It’s like we have said before, life, living, it’s like being on a train that you know is going to crash and everyone is going to die, and you are one of those trying to get to the front to see what the freak is going on and what the freak you can do about it, you want answers and info, and all the other folks are either sitting there just crying, hopeless, or trying to convince you there’s nothing that can be done, or worse they are trying to stop you all day long and have you stay there and be miserable with them instead of trying to keep pushing forward before the damn thing crashes and you die. It’s just the funniest shit! Worthless, worthless, get the freak out of our way you whiny, you weak, you free will abusing, ego led, bottom dwelling fools… We know, we know, come on evolution, but really, that free will thingy gives them some responsibility.
Stop drinking the kool aid! It’s fear or love, we each pick the road we travel every moment forward, and wherever we are, heck that don’t matter, the position is the same whether we think it good or bad, it’s just the next position from which to move forward from. That’s not complicated! Even Kris Kringle knew what to say to the evil Winter Warlock when he asked if he could really change. Hahahahahaha…
From the Classic “Santa Claus is Coming To Town”, sung by Mickey Rooney in the show:
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking cross the floor
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking out the door
You never will get where you’re going
If you never get up on your feet
Come on, there’s a good tail wind blowing
A fast walking man is hard to beat
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking cross the floor
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking out the door
If you want to change your direction
If your time of life is at hand
Well don’t be the rule be the exception
A good way to start is to stand
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking cross the floor
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking out the door
If I want to change the reflection
I see in the mirror each morn
You mean that it’s just my election
To vote for a chance to be reborn
The fun, the fun, the fun… As we say, laugh like hell or you will cry a well…
We’re getting to understand the moss and mold here in Mobile. We had said that the whole place seemed like it needed a power wash. lol It’s the rain, lots of it, really lots of it. That and the being at about sea level of course. They are so close to sea level that they use all the numbers they can get, and we got 9.843 feet when we looked it up. They really want to be that 10 feet above sea level don’t they? lol
It has rained pretty much every day if not every other day. It just keeps raining! It rains when it’s 40 degrees and it rains when it’s 70 degrees. It rains! The streets are flooded, the sidewalks are pooled, driveways, everywhere, wet, wet, wet. Yea, kinda explains the moss and mold… We have spent more time standing out of the rain until it lets up or stops than we can ever remember anywhere. We’re actually quite surprised at the number of homeless we constantly see considering the rain, and it is obvious plastic bags and sheets of plastic can be found where shelters were used during the rains yesterday or last night or this morning, they are everywhere. Fortunately for those on the street there are plenty of shelters and plenty of deserted properties and storefronts to get out of the rain for a while or even more. There is some serious poverty, clear and visible, and all of the goodies that go with it, although boy oh boy do they do an awesome job with Mardi Gras.
We have walked around and through parade after parade, and these folks have this down to an art form here in Mobile. The floats and marching bands never stop, and horses here and there as well throughout. The crowds never get smaller. We’ve dodged more float tosses than we can remember already, they are non stop tossing anything and everything from them. Food, toys, trinkets, Mardi Gras Coins and beads, footballs, stuffed animals, these folks on the floats toss it all non stop to the crowds and it is awesome to witness no matter how many or how long you watch. We’ve walked the full loop with several of the parades, like 3 miles, and other than a few sketchy areas with some gang bangers and hoodlums and obvious trouble makers the entire routes are non stop families and friends and it is a very social event. In a few of the rough areas you can see the intensified police presence and even some lighting has been brought in for the worst areas, but like we said, there really are only a few areas along any of the routes where a skinny white boy like us had to really stay on point. We were only approached a few times by trouble, and we noticed it was only when we were the only white person we could even see, but we usually handle such things quickly with direct words and looks and squelch it, especially if just a silly hustle, and we don’t look like no victim anyway we are told, and even get called officer sometimes, and have over the years.
We did speak with some nice rescue folks, an awesome plain clothes police detail, and a few owners of businesses along the way who were on vigilant watch, you can tell those watching from those they are watching. lol A funny, we got to speak to the plain clothes detail guys because as we were walking by an area of intensified police presence, a literal line of at least 15 of the rolly-est polly-est over the hill parking police or something bunch, one of the older ones was being all that to one of the obvious younger ones and as we walked by he said “with guys like that you have to be careful, he could have a gun under his arm here”, and he slapped his arm pit. We couldn’t help it and turned and laughed and shook our head at them, like paranoia is all the kid needed. lol As we turned back around and continued, the plain clothes detail was apparently walking beside us and pretty much did the same thing we did, only to us, and said “yea, some of those guys go too far”. It was too funny, but started a conversation as we walked together for a while forward along the route. Good guys and we spoke of my observations relative to dangerous areas and such, which they confirmed, lol, and how well the whole operation came across. The parades are all different routes and times, and sometimes like right after each other. When the last part of a parade goes by they literally have guys walking along to move the barricades either off the street or set for the next parade, street washers and sweepers blasting horns while washing and cleaning right along, even people with rakes and bags to pick up debris missed, and they clean up at the same pace that the parade just went by, it’s incredible, a great job. We were thoroughly impressed!
Not as impressed as we were with the only cemetery we have seen since being here. The Old Church Street Cemetery is on the tour routes, we see them stop but they don’t really go in and walk around further than just inside the entrance. The whole place is incredible, and the energy there is awesome, so much good energy, not normal for a cemetery for sure. We can’t help our self and explore it a little more every time we go by it, and it isn’t hard to find it’s right next to the main library and the Mardi Gras Museum, just up the road from the courts and along most parade routes. We are shocked that we rarely see anyone else in there except street folks. The history there is right in your face, you see families that lost their children one by one or even all at once to disease as well as ship captains lost at sea and soldiers from as far away as Massachusetts we have seen. Which, we learned that Mobile has a strange past and actually has had 6 flags fly over it over its history, so a little of everything along the way is in that cemetery.
Well, we can’t ramble all day, there’s work to do and rain to avoid. We hate taking an Uber, is just not us, and we’d rather walk than take a bus let alone rent a car, we hate wasting anything, even money, so we’ll laugh at the skies, they are suppose to let up for a bit today, not long though we’re sure, and we’ll time our adventures externally for the day with our rain hat and we’re ready attitude as best we can unless downright forced to Uber. We usually do well now that we know our way around a bit and where we can access good wifi to get some work done and whether we want to eat or drink at the same time, we do enjoy a good coffee, and actually could use one right now so that’s where we’re heading, a good idea. Coffee it is, and we’ll deal with food later unless we forget. lol
Peace