Day 8 in Dixie continued: long drive, the Rickwood Classic, and a Liberal rant

We left Louisiana this morning at 5:30 AM, embarking on a 6 hr drive to get to Birmingham for the Rickwood Classic baseball game at 12:30.  Why?  Because it was there!

My plan was to go through New Orleans before rush hour in order to drive over the water in relative peace.  It was not to be - people go to work EARLY around here!  Road crews were already working by 6 (I guess to stay out of the heat of the day as much as possible).  We were bumper-to-bumper on I-10, all going 70 to 80 mph.  People drive QUICKLY around here!  At all times, there was a big pick up truck tailgating me impatiently, all driven by middle-aged white guys and looking pristine, like they're not even used as trucks.  In succession, I had a Ford, a Chevy and a Dodge (the biggest of them all).  I really despise these things - if you're going to have a mid-life crisis why do you have to get 5 miles per gallon while doing it?

When I went to point out this phenomenon to Maddy, the next 2 trucks to impatiently pass me were:  a real working pickup (driven by a plumber), another working pick-up (driven by a black farmer-type).  I guess I'm going to have to revise my rant.  I'm guilty of selectively using data to fit my pre-conceived notions!

We crossed two state lines and got to the game by 11:30.

This is a special day game played every year in Rickwood Stadium, the oldest baseball stadium in the country (1906) by the current minor league team (the Birmingham Barons).  The Barons stopped playing regularly there in 1987.  For much of its history, two teams played there:  a "white" team (Birmingham A's, Birmingham Barons, others) and a Negro League team (Birmingham Black Barons).  Many great ball players came through here (Reggie Jackson, Satchel Paige, Rollie Fingers - who was at the game today, many others).

It was tough keeping score, because there was no jumbotron to get names, and the names on the scorecard did not come with numbers.  Tough to hear the announcer too.  The Chattanooga Lookouts beat the Barons 7-4.  At least 3 homers were hit over the cool outfield walls.  We sort of thought the first base ump was being paid off by the Lookouts.

It was a good time and we picked seats on the west side, to stay out of the sun.  Even so, we were very hot!  90+ degrees with lots of humidity.  We doused this with water, soda and beer (funnily enough, I got a Bud Light!)  I think I got a little heat exhaustion.

Went back and crashed in the hotel room afterwards!

I have to say that I am getting beaten down by some things on the trip.  We do some surfing of radio stations, and it feels like the solid majority is either a Christian station or conservative talk radio.  The Christian stations actually are extremely "full service", giving advice on lots of things from financial to how young mothers can cut out time for themselves.  In that, they are extremely useful and it's interesting to hear how they council mothers (much the same way as liberals would, but God is always there).  The conservative commentators are extremely "good" sounding.  They sound extremely responsible and sensible.  The stuff they say is sometimes incredible, though.  We listened to somebody talking about Glenn Beck implying that Trump might have to be removed by force and, while denouncing that, they did emphasize that this is what the 2nd amendment is for, and someday such a thing might be necessary.  To me, this is one short step from organized violence.  Another station had a sensible-sounding guy saying that Obama was from Pakistan, that we should all get behind Trump, and that Cruz should be satisfied with getting appointed to the Supreme Court where he would be appropriate.  On TV, I saw an ad for O'Reilly on the regular Fox Channel (not Fox News), which I had never seen before (he's spreading).  You see signs of keeping America "strong" everywhere, on tons of commercials for other stuff.

I don't know.  Scroll back up to my "using limited data to fit pre-conceived notions" section, and tell me I'm over-reacting.  Not getting regular TV any more, I probably dodge a lot of this in daily life so it feels like a real body slam.  I have to say, though, that I'm scared.  If people who sound credible can STILL say that:

-Obama is not American

-that he's a tyrant who has caused all of our current woes (forgetting that things are A LOT better than when he came in after 8 years of conservatives, and dis-regarding that conservatives have had a blanket policy of voting down anything he proposes regardless of its merits)

-that Hilary is fundamentally dishonest and Trump is a ray of light

we have a real problem.

Truck driver on my tail at 80 mph on I-10 in Louisiana.

Mississippi border again!  Coming in on I-59 from New Orleans.

Alabama border again!  1 hr after Mississippi border.

Alabama border again!  About 1 min after the other photo.  We took about 10 takes and Maddy is getting irritated.  I also spilled a morning beer all over myself in the process.  Don't worry, it's not what you think!  I picked up an old Bud Light can from the ground to use in the photo, and up-ended the remaining contents on my person.  I then abandoned the beer can idea.  So, that's perfectly OK.

Rickwood Field in Birmingham AL.  This is actually after the game.

The Birmingham Barons in the old 1967 Birmingham A's uniforms before the game.  My favorite player, Eudy Pina, is #32 in the middle.  Don't know how good he actually is, but he looks like Adonis.  Hit a homer in the game.

Old outfield signs and commemorating the teams that played there.

Some action from the ball game.

A view from the stands.