Trail of the Firewriter…
2010 Road Trip: Day Thirty-one

Today was filled with interesting people. I went to the Edgewater Mall for my morning walk. Tulane University rented space in the mall to promote education and had a sign offering both regular school and adult education. I went in to check it out. Barbie the receptionist was a real southern belle. She explained, in a wonderful southern drawl, the opportunities being offered. Dr.Lisa Hammons walked over and helped us with a study game plan. I was too late for the winter session but classes begin again in May and run until July. I told them I was interested in sharpening my writing skills. Tulane has a newspaper and journalism class that would fit my needs perfectly. I decided that next year I may come to Biloxi and stay for the spring and attend the university. I can kill two birds with one stone. I can enjoy the casinos and beaches and also hang out with the geriatric college crowd.  It would be a fun way to spend next spring.

At two pm I sat in the freeze out hold-em tournament held at The Isle of Capri Casino.  I didn’t fare well in the game. I was quickly eliminated and I asked the dealer to check the deck to see if all the face cards and aces were there. Without a smile he jerked his thumb towards the door letting me know it was time to leave the table. There was one woman in the game. She was elderly but beautiful. She had the body of a thirty year old and everything about her was class. I made it a point to meet this pretty lady. At the break she came into the hallway to smoke a cigarette. I struck up a conversation with her. It was going great until this old guy came up. Her name was Stella Hulls. She introduced the man as her husband Battalion Chief Jack Hulls from the Columbus, Ohio Fire Department. He was a retiree like me. I was sorry she was not available but the conversation was interesting. Many of the problems in the Columbus department were the same as those in Detroit. Jack said he left because the standards were lowered for entry level Firefighters. Stella was a fascinating lady. I found out she was a member of The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels. Her duties included being an aide-de- camp to the governor of the commonwealth of Kentucky. Today I was rubbing elbows with the elite of the south. It wasn’t evening yet and I had talked to a University PHD, a Battalion Chief, and a real Kentucky Colonel.

After a nap, I decided to play some Pai Gai poker.  I tried again to give my room key card to Ida, the dealer, when I asked for chips. She just smiled and said, “Give me your players card please, I’m still not interested.”  There were two other ladies at the table. Ida told them I was hitting on her. She told them I had tried eating oysters yesterday as an aphrodisiac but it didn’t work.  A little Asian woman laughed and told me, “No eat oysters, eat little blue pills, they solve problem.”  We had a lot of laughs at the table. I was in bed by 9PM. It was a good day thirty-one.    


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