Greetings from the Big Easy!
I’d never been to New Orleans until two years ago. I am writing this while enjoying my 20th visit! Speaking of 20, at the end of April, I completed my 20th year in Montgomery, so here’s my 20/20 report on various topics.
Before departing The Gump, I launched a mini-war with the City of Montgomery over a pothole on Cloverdale’s quaint Magnolia Curve. Magnolia would fit in New Orleans with its antebellum architecture and gracefully aging trees. Once a reasonable, no-big-deal hole, it gradually deepened and widened into something resembling a sinkhole. I called the city’s attention to it, and within a few days, a crew came and filled it with crushed gravel.
That’s all they did.
After several days of vehicle traffic, the gravel compacted, and once again, driving over it resulted in a bang and a prayer for tire survival. “Hello, City?” Another crew was dispatched. Rather than apply a permanent fix, the city placed a big orange and white drum in the hole. With all the car and pet-destrian traffic, there’s no margin for error. Again, I let the city know of my frustration as I set out for Louisiana. We just got hit with a new gas tax allegedly to fix roads. My road rage was justifiable. We expect and deserve better. Here’s photographic evidence!
Going south on I-65 from the River Region gets tedious quickly. About 80 miles into the drive, there’s an exit
for Owassa. Curiosity compelled me (once) to exit there just to see the greater Owassa metropolitan area. I found a gas station-convenience store. Very few Owassians. On one of these trips, I plan to exit at Nymph. Sounds like Paradise! All you can see from the interstate are trees (you can add 2+2 here).
For 20 years, I’ve been driving to visit my daughter (Janelle). For 18 of them, she lived in South Florida. I made that round trip about 80 times by car, 660 miles each way. In the earliest of those years, staying amused was a challenge. My options were AM/FM radio, which meant constantly searching the dial for something good. Eventually, I bought a laptop with a DVD player and would enjoy TV shows like The Honeymooners and All In The Family as it sat parked on the passenger seat.
I didn’t watch them, but I could “see” the characters, so it was an improvement. Finally, in 2009, I got satellite radio and listened to baseball and a channel that featured original radio broadcasts of classic shows like Father Knows Best and others.
Sirius/XM gets me there and back today, and my phone connects through Bluetooth for additional options. I am amazed at how far technology has come in 20 years. I love clicking the phone and asking Siri, “How many miles to the Claiborne exit off I-10?” and getting an immediate answer in distance and time, not to mention options for food and fuel.
During long trips as a juvenile BOOMer, we navigated through an ancient device called a “road map”. Rand McNally made them available for FREE in gas stations. I sat in the front seat of our massive station wagon, where I could light cigarettes for Mom while she directed Dad from the back seat. This led to my introduction to Parental Cursing, as at some point, my folks hurled accusations of incompetence at each other when an exit was missed. A typical road map (unfolded) was the size of a business envelope. Once used, folding it back into its original flat form was impossible. Glove compartments (where gloves are rarely kept) became stuffed with colorful paper accordions over time. Good times.
Once in New Orleans, I quickly realized that the Magnolia Pothole ain’t so bad. There are no paved streets in NOLA – just quilted shapes of asphalt on more asphalt that have been assembled to pass as streets. It is a beautiful city, and there are plenty of BOOMers there. They appear happy. Most everyone is friendly, laid back, and welcoming. Everything I need is a walk away, including some of our favorite restaurants! My favorite store is the last remaining Peaches Records on Magazine Street – loaded with BOOMer nostalgia – a fun place for our crowd. I park in front of my daughter’s house and don’t see the inside of my car until I leave.
It’s only 4.5 hours each way. The only part of the drive that makes me nervous is the stretch from Foley north to Owassa. I often wonder what I’ll do if my car breaks down. There’s nothing for miles! So far, my luck and friends (The 2 Dons of automotive brilliance- Turner and Duncan) have helped keep each trip trouble-free. Thanks, guys!
Returning to Montgomery, I exited Southern Boulevard into the ruins of what was once a thriving part of the city. I see the decrepit Normandale Mall. Boarded-up buildings. Abandoned property. You can still see how it used to be and wonder why it couldn’t have stayed that way. Better yet- become that way again.
Speaking of decrepit, I returned to Magnolia Curve to see my favorite driving hazard. The city had three days to fill and pave the sinkhole. I was eager to see progress!
This is what I found.
That’s government, folks!
Thanks for these 20 years, friends! It’s been a BOOM time for me!
Greg Budell has lived in Montgomery for 20 years. A 50+ year veteran of radio, TV and writing, Greg hosts the Newstalk 93.1FM Morning Show with Rich Thomas, Susan Woody, and Jay Scott, 6-9 AM Monday – Friday. He returns weekday afternoons from 3-6 PM for Happy Hour with Pamela Dubuque and a variety of sidekicks. His favorite topic is life! Greg can be reached at gregbudell@aol.com.
