Bluto Arrives

Bluto flew in the second week of November, 2001. 9/11 was the main topic on everybody’s mind – it happened less than two months before. As planned we met him in front of The Big Chicken. We went to Williamson Brothers Barbecue for dinner. I figured Williamson Brothers represented to New South as much as any establishment. Williamson Brothers are very much Republican catering to the same type of people who think they are grass-roots homespun good old boys if they like to sing along with Willie Nelson songs – and also think big business and big money should dominate.

But they have good barbecue.

I think also that night or the next night, Anna, Bluto, and I drove to Atlanta, through downtown by Olympic Park, where the bombing Eric Rudolph did and Richard Jewell got the blame for a while.

It has been four years ago and now and a lot of what we did blended in. I am not sure what day we did what. So, this is sort of a collage.

I took Bluto to meet cartoonist Skip Williamson. This visit lasted more than one day, maybe two, maybe it went into a third day. Skips visit will be near the last.

One morning I took Bluto to Louise’s Kitchen (formerly Bill & Louise’s 0 [Bill died]) which is a southern cooking kind of place where all the waitresses are daughters. They have a bunch of old country sayings and wit on hanging on the wall. The place at that time was known as a political pulse of this section of Georgia. All politicians wanted to get their picture on the wall at Louise’s. TV crews frequently visit the place to interview some of the diners what they think about certain issues or a certain candidate. What they believe will usually be what is voted in.

Jimmy Carter, Roy Barnes, Newt Gingrich, and Bob Barr have there pictures hanging on the wall near the cash register.

Outside is an example of their corny sense of humor. There is a pole that is at least 20 feet high, which is a bird house at the top. The birdhouse is shaped like a mailbox with “Airmail” printed in big letters on it.

Their house – opps, I mean, her house is on top of a hill directly behind a restaurant. During the Christmas season the house and grounds are so covered with different color Christmas lights it looks like a giant candy castle.