Trip to the Jackson Purchase

The previous post noted the upcoming trip to the JP and here are some highlights.

·         The most interesting tidbit learned during the trip is that the widow of Dr. V.A. Jackson lives around the corner from mother.  Mother chats with her from time to time and has visited.  Mother told me she has a little “shrine” to the Doctor with some UK mementos.  I asked mother to take me over and introduce me, she said, “She isn’t home.  She is off doing charity work somewhere. Always on the go she is. Wonderful woman.  Always refers to her husband as, “the Doctor”."

o   Dr. Jackson’s book, Beyond the Baron, A Personal Glance at Coach Adolph Rupp, is a fine read.  Nothing controversial, nothing offensive, just a friendly recounting of his years with Coach Rupp and his love of the Wildcats. My favorite pages of the book are 100-103.  The various "OldCats" will like it as well.

o   One has to love a book with recipes from Wah Wah Jones and Cotton Nash.

·         I couldn’t believe the heat.  Walked five miles four of the five days I was there, but because of sweet tea, Lee's BBQ and lots of fresh vegetables, I still gained weight.

·         Visited a newish restaurant, Chow 45, in Mayfield.  Based on someone’s recommendation we stopped there on the way to visit family in Fulton and South Fulton.  I highly recommend this restaurant. Owned by two Mayfield families, but the genius behind restaurant is a family member who was a cook in Nashville for 30 plus years and after retiring to Mayfield decided to open a restaurant.  I recommend the green tomato BLT with feta cheese.  For dessert, the strawberry or coconut cake or carrot cake.    I will get around to the pies next time.

o   A very interesting restaurant that is worth the trip from anywhere in the JP.

·         My 91 year old uncle in South Fulton was full of vinegar as always.  As soon as he gets his new hearing aid, he will be looking for a job selling something.  He sold used cars for over 50 years at his own lots and was he sharp.  So sharp that no one in the family would buy from him! Great old guy.    A quick story about him, he has not and I am certain, never will, spend a night away from home since he got home from the Merchant Marine after WWII.  Never at the lake, never a child’s home, never on a vacation, nor while away on business.  Came home and decided he was never leaving I guess.

·         Youngest daughter left her phone in South Fulton.  When we found that out, dad wanted to go back and get it immediately.  That’s dad always wanting to help and on the impulse immediately.  Too bad he can’t get out of that chair.
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·     Still can’t believe there is going to be an Interstate 69.  I-69. I am sure the jokes are already old.
The newly consolidated McCracken High School will be nicknamed the Mustangs.  Boring.  Talked to a cuz and he says they struggled with river oriented names.  Pilots was taken. Commodores never got any momentum.  The Torrent had a chance, but at the end lost out to a nice boring name.  Soon the Greyhounds, Purple Flash( which I always liked) and Pirates will be gone replaced by a boring name.  Oh well.
Can't recall what the colors were going to be.  The original plan was to use one color from each of the schools.  Gray and red. Purple and yellow. Black and gold.  It appears they gave up on that. I suggested purple, black and gray to cuz a year or so ago and he thought I was crazy.  Told him to look at TCU.
Cuz is back coaching football.  He is helping Jack Haskins at Lone Oak.  Jack was my high school coach a long time ago at Heath.  Heck of a football coach.  His son, Billy Jack, was QB  at UK for a bit.  I always hoped I would be, but a bad bad injury got in the way. And I wasn't good enough.  

·         Paducah has a winery, The Purple Toad.  Daughter and I stopped by and sampled some wines.  The samples were some of the worst wine, no one was the worst, I have ever sampled.  The best wine sampled (and best is very relative) was Paducah Red.  It is a blend, which I generally am found of, but a unique blend of Merlot, Chardonnay and Riesling.  It was drinkable cold, but just.  Highly recommend a trip in order to support a valiant effort to grow grapes and make wine, but also to taste some truly horrible wine. A bottle or two would make an interesting Christmas gift to the right coworker or neighbor.   

o   There must be something there that is drinkable, but I didn’t find it.

·         Spent a night in St Louis so we could watch a Cardinals game.  Game time temperature was 95 and the humidity was above 90% at 7:15 PM btw.  This was the most miserable I have ever been at a sporting event whether playing, coaching or watching.  Sweat dripping from everywhere including my ear lobes.  Didn’t know that was possible. Oh well, saw Pujoles gets his 2,000 hit and a Cards win.

o   Ugly ballpark.  Way too red, cheap looking, most seats are a long way from the field, dark on the concourses, heck, the outfield grass was in bad shape.
Told the daughters that a Cubs/Cardinals series was like nothing they had ever seen.  Fans of both teams coming in for the weekend from around the Midwest and downtown hotels filling up.They saw it all.  Of course in Denver the out of town fans live here.  In another post I will give my view of the fans.

·         Still haven’t seen a UL license plate in the JP.  I have seen St Louis Cardinal license plates, but none for the Louisville Cardinals.  Love that, just love it.

·         Did I mention how hot it was in the JP?