Hammond – Day 10

The morning was spent inside, except for my brief outdoor walk around to get the first two photos below. We walked for lunch at Lee’s Drive In, a Hammond institution, because it was just two blocks north of the Airbnb. By the time we left for there at noon the street was almost entirely free of snow. Sally had the chicken topped salad and had a patty melt. And because her mom will probably never read this blog, we split an app of Fried Pickles which were the best I’d ever had.

After that we visited with the Birthday Girl at her house and the roads were pretty much all clear, except for the last 50 yards before turning into her Cul de sac where the trees prevented the sun from doing its radiant energy thing. There was a little bit of sliding there. Talking of New Orleans memories and telling tall stories of past exploits with the granddaughter/daughter Claire.

When Sally and me returned to the Airbnb, had a small dinner, we were both still a little full from lunch, and then watched a movie that had Justin Timberlake in it. Just because when the Airbnb’s host dropped by (see explanation below the photos) she told us that Mr. Timberlake stayed here while filming the movie The Open Road. Unlike last night’s Hallmark Christmas movie with a couple of movie stars in it, this was more like a badly written, poorly filmed and edited one with a bunch of movie stars in it. Closed Captioning might have helped, but I couldn’t figure how to get it on the Fire TV we have. I told Sally that for Friday night one of us picks a movie that they have seen and enjoyed enough to watch a second time. That way, worst case scenario, at least one of us will enjoy the show.

AirBnB

AirBnB
Fleur de Lis

Fleur de Lis
Spiral Staircase

Spiral Staircase
Hydra

Hydra

1) Outside of our Airbnb. 2) Closeup of the fence surrounding the place. 3) The spiral staircase to the 3rd floor loft with bed & bath number three. 4) Hydra.

The last one needs a little ‘splaining. The heat pump worked fine until the hard freezing temps and snow arrived. The night before last when the temps plummeted to single digits it couldn’t keep up and inside the Airbnb it was 53°. The heating contractor come out to fix it right away, so the host gave us a space heater. With it we got the interior up to 61 before bed, but we of course turn the heater off to be safe. This morning it was 51° inside. Our host works at Neil Corporation that trains salon owners and she knew we were still cold, so today she brought over another space heater and this contraption, used for something hair related or what they use to keep hamburgers warm in the cafeteria.

Hammond – Day 9

Ahhh, it snowed here.

The highlight of my day was I did a load of laundry. I have not left the house at all; I took the above picture thru the front window. Wait, that’s maybe not technically correct depending on whether you consider standing on the back porch to take the video below as outside. Sally at least went out a couple times to sweep a path off the front steps and the 2 stairs down. The second time she broomed the snow off the Tucson, so we can maybe take a drive to her mom’s place tomorrow afternoon.

Lot of TV. At lunchtime we watched Nate Bargatze’s stand up Your Friend. At dinner we tuned into the local news and their meteorologist mentioned that this 6″ snow accumulation broke the long-standing record of 1895 for New Orleans. We then tuned into the local ABC affiliate to watch the national news with David Muir and he wasn’t there, it was more expanded local coverage of the Storm of the Century. We had shot of people walking in the snowfall, kids riding in small john boats down the sides of the levees and reporting from the only place that was still open during Snowmagedden, and if you are from the south, you already know who that was, Waffle House. Tonight, for our evening’s entertainment I picked a movie from Netflix, which based on its trailer was a mix-up comedy of errors, called A Family Affair, Starring Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron. Turned out it was a Netflix production that is sort of a Hallmark movie with named stars. It had no theatrical release and about the 3/4 mark it fully morphed into a Hallmark Christmas movie.

Its a Winter Wonderland

Hammond – Day 8, Sport, Off-Road, Touring

Show Me A Sign Edition of SORT
As of Monday, January 20, 2025 at 10:00 PM central time:

Sport Off-Road Touring
Illuminated Porsche Sign Illuminated Jeep Sign Illuminated Acura Sign
I missed out on one of these about a month ago. Not this time When we Americans think of off-roading we think of Jeep first. Honda trying to play catch up with Toyota in the luxury division race.

Here is what last week’s cars sold for, or bid to (if the reserve was not met):
Sport: 2001 Mazda Miata Sold for $14,750 on 1/13/25
Off-Road: 2008 Porsche Cayenne Sold for $20,001 on 1/14/25
Touring: 2012 BMW 335i Sold for $28,500 on 1/14/25

Hammond – Day 7

Today dawned cold and breezy so the walk for the morning latte was accomplished walking briskly and cutting diagonally across empty parking lots. I think my plan of getting recognized in PJ’s is not really going to work, this morning one of the two baristas, who was in there on my first two visits early this week, didn’t show anything.

But coincidently, I did get recognized, sort of, in the local grocery story after three visits. Sally and I went out to the local Piggly Wiggly to get some milk for her mom and for us to pick some supplies for hunkering down on Tuesday when the Snowmageddon (2-4 inches) hits here in Hammond on Tuesday. When we got to the cashier, she said, “The kids are back.” Just by chance she was the cashier on our last two visits and remembered the pair of together. I think if we ever go back to the Pig during this visit we should seek her out and get in line even if it is longer than every over one.

We took a visit to Sally’s daughter’s Airbnb on the outskirts of Hammond and it is a wonder. It is well off the main road on a dirt road back in the woods. Appropriately the name of the home is Hobbit House. It would several paragraphs to describe it, so hit this link.

After the house tour, we (Me, Sally, Claire the daughter, and Mom/grandmom Adele) headed south into the Louisiana bayou to a place called Middendorf’s Manchac for lunch. I got the Middendorf’s Special, which is several thin fried catfish fillets piled on a pile of french fries accompanied by two hush puppies and a bowl of cole slaw. I challenged myself to finish this off, and I would have had the hush puppies been any good. I took one bite and it was dry and probably double fried. I’m still digesting it as I write this about 8 hours later.

Hammond – Day 6

We are staying in an Airbnb across from the Neill Corp headquarters, and more than likely the owners of said Airbnb. If you have ever purchased an Aveda product, they are the sole distributor in the US and they bill themselves as an education company for stylists and salon owners in the culture of hair.

On their lot there a are several large marble sculptures of the ancient’s Four Elements with this marble plaque with the element’s names and an associated short poem. The (2) Goddess of Earth, the (3) Goddess of Air, (4) and the Goddess of Fire, featuring the (5) Goddess of Water. The Very Special Guests are the (6) Goddess of WTF and the (7) Goddess of Utilities.

Yesterday evening while getting ready for bed I managed to knock my electric toothbrush off the bathroom sink counter. Unfortunately, the three-foot drop was onto a tile floor. I picked it up and hit the go button and it didn’t go. 🙁 At least I could use it the old school way by moving my arm around. 🙂 When I finished in the shower I headed over to Amazon and ordered one to be delivered next day (today) to Sally’s mom’s house. This morning it was out for delivery.

Well, guess what? It didn’t work again in the morning either, but this afternoon I put it in its charging base, I been just keeping on the sink because it was fully charged when I left home, it the light came on. I picked it up, hit the go button and, “IT”S ALIVE! IT’S ALIVE!” Just a few minutes ago my, and now redundant, toothbrush was delivered. So, decision time, do I send back and get the Amazon credit, or I do keep it because how long will I trust to work, or do I keep and have one for travelling and one for home? I’ve 30 days to decide.

Hammond – Day 5

Another day, another repeat of the early morning routine, up before the sun & Sally, a walk over to get my caramel latte from PJ’s. And I plan on doing that for as long as it takes until they know my order as soon as I walk in their door or when we leave Hammond next Saturday. No post Office visit, but I did extend the walk, by turning corners randomly to get in more distance than a there and back.

There was several store stops in the morning. One for food replenishment for us, a stop to get shrimp for tonight’s dinner and a Hobby Lobby visit for a picture frame. Lunch of PB&J at the Airbnb for us before heading over to Mom’s place for some more reminiscing and a bit of yard work. Midafternoon I headed over to Mandeville. I was missing out on the dinner of shrimp etouffee to have a beer and conversation with a friend.

Heidi started out as a very good friend and school mate of Donna’s younger sister Sandy. After Sandy lost her battle with ALS, any time we ever came this way, which was often enough, we would stop and visit her a bit, so she became our friend. So now she is my friend. Heidi lost everything in hurricane Katrina and almost lost her life too. She had to bust through her roof to get above the rush of water after the the levee broke. When Sandy died her husband said take anything of hers that you want, so we packed up a bunch of her clothes and jewelry which Donna wore for the longest time. We also took her high school yearbook with us. Because Heidi was in Sandy’s class it was also hers, so a one visit down we gave to her.

There was more reminiscing between us over a beer, something on tap in a glass for her and German NA beer for me. It started with B•r•i•t something, something.1 I so wished I paid attention because that was the first non-alcoholic beer that I’ve that tasted like real beer. After the drink she drove me over to McClain’s Pizzeria for a meal of, you guessed it, pizza. We split a Roslyn: ham, cashew, garlic, and artichoke hearts. Even though it was a couple blocks away, we drove because she just got out a soft boot for a broken bone in her foot. Afterwards she took me back the “my car” so I could head west while she went east to go home.

Because I abhor an Interstate, I took LA22 to get back instead of I-12 and it bit me in the tukhus. Because of rush hour traffic on a mostly 2-lane road and I’m guessing the drawbridge over the Tchefuncte River was up for a while because the 40-minute trip took about 70. I didn’t mind, I’m on vacation and in no hurry.

Hammond – Day 4

Today I was up before Sally and the sun, so I walked the three blocks over to get my caramel latte from PJ’s and then walk 4 or 5 blocks further to mail a baker’s dozen of the postcards I discussed yesterday, before retracing my steps back the Airbnb. Sally and I got our hairs cut and a little shop that always goes to we she is in town.

 
Fried Chicken Showdown Results:
Saturday 1/11 – Zaxby’s 1/2 ☆
Sunday 1/12 – Popeyes ★★★★
Monday 1/13 – Piggly Wiggly Deli ★★★★★ !Winner!
Thursday 1/16 – Raising Cane’s ★★★★
Church’s, Chick-Fil-A & KFC were not nominated

I hope the crappy chicken at that particular Zaxby’s was a one off because I always loved their fingers back in my Aiken days. Today was my first exposure of Raising Cane’s and it was like my prior Zaxby’s experience. Those two are very similar in execution, breaded chicken breast strips, fries, butter thick toast and a dipping sauce. The differences are Zaxby’s has straight fries, Raising Cane’s has crinkle and Zaxby’s toast is shaped like a slice of bread while Raising Cane’s is longer and narrower. There is only a slight variation in the dipping sauce.

Our afternoon was spent at the birthday girl’s house with Sally’s first born, Claire, a cruise ship pilot in Alaska waiting for the younger son, Stuart who works in advertising in Baton Rouge to show so the “kids” could drive an hour and a half east to Mississippi to visit with their disgraced father. Below is a photo of most of the players from 30 years ago in Lexington, Virginia cutting down that year’s Christmas tree.


From left to right: Claire, Me (I still have that coat), Stuart & Sally