Reflections from the Road

I returned earlier this week from a trip to Louisiana to check on my wife's brother and to visit our son and his family. I drove almost 2200 miles on this trip and am about driven out. All of that driving left me with plenty of time to ponder the questions of life. Here are a few thoughts.

Casinos are big business in Mississippi based on the billboards on I-10. After more than 400 years of telling people that in America we can work hard and be successful, apparently we have changed our thoughts. Now we are telling them that we can gamble our way to prosperity. Really?  Look around. Casinos are everywhere, states have lotteries, the Indians are putting casinos on any piece of land that they can claim as a reservation. Do the math, it won't work. For you to win, dozens have to lose.

Indians or Native Americans? I was born here, I am a native American. Right? If the Indians really have their own nations, why can they vote in our elections? Why don't you need a passport to visit a reservation? Who did they take the land from when they got here? Do they owe somebody for it?

Alexander Shunnarah is surely the most advertised law firm in the South. You can't sling a dead cat without hitting one of his billboards. I don't know how many attorneys and staff he employs, but he keeps the outdoor advertising people all busy. You can't go two miles on the interstate in Alabama, Mississippi or Louisiana without seeing his face.

I love fried chicken. In Louisiana, Mississippi or L.A. (Lower Alabama), go to Raising Cane's for chicken strips. The service is good, the food is great.

My sister-in-law picked a couple of bags of satsumas for me to bring home. Satsumas are something like tangerines or mandarins. Good!!

In South Carolina, they were just getting over the recent flooding. Signs on the highway warned people not to go around barricades. I guess the barricade concept is above the average driver's grasp.

Traffic in the Baton Rouge area reminds me why I live in the country.

I ate at Popeye's several times. I used to manage one, I love the chicken (see note above). Also the red beans and rice are good. Full disclosure compels me to tell you that I won't touch the Cajun rice. My son and his family went there with me one day for dinner. Memo to Popeye's management: If you have a monthly special and you are out of that product chain wide on the 16th of the month, you need help in planning and purchasing. Luckily for you, I am available to help you. Leave a comment with your number and I will get back to you.

I visited the Bass Pro Shop in Denham Springs. It was my first visit to a Bass Pro Palace. It was like a redneck Disney World. It was incredible, but I didn't buy anything.

Finally, if you are in Denham Springs, visit Mama B's Good Eats for lunch or breakfast. The food is good and you can help keep my son busy. Thanks!!