Stop Texas Bashing Now

Last night I was deleting email from my inbox. Something I do not do too often. Doing so I came upon a lot of feedback emails to my Eyes on Texas website that I likely intended to reply to, or put on my website.

And then forgot about it. I get a lot of email, which is no excuse for forgetting. What is annoying is some of what I forgot about is good stuff.

Like an email from a 7th generation Texan named Curtis. Curtis had come across a webpage I made long ago which had some amusing examples of Texas Bashing and Counter Texas Bashing. On that webpage I solicited for additional Texas Bashing or Counter Texas Bashing comments.

Curtis made a very good Counter Texas Bashing comment that I never got around to adding to the Texas Bashing page. Maybe I lost interest in Bashing Texas. Who knows?

Anyway, below is what Curtis had to say....

As a seventh generation Texan, I read through this page of Texas bashing/counter bashing with a mixture of amusement, sadness, pride, and shame.

I have been fortunate in being able to spend a great deal of time traveling to other parts of the world and meeting an enormous variety of people. Most of my preconceived stereotypes have been destroyed. (Parisians are, in fact, some of the friendliest, most hospitable people in Europe.)

Overseas, especially in Europe, you hear a lot of US bashing and stereotyping. I was amazed at how similar the Texas bashing comments were to the US bashing heard in Europe. My reaction is the same for both; amusement, sadness, pride, and shame. My response is also the same: if you hate us so much, and if we are such an arrogant, bunch of ignorant, red-neck idiots, why do you keep moving here in such great numbers? When the rest of the world bashes the US, they are bashing themselves, for we are a nation made up of people from the rest of the world. When the rest of the US bashes Texas, they are bashing themselves, for Texas is a state full of people from other states and countries. A native Texan (over the age of 20) is a damn rare thing. Round up any 10 adults and 5 will be Mexican, 2 will be from the Midwest, 1 will be some sort of Yankee, 1 will be some sort of westerner, and 1 will be a native Texan.

Most true Texans understand that all of the "bigger and better in Texas" crap is exactly what it is - marketing. We know that having six flags fly over Texas only matters to businesses that are trying to capitalize on Texas pride (only three flags matter: Confederate {states rights - not slavery}, U.S., and Lone Star). We also know that most of our reputation for being loud and obnoxious comes from two sources - Hollywood and T. Boone Pickens (sorry Mr. Pickens but you know its true). If the rest of the nation actually believes everything they saw in the movie Giant, then I have a beautiful ranch and oil field in Marfa that I'd like to sell them.

The Stars Shine Bright This Friday Deep In The Heart Of Texas

The really early view from my patio this Friday morning of July 16 shows a starry starry night.

But not in this picture. In the full size version stars could be seen. Including one very big one that I assume was not a star, but was a planet. Most likely Venus. I think Venus is known as the Morning Star.

I don't often see stars twinkling brightly in this somewhat polluted, both by light and toxins, zone of Texas I currently inhabit.

The fact that the stars are twinkling brightly this morning would seem to be a good indicator that our air here is temporarily cleaner than the norm.

The best night sky I have ever been under was on Lake Powell. I'd never seen the Milky Way look so milky or the moon glow so brightly white. When the moon set behind the canyon walls a spectacular purple glow lit up the canyon edge. And then the glow was gone followed by a much darker sky absent the moonlight, with the stars twinkling way brighter.

I have been told, a time or two, that the Fort Davis zone, where the McDonald's Observatory is located nearby, and which is one of the highest, if not the highest, elevation above sea level-wise, towns in Texas, that the air is very clear, with the stars very bright.

I really think I should see the Fort Davis zone with my own eyes and see those bright stars.

But, not today.

Hiking The Tandy Hills Sauna Steambath While A River Runs Green

95 with the Heat Index making it feel like 102, right now, around 3 in the afternoon.

It was a little cooler than that around noon when I checked in on the Tandy Hills. I parked on top of Mount Tandy. A pile of golf balls has been added to the Tandy Hills Rock Shrine.

They don't show up in the picture, but purple wildflowers, on long stems, are still blooming by this section of Tandy Hills Trail.

With very little wind blowing, to counter that Heat Index with some wind chilling, I really had myself a good sauna/steambath hike today.

After that was over, since I was in the neighborhood, dropping in on Town Talk and its walk-in cooler seemed like a really good idea.

And it was.

On the way back here, crossing the Trinity River on the Randol Mill Road bridge, I was surprised at how quickly the river has gone really low. And it's not looking like a muddy brown mess. Instead green seemed to be the color.

I don't think Fort Worth's goofy mayor Mike Moncrief has been dying the river again. Is it green due to the heat and too much algae?

I am running at a low ebb right now, mostly likely due to being up since 4, that and that hour in the Tandy Hills Sauna/Steambath is really way too relaxing.

I must leave my air-conditioned comfort now to make a delivery. I don't know when I'll be back.

Up Way Before July 15's Cracking Of Dawn In Texas

It was dark enough this morning to see stars twinkling when I stepped outside to take a picture of the view from my patio, way before the arrival of the July 15 sun.

I woke up around 4 and knew there was no more sleeping to be had.

Yesterday as I sat on a picnic table at Oakland Lake Park, looking out at peaceful Fosdic Lake, enjoying the chirping birds and the cicada symphony, I sketched out a lot of webpage stuff.

Being outdoors, enjoying Mother Nature, is very conducive to the creative process. Or so I have found. I think this may be part of the reason for my daily addiction to aerobicizing myself at places like the Tandy Hills. Which I will do today.

It is only 79, right now, at half past 5 in the morning. My windows are open. I suspect they will not be open for long. It is going to another HOT day, today, in the Fort.

Sitting On A Fort Worth Picnic Table Pondering Mel Gibson & Other Things

With it being nearly 100 and with me already having had sufficient aerobic stimulation, early this morning, via swimming, plus I found myself doing a lot of walking in Hurst today, I decided to forego my daily constitutional of a vigorous walk.

Have I ever mentioned my walking inspiration is President Harry S Truman. He was a big advocate of a daily walk. When he was President, and after, Harry amused himself by giving press conferences while walking, forcing the news guys to try and keep up with him.

Today I needed to do me some pondering. So, I decided to go to Oakland Lake Park and sit on my favorite picnic table and do some pondering, writing my pondering on a notepad. What I'm
pondering is upgrading my Eyes on Texas website. I spend little time on it, yet it renders returns far in excess of the blogs I spend more time on. Hence the need to ponder.

When I got to my pondering spot I was a bit vexed to see a gang of hoodlums, well, teenagers, who looked to be up to no good. They were within earshot of my favorite picnic table. And I could smell whatever it was they were smoking, which was sort of ruining the fresh air thing I was going for.

That is my favorite picnic table on the right. A drainage ditch runs under it. Maybe the proper terminology is little creek, not ditch.

After about 10 minutes of enduring the hoodlums I decided to drop my no walk decision and walk to the other side of Fosdic Lake. There I found a peaceful picnic table in the shade. And a lot of birds of various feathers flocking together seeking relief from the heat in the shade.

Despite the HEAT there were quite a few people out enjoying it. The wind made the HEAT totally easy to take, particularly when under shade. As I sat and pondered I saw one couple arrive in a bright red car. As the female half exited the car I could tell she was in tiff mode. Not shouting, but she was giving him the talk to the hand signal. I watched them go their separate ways, then him come back looking for her, not realizing she was sitting on a bench on Fosdic Dam.

As I watched all these people having fun, in various ways, at Oakland Lake Park, like the guy fishing with his dog, and the BBQers, it occurred to me that every single one of the people I saw was way happier than Mel Gibson.

Mel Gibson could be anywhere he wanted to be in the world. He has the resources to do anything he wants. Instead he is profoundly unhappy and possible insane. Have you listened to the Mel Gibson tapes? They are ear popping.

I have been exposed to a ranting psychotic a couple times. Sadly the same person was doing the ranting both times. And I exposed myself to that again? That does not speak well to my judgment. Anyway, that ranting that I was subjected to only lasted about a half a minute. Mel Gibson goes on and on and on. Why is he not in jail?

Gar The Texan's Labor Day Bachelor Pad Party

You are looking at an artist's rendering of Gar the Texan's pad in Flower Mound, Texas.

Between now and Labor Day rumor has it that Gar's pad will be turned into Gar the Texan's Bachelor Pad.

Gar has invited a herd of Winkites and Kermitics to stay at his Bachelor Pad over Labor Day Weekend.

I am just a bit sketchy as to why so many West Texans are coming all the way to Gar's Bachelor Pad in Flower Mound, from Wink and Kermit, on Labor Day Weekend.

I am guessing it has something to do with Gar the Texan's reputation for being a wild party boy when he is in bachelor mode, with Labor Day being the first holiday after Gar's return to bachelorhood.

I've invited myself to Gar's Labor Day Bachelor Pad Party.

The largest number of Winkites I have been around at once is two. I am a little worried about how well I'll manage to negotiate a couple dozen Winkites. I don't know if I've ever had social intercourse with a Kermitic. Well, I think, maybe, Gar the Texan might count. He moved from Kermit to Wink, if I remember right. I guess that would make him a partial Kermitic, with a heavy dose of Wink.

Near as I can tell the Queen of Wink is the one who organized Gar the Texan's Labor Day Bachelor Pad Party. The Queen of Wink is good at organizing things.

I'm assuming there will be adult libations and a poolside BBQ. Do we need to bring swimming suits? Or is skinny dipping the swimming mode at a Gar the Texan Bachelor Pad Pool Party?

I suppose those type details will be made plain when the Queen of Wink mails out the invites to Gar the Texan's Bachelor Pad Labor Day Weekend Pool Party.

A Wednesday HEAT Advisory For North Texas From The National Weather Service

The drinking morning coffee morning view looks cool this Ides of July Wednesday. And cool it slightly is, with the temperature in the chilly 70s.

But that won't last, the chilly I mean. The National Weather Service has issued a Heat Advisory for today, with the temperature in the high 90s made even hotter with the humidity making the temperature feel like it's in the 100s.

I won't be doing any noontime hiking today, even though I do so enjoy a good aerobic sauna. I'll be up in Hurst around noon.

I'm thinking I'll wait til the HOTTEST part of the day, somewhere in the 3 to 4 in the afternoon zone, to go spend an hour in the Texas natural sauna.

In the meantime, the sun has totally lit up the place. So, it is time for my morning swim.

Fort Worth Playboy Hash Is #1 Tandy Hills X Suspect

I tell you, there is an underworld of things that take place here in Fort Worth about which I know nothing.

Apparently there have been 648 Fort Worth Runs, alternatively known as Fort Worth Hash. I guess.

On Saturday people gathered at the infamous parking lot, just off Beach Street, on the north side of the Trinity River, where I had fun encounters with gas drilling operatives awhile back.

These people were gathering for the Fort Worth Playboy Hash. To play you come up with $5 Hash Cash. The reason you do this, according to the Fort Worth Hash website, is because of Beer-n-Blondes.

Hashers were asked to wear their skimpiest playboy attire, as in, lingerie, pajamas, bunny tails, blonde wigs, bath robes, well you get the idea.

The website announcement also says "yes, porn will make an appearance on trail!"

And that tacos and other goodies would be provided to munch on.

I am a little confused as to when the Hash Run took place. The gathering began at 5:30pm. But, on the announcement, under "Fort Worth Run No. 648," it says, "End of twilight: 9:06pm," Does this mean the running, I mean, hashing, takes place after dark?

Just minutes ago, Stenotrophomonas reported that when he hiked the Tandy Hills, on Friday afternoon, he saw none of the white powder. By Saturday afternoon, Stenotrophomonas saw the white powder.

The picture at the top shows two X's, well, what I am now calling Hash Marks, that I did not see yesterday, because I did not walk that section of trail.

The Tandy Hills Trails are about 1.25 miles from the Beach Street Playboy Hash meeting location. So, did a group of skimpily clad people make their way south on Beach Street, cross the freeway, then find their way to the Tandy Hills where they wandered the trails looking for white spots and hash marks?

Don Young seems to always know everything that is going on on the Tandy Hills. I'm guessing he was a participant at this event. Or the organizer.

I'm shocked, shocked, I tell you, that I was not invited, what with me regularly hiking the Tandy Hills whilst skimpily clad.

105 At The New Tandy Hills Shrine With More Mysterious X's

I managed to get a decent picture of the New Tandy Hills Shrine today. I think a momentary passing of a cloud may have made the light work, so the rocks showed up.

I don't know what the theme is of the New Tandy Hills Shrine, what it symbolizes, if anything, or who is lining up the rocks.

It is yet one more Tandy Hills mystery.

Like those white X's, marking spots, that I mentioned yesterday. I came upon another of those today.

I also heard from the Ubiquitous Anonymous last night, about the mystery of the white X's.

I'll blog about what Anonymous told me in my next blogging. Suffice to say, bikinis were involved.

Which makes me think that Anonymous is Twister. Because Twister keeps track of anything bikini-related within a 50 mile radius of his location.

As you can see in the picture, due to all the rain we've been getting here, in formerly dry North Texas, the grass is an unnatural, for July, shade of green. Usually, by July, grass is a nice shade of brown.

Brown is my signature color. Or so I have been told. So, I like it when the green grass turns brown.

As I pulled away from Tandy Mountain, today, and turned on the radio, I heard the radio weather lady say it was currently 93, with the high humidity's Heat Stress Index making it feel like 105. I had not heard the Heat Index referred to as the Heat Stress Index before.

I did not find the HEAT all that stressful today. You just have to put yourself in the frame of mind that you are walking in a natural sauna and that doing so is a very healthy behavior. While you drink copious amounts of water.

A Cry For Help From Another Only Child Syndrome Victim

A long time ago I blogged about Only Child Syndrome. Little did I know there were so many people out there being perplexed by bad Only Child behavior.

I have gotten a lot of comments on this subject, some from people who are really having a hard time dealing with the syndrome and some from Only Child Syndrome Deniers.

Now, I have never ever suggested that all Only Children develop the syndrome, any more than I would suggest that all Little Men develop Little Man Syndrome.

This morning Anonymous told me her Only Child Syndrome woes and asked for tips on how to deal with the syndrome.

If I were Anonymous I would walk away. The case of Only Child Syndrome you are dealing with is only going to get worse. They can stifle their impulses only so long.

The Only Child Syndrome blogging to which Anonymous commented has dozens of comments now. This is not the only Only Child Syndrome blogging with dozens of comments. I think the only thing I have blogged about that has received more comments is when I brought up the extremely controversial subject of the Wink Sinkholes. Who knew what a brouhaha that subject would brew?

Anyway, below is what Anonymous had to say about her case of Only Child Syndrome...

This blog was enlightening. I have been in a relationship with my boyfriend for two years and everything seemed fine up until 6 or so months ago.

I knew from the start he was an only child, but I guess the honeymoon phase was so great, none of what you are talking about showed.

Then he started acting up, getting upset with me and going silent on me just because of I refuse to do what he wanted.it was baaaaaad. he'd totally cut me off like I had never existed and it would be so humiliating, especially if it was in public.

These 'mood swings' have become worse. If he's upset, he can cut me off for a week, no communication whatsoever. The amazing thing is that when he 'returns' its all rosy again. Until I 'refuse' to do what he says then he goes on a complete stink. I am a typical middle kid and such stuff is exhausting and quite irritating, especially because I AM THE GIRL IN THE RELATIONSHIP!!!!

Anyways, I love this man, he is amazing most of the time, makes a big deal about what is important to me. I appreciate all that, but if I don't make as much noise as he'd like (e.g. his birthday, etc), he goes sulky on me.

I feel like I shouldn't give up on him just yet (you must all think I am crazy) because he is a good man, I have no trust issues with him (very rare) and I see long term with him, and I love him.

Oh and he has such wonderful parents, they like me and if any of the attention they give me is half of what they give him - it's slightly (but nicely, lol) suffocating to say the least. His mom even told me at the start of our dating that he has weaknesses - that he can keep silent for extended periods, guess I was forewarned.

Are there any tips on how you can help these people??