June 29, 2004 - Dad
New Orleans, LA
We are up and out of the campsite by midmorning. We stopped at Graceland on our way out of Memphis. Elvis continues to be big business 26 years after his death. Our schedule allows time to visit the grounds, take some pictures, and send some postcards with the Graceland postmark.
Our trip to New Orleans features a very heavy rainstorm. We pulled off the side of the freeway under an overpass. By the time we reach New Orleans, the rain had stopped. It was about 7 p.m. and we were hungry.
We found a Dominos and ate pizza sitting on a marble slab next to a busy street. After dinner we took a walking tour of the French Quarter, finishing with the famous Bourbon Street. It was a very alive scene and quite a contrast to Beale Street.
We stayed at St Bernard State Park - about 20 minutes outside of New Orleans. The weather continues to be hot and humid. We set up camp in the dark – the temperature does not get below 85 degrees. Inside a nylon tent, there is no need for a sleeping bag.
Oakland 5, Anaheim 4
WP: M. Mulder (10-2) LP: B. Donnelly (1-1)
June 30th, 2004 - Bob
Newport Richey, FL
Woo! Sweaty hot! You get up in the morning here and sweat. That’s just what you do in N’awlins. It’s a very cool city...despite the heat. When we drove in yesterday, it had been a long drive w/ some excitement from the torrential rain and we really weren’t sure if we were camping or not. More rain? We decided to head into the French Quarter and once we did, things fell into place.
I couldn’t name it all for you, but I promise to show it to you in pictures someday should you be intrigued.
We had a frozen drink (and one was plenty, WHAM BAM, thank you, dad), walked down Bourbon Street, listened to some great tunes, then got back in the Explorer. All we had to do then was find our campsite (since the weatherman odds -- 60% no to 40% yes -- were slightly in our favor for no rain).
WELLLLLLL....
We eventually found it and there was a gate blocking the entrance. Whoops. We weren’t ready to take “find another campground” for an answer so we did some ‘splorin. Thankfully, a car came and the driver unlatched the gate on the outgoing side (right before I was about to call to dad for the tool box). We followed them in and made our way into the swamp...literally. There is a swamp 75 feet from out tent. Nice. Loud, alive and sweaty -- we slept with all of it.
Did I mention I have a mortal fear of alligators?
In the middle of the night, I had to pee. Had to. Had to, had to, tried to fight it, but had to. Period. No negotiating with the bladder. I fought it as best I could. Said it wasn’t that bad. My kidneys throbbed to differ. I got up, slow and groggy, almost slipping several times and at the same time trying to be quiet so as not to wake my fellow camp mates. Then again, I wanted to be loud enough so as not to surprise any alligators.
Out of the tent, the bull frogs (toads?) did their poor impressions of humans doing poor impressions of cows. Though the human part was eerily close. Question: who was up here doing bad impressions of cows? And why did it have such an impression on the bullfrogs (toads)?
Gators are said to look like frogs (LOGS, I mean...). There were several large brown unmoveables around me. Pee now or to the bathroom? If one of those logs moves, the choice will be made for me.
I decide for the bathroom -- damn I‘m civil. First step is the most difficult of the journey I’m told and so it was. At some point a journey grows on you or you on to it. As short a trip to the commode in a New Orleans campground or a longer one like this baseball odyssey or even life itself -- all journeys, all with difficulties and challenges. When we open ourselves to them, magic can, will and does happen.
Yes, I made it.
Breakfast at Cafe du Monde was spectacular the next morning -- powdered floury-lard, BLACK cafe and sweet OJ. Very good, very unique -- very special.
I had long romanticized this city in my mind -- even though once I might like to move here. New Orleans lived up to the hype. There was something romantically sweaty about it. Stinky, rotting, nasty, funky, cool.
Interviewing Dad at Cafe Du Monde
Bob:
Do you feel if you were not to wake up tomorrow that you’ve lived a life you’re happy with?
Dan:
Yeah, I’d say so. Definitely. There’s always more you could do and more you’d want to do, but if I was to die tomorrow I guess I’d hope I’d be in a position where I could say that.
Bob:
What would be the most important thing for you if you knew you only had one day?
Dad:
My loved ones --mom, you, chris. Spending time together.
Bob:
Chris said, in a very teary interview, the one thing she wished for was more time.
Dad:
Yeah, well, that’s ultimately all we have. Money’s important. Health is important. But the time you have together is really all you have.
Bob:
And what you do with it.
Dad:
Certainly what you do with it.
Bob:
Your decision to go on this trip had something to do with time because this decision means time away from mom. It is time for you and I to spend some time together and do something that we’ve talked about. So, that’s a particular choice with time.
Dad:
Yeah, that was a hard one. It was hard for me, hard for you and I know it was hard for mom, because it does seem like things are coming at me a little quicker now. But I’m happy about the choice; I’m really excited about the choice and I think we’ll appreciate our time together that much more when we’re back together.
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