Dixie and Dixie and Dixie.....

February 24, 2012

Happy Birthday Rosie!!!!!

I'll open with Roku:

Cat undecided

Alabama is a beautiful, rolling grass state, at least in the south end.  Finally got all my pharmacy stuff taken care of satisfactorily, Tony is back on track with his health; now I have a sore throat and snot at night.  Roku has been the most traumatized with two cats at this park, who freely let themselves into his door at any time of the night or day.  They cleaned out his bowls and yowled piteously.  He snarled and spat – from a distance.  Got into quite a fight with the tabby this morning, until Tony swatted them both with his shirt. 

We’ve moved on today and ended up in a woman’s front yard on a county, country road, where she has room for about 15 rigs.  Kind of strange, but RV Park Reviewers loved her and it was adequate for a night or two.  We’re trying to save money to blow at Shula’s restaurant in New Orleans – the BEST steaks we’ve ever had.  Anyway, she told me just to “park it and I’ll catch up with you later.”  Even has a bath and laundry as seen below:

Alabama front yard RV park

I also finally took pics of my snorkel gear that I haven’t been able to use because the weather is so crappy.  Two weeks of rain and blow and gray skies – feels like home!

We turned north as we heard my nephew “Bad Brad Plourd” is racing in Montgomery, and couldn’t miss a chance to see him.  He is extremely successful, makes a living at it, and has a great sponser in Lucas Oil.  His girlfriend Katie also lives in AL, so it’s a no brainer for him.  We are heading to camp at the racetrack tomorrow to surprise him and are very excited to see him race!

February 29, 2012

All hold, while Jackie recovers from the flu, that TC just recovered from himself.  We had to cancel our trip to see Brad race, and instead traveled straight back to Mobile.  I stayed in bed while Tony drove, it just hurt too much to sit up.  Then two more days of lying low – didn’t even leave Blue until we showered upon leaving.  And frankly, today I’m still feeling crappy, although have been getting around our new town of Biloxi.

Masonic Temple, Biloxi, MS

And what a town this is!  Not a major city by any means - just a sweet little battered lady who has pulled her britches up more than once, dusted off, and took another step forward.  This is a hearty lot here in Biloxi.  Katrina wiped them out about two blocks inland from the beach, left their little 19^th century lighthouse standing tall.  They simply got out the trash bags and cleaned up, built up, hung the flag up.  The Biloxi shoreline was deeply damaged, yet Mississippi didn’t get the attention New Orleans did, which chapped some rebel ass here; but they went forward anyway, because they always have.  The BP oil spill?  Just a blip on their radar – out came the clean-up, out went the shrimpers, rebuilt the processing plants and back in business. 

Biloxi lighthouse

Oddly, both Mississippi and Alabama have the worst litter I’ve seen anywhere, and few, if any, recycling programs.  There is trash all over the beaches, the side and main streets, highways.  I’ve seen the government signs admonishing Mississippians to “pick up”, but I think they interpret that as “throw it out any window you want, somebody else will clean it up.”  Well, we’ll be that “someone else” on the beach tomorrow and pick up as much as we can.

Biloxi is also a casino town, with probably ten big ones lining the edges of their very dead downtown.  We may stop in tomorrow and check Hard Rock out, and the Beau Rivage has Vince Gill playing on Saturday.  I would dearly love to see him, but we’re saving our money to eat steak at Shula’s in NOLA.  What?!, you say?!!  You’ve got to make balanced choices!

The little town we’re camping in, Ocean Springs, has a GREAT downtown, and killer BBQ.  Beautiful shops, thriving atmosphere.  Nice to see.  My only trauma has been the train tracks that run through town: we came upon the blinking red and white striped arms indicating a train was coming, so we stopped – and watched while those ahead, behind and across from us, DROVE AROUND THEM!  Tony decided to do as the Romans do, and proceeded to drive around them.  Did I react, dear reader?  Like a volcano!  Dumbest thing I’ve ever seen, akin to “If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you too?????!!!!!”.  I told him next time I’d get out, and he could pick me up after coming around the block. 

Gotta say, the weather is so crumby, so unpredictably bad, it’s taken the starch out of us.  We hung out again today with a little sun here and there, 97% humidity.  I spent most of the day getting Alex squared away with her new apartment in Port Orchard 0 yes, I’m a co-signer.  Gives me the willies, however, Alex is making good choices and growing up so beautifully.  Nice person, trying to figure it out.