Falling In Texas With Other Pains At Fort Worth's Fosdic Lake

I think I mentioned that I talked to Elsie Hotpepper this morning. Elsie was not long out of bed. I think she was only half awake and not at all recovered from the previous night's shenanigans, which somehow left Elsie's voice about 2 octaves lower than normal and her Texas drawl about 2 octaves lower, as well.

And then I heard from my therapist, Dr. L.C., grilling me about why I'm getting up so early. Dr. L.C. does not sounds as raspy as Elsie Hotpepper.

I don't know why my therapist is now concerned with when I get up in the morning. Yesterday it was concern about how late I have lunch. I tell you I live with an Orwellian level of Big Brother monitoring. It's very stifling.

To get temporary relief from feeling stifled, around noon, I went to Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdic Lake. My quest to find Oakland Lake remains a quest. As you can see, in the picture, it was not being even remotely sunny when I was out walking.

I ended up only slightly sore from yesterday's fall. The slip and slide incident was not painful, unlike last week's ankle twisting fall by my mailbox. There seems to be an epidemic of falls and backaches among those I know.

My little sister is out of commission with an aching back. The Scrabble Queen of Washington is currently in back pain. Perry Mason's little sister, Lori, took a bad fall while gardening. Elsie Hotpepper falls regularly during her nightly shenanigans. Tootsie Tonasket took a tumble, on Sunday, whilst trying to chase a deer from her garden.

I'm sure I am forgetting some aches and pains. But, you know who you are.

Buying An ALDI Bag While Finding Pool Treasure & Recovering From Yesterday's Texas Storm

Yesterday when I was in Hurst I went to another of the newly opened ALDI Food Markets. I did not have my ALDI bag. I didn't get much and only needed one bag. On my first ALDI visit the ALDI checkout person told me you get one ALDI bag free, extras cost a dime each.

So, imagine my shock when I looked at my ALDI receipt, later, to find I'd been charged a dime for an ALDI bag, plus a penny tax, for a grand total for the ALDI bag of 11 cents.

Now, to most people 11 cents is no big deal, but to me 11 cents is a significant percentage of my daily income.

And then something happened this morning that is like some fortuitous sign from above that my lifelong bad luck is about to change.

Just as I was about to step into the pool, as I looked down to take my first wet step, what do I see? A dime and a penny. Here I'd been fretting about being charged 11 cents for that ALDI bag, to find myself, this morning, mysteriously reimbursed for my loss.

It is the dawn of a new lease on the future or something like that.

Meanwhile, Elsie Hotpepper left me an urgent text message last night, insisting I call her at once. I did as ordered, but it was after I found my 11 cent windfall, that I saw the text message. I called Elsie. I can't tell you what Elsie needed to talk to me about. Suffice to say it had something to do with the fight against corruption in the Eminent Domain Abuse Capital of the World, Tarrant County, Texas.

And then I had another surprise this morning. Last night the Queen of Wink blogged about her recent trip to San Antonio and made mention of the fact that she and I had discussed one aspect of that trip, that being going to see a doctor about getting Pamela Andersonized. I naively thought this was a private matter.

But then again, of late, I've had to bear witness to an ongoing discussion regarding my personal pectorals, including reading a comment, this morning, from the just mentioned Queen of Wink, where she verbalizes her opinion and personal experience with the issue in question.

Anyway, here's hoping I find some more treasure laying on the ground today. But I won't be treasure hunting on the Tandy Hills. We had a bit of a storm here yesterday that dropped some water. It did not downpour for too long. I had only one close lightning strike. I experienced none of the predicted strong wind gusts.

A Potential Texas Tornado Storm Brews While I Slip On A Fort Worth Mudslide

Something wicked this way comes. A big storm is brewing. It is heading in from the northwest. By that I mean northwest relative to my location, not the location from whence I moved over a decade ago.

The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Alert. Wind gusts to 60, with 2 inch hail. The conditions are such that tornadoes can form from rotating supercells.

I love weather talk. The view in the picture is looking northwest at the incoming storm, after I got back here a little after 5.

On the way back here, after a late in the afternoon hiking on the Tandy Hills, I heard the radio alert about the incoming storm. And mention made of the fact that in a couple days it will be a decade since the killer tornado that struck downtown Fort Worth.

That was my first tornado storm. I lived in the town of Haslet at the time, at the north end of Fort Worth. I was heading to meet up with someone at UNT in West Fort Worth. Ahead I saw an eerie wall of greenish gray clouds. I did not realize at the time I was looking at the wall of clouds that produced the tornado.

I got a call from the person I was heading towards meeting, telling me she was stuck in a basement, due to a tornado. I retreated to my domicile, which was soon to be struck by a barrage of the biggest hail I've ever seen. Between the thunder and that hail it was about the noisiest thing I've ever heard.

Oh, about the mudslide. Hiking the Tandy Hills today I parked by the tower at the top of Tandy Mountain. This put me on trails I'd not been on since the recent deluge. I was heading down a trail and took a grassy detour, due to the trail being muddy. Suddenly I slipped and went sliding down the hill for a short distance.

This covered the entire back of me with mud, and my right arm and hand. I was a mess. Which is ironic, because just hours before, my therapist, Dr. L.C., emailed me saying, simply, "You're a mess." She is very psychic that way. Although her timing is often off.

I don't believe there will be any bruises or aches from this latest mishap.

Now it's time to batten down the hatches and prepare for losing power. By hatches I mean shut the windows.

Fort Chesapeake Guards Tarrant County College While J.D. Granger Drinks Beer

I was heading east on Harwood Road in Hurst around noon when I saw what you're looking at in the picture.

Those of us who live in, well, with, the Barnett Shale, know what this is.

Those outside the Barnett Shale Severe Contamination Pollution Hazardous Zone of Occupation might think this looks like a modernized version of an old Wild West Fort.

If it were, this would be Fort Chesapeake, due to it being a Chesapeake Energy Barnett Shale natural gas drilling site. The wall is put up to muffle the disturb the peace sounds these operations emit.

This particular drilling site is near a couple apartment complexes, some businesses and is located on what I believe is Tarrant County College land. I vaguely recollect reading there was a gas drilling operation on college land. The open land, on which Fort Chesapeake sits, continues to the east a short distance, to where the college campus buildings are located.

With all this open land, I could not help wonder why Tarrant County College did not choose to simply expand at this location, rather than spend 100s of millions of dollars trying to build a downtown Fort Worth campus, which was aborted, prior to finishing, in order to move the downtown campus to the aborted Radio Shack headquarters.

Way too many things get aborted in downtown Fort Worth. Or so it seems to me.

New buildings could have been added and a lot of buses bought to transit students in from around the county for a fraction, I would think, of what the Downtown Fort Worth Tarrant County College boondoggle cost.

On to a totally unrelated note, well, it is related in that it involves something in Tarrant County.

So, last night there was a meeting in a church, a public meeting, held to let the public have input into the Riverside Park wetlands abatement part of the Trinity River Vision. At least that is what I think this was about. What I know for sure, because I read it in the Star-Telegraph (please note, that is Telegraph, not Telegram), that the meeting went bizarrely awry.

The infamously nepotistically benefitting son, J.D. Granger, of Fort Worth's favorite corrupt congresswoman, Kay Granger, was in attendance.

J.D. Granger did not speak at this public meeting. I don't know if J.D. did not speak because he was over medicated with his favorite adult beverage, or what.

I got the picture of J.D. knocking back a Shiner from the Star-Telegraph. For those of you not in Texas, a Shiner is the State Beer of Texas.

You can read all of what the Star-Telegraph's Eagle Eye Reporter had to say here...

I Need To Get Out More & Visit The Top 100 Things To See In The Dallas Fort Worth Area

A couple weeks ago the Dallas Morning News had an article listing the Top 100 Places to Go in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex area that one needs to experience to be a well-rounded Metroplexer.

Well, it is often said I don't get out much, which must be true, because I have been a Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplexer for over 10 years and have not been to too many of the places on this list of 100.

The List of 100 is divided by category. I'll go through the categories one by one to get an idea of how badly I need to get out more.

ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS

Belt Line in Addison
Bishop Arts District
Mockingbird Station
Snider Plaza
Stockyards National Historic District
Sundance Square
Uptown/Knox-Henderson
West End Historic District

Well, I have been to the Fort Worth Stockyards, Mockingbird Station (to ride the DART train), Sundance Square and the West End Historic District. I don't know that I have been to Addison, let alone to Belt Line in Addison, whatever that is.

MUST-SEES

Dallas World Aquarium
Dallas Zoo
Fort Worth Zoo
The French Room
Louis Tussaud's Palace of Wax and Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek
Medieval Times
McKinney Avenue Trolley
Mustangs of Las Colinas at Williams Square
The Old Red Museum of Dallas County History and Culture
Pioneer Plaza
Reunion Tower
Southfork Ranch
White Rock Lake

Well, I've been to the Fort Worth Zoo. Was not favorably impressed. I've walked among the sculptures at Pioneer Plaza. I've seen the similar Mustang sculptures at Los Colinas. I've pedaled my bike around White Rock Lake many times. I've driven by the Palace of Wax and Ripley's and Medieval Times, with no desire to enter. I've ridden by the Dallas Zoo on the DART train. I've driven and walked along Turtle Creek. I've seen the McKinney Avenue Trolley, Reunion Tower and Southfork Ranch. I have no idea what the French Room is.

MUSEUMS

African American Museum
Museum of the American Railroad
American Airlines C.R. Smith Museum
Amon Carter Museum
Cavanaugh Flight Museum
Crow Collection of Asian Art
Dallas Holocaust Museum
Dallas Museum of Art
The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
Frontiers of Flight Museum
Kimbell Art Museum
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
Museum of Nature and Science
Nasher Sculpture Center
National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame
SMU Meadows Museum
The Women's Museum

I am very uncultured. I have only been to the Amon Carter Museum, the Modern Art Museum and the Dallas Museum of Nature and Science. I've stood outside the Women's Museum at Dallas Fair Park, same with the Kimball Art Museum, the National Cowgirl Museum and the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. I'm pretty sure just standing outside a museum does not let me count it has something I have seen.

HISTORY

Chestnut Square Historic Village
Dallas Heritage Village at Old City Park
Dealey Plaza
Fair Park
Grapevine Vintage Railroad
John F. Kennedy Memorial
Log Cabin Village
Owens Spring Creek Farm
Sixth Floor Museum

Shouldn't Dealey Plaza and the Sixth Floor Museum be counted as the same thing? These type lists always seem to have to pad to get to their anointed number. Actually, the John F. Kennedy Memorial is right in the area of Dealey Plaza, too. I've driven by Log Cabin Village in Fort Worth. Nothing I'd be drawn to visiting. I've seen the Grapevine Vintage Railroad, or Tarantula Train, in both Grapevine and at the Fort Worth Stockyards. No desire to ride that train.

ARTS AND CULTURE

Bath House Cultural Center
Dallas Center for Contemporary Art
Latino Cultural Center
McKinney Avenue Contemporary
Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center
Texas Sculpture Garden

I've had no art or culture since I've been in Texas, apparently.

NIGHTLIFE

IV
PM Nightlife Lounge
Absinthe Lounge
Billy Bob's Texas
Deep Ellum Entertainment District
Gilley's Dallas
Ghostbar
Havana Social Club
Inwood Theatre
Lee Harvey's
Loft 610 lounge
White Elephant Saloon

I have no night life, I guess. I have been to Deep Ellum, in Dallas, but not at night.

NATURE AND OUTDOORS

Arbor Hills Nature Preserve
Cedar Hill State Park
Cedar Ridge Preserve
Dallas Arboretum
Dinosaur Valley State Park
Fort Worth Botanic Garden
Fort Worth Nature Center
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center
Heard Natural Science Museum
Katy Trail
River Legacy Park
Texas Discovery Gardens
Trinity River Audubon Center

Apparently I am a Nature & Outdoors type guy. In addition to the places I have links to I've also been to Cedar Hills State Park many times, to hike, bike, swim and picnic.

SPORTS AND RECREATION

Dr Pepper Ballpark
Eisenbergs Skatepark
GameWorks
Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie
Malibu SpeedZone
Mesquite Championship Rodeo
Metroplex BMX
Pizza Hut Park
Rangers Ballpark
Six Flags Over Texas
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor
Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motorplex
Zero Gravity Thrill Amusement Park

It seems I am not much of a Sports & Recreation guy. I've been to Six Flags twice. Did not care for it. I've been to one baseball game in the Ballpark in Arlington, to watch Seattle beat the Rangers or the Rangers beat Seattle, I don't remember who won. I used to live by the Texas Motor Speedway, so I know what and where that is. I've driven by Lone Star Park, I think horses race there. Gameworks is on this list? It's in the Grapevine Mills mall.

SHOPPING

Dallas Farmers Market
First Monday Trade Days in Canton
Galleria Dallas
Ikea Frisco
Neiman Marcus Downtown Dallas
NorthPark Center

I'm not much of a shopper, so I'm surprised I've been to 3 of the Shopping places on this list, with the third being Galleria Dallas.

OFFBEAT

The Cockroach Hall of Fame
Mary Kay Cosmetics tours
Mrs Baird's Bakeries tours

I'm guessing whoever made this list of 100 got to 97 and needed 3 more to make it to 100, hence this Offbeat add-on.

HOT In Texas Getting Advice From Twister & Dr. L.C. Plus Elsie Being A Hotpepper

It is in the 70s this afternoon in North Texas. The Tandy Hills were dried out enough from last Friday's deluge and the weekend freak snowstorm, to be nicely hiked today.

I had no choice but to ignore Twister's advisement to not appear in public shirtless until I had liposuction or some other procedure, the details of which I'm forgetting, but it was hot, I was overheating, I needed minimalist attire.

If I remember right, Twister also advised that one of the reasons I overheat so easily is likely due to all that extra heft I pack around. I refuse to go on a diet. I'm okay with being a Big Ol' Fat Texas Boy.

My therapist, Dr. L.C., was full of therapy today. Apparently I constantly have a very mad look about me that is quite scary. Dr. L.C. also complained about my feeding schedule, saying I eat lunch too late for someone who gets up so early. Without saying so directly, it's clear to me that Dr. L.C. agrees with Twister that I need to do a lot of push-ups to get rid of my disgusting flabbiness.

All this therapy is really starting to hurt my delicate feelings.

And then, for no reason fathomable to me, Elsie Hotpepper claimed I implied she was that word that starts with a 'B' and rhymes with rich. Or itch. Or witch. Or snitch. Or, well, you get the idea.

I was seriously offput by Elsie's erroneous slander. I may have thought such a thing to myself, maybe, but the thought surely never rose to the level of me implying, in anyway noticeable, that I thought such a thing.

Rush Limbaugh & My Ditto Head Facebook Friends

I used to find Rush Limbaugh sort of amusing, back before he morphed into what, way too often, comes across to me, nowadays, as the rantings of the disloyal opposition.

I, like many, have grown a bit disappointed in President Obama. I would have preferred Hillary.

A couple times, during the pre-election period, Obama amazed me with nonsense. Like the day he repeated, several times, that over 10,000 had died in a tornado, in, I think, if I remember right, Kansas.

It appalled me that Obama did not intuitively know that 10,000 number had to be wrong, because, if it were correct, this would make that tornado the worst natural disaster in American history.

And then, just recently, speaking to a group of workers, Obama told them that the Health Care Reform would lower the Health Care Cost of a business by around 3,000 percent. Thus, possibly causing the business owner to give the workers a raise. The sheep roundly applauded.

How could Obama utter that ridiculous 3,000 percent figure and not intuitively know it was ridiculous? I mean, I suck at math, but even I can figure out that if you reduce a cost by just 100%, it now costs zero. But 3,000%?

I don't think things like this are impeachable offenses. But, maybe they should be.

And then we have Rush Limbaugh's Ditto-heads, mindlessly repeating twisted iterations of the stuff they hear him spout.

Just looking at my Facebook page and the comments made by some of my "Friends" is sort of scary.

I'll copy and paste some of them, leaving out the names so as to avoid embarrassing anyone anymore than they should already be embarrassed...

"My flag is upside down in distress. Last nite, our constitution was subverted and perverted by domestic enemies. From a 25 year AF vet."

"All Liberty loving patriots should be flying their flags upside down today and until we can take our country back!"

"We have been putting our flag stamps upside down ever since these dimwits took over our gov't!!! And good to see a lot of people still love the U.S.OF A.!!!!!"

"Well goodbye former United States of America hello United Socialist States of America !! Never will be the same !!!"

"I don't know if I am more sad or angry I can't believe they sold us out . I don't know if I want to cry or scream. All our fore fathers fought for sold out over a stinking lie from a stinking liar. How could anyone fall for his garbage !! Got to vent or I will blow up !!"

"It is a very sad night....but Jesus is coming soon!"

"I don't know if I'm more sad or angry either. I sat on the couch and cried the night Obama was elected because I knew it was going to be the beginning of the end of this great country."

"I did to, it was spiritual we were weeping for our nation. I still am, even knowing Jesus will come soon, but it so hard to see this great country go down to the likes of these thugs it breaks my heart. Honestly it makes me sick to my stomach. We are in for a rocky ride. May God have mercy on us!!"

"WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!!!!! GOOD BYE TO BEING A WORLD SUPER POWER!!! HELLO 1.2 TRILLION DOLLARS IN DEBT AND CHINA OWNING US!!!!!!!"

Also on Facebook one of my more reasonable "Friends" linked to and commented about a Facebook Fan Page called "Help Rush Limbaugh Remember To Leave The Country."

"On March 9th, 2010, Rush Limbaugh made a promise on his radio show to leave the country if the new healthcare bill passes. Unfortunately, Rush is a very busy guy. That's where we come in. To help Rush with his bucket list, I suggest members of this group send him friendly reminders whenever they have a chance to help remind and encourage him to stick to his guns and help him keep the courage of his convictions."

2010 Fort Worth MAIN ST. Arts Festival

In April, Fort Worth has two BIG festivals. First up is the Main Street Arts Festival, opening Thursday, April 8 at 10am.

Then on Saturday, April 24, the Tandy Hills come alive with the sights and sounds of the Prairie Fest.

I have not gone to the MAIN ST. Arts Festival in a few years. It is by far the best of this type festival that I've gone to. This was the first event type thing I saw in Texas that impressed me as being the best I'd ever seen.

Canton First Monday Trade Days is another Texas event, the likes and size of which, I've seen no where else.

When I was at the Fremont Sunday Market, in Seattle, in August of 2008 a lady showed up, conversed, I noticed the accent, asked if she was from Texas. She was. Austin. She gave me her business card. It had an example of her art. I asked if she'd displayed at the Fort Worth Main Street Arts Festival, because her art looked familiar. She said she's there every year. I'll find her, this year, but she won't remember me. Probably.

Click for more info about the Main Street Arts Festival...

Doing Texas Twister Push Ups While Walking Among White Wildflowers In Fort Worth

In my mind I was glaring at Mister Twister when the picture of me doing push-ups was taken.

Yesterday morning, Mister Twister went virtually swimming with me.

Later that day, Mister Twister told me, as best as I can remember, that I am in terrible shape, a big flabby mess and that I needed to start doing a lot of push-ups to get rid of my big ol' man boobs.

Or as Gar the Texan calls them, well his, moobs.

Now, it sort of disturbed me that Mister Twister would focus so much attention on what he said were my pathetically ill-defined sagging pectoral muscles. I think if I thought such thoughts about someone I'd keep it to myself.

Anyway, now that Mister Twister made me aware that I am seriously out of shape, I have followed his advice, as in this morning I did 200 push-ups, or thereabouts. As a result I feel right now as if someone has gut punched me.

Prior to today's amping up of the physical strain I put myself through, my only physical activity has been extremely short pool dips and short walks.

Today I did both the dip and the walk and those 200 push-ups. The walk was around Fosdic Lake in Oakland Lake Park. It seems like the wildflowers are being late to appear. Today I did see several interesting looking fluffy, white flowers.

Yesterday's snowy, extremely cold first day of Spring is now a faded, bad memory. Right now, coming up on 4 in the afternoon it is 66 and I'm back with open windows.

Just as I typed that yesterday's cold is now a faded bad memory I saw incoming email pop up on the other monitor.

In response to me whining about yesterday's Arctic Cold, Miss BS, well, she prefers me to refer to as Miss Oahu, not BS, but that's extra letters to type and I'm all about brevity.

Anyway, Miss O said, "DJ, as the hippy dippy weather man used to say...'tonight's forecast dark with scattered light in the morning...and if you don't like the weather MOVE'. "

Well, turns out I didn't need to MOVE. Yet. It's warm again.

And on a totally unrelated subject, the last of my Missing Persons has been found. The Scrabble Queen of Washington is back in the Evergreen State. And beating me at Scrabble. For the most part. I did score big with "quirk" today. Actually, I score pretty big with "quirk" almost every day, now that you're making me think about it.

Some Genius: Albert Einstein Wanted Socialism To Eliminate The Evils Of Capitalism

There are way too many people, saying way too much, way too often, that the Health Care Reform Bill will ruin the Republic and turn the U.S. into a Socialist State.

It makes my head hurt.

My Uncle Albert liked the idea of Socialism. He seemed to understand what Socialism actually is. In 1949 Albert Einstein had the following to say about Socialism. Does this sound like he's describing the bill that the House passed on Sunday?

"I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate (the) grave evils (of capitalism), namely through the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational system which would be oriented toward social goals. In such an economy, the means of production are owned by society itself and are utilized in a planned fashion. A planned economy, which adjusts production to the needs of the community, would distribute the work to be done among all those able to work and would guarantee a livelihood to every man, woman, and child. The education of the individual, in addition to promoting his own innate abilities, would attempt to develop in him a sense of responsibility for his fellow-men in place of the glorification of power and success in our present society."

Uncle Albert was a pretty smart guy. He escaped Nazi Germany to come to America.

Canada has Universal Health Care. The last time I visited Canada it did not seem all that much different than America, sort of like America Lite, with an annoying tendency to end every sentence with "eh".

The bill that passed on Sunday does not change the American Health system into a government run, owned and controlled operation.

I'm of the opinion that it would not be a bad thing if somehow a way was found to provide Americans Universal Health Care. I saw a little girl, about 9, last week at Wal-Mart, with a very bad club foot. This is a treatable condition. Anyone seen any 9 year old Canadian kid with a bad club foot?

I don't get how people can rail against this Health Care Reform bill as being a big, bad, socialist thing.

These same people don't seem to be upset by our public school system, which is a socialized school system.

Or with our public road system, which is a socialized road system.

Or with our military, which is a socialized defense system.

Or with NASA, which is a socialized space system.

Or when a state or the federal government builds a dam.

I'm sure there are plenty of other examples where the government does something that benefits everyone.

The presidents prior to, I think, Andrew Jackson, believed it was not the government's business to build roads or canals.

Would America of 2010 be better off if the government did not act for the collective good? If the government left it to private business to build roads, levees, schools, libraries, dams, power plants or space vehicles?

Anyway, those who are all in worry mode that all is lost and we are sliding down a slippery slope towards a Socialist non-Utopia, read the Wikipedia article about Socialism to get an idea what the word actually means.