Alabama here I come

[wadeintothem]

Originally Posted by greymule

I'm a bama boy... what part you moving to?

Probably in or near Hayden, where my cousins own a lot of land. At the moment, I'm investigating a house in the Village of Blount Springs.

Part of what's driving the move is financial. I now have a 4-bedroom ranch house here in NJ. The annual property taxes are $6,465. (That's better than the annual $13,535 I was paying in the 1990s, for the house where my kids grew up.) The house in Alabama is larger and nicer and much newer than my present house. Annual property taxes are $405, with a monthly maintenance assessment of $78.

For those of you not familiar with New Jersey, even with its high property taxes, its income tax that competes with New York City's, and its recent sales tax increase to 7%, the state has a $13 billion deficit. Taxes will go nowhere but up in the future.

not to mention radioactive food & water!

No wonder you are looking forward to bama!

[bigblue68]

I'm in Mobile, but there is a ton of good high school softball up there... you should fit in just fine.

[Skahtboi]

Originally Posted by bigblue68

I'm in Mobile, but there is a ton of good high school softball up there... you should fit in just fine.

It has been a couple of decades since I have been there, but I remember Mobile as one of the prettier Gulf Coast cities. Is it still that way?

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Skahtboi

It has been a couple of decades since I have been there, but I remember Mobile as one of the prettier Gulf Coast cities. Is it still that way?

Depends. Downtown Mobile seemed to be in somewhat of a revitalization phase a couple years ago. But the big thing about Mobile isn't the city, but the manner in which a visiting umpire is treated.

I was down there a few years back and have never been treated better. From the pre-tournament backyard BBQ to the post-tournament steak dinner at the complex to being treated to a minor league ball game at Hank Aaron Stadium, everything was first class.

BTW, Wade, Matt was there with me that trip. Great time.

[wadeintothem]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

BTW, Wade, Matt was there with me that trip. Great time.

I got a meeting with him in April.. I made a proposal and he has questions and concerns

well we'll see how it goes.. you gotta work hard to give freely of your time and money 'round this place..

[bigblue68]

Mobile is doing well, we're in the middle of the Boeing v. Northrup-Grumman controversy, hoping they don't take the plane away. Thyssen Kryup just made plans to build a huge steel mill here and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. just financed a 6 track motorsports park here as well. Some of the south part of the county is still reeling from Hurricane Katrina, but otherwise we're doing well. The azaleas are in full bloom and the highs are in the mid 70's with a gentle breeze off the bay... it's a great time to be a Mobilian.

[CC1352]

Limestone County Wishes you the best (just West of Huntsville). First year for softball but 15 yr. baseball vet. Called quarter-finals at Corner HS a few years ago. Welcome to the Heart of Dixie.

[DeputyUICHousto]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Depends. Downtown Mobile seemed to be in somewhat of a revitalization phase a couple years ago. But the big thing about Mobile isn't the city, but the manner in which a visiting umpire is treated.

I was down there a few years back and have never been treated better. From the pre-tournament backyard BBQ to the post-tournament steak dinner at the complex to being treated to a minor league ball game at Hank Aaron Stadium, everything was first class.

BTW, Wade, Matt was there with me that trip. Great time.

When I was there for the Men's A Industrial I was treated to an incredible backyard bbq...the steaks were awesome...and the beer was ice cold!

They took great care of us.

Although, if I remember correctly we went out until the wee hours of the morning on our last night there and I missed my flight on tuesday of the labor day weekend. Getting home was quite difficult.

Mobile took great care of all of the umpires.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by DeputyUICHousto

When I was there for the Men's A Industrial I was treated to an incredible backyard bbq...the steaks were awesome...and the beer was ice cold!

They took great care of us.

Although, if I remember correctly we went out until the wee hours of the morning on our last night there and I missed my flight on tuesday of the labor day weekend. Getting home was quite difficult.

Mobile took great care of all of the umpires.

That is exactly how I was treated when there for a Major. However, our tournament was so abbreviated, they also took us to a game at Hank Aaron Stadium with the offer of going a second night. Instead, we went to tour the USS Alabama and headed to Pensacola for a night.

They had steaks waiting after the championship game. The aroma of the Worcestshire marinaded steaks wafted over the field. The catcher says "Wow, that smells good". I told him that I'm going to miss my dinner because his team (winners) were still down a run in the fourth. He told me no problem and his team proceeded to put up about twenty runs and ended the tournament. Who says the catcher isn't our best friend?

But you are right, umpires are treated like kings in 'Bama.

[bkbjones]

Hey SRW! Lookit what these guys are doing. Maybe we should send a link to Don Ho, Nap and the Lock Box to show them that yes, we should spend more than a buck a person for hospitality at a national.

Actually, SRW did a wonderful job at our national last summer. He pulled off a great dinner featuring Washington's finest: seafood from the Sound, and onions, corn and taters from Yakima. It's just that he caught so much crap from some of the, um, hierarchy. While foie gras and caviar might be over the top, it's really quite difficult to spend too much money and do too much for hospitality.

For those of you in 'Bama and elsewhere who do hospitality right, thank you.

(Mike, you're lucky. I DID miss dinner at a western national once. Went to the restaurant after my game was done -- kept telling my HP partner to hurry up -- and was told the kitchen is closed. No sorry, no kiss my donkey, no nothin.)