Friends,
I decided to take a little ride today across the bay to Mobile County and see some things I wanted to see and visit some people I havent seen and check on some businesses that advertise with me whether they like it or not!
Along the way I got to talk with two people I hadnt seen in years one of which was by chance.
I stopped at Bay Shores Market first thing filled up with gasoline and picked up a roll of Camel Mellow as well as a Newspaper.
I then proceeded on my little Journey I havent made in quite some time.
I took Battleship Parkway because of course I wanted to see how things were going on the Causeway.
The Causeway in my mind and always has been is a virtual gold mine if you are fortunate enough to own a business or for that matter happen to own property on the highway.
Please keep in mind many people died in goldmines so I'm certainly not promoting starting a business on Battleship Parkway if your slight of heart but hard work pays off as Coach Paul Bryant used to say if you have deication, pride and beleive in yourself!
Thank God he's not alive today because somebody might call him an Athiest!
God Bless Coach Bryant and The University of Alabama. Roll Tide Roll!
I passed Austal and got on I-10 to go through the Wallace Tunnel the leaky damn thing!
I wanted to see the Airbus facility so I got off the interstate at Michigan Ave where my Parents, Grandparents and myself stayed the night of hurricane Frederic in 1979!
I took perimeter road around Brookley Field to get a better look!
The Airbus facility is looking mighty impressive!
I then stopped at the park that backs up to the fence at Brookley Field and let Boo Boo go for a walk before preceeding down Dauphin Island Parkway and across Dog River Bridge to Hollingers Island where I spent my youth when I wasnt working with my parents or trying to start my own business for Christ Sakes!
I stopped at Bay Furniture, Dotch's and Vera's Variety Store and although they were not open I left them a card.
I then proceeded South to ALA-COM where I was just going to leave an old friend Brian Hicks a business card but in the process ran into his daddy Mabun Hicks working on a garden he had planted next to his business.
Brian and I had attended Palmer Pillan's Middle School, George Hall Middle School after Hurricane Frederic damaged Pillan's and Central Baptist High School together and possibly for a short-time B.C. Rain High School before I quit to be with my first wife Tammy and our son Lee!
I was about to take drafting classes when I quit! Well hell I was only 16 and dumb as hell so who knows I probably would have failed anyway. I'll never know.
I enjoyed our conversation and I asked a question my dad or I had asked Admiral Jeremiah Denton.
When are you going to run for City Council again?
Mr. Hicks replied "I'm not going too"!
I told Mr. Hicks I had asked Admiral Denton that question years ago at my father's Marine Supply Store.
He smiled and told me what Brian was doing now in the business and he told me he would give him my card!
I headed on to Fowl River.
I wanted to see if my old friend Paul Edmondson had closed his marine service center or sold it.
Once I got the answer I decided to do something else I had wanted to do for years and years!
Stop by my old friends Nancy and Jay Barnetts house and talk for a few minutes if I could find their house!
I did and Jay Answered the door for God Sakes!
Nancy wasnt there but Jay was there and damn were good friends!
He even makes it too a Tide, Jags and Saints game from time to time since his retirement from the Merchant Marine in 2002!
He told me he and Nancy had sold the UPS store as well after ten years.
I told him about Battleship Marine and gave him a card.
I told him to give Nancy my love after we finished discussing our health problems for Christ Sakes and headed on back across the bay so I could eat and take my damn vitamins and a pain pill!
Lord yall how life has changed!
Gas prices have gone up but I hope it isnt 20 years before I see my good friend again!
I have to go back to Mobile tomorrow to see my basket case doctor and in a few weeks thank God my back doctor but I took Mr. Hicks advice and took one of my dad's Osteo Bi-Flex's with my Vitamins- I just forgot to tell Jay about the damn things!
Roll Tide Roll, Go Jags and Geaux Saints to my friend Jay Barnett!
Hell I wish we could go fishing and listen to some CCR again.
I guess Nancy might let him go with me this time but knowing Jay and I we would up in Mexico by choice. He is a damn engineer for Christ Sakes!
Maybe next time I will get a chance to see Nancy!
Yall stop by and see me next week here at Battleship Marine in Fairhope, Alabama if you need anything for your boat!
God Bless, Peace, Love and Knowledge!
Floyd Clifton Wooley
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