Nephew Theo Takes Over Washington Governor Seat

This morning's email brought some new photos from my old home state of Washington.

Apparently yesterday David, Theo and Ruby took their parental units to Olympia, where their mother, my little sister, Michele, helps the state investigate complaints about judges and prosecutors.

I have long wondered if Texas has someone doing similar investigating.

I suspect not.

Because of what I have seen of Texas judges, in person, the state dire needs someone doing such.

Starting with any judge stupid enough to have any sort of Tea Party association.

Regarding the photo above, can you find David, Theo and Ruby looking at you with the Washington State Capitol building behind them?

Washington's current governor, Jay Inslee, temporarily gave up his governor's seat so Theo could sit on it.

After seeing what it felt like to sit like a governor Theo determined that it was time to go to a beach so he could drive his new truck.

And so it was to north of downtown Olympia Theo directed his driver, to Priest Point Park on the Budd Inlet of Puget Sound.

In the above photo documentation Theo has remotely driven his truck to water's edge. Is his truck waterproof? I don't know.

The Final HOT Day Of July In Texas Thinking About My Nephew David In A Copter & Gar The Texan Up A Creek

You are looking at a very rare early afternoon view from my secondary viewing portal on the outer world on this very last day of July.

As you can see there is nary a cloud in the sky. What you can not see is the outer world is currently heated to one degree under 100.

I was in the cool pool for over an hour this morning, very early, due to being up and awake since 4 this morning.

I am feeling a bit beat up, for various reasons, making me in no mood to get in a better mood by getting myself my regular endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation.

I did go walk around Wal-Mart, though, during my regular walk time, due to needing bread and coffee.

Changing the subject to something else.

I'd not subjected myself to reading Gar the Texan's blog in awhile. He'd been promising a major upgrade with a new title and, I hope, a change to the current color scheme.

Gar the Texan is always really sparse with details, but, I was able to glean that last week he flew up to Idaho with his current unnamed Gal Pal. I hope this one speaks English.

Gar the Texan was pleased to wake up in Idaho to find the temperature was only 8 degrees above freezing and to see a deer in the backyard. When I lived in Washington I grew tired of the deer who terrorized my foliage, particularly my fruit trees.

Apparently Gar the Texan had never seen a deer before, in the wild, and this has led him to conclude that living in Texas all his life has been a big mistake. That and he discovered that other parts of the country have these things called brew pubs, in abundance.

At one point during his Idaho visit Gar the Texan paddled some sort of boat device on the Salmon River for several miles, which, if I understood correctly what I was reading, somehow caused a case of the vapors, which had Gar the Texan seeking out an Emergency Room at a hospital.

Like I already said, Gar the Texan is always very very sparse with details and corroborating photographic evidence of what his sparse details describe.

Changing the subject again, this time to my nephew David.

That is David in the picture, holding on to the controls of a helicopter in Olympia.

David and his twin siblings, Theo John and Ruby Jean, were in Olympia on Saturday to visit a cool park, the name of which, or why it is cool,  I do not know.

After visiting the cool park they stumbled on an event called Touch a Truck. David got to check out a firetruck, dumptruck, ambulance, police car, a couple buses, a bread truck, a semi and a lot more, including the helicopter, which technically is not a truck, but does haul stuff.

Theo followed his big brother on most of the trucks, whilst Ruby watched.

It has been a long time since I had fun playing with little nephews. I've never played with a little niece. I got to have some fun with my nephew, Spencer Jack, in March, in Arizona, I forgot about that, so it hasn't been all that long since I had fun playing with a little nephew.

I hope my uncle powers remain strong. I've been out of practice. It's likely like riding a bike, a skill you master once and don't forget.

UPDATE: One of David, Theo and Ruby's parental units has explained why the Olympia park they played in on Saturday was cool and that the name of the park is Yauger Park.

Quoting the parental unit's description of Yauger Park, "It’s cool because of the giant and super fast slides!  It also has swings, a toddler climbing toy, ball fields, skate park and plenty of room to run around."

That does appear to be one gigantic piece of playground equipment. Other pictures documenting the park's coolness showed the gigantic slides. I want to play in Yauger Park.

Town Talk Talk & Fosdic Lake This Cold Texas Fall Day

I have not made it to any of my usual places I make it to lately. I guess it's weather related. Today started off windy and foggy and then got colder.

I went to walk around Fosdic Lake today at Oakland Lake Park. My new best friend, Martha, mentioned Oakland Park to me yesterday and the fact that though she's a longtime native girl, with mom and dad in the neighborhood, she did not know of Fosdic Lake.

Martha is currently exiled in Vancouver, B.C. That's up in Canada. Martha is going to finally see Fosdic Lake when she comes to her old hometown this Christmas. Martha, if you are reading this, be sure and bring some bird food for the ducks. They can be quite demanding.

Speaking of the Northwest. After Fosdic Lake I went to Town Talk. That's the grocery store I've mentioned before where I find all sorts of good stuff real cheap. I'm all about cheap. Fort Worth Weekly had Town Talk in its Best of 2009 issue, informing its readers about the gourmet type stuff you can find there at cut-rate prices.

So, I was checking out at Town Talk. The checkout lady asked me if it had gotten colder. I said yes it had. And added that the weather here lately has been reminding me of the Pacific Northwest in winter. A lady behind me, a mom with her daughter, asked me where I was from in the Northwest. I told her. She then made some remark about Fort Worth and Texas being the opposite of where I was from.

I said, yeah, that is pretty true. I asked if she'd been up there. She said no, but her daughter had and wants to move to Olympia. I agreed Olympia was nice and mentioned the cool farmers market there. The daughter had been to it. The mom then asked if it is true that there are flowers everywhere. Yes, it's true, I said. I told her when I'm away for awhile and return in summer, it takes me awhile to get over thinking everywhere smells like Christmas trees. And all the color is real noticeable. And the free blackberries just waiting to be picked.

The mom said something like you're making me want to move there too. I then said, remember what started this conversation. As in, winter up in Washington is like this fall is being in Texas. Wet, gray, foggy, damp and cold.

Anyway, that was the Town Talk talk as near as I can remember it.

Washington's Governor, Chris Gregoire, Not Old Enough For Liquor

As if any additional proof that the Pacific Northwest's moist climate youthifies those who live here, the governor of Washington, 61 year old Chris Gregoire, governor by benefit of winning one of the closest gubernatorial races in history, with multiple recounts, was recently denied being able to order a beer due to the governor not having I.D. showing that she was over 21.

The governor had been serving burgers at some annual event in Olympia. Afterwards, to celebrate a successful completion of the burger task, the governor and a group, including her husband, decided to go to an Olympia bar named Hannah's.

The bouncer at the entry demanded to see the governor's I.D. When she could not produce one, several in her entourage pointed out to the 23 year old bouncer that this was the governor of Washington. This information did not persuade the bouncer to let the governor in for her pitcher or two of beer.

Hannah's owner, Todd Ruzicka, said it's apparent the bouncer needs some more training.

In the meantime, Governor Gregoire feels quite complimented that a 23 year old guy thinks she looks younger than 21. I know how she feels. Happens to me all the time.