NOV 30, 12 .. WE .. ARE .. IN .. DALLAS .. TEXAS ..

Patti and I are now in Dallas, Texas .. we made it to the BIG ‘D’ .. we are heah !

“What’s that ‘Zilla ?” .. “This is a program of honesty you say !” .. “Well you are absolutely 100% correct ‘Zilla .. technically we are in Arlington, Texas, much closer to Fort Worth than to Dallas .. but the world is more familiar with Dallas than with Arlington or Fort Worth .. so Dallas it will be !”

Where was I ?

 Your two Road Warriors are tired .. we drove 462-miles by Map Quest mileage from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to Dallas / Fort Worth, Texas .. but had to tack-on about 30 more miles  .. because at 12:30 AM this morning .. and I was tired let-me-tell-you .. we got to the wrong Motel 6 / Studio 6 location here in the Arlington / Dallas / Fort Worth Texas area ..

Our Motel 6 / Studio 6 suite of three rooms is really something .. full kitchen with a living room .. separate bedroom with two queen sized beds .. and bathroom .. with phenomenal ‘grounds’ surrounding the venue .. all rooms are ‘interior’ rooms .. very nice ‘appointments’  inside with a neat ‘gazebo’ in the lawn and garden area located in the center of the facility ..

We turned our light off to sleep at 1:58 AM this morning .. and at 5 AM we got an unsolicited and an unwanted ‘phone call’ .. no one on the other end of the line .. our room phone is still ‘unplugged’ but we survived that incident .. and both of us immediately went back to sleep ..

Yesterday .. as we had planned to do .. we did indeed see Louisiana  State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana .. LSU is something really special to visit .. a really nice campus .. I forgot to mention that on the way South from Cincinnati to New Orleans .. we visited the University of Alabama .. another very impressive university !

We then visited the city of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, as we headed West from Baton Rouge on Interstate Highway Number 10 ..  eating lunch in Breaux Bridge .. I plan to do a short writing just on Breaux Bridge later .. and it is Breaux (with an ‘R’  NOT Beaux as you would correctly think it should be you French speaking folks .. (Hi Clement and Family in France !) ..

Six-miles West of Breaux Bridge is the city of Lafayette, Louisiana .. there we visited the St. John’s Cathedral Live Oak Tree .. an Oak Tree with a 9-foot-diameter trunk (28-foot circumference) standing 126-feet-tall .. its average spread is 138-feet .. the tree  is estimated to be in the vicinity of 500-years-old ! ..

In Lafayette they have a Live Oak Society that is limited to Live Oaks that are more than 100 years old… with annual dues of 25 acorns!  This almost 500-year-old fellow had support poles under several of its expansive limbs and several large, extended limbs that touched and spread across the ground.  One of its enormous limbs has been estimated to weigh 72-tons .. It looked like it could tell some interesting stories…

I then hopped in the back of our Suburban and slept solidly  for three hours while Patti drove Northwest on I-49 into the evening  from Lafayette to Shreveport, Louisiana .. I then drove West in the very dark of night on I-20 for  four hours to Dallas / Fort Worth Arlington .. Patti slept on this leg of the journey .. what a gift it is having a real .. full length bed .. in the back of our truck ..

Today we visited the Dallas Cowboys Football Stadium and we are all set on how and where to park and enter the stadium this Sunday to see the Dallas Cowboys Football Team play the Philadelphia Eagles .. on Sunday Night Football on NBC ..

We then shopped at a local Wal-Mart and a Costco Warehouse and came back to our suite here at Studio 6 ..  I  promptly slept another few hours .. we cooked dinner .. and I am ready to again crash ..

Smiles from Cap and from Patti ..

DALLAS HERE WE COME .. PART II .. BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA ..

Our last day in New Orleans yesterday was great .. we left Motel 6 in Harvey, LA, at 11:30 AM .. on-time-doing-fine !

When we got into New Orleans we attended an excellent  noon meeting .. our fourth meeting in New Orleans .. three of the meetings we attended in New Orleans were as-good-as-a-meeting-gets .. the fourth meeting was extremely small with only six of us in attendance ..  

This small meeting  was  'marginal' ..  the primary discussions and shares (with the exception of we two) .. concerned  hard-core-street-drugs .. thus totally missing the 'singleness of purpose' criteria for a strong meeting .. but hey .. three out of four is not all bad .. and I felt .. based on conversations after the meeting .. that we contributed in a strong and positive manner to the others .. 

 Then for several hours we  toured  the French Quarter and wrapped the day up at Central Grocery where we bought a ‘full’ sized Muffuletta .. they come in ‘full’ size and ‘half’ size ..  a ‘full’ sized  Muffuletta is a complete round loaf of bread about 10-inches in diameter cut into four equal sized segments  .. a VERY large sandwich !

Then we found our way out of downtown New Orleans onto Interstate 10 West  .. this was quite a challenge believe me ! .. by 3:45 PM we were on I-10 heading West .. about 4:30 PM we encountered a wreck on I-10 that had traffic in our West bound lane  completely stopped .. motors turned off .. every vehicle 'parked' .. with  people walking around as far as we could see when we got out of our Suburban and looked West up I-10 ..

This is why having a co-pilot is wonderful ..

After surveying the scene ahead .. I called on my co-pilot Patti and then .. 

I got out of our Suburban and crawled into the bed in the back and went to sleep .. Patti calmly sat ‘at-the-wheel’ and eventually (say a half hour) the traffic began to  move .. the ‘problem’ was the wreck of a  ‘Semi’ .. the tractor  and its trailer separated from each other and both wrecked .. the trailer was on its side broken into parts and its contents were strewn all over the left traffic lane .. the tractor was ‘down the bank through the guard rail’ .. all-in-a-day out on the Interstate .. so far this trip .. all of the accidents have been in the opposite traffic lanes going the other direction .. sooner or later the 'statistics' catch up with us all and we were 'due' for some action on our side of the Interstate .. we got it big time .. 

Darkness was now ‘imminent’ and so we stopped in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at Motel 6 near exit 163 about 80  miles West of New Orleans on I-10 ..

Last night we watched  the television show ‘Survivor’ .. Abi won immunity and Penner was voted out and onto the jury .. six now remain in contention to become the Survivor .. I just knew you all were wanting this information .. smiles ..

After we check out of Motel 6  later this morning .. we plan to visit the campus of Louisiana State University .. more commonly known as LSU .. a nationally famous university  for  football and .. to a lesser extent .. basketball .. a certain Shaquille Rashaun O’Neil played his collegiate basketball here at LSU .. you may know him as ‘Shaq’ .. and he later played in the NBA winning four world championship titles .. three with The Los Angles Lakers and his fourth with The Miami Heat ..

After visiting LSU .. we will head West on I-10 to Lafayette, Louisiana, spend some time there and then head Northwest on Interstate 49 toward Shreveport, Louisiana  ..

 OK .. Let’s call this a ‘wrap’ ..

Much Joy .. The Road Warriors .. Patti and Cap ..

"What's that 'Zilla and Crocodile Dundee ?" .. "We only drove 80-miles yesterday and REAL ROAD WARRIORS drive more than 80-miles in a day !" .. "Sigh .. What am I gonna do with you two 'editors' !" .. 

DALLAS HERE WE COME .. PART I

Here we are .. the earth has turned a couple of turns .. and it is now ..

Wednesday November the 28^th .. if we can get our 'act together' and 'get-outta-heah' .. this morning  Patti and I are leaving New Orleans and heading to Dallas – Fort Worth .. two large sister-cities in the northeastern corner of the state of Texas in the Southwestern part of the United States ..

“What’s that ‘Zilla ?” .. “Everyone KNOWS where Dallas - Fort Worth are located !” ..

“This ‘Zilla is why I like having you here with me on my left  shoulder .. reading along with me as I write .. and constantly asking  great questions  and making worthwhile comments .. perhaps half of the people reading along here DO NOT live in the United States .. and periodically I have to assist them to try-to-vaguely-understand what I am writing about here ‘Zilla ..” .. “I suspect the only reason they are even trying to follow these ramblings is just to practice reading our form of the English language .. I feel sorry for them trying to follow my writings about football .. and the NFL Teams !" .. "Only the long-time foreign-readers have a clue about who and what you 'Zilla are!" ..

Goodness .. where was I and what am I trying to say here ?”

This will really confuse them .. when Patti and I leave the Motel 6 here in Harvey, Louisiana, later this morning  and cross the Mississippi River into New Orleans proper .. we are heading straight for the Central Grocery on Decatur Street in the French Quarter to buy a  Muffuletta !

“What’s that ‘Zilla ?” .. “YOU don’t understand what a Muffuletta is ‘Zilla !”

ALL OF YOU JUST ‘GOOGLE’ THE WORD MUFFULETTA !

Our buddy ‘Montana Dan up in Anchorage in Alaska told me before we left for this trip that WE MUST GO TO THE CENTAL GROCERY ON DECATUR STREET IN THE FRENCH QUARTER AND BUY A MUFFULETTA ! .. so too must YOU if you ever get down here ! .. THANKS DAN FOR THE SUGGESTION !

Sigh .. Where was I?  .. Patti was just talking to Gullible .. I was 'kibitzing' .. and now I am really lost! .. Gullible is so tired from the trip to Antarctica that 18-hours-a-day of sleep is not quite enough and I think I have ‘caught’ this fatigue from Gullible ..

Yesterday it was again raining much of the day .. we shopped Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club .. drove into New Orleans and attended one great noontime meeting .. our third meeting in New Orleans .. each meeting in a different location  .. we ate at a new-to-us restaurant In the French Quarter .. The Daisy Dukes .. and were so full from giant servings .. that ‘that-was- it’ for eating the rest-of-the-day except for some yogurt we bought at our local Winn Dixie Super Market near us here in Harvey ..  

OK Patti and I are .. to quote the Southern Sheriff .. “Are outta heah!” .. We have no more time for this rambling !

/s/ Your Road Warriors .. Patti and Cap ..

NOV 27, 12 .. THE PARTY'S OVER IN NEW ORLEANS ..

The party’s over (here in New Orleans) and as the song says .. now it’s time to call it a day ..

Patti and I have pulled-this-trip-off .. with all of the planning and all of the anticipation and all of the attention to the many details a trip such as this trip requires and finally ..  HAVING THE GUTS-TO-DO this trip ..we actually got to New Orleans in Louisiana and we have experienced  an absolutely wonderful time here .. and in leaving tomorrow (Wednesday the 28^th) .. the two of us will  have enjoyed a full and a busy six days here .. sight-seeing and going to the football game last Sunday ..

Today we will wrap-it-up ..we need to do some shopping at Sam’s Club and back to Wal-Mart (yes even on vacation life-goes-on and we need things) .. then we will drive over the bridge to New Orleans proper and spend some more time in the French Quarter ..  we hope and plan to attend one more ‘meeting’ here in the city .. and then pack up to get an early start tomorrow morning and ..

Tomorrow we plan to HEAD FOR DALLAS – FORT WORTH TEXAS .. to see the Dallas Cowboys play the Philadelphia Eagles at Cowboy Stadium next Sunday .. December 2^nd (will  one of you reading along here PLEASE tell us) .. “Where does the time go ?” ..

Our weather has changed .. rain has come to New Orleans .. and the skies are dark .. but we enjoyed absolutely perfect weather through Sunday and .. for the football game with all of the tail-gating and pre-game partying .. the weather was absolutely PERFECT .. and for that we are grateful ..

OK .. short and I hope sweet .. this will do it for today .. Much Joy .. Patti and Cap ..

NOV 26, 12 .. FOOTBALL SUNDAY IN NEW ORLEANS .. PART II ..

E E E  -  YOW  -  E E E  .. 

The game and the day and the event are over .. and history ..

As I write this .. it is Monday the 26th of November 2012 .. and the game has happened ! So here we go ..

Let me begin with this .. Charles R. Swindoll .. wrote a wonderful writing about .. ATTITUDE .. one I have incorporated into my daily life .. ATTITUDE is 90% of life and life’s happening are 10% .. with this in mind .. let’s go forth ..

How does one describe the PERFECT DAY AT A SPORTING EVENT .. well .. a good way to start is to have a very realistic definition and to have very realistic expectations of what a PERFECT DAY AT THE SPORTING EVENT will consist of .. your PERFECT DAY MAY WELL FALL FAR SHORT OF AN UNREALISTIC EXPECTATION OF PERFECTION !

Will there be traffic ? ..  YES .. there will be traffic !  ..  unless it is a NOTHING EVENT with few to no one else in attendance .. you and one other car in a 100-acre parking lot ..

Will there be a LOT of traffic ? ..  OH YES .. there will be a LOT of traffic ! .. especially if the sporting event is on the front page of the national sporting event news .. this game was ‘hyped’ in advance by the national sporting press !

SO EXPECT YOUR PERFECT SPORTING EVENT TO HAVE A TRAFFIC JAM .. ENTERING  AND EXITING ..

THERE IS A SOLUTON TO THIS TRAFFIC .. go early .. GO VERY EARLY .. leave late .. LEAVE VERY LATE .. sit in your seat until the stadium is basically empty .. then sit in your car until there are few to no other cars in the parking area .. BUT EVEN THEN .. sooner or later .. you will encounter the TRAFFIC JAM .. so live with it .. turn on the car radio and listen to the post game analysis and enjoy the fact you are mentally and you are physically able to get up and go to the venue and to the event ..

Will it cost a you a lot of your hard-earned-money to park ? .. is Thirty Five ($35) Buckaroos (cash no credit cards thank you) a lot ? .. NO .. it is NOT a lot WHEN YOU EXPECT IT !

Will ‘snacks’ cost a lot at the ‘snack’ stand ? .. NO .. not when you KNOW a pint (or a 12oz) bottle of drinking water will cost you Four ($4) Buckaroos each .. NO .. not when you KNOW a hot dog will cost you Seven Fifty ($7.50) each BUT you get a free napkin and mustard .. NO .. not when you KNOW the gourmet treat (Shrimp Creole) will cost you Nine ($9) Buckaroos each small bowl ..   

Will there be the one-single- stupid-idiot- son-of-a-gun who will seemingly be unable to sit and to stay seated .. and so he .. and so SHE .. will have to obsessively and compulsively and constantly stand up and then turn away from the playing field and exhort all behind him or HER to join him or HER in standing up .. see when he or SHE stands up .. the person behind him or her MUST also stand up to see the event .. and it is a domino effect .. and YES you will hear some (naughty) off-color language from him and even from HER .. so EXPECT IT .. and incorporate it into your PERFECT day ..

SO EXPECT THIS PHENOMENON .. MAKE IT PART OF THE PERFECT SPORTING EVENT .. ADJUST YOUR ATTITUDE TO THINK .. OH GOLLY GEE .. LOOK AT THE EXERCISE I  AM GETTING ..

The down-side is when one is physically unable to constantly stand and sit and stand and sit again .. Patti fits this mold ..

Then there WILL BE NOISE ! .. there was a lot of noise .. in fact .. at age 76 years .. I have never ever heard noise like we heard at this game .. it was positively deafening .. Patti and I could not hear one another when a third down play by the San Franisco 49rs was about to transpire .. 

ALL OF THE ABOVE ARE ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED TO CONSTITUTE A PERFECT SPORTING EVENT !

YOU GO TO YOUR PERFECT SPORTING EVENT KNOWING THE ABOVE WILL EXIST !

THE ABOVE (and more) ARE THE RESONS  WHY MOST OF THE CASUAL SPORTING FANS WILL NEVER GO TO THE VENUE ..

The word ‘fan’ comes from the word ‘fanatic’ and we REAL FANS are indeed fanatic .. and we LOVE ALL OF THE ABOVE ACTION FROM THE TOP OF OUR HEADS TO THE TIPS OF OUR TOES ..

OK .. to begin with .. the weather was absolutely wonderful .. sunny and a mild 60 degrees warm ..  

So Patti and I went early .. the kick-off was scheduled for 3:25PM ..and it WAS PRECISELY AT 3:25PM .. we were at the Super Dome about 10:20AM .. little to no traffic .. we were second into the handi-capped parking lot we entered about 10:40AM .. it took 20 minutes because we parked by the ticket office so I could be positive our tickets (bought on-line) were good-to-go .. and I could verify where we would be parking ..

AND THE PRE-GAME TAILGATING (even in the handi-capped parking lot!) WAS AN ABSOLUTE .. NOISEY .. HOOT AND HOLLER .. SMELL THE COOKING AND SEE THE DRINKING ALCOHOL .. GET IT ON YOU NEW ORLEANS SAINTS FANS .. EVENT .. IT WAS GIDDY AND IT WAS FUN .. and as I just wrote above .. the weather was phenomenal .. sunny and low 60s .. yes .. PERFECT ..

SO THE PRE-GAME TAILGATING PARTY WAS .. PERFECT !

And our car parking was about 200 feet from our Entry Gate B .. PERFECT ..

And our seating .. Section Number 610 was right where we entered .. after our elevator ride up to the top of the Super Dome .. our seats numbered 14 and 15 were in the center so no one had to wedge between us getting to their seats ..

And each .. and every single person .. paid attendant or volunteer attendant .. was oh-so-courteous to Patti and to myself .. they escorted us around like .. well like we were ‘someone special’ ..

And our seat-mates .. in front of us .. beside us .. behind us .. were the best .. the stand-up-idiot was about ten rows down below and to our left so we were minimally affected by the standing and sitting and standing and sitting phenomenon .. affected yes but minimally .. PERFECT ..

Patti and I were dressed .. from shoulder down to footwear .. in .. New Orleans Saints BLACK .. so we fit right in .. we were welcomed as ‘New Orleans Saints Rooters’ ..

After the game was over ..  we sat in our seats until the Super Dome was basically empty .. our car was one of two or three still in the parking lot .. and .. YES .. we did catch up to the POST GAME TRAFFIC JAM .. and YES WE LISTENED ON THE RADIO TO ESPN AND LOCAL SPORTS TALK RADIO ..

AND WHAT ELSE .. OH YES .. I NEARLY FORGOT .. WHAT ABOUT THE GAME ITSELF ?

THE GAME WAS GREAT ..

‘OUR’ San Francisco 49ers won BUT the New Orleans Saints were in-the-game almost all the way ..’Our’ Niners scored first on their second possession .. Niners 7 – 0 Saints .. then the Saints scored .. Niners 7 – 7 Saints .. end of the 1^st Quarter .. then the Saints scored again .. Niners 7 - 14 Saints .. then the Niners tied it up .. Niners 14 – 14 Saints at half-time ..

Half-time was just wonderful .. bands and high school children and all kinds of activities .. FUN !

In the second half the Niners took-control .. a long passing play .. Niners 21 – 14 Saints .. a Niner ‘Pick-Six’ and it was Niners 28 – 14 Saints .. the Saints came back .. Niners 28 -21 Saints at the end of the 3^rd Quarter .. a Niner Field Goal made it  Niners 31 – 21 Saints .. and that was the final score ..

San Francisco 49ers  31 – 21  New Orleans Saints ..

We got home safe and sound and watched some (guess what?) football on television here at Motel 6  .. Green Bay Packers at the New York (Football) Giants .. the Giants blew the Packers OUT at 38 – 10 ! ..

I crashed at 10PM .. Patti read until 1AM ..

THIS WAS A PERFECT DAY .. THIS WAS A DAY THAT WAS AS-GOOD-AS-IT-CAN-POSSIBLY-GET ..

And we are so blessed .. Much Joy and Much Love from Patti and Cap in New Orleans ..

NOV 25, 12 .. FOOTBALL SUNDAY IN NEW ORLEANS .. PART I ..

Today it is Sunday .. the 25th of November 2012 .. and Patti and I are going to attend the National Football League game at the New Orleans Super Dome .. the local team .. the New Orleans Saints .. are going to play the San Francisco 49ers .. and we can hardly wait ..

We have spent parts of the past several days here in New Orleans figuring out how to do this .. how to get to the Super Dome .. and where and how to park .. so we will leave EXTREMELY  EARLY allowing ourselves about six hours to get to the Super Dome .. get parked and into our seats ..

So .. more later .. when this day has become history and I will update this post at that time ..

Much Joy from Patti and I ..

NOV 25, 12 .. GULLIBLES TRAVELS .. ONE INCREDIBLE WEBSITE ..

IF .. any of you want to visit an INCREDIBLE WEBSITE .. please go to my Blogspot  webmaster’s  website which you will find at ..

www.gullible-gulliblestravels.blogspot.com ..

Patti and I come to New Orleans .. GULLIBLE GOES TO ANTARCTICA !

BTW (By The Way) Gullible .. when Patti and I were in Cincinnati .. Chad sat down with me .. and showed me .. in person .. so I could write notes .. exactly how to ..

Write a word document .. name and save it .. open up on my website a new post there and then minimize it .. go back to my word document .. copy  my word document (highlight it and then copy it) .. go back to my website .. left  click  on an open area .. and then  paste (right click) my word document into my website ..

ALL OF YOU .. WELL 90% of you .. know how to do this .. and ALL OF YOU .. commencing with Andre my other webmaster and Gullible and EVEN GODZILLA who himself knows this process .. have been telling me .. “Cap this is the way to go !” ..

And now .. THANKS TO CHAD who showed me a bunch of other things .. such as how to make individual words much larger than the rest so they will REALLY STAND OUT like this .. 

Now I can write a word document and then get it to this website with a copy and paste technique ..

So .. now I will .. write a word document and then copy and  paste and post it here making this short writing ..

NOV 24, 12 .. FRIDAY IN NEW ORLEANS ..

WOW .. we (Patti and I) are rocking in New Orleans ..

On Friday .. we ate our first meal in the famous section of New Orleans called the French Quarter .. it was phenomenal .. The Old Coffee Pot Restaurant at 714 St Peter Street that dates back to the late 1800s .. a late lunch from about 1:30PM to 3PM ..

Then we went street walking and music listening .. WHEW  .. live and alive and in person .. THE HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN .. and a large crowd around the band right out on Royal Street at St Peter Street ..

Patti took a ride in a bicycle rickshaw while I went to cancel a reservation we had made earlier at K-Paul’s Lousiana Kitchen ..

Then an in-person visit to the Will Call Office at the Super Dome and we ARE SET .. our tickets are good-to-go and we know how and where to park ..

FOR ?

TOMORROW ?

Live and alive at the World Famous New Orleans SUPER  DOME .. the New Orleans Saints host the San Francisco 49ers ..

That settled .. we slowly motored quite a distance out St. Charles Avenue to the 6200 block and attended a great .. 5:30PM .. meeting ..

THEN ?

 BACK TO THE FRENCH QUARTER for Friday Night in the Quarter .. whatta scene ..

THEN ?

Home to our Motel 6 in Harvey across the Mississippi River from New Orleans proper ..

TODAY .. more of the above .. with Notre Dame at Southern Cal on TV this evening ..

TOMORROW ? .. allow me .. humor me .. to repeat myself ..

Sunday the 25^th of November 2012 .. Patti and I will sit .. live and alive in person .. at the World Famous New Orleans SUPER  DOME .. and Patti and I will see the New Orleans Saints host the San Francisco 49ers ..

Thanks so much for your interest in ‘our doings’  .. with love .. Patti and Cap .. and all of the Traveling-Bobbseys (of course) ..

NOV 23, 12 .. SIGNS IN THE FRENCH QUARTER ..

THANKSGIVING DAY in New Orleans found Patti and I resting from the 23-hour day of driving here from Cincinnati .. doing a little shopping (gasoline at the local Wal-Mart is $2.99 per gallon !) .. going into New Orleans proper .. and then watching all or parts of three NFL Football Games ..

New Orleans is pretty much defined by the part of the city known as The French Quarter .. so yesterday Patti and I spent several hours in the afternoon  exploring .. slowly driving NOT walking .. the French Quarter .. driving East to West and North to South .. very methodically  criss-crossing the French Quarter ..the streets are all one-way .. just enjoying the ambiance of this most unique section of New Orleans ..

We are staying South of New Orleans across the Mississippi River in the city of Harvey .. the drive into New Orleans from Harvey takes about fifteen minutes on an expressway .. and we exit onto Camp Street very close to both the French Quarter and the Super Dome where we will see the New Orleans Saints play the San Francisco 49ers this coming Sunday the 25^th of November ..

In addition to our time in the French Quarter .. we carefully explored the Super Dome to find where we will park on Sunday .. and to just get familiar with the area around the Super Dome .. most of the parking .. it appears to me .. is under the Super Dome ..

Now (taa-daa !) to the most interesting thing that struck me as the two of us were exploring the French Quarter ..

Next February 3^rd .. the NFL Super Bowl will be played here in New Orleans at the Super Dome ..

AND ..

As we were slowly driving in the French Quarter .. we saw the following signs prominently posted along the streets . .

ARE YOU READY ..

RENT YOUR HOME FOR THE SUPER BOWL FOR UP TO $10,000 PER DAY ..

I mean I know New Orleans IS PRICEY .. but ten thousand dollars a day to rent your home .. c’mon ..

NOV 22, 12 .. SIR .. THIS SIR IS ALABAMA ..

It was yesterday, Wednesday  Morning .. November the 21st, 2012 .. Patti and I had rolled out of Cincinnati, Ohio at 9:30PM the evening before headed South for New Orleans .. some 870 or so miles stretched out before us in the dark of night as we slowly pulled away from Chad and Cori’s home .. a ‘tad’ tired from driving all night .. we were stopped in Hartselle, Alabama, to take a break and to get gasoline for our GMC Suburban we call ‘Our Black Beauty’ .. we had just driven 422 miles after we crossed  the Ohio River from Cincinnati into Covington, Kentucky, then drove South and West through Kentucky and Tennessee into Alabama ..

Behind me at the gas pumps was a man with the hood of his automobile raised and he was peering under the hood .. occupied with his business ..

Crossing several lines of gasoline pumps .. a man appeared and joining the man behind me under the hood of his automobile .. the second gentleman quietly asked the gentleman behind me if he needed any assistance ..

After the incident .. I confirmed that the second gentleman was just acting on his own and did not work at the gasoline station .. at first I thought he was an employee of the gasoline station simply doing his job ..

The owner of the car behind me assured his benefactor that he was just checking his oil and hoses and was in no need of assistance ..

When the other gentleman had left I said to the man behind me .. “That was really nice of him to come over and to ask if you needed assistance..”

His reply to me will be frozen in time into my memory .. looking directly into my eyes .. he said in a measured tone of voice .. with some intensity ..

“Sir .. This Sir is Alabama .. and here in Alabama we try to assist others !” ..

Whew ! .. IF only we all .. in all places .. would adopt this attitude !

As we visited at some length .. I learned that the man behind me was  a Pastor .. so his life work is indeed assisting others .. but not necessarily so his benefactor .. nor (skeptic that I can be) did they know one another ..

When I was in professional automobile racing back in the late 1960s into the early 1970s .. I lived and I worked full time down here in the deep South .. and while I worked in Georgia and in South Carolina and not in Alabama .. I do know a bit about the kind folks who live down here .. ah-h-h not all of them reek of the perfume of kindness towards others ..  

On one of the racing teams I was associated with .. two brothers .. lived and slept in the same home and in the same bedroom for (at that time) thirty six (36) years .. and these two brothers had not spoken so much as one single word to the other during that 36 years .. dating back to a rivalry over a member of the opposite sex! .. and the Hatfields and the McCoys will confirm that not all here are of the ilk of the man above .. but what a really special memory I will carry with me ..

“Sir .. This Sir is Alabama .. and here in Alabama we try to assist others !”    

NOV 20, 12 .. THE THREE MUSTS ..

I have a lot of friends and associates that seem to ‘envy’ this recent trip .. Manley Hot Springs Alaska down to the ‘lower 48 contiguous states’  to see some NFL Football games .. the New Orleans  Saints in the Super Dome play the San Francisco 49ers and (OH MY OF ALL THINGS) to see the Dallas Cowboys play the Philadelphia Eagles in Jerry Jones fantastic new stadium ..

To do what I am doing requires THREE (3) things ..

THREE YOU MUST HAVE ..

FIRST AND FOREMOST .. YOU MUST HAVE YOUR HEALTH .. IF YOU DO NOT FEEL WELL .. YOU CAN NOT DO WHAT I AM DOING ..

Under the HEALTH category .. I include you must have the physical energy to do it ..

Now the second requirement .. YOU MUST HAVE THE MONEY TO DO THIS .. I mean just the gasoline cost on this recent trip will be astounding .. hundreds of dollars .. into the thousands of dollars range ..

OK .. HEALTH AND MONEY .. you MUST have both of these ..

But Health and Money are NOT enough ..

So what is the THIRD (3^rd)  MUST ..

ARE YOU READY ..

YOU MUST HAVE .. THE GUTS TO DO IT ..

In the United States Marine Corps .. we were told .. we will prepare you (we will put it in your mind)  .. and we will teach you (we will put it in your heart) .. and then .. we will give to you the GUTS TO DO  WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IN COMBAT ..

SO YOU MUST HAVE THE GUTS TO GET UP OFF THE FIGURATIVE SOFA .. MAKE CALLS AND MAKE THE DECISIONS AND TAKE THE ACTION TO DO ALL OF THE THINGS THAT HEALTH AND MONEY WILL ALLOW YOU TO DO ..  

FOR INSTANCE .. ON THIS TRIP .. ANCHORAGE TO NEW ORLEANS TO DALLAS AND POINTS BEYOND ..

First .. I had to figure out HOW to get from Manley Hot Springs Alaska to Fairbanks (in the sub-zero dark of the Alaskan winter) to get the plane to Anchorage to pick up Patti .. then the red-eye all night flight  from Anchorage to Chicago and the day-trip from Chicago to Detroit on Amtrak (the train) ..

To put-this-all-together is a project !  ..

And without the GUTS TO DO IT .. all of your HEALTH and all of your MONEY will just await your actions and your decisions ..

NOV 12, 12 .. VETERAN'S DAY ..

BEST OF THE VERY BEST TO ALL WHO SERVED .. 

I served in the Marine Corps (enlisted) and in the Navy Seabees (commissioned officer) .. My father served in the Coast Guard .. My eldest son served in the Army and my youngest son served in the Air Force .. I THINK we have it covered .. Army and Navy and Marines and Air Force and Coast Guard ..

When I drive North from Anchorage to Fairbanks and Manley Hot Springs .. day or night .. summer or winter .. spring or autumn ..  I always stop at the Veteran's Memorial on the Parks Highway and salute each service ..

WHEW .. on a zero to ten scale (ten being tops) .. Patti and I had a score of FIFTY on our trip South from Anchorage to Chicago on Alaska Airlines  and then on to Royal Oak (Detroit) by Amtrak .. it was a best-ever trip .. we met a most fascinating friend on Amtrak and hope to stay in touch with her and her hubby .. on a zero to ten she was also a FIFTY !

DANNY AND ANDRE AND TOM AND GORD and his two Grandsons met Patti and I as we pulled  into Royal Oak .. GORD and the two youngsters had to leave soon after we pulled in but TOM AND ANDRE AND DANNY AND PATTI AND MYSELF then enjoyed a great dinner together the five of us .. here in Royal Oak at The Gemmayze Lebanese Kitchen .. YUM ..

So far we have attended several 'meetings' and we are rocking and we are rolling .. DAWN AND RICH AND THE FOUR CHILDREN hosted Patti and I and her dad and grand mother for dinner yesterday evening (Sunday) .. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH ! .. 

Early this morning I got Black Beauty (our 1998 GMC Suburban) in for servicing before our trip that begins this upcoming Sunday the 18th of November .. New Orleans and Dallas and points beyond await us ..

GODZILLA .. I hope to call you SOON and catch up with you .. I KNOW you understand how swamped I have been getting out of Alaska ! .. our best to you and to Kleiner Bear !

THIS EVENING Patti and I hope to see the Detroit Pistons play the Oklahoma City Tunder in a Pro Basketball game here in the Northern Detroit Area at the Palace of Auburn Hills ..

As I await a call from my dealer that Black Beauty is ready to go .. I decided to put this quick post up on line ..

My web-mistress Gullible is down in the EXTREME SOUTH (read ANTARCTICA !) so we wish her the very best on her (latest) GRAND ADVENTURE ..

OVER AND OUT FOR NOW ..  as always .. with GREAT LOVE .. 

Cap