It's News to Mobile...

 

Max and Rex   CityofMobile.com  2024

Do we ever grow tired of  raving about great weather days? Apparently not, it's the first day of 2024 and we are completely mad about it: blue skies, sunshine, warmth...let most of the days this year be the same, except of course we need our regular downpours per direction from the plants, trees and nail-clipped lawns...

From all reports the Moon Drop celebrations that began in downtown Mobile yesterday afternoon and concluded at midnight, were a fun success. Sadly, there appears to have been an altercation between at least two individuals on Dauphin Street a few minutes after midnight and one shot and killed the other. Unfortunately this kind of occurrence is not unique to Mobile and occurs in many cities across the country. Literally hundreds of thousands of people now carry guns on their person, and gun regulations are a lot less strict than they used to be, with permits not being required to carry concealed weapons in many states. If someone bumps into you - walking or driving - think not twice but at least three times about how you want to react to it. There is no published report yet on what occurred last night, but nothing is worth a life being taken for it....

Today a lot of people in Alabama and Michigan and elsewhere, will be watching the annual Rose Bowl. We hope the best team will win and we all know who that is...

Did you know you have your very own room in downtown Mobile? It's called The Peoples Room of Mobile and this Saturday there will be An Evening with Eric Erdman beginning at 8:00 PM...the local songwriter/singer just got back from a recording session in Los Angeles.. I heard his "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" on 92 Zew and it's definitely destined for fame...

I received my monthly newsletter from the Mobile Botanical Gardens and they have enough activities planned over the next few months to keep all of us busy - writing, painting, lunches in the garden (or to go if you are in a hurry) even a Tai Chi class that begins on January 9th...if you haven't been to the Gardens, in Langan Park, then you have done yourself a huge disservice and I say stop being so mean to yourself and get out there...

Right up the street from the Gardens is the Mobile Museum of Art where there is never a dull moment and where you will find regularly scheduled art events with entry free on Thursdays, but the annual membership is inexpensive and worth every penny...

The stunning featured photo is Max, who just got back from a road trip where in New Mexico he picked up a Baja Hippie Hoodie, and Rex, who also made on the trip and sometimes thinks he is a wolf...they come visit every day and get a nice plate of food...

Speaking of food...Doordash just ask me if I wanted half off my next order and of course I do but not today since the black-eyed peas and cabbage will soon be on the stove top, along with cornbread and steak...and for the record, it's not like I only cook blacked-peas or cabbage just once a year - they are a favorite several times a year, almost up there with lima beans and fried chicken, turnip greens with ham hock, sweet iced-tea and banana pudding...and do not forget fried green tomatoes...

Oddly, I didn't make any New Year resolutions - it almost seems like those, along with throwing people under the bus and that's how I roll, have gone out of fashion...have you ever tried throwing someone under a bus? It's not easy, and takes not only excellent timing but a whole lot of strength to boot...

I just received a report straight from Rose Bowl territory where a relative has made friends with a Michigan fan who lives in Huntsville, Alabama and will not be able to return to work if Michigan loses...my relative says he hopes the man has a nice 401k...

If you made it this far, have a great New Year. If you didn't then it doesn't matter because you won't see this anyway...okay, sometimes I try to be funny and sometimes it doesn't work out...cheers...

It's News to Mobile...

                                                     CiotyofMobile.com  2023

 Yesterday I walked and drove around the neighborhood Crichton, in Mobile, under chilly blue skies and reminisced back to my childhood days when Grandma Johnson lived in a little house on Mill Street, which is now lined with industrial warehouses, and when Uncle Johnny Earl Johnson worked as a cook at Mac's Wheelhouse on Springhill Avenue. People all over the world are familiar with Crichton to, as it is the home of the world's only known living leprechaun, who lives in an oak tree there. I paid him a visit but the sign on his tree said he would be back around St. Patrick's Day...

I walked into what is now Rochelle's - the former Mac's Wheelhouse, which is operated by two of his grandsons. The restaurant gets stellar press reviews on a regular basis and all that does is bring more business to this traditional southern eatery where I sat at the counter and had fried shrimp, hush puppies, fries and coleslaw, washed down with a glass of sweet iced tea. Rochelle's was busy but I was able to talk with one of the grandsons who said they may have some old pictures from back in the day. I reminded him Mac used to have his cooks wear tall white chef's hats, and I remember uncle Johnny wearing his behind the grill, which is in open view to the counter. Rochelle's is also known for their Steer Burgers,  and their slogan was "Home of the Steer Burger" back when it was Mac's Wheelhouse beginning in 1953...I ate every bite of my lunch which drained less than 20 dollars including tip from my very shy wallet...hush, I tipped more than a quarter. 

Crichton is in the midst of a revitalization but there 's still more work to be done, especially several vacant buildings and lots right there on Springhill Avenue...we hope the City of Mobile and private industry gets further in there and helps bring back a neighborhood that deserves preservation and some more make-up...I also stepped into Joe's Barber Shop, billed as the largest barber shop in Alabama with 17 chairs inside...also on Springhill Avenue, near Rochelle's...

Down the road a bit at 1664 Springhill Avenue I had on my schedule to visit The Medical Museum of Mobile, who offered a Friday 2:00 free guided tour with the purchase of an entry ticket which cost from $5.00 to $7.00. They also offer free guided tours on the first Saturday of each month, or by prearrangement individual or group tours and 10+ visitors pay $5.00 per person. Ages up to 2 years old are admitted free. 

I arrived a little early and took a walk around the grounds, dotted with sculptures,  small olive trees, and several herb gardens with little signs denoting the names of the herbs. Even before you get inside to view the medical artifacts you are already fascinated by the fact this is the oldest standing house in all of Mobile that has not been moved from its original location. It is the oldest examples of French Creole architecture in the city, a summer house built by a boat captain in 1827. Even with renovations the Vincent-Doan House still maintains it's original form, and I recommend the guided tour for a lot more insight on this unique place....by the way, to gain entrance to the grounds if you are coming from West Mobile on Springhill Avenue, simply drive past the house (on the left) and take the left immediately after - right there on the corner. Down the street there is an entrance to the left in back of the home where you will park. The entrance to the museum is on the side of the home, clearly marked with a sign. So left, left and left....Ring the bell and wait a few minutes. 

Imagine how royal I felt when it was clear I was the only one there for this particular tour. I was a little astonished because it seemed to me people would be jumping at the chance to see and hear about what I was about to on this guided tour.  I imagine the museum has it's busy times - I apparently picked a good day for my own end of the year tour... 

As if getting a solo guided tour was not enough, the tour guide was the Executive Director Daryn Glassbrook, Ph.D. The museum is all downstairs so no stair climbing required.  Daryn began the tour outside in the Robert Thrower Medicinal Garden, and explained the history of the sculptures by April Livingston, their significance to the history of Mobile and the medical community. There is a generous example of medical herbs growing in the garden and you may be invited to pluck a few leaves or needles to take home. I would go into more detail but no spoiler alert necessary here. I want you to see and hear it for yourself....

 Following a brief overview of the home itself, it's architecture and how it was designed to accommodate our sub-tropical climate, the tour inside began. The museum is divided into several rooms with names reflecting their donors or founders in the medical field, including the founder of the museum Dr. Samuel Eichold II, who established it in 1962 While you could linger and take in all or most of the hundreds of medical artifacts, the tour lasts about 30 minutes and focuses on some of the more interesting items such as the iron lung machine and imported-from-Europe paper mache , bigger than life molds of the interior human body, and one of the first machines used in open-heart surgery in Mobile by Doctor Hightower - a machine which Daryn turned on so I could see how it worked. 

There's an original EEG machine and head to toe human skeletons on display... And remember in some of the old western movies the guy who drives town to town in a covered wagon and stands on a makeshift stage selling snake oil?   Step right on up he calls to you, and if you have any sense you run...A generous display of some of these useless elixirs have their own display case in the museum... in case anyone is wondering-which we hope you are not-they are not for sale...

I really can't gush enough about this museum and the guided tour. You can see that Daryn has perfected this tour with just the right amount of time spent in each room, discussing the key items -not a thing boring about this presentation and the displays. He said there will be a special exhibition on bones beginning in March 2024...

You may need to visit the museum to find out what this is...

I recommend that in any case you plan to visit call first, even if you are not taking the guided tour. Personally, I would do the tour - much more info than browsing by yourself. Their current hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and Thursday 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. They are open the first Saturday of every month from 1:00-3:00 (free tour on the first Saturday of each month, and currently tours every Friday at 2:00 PM free with paid admission. ) Due to limited staff appointments are recommended by calling 251-415-1109. Since everyone would hate for you to drive down there and not be able to get in because staff are not available, I recommend you have voice contact the day of,  and let them know when you are dropping by...

As previously stated in another blog, I will be taking a sabbatical from my column until next year - two whole days worth. The truth is I just like using the word sabbatical. It makes me sound important. Which I am, so I mean more important. If that is possible. Well, you get it. Happy, Safe New Year!

It's News to Mobile...

 

                                                       CityofMobile.com  2023

It's cold not chilly in Mobile today, but many of us forgive it because we can't forget how hot it got this past summer. It will get close, perhaps by one degree, to freezing in the city proper tonight so certain plants may need covering or brought inside...the sun is shining and it will be a blue sky cold day, perfect for a cup of soup, speaking of which I made last night...

Having recently visited Paris for the first time my thoughts went back to French Onion soup. I also considered Mobile is really, at heart, a very French place. The French established Mobile in 1702 and hung around for 61 years. It screams French throughout Mobile: Dauphin Street, originally spelled Dauphine...Bienville Square...Dauphin Island (Dauphine), Lemoyne Street, St. Louis Street, Beauregard Street, Conti and Joachim Streets, to name a few...so I whipped up a bowl of French Onion soup last night and after I corrected one minor mistake it turned out pretty good if I do say so myself, and I just did...(my recipe is based on one found from Rebecca at Everyday Parisian, which she learned at cooking school La Cuisine Paris...)

Because you are my dear reader, I will share with you how to make this soup so if you make it your family and/or friends will tell you that you need to "go on Master Chef," or "start your own restaurant," two phrases who doesn't like to hear?...

First, gather everything you will need and do the preliminary, prep work. There's nothing like being in the middle of cooking something that needs pretty constant attention, only to discover you can't find a certain ingredient or need to chop something that should have already been chopped to begin with. What you will need:

Oven-proof soup bowls. It should say on the bottom of the bowl that it is oven-proof.  You'll need some beef bouillon, and I used "Better Than Bouillon" which comes in a small jar and can be purchased most anywhere. Or you could use cubes or even a box of beef broth., organic if you prefer. Whichever you use the mix of this broth and water is very important because while you may end up with a delicious topping of cheese and bread, the soup itself could turn out to be too strong or too weak, and in that case there will be no call from Master Chef or any chef for that matter...

You'll need an onion and I used Vidalia, the yellow onion. You'll need a little flour, about two tablespoons. The recipe also calls for a small splash of red wine (you could probably get away without this but you will see why it's recommended.)  Butter not margarine is needed. One of the key ingredients is Gruyere cheese. I would not recommend substituting another cheese but you could in a bind... and finally a baguette or a loaf of French bread. You'll need a loaf like this that is not timid in the oven, is tough enough to withstand the heat or get out of the kitchen, so to speak...

Prepare the ingredients before starting your cooking...grate the cheese. Does not have to be super small, just enough to sprinkle on top of the bread...at least a cup and a half for two bowls...

Chop the onion into bite size...if you are making soup for two then you will use the entire onion. Don't be shy. There is nothing more shameful than getting through the cheesy, breaded top crust of a French Onion soup and finding a few piddly onions hiding from you in the beef broth...

Prepare the broth if you are mixing it from a base...so, if soup for two use about 3/4 tablespoon of bouillon paste and put in a large cup or bowl and mix with hot water. Stir until the paste is dissolved. If you are using a pre-mixed broth there is no prep for this step.... set aside...

Now it's time to start the cooking.....in a pan or pot put about two tablespoons of butter on low heat. Once the butter begins to melt put the onions in the pan. Slowly cook this under low to medium heat for about 30 minutes. Don't over stir. It's important the onions caramelize. Add the two tablespoons of flour and stir for about a minute... This allows the natural sugar in the onion to escape and turn brown...

Once the onions are caramelized, pour a splash of red wine in the pan. This deglazes the onion, loosening any that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. In a pinch just use a splash of water....

Now slowly pour in the beef broth...and allow to simmer for about five minutes or until the broth is warm or even hot...this is where chef uses a tablespoon for testing purposes....

Remember I mentioned a mistake I had made? I had put in too much beef paste or not enough water in the broth, one of the two. It's important you taste test your broth before it makes it to the bowls and the oven...my broth was too strong, too salty tasting, so I added more water to the pan and continued to taste until it was right...right is a beef flavor that is not overwhelming but also is not too watery...you just have to taste it and trust your culinary skills on this one....Once the broth is warm enough, just as you would eat it straight from the bowl, it's ready to be transferred to the oven-safe bowls...

Turn on the oven light and the oven on broil. Put the broth in the bowls a little over 3/4 full. You'll need either a flat pan or foil on the middle rack in the oven because the cheese may overflow to the edges of the bowls...

Break the baguette or French bread into large chucks and lightly place on top of the soup in the bowls...

Now carefully and generously sprinkle the cheese on top....I recommend lots of cheese - this is not a shy soup...I sprinkled a few rosemary needles on top for show and placed bowls on top of the pan in the oven and let the broiler toast the bread and melt the cheese. This part only takes a few minutes. Do not leave unattended....once the cheese is melted it's done. Don't forget your oven mittens!

Serve immediately and sit back and enjoy the wonder and awe of your guests as they scheme about ways to open you a restaurant...I hope this recipe works out for you if you try it, and this is the best time of the year to try...

It's still not too late to make your New Year's Eve plans, and the Soul Kitchen on Dauphin Street reminds us the Velcro Pygmies will be there that night, and we all know the big moon pie drop is happening downtown with plenty of live entertainment and fun...there are at least 4 beer breweries downtown now : Oyster City Brewing Company, Braided River Brewing Company, Iron Hand Brewing and Wingman Brewing....and don't forget Loda Bier Garden ( a bar with a large selection of beer)  on Dauphin Street...wherever you go, if indulging please either have a designated driver or use Uber or just crash at a friend's place or ask for a ride...if you are going to ring in the new year at home I recommend Korbel champagne, a nice dry California blend made in the very vineyards I roamed in Northern California years ago when I lived there...bon appetite and Happy New Year...

It's News to Mobile...

 

In the spirit of football, the state of Alabama and the state of Michigan have been going at it recently, with the South Alabama Jaguars versus Eastern Michigan Eagles  in the Ventures Bowl here in Mobile last week - Alabama won and a Michigan player had what we call in the deep south  - a tizzy fit - and ram-charged an Alabama player on the field after the game. Michigan apologized and all is well now so all eyes are on the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles where two different Alabama and Michigan teams meet: Alabama Crimson Tide Versus the Michigan Wolverines on New Year's Day....should be an exciting one to watch as tens of millions will be....

The Pomeroy Foundation has sponsored and placed a new historic marker at Blakeley State Park across the bay, memorializing the park's status on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974...  the park was the site of a Civil War battle and now the 1,400 acre site offers camping and lots of outdoor activities including hiking trails...a fee is charged to enter the park and for camping and in summer months there is a boat tour of the delta...

The City of Gulf Shores has already announced it's 45th Annual Mardi Gras Parade on Tuesday, February 13th, 10:00 AM on East Beach Boulevard...rumor has it  float crews will be tossing fresh oysters, crab legs and flounder from the floats....(don't we wish...)

 On FB, on Strange de Jim's time line Alan Drucker asks "Has anyone actually seen a person get thrown under a bus?"....

Hold on to your coveralls and Schlitz,  Conde Nast Traveler magazine has named Mobile as one of the best places to go in North America and the Caribbean in 2024...Mobile is number 5 out of the 12 places...along side a ton of other great things to do in Mobile we have been in the spotlight over the past few years due to the discovery of the Clotilda and the revitalization of Africatown, which was established by slaves who were illegally transported from Africa in 1860, and set up a community in Plateau, about three miles north of the city and part of Mobile County...I recently visited the Africatown Heritage House and highly recommend a visit, along with other historic sites in Africatown as detailed in my blog. Congratulations to our city, Mobile,  a short drive from two great beaches: Gulfshores and Dauphin Island...and a vibrant downtown, midtown and West town all dotted with parks, restaurants, museums and more...Delta is ready when you are...

Tonight, Phil Proctor takes the stage at Callaghan's Irish Social Club at 7:00 PM so have some live music with your burgers, beers and good vibes....

WKRG's Caroline Carithers posted a stunning sunset last evening in Mobile...I've seen quite a few really nice ones as this time of year a few wispy clouds on the evening horizon light up the sun like a cigarette lighter under a Marlboro...(no, that was all wrong but my delete key is stuck so it's staying in...)

Local baker Denise Burdette is close to being selected as the number one baker in our region, by Greatestbaker.com...Denise has a campaign on Facebook and for those who know her baking skills - which I do - try to stop by her page and follow the link to vote for her....she bakes pheromonal cakes, one of which is a Martin acoustic guitar  ---actual size --- as shown on her page....

The Mobile Rundown on FB poses the question: is it Springhill or Spring Hill...to which there seems to be a consensus that it's Spring Hill... as a native Mobilian I know I have always called it Springhill, because it looks prettier and  the neighborhood and the college and a bunch or other stuff is not a hill on a spring, it's Springhill, so I am bucking the crowd and that's my final answer: Springhill.... (back off yawl...)

Word to all the boaters in Alabama and there are tens and tens of thousands, lawmakers are cracking down on reckless driving on the waterways and beginning January 1, 2024 violations will be "upgraded" from misdemeanors to felonies, and fines can include up to $200.00 per violation and 30 days in jail where the pillows are so flat you think you are resting your weary head on a pancake...children younger than eight years old without a life jacket also changes to a felony …and finally, if that's not enough felonies for ya, boating without proper safety certification for Alabama residents and visitors here for more than 45 days, also lands you in a cell with only cornbread and water, and I've heard the cornbread is from a box, not made from scratch...Joking aside, we are all (except for a very few bad rascals) in agreement boating should be safe and just because you are on the water and not the highway does not mean you own it and can do whatever your hillbilly self wants...

Hopefully you have a box of Kleenex close by...I have only two more columns to write this year and then I am taking a sabbatical and will not be back here until next year - or  Monday, January 1, 2024 as it is known in popular circles....plan your New Year's Eve well and if you are going out and you are driving, please don't drive drunk - there are so may good, immediate alternatives there is no excuse...

It's News to Mobile...

                                               Photo: CityofMobile.com 

 As we sit here with open window, feeling the coolness of the early morn waft in and invigorate our dreams and wishes, one of our wishes is to see "wait for it" shelved for the new year as it has fulfilled it's time on the reels and video clips stage, and should join other "widely" used phrases from the past such as "That's how I roll." Remember that one? How could you forget - we each individually said it at least a hundred times after it debuted, overused, and the cause of many winces and cringe frowns in reaction to those who refused to "just let it go,"  or kept trying to "squeeze blood out of a turnip." Amazingly, the latter has stuck around since at least 1836, likely because it's not pounded to death. Reminds me of a lie we have all been told since the beginning of time, that a watched pot never boils. I know this to be false because I have stood over one and watched it until the water was roiling with steam...

Speaking of the elephant in the room, who marches in around New Year every year, guns. Just read another tragic story of a three year old finding his mother's gun she thought was hid under the bed so well he would never find it. I don't have little ones but if you do and you own a gun or guns and you think they are hidden so well no child on earth could find it, think again. Little kids today are so smart you could lock the gun in a safe but leave the keys on a tall dresser, and the child would push a chair to the dresser, find the keys, find the right key, and open the safe... 

Anyone who has to fire a gun off on New Year's Eve likely has an IQ in the range of about 85, which is borderline mental disability so maybe they shouldn't have a gun at all?...just thinking out loud. I'm not "against guns", just against how too many of them are used...

I'm working on a screenplay and can't wait to delve into it again this morning, and as it is the end of the year and folks are still chilling "recovering?" from Christmas, I am scrolling the place many of us catch up with each other, the home of a college student who started a school "year book" online and it turned into the reason some of us live, Facebook... here are a few I saw...

Chasity Gray reposts a mime from What You Got in Dat Pot: "We been eating black eyed peas and cabbage for 40 years and we still broke."  Okay, you know you laughed and muttered ain't that the truth...

Alan Sealls the famous local weather guy tells us to check on the sky Gulf Coast, the clouds have thinned enough in spots to create a lunar halo...and my two cents - do it guys, this counts as exercise...

The Waterfront in Daphne reminds us the chilly weather can still be enjoyed at their restaurant as they have covered outdoor seating and heaters...

Grace on Dauphin Street in Mobile will host a champagne toast at midnight on the 31st...if they have those crab claws appetizer on the menu run don't walk to the kitchen...they also make a sweet Cosmopolitan...

The River Shack has posted the Mobile Mardi Gras menu, or schedule if that rocks your float better...it is not accessible to those who are traitoring and running off to New Orleans thinking we don't know...the first Mobile parade kicks off with the Conde Cavaliers on Friday, January 26th...

If you think New Year's Eve will be a drag, then B-Bob's downtown wholeheartedly agrees, with a stellar line-up on December 31st with doors opening at 9:00 PM. Gracie Lou and other stars will be there and a first for any bar in the entire world on New Year's Eve: the champagne will be...wait for it...free...

The Mobile Public Library invites you to celebrate Kwanzaa on Wednesday, December 27 from 2-5 PM at the Virginia Dillard Smith/Toulminville Branch where there will be speakers, poetry, drummers and a taste of African culture...

And Darlene Tran reposts a quote from Quotes Gate..."2023 is almost gone. Not all our family and friends made it. Never take for granted the people you love. Be thankful for today, because in one moment your entire life could change...

Seems like a great note to close on today...have a safe and prosperous day....

It's News to Mobile...

 Based on social and other local media reports, folks in and around Mobile had a glorious Christmas Day, with some visiting the skyscraper venues downtown for brunch and holiday beverages, basking in sunshine under mid-seventy degrees of sunshine...

I glazed a turkey breast with herbs and kumquats, and surrounded it with cornbread dressing and corn. I'm not sure why Top Chefs or any of the dozens of other culinary star-finding shows have not just showed up at my door and said "Preston, here's an apron strung in gold. Come with us now - the world need no longer be deprived of your gastronomic skills. Please honor us - the limo is waiting."  That's how good my dinner was, but I send a shout out to all the rest of the chefs who posted their genius dishes on Facebook. Nice job guys, keep trying and you will get there...

I went on a Mobile area history tangent yesterday, gleaning little facts here and there on a few subjects, and discovered there is a Little Dauphin Island. Admit it - you didn't know it either. It's a small island off what I guess we can now call Big Dauphin Island, and it was accessible by land until, well, you know the story - Katrina roared in and covered up the path leading to the island. But birders think this is a good thing because bird life has flourished undeterred, undisturbed by the curious pitter-patter of humans with binoculars,  pointing, quivering, whispering with excitement, "Look! A Rufous-headed Hornbill!..."

The Battle of Mobile Bay in August 1864 didn't play... There are still several of those ships sitting in Mobile River, including the Tecumseh, which the Smithsonian was going to try and recover but the project never got off the ground and there appears to be no real interest in bringing up this Federal ship that struck a torpedo on approach to conquer Mobile towards the end of the Civil War...You read that right. The unexploded torpedo was in shallow water and the Tecumseh, against orders it is said, unfortunately navigated in that direction. Over 100 men died, with only about 10 making it to safety. The commander of the ship perished when he allowed the ship's pilot to exit the sinking ship first. It is estimated there are at least 4,000 ships sitting on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico. But..in the North Atlantic Ocean in Bermuda are the most ship wrecks - at least 300 succumbed to shallow waters and abundant coral reefs, proving you don't want to mess with the Bermuda Triangle...

Unless you are a Millennial or Gen-X baby, you are familiar with the phrase "Damn the Torpedoes, full speed ahead!" This famous, likely truncated command was said to emerge from the lips of Admiral David Farragut, vis a vis some sort of megaphone as he was attached to the mast of his ship so as to view Mobile from above all the smoke they and the Confederates were creating, and so as to be heard above the lovely noise of war. He had just been told the waters were dotted with unspent torpedoes, and bent on conquering Mobile he hollered his now famous utterance. While his ships didn't take Mobile per se, they caused enough of a ruckus to halt operations on the port itself...the city itself succumbed a few months later as the war came to an end in the spring of 1865...

Enough talk of war, it's a cool, cloudy day after Christmas, a Tuesday that feels like a Sunday, a day after a day that for some reason didn't feel as Christmassy as in the past...but it's okay - there are new things to do, new places to conquer...now we wind down to the New Year, and there are no lack of venues advertising free champagne and the best entertainment in town....a moon pie will drop 34 floors down from the spires of the RSA Trustmark building, and you could or could not be there to catch it. You may have already spent all your New Year's Eve party to the crack of dawn years and now you sit in the recliner, loved ones close by, or by your lonesome with a cat purring nearby or a dog wagging his tail as if he to knows a new year is about to ring in,  and sip on a glass of cold Korbel and watch the ball drop on TV in Times Square...honey, what time is it, I can't keep my eyes open much longer...it's almost midnight dear, hang in there just another thirty minutes...

It seems like yesterday when you could pull a pack of cigarettes out of a machine that read" Under age 18 prohibited," but you laughed because whoever was supposed to be guarding the cigarette machine must have taken a smoke break, and for forty cents down dropped a pack of Winston tastes good like a cigarette should...or not...the days when if you wanted to reach somebody you either wrote them a letter or called their land line phone, or stopped by...

This was not the worst year in recent history - that was the year of the pandemic...this was a pretty okay year for many, if not most...at least there will be a lot more people out taking walks, the traditional after Christmas strolls to walk off the turkey, ham, dressing, sweet potatoes, yams, pecan pie, banana pudding, divinity, pralines, green beans, carrot soufflé, corn, sweet iced tea...did I forget anything?  I don't know why we get so sentimental on the last few days of the year...is it because we actually made it another year, and now we need to regroup and have a grand plan for 2024, to self-boost ourselves into a new agenda, a refreshed life with resolution and improvements that will make us shine even brighter than the year before...? 

But alas, I must close now because the limo is waiting...enjoy this sort of melancholic day....

It's News to Mobile...It's going to be another

                                                              Photo: Osman's Restaurant

Culinary tears are falling all over Mobile today as this evening marks the final day of service at the revered Osman's Restaurant, a masterpiece of European cuisine including the German favorite Wiener schnitzel, thin breaded pan-fried veal cutlet. Tonight the family will serve the last dinner at the 12 tabled restaurant, and unless your name is preceded by a title such as President or King, don't even hope for a reservation. The family are relocating to be near their children and grandchildren, and the business and home are up for sale. While there is a possibility someone will purchase the building and open another restaurant, we do not kid ourselves into thinking we'll ever have the Osman's again...but on a high note they deserve to rest on their laurels and enjoy the company of their family, and I know I speak for all of Mobile when I say thank you for 24 years of outstanding culinary service to our city whose name means exactly what you are doing, being Mobile....the above photo is from their collection...

Wingman Brewing announces they will be open on New Year's Day and showing off the Rose Bowl  on their gigantic screens...you'll find them at 656 St. Louis Street which is a few streets back from Dauphin, where, I can attest, the brews are downhome good and local...also, not to be missed is Zoe Burdett Music at this same location on Friday, December 29th from 1-4 PM....

Mobile City Council  District Seven's Gina Gregory's newsletter reminds us the City of Mobile has an Official U.S. Flag Retirement Box at 205 Government Street, open Monday-Friday during normal business hours. Most of us know you can't just throw away an old tattered flag and it must be retired properly in honor of this great country we call America...Ms. Gregory also lets us know you can register for free smoke alarms by visiting cityofmobile.org/fire, or call 251-208-7884. and, she sends out a kind reminder the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number is 988. This is a time of year when some people get down in the dumps and hopefully somewhere in their thoughts they will remember these bad thoughts will pass, so don't be ashamed of asking for a little help...

A lot of folks enjoyed the "Mardi Gras" parade in downtown Mobile last night, including Paw Paw's Medicine Cabinet celebrity Mike Jernigan, who disregarded the friendly boos of Eastern Michigan University fans as the University of South Alabama Jaguar Marching Band marched by...we'll see who is King of the Parade today when the two teams meet for the Ventures Bowl at Hancock Whitney Stadium tonight at 7:00 PM...the whole country is rocking with college bowl games this month, putting the NFL on notice this is where it's at...

Way to Go shout to Barton Academy 8th grader Amir Calderon-Acevedo who is a finalist in the National STEM Challenge through EXPLY and the U.S. Department of Education.. He can now compete for a trip to our nation's capitol. You rock!

On a slightly depressing note, parents and guardians please be aware there is a curfew downtown Mobile on New Year's Eve for kids under the age of 18, from 10:00 PM to 5:00 AM...I will try to dress up to an older look so I don't get stopped and carded, maybe wear an old flannel shirt and baggy jeans...

A lot of folks around America looking for a new town to live are looking at Fairhope, who regularly makes a bunch of the best places to live or to retire tabulations, most recently the 8 best places to retire list from World Atlas. However, even Fairhope was outshined by Prichard, who came in as number one in this list of eight...I'm sticking with Mobile which is situated somewhere in-between and is much larger, has a lot more to do and has three distinctive species in it's midst:  the DOWNMO, MIDMO and WESTMO, with the highest level of sophistication beginning with the downtown crowd: highly diverse world travelers who still are not ashamed of trying to order grits in a Paris restaurant...., then the mid-towners who are just super laid back and cool and save every issue of  Lagniappe Weekly... , and the westerlies who congregate around two central locations: Schillinger's/Airport and Tillman's Corner where there is not a single high-rise to obstruct their view of the surrounding pinewoods...

Callaghan's Irish Social Club has Johnny Hayes on the stage tonight, and not that we like to kill two birds or any birds with a stone or anything for that matter, but you can also watch the local bowl game - the above mentioned Ventures Bowl match between the Jags and East Michigan...both start at 7 PM...and since there's not a drop of Yankee in me, go Jags....(I fib though, my Bigma Ruth was born in Michigan...be quiet boy...)

Don't forget WKRG's weather master Alan Sealls will be signing three of his weather books today at Lupercalia Art Society at 358 Dauphin Street  from 1-5 PM...think of a friend or relative who is fascinated by weather and one or all of these books will be the perfect one of a kind local gift...you can give him the Old Spice for his birthday...

 It's turned out to be another beautiful, sunny 70 degree day, though I am reminded of a headline I skimmed yesterday that said winter is losing it's punch. I was to scared to read the story. The coldest weeks in Mobile every year usually come in January and February, and often we are in the path of those arctic blasts that come shooting down from time to time so we'll see what the heart of winter brings us in short time...

Expect massive crowds at all the brick and mortars for procrastinated Christmas shopping today and tomorrow... You might find more wiggle room downtown where there is no shortage of one-of-a kind local shops, including breweries where you can simply order gift cards and sip on a local brew...and don't forget, my gifts do not, I repeat do not have to be wrapped. Save paper and have a great day...