Name:   architect - Subject:   True story Date:   2/8/2014 9:05:31 PM (updated 2/8/2014 9:14:09 PM)

My good friend who lived for many years in Atlanta before moving to Texas, tells wonderful stories of growing up in South Louisiana. A girl friend of hers was quite brainey and received a Rhodes Scholarship in the late 50's.  After her academic days in Europe she was invited along with several other Rhodes alums to visit The Soviet Union...a big deal in the depths of the cold war.  The groups handler was a dour Marxist who warned them to observe but to make no comments and ask no questions.  After several days of this the group was moving about in a state of agitation and a bit of fear.  They found easy relief of their aprehensions by adopting the Russian custom of drinking vodka morning, noon and night.  On the next to last day they got started especially early and the whole group was well lubricated by the time their bus arrived at 10:30 AM for a tour of yet another Soviet accomplishment.  To their surprise and pleasure their gloomy guide had been replaced by a youngish smartly dressed woman who announced "Please feel free to ask questions and make comments. The Soviet Union is an open and free society."  To make it even better she joined them in the vodka toasts as they drove to tour a locomotive factory.  When they reached the facility they were all knee walking.  The guide again invited them to make comments, take pictures and ask questions.  Taking this to heart my friend's friend walked up to several men working on a huge steam locomotive on the assembly line and asked in a slurred voice loud enough do be heard above the manufacturing din "Pardon me boys, is this the Chattanooga Choo Choo?"