Day 11--- we're still KICKIN"!

Today is Feb 12, 2009 and we're in TEXAS--- but let me back up and catch up on the last 8 days--How do I know what we did for the last 8 days , you ask?-- "Cause we're keeping a diary-- well, I 'm keeping a diary, Sue's keeping a journal-- we're gonna compare them at the end and see if we were on the same trip---



anyway, Friday, Feb 6, found us trucking down the road from ALABAMA with the destination of Apalachiacola, Florida-- we spent quite a while discussing how to pronounce this goofy word-- I pronounced it Apalachia--cola (like the mountains with a cola on the end)--

Sue, who's Aunt Pitty Pat directed us there, said it was Apa--LATCH-a-cola--

yes!!!

now y'all know what fascinating conversations are going on as we were speeding down the highway. We found signs for Tupelo Apiaries so figured we'd get some honey-- we ended up getting it off the guys front porch-- he had a box with a slot in it and a big sign that a camera was watching us-- Sue pulled out her $$ and waved it around all over the porch because she wasn't sure where the camera was focused and she didn't want to be dragged onto the ground, strip searched and appear on the show COPS--( which is filmed there in Florida, ya know)--for snitching honey from some bees that live in a tupelo tree which we never found, by the way.



We had lunch on the water and walked the cute town and looked in shops--it was a really old town with lots of old buildings-- apparently every store/building in town was having door knob problems. Every single door we went in had a note taped to the door to tell us how to open it--"turn knob and push"or "turn knob, push up and pull" or "knob doesn't turn, give it your best shot and kick it"--We were thinking that Sue should move there and go in the door knob replacement business--surprised nobody in that town has thought of it yet.



We finished up in Apalachiacola so early that I called my cousin Sophia (pronounced SOF--YA) who lives in Shalimar FLORIDA and told her we were on our way-- she lives about 1 1/2 hours away so off we went---"WESTWARD HO !"
We arrived at Sophia and John D's house (colonel--airforce--retired :*) ) , that evening, and she had arranged for her daughter Mary Beth and family to bring over dinner-- so we feasted on fried chicken, mashed potatoes and all the fixin's--we caught up on family gossip, played/fixed her computer and hit the sack at 3:00 am (ET)--2 am CENTRAL TIME-- we have crossed a time zone here.

The next day, February 7, 2009, we accompanied Sophia and John D on their weekly get together at McDonald's-- they picked up their friend Nelly (aged 80 +) at the retirement home for Air Force widows/widowers, and we met another couple, Patty and John (aged 80+ ?) and Sophia's daughter Mary Beth, her hubber Scott and their kids there, -- they apparently have "THEIR TABLE" and nobody else better sit there or else-- kinda like when somebody sits in your pew at church--they were all firing up their "stink eye" in case it was needed---another little ole lady showed up with her cell phone tied around her neck like a necklace--- they all had stories of how their "sons' or "daughters" had gotten them cell phones, in case they fell ---and none of them knew how to use them--other than making phone calls-- it was great fun-, and for all they cared they were at the finest country club-- they were happy as larks.

Then we visited Mary Beth's house..Believe it or not, right after that, we all met again at a seafood restaurant and had a gigantic LUNCH-- and from there her sister Kate took us on a tour of the area--We visited SEASIDE, a resort town in Florida---here the houses ALL have to have names and picket fences and each picket fence has to be different-- cute town--and the smallest post office in the country is here--

Miss Kate took us to a place called , MISS LUCILLE'S GOSSIP PARLOR--where you could sit down in her "parlor" and have tea, scones, cakes and read the latest issue of The Enquirer, The Globe or any of those things--- too funny--
we toured the area all afternoon and GUESS WHAT??? we all met again at Mary Beth's house to have a Chinese BUFFET--- just roll us home--- I don't think Sue has seen so much sugar and fried food in the last decade!

Sophia , John D, and her Kids were the BEST hosts EVER-- we felt so welcome and comfortable there-- and they would not let us pay for a thing--- oh wait a minute, maybe they did want us pay and we just didn't offer--uh oh, that would make us the guests from Hell--

Sunday, February 8, 2009

We hit the road today, and headed toward Mississippi-- we found red clay roads that were obviously state maintained, but were not paved--they had stop signs and speed limit signs! We drove around in the REAL boondocks for a while-- By nightfall, we had made it to New Orleans-- our hotel for the night was right in the heart of the city--

Sue seemed extremely nervous-- don't know exactly what she was anticipating, but when we drove right smack into town past BOURBON street, and were stopped at a light, she nearly tore the door handle off the car when she saw some drunk kid humping the car in front of us--and her TERROR continued when we actually walked down bourbon street with all the drunks, nekked pictures of lesbos, girls, and transvestites hanging outta every window.

My cousin Kate told us that if you wanted to show your boobs ( that's what you do in New Orleans--- you flash your boobs and you get mardi gras beads) that we should find the biggest boobed woman and stand next to her and nobody would notice us and we could get some "pity beads"--that Kate, she KNOWS everything :*)

The next day Monday February 9, we walked New Orleans, had Beignets at Cafe du Monde, visited the French market, cute shops and antique stores --discovered an artist named JAMIE HAYES who made "friendly voo doo dolls:, wrote 2 books--cute-- and has a line of dolls called BIG LIPS-- they are precious-- go to his website
We then drove around to see the devastation in New Orleans--it is heartbreaking-- especially seeing the spray paint symbols on the houses--DOG CHAINED ON PORCH---DOA--where we drove around, the 9th ward, I would say it was 85% abandoned-- a waiter told us that the state cannot find the owners and they cannot demolish these houses until they do--- so they are trying to pass a law that after 4 years ! the state can go in and demolish them--they are a danger-- falling down, rotting, etc-- so sad

We arrived in Ponchatoula LA -- the strawberry and antique capital of the country ( they think they are, anyway)--had a fantastic dinner of several oyster hors d'oeurves (lightly fried on toast rounds with canadian bacon and hollandaise, and the other with crabmeat) and a hamburger with sausage meat and blue cheese--we split these for those of you who are keeping track---
dessert was a strawberry "shortcake" of fried angelfood cake, sitting on strawberry cream cheese, fresh strawberries and fresh whipped cream.

Sue is still really interested in those cows-- I glanced over at the pasture as we were zooming by, and exclaimed-- "WOA--look at all those cowpies!" (the ground was PEPPERED)
"Cowpies?" she asked
"YEA-- you know what cowpies are don't you?" I asked her
"Well, sure,-- cow poop" , but I didn't think those were cowpies", she said, distracted
"Well, what did you think they were?, I asked
"well, I thought they were "tufts" of grass" she said, twirling her hairs
"HUH?'

then she told me (getting back to that cows/cattle dilemma) that only male cows are used for beef, and in fact, she added, most of the chicken we eat is ROOSTER meat--
I suggested that she start an organization like PETA to SAVE THE MALES (could be the sister organization of SAVE THE WHALES)--this was total discrimination and she should make it her CAUSE-- !!!
I'm tellin ya, I had NO IDEA Sue was such a farm girl--I wonder if she's been secretly studying animal husbandry or something---what a wealth of information on the lives of farm stock!!!

well, I'm almost caught up to date, but have to hit the hay-- have a big day of shopping, walking, and eating ahead
Later~
Martha