Sunday's Record Heat In North Texas Has Me Still Overheated Monday Morning

I had myself a Lost Weekend of up too late at night, up too late in the morning, a trend which continued this Monday morning of August 23, as you can see looking down at the pool from my patio, the sun has brightly lit up the place.

The sun, according to those who keep records of such things, tied the North Texas temperature record for August 22 by hitting 105 on Sunday.

During my Texas Incarceration I have become a slight fan of HOT temperatures. I was not a fan of HOT temperatures when I lived in the cool clime of Washington.

But. I am ready for fall to fall on us with a good dose of cold. I am looking forward to shivering when I get in the pool, rather than feeling like I am walking into a big hot springs.

Well, it is time to get in the hot springs for my daily salubrious bout of water therapy.

Hitting A High Of 106 This Sunday In Texas

The high today in my zone of North Texas hit 106, according to my temperature information source. With a Heat Index of 109.

One more day over 100 and then a cold front moves in chilling us down to the 90s. Supposedly.

The National Weather Service issued a Heat Advisory a short time ago, advising us that it's going to be HOT through tomorrow. How did people figure out it was too HOT before the National Weather Service came along to issue a Heat Advisory?

I just heard from a cold Washingtonian that she is sending her husband to LA in the morning. When you are in the South, LA means Louisiana. When I lived on the West Coast it meant Los Angeles.

Wait a sec, I'm thinking I'm suffering some heat related dementia. It was the cold Washingtonian who referred to Louisiana as LA. Maybe she picked that up from me.

Anyway, when the aforementioned husband was in LA about a month ago it was HOT. He coped by using the multiple cold showers a day method. It will be way HOTTER this time in LA.

I find that the HEAT stifles my appetite. Or maybe it's more that when it is HOT I don't like feeling overly fed. I prefer feeling hungry. I think the constant intake of water has an effect too, in that it keeps me feeling sort of bloated. I really don't understand how so many people manage to get so big in this climate.

I had a big webpage making project I wanted to do today, but, I'm feeling worn out. Today the Scrabble Queen of Washington kindly helped me avoid what I wanted to do, by giving me multiple Scrabbling opportunities.

I've read a couple articles of late regarding the fact that, apparently, Scrabble has turned into quite a fad. Not the Facebook version that I play, but the real boardgame version. Which I've never played.

The A/C runs and runs, but I don't feel cool. Time for another shower.

A Tandy Tire Confession From A Fort Worth Endorphin Pusher

Yesterday I mentioned coming upon a round black object at an intersection of a couple Tandy Hills trails. It seemed as if it would take an awful lot of effort in these current trying HOT times to move such an object.

Last night Stenotrophomonas opined that the tire would make an ugly shrine and predicted the tire would gradually exit the Tandy Hills by migrating to View Street.

Today when I overheated on the hills I came to yesterday's location of the possible ugly shrine. It was gone. I figured Stenotrophomonas knows whereof he speaks.

But, later as I came to another intersection, after going up and down some hills, I came to the tire's new location, that being the next trail junction west of its yesterday location.

I thought it appeared the tire is slowly migrating to View Street, stopping for the night at each trail junction. The next junction is a very short distance from today's tire location, with the final junction a little further.

Today's HOT hiking was the HOTTEST yet. No wind. I got back here and jumped in the pool. That helped very little.

When I woke up the computer a short while ago I was surprised to see that at 3:25 Don Young confessed to being the tire migrater. He suggested I could feel free to carry it out if I needed an extra endorphin rush.

By the time I got to the tire today I was leaking so much liquid it was rushing in my nose causing the same sensation as breathing in water, accidentally, when swimming. Quite unpleasant.

When I stopped to take a picture of today's tire location, just reaching for the camera amps up the overheating. I wanted the tire to pose with the same face it used yesterday. This meant I had to flip it over to reveal its whitewall stripe. It took a couple tries to foot flip it over. I did not pick it up.

Now that I know that the Tandy Tire is not someone's Guerrilla Art project and is, instead, some sort of litter removal project, if I see the tire tomorrow I will try and roll it. If I am not overheated.

The Baker Hotel In Mineral Wells May Be Brought Back To Life

In the picture you are in Mineral Wells on top of a Palo Pinto Mountain, looking at the Baker Hotel.

I really think the Palo Pinto Mountains should be more accurately named the Palo Pinto Hills.

A few months after my Exile in Texas began I was out and about exploring the territory and was surprised to come upon a little town named Mineral Wells that had a gigantic abandoned hotel sitting in its downtown zone.

A year or two after first seeing it I made a webpage about the Baker Hotel on my Eyes on Texas website.

Over the years I've received several emails from people interested in buying and restoring the Baker Hotel. Asking if I knew who to contact. One or two were befuddled into thinking I was directly involved with the Baker Hotel. I remember one person was flying in from Los Angeles and asked if I could meet them and take them to the Baker Hotel.

Well, the Baker Hotel has been in the local news the past few days due to a fresh effort to restore the Baker Hotel (and Mineral Wells) to its former glory. Apparently $54 million has to be found. Officials in Mineral Wells and a development team are trying to put all the puzzle pieces together to turn the former 450 room hotel into a 4 star resort of 155 rooms, with the top floor ballroom restored and a spa with the waters that made Mineral Wells famous.

This is not the first time I've read that the long neglected Baker Hotel was going to get fixed.

Three years ago I wrote the following on my website about efforts to restore the hotel...

"After over 3 decades of floundering in an ever increasing state of decay, with numerous attempts by many to find some way to develop the Baker Hotel for a modern use, the city of Mineral Wells has, as of November, 2007, taken an active role in trying to restore the hotel to its former glory. The city has created a tax increment finance district hoping to entice potential developers to re-vitalize the Baker. The city has a 14 month agreement with the hotel's current owner to aggressively market the building to developers. The city will be doing feasibility and building examinations for the next 2 months. We can save them some trouble, the structure is sound, but it desperately needs a new roof."

I hope it all works out, this time, and the Baker Hotel is restored. And I hope the restoration stays true to the Baker Hotel's art deco style.

Up Late After Being Up Late Going Swimming Then To Gilmer Texas

Two days in a row, up late the night before getting up late, as in up after the sun this Sunday August 22 morning.

As you can see, I've not quite made it out to the table on my patio to sip my morning coffee.

I had myself a nicely tiring day Saturday, with 2 long bouts in the pool plus one long bout on the Tandy Hills.

And one long bout, Saturday night, at Miss Puerto Rico's.

I think I may have had one or two too many adult libations last night. I do not like it when I have one or two too many adult libations.

I will not be having one or two too many adult libations today. I may be going to the Tandy Hills again. I will be swimming in a few minutes. I will be grilling some Cornish Game Hens and making a Fire-Roasted Eggplant Casserole this morning.

And I think I'll be taking a virtual visit to the Piney Woods town of Gilmer where they have an annual festival called Yamboree to celebrate the Sweet Potato.

I like Sweet Potatoes.

Getting A Tandy Hills Rash While Delivering Ice

It was windy when I went to hike the Tandy Hills today. That helped make the 100 degrees feel less like 100 degrees.

But.

I have developed a painful heat rash type ailment in delicate areas best left rash free. I am currently in treating it with ointment mode.

I'd not been on the Tandy Hills for a few days. Since my last visit there has been a new arrival. In the middle of the hills that big black round thing with a white stripe showed up at a trail junction.

How did this get there? And why? Is it the start of a new Tandy Hills Shrine? There are pieces of long dead vehicles scattered about the Tandy Hills. It would be a lot of bother to move the vehicle pieces to the central location of the black round thing.

It is just one more perplexing Tandy Hills mystery.

I'm out of here in a bit to make an ice cube delivery to a hapless individual who requires ice for her libations, but who's icemaker is currently not making ice in amounts sufficient to meet the libation's needs.

I have no idea if the ice I deliver will survive the HEAT it will endure on the way to the libations.

Homeless Nice Doggy Needs To Be Adopted

Are you looking for a nice doggy to move in with you? Last winter the nice doggy you are looking at here was abandoned in the apartment complex Miss Puerto Rico takes care of.

Miss Puerto Rico has been feeding the nice doggy ever since. And making sure it has water.

The nice doggy follows Miss Puerto Rico around, but gets very wary if she tries to pet it. But, it will take a dog bone treat from her hand.

Miss Puerto Rico would adopt the nice doggy herself, except for one big problem. That problem being her cat, Tasha, who channels the spirit of Adolf Hitler.

The nice doggy needs a home, and a trip to a groomer.

Up Late Saturday Morning Daring To Leave Out Gilmer & Pritchett Texas

Up late Friday night, up late Saturday morning. I do not like getting up after the sun.

We started a new streak of going over 100 yesterday. I believe the prediction is for the streak to continue today.

Yesterday's 100 degrees plus was made tolerable by a strong wind. Had that wind not been strong I don't know if I could have managed to walk the mean streets of Pantego like I did yesterday.

If it is windy today I'm going to go to the Tandy Hills. It has been several days since I've been there.

I got an email from my Eyes on Texas website this morning, from Elaine Fletcher in fully goofy umbrage mode. Elaine had been to my Piney Woods Region page and was very upset that I dared leave out her beautiful town.

This is what Elaine had to say...

To whom it my concern,

How dare you leave out talking about Beautiful Small Town Gilmer,Tx and our Yamboree and also about the 2nd annual Okra Festival in Pritchett,Tx. We're 6 miles from Gilmer and 6 from Big Sandy,Tx.

E. Fletcher

Yes, this is an excellent way to motivate me to go to the bother of adding your town and festival.

It is time to go swimming now in lukewarm water.

Marfa's Somaphx Has A Blog With Fascinating Subjects

You are looking at a resident of Marfa named Somaphx in the picture. Somaphx lives in a cave in Marfa. Marfa is known for its mysterious Marfa Lights.

I first met Somaphx in late May. She made a comment or two on my blog. Somaphx may have emailed me, too. I don't remember.

I remember Somaphx telling me she wanted to start up a blog, but that doing so got her computer all riled up. So, she thought that in lieu of a blog, commenting on my blog would be the Somaphx blogging experience.

Well.

Today I found that Somaphx did go ahead and do a blog. It is called "Odd Blogs: Perfect Infinitives & Serendipitous Convergence."

Somaphx has written one post on her blog, dated June 1. Much of what Somaphx wrote referenced me and this very blog you are reading.

Some excerpts from the incredibly insightful, incredibly intelligent, Somaphx blog....

"I accidentally wandered into this site last week, searching for the City of Marfa's Noise Ordinance (I don't believe we have one, many street signs, either) and found myself somewhere in the stacks inside Durango Texas' substantial internet library, where I spent the next two days...."

"Durango, Texas is nowhere near Marfa. And Durango is an actual dude -- not aboding in Durango -- whose name just happens to be Durango. And in Texas, not Colorado. And he just happens to be from Washington in the visually spectacular Pacific Northwest, where I have family...."

"And, he jumped orbits in 1999, the same year my Houston-Marfa exodus saved my life. Now I know you're thinking an in-state move hardly constitutes an "orbit jump" such as Durango's Odyssey, but trust me on the sunscreen: Twenty-two years in Oiltown, pop. 4,000,000 (anyone know the post-Katrina numbers?), 600 miles into the Far West Texas Borderland Vortex of Strange is a million miles from home (more on these triangular phenomena in future episodes). Six hundred miles in any direction in this state ain't nothin'."

"On Thursday, I open Durango's pink-flower post, and there are my flowers, blooming on a Tandy Hill I've neither seen nor heard of. His closeup photograph was stunning; took my breath away. Century's Lady. Lovely. Perfect infinitive. That Tandy Hill has a place of distinction on my places-of-longing list."

I don't know what has become of Somaphx. Marfa is West of the Pecos. When you live past the frontier, miles past were civilization ends, well, you can go missing and it can take a long time for anyone to notice.

Chase Bank Fun Walking The Mean Streets Of Pantego Because My Vehicle Was Held For Ransom By Iranians

The sign is a warning in Pantego's Bicentennial Park. All suspicious persons are immediately reported. Can't say I was not warned.

So, how did I end up in the Pantego Park? Well. I needed to drop in on a location in Pantego on website related business.

Big Ed needed to be in Arlington on non website related business. Big Ed needed a Big Favor done. I agreed to do the Big Ed Big Favor if he'd take my vehicle in for its emissions test and an oil change, something I do not like doing.

The plan was to drop me off where I needed to be. After I completed my business I'd go to the Pantego Park and read a book til the newly tested vehicle arrived.

On the way I needed to deposit a check. I went to the nearest Chase Bank. The ATMs were being worked on. The bank was busy. Continued on to the Chase Bank in Pantego. The walk-in ATM was out of service and the drive-up one had a long long line.

I decided to go into the bank, make the deposit and get that vexing missing VISA card thing taken care of. I blogged about my fun with Chase Bank a week or two ago. I said at that time that I knew going into the bank was going to turn into yet more silliness.

I'd been told all I had to do was talk to a teller. So, after the teller took the deposit I explained the missing VISA card problem. He listened and then told me this lady out at a kiosk in the middle of the bank could help me. I explained to her what I wanted. She then told me she'd get me a banker. She'd look at one and go, oops, he just got on the phone, after 3 or 4 oops, she led me into the cubicle of this guy named Brandon.

Brandon was very nice. We are doing lunch. He wants to know all about Google ads. I had to show ID, enter my PIN, twice, answer an awful lot of questions, then Brandon made a print out and sprinted across the bank to pick it up. Brandon told me, just like I'd been told before, that the new card will be sent within 2 business days. I asked Brandon for his number so I could call him directly when the card does not show up.

So, after spending way too much time in Chase Bank, it was off to South Pantego where I got dropped off. A half hour later I was in the Pantego Park, acting suspicious, while I read a book by Peggy Noonan.

An hour and a half later Big Ed called. He did not have his wallet. He could not pay for the oil change and emissions test.

The emissions testers would not let Big Ed drive to get me so I could pay for it. I figured I could walk to the emissions testing place, and get there, maybe, before dying from heatstroke. And so I took off walking at high speed. Distance seems way longer walking a road that you'd just driven on. It took me a long while to get to Bowen Street, to head north to Division. I was barely on Bowen when Big Ed called to say they are letting him go, holding his phone hostage til he returns with money.

About 10 minutes later, just as I think heatstroke was starting to happen, Big Ed shows up. I take over driving. The A/C quickly cools me down. We get to the place Big Ed took the vehicle to. Apparently he'd been there before for previous emissions tests. It's run by Iranians, or maybe they were Iraqis. I know for certain they were Middle Eastern and not very conversant in English.

So, I paid the ransom fee and high-tailed it back to the relative safety of Fort Worth, driving without worrying about seeing flashing lights behind me, pulling me over for having an expired emissions test sticker.

So, I am good to go emissions-wise for another year, when I'll be expired by 9/11. I think I've gained at least a half a year by always being late getting the emissions test.