I can’t believe that it’s been two weeks since the Jimmy Buffett concert in Gulf Shores, Alabama. To this parrot head, this event ranked even with the BCS Championship game in January. Both were thrilling and I will always treasure the memories.
Jimmy Buffett in concert on the beach with the Coral Reefer band, including my celebrity crush, and all of this happening in one of my favorite places, Gulf Shores; made for a very special long weekend/mini vacation.
All card-carrying/dues paying parrot heads that were in town for the concert had the opportunity to be in a VIP section during the concert. This meant that we didn’t have to get to the concert site hours before, stand in line, and fight for territory. No chairs were allowed, but you could take blankets. From what I understand Governor Riley had a chair and I imagine a few others had chairs also. Having this VIP section for parrot heads subsequently released several thousand free tickets into the area. To get our VIP wristbands, we were asked to give our tickets to those down there that didn’t have them. This included locals who were kind of forgotten about in the ticket distribution and folks that traveled to the gulf coast area without tickets, hoping to get tickets; but would be spending some money to jump start the coast’s sagging economy anyway.
Of course we gave out tickets away. On Saturday night, we went to a party at the Fly Creek Marina In Fairhope. When that was over, we drove back to Gulf Shores to Lulu’s Restaurant on the intercoastal. In case you don’t know, Lulu is Lucy Buffett, Jimmy’s sister. As we were getting out of the car, our club president received a phone call about the VIP wristbands. I stayed with Kay in the car and the other two in our party went in the restaurant. When Kay and I joined up with our friends to tell them about the VIP section, they were talking to these three ladies who were in town for the concert, but didn’t have tickets. They were really bummed out, but planned to watch the concert from Lulu’s the next day and spend some money. Well, you can just imagine their reaction when we pulled out three of our tickets and gave the tickets to them. There was a lot of screaming going on.
The big day came and we decided to go to Lulu’s and ride the shuttles from there to the concert. We also decided that we should get to Lulu’s around 10:00 and get in line for a table as surely the place would be packed. Well, while we were standing in line, Charlotte, the director of conventions for the international parrot head organization, Parrot Heads in Paradise, said that we had a VIP section at Lulu’s with our own servers. It just keeps getting better, doesn’t it? We were under then by the water right next to the stage where bands were playing right up to concert time.
The fact that Jimmy was playing a free concert in Gulf Shores has been on the national news. Because I watch Fox News 90% of the time, I had been seeing some of the coverage. Fox sent Craig Rivera, Geraldo’s brother, to cover the concert for Fox. He was at Lulu’s dressed in dark jeans and a dark shirt and had to be hot. This is not NYC. He, of course, interviewed Lucy and some of us got on the national news by standing behind her. I had my picture made with him and I’m anxiously awaiting for Jane to send me the jpeg. Craig seems like a very nice guy and is much better looking than his brother.
Since everything was falling in place for a perfect day, what else could happen? Maybe I would run into my celebrity crush and he would invite us to an after the concert party. Well that didn’t happen. The concert was just fabulous. Jimmy looked like he was having a great time, as did the rest of the band. Even Jimmy’s bodyguard was smiling and he never smiles.
Also, we were on TV (the concert was broadcast live on CMT). I got two texts during the concert that some of us were on the tube. Two folks said they saw us twice. A couple of others said they saw me a lot. If course some friends blinked and didn’t see us at all. Believe it or not, I have not seen the replay; so really don’t know how many times I was on TV or what I might have looked like after wilting in the hot July sun.
After the concert, we caught the shuttle and made it back to Lulu’s. After getting something to eat, we headed back to the condo in Orange Beach. I HAVE NEVER BEEN AS TIRED IN MY WHOLE LIFE AS I WAS AFTER THE CONCERT. But before I would lay me down to sleep, I had to get in the shower and scrap the sand/sunscreen paste off of my body. I managed to do that, crawled in bed, and slept like a log.
The rest of long weekend went very well as we hung out at the pool as opposed the beach. I did walk down to the water and it was fine. There was a little oil on the beach and it looked like seaweed from a distance. I picked up a little bit and squished it between my fingers. The cleanup crews were on the beach, but I never saw a single one actually working. There were mostly sitting under their tent. I really think my three friends and I could have gotten some scoops and garbage bags and cleaned that oil up in an hour or two. Of course, that was illegal and we would probably have landed in jail.
In addition to hanging out at the pool and going to the concert, we ate out a lot, consumed some adult beverages, and shopped. Hey, it was the beach, it was Gulf Shores, and Jimmy Buffet was doing a concert on the beach, good food and drink, and shopping. Also, Alabama is still number one (I had to get that in here). Life for those few days was good!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
I’M HERE TO TELL YA’LL…
There is a movement in this country to create a master race of slim, fit people. The wife of the current president is an advocate of stopping childhood obesity. On Mike Huckabee’s show several months ago, she expressed the desire to have grocery stores in every community selling healthy foods.
There is nothing wrong with having a healthy lifestyle including a good exercise and diet regimen. But having the government mandate that you eat healthy and exercise is socialism/communism pure and simple.
On cnsNews.com this morning, there was an article indicating that new federal regulations stipulate that the electronic health records that all Americans are supposed to have by 2014 under the terms of the stimulus law that the current president signed last year, must record not only the traditional measures of height and weight, but also the body mass index, a measure of obesity. The law also requires that these health records be available, with appropriate security measures, on a national exchange.
In her desire to have a grocery store in every community selling healthy food items, is the current president’s wife advocating the mandating of private grocers to open stores in these communities and price their items so that residents can afford them? Or better yet, does she want to open government run grocery stores in these communities? Because these government run grocery stores aren’t concerned about turning a profit, they can be stocked with only products that the government thinks you should have, not necessarily what you may want. This all sounds like communism to me.
Now back to the requirement that by 2014 that everyone’s body mass index be a part of government record. What are the feds going to do if your BMI is not within acceptable levels? A few posts ago, I made up a fictional situation about the possibility that people would be sent to fat camps or fat farms with a number of my readers indicating that I was pushing the envelope.
Look at whom we elected as president, and look at his advisors. These people scare me as they should you. Some of them advocate the distribution of wealth and the rationing of health care. I really and truly believe that the scenarios outlined in my previous post could become true if we’re not able to take our country back in the November 2010 elections; and ultimately in November 2012.
There is nothing wrong with having a healthy lifestyle including a good exercise and diet regimen. But having the government mandate that you eat healthy and exercise is socialism/communism pure and simple.
On cnsNews.com this morning, there was an article indicating that new federal regulations stipulate that the electronic health records that all Americans are supposed to have by 2014 under the terms of the stimulus law that the current president signed last year, must record not only the traditional measures of height and weight, but also the body mass index, a measure of obesity. The law also requires that these health records be available, with appropriate security measures, on a national exchange.
In her desire to have a grocery store in every community selling healthy food items, is the current president’s wife advocating the mandating of private grocers to open stores in these communities and price their items so that residents can afford them? Or better yet, does she want to open government run grocery stores in these communities? Because these government run grocery stores aren’t concerned about turning a profit, they can be stocked with only products that the government thinks you should have, not necessarily what you may want. This all sounds like communism to me.
Now back to the requirement that by 2014 that everyone’s body mass index be a part of government record. What are the feds going to do if your BMI is not within acceptable levels? A few posts ago, I made up a fictional situation about the possibility that people would be sent to fat camps or fat farms with a number of my readers indicating that I was pushing the envelope.
Look at whom we elected as president, and look at his advisors. These people scare me as they should you. Some of them advocate the distribution of wealth and the rationing of health care. I really and truly believe that the scenarios outlined in my previous post could become true if we’re not able to take our country back in the November 2010 elections; and ultimately in November 2012.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
WE JUST DON’T ACT LIKE THAT DOWN HERE
There was a blurb on the news a few days ago about looting and rioting taking place in Los Angeles after the Lakers won the NBA championship. For quite a while now, we’ve been hearing about rioting, looting, etc. whenever a community’s sports team wins a championship. Not only is such buffoonery taking placed at the professional level; it has also taken place at the college level. I seem to remember some issues in Columbus Ohio, College Station, Pennsylvania, and others.
The University of Alabama football team is the national champion for the 2009 NCAA football season. Was there any rioting, looting, etc. in Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, or any other place in Alabama? There was not. If there was, believe me, we would have heard about it. When the BCS Championship game came to a close on January 7, 2010, Alabama fans were hugging each other and yelling Roll Tide. And yes, a few were doing the Rammer Jammer cheer.
Alabama ended a six game loosing streak against it’s cross-state rival, Auburn, by beating AU 36-0 in Tuscaloosa in 2008. As far as I know, there was no rioting in Tuscaloosa or anywhere else. The wife of an Auburn assistant coach complained that a group of Alabama fans blocked her from entering the visitor’s dressing room. When that game was over, I couldn’t find any Auburn fans to thumb my nose at because they had all left.
There are some heated college football rivalries here in the southeastern United States: Alabama/Auburn, Alabama/Tennessee, Auburn/Georgia, etc. After these games, I’m sure there are some bloody noses, fat lips, and black eyes. I’ve even heard about flat tires, damaged cars, and other things. Of course, none of this should happen, and I’d like to think these incidents are few and far between with alcohol excessively consumed.
I’ve been going to Alabama games for years and have had minimal problems. At an Alabama Georgia game one year, an upset Georgia fan threw a whiskey bottle into a crowd and I was in close proximity. Also, I had some Auburn fans try to block me from getting out of Legion Field a number of years ago when the Iron Bowl was still being played at Legion Field in Birmingham. Again, it’s just minimal.
But breaking into stores, stealing, looting, and setting fires? NO. We just don’t do that sort of stuff down here.
The University of Alabama football team is the national champion for the 2009 NCAA football season. Was there any rioting, looting, etc. in Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, or any other place in Alabama? There was not. If there was, believe me, we would have heard about it. When the BCS Championship game came to a close on January 7, 2010, Alabama fans were hugging each other and yelling Roll Tide. And yes, a few were doing the Rammer Jammer cheer.
Alabama ended a six game loosing streak against it’s cross-state rival, Auburn, by beating AU 36-0 in Tuscaloosa in 2008. As far as I know, there was no rioting in Tuscaloosa or anywhere else. The wife of an Auburn assistant coach complained that a group of Alabama fans blocked her from entering the visitor’s dressing room. When that game was over, I couldn’t find any Auburn fans to thumb my nose at because they had all left.
There are some heated college football rivalries here in the southeastern United States: Alabama/Auburn, Alabama/Tennessee, Auburn/Georgia, etc. After these games, I’m sure there are some bloody noses, fat lips, and black eyes. I’ve even heard about flat tires, damaged cars, and other things. Of course, none of this should happen, and I’d like to think these incidents are few and far between with alcohol excessively consumed.
I’ve been going to Alabama games for years and have had minimal problems. At an Alabama Georgia game one year, an upset Georgia fan threw a whiskey bottle into a crowd and I was in close proximity. Also, I had some Auburn fans try to block me from getting out of Legion Field a number of years ago when the Iron Bowl was still being played at Legion Field in Birmingham. Again, it’s just minimal.
But breaking into stores, stealing, looting, and setting fires? NO. We just don’t do that sort of stuff down here.
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