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.

YouTube Rattlesnakes, Australians, Americans, Texans & Nazis

This morning I learned I do not get sent an email every time someone comments on one of my YouTube Videos.

I learned this when I did get an email, with a comment, from an Australian about my Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup video.

I then went to my YouTube Account to see that there has been a lot of commenting going on about Rattlesnakes, Texans, Americans, Nazis and other things, that I had no idea people were saying, spurred by watching my video about the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup.

I'll share comments from 3 commenters. First the Australian, OneiroscopeB...

I'm an Australian. Our snakes are far more venomous than rattlesnakes, or any other American snakes. Yet they are protected as native wildlife and a vital part of our ecology. I can't imagine any civilized country allowing such public displays of horrendous cruelty and slaughter! It wouldn't even get off the ground here. But we are obviously more civilized than Texans are.

I don't understand why you need to prove your virility (or something. It doesn't make you any kind of hero, just another inadequate American trying to prove what a 'man' he is. Or might be, if no-one is looking too hard. They are native wildlife and should be protected, as they are in more civilized countries.

I am not sure what comment OneiroscopeB is reacting to, but it would seem someone must have brought up how civilized, or uncivilized various countries are, regarding the snake issue, I guess.

jimandmarcus had something to say about Civilized Countries...

Oh Yes-civilized. Countries where killing a snake is a horror, but abortion is rampant. Civilized. Like morally decadent France? Or Germany, who produced the Nazis? Or how about Greece? THEY are acting REALLY civilized. And I don't have to prove anything. Not to myself, and CERTAINLY not to you.

And then asmodayose weighed in, sharing his view that the Rattlesnake is an American symbol. This was news to me...

Rattlesnakes play an important part in the ecosystem, hence why they evolved to live in the areas they do. And as for livestock lost to rattlesnake bites, it is minimal. If you want I can post you to a paper written by a group of herpetologists that states the statistics for livestock deaths relating to snake bites. Besides, do you really want to get rid of an animal that is an American symbol of freedom and fighting? 'Don't tread on me.'

You can watch the YouTube Video these people are talking about, below....

LOST & Dizzy Looking Down Tandy Hills Manholes

I am having myself another Dizzy Day in Texas. DDT.

I gave up on watching LOST, to the end, last night, when my DVR caught up with the commercials. Waiting for commercials ruins my TV viewing mood.

Watching what I did watch of LOST made me even dizzier. Prior to LOST I'd been over at Miss Puerto Rico's where she added to my dizziness. Prior to going to Miss Puerto Rico's I'd gone for my second swim of the day.

And then I was back swimming really early this morning. I don't seem to be very dizzy when I'm swimming.

I have to be at a location in Euless in about an hour. So, I decided to get my endorphin fix earlier than normal. I parked by the Tandy Tower. I soon could tell the Fort Worth Water Boys were back in the jungle playing with their pipes.

The Water Operation has now crossed Tandy Falls. The Falls is currently a Dry Falls. A large truck had crossed the Tandy Falls Escarpment and was on the north side of the Falls doing whatever it is it was doing. Another smaller vehicle, a jeep-like device with 3 big people onboard, was crossing the Tandy Falls Escarpment, in reverse.

The jeep-like device in reverse is what you are looking at in the picture above.

South of the Falls there were 2 trucks by one of the manhole covers, which was uncovered. Next to the uncovered manhole was an interesting looking device. I asked what it was. A mechanical robot type thing. I think it chopped roots.

I looked into the manhole hole and was surprised by the amount of water I saw rushing by.

Looking into the manhole hole and seeing the rushing water did not make me dizzy. Each of the Tandy Hill climbs did make me dizzy, today, though.

Speaking of even more dizziness, today, Elsie Hotpepper and I have been talking about going to hear some music at the Red Rock Amphitheatre by Denver.

That's been my exciting, dizzy Monday, so far, today in Texas. Now, I'm out of here, again, for a couple hours.

RadioShack's $10.7 Million Fort Worth Extortion Scheme

I have been in one of my cycles of feeling like why bother whining about the latest bizarro iteration of the Fort Worth Way's way of running a town.

After awhile you can't help but realize it is pointless to point out anything, when you can point out something so obvious as the fact that Fort Worth's Mayor Mike Moncrief has multiple criminal conflicts of interests where he monetarily gains to the tune of over $600,000 a year from the Barnett Shale gas drillers poking holes all over the town of which he is mayor.

Fort Worth's goofily corrupt mayor's latest goofy corruptness has been urging the Fort Worth City Council to approve a proposal to give RadioShack $10.7 million in tax breaks. Moncrief told the City Council that the deal, also known as an extorting shakedown, with RadioShack, is a "unique and productive partnership" that is "a good deal for all of us."

Just 8 short years ago special tax districts were created with tax breaks lasting 30 years, while eminent domain was abused to boot low-income citizens from the Ripley Arnold housing project, so RadioShack could build a new corporate headquarters. All the RadioShack incentives totaled up to $96 million.

The new RadioShack Corporate Headquarters was built. Soon, RadioShack found they could not afford it. Then another Fort Worth Boondoggle, the downtown campus of Tarrant County College bailed on its new building, and bought into the RadioShack building for their new campus.

Now, inside the rarified chambers of Fort Worth's city government, one of their operating premises is that it is a great benefit to Fort Worth to have a prestigious Fortune 500 company, like RadioShack, headquartered in Fort Worth.

And so, in those rarified chambers it makes sense to give RadioShack a lot more money if RadioShack would kindly stay in town for another 5 years.

I really don't see how having RadioShack in your town is all that great a deal. I really have never understood how they stay in business with their junky stores.

Now, what I'm thinking is Fort Worth would be well rid of RadioShack. Look at the damage RadioShack has done to Fort Worth. Where the new headquarters were built there had been huge, free parking lots. A free subway took you from those parking lots to the heart of downtown Fort Worth. This made it so easy to go to downtown Fort Worth. I used to do that frequently. I have seldom gone to downtown Fort Worth in the years since RadioShack destroyed downtown Fort Worth's best asset.

I don't know what the problem is with Fort Worth and new corporate headquarters. Pier One Imports built a new corporate headquarters, about the same time as RadioShack. The Pier One Imports Headquarters has now been taken over by Chesapeake Energy, used as the base of operations from which Chesapeake runs its shadow Fort Worth government.

The RadioShack CEO, Julian Day, was paid $8 million in 2009.

Fort Worth is closing swimming pools, cutting library hours, not filling potholes, not doing a lot of things, due to revenue shortfalls.

How is it anything but insane for Mike Moncrief and the Fort Worth City Council to consider giving a company like RadioShack, which has already done so much damage to Fort Worth, $10.7 million more? Instead, why is there not a demand that RadioShack return money to Fort Worth, due to the fact that their new Corporate Headquarters did not live up to the bill of goods RadioShack sold the city. It did not spur development on the Trinity River, it did not end up being a commitment to the city that lasted generations.

The commitment lasted a couple years, if that. Fort Worth should now sue for divorce from RadioShack, in my humble opinion.

The Eyes Of Texas Are Upon You Dirty Litterbugs

I saw this sign out in East Texas, at an I-30 rest area. I was on my to Kilgore. Kilgore has a good museum about the East Texas oil boom, but I digress.

When I first saw this sign I thought it was an anti-litter sign. But, those always say "Don't Mess With Texas." Not, "The Eyes Of Texas Are Upon You!"

This sign was imploring cell phoners to be snitches. Maybe that particular rest area, on the way to Kilgore, had a lot of criminal activity and emergencies.

Texas litter is freshly on my mind due to Zelda del West putting it there. Zelda is currently vexed about Texas litter, particularly in the San Antonio zone.

Apparently the San Antonio litter problem has become a serious issue. My one and only time visiting San Antonio I did not notice all that much litter.

But, I may be warped in my litter perceptions due to my current location, which I believe must be the Litter Capital of the World, also known as Fort Worth, also known as Dirty ol' Town.

A few weeks ago there was a letter to the editor of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram opining that North Texas had a natural anti air pollution system, where Mother Nature simply blew the bad air across the Red River to Oklahoma.

I believe a lot of North Texans subscribe to the same Mother Nature method for disposing of litter. My favorite disposal method, that I have seen many many times, is to drive down the freeway with your pickup bed loaded with trash, letting the rush of air dispose of it as you drive along.

I don't know what direction the prevailing wind blows here. Is it north, most of the time? If so, does the litter relentlessly march on Oklahoma, just like the bad air? Why don't the Oklahomans get cranky about this? Or do the Okies subscribe to the same litter disposal method and send theirs north to Kansas?

Anyway, I really don't understand why way too many Texans are way too cavalier about trashing their part of the planet. It really is not all that difficult to pick up after yourself and toss litter into a proper receptacle.

Walking In The Tandy Hills Emerald Forest Thinking Of Dinosaur Valley & Turner Falls

We are deep in the Tandy Hills Emerald Forest Jungle in the picture. It sort of looks like a Washington Olympic Rain Forest. Without moss. Or moose, elk, deer or bear.

My low blood pressure dizziness continues. My favorite West Texas Witch Doctor prescribed more salt for me.

When Gar the Texan returns from learning to play football in Italy he's going to go hiking with me.

Some time ago I recollect Gar the Texan telling me he had never gone on a hike. I remember, at the time I heard that, that it struck me as such a sad thing.

So, I drove the boy down to what, at that point in time, was the best place I'd found to hike in Texas, that being Dinosaur Valley.

I was a little apprehensive regarding hiking with Gar the Texan, due to the fact that every time we'd gone on a bike ride he developed a very serious case of the vapors, with only one of those vapors incidents making sense to me, because Gar had had one of the most spectacular bike wrecks I'd ever witnessed, flying over the handlebars and doing a tuck and roll.

It was quite an athletic spectacle.

Followed by a bad case of the vapors. Gar had to stay stationary while I retrieved vehicular transport to rescue him.

There had been another pre-Dinosaur Valley type hiking excursion, that I did not think of as being a hiking destination, but it turned into one. This was at Turner Falls Park in early January. Gar the Texan had had a bad case of the vapors attack on the way to Turner Falls, but, by the time we were there, he was a rock climbing, cave exploring, trail hiking maniac, with no more vapor attacks.

Gar the Texan's hiking at Dinosaur Valley surprised me. For one thing, there is a rather strenuous climb up a cliff. The hike is several miles. By the time we came to a junction, that led back to where we started, I pointed out some trails and said those are mountain biking trails on which it is very easy to get lost. Gar wanted to go hike them! But I was hungry and had had enough hiking for the day.

Anyway, I'm sitting here feeling dizzy. I made burgers and mashed spuds for lunch. Salt went into the spuds. So much for my West Texas Witch Doctor's prescription.

Texas Has Done Wonders For My High Blood Pressure

The past couple days I've been feeling more light-headed than usual, with a couple incidents of being downright dizzy.

I don't think I've mentioned it before, but I've long had a high blood pressure problem. I first learned of this in 1985 when a doctor got all dramatic over my high blood pressure. I explained that my blood pressure was highly labile and very reactive to situations where I was nervous.

Such as visiting a doctor.

I remember an incident, about a decade later, in a Moab, Utah grocery store. I was feeling stressed out, mostly due to not being all that pleased with my travel companions. The pharmacy in the grocery store had one of those blood pressure checking machines.

I may be remembering what happened wrong, time and nightmares may have augmented what actually happened. But, the way I remember it, my blood pressure was something like 279/156. An alarm went off and a message flashed warning of an eminent stroke.

What I remember for sure is I was not pleased.

At that point in time I was in good shape, or so I thought. I definitely was not overweight. I was in Moab to go mountain biking.

In the years since the Moab Alarm, eating right, exercising a lot and trying as best I can to avoid stressful situations, has had my blood pressure being not quite so dire.

So, this morning, with me feeling so light-headed, I thought this might mean my blood pressure is being a bit low.

I have a self-testing blood pressure device. I'd not used it in a long time, til this morning. I was a bit surprised to see numbers I've not seen before. As in 96/61 with a pulse rate of 46. I re-took it several times with similar results.

Is this a good thing? Or have I swung too far in the other direction? Do I need to add some stress to get my blood pressure back up again? Cut back on the exercise? Gain some weight?

It's very perplexing. I think I'll go with choosing to believe I'm being extremely healthy.

A Sunny Saturday Sunny Wildflower & Sunny Disposition

That Sunny Wildflower you're looking at matches my Sunny Disposition this Sunny Saturday in May.

I don't know who does the color coordinating of the Texas Wildflowers, but I do know whoever picks the color schemes does a really good job at it.

Currently the wildflower you're looking at here is being the main remaining color coloring up the prairie.

I'm looking at a long day and night, today, with the long day and night starting off early this morning with my regular early morning swim.

I almost overheated hiking the Tandy Hills today. Why? I don't know. It was not all that hot. Barely 80. Heading to a forecast high, today, of 92. I knew I needed a strong endorphin fix, so I'd have plenty of relaxed energy to be better able to survive my Oklahoma Ordeal that starts up in an hour or two.

I think I ventilated enough oxygen to guarantee a good blood flow and endorphin enhanced mood to last til, at least, midnight.

I hope.

Subscribing & Following Causing Angst In The Pants

Some time ago the Google Blogger added a "Followers" option that you could add to your blog. It seemed an innocuous thing. I added it and put it way at the bottom of the blog.

There is also a Feed Subscriber link on this blog. I get Subscriber info via Feedburner. The number of Subscribers, of late, goes up and down, erratically. One day it'll be 466, the next day the number will be 213, the day after that it'll be 488.

I have trouble believing that there are all these people out there subscribing, and then unsubscribing. And then more subscribing.

And, what is the purpose of having both Subscribers and Followers?

So, yesterday I got another Follower. Called "angnts in the pants."

I assume "angnts" had intended "angst" not "angnts".

But you never know. That is a picture of "angnts in the pants" looking all black and white, well, actually, mostly gray.

"angnts" seems to evidence a slight resemblance to a plus-sized version of the Queen of Wink. Looking at the profile, on the "angnts in the pants" blog, I see she is both an educator and a mother and is in the United States. All in common with the Queen of Wink.

Why would the Queen of Wink be having angst in her pants? I really have no idea. I know that recently she has talked of unleashing a flood of something on someone or thing. This flood could be angst related, for all I know.

This makes 2 times this week I've thought the Queen of Wink may be activating a new identity. A couple days ago I thought the Queen might be Zelda del West & Lulu Lopez. I have since been disabused of that erroneous notion.

I feel more certain that the Queen of Wink is Angst (spelling corrected) in the Pants than I was that she was Zelda del West & Lulu Lopez. Then again, it's not like the Queen of Wink to misspell something as easy to spell as angst.

It's all very perplexing.

Saturday Night At WinStar World Casino Resort With Four Tops, Temptations, Monopoly, A Prius & Delores de Loca

That is not the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel you're looking at. The ceiling you're looking at is not in Italy, it's in Oklahoma, in the WinStar World Casino Resort. Or, is the proper word order WinStar World Resort Casino?

I'll find the answer to that question tonight.

Yes, I am heading north, across the Red River, to Oklahoma and the town of Thackerville.

Yesterday Miss Tex-Mex, aka Delores de Loca, called to tell me she had tickets to see The Four Tops & The Temptations, tonight, at WinStar.

I am not a huge fan of going to music concert type things. Particularly to listen to bands whose heyday was long ago, about whom I do not remember a single song.

Recently, as in the past day or two, somewhere I read someone being all excited because Crosby, Stills & Nash was coming to their middle of nowhere town. That sounds wrong. Is it Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young? Anyway, I remember them as a band from long ago, back in the 60s or 70s.

Summer of 2004 I was in Tacoma and got one of those offers you can't refuse type deals, to go see the band called America playing at the Puyallup's Emerald Queen Casino. America had a hit, decades ago, I think the name of the song was "A Horse With No Brain" or something like that.

I managed to weasel out of being subjected to America.

So, why am I agreeing to head north to see The Four Tops & The Temptations? Well, Miss de Loca has a Prius. I have ridden in a Prius, previously. But I've never had the fun of driving one.

Plus, going to the WinStar buffet was thrown into the offer. I've not been to WinStar World Casino Resort since it was hugely expanded into the 5th biggest casino in the world. The original WinStar configuration had one of the best casino buffets I've ever been to. And that covers an awful lot of casino buffets. Plus, the WinStar buffet had the absolute best coffee I have ever had in a restaurant.

Since I was last at WinStar the Oklahoma Casinos have grown up into being real casinos with real slot machines. Before that WinStar had these make believe type slot machines that I found confusing and bizarre. I am not a big fan of gambling in any form, but the new type slot machines, that I've played in Washington Casinos, are entertaining. They are more like video games than slot machines. I'm assuming this is what is in WinStar World Casino currently.

So, I may be playing some Monopoly tonight. The casino version of Monopoly that I've played in Washington Casinos, like the Muckleshoot and Emerald Queen, is very entertaining.

Wish me luck...