I spent the better part of the week in Mexico beach with my friends Kayden Kross, Hunter and Lady H.
I picked Kayden up at Atlanta Airport and after an interview with a writer for a well known national magazine we departed for the beach. The drive takes us through Columbus, GA., Phenix City, AL., Eufala, AL. Dothan, AL. and finally into Mexico Beach. It’s interesting to see Kayden’s reaction to life here. On the one hand she is amazed at the low property values, of course compared to Los Angeles the Taj Mahal has low property value.
We go through Dothan and we pass a store in a strip mall called “Rue 21” she locks in on it commenting its probably the nicest store in this town.
It wasn’t a compliment.
Hunter calls, he is in Wally World and wants to know if we need anything, I tell him to pick up 6 rigged balao (pronounced Bally hoo) and some Gatorade. Kayden wants 10 calorie vitamin water in a flavor that I thought she said Vomit Berry. Hunter said what and Kayden said no POMEGRANITE BERYY.
Oh.
Now don’t get me wrong Kayden is laughing about all of this, it’s her pretend diva act. I label her “elitist” and it kinda of becomes a running joke for a while.
No room for Divas on the boat though, we headed out Wednesday morning. The boat has no head, thats a bathroom for you landlubbers), nor does it have air conditioning, we fish out of it, thats all we do, and that’s what its built for.
We had three greenhorns on the boat, Hunter had never been to sea, nor had Lady H or Kayden. Here’s where I gotta brag on them. Nobody bitched, nobody had anything but fun, nobody stopped fishing and nobody got sea sick.
We had a nice day and Im gonna post some photos and video later, some hilarious, some amazing. Everyone got along and everyone had fun and I am damn proud to call everyone of them my friends.
Oh ya , we caught fish too…..
3 Responses
“Here’s where I gotta brag on them. Nobody bitched, nobody had anything but fun”
I can’t speak for the others, but for me, there was no room to bitch. I was totally awe-struck the entire trip. Mike said in a preparatory email that we’d “see things we’d never see anywhere else.” Turns out that wasn’t just a shallow boast. Having loved the outdoors and nature all my life, I was amazed at the things I saw that I’ve previously only read about or seen in captivity. Flying fish, sting rays, remoras, sea turtles, (fuckin fish-thievin) dolphins, and the list goes on. And of course, there was this dusky shark that I swear had to be at least 20 feet long and 1800 lbs (give or take a little… *grin*).
I have to admit, before we left, I was a little anxious about being 30 miles off shore in a 26 ft boat. Once out there, I gained a new perspective on just how miniscule we humans really are. The vastness is breath-taking.
Then there’s the other aspects of the trip. There was a chance we might not even get to go out on the boat. Nothing’s ever certain when you have to plan around weather and mechanical issues. That would have been fine too. Lady H and I have always enjoyed the time we spend with Mike in any setting. On this trip, we got to make new friends that we hope to see again soon. Everyone got along as if we all knew each other for years. And in a way, I guess we did, by proxy.
Kayden, I have to say. I was so pleasantly surprised to find that you’re the same in person as you are in your writing. It was a pleasure to get to know you. Yeah, I’m still gonna fuck with you about the “elitist water”, but I’ve got a lot of respect for you.
Danny, let’s go steal some pears, dude!!!
Mike, thanks again for the trip of a lifetime.
P.S. You ready to do it again next week???
Ah, Dothan; I had the misfortune of growing up about 26 miles west of it in Hartford.
Dothan was a metropolis compared to Hartford’s one traffic light, Piggly Wiggly, and about nine thousand churches (one of which touted my uncle as its southern Baptist, borderline snakehandler, fearless leader).
I went into the Army to get away from that area and was sent to Ft. Rucker, twenty miles from where I grew up.
So you weren’t super impressed with the land of pick ups, mobile homes, inbreeding, and all night convenience store chicken and tater logs, huh?
Eh, me either. I no longer visit,drive to, through, or fly over the state of Alabama.
Should you ever return to the area, please check out the Boll Weevil monument poised smack dab in the middle of Enterprise’s Main Street.
Sounds like fun!