monday, november 23, 2009
since i am travelling alone and really want to get home sooner than later, the trip now is about getting to friends and family’s homes for visits, as opposed to sightseeing. and that’s okay!!!!
i was in three states today, zip, zam, zoom. i woke up in louisiana fog, and hung around the truck stop until it lifted a little, but further down the highway, it was there!
later, i crossed over a bayou!!! that was pretty neat.
as everyone knows, there is ALOT to see in louisiana, but i was making time and didnt stop to see anything. no big. ive seen new orleans before, and just didnt have time this trip. maybe next time. hello louisiana, goodbye louisiana!
hello mississippi!
i lived in mississippi when i was a little girl, and was really excited to go visit the house i lived in there. i got off rt 10, and onto rt 90 so i could drive along the gulf coast through biloxi. i remember going to edgewater plaza, which is now edgewater mall:
i stopped at the beach, and walked along the gulf waters and picked up a few oyster shells. the beach was SO clean. they do a really great job cleaning up the sand after all the hurricanes they get here.
once in ocean springs, i stopped at lovelace’s drugs. i really dont remember it, but brenda did, so i stopped and had a cherry coke for her and took these:
then i drove over to 1615 east porter street. the house we lived in when i was in first grade. i recognized it! i there was a car in the driveway, so i knocked at the door. no answer. i wanted to take pictures, so i went to my car to write a note to leave on the door in case a neighbor told the owners that someone was around taking pictures. then, a woman asked “can i help you?” her name is dee, and she is the owner now. i explained that i used to live here with my family back in the 60’s and she was delighted to show me around. (!!) we went inside, and she explained that the house was build in 1895, and had suffered some structural damage during katrina and ivan, and she had been trying to get the damages repaired with little luck, due to un-trustworthy contractors. the house had been remodeled some, and was used as a day-care for years prior to her buying it in 1991.
it still needs ALOT of work as the water damage has caused mildew, and the house itself needs to be jacked up and leveled. i was so happy to see my old room, and the closet that i used to play in. it was my imagination closet and i used to believe i could float and fly in there (the imagination of a 6 year old!)
the yard is not as big as i remember it, but that is prolly because dee has put a house right 
in the middle of it! she is living in the pink house (the house to the far right), using my old house for storage, and attempting to renovate it at the same time. i wish i could help her financially so she could bring it back to it’s glory. i was glad to see it, and if i ever get this way again, i will visit again. dee and i exchanged contact information and i told her i would send her pictures of the house when we lived there, if i can find them when i get home.
i left ocean springs, and headed east (!!) crossing into alabama at night:
i got to becky’s (!!) awesome new apartment expecting to see her for a bit and then she go off to work, but she has taken the night off – yay! we sat up until 5:30 in the morning talking :o). then hit the bed hard. whew! what a day!!
