I thought it might be funny to share some of the things I remember from previous trips around the sun. I'll try not to incriminate too many of my old companions just in case the statute of limitations hasn't passed on some of these.
I've ridden the oldest platform carousel in the United States. I even caught the brass ring. Catching the brass ring won me a free ride...which meant Grandpa didn't have to pay for the second ride, not that he would have minded. For anyone curious in trying this one out, the Flying Horses Carousel is located in Oak Bluffs, MA.
I've seen a manatee in it's natural environment. It swam right past our fishing boat while we were trying to cover the need for the family fish fry. Paw Paw always invited the family first, then sent us to get the fish. Lots of company coming...no fish, no eat...no pressure? Right? Cane poles in hand, we got it done. Every time. On a separate occasion, an alligator decided to swim under our boat, adding a serious competitor to our goal. He didn't go hungry. Neither did we.
I met THE Larry Munson, a feat that is probably impressive to a Tech fan and maybe even the alligator I mentioned above.
In the same category, I met THE Bobby Bowden. One of the most personable and gracious people you'd ever care to meet.
I was wounded on board the USS Alabama. Yep, spilled my blood on the teak decks of the mighty battleship that was decommissioned 28 years before I was born. How could such a thing be true? Because I'm an intense (and remarkably clumsy) tourist. I recommend a visit to anyone that loves history, grand views of the open water, ships or anything and everything pertaining to the second world war. The open-head-wound is purely optional and can be declined by carefully negotiating the forward main gun turrets. The Battleship Memorial Park is located just off I-10 on the east end of Mobile. If you can find the interstate, the rest is easy. The park will be the place with the big gray boat. You can't miss it.
Alright, lets talk about the not so innocent.
Ever been to a rock concert and have the lead singer scold you from the stage? I didn't think so. It may or may not have been my friend's fault. We're not sure. We weren't really in a condition to remember fine details of the events but we know that the Black Crowes don't enjoy nonsense "back there". Yep, all the way in the back. Apparently, he could see us better than we could see him. Sheesh.
I went bar hopping with a bald headed man who insisted we call him "Fuzzy". We knew the guy pretty well. We went anyway. Ok, so we went because it was Fuzzy. A bar can be a hilarious place to go with a magician. The look on the faces of fellow patrons when Fuzzy made a stuffed bulldog shoot fire from its butt across the pool table....yeah. Human decency, personal humility and the aforementioned statute of limitations restrict me from sharing much more about the evening but we wound up eating pancake sandwiches in a place called "Restaurant" at 3 a.m. We spent the next morning riding a city bus to Steak n' Shake. Two hours on a bus for a Steakburger and a chocolate shake. Totally worth it. (This is a non-compensated message by an actual customer and not a scripted advertisement by a paid actor or attorney.)
I still love the Black Crowes, scolding and all. I've been in touch with all my fellow bus riders, except ol' Fuzzy. I hope he's still out there somewhere doing tricks with stuffed bulldogs, dollar bills and colorful handkerchiefs.
Alright, that's enough for now. I'm hoping to be writing about some happy news very soon. So stay tuned.
Oh, and I've added links to Twitter and Instagram in the links to the right, in case you want to follow all this rambling beyond just what is written here. Now you can see impromptu photographs and thoughts restricted to 140 characters. There's a Google+ button as well, in case one of the 11 or 12 people over there find their way here and want to find me there.
Until next time...
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