Part III: Nice Day for a White Wedding

Saturday was the big day. Time for Crady and Brad to get hitched. But first, food. Nothing starts the day off quite right like a greasy spoon diner. While I would have enjoyed biscuits and gravy, I was quite happy with the food they had. Amazing pancakes. Also, there was a dog (7 month old chocolate lab that was very cute and still awkward since he hadn't grown into his body yet). After playing fetch with the dog in the diner, it was time to go. Outside, we met Puttin'-- a somewhat elderly man sitting outside the diner who showed us some dice tricks.

Shack-Up Inn: Clarksdale's B&B (Bed & Beer). Apparently, this used to be a plantation. Then, they turned the sharecroppers' shacks into rooms to rent (this is where Brad & Crady went post-wedding. Indeed.) I think this was when the South started to frighten me. And not just because the Mississippi flag incorporates the "Stars and Bars." It's all fun and games until somebody secedes. Not being able to take much more of the heat and the "Southern Charm," it was time for the brunch. Yay for food and booze! Now, like any good brunch, they served Bloody Mary's. However, once again, I am faced with the realization that people do not know how to make a good Bloody Mary. Allow me to take this tangential opportunity to elaborate:

Andrew's Bloody Mary Manifesto:
1.) A good one is not simply mix + vodka. If that's all you have, then Mr. & Mrs. T's Bloody Mary Mix is the way to go (especially spicy). But frankly, you should not stop there.
2.) It needs celery. Not a pickle. Not pepperoni. Not pepper jack cheese. Celery. (Incidentally, this is just about the only time I enjoy celery).
3.) It should not be too liquidy. It needs to be somewhat viscous. A watery (or too vodka-heavy) is no good.

What's a sure-fire way to avoid the pitfalls of the Bloody Mary? Well, it's an art, not a science. So I can't give an exact recipe. But here's what we do:

1. Start with a glass filled with ice. Cubed, not crushed (otherwise they melt quickly, leading to watery disaster).
2. Add Lemon Pepper, Celery Salt, Tabasco Sauce, followed by generous amounts of Worcestershire sauce.
   
3. Add desired amount of vodka.
4. Add Spicy V8 (or Mr. & Mrs.T).
5. Taste! Add any more ingredients to balance.
6. Add celery.
   
7. Now you have the perfect instrument to survive any family gathering!

Now that I am done digressing, I shall continue. Post-brunch, it was time to take a nap. Good food and a little vodka will do that. Following the nap, I headed on down to the Delta Blues Museum. I don't know a lot (ok, anything) about the blues. However, I do enjoy museums and history, so I was not going to turn down this opportunity. I'm glad I went. It was a really cool museum (I think it used to be a train depot. If not, prove me wrong).