dispatches from Parkerland
Recently, I...
...tried to buy a used car, but the dealer wouldn't budge on his (inflated, in my opinion) asking price and I walked out.
...attended the Pierrettes' Mardi Gras ball and had a wonderful time.
...was engaged in my occasional pastime of scanning marine VHF radio channels when I actually picked up an emergency call to the Coast Guard, and got to watch a mild bit of real-life drama unfold as a disabled cabin cruiser drifted through the Mobile Bay ship channel in the path of an incoming cargo ship. Thankfully, all that the Coast Guard had to do was warn the cargo ship to reduce speed while the cabin cruiser drifted harmlessly across the channel. The people aboard the cabin cruiser were below deck and apparently knew they'd lost power but were unaware they had drifted into a shipping lane. A passing tug boat had spotted them and made the call that I picked up.
Yes, I know, scanning nautical radio traffic is a weird hobby. I just happen to have a handheld marine radio for kayaking and live only a block from the bay, so sometimes I take it with me when out walking by the pier and I listen to random bits of radio traffic. Usually it's just shrimpers and crabbers passing time with idle chatter, but it's mildly fascinating for some reason.
...ate at Ruby Tuesday's for the first time since it reinvented its menu and look, and was actually impressed with the food.
...walked to the KOER parade in downtown Fairhope and saw a Judge Roy Bean's themed float, which made me nostalgic for the place and a little mournful that it burned down before I moved back home.
...saw the Mystic Mutts of Revelry parade and of course wished I could adopt about half the dogs and all of the cats the local shelter had brought to the event.
...got conscripted into playing special prosecutor for the City of Daphne again. This time it was for a few hours, as we had a huge docket and the regular prosecutor had to be in another room for a handful of trials in front of a special judge for most of the night (cases the regular judge had to recuse himself from). Why not keep the regular prosecutor in the main courtroom and send me as special prosecutor into the makeshift one? Might have something to do with the special judge being Jim Sweet. It was an interesting turn on the other side of the aisle: two DUI prosecutions and one domestic violence. I actually enjoyed the DUI cases and felt like they were good learning experiences for me. I don't envy a full time prosecutor's job by any means, though.
...tried to buy a used car, but the dealer wouldn't budge on his (inflated, in my opinion) asking price and I walked out.
...attended the Pierrettes' Mardi Gras ball and had a wonderful time.
...was engaged in my occasional pastime of scanning marine VHF radio channels when I actually picked up an emergency call to the Coast Guard, and got to watch a mild bit of real-life drama unfold as a disabled cabin cruiser drifted through the Mobile Bay ship channel in the path of an incoming cargo ship. Thankfully, all that the Coast Guard had to do was warn the cargo ship to reduce speed while the cabin cruiser drifted harmlessly across the channel. The people aboard the cabin cruiser were below deck and apparently knew they'd lost power but were unaware they had drifted into a shipping lane. A passing tug boat had spotted them and made the call that I picked up.
Yes, I know, scanning nautical radio traffic is a weird hobby. I just happen to have a handheld marine radio for kayaking and live only a block from the bay, so sometimes I take it with me when out walking by the pier and I listen to random bits of radio traffic. Usually it's just shrimpers and crabbers passing time with idle chatter, but it's mildly fascinating for some reason.
...ate at Ruby Tuesday's for the first time since it reinvented its menu and look, and was actually impressed with the food.
...walked to the KOER parade in downtown Fairhope and saw a Judge Roy Bean's themed float, which made me nostalgic for the place and a little mournful that it burned down before I moved back home.
...saw the Mystic Mutts of Revelry parade and of course wished I could adopt about half the dogs and all of the cats the local shelter had brought to the event.
...got conscripted into playing special prosecutor for the City of Daphne again. This time it was for a few hours, as we had a huge docket and the regular prosecutor had to be in another room for a handful of trials in front of a special judge for most of the night (cases the regular judge had to recuse himself from). Why not keep the regular prosecutor in the main courtroom and send me as special prosecutor into the makeshift one? Might have something to do with the special judge being Jim Sweet. It was an interesting turn on the other side of the aisle: two DUI prosecutions and one domestic violence. I actually enjoyed the DUI cases and felt like they were good learning experiences for me. I don't envy a full time prosecutor's job by any means, though.