups: man cub and company in Starkvegas and the HYDR Tailgating Crew in Oxford. Last weekend was our last gathering in Starkvegas and last night was the conclusion of "the Grove".
HYDR Tailgating Crew is quite a collective. Members come, not every gameday, from Texas, Kansas, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Alabama, and of course Mississippi. One weekend, We even had a group of guys join us that were from several other northern countries. Occasionally, we get walk up guests from the opposing team looking for a cup, advise, drink, or even a meal!
We are quite a collective. Queen Charla is the mother of all things Rebel. The Allen Clan has pulled in members from far and wide. Brother Kyle is the king of the Weber Q, grilling quail, rabbit, boudin, green tomatoes, and lots of other things here and there. Gina has a husband, Danny, that can somehow manage to get a hotel room when there are no rooms to be had! We even have a collective of single, divorced women, that are a joy to clown around with! Very few of us have anything in common, except for a love of tailgating in the land of the Grove!
Some were sorority sistas, some mutual friends from Rebel chat forums, and others were befriended at the annual Ladies forum. Me, I'm just a tag along spouse of 30 years that loves a party when food is involved!
We have had our spot, on the corner of University Blvd an Grove Loop for years. The UPD tent is right in front, in the strategic location, for educating the public on the "do's and don'ts of beer 101". Several of these uniformed characters are kept well fed by HYDR!
The last game was special, with a victory over the corndog rivals from across the river. But for our crew, it's not about the game. It's all about the tailgate by golly! And just think, We get to do it all over again in nine months! Hobby Lobby!
Sunday, November 15, 2015
The End Is Near, Tailgating, Anyway
Seems like it was just yesterday, the days were hot, and excitement was building for another season of tailgating! Now, the bitter chill is starting to set in that tailgating 2015 is almost over.
The reality of it is parked in my driveway. Pickup loaded down, with three years of gear that has accumulated in Starkvegas: three tents, three tables, ten chairs, two cooler bag stands, and various other items that you pick up here and there, all on sale, of course!
Man cub has worn himself out this season with doing our thing and also doing tent setup for Southern Tradition Tailgating. He will be working for them during the Egg Bowl, so we will just be attending the game.
It's kinda funny, having season tickets for both schools. The game is the same, but that's where the similarities end. We got "reseated" this year at both places. Time to meet new people and build some new friendships. New friend in Starkville yesterday shared a picture of the new grandbaby, and the loss of a parent, bittersweet for sure. New friends in Oxford are actually an old family acquaintance from growing up in Nelson in the 1960's.
You know the food was good when it's all gone by the end of the day. Makes for packing up that much easier. In Starkville it's about feeding a bunch of college kids. In Oxford, we're feeding the Popo! Same outcome, food gone!
In Oxford, it's all about the Grove experience. The tents, the table prep, the girls all dressed up, and watching folks learn the hard lessons regarding beer delivery and alcohol consumption.
In Starkville, we are a more laid back crew, over by the chapel. Crowds are smaller but we still get to watch our favorite group cooking 18 slabs of ribs, an a dozen chickens, with open bar, music blaring, with two blowup couches, and 60 inch tv!
For me, it's all about the food prep. Ok, what will it be this week? I've lost count on how many batches of cheese straws and dozens of cookies have been baked. In past weeks it was briskets, pork butts and even tamales. This week it was prep for red beans and rice. Figured that one out by cooking it in the crockpot and transporting it in ice chests. Great substitutes for hot boxes, and the food was still steaming hot five hours later!
Yep, the end of tailgating is now upon us. That truck is still in the driveway, and still loaded down. Now time to figure where to store it all and at the same time start prepping for that last run to Oxford.
Nothing else left to say but #HailStatell and Hobby Lobby!
The reality of it is parked in my driveway. Pickup loaded down, with three years of gear that has accumulated in Starkvegas: three tents, three tables, ten chairs, two cooler bag stands, and various other items that you pick up here and there, all on sale, of course!
Man cub has worn himself out this season with doing our thing and also doing tent setup for Southern Tradition Tailgating. He will be working for them during the Egg Bowl, so we will just be attending the game.
It's kinda funny, having season tickets for both schools. The game is the same, but that's where the similarities end. We got "reseated" this year at both places. Time to meet new people and build some new friendships. New friend in Starkville yesterday shared a picture of the new grandbaby, and the loss of a parent, bittersweet for sure. New friends in Oxford are actually an old family acquaintance from growing up in Nelson in the 1960's.
You know the food was good when it's all gone by the end of the day. Makes for packing up that much easier. In Starkville it's about feeding a bunch of college kids. In Oxford, we're feeding the Popo! Same outcome, food gone!
In Oxford, it's all about the Grove experience. The tents, the table prep, the girls all dressed up, and watching folks learn the hard lessons regarding beer delivery and alcohol consumption.
In Starkville, we are a more laid back crew, over by the chapel. Crowds are smaller but we still get to watch our favorite group cooking 18 slabs of ribs, an a dozen chickens, with open bar, music blaring, with two blowup couches, and 60 inch tv!
For me, it's all about the food prep. Ok, what will it be this week? I've lost count on how many batches of cheese straws and dozens of cookies have been baked. In past weeks it was briskets, pork butts and even tamales. This week it was prep for red beans and rice. Figured that one out by cooking it in the crockpot and transporting it in ice chests. Great substitutes for hot boxes, and the food was still steaming hot five hours later!
Yep, the end of tailgating is now upon us. That truck is still in the driveway, and still loaded down. Now time to figure where to store it all and at the same time start prepping for that last run to Oxford.
Nothing else left to say but #HailStatell and Hobby Lobby!
Monday, November 2, 2015
Angels in the Swimming Pool
The angels in heaven got a new swim instructor today when God put in a call for a new swim coach for his flock of angels. The new swim instructor, Donna Palmer Collins comes in with a great resume.
Donna has spent years in the pool, teaching her three children how to swim and also her precious grandchildren. She probably taught her husband Ray a few strokes or two as well!
Those angels better be putting some waterproofing on their wings. Knowing Donna, she will have the females doing synchronized swimming, and the men will be doing underwater relay races. Donna is no stranger to hard work and she will be preaching what she practiced, so angels, get ready!
If heaven has a basketball team, they have a new number one fan in Donna Collins. Heaven's version of Facebook is going to be full of Donna's rants and praises for her new team. She will most likely be watching out for her favorite team, the Memphis Grizzlies.
Donna worked so hard to prepare herself for the road that laid ahead of her. She was at the gym putting in the roadwork to get her body ready for her transplant. Any free time was spent tending after those grandkids of hers. When her body would allow, she even joined them in the pool, fine tuning her craft, without realizing she had a new responsibility waiting on her.
This summer I took Donna with me on two trips, as a virtual breaks from her daily grind at the gym, and her constant reminder, the trusty old oxygen tank. One trip was to the beach, with virtual margaritas in hand. The other was to WDW Magic Kingdom, and her favorite ride, "It's a Small World".
All future trips to the beach will now include a margarita toast to my friend Donna, and all future trips to the Magic Kingdom will include a trip on my least favorite ride, "It's a Small World". Just for you my friend!
Donna was a strong believer in God, and her faith never waivered. I have to believe that is what pulled her through all of the medical issues she has dealt with past 20 plus years.
Donna leaves behind a wonderful man, Ray Collins. Ray has always been by her side, her ever faithful servant. Ray and Donna's family are in mourning for their loss of this sweet woman. Please join me in a prayer for them that their sorrows are soon turned into memories of joy. That's how I'm gonna remember her, Cheers Donna!
Donna has spent years in the pool, teaching her three children how to swim and also her precious grandchildren. She probably taught her husband Ray a few strokes or two as well!
Those angels better be putting some waterproofing on their wings. Knowing Donna, she will have the females doing synchronized swimming, and the men will be doing underwater relay races. Donna is no stranger to hard work and she will be preaching what she practiced, so angels, get ready!
If heaven has a basketball team, they have a new number one fan in Donna Collins. Heaven's version of Facebook is going to be full of Donna's rants and praises for her new team. She will most likely be watching out for her favorite team, the Memphis Grizzlies.
Donna worked so hard to prepare herself for the road that laid ahead of her. She was at the gym putting in the roadwork to get her body ready for her transplant. Any free time was spent tending after those grandkids of hers. When her body would allow, she even joined them in the pool, fine tuning her craft, without realizing she had a new responsibility waiting on her.
This summer I took Donna with me on two trips, as a virtual breaks from her daily grind at the gym, and her constant reminder, the trusty old oxygen tank. One trip was to the beach, with virtual margaritas in hand. The other was to WDW Magic Kingdom, and her favorite ride, "It's a Small World".
All future trips to the beach will now include a margarita toast to my friend Donna, and all future trips to the Magic Kingdom will include a trip on my least favorite ride, "It's a Small World". Just for you my friend!
Donna was a strong believer in God, and her faith never waivered. I have to believe that is what pulled her through all of the medical issues she has dealt with past 20 plus years.
Donna leaves behind a wonderful man, Ray Collins. Ray has always been by her side, her ever faithful servant. Ray and Donna's family are in mourning for their loss of this sweet woman. Please join me in a prayer for them that their sorrows are soon turned into memories of joy. That's how I'm gonna remember her, Cheers Donna!
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Ain't in No Hurry
Well, we are over here in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Before the trip, I asked my FB peepers for suggestions on points of interest, and thang to do and such. To my surprise, some of the peepers left a threw a few suggestions my way!
We looked them up, and thought "good deal"! Once all the party arrived, we made out list. The first day of excursions was in the surrounding area, visiting lakes and waterfalls.
Next on our list was a trip to Ashville, North Carolina to tour the Biltmore Estate. Estimated duration of the trip over was an hour. It hasn't taken the locals long to spot us on their roadways, with us taking the curves at 20-30 mph. Hell, I normally take the Interstate exit ramps at over 40, but the Interstate doesn't have a granite gully on one side and a sheer dropoff on the other. One of my passengers has left a lasting grip of the door handle of the car! Finally, we were out of the mountains!
Our roadie trip took us thru Brevard, NC. As you approached the town, the road was marked "temporarily closed for special event". Okee dokee. At this point I'm hoping that "Dora the Explorer" (gps) will be able to find the straightest path back to our original route. Apparently the community takes over the downtown area and puts on a harvest festival. To the right of us was a farmers market. I think one feller was confused and ended up at the wrong venue, as he was wearing a pig costume, including nose! I started to look for a butcher among the market merchants! Further up the road we saw a little boy dressed up as a lamb. I figured he must be related to that fella in the pig costume!
At another intersection I spotted a water feature, and I yelled "cameras ready! Water feature on your left!" I didn't get any takers for a pull over!
Our trip that was supposed to take an hour, almost took two. We arrived at the Biltmore Estate ticket gate to pick up our will call tickets. We had five minutes to spare for our tour time. To our surprise, the house was several miles within the 8,000 acre estate! Thank goodness that we paid for valet parking!
The drive through the estate and the approach to the house reminded us all of the PBS show Downton Abbey. What a grand place Biltmore Estate is! No pictures are allowed to be taken on the inside of the house, which is dimly lit, as it would be from its heyday in the early 1900s. We did the walking tour, but I highly suggest that you upgrade to the narrated version to get a mental picture of the sights that you are taking in. You can also upgrade to a guided tour. I will opt for at least the hand held headset on my next visit.
The stables section of the estate provides you plenty of opportunities to spent your money, and lunch was a nice break for us before going to the basement level.
Somehow, I always seem to be in the right place at the wrong time. I walked over to the recyclable trash cans, and there was a nicely dressed woman leaning over the can. I thought, surely not! Yep, barfed dead center through the hole. A few minute I turned and saw her complaining about her head, thinking she must have run into a door or something. It wasn't long before I spotted her again with the estate staff tending to her, now plopped into a wheel chair with an ice bag on her head. The medical attendant reached into his bag and pulled out a red bad, that I thought might be a blood pressure cuff. Nope. It was a medical waste hazzard bag, that was now big put into service as barf bag Number 2! We never saw or heard an ambulance so I guess the woman survived!
The exit is twice as long a ride as the entrance, taking you past several more opportunities to spend your money. These is an Inn on the Estate than you can stay at. It is built to resemble the Biltmore House.
On the trip home we made a side stop at Ingles grocery store to pick up a few supplies. Nice store!
One cell phone went off giving us the alert that it was $.50 corndog day at Sonic, and I'll be dang if we didn't spot one along the way!
Our trip to Ashville ended up where we started, back on Sapphire Mountain. There is much more to do in Ashville, but some in our party needed a break from all the "dead man's curves" along the way!
We looked them up, and thought "good deal"! Once all the party arrived, we made out list. The first day of excursions was in the surrounding area, visiting lakes and waterfalls.
Next on our list was a trip to Ashville, North Carolina to tour the Biltmore Estate. Estimated duration of the trip over was an hour. It hasn't taken the locals long to spot us on their roadways, with us taking the curves at 20-30 mph. Hell, I normally take the Interstate exit ramps at over 40, but the Interstate doesn't have a granite gully on one side and a sheer dropoff on the other. One of my passengers has left a lasting grip of the door handle of the car! Finally, we were out of the mountains!
Our roadie trip took us thru Brevard, NC. As you approached the town, the road was marked "temporarily closed for special event". Okee dokee. At this point I'm hoping that "Dora the Explorer" (gps) will be able to find the straightest path back to our original route. Apparently the community takes over the downtown area and puts on a harvest festival. To the right of us was a farmers market. I think one feller was confused and ended up at the wrong venue, as he was wearing a pig costume, including nose! I started to look for a butcher among the market merchants! Further up the road we saw a little boy dressed up as a lamb. I figured he must be related to that fella in the pig costume!
At another intersection I spotted a water feature, and I yelled "cameras ready! Water feature on your left!" I didn't get any takers for a pull over!
Our trip that was supposed to take an hour, almost took two. We arrived at the Biltmore Estate ticket gate to pick up our will call tickets. We had five minutes to spare for our tour time. To our surprise, the house was several miles within the 8,000 acre estate! Thank goodness that we paid for valet parking!
The drive through the estate and the approach to the house reminded us all of the PBS show Downton Abbey. What a grand place Biltmore Estate is! No pictures are allowed to be taken on the inside of the house, which is dimly lit, as it would be from its heyday in the early 1900s. We did the walking tour, but I highly suggest that you upgrade to the narrated version to get a mental picture of the sights that you are taking in. You can also upgrade to a guided tour. I will opt for at least the hand held headset on my next visit.
The stables section of the estate provides you plenty of opportunities to spent your money, and lunch was a nice break for us before going to the basement level.
Somehow, I always seem to be in the right place at the wrong time. I walked over to the recyclable trash cans, and there was a nicely dressed woman leaning over the can. I thought, surely not! Yep, barfed dead center through the hole. A few minute I turned and saw her complaining about her head, thinking she must have run into a door or something. It wasn't long before I spotted her again with the estate staff tending to her, now plopped into a wheel chair with an ice bag on her head. The medical attendant reached into his bag and pulled out a red bad, that I thought might be a blood pressure cuff. Nope. It was a medical waste hazzard bag, that was now big put into service as barf bag Number 2! We never saw or heard an ambulance so I guess the woman survived!
The exit is twice as long a ride as the entrance, taking you past several more opportunities to spend your money. These is an Inn on the Estate than you can stay at. It is built to resemble the Biltmore House.
On the trip home we made a side stop at Ingles grocery store to pick up a few supplies. Nice store!
One cell phone went off giving us the alert that it was $.50 corndog day at Sonic, and I'll be dang if we didn't spot one along the way!
Our trip to Ashville ended up where we started, back on Sapphire Mountain. There is much more to do in Ashville, but some in our party needed a break from all the "dead man's curves" along the way!
Friday, October 30, 2015
Up and Down the Winding Road on Sapphire Mountain
In these parts, there are two kind of speeds, slow, and slower. The locals naturally are the ones driving these roads slowly in anticipation of the next curve. The ones that are going even slower are the tourists like you and me.
On this day, I was the appointed driver. I was instructed to roll as slow as possible so that my passengers could take in all the scenery, and they would be at the ready for any Kodak opportunity that would pass by.
Our first stop was at Fairfield lake. During season this lake is full of activity, including swimming, canoeing, and paddle boats. The water was so clear you could see the reflections of the trees off the water:
In one curve, was a small give shop and restaurant that didn't open until late afternoon. As I pulled into the lot, the bridge in the next curve caught my eye. In a small opening between the trees there seemed to be something that might be of interest. As I pulled closer, we noticed that the road ahead was a private drive. We all thought, what the hell, they can put the cuffs on us when we return. This is what was around the bend of that private drive:
We made a few inquiries for other stops on our journey today. One stop recommended was Whitewater Falls. The drive was short, along the many curves, and winding roads. The location for the falls was within one of the national parks, and this one allowed hiking and overnight camping. The trail to the falls was only a half mile, with a scenic vista along the way. The sight was worth the walk as you can see from these photos:
We ended our day with a dusk ride to the top of Cold Mountain. We were in search for wilderness critters like turkeys, deer or bears. The waitress made the suggestion during our lunch break. We made it to the dead end top of Cold Mountain with not one critter sighting on the way. Not feeling defeated, we made our way back down retracing our route in hopes of maybe seeing something. Apparently seeing was not what Mother Nature had in mind. Five miles from our weekend home we passed through the recently sprayed smell of skunk! Two miles later, we spotted one of these striped critters crossing the road.
We could not wait to return to the safety of out wine, beer and bourbon, along with a.slow burning fire! Now settling in with the anticipation of tomorrow's adventure!
On this day, I was the appointed driver. I was instructed to roll as slow as possible so that my passengers could take in all the scenery, and they would be at the ready for any Kodak opportunity that would pass by.
Our first stop was at Fairfield lake. During season this lake is full of activity, including swimming, canoeing, and paddle boats. The water was so clear you could see the reflections of the trees off the water:
In one curve, was a small give shop and restaurant that didn't open until late afternoon. As I pulled into the lot, the bridge in the next curve caught my eye. In a small opening between the trees there seemed to be something that might be of interest. As I pulled closer, we noticed that the road ahead was a private drive. We all thought, what the hell, they can put the cuffs on us when we return. This is what was around the bend of that private drive:
 |
| Toxaway Falls |
We made a few inquiries for other stops on our journey today. One stop recommended was Whitewater Falls. The drive was short, along the many curves, and winding roads. The location for the falls was within one of the national parks, and this one allowed hiking and overnight camping. The trail to the falls was only a half mile, with a scenic vista along the way. The sight was worth the walk as you can see from these photos:
 |
| Whitewater Falls |
These pictures do not do the views justice. We also posted a video of the falls on Facebook.
We ended our day with a dusk ride to the top of Cold Mountain. We were in search for wilderness critters like turkeys, deer or bears. The waitress made the suggestion during our lunch break. We made it to the dead end top of Cold Mountain with not one critter sighting on the way. Not feeling defeated, we made our way back down retracing our route in hopes of maybe seeing something. Apparently seeing was not what Mother Nature had in mind. Five miles from our weekend home we passed through the recently sprayed smell of skunk! Two miles later, we spotted one of these striped critters crossing the road.
We could not wait to return to the safety of out wine, beer and bourbon, along with a.slow burning fire! Now settling in with the anticipation of tomorrow's adventure!
Sapphire Mountain Here We Come
Never been much of a mountain guy. Growing up, these kinda excursions didn't exist. Beach bumming was easy to pick up, just some sand, surf, umbrella, chair, and a cooler bag of frozen margaritas and you are all set!
The mountains of North Carolina, now this is a whole nother ball game. The umbrella and chair get left behind. No shorts, tshirts or flippers this trip! Had a sample last fall with a quickie to the tourist trap mecca of Gatlinburg with the offspring and girly friends. At least I'm in the company of the spousal unit and some fellow beach nuts, so I won't go ape crazy by my lonesome!
Beaching is easy. Just get in the car and go! This mountain thang is a whole different kind of adventure. Coming from central Mississippi, it becomes quite an adventure. First thang is to load up the GPS with a destination. This in itself is quite a challenge when using the spousal unit's new smartazz car. You can't just use your normal southern drawn out voice when speaking to Dora the Explorer. Like any woman, Dora has a mind of her own!
We headed east to Atlanta. I'm used to the traffic, no biggie. I figured that Dora would take the I385 loop around Metro Atlanta. Nope! Straight shot on I20 then I75/I85. It was around noon, but traffic in this town never slows. I was tempted to take the commuter lane, but ole Dora was in charge. Got to scratching my head once we were on I85 north bound. Made no sense to me. Heading north to first go through South Carolina to get to North Carolina. But hey, Dora was in charge, and if I screw up, she doesn't mine, she just says "recalculating" in the nicest tone of voice.
But poor Dora. This trip she was to be out done by directions written on a piece of paper. The Spousal unit has a folder full of info, and it was full of turns and twists that poor ole Dora could hardly keep up with.
The exit off I85 could confound the average first timer. It was a combination exit and rest area combined. All the 18 wheelers pulled on the side of the road added to the confusion. Once we got on State 11 we are off and running on the highways and byways of the rural of the Carolinas.
After a while, we got a look at our potential destination. The sky was quite overcast, but in the distance, we could see what looked like either more clouds, or maybe it was the mountain tops of our destination. It was only a matter of time before we would know for sure!
As we made our way, the four lanes turned into two lanes. The straight paths began to get more windy. Up we would go, then down we went. It was almost like a slow motion roller coaster in the comfort of our smartazz car. Around one curve, there were a bunch of fellas on the side of the road, in hunter orange caps leaning on their pickups chewing the fat about today's hunt. Two curves later, there was a covey of game warden trucks parked in a cluster. I wanted to yell "they're two curves back!" But that's just not kosher in hunting country! We quickly noticed we had no cell service, and around the next curve there was another member of the orange hat society, talking on a short wave radio. If this is Carolina moonshine country I could see why!
Finally, a significant road sign ahead, "now entering the great State of North Carolina ". How and why they chose that spot for the border beats the hell out of me. Mountains on one side, Gulley on the other, and nothing but curvy roads behind and in front of us! Destination less than an hour away!
One thing became very clear to me. Back home, we have trees that go through the seasons of change, with a bit of color at the end. Those trees are in the minor leagues! As I was driving, I almost felt the urge on this cloudy day to put my sunglasses on. The foliage hanging from the trees and road brush were almost literally on fire! The brightest reds, oranges, and yellows that you can imagine were lighting up our two lane windy pathway. So THIS is what it's all about! This ain't the beach, nope, it's a fall color wonderland!
Finally, another road sighting! Saphire Mountain community! So close! Even saw the Wyndham Sapphire resort on the right, a possible return destination. We knew we were close. The road is now steeper, the speed is much slower and the smartazz car is using all kinda gears on some of these climbs. We notice all the houses from the roadside. The front doors are road level, but the rest of the houses are hanging off the side of these mountain!
We are now on roads that are less traveled. The falling leaves far out number the cars that can blow them to the side of the road. This is what we came for. Destination has been reached! Multi-storied four bedroom "house" that I consider a castle, stuck on the side of this mountain! You walk through the front door, and in front of you is an open floor plan with this amazing view. Dorothy, we ain't in Kansas anymore!
We unloaded our supplies and luggage and immediately began taking in the views! The night was capped off with a roaring fire, a beautiful full moon peeking over the mountain top, and lots of stories, aided by wine, beer, and bourbon.
Can't wait for what the morning brings!
The mountains of North Carolina, now this is a whole nother ball game. The umbrella and chair get left behind. No shorts, tshirts or flippers this trip! Had a sample last fall with a quickie to the tourist trap mecca of Gatlinburg with the offspring and girly friends. At least I'm in the company of the spousal unit and some fellow beach nuts, so I won't go ape crazy by my lonesome!
Beaching is easy. Just get in the car and go! This mountain thang is a whole different kind of adventure. Coming from central Mississippi, it becomes quite an adventure. First thang is to load up the GPS with a destination. This in itself is quite a challenge when using the spousal unit's new smartazz car. You can't just use your normal southern drawn out voice when speaking to Dora the Explorer. Like any woman, Dora has a mind of her own!
We headed east to Atlanta. I'm used to the traffic, no biggie. I figured that Dora would take the I385 loop around Metro Atlanta. Nope! Straight shot on I20 then I75/I85. It was around noon, but traffic in this town never slows. I was tempted to take the commuter lane, but ole Dora was in charge. Got to scratching my head once we were on I85 north bound. Made no sense to me. Heading north to first go through South Carolina to get to North Carolina. But hey, Dora was in charge, and if I screw up, she doesn't mine, she just says "recalculating" in the nicest tone of voice.
But poor Dora. This trip she was to be out done by directions written on a piece of paper. The Spousal unit has a folder full of info, and it was full of turns and twists that poor ole Dora could hardly keep up with.
The exit off I85 could confound the average first timer. It was a combination exit and rest area combined. All the 18 wheelers pulled on the side of the road added to the confusion. Once we got on State 11 we are off and running on the highways and byways of the rural of the Carolinas.
After a while, we got a look at our potential destination. The sky was quite overcast, but in the distance, we could see what looked like either more clouds, or maybe it was the mountain tops of our destination. It was only a matter of time before we would know for sure!
As we made our way, the four lanes turned into two lanes. The straight paths began to get more windy. Up we would go, then down we went. It was almost like a slow motion roller coaster in the comfort of our smartazz car. Around one curve, there were a bunch of fellas on the side of the road, in hunter orange caps leaning on their pickups chewing the fat about today's hunt. Two curves later, there was a covey of game warden trucks parked in a cluster. I wanted to yell "they're two curves back!" But that's just not kosher in hunting country! We quickly noticed we had no cell service, and around the next curve there was another member of the orange hat society, talking on a short wave radio. If this is Carolina moonshine country I could see why!
Finally, a significant road sign ahead, "now entering the great State of North Carolina ". How and why they chose that spot for the border beats the hell out of me. Mountains on one side, Gulley on the other, and nothing but curvy roads behind and in front of us! Destination less than an hour away!
One thing became very clear to me. Back home, we have trees that go through the seasons of change, with a bit of color at the end. Those trees are in the minor leagues! As I was driving, I almost felt the urge on this cloudy day to put my sunglasses on. The foliage hanging from the trees and road brush were almost literally on fire! The brightest reds, oranges, and yellows that you can imagine were lighting up our two lane windy pathway. So THIS is what it's all about! This ain't the beach, nope, it's a fall color wonderland!
Finally, another road sighting! Saphire Mountain community! So close! Even saw the Wyndham Sapphire resort on the right, a possible return destination. We knew we were close. The road is now steeper, the speed is much slower and the smartazz car is using all kinda gears on some of these climbs. We notice all the houses from the roadside. The front doors are road level, but the rest of the houses are hanging off the side of these mountain!
We are now on roads that are less traveled. The falling leaves far out number the cars that can blow them to the side of the road. This is what we came for. Destination has been reached! Multi-storied four bedroom "house" that I consider a castle, stuck on the side of this mountain! You walk through the front door, and in front of you is an open floor plan with this amazing view. Dorothy, we ain't in Kansas anymore!
We unloaded our supplies and luggage and immediately began taking in the views! The night was capped off with a roaring fire, a beautiful full moon peeking over the mountain top, and lots of stories, aided by wine, beer, and bourbon.
Can't wait for what the morning brings!
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Tailgating is a Wonderful Thang
Each home date on Football Saturday is a unique tailgating experience week in and week out. Today's experience was no exception.
Our crew is quite a collection of souls, all joined together for the common purpose of tailgating, Grove style. Some are from the Jackson metro area. Others are from the Gulf Coast, Vicksburg and a few other Mississippi communities. But, we have others that come each home game from Birmingham, and some from as far away as Kansas! Today, one guy and his wife made their annual trek down from the frozen tundra of Wisconsin. This group of folks all have one thing in common, their love for their university and their team called the Rebels. We unofficially call ourselves the HYDR 38 Tailgating Crew!
Our table is always overflowing with quite a variety of food galore! Many a stranger from a visiting team has stopped by with an inquiry and left with a full stomach, leaving with a passing comment of "wait til the boys back home hear about this!"
Texas A&M was here for the first time since joining the SEC. We saw quite a few Texas tags on the way. The Grove dress color for the day was navy blue. The flow of fans into the Grove was a stream of blue, as suggested for the day, mixed with a hint of maroon from the visitors from east Texas.
The fashion police was on duty, at the corner of Grove Loop and University Avenue. We were not to be disappointed. We had out chairs all lined up, several dad's among us. The dresses were indeed blue. The dresses were indeed short. The dresses were indeed sheer. Commando was the word of the day. Some of the dads were on hand to see it for the first time. Within minutes they all were in agreement, they had heard about it, but had to be here to see it them selves. Each with a teenage daughter, and all commented, "not on my watch!" I just chuckled and said, "well you will be living up here and watching her walk out the front door each morning!" One word responses : "yep".
It more than the dresses. Eyes became trained to catch the oncoming herd, searching out that unsuspecting soul with the thin Wallyworld bag in hand. Alert! Alert! Will the Popo see it too?! And yes they do! The looks on these folks, young and old, is priceless! We begin to add commentary to the looks they are giving! The best one was from an elderly TSUN statesman, "you are not serious. Do you realize the size of the checks I write to the University every year?" Popo "yes we do, and thank you very much!"
The funniest one, the guy is cool, calm, collected, following the crowd past the Popo station. Someone suggested that he might want to cover it up, he does, but it's too late! Busted!
The biggest haul came early. A pickup truck, just in from east Texas, pulls up to the corner, two guys dressed in maroon jump out, and they quickly stack up six cases of brew in the grass next to the sidewalk. The early bird Popo walks up and thanks them for the early delivery. He then instructs them to carry all six cases over to the red trash can and begin popping and pouring!
The funniest transport was a red radio flyer wagon. No handle. Dude had rigged up a net to use to pull it along, with the wagon swaying back and forth as he walked and pulled. In the wagon was a mint green $400 Yeti full of beverages and ice. The dude can afforder the cooler and contents, but has this jack leg wagon contraption???
Our neighbors, year in and year out at this spot are a group from Eupora. They are the snooty kind. They pay to have their tents, tables, and chairs at the ready each game, but only come to a few. Some weeks back the elder statement of the group made a comment that our tents, chairs, and guests were much too close to their setup. We subsequently made arrangements to have "some space" in between. Well, on this day, a new tent has arrived, setup in "their" green space. The dude was overheard saying "this will not do at all. Wait till I talk to our tent setup guy!" Good luck with that! I looked over on his table and saw this nice, new shiny red soft sided cooler bag. On the side was a logo, "University of Mississippi Loyalty Foundation ". I'm guessing this new bag cost this old fart $10,000 or more! Hobby Lobby big boy!
I saved the best for last. The spousal unit got an email early in the week, from a guy from Chicago, who we met six years ago in the Grove. He still had her business card. He was coming down for this game, and remembered how much fun he had on his last visit. The spousal unit gave him directions on how to find our group, and gave him a refresher course of "Grove Etiquette", i.e. beer containers, etc.... the guy shows up, with eight of his buddies from a variety of northern countries. They all flew into Memphis, rented two cars, and had rented an Oxford house for the weekend. None of these guys had any ties to the school, but a niece from Texas was a freshman. It was all about experiencing the Grove and SEC football! They, as instructed, had their beer in several Styrofoam coolers, with loose fitting tops. One guy was holding his a bit too tight, and as he walked up the top popped up. Busted! The insuing conversation with the local Popo was hilarious!
It seems that each week there is a new story to tell, but it all starts with friends and fellowship of the HYDR 38 tailgating crew! Hobby Lobby! A few more games left, stay tuned!
Our crew is quite a collection of souls, all joined together for the common purpose of tailgating, Grove style. Some are from the Jackson metro area. Others are from the Gulf Coast, Vicksburg and a few other Mississippi communities. But, we have others that come each home game from Birmingham, and some from as far away as Kansas! Today, one guy and his wife made their annual trek down from the frozen tundra of Wisconsin. This group of folks all have one thing in common, their love for their university and their team called the Rebels. We unofficially call ourselves the HYDR 38 Tailgating Crew!
Our table is always overflowing with quite a variety of food galore! Many a stranger from a visiting team has stopped by with an inquiry and left with a full stomach, leaving with a passing comment of "wait til the boys back home hear about this!"
Texas A&M was here for the first time since joining the SEC. We saw quite a few Texas tags on the way. The Grove dress color for the day was navy blue. The flow of fans into the Grove was a stream of blue, as suggested for the day, mixed with a hint of maroon from the visitors from east Texas.
The fashion police was on duty, at the corner of Grove Loop and University Avenue. We were not to be disappointed. We had out chairs all lined up, several dad's among us. The dresses were indeed blue. The dresses were indeed short. The dresses were indeed sheer. Commando was the word of the day. Some of the dads were on hand to see it for the first time. Within minutes they all were in agreement, they had heard about it, but had to be here to see it them selves. Each with a teenage daughter, and all commented, "not on my watch!" I just chuckled and said, "well you will be living up here and watching her walk out the front door each morning!" One word responses : "yep".
It more than the dresses. Eyes became trained to catch the oncoming herd, searching out that unsuspecting soul with the thin Wallyworld bag in hand. Alert! Alert! Will the Popo see it too?! And yes they do! The looks on these folks, young and old, is priceless! We begin to add commentary to the looks they are giving! The best one was from an elderly TSUN statesman, "you are not serious. Do you realize the size of the checks I write to the University every year?" Popo "yes we do, and thank you very much!"
The funniest one, the guy is cool, calm, collected, following the crowd past the Popo station. Someone suggested that he might want to cover it up, he does, but it's too late! Busted!
The biggest haul came early. A pickup truck, just in from east Texas, pulls up to the corner, two guys dressed in maroon jump out, and they quickly stack up six cases of brew in the grass next to the sidewalk. The early bird Popo walks up and thanks them for the early delivery. He then instructs them to carry all six cases over to the red trash can and begin popping and pouring!
The funniest transport was a red radio flyer wagon. No handle. Dude had rigged up a net to use to pull it along, with the wagon swaying back and forth as he walked and pulled. In the wagon was a mint green $400 Yeti full of beverages and ice. The dude can afforder the cooler and contents, but has this jack leg wagon contraption???
Our neighbors, year in and year out at this spot are a group from Eupora. They are the snooty kind. They pay to have their tents, tables, and chairs at the ready each game, but only come to a few. Some weeks back the elder statement of the group made a comment that our tents, chairs, and guests were much too close to their setup. We subsequently made arrangements to have "some space" in between. Well, on this day, a new tent has arrived, setup in "their" green space. The dude was overheard saying "this will not do at all. Wait till I talk to our tent setup guy!" Good luck with that! I looked over on his table and saw this nice, new shiny red soft sided cooler bag. On the side was a logo, "University of Mississippi Loyalty Foundation ". I'm guessing this new bag cost this old fart $10,000 or more! Hobby Lobby big boy!
I saved the best for last. The spousal unit got an email early in the week, from a guy from Chicago, who we met six years ago in the Grove. He still had her business card. He was coming down for this game, and remembered how much fun he had on his last visit. The spousal unit gave him directions on how to find our group, and gave him a refresher course of "Grove Etiquette", i.e. beer containers, etc.... the guy shows up, with eight of his buddies from a variety of northern countries. They all flew into Memphis, rented two cars, and had rented an Oxford house for the weekend. None of these guys had any ties to the school, but a niece from Texas was a freshman. It was all about experiencing the Grove and SEC football! They, as instructed, had their beer in several Styrofoam coolers, with loose fitting tops. One guy was holding his a bit too tight, and as he walked up the top popped up. Busted! The insuing conversation with the local Popo was hilarious!
It seems that each week there is a new story to tell, but it all starts with friends and fellowship of the HYDR 38 tailgating crew! Hobby Lobby! A few more games left, stay tuned!
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Dawg Day Afternoon
I got to wondering how this day was gonna end early this morning. While primping this morning, I got word that one of my favorite eateries in the Destin area closed one of their locations, my favorite one!
First stop out of the gate was Donut Palace, the home of the Vietnamese apple fritter. I walk in and folks are seven deep. The fritter rack is looking mighty thin. Finally, I'm next in line, but there is only one fritter left. Figured I'd give it to the spousal unit and get me something else. Wouldn't you know it, that fella in front of me just ordered it as the last item to put into his bag!
Having to settle for something else, I told the cute little owner that if she found that guy lying out in her parking lot, it was over that last fritter! Cinnamon roll had to do. :-(.
No tailgating this trip since the man cub skipped town to go to Georgia with the MSU disc golf team. We decided to do the park and shuttle ride to the stadium. We are on the bus, ready to go when some woman yelled "STOP!" A woman dressed in LA Tech blue jumps off the bus and is running to her car. Apparently she had accidently bumped her keys in her pocket and the Suv hatch done popped open! Don't those women for Monroe carry purses anymore???
Stopped at the concession stand and picked up two large drinks and three jumbo dogs. Total came to $29, for hot dogs! At least they weren't those Carolina Pride thang that were so awful two years ago!
Before we knew it, my Dawgs were down to their dogs by 0-14. Things weren't looking too good for the home bullies at that point. Fortunately we took the lead before halftime with the help of a blocked punt.
Half time was special, with freshman maid Stevie Flynt, escorted by her lead dad on one arm and her lead dog on the other. She was absolutely beautiful in her royal blue dress!
I've been working on the little woman that sits next to me and she never says anythang. When she stands up and I'm sitting down, we both are eye to eye! After working on her the first half she finally looked over at me and said "Your friends that were in your seats last game must not get out much. You have chair cushioned back seats and they sat on the bleacher two seats down till they were asked to move!" I just about fell off my seat! What an ice breaker!
The little feller sitting in front of me wasn't too happy that his dad came back with only one bottle of water. Sharing was not what he had in mind. I could not resist and told him the secret about back washing and not having to share. Dad cracked up and Mom gave me that look!
The boiled peanut guy came by and I couldn't resist. Took one bite, and no heat, just plain mushy peanuts! What's up with that???
The gal behind us tends to clang her bell at ear level. Today I brought ear plugs, which is kinda cheating, but the spousal unit was gonna go deaf. For a minute there, I thought I had lost my clapper when I couldn't hear it go clang! Ear plugs will be making return visits!
I'm not too sure how these young gals behind.me are being raised. Several of them did not know how to properly hold their bells during the pause. It sounded like a bunch of cows hanging out at the hay bale. Clang, clang, clang.....
Since the man cub will be working the black tent setup next game, I passed my tickets off to kinfolk. I told my fellow bleacher buddies to keep an eye out for them and to remind them that I always buy everybody a drink and popcorn at halftime! Surprise! Surprise! Lol!
Dawgs won big. The return shuttle ride was quick and easy and we were home before we knew it. We actually got home too early, while listening to the Alabama vs TAM on the radio. Got the TV turned on and there was Burne and Garwy on CBS. Almost went back to the car. Almost!
With a split household, next weekend is gonna be interesting in Oxford. TSUN beat Alabama, who beat TAM today. And da shark bears lost to Memphis! Crazy days in the SEC west!
First stop out of the gate was Donut Palace, the home of the Vietnamese apple fritter. I walk in and folks are seven deep. The fritter rack is looking mighty thin. Finally, I'm next in line, but there is only one fritter left. Figured I'd give it to the spousal unit and get me something else. Wouldn't you know it, that fella in front of me just ordered it as the last item to put into his bag!
Having to settle for something else, I told the cute little owner that if she found that guy lying out in her parking lot, it was over that last fritter! Cinnamon roll had to do. :-(.
No tailgating this trip since the man cub skipped town to go to Georgia with the MSU disc golf team. We decided to do the park and shuttle ride to the stadium. We are on the bus, ready to go when some woman yelled "STOP!" A woman dressed in LA Tech blue jumps off the bus and is running to her car. Apparently she had accidently bumped her keys in her pocket and the Suv hatch done popped open! Don't those women for Monroe carry purses anymore???
Stopped at the concession stand and picked up two large drinks and three jumbo dogs. Total came to $29, for hot dogs! At least they weren't those Carolina Pride thang that were so awful two years ago!
Before we knew it, my Dawgs were down to their dogs by 0-14. Things weren't looking too good for the home bullies at that point. Fortunately we took the lead before halftime with the help of a blocked punt.
Half time was special, with freshman maid Stevie Flynt, escorted by her lead dad on one arm and her lead dog on the other. She was absolutely beautiful in her royal blue dress!
I've been working on the little woman that sits next to me and she never says anythang. When she stands up and I'm sitting down, we both are eye to eye! After working on her the first half she finally looked over at me and said "Your friends that were in your seats last game must not get out much. You have chair cushioned back seats and they sat on the bleacher two seats down till they were asked to move!" I just about fell off my seat! What an ice breaker!
The little feller sitting in front of me wasn't too happy that his dad came back with only one bottle of water. Sharing was not what he had in mind. I could not resist and told him the secret about back washing and not having to share. Dad cracked up and Mom gave me that look!
The boiled peanut guy came by and I couldn't resist. Took one bite, and no heat, just plain mushy peanuts! What's up with that???
The gal behind us tends to clang her bell at ear level. Today I brought ear plugs, which is kinda cheating, but the spousal unit was gonna go deaf. For a minute there, I thought I had lost my clapper when I couldn't hear it go clang! Ear plugs will be making return visits!
I'm not too sure how these young gals behind.me are being raised. Several of them did not know how to properly hold their bells during the pause. It sounded like a bunch of cows hanging out at the hay bale. Clang, clang, clang.....
Since the man cub will be working the black tent setup next game, I passed my tickets off to kinfolk. I told my fellow bleacher buddies to keep an eye out for them and to remind them that I always buy everybody a drink and popcorn at halftime! Surprise! Surprise! Lol!
Dawgs won big. The return shuttle ride was quick and easy and we were home before we knew it. We actually got home too early, while listening to the Alabama vs TAM on the radio. Got the TV turned on and there was Burne and Garwy on CBS. Almost went back to the car. Almost!
With a split household, next weekend is gonna be interesting in Oxford. TSUN beat Alabama, who beat TAM today. And da shark bears lost to Memphis! Crazy days in the SEC west!
Friday, October 16, 2015
Stevie Ray
I've got a special little friend that I've watched grow up from a little bitty pup to a sweet, beautiful young woman. She is special in so many ways, but the one that means so much to me is that she just wants to be like you and me. Stevie has never been like you or me, because she takes being like you and me to a whole different level. My friend Stevie has been blind since birth.
I met Stevie through our travels on the soccer field. She was the little sister of one of the team mates. When she would meet you for the first time, she would want to feel your face. Through her hands she would immediately know what you looked like. She would then ask you if you had a cell phone. She would cuddle it, just like she did your face, making you wonder if you and your phone had been cataloged in her head together!
As she got older, and spent more time with her family at the soccer fields, one day she asked her dad, Mike, "daddy, why can't I play soccer too?" Well, Mike being the parent that he is, took that question to heart. It almost broke him, until he discovered a small program called "Top Soccer".
Mike brought Top Soccer to Mississippi. It was a soccer program for children of all disabilities. He got people like My good friend Tommy Wolf involved. Tommy pulled me in. Best investment of my time I ever made!
Stevie was able to play soccer with the assistance of a guide, and a soccer ball with a bell inside. That ball was the most magical thing I had ever seen. It opened the eyes of so many kids and parents alike! I kept a watchful eye while I was assisting the kids with down syndrome. After the sessions were over, the parents of all these special kids were begging for more!
Stevie went through out school trying to be a normal kid. She attended the same schools as her brothers. Stevie in no way could ever be just a normal kid. Her drive to get there sent her over the top. She was given a talent for music and playing the piano.
As a senior, she spent time in New York, learning how to me more independent. In this past year she got a life partner in her guide dog, named Nala Belle.
This summer Stevie went off to college at MSU, becoming a pledge of her mother's soriety. Not only did the soriety take in Stevie on bid day, but Nala Belle was made a sister too!
As you can see, Stevie has never been a normal anything. Tomorrow, at MSU's homecoming, Stevie will be a freshman maid. I'll be in the stands cheering her on with a smile on my face and my cowbell clanging away. #HailStevieRay!
I met Stevie through our travels on the soccer field. She was the little sister of one of the team mates. When she would meet you for the first time, she would want to feel your face. Through her hands she would immediately know what you looked like. She would then ask you if you had a cell phone. She would cuddle it, just like she did your face, making you wonder if you and your phone had been cataloged in her head together!
As she got older, and spent more time with her family at the soccer fields, one day she asked her dad, Mike, "daddy, why can't I play soccer too?" Well, Mike being the parent that he is, took that question to heart. It almost broke him, until he discovered a small program called "Top Soccer".
Mike brought Top Soccer to Mississippi. It was a soccer program for children of all disabilities. He got people like My good friend Tommy Wolf involved. Tommy pulled me in. Best investment of my time I ever made!
Stevie was able to play soccer with the assistance of a guide, and a soccer ball with a bell inside. That ball was the most magical thing I had ever seen. It opened the eyes of so many kids and parents alike! I kept a watchful eye while I was assisting the kids with down syndrome. After the sessions were over, the parents of all these special kids were begging for more!
Stevie went through out school trying to be a normal kid. She attended the same schools as her brothers. Stevie in no way could ever be just a normal kid. Her drive to get there sent her over the top. She was given a talent for music and playing the piano.
As a senior, she spent time in New York, learning how to me more independent. In this past year she got a life partner in her guide dog, named Nala Belle.
This summer Stevie went off to college at MSU, becoming a pledge of her mother's soriety. Not only did the soriety take in Stevie on bid day, but Nala Belle was made a sister too!
 |
| My friend Stevie! |
 |
| Nala Belle |
As you can see, Stevie has never been a normal anything. Tomorrow, at MSU's homecoming, Stevie will be a freshman maid. I'll be in the stands cheering her on with a smile on my face and my cowbell clanging away. #HailStevieRay!
 |
| Stevie on the far left! |
Thursday, October 15, 2015
New Route to NOLA
For years our trips to NOLA have always been down that awful stretch of highway called Interstate 55. With the construction around Byrum, its almost like taking your life in your hands with the narrow lands and no where to go for an emergency stop if you are in the inside lane.
The spousal unit and I have made several trips back and forth to Picayune related to her business. Picayune is south of Hattiesburg on Interstate 59 and is less than an hour from NOLA. We go through Puckett then Mendenhall to get to Highway 49, then to Hattiesburg, before heading south on Interstate 59.
I have a deep hatred for Highway 49 south of Hattiesburg, with a close encounter with death by highway still etched in the back of my mind. The best part of this new route is the town of Picayune! Picayune is the home to Paul's Bakery and two butcher shops that make their own sausages.
At part of this trip, I was gonna deliver two of ice chest cooler boxes to a friend girl of mine that is married to a preacher down there. With a little time to kill, I planned to stop at a local butcher shop to place an order that I would pick up later in the day. Much to my surprise, the shop was closed! Damn! Double damn! They have the best chicken apple sausage and hot sausage I've ever eaten. The owner was recovering from surgery and would be closed for a couple more weeks.
Nick's is an old fashioned butchershop with any kinda meat you would want. We were on a sausage mission. Nick and his Dad run the place. There was no chicken apple sausage today, but come back next week! One conversation topic led to another and before we knew it, the old man was feeding us samples of everything in the meat case! The spousal unit and I had our first ever taste of Hogshead cheese!
Soon, the place was full of other customers. Believe it or not, they were all there for the Hogshead cheese! Since the other butchershop was closed for an illness, this was the only place in town! As we were waiting our order to be finished, a boy and his momma were in a debate over a biscuit vs a croissant. Really???
The spousal unit and I joined in on the debate and explained the differences in the two to the momma.
The momma said "they're the same thang". Son said "no they ain't! " the spousal unit and I chimed in and explained the difference. She didn't know nuthin about baking since she spent most of her helping the daddy in their body shop business next door! The boy was wanting to make a Sammi with a croissant with Hogshead cheese and a piece of boudin! You gotta love these people!
Next stop before heading home was Paul'Smith bakery. We had canollis on the brain since.our last visit. They have every imaginable dessert inside multiple display cases. One fella picked up the.last king on the shelf. He was on.his.way back to Laurel, having just left NOLA.
You can tell a lot about the local clientele by the signage on the.wall. in this case it was posted at the register:
I just about fell out on the.floor when reading it! While this wasn't the highlight of the day it was a good explanation point! Few hours later we were pulling into our driveway.
Hoping next trip I eventually end up in NOLA, with a side stop in Picayune, of course!
The spousal unit and I have made several trips back and forth to Picayune related to her business. Picayune is south of Hattiesburg on Interstate 59 and is less than an hour from NOLA. We go through Puckett then Mendenhall to get to Highway 49, then to Hattiesburg, before heading south on Interstate 59.
I have a deep hatred for Highway 49 south of Hattiesburg, with a close encounter with death by highway still etched in the back of my mind. The best part of this new route is the town of Picayune! Picayune is the home to Paul's Bakery and two butcher shops that make their own sausages.
At part of this trip, I was gonna deliver two of ice chest cooler boxes to a friend girl of mine that is married to a preacher down there. With a little time to kill, I planned to stop at a local butcher shop to place an order that I would pick up later in the day. Much to my surprise, the shop was closed! Damn! Double damn! They have the best chicken apple sausage and hot sausage I've ever eaten. The owner was recovering from surgery and would be closed for a couple more weeks.
This sign on the door almost brought me to tears. I had visions of his sausage in my red beans for the upcoming Alabama vs MSU game. I was gonna get some treats for my dad's birthday gift. What a way to let the air out of my balloon! Well, at least the owner was gonna live to stuff another sausage!
I get up with my friend, the wife of the local Methodist preacher, at Dockside Cafe. They catch theirown shrimp and crabs that are sold in the restaurant . Soon the preacher joined us at the counter. After we sampled a few of the dishes of the day, we put in our order. Turns out the owner is one of their flock. She said lunch was on the house! Well, I ain't exactly the preacher looking type, and my friend said this was the first time this has happened! My guess is the almighty had just laid a blessing in us that we were grateful to receive! Even got a sample of bread pudding out of the deal!
Lunch was now history, and now time to.deliver the two cooler boxes to the preacher's house. During lunch I commented on how fast this woman could talk, compared to yours truly. Turns out she drives even faster! It seemed like only minutes had passed and before I knew it, the spousal unit was buzzing me to come get her. Chauffeur duty calls!
After picking her up, we went looking for another butcher shop, just up the road a bit. The GPS led us to a supermarket parking lot, WTH??? Surely a place called Nick's can't be that hard to find! That's what I get for using the Yeller Pages app to find the directions! As we retraced our way back to the interstate, there was Nick's, two blocks back!
Soon, the place was full of other customers. Believe it or not, they were all there for the Hogshead cheese! Since the other butchershop was closed for an illness, this was the only place in town! As we were waiting our order to be finished, a boy and his momma were in a debate over a biscuit vs a croissant. Really???
The spousal unit and I joined in on the debate and explained the differences in the two to the momma.
The momma said "they're the same thang". Son said "no they ain't! " the spousal unit and I chimed in and explained the difference. She didn't know nuthin about baking since she spent most of her helping the daddy in their body shop business next door! The boy was wanting to make a Sammi with a croissant with Hogshead cheese and a piece of boudin! You gotta love these people!
Next stop before heading home was Paul'Smith bakery. We had canollis on the brain since.our last visit. They have every imaginable dessert inside multiple display cases. One fella picked up the.last king on the shelf. He was on.his.way back to Laurel, having just left NOLA.
You can tell a lot about the local clientele by the signage on the.wall. in this case it was posted at the register:
I just about fell out on the.floor when reading it! While this wasn't the highlight of the day it was a good explanation point! Few hours later we were pulling into our driveway.
Hoping next trip I eventually end up in NOLA, with a side stop in Picayune, of course!
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Beaching, It's All About the Prep!
Yep, beaching season for me was over a little over a month ago. But that's not the end, it's only the beginning for the planning of the next one! For me, anyway!
We do our thing using our timeshare. It's not for everyone. It begins with planning a year in advance. Picking the place is easy, and we pretty much know where we will be staying. Looking at the calendar a year in advance is the hard part with a work schedule that already includes a lot of travel. So far, all the reservations are on the books, with one to go in early September. Just waiting for the window of opportunity in the world of reservations to open up!
With all the salt in the surf and sand, the beach toys take a beating. Already got new chairs in the garage. Not just any chairs by the way. These are built to handle my big azz! These usually last about three years with all the beach trips we make.
The umbrella of choice is the Sports-brella. It's light, folds up compactly with a collapsible pole and UV protection built in. I usually get two years usage out of these, so I'm always looking for a bargain!
Our favorite drink of choice is of course the frozen margarita. My niece and nephew scored a Rita machine 50% off and sent me this pic. I've still got a spare, just in case of a disaster!
One cannot do as much beaching as we do without replacing some basic required beaching personal items like flippers, swimmy suits, and.of course hats! Me and my buddy Clarence have a watchful eye out beginning the first of August.
I've already scored some replacement Reef flippers for $9. Some beaching caps for $8, and suits on Clarence for $10.
One item I picked up this summer is a small travel sized router box for the internet. Some buildings have walls so thick that they only provide a wired ether net plug. This little box works great for WiFi phone access, put not recommended for more than one laptop connection at a time.
We do our thing using our timeshare. It's not for everyone. It begins with planning a year in advance. Picking the place is easy, and we pretty much know where we will be staying. Looking at the calendar a year in advance is the hard part with a work schedule that already includes a lot of travel. So far, all the reservations are on the books, with one to go in early September. Just waiting for the window of opportunity in the world of reservations to open up!
With all the salt in the surf and sand, the beach toys take a beating. Already got new chairs in the garage. Not just any chairs by the way. These are built to handle my big azz! These usually last about three years with all the beach trips we make.
The umbrella of choice is the Sports-brella. It's light, folds up compactly with a collapsible pole and UV protection built in. I usually get two years usage out of these, so I'm always looking for a bargain!
Our favorite drink of choice is of course the frozen margarita. My niece and nephew scored a Rita machine 50% off and sent me this pic. I've still got a spare, just in case of a disaster!
I've already scored some replacement Reef flippers for $9. Some beaching caps for $8, and suits on Clarence for $10.
One item I picked up this summer is a small travel sized router box for the internet. Some buildings have walls so thick that they only provide a wired ether net plug. This little box works great for WiFi phone access, put not recommended for more than one laptop connection at a time.
Always a shopper, I'm currently on the.prowl for a new beach cart, on sale, of course!
Saturday, October 10, 2015
First Fall Ball Game in the Fall in the Grove with a Chill
Well, game time for this weekend was announced for 11:00 with a forecast of a chill in the air all day long at Grove Central. The forecast was right on, in the lower 60's.
The spousal unit was dedicated to baby sitting duty, so it was me going solo to a rebellion game. First time ever!
First stop, Shipley donuts! Parking lot was at capacity, with a line at the front door. All the glazed were gone, over 2,500 sold announced the manager. All of a sudden, one of the cash registers went dead! No power at all. Line is now backing up into the parking lot! Turns out the power cord had been previously patched with electrical tape, and a wiggle here and a twist there and it was running once again! Fire Hazzard for sure!
I made my way down Lamar to turn on University Ave. It was now 8:00 a.m. Abners Chicken had a tent set up in their parking lot with hot boxes full of fried chicken tenders waiting for pickup. After the game, those tenders couldn't be too tender, now being over seven hours old!
My arrival time to the Grove was well after the appointed hour of 8. The Grove again, was a literal ghost town, but the traffic jam did not materalize like it did on the first game day.
Apparently these social birds were ready this time. A lot more red and blue wagons were visible. You could tell that they had not practiced because the wagons were way overloaded to save trips back and forth.
To my surprise, not one unsuspecting passerby got busted for open beer, not one! The weather messed up the bird watching too! Short skirts and sheer tops were far and few between. Guess it was a mixed blessing since the spousal unit was absent.
You could tell that the crowd was going to be slim just from the walk to the stadium. No big crowds to dodge at all. With the mild temperatures I'm sure concession sales were at an all time low. Too cool to break a sweat, but no where low enough for coffee or hot chocolate.
Pregame included entertainment by the junior Rebelettes. They looked like a big ole bowl of popcorn going off when they began their cheer!
Game got out of hand quick. One fan commented that it felt like a spring game. Sparse crowd, laid back, and not much noise after the first hotty toddy!
As expected, the student section cleared out early, leavimg a cluster of Frat pledges still in their navy blazers! Laquin Treadwell added some excitement with a one handed touchdown catch. Before we knew it, the game was over.
The students did not disappoint. I passed several under the influence on the way to the parking lot. Hopefully, the Square will be in full swing by sun down. Then, all bets are off!
The spousal unit was dedicated to baby sitting duty, so it was me going solo to a rebellion game. First time ever!
First stop, Shipley donuts! Parking lot was at capacity, with a line at the front door. All the glazed were gone, over 2,500 sold announced the manager. All of a sudden, one of the cash registers went dead! No power at all. Line is now backing up into the parking lot! Turns out the power cord had been previously patched with electrical tape, and a wiggle here and a twist there and it was running once again! Fire Hazzard for sure!
I made my way down Lamar to turn on University Ave. It was now 8:00 a.m. Abners Chicken had a tent set up in their parking lot with hot boxes full of fried chicken tenders waiting for pickup. After the game, those tenders couldn't be too tender, now being over seven hours old!
My arrival time to the Grove was well after the appointed hour of 8. The Grove again, was a literal ghost town, but the traffic jam did not materalize like it did on the first game day.
Apparently these social birds were ready this time. A lot more red and blue wagons were visible. You could tell that they had not practiced because the wagons were way overloaded to save trips back and forth.
To my surprise, not one unsuspecting passerby got busted for open beer, not one! The weather messed up the bird watching too! Short skirts and sheer tops were far and few between. Guess it was a mixed blessing since the spousal unit was absent.
You could tell that the crowd was going to be slim just from the walk to the stadium. No big crowds to dodge at all. With the mild temperatures I'm sure concession sales were at an all time low. Too cool to break a sweat, but no where low enough for coffee or hot chocolate.
Pregame included entertainment by the junior Rebelettes. They looked like a big ole bowl of popcorn going off when they began their cheer!
Game got out of hand quick. One fan commented that it felt like a spring game. Sparse crowd, laid back, and not much noise after the first hotty toddy!
As expected, the student section cleared out early, leavimg a cluster of Frat pledges still in their navy blazers! Laquin Treadwell added some excitement with a one handed touchdown catch. Before we knew it, the game was over.
The students did not disappoint. I passed several under the influence on the way to the parking lot. Hopefully, the Square will be in full swing by sun down. Then, all bets are off!
Grandbaby Nephew Sitting
The spousal unit's niece needed a pinch hitter baby sitter this weekend. Her schedule was jam packed with homecoming activities at Ole Miss and the baby daddy was out of town and the Granny had to work.
It's was Great Aunt LaNelle to the rescue! Got here mid afternoon and baby ACE was bright eyed and bushy tailed ready for some hugging and kissing and rocking till he fell asleep. The spousal unit was in heaven.
Then all hell breaks loose! The critter wakes up! Fussing! Oh crap, haven't done this in over 20 years! She got him changed, got him fed, a bit more hugging, and rocking, then set him down for him to play.
Baby momma arrived to pitch some relief. After a bath, he was momma fed then put down for the night. Then at 2 a.m., here we go again! Changed, fed, then down fast asleep. OK time for a nap.
About 5:30 this morning baby ACE'S alarm clock went off. I'm a fairly light sleeper so I heard him. Spousal unit wasn't budging! A few more whimpers and still no movement. A little nudge by yours truly, and off she went!
Aunt LaNelle has duty til mid afternoon, all by her lonesome. I'll be her substitute tailgating and gaming for her at TSUN. I'm figuring both will be down for a nap during the day.
The Ole gal ain't what she used to be! This is a good test run for when her turn comes to be Queen Granny. I got a feeling I know who will be sleeping the whole ride home tonight!
The best part, I hear, about grand parenthood, is at the end of the day, you can send the critters home! Our turn is coming. After the last 18 hours, I think I'm in no hurry to speed up the timeline, but a few more practice runs, here and there, would be ok!
It's was Great Aunt LaNelle to the rescue! Got here mid afternoon and baby ACE was bright eyed and bushy tailed ready for some hugging and kissing and rocking till he fell asleep. The spousal unit was in heaven.
Then all hell breaks loose! The critter wakes up! Fussing! Oh crap, haven't done this in over 20 years! She got him changed, got him fed, a bit more hugging, and rocking, then set him down for him to play.
Baby momma arrived to pitch some relief. After a bath, he was momma fed then put down for the night. Then at 2 a.m., here we go again! Changed, fed, then down fast asleep. OK time for a nap.
About 5:30 this morning baby ACE'S alarm clock went off. I'm a fairly light sleeper so I heard him. Spousal unit wasn't budging! A few more whimpers and still no movement. A little nudge by yours truly, and off she went!
Aunt LaNelle has duty til mid afternoon, all by her lonesome. I'll be her substitute tailgating and gaming for her at TSUN. I'm figuring both will be down for a nap during the day.
The Ole gal ain't what she used to be! This is a good test run for when her turn comes to be Queen Granny. I got a feeling I know who will be sleeping the whole ride home tonight!
The best part, I hear, about grand parenthood, is at the end of the day, you can send the critters home! Our turn is coming. After the last 18 hours, I think I'm in no hurry to speed up the timeline, but a few more practice runs, here and there, would be ok!
Friday, October 9, 2015
New Phone
I've had a Samsung galaxy 4 for some time. Occasionally I would have to reboot it because it would give me the message "cannot read sim card". This gets a bit frustrating, and I had already replaced it with another.
The phone only had 16 gig of memory and space for updates had become an issue. I remember when 16 gig was the world!
Contract now up, time for something else. got a Samsung note 4 via the internet, mostly because it was free. Out of the box, I gave it a full charge. Now it's time to transfer all my crapola!
The bluetooth transfer process is the absolute bomb! It took about eight minutes. The the fun started. It remembered all my apps, I just had to initiate the download on some of my apps. The only thing that didn't transfer over was my appointments. An hour later, all done.
This is a slightly bigger phone which is ok. Lots of fatfinger typing errors with the keyboad. May have to go to voice promt typing!
Can't wait to try some of other features. As you can guess, not a fan of iPhones! But hey! My parents still have a flip phone!
The phone only had 16 gig of memory and space for updates had become an issue. I remember when 16 gig was the world!
Contract now up, time for something else. got a Samsung note 4 via the internet, mostly because it was free. Out of the box, I gave it a full charge. Now it's time to transfer all my crapola!
The bluetooth transfer process is the absolute bomb! It took about eight minutes. The the fun started. It remembered all my apps, I just had to initiate the download on some of my apps. The only thing that didn't transfer over was my appointments. An hour later, all done.
This is a slightly bigger phone which is ok. Lots of fatfinger typing errors with the keyboad. May have to go to voice promt typing!
Can't wait to try some of other features. As you can guess, not a fan of iPhones! But hey! My parents still have a flip phone!
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Grandparent Mode
We're not grandparents yet, and by no means do we want to rush it. We used this latest roadie trip as a practice run. The Spousal unit's youngest sister is already there, being 40 with two babies under the age of four. Da niece just dropped a little one, so we know our turn for grandparenting is just around the corner.
The sister and her youngins will be heading on their first outing to Mouseville next fall with us in tow, so we have to be battle hardened to be able to hang. This weekend the spousal unit gets to baby sit the grandbaby nephew as a pinch hitter!
The first step was making a trip to Orlando a two day event instead of a one day killer. We have done this before and it makes arrival day much more pleasant.
The trip included a side trip back north to Gainesville to watch the Rebellion get blowed out of the swamp! We opted to meet up with some friends at an off site parking lot and take the shuttle into the campus. Great move on our part! Met some new friends that call themselves Gators and saved ourselves from a long walk to and from the Swamp. We were dropped off at the corner of the stadium and then afterwards were back on the interstate headed south in no time!
At the mouse kingdom, we got in a practice run of "trick or treat" coming away with a sack full of candy. It was so much fun saying "trick or treat" to the attendants in my "Darth Vader" voice!
The test run on all the "young one approved" rides was awesome! Poking fun at parents with wee ones was a killer! I got my reality check after taking a seat on the bench after Space Mountain. This ole cowboy is officially retired to the chuck wagon with no more attempts at riding the bull!
At Universal Studios I learned to have a watchful eye. You never know when a munchkin will pull back his Harry Potter cape and pull out his magic wand! Butterbeer is a definite life saver for any age, especially the frozen one. Instant brain freeze if sipped too quickly.
After my Space Mountain adventure, spotting a well placed seat to sit and wait came with ease. The time passed very quickly after making up a little game. I would point my eyes to the ground. I would spot a pair of odd looking shoes going by and tried to imagine what the rest of the person looked like. The tattoed ankle peeps were easy. The feet of foreigners were a much bigger challenge with their odd choices of clothing. The one thing that struck me time and time again was "what the hell do these people do for a living to pay the price of admission to these amusement parks!?"
One trick every newbie parent must learn.is to not give in to the munchkins desires to have every toy early in the day. One must dicipline themselves to wait much later in the day. Don't get caught carrying a ball, rifle, or broomstick all day long!
We learned that meal time would definitely be the gathering time for recapping the day. I have my Landry Select Dining card at the ready for the first available seating for those tired and hungry mini mees!
The one trick I haven't mastered is avoiding the enviable blister or two, or three, or four. I have concluded that will only happen if we opt to rent and electric chariot! That will require multiple practice runs to avoid running over tots or bumping over the unsuspecting adult!
As much as I hate doing it, flying my be in our future. Never liked the cattle effect or quickly learning the ins and outs of an unfamiliar car rental. Of course the worst option is being delegated to the back seat!
The worst part, at any age, is saving up the energy for the trip home. Gonna have to dicipline myself to commit to a two day trip home, with a stopover at, you guessed it, the beach!
The sister and her youngins will be heading on their first outing to Mouseville next fall with us in tow, so we have to be battle hardened to be able to hang. This weekend the spousal unit gets to baby sit the grandbaby nephew as a pinch hitter!
The first step was making a trip to Orlando a two day event instead of a one day killer. We have done this before and it makes arrival day much more pleasant.
The trip included a side trip back north to Gainesville to watch the Rebellion get blowed out of the swamp! We opted to meet up with some friends at an off site parking lot and take the shuttle into the campus. Great move on our part! Met some new friends that call themselves Gators and saved ourselves from a long walk to and from the Swamp. We were dropped off at the corner of the stadium and then afterwards were back on the interstate headed south in no time!
At the mouse kingdom, we got in a practice run of "trick or treat" coming away with a sack full of candy. It was so much fun saying "trick or treat" to the attendants in my "Darth Vader" voice!
The test run on all the "young one approved" rides was awesome! Poking fun at parents with wee ones was a killer! I got my reality check after taking a seat on the bench after Space Mountain. This ole cowboy is officially retired to the chuck wagon with no more attempts at riding the bull!
At Universal Studios I learned to have a watchful eye. You never know when a munchkin will pull back his Harry Potter cape and pull out his magic wand! Butterbeer is a definite life saver for any age, especially the frozen one. Instant brain freeze if sipped too quickly.
After my Space Mountain adventure, spotting a well placed seat to sit and wait came with ease. The time passed very quickly after making up a little game. I would point my eyes to the ground. I would spot a pair of odd looking shoes going by and tried to imagine what the rest of the person looked like. The tattoed ankle peeps were easy. The feet of foreigners were a much bigger challenge with their odd choices of clothing. The one thing that struck me time and time again was "what the hell do these people do for a living to pay the price of admission to these amusement parks!?"
One trick every newbie parent must learn.is to not give in to the munchkins desires to have every toy early in the day. One must dicipline themselves to wait much later in the day. Don't get caught carrying a ball, rifle, or broomstick all day long!
We learned that meal time would definitely be the gathering time for recapping the day. I have my Landry Select Dining card at the ready for the first available seating for those tired and hungry mini mees!
The one trick I haven't mastered is avoiding the enviable blister or two, or three, or four. I have concluded that will only happen if we opt to rent and electric chariot! That will require multiple practice runs to avoid running over tots or bumping over the unsuspecting adult!
As much as I hate doing it, flying my be in our future. Never liked the cattle effect or quickly learning the ins and outs of an unfamiliar car rental. Of course the worst option is being delegated to the back seat!
The worst part, at any age, is saving up the energy for the trip home. Gonna have to dicipline myself to commit to a two day trip home, with a stopover at, you guessed it, the beach!
Monday, October 5, 2015
Universal Studios in Grand Parent Mode
In the early years of amusement park hopping, this ole dawg and his spousal unit could run with the best of them. These days, we are having to slow it down a bit. These bodies don't cooperate like they used to.
The knees are the first thing to go. Some rides have multiple stair cases and they are a killer on these bodies that we once considered bionic. And my stomach, once considered cast iron, now can only handle the simplest of rides.
The new fangled twister coasters have been off the radar screen for quite some time. The biggest disappointment was not being able to fit in the Harry Potter ride a few years ago.
But, fear not. I've been able to entertain myself in other ways. Bobbing and weaving thru security check lines is a new past time of mine. Even with my size, I'm getting pretty good at it!
We made our way to the back of the park to the Harry Potter section. Along the way, we saw Scoobie Doo, and Shaggy. The dog costume was tall, but the guy playing Shaggy looked seven feet tall! Next up, was Marilyn Monroe and her escort. That gal looked awful good for being 85 years old!
It was now time to check out the new Harry Potter experiences. It cracks me up to know people will pay $150 for admission to stand in line for an hour, anticipating a five minute ride! After a good look around, it was time to board the Hogwarts Express!
The train ride requires a "park to park" ticket for the journey to the other Univeral park. If you didn't purchase this kind of ticket, there is a booth for you to purchase an upgrade. Each ticket is tied to a finger scan to insure that multi-day tickets aren't being shared among several individuals.
There are lots of stairs to master to reach the loading stations, but there is also a service elevator for your convenience. We made it to our loading corral, along with several otheer families, including this English family.
The train conductor assigns you to your cabin. We took our seats, with only two remaining. The English family walks in, needing three seats, and announces in their serious English tongues "well, one of you fine families are in the wrong cabin. The conductor told us cabin B, and you are in cabin B, so one of you must leave!" We all looked up at this "witch" like, really???
The conductor arrives to save the day, "sorry ma'm, this happens all the time, please just step into the next cabin, as there is plenty of room. In a huff, she and her husband made their way to the next cabin. Their little boy, about age 5 lingered, then pointed his finger at us, and shamed us with "you know, this was to be our cabin, and like my mum said, one of you must leave!" We all chuckled and agreed that he was a definite mini-me!
After visiting the other side, and a ride or two, we headed back to the train station for the trip back to the other side. The station attendant reminded us to have our park tickets and finger ready for the scanner. At this point I asked "do we need a Visa"? The attendant replied "no, but we do take American Express!" Everybody got a good laugh out of that one.
We once again reached our boarding station with two other families. One included an older special needs son. The son was sitting in a wheel chair, trying to get his Dad's attention. He was not being successful. All of a sudden, he reached over to his Dad, and literally grabbed him by his balls! The Dad quickly recovered. I'm about to die!, looking at the spousal unit, wondering, surely she.saw it too! Yep! And we are about to board the train with this guy??
The ride was uneventful til the end. Then the "special" adult announced "don't want to get.off, ride again". He repeated this several times. Once the doors opened, we were out of there lickity split!
The spousal unit got to feed her roller coaster habit, and I got to do my people watching thing. I thought for a moment that I must be on a Star Wars set, with all the different hair colors, strange clothing, and body piercing and tattoos! Then, very quickly.i was brought back to the wizard world by the sight of all the.kids and adults in wizard robes and each of them waving their newly acquired $60 wand! These were special wands that interacted with magic stations found throughout the park!
To me, the best treat in the park is the "butterbeer " a butterscotch flavored icee. I get an immediate brain freeze every time!
For you coaster fans, the incredible Hulk coaster was down for repairs. It was literally down. Sections were being replaced.
Another noteworthy item, the Beetlejuice show is scheduled to be replaced next year by "fast and furious". The survey guy that told me this, would not disclose what type of attraction that would.be.
We have been here countless times over the years, and it never gets old. We get excited to see the new stuff, and are saddened to learn what has been replaced, like Jaws! But one thing that is certain is there will alsways be change, so we deal with it.
Can't wait for the next trip. Bring it on!
The knees are the first thing to go. Some rides have multiple stair cases and they are a killer on these bodies that we once considered bionic. And my stomach, once considered cast iron, now can only handle the simplest of rides.
The new fangled twister coasters have been off the radar screen for quite some time. The biggest disappointment was not being able to fit in the Harry Potter ride a few years ago.
But, fear not. I've been able to entertain myself in other ways. Bobbing and weaving thru security check lines is a new past time of mine. Even with my size, I'm getting pretty good at it!
We made our way to the back of the park to the Harry Potter section. Along the way, we saw Scoobie Doo, and Shaggy. The dog costume was tall, but the guy playing Shaggy looked seven feet tall! Next up, was Marilyn Monroe and her escort. That gal looked awful good for being 85 years old!
It was now time to check out the new Harry Potter experiences. It cracks me up to know people will pay $150 for admission to stand in line for an hour, anticipating a five minute ride! After a good look around, it was time to board the Hogwarts Express!
The train ride requires a "park to park" ticket for the journey to the other Univeral park. If you didn't purchase this kind of ticket, there is a booth for you to purchase an upgrade. Each ticket is tied to a finger scan to insure that multi-day tickets aren't being shared among several individuals.
There are lots of stairs to master to reach the loading stations, but there is also a service elevator for your convenience. We made it to our loading corral, along with several otheer families, including this English family.
The train conductor assigns you to your cabin. We took our seats, with only two remaining. The English family walks in, needing three seats, and announces in their serious English tongues "well, one of you fine families are in the wrong cabin. The conductor told us cabin B, and you are in cabin B, so one of you must leave!" We all looked up at this "witch" like, really???
The conductor arrives to save the day, "sorry ma'm, this happens all the time, please just step into the next cabin, as there is plenty of room. In a huff, she and her husband made their way to the next cabin. Their little boy, about age 5 lingered, then pointed his finger at us, and shamed us with "you know, this was to be our cabin, and like my mum said, one of you must leave!" We all chuckled and agreed that he was a definite mini-me!
After visiting the other side, and a ride or two, we headed back to the train station for the trip back to the other side. The station attendant reminded us to have our park tickets and finger ready for the scanner. At this point I asked "do we need a Visa"? The attendant replied "no, but we do take American Express!" Everybody got a good laugh out of that one.
We once again reached our boarding station with two other families. One included an older special needs son. The son was sitting in a wheel chair, trying to get his Dad's attention. He was not being successful. All of a sudden, he reached over to his Dad, and literally grabbed him by his balls! The Dad quickly recovered. I'm about to die!, looking at the spousal unit, wondering, surely she.saw it too! Yep! And we are about to board the train with this guy??
The ride was uneventful til the end. Then the "special" adult announced "don't want to get.off, ride again". He repeated this several times. Once the doors opened, we were out of there lickity split!
The spousal unit got to feed her roller coaster habit, and I got to do my people watching thing. I thought for a moment that I must be on a Star Wars set, with all the different hair colors, strange clothing, and body piercing and tattoos! Then, very quickly.i was brought back to the wizard world by the sight of all the.kids and adults in wizard robes and each of them waving their newly acquired $60 wand! These were special wands that interacted with magic stations found throughout the park!
To me, the best treat in the park is the "butterbeer " a butterscotch flavored icee. I get an immediate brain freeze every time!
For you coaster fans, the incredible Hulk coaster was down for repairs. It was literally down. Sections were being replaced.
Another noteworthy item, the Beetlejuice show is scheduled to be replaced next year by "fast and furious". The survey guy that told me this, would not disclose what type of attraction that would.be.
We have been here countless times over the years, and it never gets old. We get excited to see the new stuff, and are saddened to learn what has been replaced, like Jaws! But one thing that is certain is there will alsways be change, so we deal with it.
Can't wait for the next trip. Bring it on!
unofficial Florida Sun Pass Expert!
After this morning's one hour phone call to activate a Florida Sun Pass, I can now say that I am a foreign resident, unofficial expert.
We had the cheapie sticker on the old Chevy Traverse. I figured why let it go to waste, so I peeled it off the Chevy Traverse and used packing tape to secure it to the smartazz Acura for the trip south. I figured it wasn't the proper thang to do, but WTH, who is gonna know!?
I figured we would buy a new portable version on the trip and toss the old mini once we activated the new transponder. During a spousal unit rest stop, we.pulled over at the first Florida welcome center and picked up the new transponder
We broke up the trip down.into two days, stopping in Destin for overnight. We still had not activated the new transponder.
We made it to Orlando just fine, spending the next day at Disney, then planned to hit the road back north on Saturday for the Ole is vs FL football game in Gainesville. The packing tape that i used on the old mini transponder was coming apart in the wind.
Now time to activate the new one. Easier said than done! Tried to activate the new one using the spousal unit's laptop, no go, not recognizing the transponder number. Tried two smartazz phones, same problem. Even tried an Apple, Orange and Pear and still no go! Office not open until Monday.
This morning I make the call. On hold for 20 mimutes, then finally an operater. I explained my situation. Lady looks it up, "transponder already active" she says. Buy we haven't activated it!
Lady says, "well its active, and there are already charges on it from the Mid Bay Bridge at Destin." WTH??? Seems the radar picked up the new one, still in the wrapper! "Sorry sir, you cannot add this active transponder to an existing accout." Whoa! I paid $20 for this thang! "The only thing you can do is open a new account". Okay.....
We go thru the process over the phone. "Sir, why do you have two cars with the same tag number?" Answer: we traded cars and swapped the old tag to the new car. Personalized plate, you can do that in Mississippi!
"Sir, you messed this all up (said in Spanglish) but i fix it for you! I close the old account and deleted the Traverse. I opened you a new account and added the Acura. You need to pull the mini and throw it away. I refund the balance on the old account to your wife." "The mini sticker only goes on one car, you messed it up!" Answer: yes ma'm I did. "You throw away the mini sticker right away!" Me: will do! You are wonderful! Thank you very much!
Lady then says "you let your wife do it from now on
She no mess it up!" YES MA'M!!!!
So, if you buy a Florida Sun Pass transponder, let your wife handle it, because you wikl just mess it up!
.
We had the cheapie sticker on the old Chevy Traverse. I figured why let it go to waste, so I peeled it off the Chevy Traverse and used packing tape to secure it to the smartazz Acura for the trip south. I figured it wasn't the proper thang to do, but WTH, who is gonna know!?
I figured we would buy a new portable version on the trip and toss the old mini once we activated the new transponder. During a spousal unit rest stop, we.pulled over at the first Florida welcome center and picked up the new transponder
We broke up the trip down.into two days, stopping in Destin for overnight. We still had not activated the new transponder.
We made it to Orlando just fine, spending the next day at Disney, then planned to hit the road back north on Saturday for the Ole is vs FL football game in Gainesville. The packing tape that i used on the old mini transponder was coming apart in the wind.
Now time to activate the new one. Easier said than done! Tried to activate the new one using the spousal unit's laptop, no go, not recognizing the transponder number. Tried two smartazz phones, same problem. Even tried an Apple, Orange and Pear and still no go! Office not open until Monday.
This morning I make the call. On hold for 20 mimutes, then finally an operater. I explained my situation. Lady looks it up, "transponder already active" she says. Buy we haven't activated it!
Lady says, "well its active, and there are already charges on it from the Mid Bay Bridge at Destin." WTH??? Seems the radar picked up the new one, still in the wrapper! "Sorry sir, you cannot add this active transponder to an existing accout." Whoa! I paid $20 for this thang! "The only thing you can do is open a new account". Okay.....
We go thru the process over the phone. "Sir, why do you have two cars with the same tag number?" Answer: we traded cars and swapped the old tag to the new car. Personalized plate, you can do that in Mississippi!
"Sir, you messed this all up (said in Spanglish) but i fix it for you! I close the old account and deleted the Traverse. I opened you a new account and added the Acura. You need to pull the mini and throw it away. I refund the balance on the old account to your wife." "The mini sticker only goes on one car, you messed it up!" Answer: yes ma'm I did. "You throw away the mini sticker right away!" Me: will do! You are wonderful! Thank you very much!
Lady then says "you let your wife do it from now on
She no mess it up!" YES MA'M!!!!
So, if you buy a Florida Sun Pass transponder, let your wife handle it, because you wikl just mess it up!
.
Disney Springs
If you haven't been to Downtown Disney in a while, you won't recognize it when you return. Downtown has been renamed "Disney Springs". Lots of new construction done and more ongoing, all for the good!
The huge parking lots that went on forever that would stress you out looking for an open parking lot are being replaced with huge parking garages. The roads a tree full of overhead crosswalks for the safety of pedestrian foot traffic.
The completed parking garage is five stories tall. Each level has tall ceilings, and are brightly illuminated. Their are electronic devices that tell you how many spaces are available on each floor and better yet, devices that tell you how many spaces are available on each row. The open slots have a green light to guide you to them. Escalators and elevators are at the ready to get you to the shopping and dining experiences.
Pleasure island is all but gine, replaced with new shopping and dining establishments. One restaurant has a ramp for the cars that are also boats, which I'm guessing are accessible by guests staying in on property hotels with water ferry access.
They have also installed a landing the completed the loop from Rainforest Cafe, so there is no longer a "dead end".
We found a new ship where Disney has partnered with outside vendors that have put the Disney stamp on their products, companies like Dooney Burke, and Vera Bradley.
Disney is definitely taking steps in the right direction with their updates. Unfortunately for the tired and weary, it's going to require you to walk even more, which isn't a bad thing.
I'm a member of the Landry Select Dining club. They had posted a $25 dining credit to my account which expires in October. We used our card to go.to the front of the line for a table, eliminating the one hour wait time. We were seated within 10 minutes at Trexx. We also used the $25 credit against the bill. The funniest thing, you can visit this restaurant 100 times and no see it all. I spotted a duck hanging front the ceiling, and the duck had an arrow sticking out of its butt. The waitress has been working there for over a year and had not.spotted it!
We finished our visit with a stop at the Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory for our favorite, the hot fudge sundae! We will be back for another before our departure!
I'm sure there is much more to discover in this reinvented market place, but our feet and toes were telling us to save it for another day.
If you haven't figured it out, yep, we love this place! Thanks Walt!
The huge parking lots that went on forever that would stress you out looking for an open parking lot are being replaced with huge parking garages. The roads a tree full of overhead crosswalks for the safety of pedestrian foot traffic.
The completed parking garage is five stories tall. Each level has tall ceilings, and are brightly illuminated. Their are electronic devices that tell you how many spaces are available on each floor and better yet, devices that tell you how many spaces are available on each row. The open slots have a green light to guide you to them. Escalators and elevators are at the ready to get you to the shopping and dining experiences.
Pleasure island is all but gine, replaced with new shopping and dining establishments. One restaurant has a ramp for the cars that are also boats, which I'm guessing are accessible by guests staying in on property hotels with water ferry access.
They have also installed a landing the completed the loop from Rainforest Cafe, so there is no longer a "dead end".
We found a new ship where Disney has partnered with outside vendors that have put the Disney stamp on their products, companies like Dooney Burke, and Vera Bradley.
Disney is definitely taking steps in the right direction with their updates. Unfortunately for the tired and weary, it's going to require you to walk even more, which isn't a bad thing.
I'm a member of the Landry Select Dining club. They had posted a $25 dining credit to my account which expires in October. We used our card to go.to the front of the line for a table, eliminating the one hour wait time. We were seated within 10 minutes at Trexx. We also used the $25 credit against the bill. The funniest thing, you can visit this restaurant 100 times and no see it all. I spotted a duck hanging front the ceiling, and the duck had an arrow sticking out of its butt. The waitress has been working there for over a year and had not.spotted it!
We finished our visit with a stop at the Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory for our favorite, the hot fudge sundae! We will be back for another before our departure!
I'm sure there is much more to discover in this reinvented market place, but our feet and toes were telling us to save it for another day.
If you haven't figured it out, yep, we love this place! Thanks Walt!
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Cry Wolf!
I've been watching a Wolf cub grow up into a young man cub for quite a few years. I met this boy along side his Dad, Tommy Wolf, quite a few moons ago on the soccer fields of Rankin County. If you didn't know Tommy back then, you would, within five minutes, love him or hate him. He was that kinds guy. Me, I'm a lover, not a fighter!
Tommy left us way too early in his young adult life. He did leave us a reminder of him through his three sons and beautiful wife Patty. The one legacy I'm fondest of is his middle child Conner. One look at his killer smile and you see Tommy in him!
Conner and his brothers stepped up to fill the shoes that Tommy left at the back door. One passion Conner had early was kitchen duty. For him, food prep came easy. It was quick to see that this young man had the talent in his bones to be able to carry a message through the plate of food.
Patty has never gone hungry with Conner near the kitchen. She has been able to nurture his passion by providing him access to the ingredients only trained Chefs appreciate. Anybody can cook, but to be able to bring out the true flavors in a dish with Suttle herbal hints is a God given Talent.
Conner followed up on his food passion by first working with Jeff Good and Dan Blumenthal. He then went off to the W for some initial kitchen skills training, followed up with a move to Miami for formal training at the Le Cordon Bleu.
Conner graduated this week from LeCordon Bleu, and he has been practicing his skills at Local 463, Caet, and Walkers Drive-in. I have not yet been by to catch him in action, but all three locations are now on my hit list.
If you are in any of these fine establishments, give him a shout out! And yell "tater bomb!" For his Dad Tommy!
Tommy left us way too early in his young adult life. He did leave us a reminder of him through his three sons and beautiful wife Patty. The one legacy I'm fondest of is his middle child Conner. One look at his killer smile and you see Tommy in him!
Conner and his brothers stepped up to fill the shoes that Tommy left at the back door. One passion Conner had early was kitchen duty. For him, food prep came easy. It was quick to see that this young man had the talent in his bones to be able to carry a message through the plate of food.
Patty has never gone hungry with Conner near the kitchen. She has been able to nurture his passion by providing him access to the ingredients only trained Chefs appreciate. Anybody can cook, but to be able to bring out the true flavors in a dish with Suttle herbal hints is a God given Talent.
Conner followed up on his food passion by first working with Jeff Good and Dan Blumenthal. He then went off to the W for some initial kitchen skills training, followed up with a move to Miami for formal training at the Le Cordon Bleu.
Conner graduated this week from LeCordon Bleu, and he has been practicing his skills at Local 463, Caet, and Walkers Drive-in. I have not yet been by to catch him in action, but all three locations are now on my hit list.
If you are in any of these fine establishments, give him a shout out! And yell "tater bomb!" For his Dad Tommy!
A Day at the Swamp!
Today was game day Saturday down in Gainesville Fl. It was the spousal unit's Rebels against the Gators in the Swamp. Since we were already in Florida on a family vaca in Orlando, and why not!
Placed an order for BBQ with Smokey Bones for a road trip. I put six pounds of hot Q in my little Yeti for the ride. I got behind some Gator fans and we were in Gainesville in no time. During the trip we crept up on an ambulance. Something caught my eye. There was a gas grill mounted on the back of that thing. As we got closer we were able to get a closer look. That ambulance was all decked out in blue and orange. It was the wildest tailgating setup I've seen in a long time!
We met up with friend Jackie and company in the shuttle bus parking lot. Made friends real quick with some Gators all camped out with a huge bus with ESPN playing. They shared the tube and some Gator juice and we came to play with cheese straws and that six pounds of Q! That Meat was still smoking when I lifted the lid!
The shuttle ride dropped us off at the corner of the stadium. During the walk through we met the nicest fans. Welcome to the Swamp was heard more than once. Hey, I know Hotty Toddy was another! Being an Ole dawg with a rebellion hat on, I weren't too sure what to make of all that!
The stadium was an awesome place to visit. One the way to our seats we made a quick rest room stop. Just as I was about to enter the men's room, a lady made a wrong turn, and in she went! I yelled "Hey! Wrong turn!" As she quickly made a 180 degree turn, a gator fan tossed some paper towels her way and yelled "off sides! 5 yard pemalty!" The whole restroom erupted in laughter, Gator fans and Rebel fans alike!
Our seats were slap dab in the middle of the Gator student section. These students get their tickets in a lottery and you could tell a bunch were sold resale just like mine. That, or I was sitting beside a bunch of Grey haired freshmen!
One fan with three kids had moused up and dyed the hair of both boys, who were of a different skin color. Jokingly, I asked if they were born with their hair like that? The mom replied "no, they were adopted! " we had a bigger laugh once she figured all that out!
An older lady next to the spousal unit tapped her on the shoulder to warn us of the students behind us. She said "keep an eye on that young lady. She's quite drunk and she might vomit on you, and we can't have that happening to such nice guests as you!"
Before kickoff, they honored a military family with guest seats. The soldier recorded a message to the from Afghanistan. Suddenly he ran onto the field as a surprise to his family! They also honored a wounded warrior, and the flag was at half mast to honor recent tragedies. It was an awesome sight to behold.
After both teams had entered the playing field, a significant number of players from both teams went to one knee in the same endzone for a moment of prayer!
The game didn't play out in favor of the Spousal unit's Rebels and later I heard that the same fate fell upon my Bulldawgs. But hey, that's college football.
We made our way back to the shuttle buses. We were back in the shuttle.parking lot in no time and we're back at our Orlando Condo in record time. Love a Gator convoy when I can find one!
Placed an order for BBQ with Smokey Bones for a road trip. I put six pounds of hot Q in my little Yeti for the ride. I got behind some Gator fans and we were in Gainesville in no time. During the trip we crept up on an ambulance. Something caught my eye. There was a gas grill mounted on the back of that thing. As we got closer we were able to get a closer look. That ambulance was all decked out in blue and orange. It was the wildest tailgating setup I've seen in a long time!
We met up with friend Jackie and company in the shuttle bus parking lot. Made friends real quick with some Gators all camped out with a huge bus with ESPN playing. They shared the tube and some Gator juice and we came to play with cheese straws and that six pounds of Q! That Meat was still smoking when I lifted the lid!
The shuttle ride dropped us off at the corner of the stadium. During the walk through we met the nicest fans. Welcome to the Swamp was heard more than once. Hey, I know Hotty Toddy was another! Being an Ole dawg with a rebellion hat on, I weren't too sure what to make of all that!
The stadium was an awesome place to visit. One the way to our seats we made a quick rest room stop. Just as I was about to enter the men's room, a lady made a wrong turn, and in she went! I yelled "Hey! Wrong turn!" As she quickly made a 180 degree turn, a gator fan tossed some paper towels her way and yelled "off sides! 5 yard pemalty!" The whole restroom erupted in laughter, Gator fans and Rebel fans alike!
Our seats were slap dab in the middle of the Gator student section. These students get their tickets in a lottery and you could tell a bunch were sold resale just like mine. That, or I was sitting beside a bunch of Grey haired freshmen!
One fan with three kids had moused up and dyed the hair of both boys, who were of a different skin color. Jokingly, I asked if they were born with their hair like that? The mom replied "no, they were adopted! " we had a bigger laugh once she figured all that out!
An older lady next to the spousal unit tapped her on the shoulder to warn us of the students behind us. She said "keep an eye on that young lady. She's quite drunk and she might vomit on you, and we can't have that happening to such nice guests as you!"
Before kickoff, they honored a military family with guest seats. The soldier recorded a message to the from Afghanistan. Suddenly he ran onto the field as a surprise to his family! They also honored a wounded warrior, and the flag was at half mast to honor recent tragedies. It was an awesome sight to behold.
After both teams had entered the playing field, a significant number of players from both teams went to one knee in the same endzone for a moment of prayer!
The game didn't play out in favor of the Spousal unit's Rebels and later I heard that the same fate fell upon my Bulldawgs. But hey, that's college football.
We made our way back to the shuttle buses. We were back in the shuttle.parking lot in no time and we're back at our Orlando Condo in record time. Love a Gator convoy when I can find one!
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