Mobile or bust
Back by popular demand – {drum roll please!} ------- it’s Ammie! I know you’ve all been waiting out there with baited breath for my long over due update. Give me a break people - life does get complicated. Actually, the only reason I’m blogging here today is because Robert said I can’t have “hey, Ammie’s blogging” in my sig line on my email if I only blog 2X/yr. He says its false advertising. Yeah, bite me. (…..hummm…….not a bad idea, actually…..….[g])
So just for the fun of it, let’s start with our recent Mobile trip. Robert was a speaker at Code Camp so we decided to pad the trip and make it into a mini family vacation. Micro mini. It was fun, though. I hadn’t been to Mobile in ages. (I only put that sentence in because it gives my darling spouse an opening for a crack about my age - just call me a thoughtful wife. Anybody want to place odds on if he can resist? Anybody want to place odds on my revenge if he doesn’t resist?)
Anywho, I tend to get a bit antsy if it’s been a while since the last road trip. I do love adventure. The kids do too, of course. And Daddy only encourages and enables our wanderlust. So we were happy to hit the road. And I’d never, in all my born days (C-A-R-E-F-U-L Robert!!), been to Mobile via B’ham. But alas! Now I know why I’ve never seen that particular route spouted on any travel brochure. Nobody told me its 3000 miles from B’ham to Mobile. Don’t bother arguing with me on it. My tush ticked off all 3k. Can you say “boring?” I can. Now in 10 different languages.
Seriously, my roots may be in L.A. (that would be “Lower Alabama”) but my heart is definitely in the mountains. I’d take a mountain vista over flat piney woods any day. I've gotten spoiled living where we do. It's sooooo pretty. But, still it WAS a road trip and an adventure. “An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered.” Ok, no mountains, but still adventure. Head ‘em up – move ‘em out.
Most of my previous time in Mobile was spent passing through in the express lane. This was a touch of fortuity to get to explore the city a bit. Being right on the Gulf Coast, it’s quite pretty in places. We got into town; found the hotel first as is DH’s custom. Got checked in. Then we went joy-riding a bit to “get the feel” of the place. The next day I was going to take the kids shopping. Ok, more like drag them kicking and screaming. Minor detail, “shopping” is the opportune word here.(Just kidding. The tiny women love to shop as much as I do. Robert has learned resistance is futile.)
While we were driving around just after getting into town we discovered something about Mobile. The roads were planned by drunken Cajuns. Down there it’s bad drivers on hot sauce. Lots of hot sauce. Jeepers. After several way-too-close calls, I told Robert, “You’re starting to scare me.” He said, “They ARE scaring ME!” The Donald (my bud) had told me Airport Blvd is one of the most accident prone roads in the state. Somebody remind me The Donald is always correct. Preferably somebody besides The Donald for once.
Apparently you have to be quite drunk to even want to drive on that blasted road. The next day I was a mere 100 yards from the store I’d set as my goal. It took me 3 miles to get there!! I’m not kidding!! And I learned forthwith that when the sign says “yield” it’s NOT a suggestion! Even when I have the right of way, I never take “yield” for granted. Call me silly, but I’d rather give up the right than give up the life. But these people – oh, geesh – down there “yield” is a birth right. And I’d just like to know what city official has stock in the Do Not Enter sign business. I never knew there were that many DNE’s in the entire state of Alabama! “Do Not Enter.” “No Right Turn.” “No Left Turn.” “Wrong Way.” “Don’t Even Think About It.” Nag, nag, nag….. I even saw a “You Wish, Sucker.” Obviously NOT proper Southern Hospitality! 
As I mentioned, while Robert dazzled Code Campers with his brilliance (did anybody get confused and bring a tent?) the kids and I hit the stores. (Wonder if any of the Campers brought BUG repellant? ---tee hee hee hee hee) Then we went back to the hotel and hit the pool. There was only one other kid at the pool but of course the girls quickly became friends with her. A sweet little girl from Louisiana. By the time we met again at breakfast the next day we were all old (Robert?) friends, including her dad. Always fun to make new friends especially with my kids around.
The next day we headed over to the battleship. The USS Alabama. Awesome!!!! http://www.ussalabama.com/ It’s a real World War II battleship. The only one of us that had ever been before was me, but that was ages ago (just TRY me, Robert!) The battleship was great but it was really, really, really windy. I thought Ivan was coming ashore again. The air was slightly nippy, but the wind was wicked making the wind chill very unpleasant. Did I mention it was windy? It was windy. Anna was thrilled about the ship. But she wasn’t feeling very well and that did put a damper on things for her. Unfortunately, Raven had heard we were going to the Disney Outlet after the ship so she became rather “goal oriented.” No, her goal at that point was not a national historic treasure. At one point she told me “I’m here sick. I’m sick of being here.” I was getting a bit sick of the wind. But the ship was so awsome it was well worth the wind.
The girls had their digital cameras, but didn’t take many pics. It was only their second time using them and it was too much hassle with the wind. (I wanted them to have cameras because I’m devoted to homeschooling and wanted them to learn lighting, composition, color and all those other wonderful lessons that photography teaches so naturally and in such a fun way.) Raven somehow managed to drop hers again, just like she did the first time they used them. I think she was very upset about dropping it and didn’t want to use it after that. And NO amount of coaxing could get that little mind changed. We definately need to get neck straps for them as the wrist straps are not working out. Robert took tons of pics – none of which I’ve seen yet because the seams of my hard drive are budging out. Maybe somebody needs to get some files off? Now, there’s a thought. Empty hard drive space – it’s a good thing.
Sorry, I took the wrong turn there. Back to the ship. Did I mention the wind? It’s just too bad that not each and every American can visit it. It’s really incredible. (…and very stable in high wind. Ask me how I know.) They had many displays set up. For example – they had an officer’s quarters all furnished. Uniforms hung in the closet, books on the desk, etc. It was as if the man had simply just stepped out only a moment ago. It was great! On deck you could actually sit at some of the guns and truly get the tiniest feel of what it must have been like. Did I mention it was windy? I kept thinking all through the ship how much those poor fellows suffered. Such a high price has been paid for our freedoms!! I just can’t imagine being on that ship way out in the middle of an ocean and having bombs fired at me! It just really made me want to hug a vet and say a heartfelt “thank you.” I wonder if it was very windy out at sea?
We were pressed for time so we regretfully rushed through the ship and then went through the USS Drum. A real submarine! Too cool! Our biggest challenge was getting up the gang plank without getting blown out to sea. It was WINDY. The sub was an extraordinary experience. So educational for the kids. At least it wasn’t windy inside the sub.
They also have many aircraft on display around the park. It’s a great place. I could have spent about a month just on the ship alone. I loved reading all the history they have posted. They even had a display about all the movies that had been filmed onboard. Did I mention it was windy that day?
While we were there I noticed a fellow taking pics of one of the aircraft. He came over to me and said he was taking pics for an Alabama tourism brochure and would it be OK to have my kids in some of the pics? So now I’m trying to keep an eye out for that to see which pics got used and do we have little celebs on our hands.
After that we drove over to Foley to the outlet mall. My opinion is that it wasn’t worth the trip. Half the stores we wanted to visit had gone out. The Disney Outlet didn’t seem any different than any other Disney store we’ve ever been in. Next time we’re definitely skipping the outlets for better things.
Then we drove home. Man, oh man. I thought it was a long way from B’ham to Mobile (See aforementioned 3k.) From Mobile to B’ham it’s an amazing 4k!
Well, now you know that story. A good time was had by all.
So just for the fun of it, let’s start with our recent Mobile trip. Robert was a speaker at Code Camp so we decided to pad the trip and make it into a mini family vacation. Micro mini. It was fun, though. I hadn’t been to Mobile in ages. (I only put that sentence in because it gives my darling spouse an opening for a crack about my age - just call me a thoughtful wife. Anybody want to place odds on if he can resist? Anybody want to place odds on my revenge if he doesn’t resist?)
Anywho, I tend to get a bit antsy if it’s been a while since the last road trip. I do love adventure. The kids do too, of course. And Daddy only encourages and enables our wanderlust. So we were happy to hit the road. And I’d never, in all my born days (C-A-R-E-F-U-L Robert!!), been to Mobile via B’ham. But alas! Now I know why I’ve never seen that particular route spouted on any travel brochure. Nobody told me its 3000 miles from B’ham to Mobile. Don’t bother arguing with me on it. My tush ticked off all 3k. Can you say “boring?” I can. Now in 10 different languages.
Seriously, my roots may be in L.A. (that would be “Lower Alabama”) but my heart is definitely in the mountains. I’d take a mountain vista over flat piney woods any day. I've gotten spoiled living where we do. It's sooooo pretty. But, still it WAS a road trip and an adventure. “An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered.” Ok, no mountains, but still adventure. Head ‘em up – move ‘em out.
Most of my previous time in Mobile was spent passing through in the express lane. This was a touch of fortuity to get to explore the city a bit. Being right on the Gulf Coast, it’s quite pretty in places. We got into town; found the hotel first as is DH’s custom. Got checked in. Then we went joy-riding a bit to “get the feel” of the place. The next day I was going to take the kids shopping. Ok, more like drag them kicking and screaming. Minor detail, “shopping” is the opportune word here.
While we were driving around just after getting into town we discovered something about Mobile. The roads were planned by drunken Cajuns. Down there it’s bad drivers on hot sauce. Lots of hot sauce. Jeepers. After several way-too-close calls, I told Robert, “You’re starting to scare me.” He said, “They ARE scaring ME!” The Donald (my bud) had told me Airport Blvd is one of the most accident prone roads in the state. Somebody remind me The Donald is always correct. Preferably somebody besides The Donald for once.
Apparently you have to be quite drunk to even want to drive on that blasted road. The next day I was a mere 100 yards from the store I’d set as my goal. It took me 3 miles to get there!! I’m not kidding!! And I learned forthwith that when the sign says “yield” it’s NOT a suggestion! Even when I have the right of way, I never take “yield” for granted. Call me silly, but I’d rather give up the right than give up the life. But these people – oh, geesh – down there “yield” is a birth right. And I’d just like to know what city official has stock in the Do Not Enter sign business. I never knew there were that many DNE’s in the entire state of Alabama! “Do Not Enter.” “No Right Turn.” “No Left Turn.” “Wrong Way.” “Don’t Even Think About It.” Nag, nag, nag….. I even saw a “You Wish, Sucker.” Obviously NOT proper Southern Hospitality! As I mentioned, while Robert dazzled Code Campers with his brilliance (did anybody get confused and bring a tent?) the kids and I hit the stores. (Wonder if any of the Campers brought BUG repellant? ---tee hee hee hee hee) Then we went back to the hotel and hit the pool. There was only one other kid at the pool but of course the girls quickly became friends with her. A sweet little girl from Louisiana. By the time we met again at breakfast the next day we were all old (Robert?) friends, including her dad. Always fun to make new friends especially with my kids around.
The next day we headed over to the battleship. The USS Alabama. Awesome!!!! http://www.ussalabama.com/ It’s a real World War II battleship. The only one of us that had ever been before was me, but that was ages ago (just TRY me, Robert!) The battleship was great but it was really, really, really windy. I thought Ivan was coming ashore again. The air was slightly nippy, but the wind was wicked making the wind chill very unpleasant. Did I mention it was windy? It was windy. Anna was thrilled about the ship. But she wasn’t feeling very well and that did put a damper on things for her. Unfortunately, Raven had heard we were going to the Disney Outlet after the ship so she became rather “goal oriented.” No, her goal at that point was not a national historic treasure. At one point she told me “I’m here sick. I’m sick of being here.” I was getting a bit sick of the wind. But the ship was so awsome it was well worth the wind.
The girls had their digital cameras, but didn’t take many pics. It was only their second time using them and it was too much hassle with the wind. (I wanted them to have cameras because I’m devoted to homeschooling and wanted them to learn lighting, composition, color and all those other wonderful lessons that photography teaches so naturally and in such a fun way.) Raven somehow managed to drop hers again, just like she did the first time they used them. I think she was very upset about dropping it and didn’t want to use it after that. And NO amount of coaxing could get that little mind changed. We definately need to get neck straps for them as the wrist straps are not working out. Robert took tons of pics – none of which I’ve seen yet because the seams of my hard drive are budging out. Maybe somebody needs to get some files off? Now, there’s a thought. Empty hard drive space – it’s a good thing.
Sorry, I took the wrong turn there. Back to the ship. Did I mention the wind? It’s just too bad that not each and every American can visit it. It’s really incredible. (…and very stable in high wind. Ask me how I know.) They had many displays set up. For example – they had an officer’s quarters all furnished. Uniforms hung in the closet, books on the desk, etc. It was as if the man had simply just stepped out only a moment ago. It was great! On deck you could actually sit at some of the guns and truly get the tiniest feel of what it must have been like. Did I mention it was windy? I kept thinking all through the ship how much those poor fellows suffered. Such a high price has been paid for our freedoms!! I just can’t imagine being on that ship way out in the middle of an ocean and having bombs fired at me! It just really made me want to hug a vet and say a heartfelt “thank you.” I wonder if it was very windy out at sea?
We were pressed for time so we regretfully rushed through the ship and then went through the USS Drum. A real submarine! Too cool! Our biggest challenge was getting up the gang plank without getting blown out to sea. It was WINDY. The sub was an extraordinary experience. So educational for the kids. At least it wasn’t windy inside the sub.
They also have many aircraft on display around the park. It’s a great place. I could have spent about a month just on the ship alone. I loved reading all the history they have posted. They even had a display about all the movies that had been filmed onboard. Did I mention it was windy that day?
While we were there I noticed a fellow taking pics of one of the aircraft. He came over to me and said he was taking pics for an Alabama tourism brochure and would it be OK to have my kids in some of the pics? So now I’m trying to keep an eye out for that to see which pics got used and do we have little celebs on our hands.
After that we drove over to Foley to the outlet mall. My opinion is that it wasn’t worth the trip. Half the stores we wanted to visit had gone out. The Disney Outlet didn’t seem any different than any other Disney store we’ve ever been in. Next time we’re definitely skipping the outlets for better things.
Then we drove home. Man, oh man. I thought it was a long way from B’ham to Mobile (See aforementioned 3k.) From Mobile to B’ham it’s an amazing 4k!
Well, now you know that story. A good time was had by all.
posted by Southern Tinkerbelle @ 10:03 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Why dear, you're just as young as beautiful as when I first met you, why would you think I'd say anything about your age?
You're right though, it was a long trip, your tush did look like it had ridden 3k miles. Oh, and I thought you were the one who told me it was a bad idea to bring up the subject of "windy" and "tush" in the same post??
Actually we did have a tent at code camp, sort of a patio tent. It's where we put the Pizza!
Bug repellent. Yeah, like we've never heard that one before.
OK, re your fat hard drive, I'll tell ya one more time, there's a portable USB DVD burner sitting on top of my main monitor downstairs. Grab it. Use it.
Luv ya!
DH
Gee, Dear, it's not like you've EVER said anything before, now is it? {How do you show sarcasm online?}
Honey, it’s only a bad idea for YOU to use “windy” and “tush” in the same post. I can do it with class! You do it like a guy!
Ok, seriously, I’m glad you had such a nice time at code camp. It was a fun trip.
You mean I have to clean the hard drive myself? Jeepers! What ever happened to our agreement? You know, the one where you stay out of my kitchen and I keep my paws off the computers?
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