Well I Bring You a Quote

 On TilTok, which is really my only social media that I post to, There is this fellow I ran into scrolling this morning...."jamesholidaycomedy"

I quote him....  ""You need to be .. Fabulous and Delusional Once in Your Life"". His TikTok videos remember me of a Gentleman I once knew in Spanish Town in Baton Rouge, known as the Governor, in my early years of becoming the Gay Man that I am now.  

Yes, I think we all need to get to that mind set once or twice, if not more, ..  It might make the world a nicer place to live... 

For all conern and as a point of reference, my TikTok on one of my videos has hit 2.4 Million, views. I hit the algorithm .......tom71301 which is @tom71301.1

Years Passed

 In Years Passed, in this blog, I have placed photos, notes of events happening here in the Lil City by. the Red.   I have been negligent in not continuing to post of my neighborhood,  I will strive to do better, because I am proud of where I hang my hat, proud of the diversity that this  Old Southern Deep South town has become. People don't give this Lil City by the Red enough credit..  I hear the distractions all the time, not the positive influences..  Its often said, that this area has Clean Air, Clean Water .. Far less automobile traffic, etc..  Our heritage, Our Way of Life, ....  is Here;  woven in the brick streets, ancient trees, old homes, and the neighbors that care for one another... 

 I will bring the Lil City by the Red more to my blog in photos and words....!!!

They were nice comfortable homes in. their day...

The four homes are within two blocks of me, in various state of repairs, most are noted by overgrown vegetation or broken front doors etc.   The top photograph shows a home two doors down from me, fortunately two couples have purchased it last week and will be rehabbing it.. I will document their progress.
 

Its A Day in the NeighborHood

 Mr. Rogers would sing, 

Its a good day in the Neighborhood.. Would you be Mine.....!!!

Lately, The Lil City by the Red, has been experiencing several signs of economic stress.  We are not replacing our aging population, who are passing away, whose children live out of the parish or out of the state, their homes are not sold, and become abandon over time....or young couples move in and don't truly understand that an older home, (most here were built between 1905 and 1935). is costly to keep up, to maintain, here in the Garden District.  So they return them to the mortgage company and move back to the rural parts of the Parish to a Mobile Home..... thus returning to the Agrarian Living way of Life. 

The cost of maintaining an older home here in the Garden District ranges from $1100 to $4000 a year, depending on the size, constructing type, etc.   I have owned three in my life time here, that's one of the reason at my age, I chose to go to a condo type unit, collectively the cost of maintaining is far less expensive.

This Street within two block of me have four really nice, but abandoned homes.... Its a shame.. to see these stately mansions, the almost turn of the century homes travel into the status of disrepair.. aging stately homes, whose galleries are drooping, whose red cypress shiplap boards are cracking due to a lack of paint; the reasons go on.

I will add some photos to this post later.....

Another Night

 I have had a friend, we met five years ago,   as the years have come and gone, he has a dual consumption concern... 

Not to go into details, but today I.... in a very not nice way, very unusual for me also, to be an Ass . I told him no more coming over, to Carry his Ass ....  Don't come back around . .  I felt that his usage was tempting me in my consumption ..   I had been having a beer by noon, martini by 3pm, and three plus glasses of wine for supper.....  He had a personality that was contagious .. always delightful but he was high also....  ...  I drew the line in the sand,  No Yelling but I did turn the La Warden on him.. 

For that I will go and seek my redemption when I go to confession.  

Is It Worth It????

 That's the question two of my frequent bloggers has questioned.

When you count the drive time (round trip) its a full day on the road... at lest 7.5 hours round trip,    Its not an easy drive meaning, small towns, speed traps, lonely stretches of highway, down in the Deep Delta country..... where the trucks still have gun racks in the back of their cabs...There is Nothing Urban until you hit Jackson, Ms.  

So is the compensation  worth the time ... That's the question when you boil down the matter to the nut cuttin'.   For the time being it does stimulate my brain activity... not money but the interaction with fellow corrections personnel....   As long as my mind and thought processes can create energy. . I am going to hang in there... but when I get tired . and can't get in the truck .... and make a drive... then I am going to say Adios ... !!!!

Tis A Toss and Turn Evening .......

 Rarely do I complain, outwardly, But (and there is always a but) I just haven't been sleeping well, my Dr says its the Dovato,  I say its just life and old age.. .  

Also, it's the weather, we are beginning to get into the doldrums of Summer here.. and it's early.. 96 degrees, 86% humidity..... You sweat walking out the door...   

I am thinking seriously of delaying my trip to southeastern Mississippi, I just don't have it in me to drive 274  miles to drive (one way 548 round trip) walk  around another prison, inspect logs, talk to officers, etc and look at individuals in stripes.. (yes Mississippi makes their offenders wear strips)... So disgusting, so non human... 

Maybe it's time for me to to say Quit !!!  This was suppose to be fun, energizing, the trips even to Jackson is 338 miles round trip, on two lane roads through the country just don't appeal to me any more..   At 70, Gee I hate to even type those numbers, it's just taxing....   

So here at 2am, I am typing........  Its just makes me ponder .... Life and what remains... !!