Up Early The Cold First Day Of December After A Night Of Nightmares With A Super Duper Uber Cougar

I am looking through the bars of my patio prison cell at a cool pool currently being chilled to 41 degrees on Day #1 of December.

24 shopping days til Christmas. 30 days til New Year's Eve. And then it will be 2012, the year the Mayan calendar comes to an end, which has the superstitious Miss Puerto Rico, and other simple souls, thinking the world is also coming to an end in 2012.

I had a very rough night's sleep. Again with nightmares, just as I feared. And once again the worst of the nightmares involved lunch with J.D. Granger.

In last night's nightmare J.D. met me at the Love Shack in the Fort Worth Stockyards for Dirty Love Burgers and big mugs of Whiskey Lemonade. In the nightmare J.D. insisted he wanted me to run a Gentlemen's Club that he was going to have the Trinity River Vision build for me on the banks of the Trinity River.

I told J.D. that Gentlemen's Clubs make me nervous. J.D. said they made him nervous too.

After discussing my TRV sweetheart deal we walked across the street to the Stockyards Hotel. That blonde Shanna lady, who met J.D. and me in the previous night's nightmare, was there in the lobby.

Next thing I know I'm at the door of the Bonnie & Clyde room of the Stockyards Hotel.

In non-nightmare, real world, I don't know if there is a Bonnie & Clyde room in the Stockyards Hotel. But, I am fairly certain Bonnie & Clyde stayed overnight there.

So, in the nightmare I'd lost J.D. and Shanna in the lobby. I open the door of the Bonnie & Clyde room to find myself in a Mrs. Robinson situation, like I'd seen on Two and a Half Men where the Ashton Kutcher character, Wendell, found himself getting way too familiar with the Super Duper Uber Cougar, Alan and Dead Charlie's mom.

Only in this case when I opened the door of the Bonnie & Clyde room it was not Alan and Dead Charlie's mom waiting for me, it was that well known Super Duper Uber Cougar mother of J.D. Granger.

Kay.

I let out a shriek, waking up in a cold sweat.

I am going to be scared to go to bed tonight.

Saunders Park Is The Secret Hidden Gem Of The Fort Worth Stockyards

The Fort Worth Stockyards Secret Saunders Park

In the picture you are looking at the backside of Riscky's Steakhouse and the Love Shack and a couple other backsides, like maybe the White Elephant Saloon, who's frontsides face Exchange Avenue in the Fort Worth Stockyards.

The picture was taken in a location called Saunders Park. I have long been perplexed by Saunders Park.

Why have I been perplexed?

Well, it appears a lot of effort went into building Saunders Park, enhancing Marine Creek. But very few people who visit the Fort Worth Stockyards see Saunders Park.

And yesterday I saw that the sign on Exchange Avenue that directed visitors down the alley that leads to Saunders Park no longer exists.

The Snake I've Seen In Texas I Saw At This Location

I've long thought the alley that leads to Saunders Park was really tacky, what with garbage bins filled with restaurant refuge aromatically lining the way to the park.

The only Fort Worth Stockyards enterprise that seems to embrace and make use of Saunders Park is Tim Love's Lonesome Dove Bistro, which has a patio overlooking the park.

I think I recollect reading Tim Love quoted after he bought the White Elephant Saloon, or maybe after he opened the Love Shack, that he wanted to open up those entities to Saunders Park.

But that has not happened. I would imagine that would be an expensive remodeling undertaking.

If I remember right, and I probably don't, I discovered Saunders Park via riding my bike on the Trinity Trail and then exiting the Trinity Trail to another trail that led me into Saunders Park.

Looking South At Marine Creek In Saunders Park

The paved trail that runs beside the canal looking waterway that flows under the Stockyards continues on for miles along Marine Creek.

I've never been able to learn why Saunders Park was built or why the Fort Worth Stockyards appears to ignore its existence.

I Googled to see if I could find any info regarding this perplexation and was surprised to learn that when you Google "Saunders Park Fort Worth" my Fort Worth Stockyards webpage is in the #1 spot.

And what is in the #2 spot? A blogging of mine on this very blog you are reading right now, written way back on April 20, 2009, titled Fort Worth Stockyards Saunders Park.

Not remembering I had already blogged about being perplexed by Saunders Park is the latest sad sign that my memory is failing. The pictures that I took for the previous time I blogged about Saunders Park appear to be better than the ones I took yesterday.

Walking With Tootsie Tonasket While Thinking About Queen Of Wink Love Shacks With The George & Laura Bush Drunken Divorce

You are looking at part of the Village Creek Natural Historic Area Bayou, in Arlington, today around noon.

I tried to get my camera turned on fast enough to take a picture of a bright red bird that was sitting atop the big stick in the bayou. But the bird flew away before I could catch it.

Tootsie Tonasket went walking with me today. Tootsie picked chamomile whilst we walked along. When she wasn't picking chamomile Tootsie gave me very good instructions as to how to make Chicken Pot Pie. In the last 48 hours I've become obsessed with wanting to make Chicken Pot Pie.

Elsie Hotpepper wants me to do lunch with her. Trouble is, Elsie's is a very odd schedule. She has lunch at something like 4 in the afternoon. I'm usually done with my day's eating by 4 in the afternoon. If I remember right, I've not had lunch with Elsie since she conned me into having a Dirty Love Burger at The Love Shack in the Fort Worth Stockyards.

Speaking of Love Shacks, the Queen of Wink called me yesterday afternoon. The Queen wanted my opinion regarding a subject of great import. I was instantly quite concerned. My opinion is rarely solicited, and when it is, often unintended consequences follow.

Back to the subject of Burgers. I read today that In & Out is going to open in Garland.

I was told, at the aforementioned Love Shack outing with Elsie Hotpepper, by one of Elsie's cohorts, he calls himself the White Knight, that In & Out was rumored to be moving into the D/FW Metroplex zone. Today's news confirm the incoming In & Out.

I have only had an In & Out burger twice. It was in Phoenix. I had a 10 hour layover. My sister had taken me to a Happy Hour where I had way too many appetizers. Then we went to In & Out. I was already in no need of food. But, I had 2 In & Out burgers. Best I've ever had.

If In & Out totally invades this zone it should wreak havoc with some of the burger joints locals hold dear, about which I've never understood the reason why. Like Kincaid's, for one. And I was very very disapointed in the aforementioned Dirty Love Burger. That particular burger has gotten a lot of hype, some of which has emanated from outside this propaganda heavy zone I'm currently typing in.

The most disturbing thing I've seen today, so far, was in Wal-Mart. I was walking along on my way to the whole wheat burger buns when I saw headlines on some of those tabloid rags that were profoundly disturbing. Apparently Laura Bush has had enough of living a lie, covering for husband, George's, heavy drinking. Laura wants a divorce.

Shocking.

Not very believable. You see George out and about, mountain biking, all the time, on the various local mountain bike trails in the Dallas/Fort Worth zone. George really can not be much of an alcohol consumer and be out and about riding mountain bike trails.

But, now that you are making me think about it, I can not remember the last time I've run into George Bush on one of the area trails. I hope no longer being the Great Decider has not driven the poor guy to drink.

Video Of Elsie Hotpepper & The Fort Worth Herd In The Love Shack At The Fort Worth Stockyards

A week ago today I went to the Fort Worth Stockyards to meet up with Elsie Hotpepper, the White Knight, Robin and Fort Worth's Lone Ranger, at the Love Shack.

I shot some video that day and yesterday I finally remembered to turn it into a YouTube video.

In the video you'll get a very brief glimpse of Elsie Hotpepper and the White Knight, with the Fort Worth Stock Yards sign overhead as we leave the Love Shack.

Speaking of the Love Shack. Have I made mention of how disappointed I was in the Love Shack? I'd read all sorts of positive stuff regarding the Love Shack hamburgers, both the Dirty Love Burger and the less dirty Love Burger.

Elsie and I had the less dirty Love Burger. It came with fries and a drink. I had the lemonade option. Elsie had the bottle of Coke option. I had been previously non-plussed over a supposedly really good local hamburger, that being the burger you get at Kincaid's. I found the Kincaid's burger to be nothing special at all. The Love Burger was, maybe, marginally better than the Kincaid's burger.

Elsie was of the same opinion as me regarding the Love Burger.

I remarked that I was expecting the Love Burger to be something really good, like an In & Out Burger. The White Knight is an In & Out fan and knew what I was talking about. The White Knight said that In & Out was planning to enter the D/FW market before the economy tanked. If that happens the locals will be getting their first taste of a really good burger. But, I have been told that Fred's Cafe makes an In & Out worthy burger, which I have not tried.

In addition to the Love Burger being a disappointment, the fries arrived cold. The Love Shack fries are ultra-skinny slivers of spud, hence not a lot of mass to retain heat, I guess. And they were very greasy, as in shining with grease.

Maybe it was an off day at the Love Shack. It was being really busy, as in there was a line waiting to get in. Maybe Tim Love is out of town and his Love Shack cooks were being a bit slack. I don't think I'm willing to try it again to see if last Saturday was an off day.

Neither is Elsie Hotpepper. Yesterday she told me she was taking me out for a burger, but not to any place with "Shack" in the name.

Watch the below video to see Elsie and a lot of cows....

Gas Falls to $1.94 in Fort Worth

On the way to the Tandy Hills today to go hiking with Anonymous 1 & 2 I saw gas had gone down another nickel at the Tandy Hills Gas Station. So, when I was done with the hiking, 2 hours of hiking, I got me some gas.

It was not convenient to call my mom likely I usually do when I get gas. I'll call tomorrow to tell her I got gas. She'll want to complain about her weather. Last week when I called after I got gas she told me they'd not gotten under 90 in the Phoenix zone yet. But last night I saw it got down to 49. So, mom should be chilly.

Mom and dad suffered along with me with the frigid winter-like cold of Tacoma last summer. Those who've never acclimated to a HOT climate don't understand what it's like to go from being acclimated to 100 degree plus temps to a place where 60 is considered hot.

Have I mentioned my friend from way back in grade school who moved to the South the same time I did? She moved to Ada, Oklahoma. She has now moved back to Washington. They have been up there since June. I talked to her earlier in the week and I asked if she's gotten acclimated to the cold yet. She said she hasn't.

I remember my next to the last day up in Tacoma, it was so cold, I was shivering. Someone called and I said I was freezing. I was told I complain about the cold to get attention. That annoyed me. Because it was an ignorant thing to say. It still annoys me. How can someone be so stupid as to tell someone they are trying to get attention due to saying they are cold? What is the attention one would be getting. I really can not stand stupid people. I've just now made up my mind on that serious issue.

The hike on the Tandy Hills trails went in some new directions today, all the way out of the park to the west to view the Chesapeake Energy Tandy Hills Desecration Zone and all the way to the east on a trail I don't remember being on before. This trail went over the boulder strewn creek bed you see in the photo. It ended at a nice little pocket part that had a picnic table, BBQ and strange square wooden places to sit.

I think I'm going to the Fort Worth Stockyards tomorrow. That plan may change. I want to have a Dirty Love Burger at the Love Shack. That's one of Fort Worth's celebrity chef, Tim Love's restaurants.

The Love Shack used to be the outdoor singing zone for the White Elephant Saloon. But now it's been turned into the outdoor eating zone (and likely singing, too) for the Love Shack.

The Love Shack's Dirty Love Burger keeps getting mentioned as being among the best in various venues, like magazine articles, ranking burgers. My best all time burger is an In & Out burger. The locals think this place called Kincaid's is the best local burger. I didn't care for Kincaid's. These people need to get out of Fort Worth more often.