Sunday, December 26, 2004
My nephew Jay Parchman and I went to the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. His school, the University of Memphis, was playing Bowling Green State University there.
We left on Monday, December 20, driving down highway 45 all the way to Mobile. We stopped at my sister-in-law Dorothy Waller's house briefly. She lives in Shubuta, Mississippi, just a tad off the new 45.
We thought we were staying in the Holiday Inn Express in downtown Mobile but it had changed to a Ramada Inn. The Bowling Green cheerleaders and band were also staying there. There were enthusiastic but a well-behaved bunch. They did eat all the food at the breakfast room so we tried to get down there before they got up.
On Monday night they had a doubleheader basketball game. East Carolina played South Carolina and University of South Alabama played University of Southern Mississippi. Jay went to the games but I stayed at the hotel.
That is one of the good things about traveling with Jay. He doesn't mind going to things by himself so I get to be by myself and rest if I want. Jay's traveling qualities are enthusiasm, flexibilility, and independence. We do very well together. He also likes to talk about odd things. We both are sports fans and mathematics majors.
Tuesday we went toured the USS Alabama battleship there on Mobile Bay. I have passed by that a million times on the way to Pensacola but never stopped. We enjoyed seeing the cramped quarters, the old typewriters, the mess room, the big guns, etc. But for me the best part was when I lay down on the deck and rested. The sun shining brightly and the gentle breeze from the bay. The temperature was 65 to 70 while we were down there.
Then we went to Dreamland for a barbeque lunch. This is an offshoot of the original Dreamland in Tuscaloosa. You know a place is good if the desserts offered are pecan pie and banana pudding.
We shopped in the afternoon. Mobile must have had a merry Christmas because they were all out shopping last Tuesday.
Jay went to the parade Tuesday night. It was something like a Mardi Gras parade. He came back with loads of necklaces.
Wednesday we went over to Biloxi to see Beauvoir, the last home of Jefferson Davis, the only president of the Confederacy. Both Jay and I had been there before and looked forward to returning. We did not know that they have built a fabulous new building, the Jefferson Davis Presidential Library. It has a movie theatre and new museum galleries.
Afterwards we went to the Beau Rivage Hotel for their buffet. It is a very luxurious hotel in the Las Vegas manner. After our lunch, I went shopping (bought nothing) and Jay went to play blackjack. He most often wins and this time he won $175.
Back in Mobile we prepared for the game. I had brought all kinds of cold weather gear, but the game time temperature was 65. However it was supposed to rain. I finally carried my big coat but did not wear many layers. We had the cheap plastic ponchos.
Maybe someday I will go into the transportation problem, made worse by their selling beer at the game, but I am tired of thinking about it. That was the only bad thing about the trip.
It poured and poured rain at the game. jay and I moved over and sat under the overhang of the pressbox and avoided most of the rain. Memphis lost but Jay did not feel it so much because he thinks that Bowling Green just had a better team than Memphis. He was very impressed with the BG quarterback. He threw for 5 touchdowns against 1 interception. Previously this season he had thrown for 37 touchdowns with only 3 interceptions.
I talked to my sister Janice who lives in Henderson during the game. She said it was 14 degrees with no power in Henderson.
Jay and I should have just headed to Jacksonville, FL. where Beth said it was 70. We did head north and hit the snow and ice when we got into Tennessee. We didn't slide until we turned into my driveway.
We left on Monday, December 20, driving down highway 45 all the way to Mobile. We stopped at my sister-in-law Dorothy Waller's house briefly. She lives in Shubuta, Mississippi, just a tad off the new 45.
We thought we were staying in the Holiday Inn Express in downtown Mobile but it had changed to a Ramada Inn. The Bowling Green cheerleaders and band were also staying there. There were enthusiastic but a well-behaved bunch. They did eat all the food at the breakfast room so we tried to get down there before they got up.
On Monday night they had a doubleheader basketball game. East Carolina played South Carolina and University of South Alabama played University of Southern Mississippi. Jay went to the games but I stayed at the hotel.
That is one of the good things about traveling with Jay. He doesn't mind going to things by himself so I get to be by myself and rest if I want. Jay's traveling qualities are enthusiasm, flexibilility, and independence. We do very well together. He also likes to talk about odd things. We both are sports fans and mathematics majors.
Tuesday we went toured the USS Alabama battleship there on Mobile Bay. I have passed by that a million times on the way to Pensacola but never stopped. We enjoyed seeing the cramped quarters, the old typewriters, the mess room, the big guns, etc. But for me the best part was when I lay down on the deck and rested. The sun shining brightly and the gentle breeze from the bay. The temperature was 65 to 70 while we were down there.
Then we went to Dreamland for a barbeque lunch. This is an offshoot of the original Dreamland in Tuscaloosa. You know a place is good if the desserts offered are pecan pie and banana pudding.
We shopped in the afternoon. Mobile must have had a merry Christmas because they were all out shopping last Tuesday.
Jay went to the parade Tuesday night. It was something like a Mardi Gras parade. He came back with loads of necklaces.
Wednesday we went over to Biloxi to see Beauvoir, the last home of Jefferson Davis, the only president of the Confederacy. Both Jay and I had been there before and looked forward to returning. We did not know that they have built a fabulous new building, the Jefferson Davis Presidential Library. It has a movie theatre and new museum galleries.
Afterwards we went to the Beau Rivage Hotel for their buffet. It is a very luxurious hotel in the Las Vegas manner. After our lunch, I went shopping (bought nothing) and Jay went to play blackjack. He most often wins and this time he won $175.
Back in Mobile we prepared for the game. I had brought all kinds of cold weather gear, but the game time temperature was 65. However it was supposed to rain. I finally carried my big coat but did not wear many layers. We had the cheap plastic ponchos.
Maybe someday I will go into the transportation problem, made worse by their selling beer at the game, but I am tired of thinking about it. That was the only bad thing about the trip.
It poured and poured rain at the game. jay and I moved over and sat under the overhang of the pressbox and avoided most of the rain. Memphis lost but Jay did not feel it so much because he thinks that Bowling Green just had a better team than Memphis. He was very impressed with the BG quarterback. He threw for 5 touchdowns against 1 interception. Previously this season he had thrown for 37 touchdowns with only 3 interceptions.
I talked to my sister Janice who lives in Henderson during the game. She said it was 14 degrees with no power in Henderson.
Jay and I should have just headed to Jacksonville, FL. where Beth said it was 70. We did head north and hit the snow and ice when we got into Tennessee. We didn't slide until we turned into my driveway.
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