Betty Jo Bouvier Takes Me On The Last Cab Ride I'll Never Forget

Last night, for the first time since the Great Recession, I watched what I think is the best movie made about the Great Depression, that being The Grapes of Wrath.

The Grapes of Wrath is the movie version of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath novel. It is the best movie adaptation of a book that I have ever read and seen.

Watching The Grapes of Wrath always gets to me.

There is one scene where Ma Joad is deciding what to take from their home in the Dust Bowl to California. At one point Ma Joad picks up a souvenir from the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.

The wistful, melancholy look that glows from Ma Joad's face as she looks at that souvenir, as she thinks back to a better time, a fun time, decades earlier, well that melancholy look on Ma Joad's face had me being a melancholy baby.

I was still being a melancholy baby when I got email from Betty Jo Bouvier this morning. That email contained the story of a cab driver and a passenger. Reading that story had me feeling even more melancholy. I Googled "cab ride old lady" to find that this story has been around awhile, with various titles. The version Betty Jo sent me is titled "The Last Cab Ride." On a website called Zen Moments the story is called "The Cab Ride I'll Never Forget."

Below is the version of the story Betty Jo sent me. Be warned. Reading this may temporarily turn you into a melancholy baby....

The Last Cab Ride 

I arrived at the address and honked the horn.  After waiting a few minutes I honked again. Since this was going to be my last ride of my shift I thought about just driving away, but instead I put the car in park and walked up to the door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.

There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.'

'Oh, you're such a good boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive through downtown?'

'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly.

'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice.

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice.. 'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired. Let's go now'.

We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.

Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

'How much do I owe you?' She asked, reaching into her purse.

'Nothing,' I said

'You have to make a living,' she answered.

'There are other passengers,' I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.

'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said.'Thank you.'

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life..

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?  What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.

But great moments often catch us unaware - beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID BUT THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.

At the bottom of this great story was a request to forward this - I deleted that request because if you have read to this point, you won't have to be asked to pass it along you just will.

Thank you, my friend.

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance....

The First Saturday Of 2012 In Texas With A Record Breaking Drought In 2011

You can not tell it by looking at the picture of the view from my primary viewing portal on the outer world that I got up after the arrival of the sun on this first Saturday of the first month of the new year of 2012.

There appears to be some cloud action in the sky. I do not believe there is any prediction for today for rain to rain down up the throngs on the Tandy Hills partaking in the Manly Men Wild Women Hike.

It is currently only 44 degrees in the outer world at my location. By the time of the Manly Men Wild Women Hike, a couple hours from now, the temperature should be a pleasant hiking temperature.

Continuing with my favorite subject, the weather.

The National Weather Service has made it official. 2011 was the driest year ever in Texas.

And the second hottest.

The average rainfall on this parched part of the planet, for 2011, was only 14.88 inches. If I remember correctly 10 inches, or less, a year qualifies your parched part of the planet to be designated a desert.

The temperature average for 2011 was 67.2 degrees. In 1921 the average temperature was 67.5 degrees, so 1921 remains the hottest year in Texas.

The current 24 hour temperature average at my location has been above 50 degrees. I may try to go swimming this morning. I dipped my hand in the pool yesterday morning and decided against getting any wetter. We'll see if my hand feels warmer this morning.

Chasing Dump Trucks On The Tandy Hills While Losing 2 Pounds In Preparation For Tomorrow's Manly Men Wild Women Hike

A Diesel Spewing Dump Truck On The Tandy Hills Today

I am not much of a fan of breathing in diesel fumes whilst I am experiencing nature in any of my favorite natural areas that I frequent.

As long as the weather holds I will be visiting the Tandy Hills Natural Area every day as part of my program to reduce my HWG (Hideous Weight Gain).

Information Literature made available from the weight loss experts at the Friends of the Tandy Hills Natural Area promises a 2 pound weight loss from 1.5 hours of Tandy Hills exposure.

The diesel fumes that perfumed the Tandy Hills air today were brought by two of the dump trucks you see in the picture, and that small Caterpillar bulldozer I mentioned yesterday.

The City of Fort Worth Water Crews have quite a project underway, with those big dump trucks going where I would not have thought it possible for them to go. But the bulldozer smoothed the way and added gravel where needed. Whatever it is the Water Crews are doing, they are doing it on the trail that heads east from the trail that leads to the top of Mount Tandy, from the north side.

Giant Tandy Tire Tomb

The Yellow Ribbons that Godfather Don scolded me for removing yesterday, were in place today, ready for tomorrow's Manly Men Wild Women Hike. In addition to scolding me Godfather Don told me there would be no Wild Women for me. What a strict Godfather.

The new bridges across the Tandy Creeks have had a smooth top layer added to the big boulders that you see in the picture of the Giant Tandy Tire Tomb.

This seems, to me, to be a very disrespectful burial of the infamous Giant Tandy Tire.

Speaking of tomorrow's Manly Men Wild Women Hike.

In the latest Informational Literature, sent this morning, I see one must RSVP to Godfather Don ASAP, via the Godfather's email address.

I have not seen a confirmation of my RSVP, so I don't know what the status is, currently, of my Manly Man Hiking.

From the Manly Men Wild Women Informational Literature.....

There's nothing complicated about it. Just show up at Tandy Hills Natural Area, the coolest green space in the inner city, and enjoy the great out-of-doors. Our goal is to hike border-to border-to-border-to-border, tracing the steel cable that defines the 160 acre boundary.

Your rewards include but are not restricted to:

1) You will lose at least 2 pounds. (They don't call it Tandy HILLS for nothing!)

2) See sections of the park known only to a few hawks and a couple of unicorns. 

3) Celebrate the 52nd anniversary of the coolest park in Fort Worth. 

4) Get in shape for the upcoming Brush Bash

Who: Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area

What: Manly Men & Wild Women Hike. All ages welcome. Leashed dogs welcome. 

When: Saturday, January 7, 2012, 10:00 am (allow 1.5 hours for hike)

Where: Tandy Hills Natural Area, 3400 View Street. Meet at the Prairie Fest entrance.

Why: For the fun and glory of it and to prepare yourself for the upcoming Brush Bash.

Bring: Water, camera, hiking boots, hat, walking stick. 

The 6th Day Of The New Year With Having A Baby Nightmares & Pondering Swimmability

Looking through the bars of my patio prison cell you can not tell that the outer world is currently heated to almost halfway to 100, at 48 degrees, this 6th day of the New Year of 2012.

Already almost a 5th of January has passed into history.

I believe the outer world temperature got to, or neared, 70 yesterday. With the low barely below 50 that would make the 24 average above 50, and thus, possibly, the pool may be warmed up enough that a salubrious swim may be doable.

I had a very disturbing nightmare last night that involved dozens of babies. I think this nightmare may have been triggered by a conversation yesterday evening, with Elsie Hotpepper, in which having a baby was discussed.

Having a baby or adopting.

I can see where a conversation about this type subject would be significantly disturbing to a level that it would trigger nightmares in a hypersensitive sort, such as myself.

I got up way too early this morning, thus making for a long wait for the sun to begin its daily illumination duties. I see I have lost 2 temperature degrees since I woke up my computer. We may lose another couple degrees before the day breaks.

I may need to recalculate the idea of testing the pool for swimmability this morning.

Why does the spell checker feel the need to flag a word like "swimmability" as a misspelling with suggestions such as summability, snowmobiled, stumbled or switchblade as possibly the word I was trying to spell?

If swimmablity is not a word, it should be.

Young Couple Fights Fort Worth City Hall & Wins The Right To Have A Yard Requiring No Watering

Young Couple On Criminal Yard

This afternoon I read an article in this week's Fort Worth Weekly, titled As Long as the Grass Should Grow, about the young couple you see in the picture and their 5 year battle with the Corrupt City of Fort Worth, a battle which the young couple won.

For now.

The battle with the city was over this young couple's landscaping.

The young couple's house sits across the street from the Tandy Hills Natural Area. So, they landscaped their yard with the same natural plants that grow in the natural area.

Including native grasses.

The yard has never been an overgrown jungle. The edges are trimmed, and part of the yard is conventionally grassed.

I have seen this particular yard many times whilst driving by on my way to hike the Tandy Hills. I have long made note of how nice this yard looks, how natural it looks and how well it fits in with its setting.

5 years ago an anonymous neighbor anonymously complained to the city that the young couple's grass was too tall.

I really am starting to develop a dislike for all the anonymous complainers out there in the world anonymously complaining about matters that really are none of their anonymous business.

The young couple got a ticket for having grass taller than a foot. The ticket was contested, with the judge siding with the city and the anonymous complainer, with the young couple fined $315.

After years of court time, on December 7, 2011 a Tarrant County Criminal Court Judge reversed the original judgment.

The city is now working towards re-working the inept wording of its codes as they pertain to property owner's landscaping.

Now, where this really bugs me is this is a city which employs someone to look like Sherlock Holmes who calls himself the Lawn Whisperer, to encourage people to conserve water used on their landscaping.

The yard of the young couple, who got fined, is Xeriscaped to a fine tuned level, requiring no watering.

One would think a city, with even a little common sense, would ally this young couple with the Lawn Whisperer to show other yard owners in Fort Worth how to replicate their water saving success.

This is a city, with a government which turns a blind eye to all the various depredations the Barnett Shale Natural Gas Drilling Industry foists upon the landscape of Fort Worth.

Gas Drillers in Fort Worth can put up a roadblock on a Fort Worth road, forcing motorists to detour, with no threat of a fine possible.

I daily see a giant, ugly brown wall, that I call Fort Chesapeake, that hovers over my neighborhood like a metaphor for a city gone mad. $315 fine because someone has some tall grass. A blind eye to multiple ugly brown wall eyesores.

Gas Drillers in Fort Worth suck copious amounts of water out of the Trinity River, with nary a peep from the Lawn Whisperer. And with the shills in charge making ridiculous claims that the millions of gallons sucked by the gas drillers are just a teeny fraction of what all those lawn watering water wasters waste.

And then this corrupt town has a young couple, trying to be good citizens, setting a good example, doing a good thing.

Using no precious water to water their yard.

And they get fined.

I'm surprised they didn't get tasered and taken to jail.

The nerve.

Growing a natural yard across from a natural area.

Hiking The Tandy Hills With 100s Of Yellow Ribbons Desecrating The Natural Area Unnaturally

Tie A Yellow Ribbon Around A Tandy Tree

Well, the Tandy Hills Guerrilla Artist struck again. Stringing hundreds of yellow ribbons along various trails in the Tandy Hills.

Yellow Ribbons are often tied to trees, or other sticks, for various reasons, thanks to a Golden Oldie song by a one hit wonder named Tony Orlando, with the title being something like "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Around An Old Tree."

I am almost 100% certain today's Tandy Hills Yellow Ribbons were not tied to Tandy branches to make note of the end of the Chesapeake Energy Blockade on Fort Worth's Bridgewood Drive.

Speaking of which, even though the Chesapeake Energy Blockade has been lifted, the "Road Closed" and "Detour" signs remain, as of early this afternoon.

Perhaps the road signage is a City of Fort Worth Road Crew responsibility, which would explain the dawdling and incompetence.

To get my daily endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation, today I parked on top of Mount Tandy, under the Tandy Tower, also known as the Fort Worth Space Needle.

I walked down Mount Tandy and when I came to the Tandy Trojan Horse Shrine, I took the north option and headed towards Tandy Falls. It was soon after that I came upon the first Yellow Ribbon.

In the photo you see above, that is the first Yellow Ribbon I came upon. By the time I came upon the 3rd Yellow Ribbon I realized this must be a Tandy Hills Guerrilla Artist Operation.

All these Yellow Ribbons were not seeming all that natural to me, festooning, as they were, the Natural Area, with their flamboyant flashes of unnatural yellow. What with Saturday's Manly Men Wild Women hikers hiking the Tandy Hills, this Yellow Ribbon thing seemed quite worrisome to me.

This made me wonder to myself, what would the Tandy Hill's Godfather Don do?

I decided it was my duty today to clear the Tandy Hillls of those un-natural Yellow Ribbons, even though it greatly prolonged my hiking time.*

Soon after I saw the first Yellow Ribbon I saw a small piece of heavy equipment zip by, heading towards the Tandy Highway.

The Relocated Tandy Tires

I was not fast enough, with the camera, to get a photo of the small piece of heavy equipment. I thought it might be the Tandy Hills Guerrilla Artist driving the small piece of heavy equipment.

Upon reaching the Tandy Highway I saw that the Tandy Tires I caught coupling on Saturday had moved way closer to Tandy Falls. That is the coupling tires in the second photo.

I crossed the dry Tandy Falls, then headed west to the main trail that enters the Natural Area from View Street, collecting Yellow Ribbons along the way.

The New Big Boulder Bridge Across Tandy Creek

Eventually I found myself back on the Tandy Highway, with a heavy load of Yellow Ribbons. I came to the first, formerly washed out bridge across Tandy Creek to find what the small piece of heavy equipment had been up to.

Big boulders have been dumped on top of the flood erosion exposed drain pipe. And also on top of Tandy Giant Tire #1.

Soon after gingerly making my crossing over the giant boulder bridge I came upon the trailer that likely hauled in the small piece of heavy equipment, along with the pickup that likely pulled the trailer.

Soon after that I came upon the small piece of heavy equipment and the heavy equipment operator, operating on the second bridge across Tandy Creek, this time with fewer big boulders.

The Heavy Equipment Hauling Trailer & Pickup

The small piece of heavy equipment said "Caterpillar" on its front. It appeared to be a mini-bulldozer of some sort.

So, that was my adventure on the Tandy Hills on the 5th day of 2012.

*I was joking about taking down all the Yellow Ribbons. Clearly they'd been tied to limbs in order to mark the way for Saturday's Manly Men Wild Women Hike. I'm guessing Godfather Don will fire off an earnest comment or email informing me of the bad bad thing I'd done, before he gets to the point where I indicate I did not take down any Yellow Ribbons.

See you on Saturday along with 100s of other Manly Men and Wild Women who'd get lost without Yellow Ribbons.

My Neighborhood Chesapeake Energy Blockade Has Been Lifted

One Of The Sheep Coming To A Stop Before Detouring

Yesterday after I found myself having to take a detour to get around a Chesapeake Energy Blockade  I took a picture of the blockade and blogged about it.

Early in the evening, last night, when I left my abode to go to an appointment, I saw that the Chesapeake Energy Blockade had been lifted,

But the "DETOUR" signs were still up.

The "DETOUR" signs still being up made for an interesting observing humans and their various reactions to perceived authority moment.

Most drivers correctly calculated that the Chesapeake Energy Blockade had been lifted and drove under the overhead fracking water pipelines.

I saw several drivers slow to a virtual stop as they approached the former blockade, obviously wondering if they should drive under the former blockade, risking a traffic ticket and possible jail time, or be a good sheep and follow the "DETOUR" sign and turn in the direction the arrow was pointing.

Within just a few minutes I saw 6 sheeple opt not to risk a ticket and jail time.

In the picture above you see one of the sheeple stopped, wondering what in the world to do, before deciding to take the directed right turn detour.

The Dawn Of The 5th Morning Of 2012 Thinking About Michelle Bachmann's Gaffes, Rick Perry's Flip Flopping, Newt Gingrich & Abraham Lincoln

The very dark, pre-dawn, 5th morning of 2012 look out my primary viewing portal of the outer world, at the currently unusable turquoise oasis, through a frost-free window, gives no indication how cold it is or if the sky is free of clouds.

But, my computer based temperature monitoring device provides me the information my viewing portal does not afford me. As in it is currently 37 degrees in the outer world at my location on the planet, with a clear sky, which should be blue when the sun arrives to heat the day to a predicted 64 degrees.

Why can I not break my habit of writing long run-on sentences?

Changing the subject from my bad writing skills to bad politicians.

Did Rick Perry not realize it would cause voters to take him even less serious, when he flip flopped back into running for president, after indicating he was giving up and going home to Texas, after his bad showing in Iowa?

Speaking of other dumb politicians. The Seattle P-I had a list, this morning, of the Best of Michelle Bachmann's Embarrassing Gaffes.

 A few of my favorite Bachmann Gaffes...

Michelle Bachmann apparently thinks the Founding Fathers lived extraordinarily long lives, saying that slave owners may have drafted the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, "but we also know that the very Founders that wrote those documents worked tirelessly until slavery was no more in the United States.”

None of the Founding Fathers were alive when Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

Showing that we would definitely not want Michelle Bachmann having anything to do with America's economy she said, “If we took away the minimum wage — if, conceivably, it was gone — we could virtually wipe out unemployment completely because we would be able to offer jobs at whatever level.”

Speaking of the Founding Fathers and Abraham Lincoln. In all of America is there no one alive who operates at the quality level of those men? Well, maybe Newt Gingrich comes close. At least, unlike Michelle Bachmann, Newt knows, in depth, the history of America.

I wish I could say I am going swimming now.

So Far North Texas Has No Modern Day Ghost Towns Like Centralia Pennsylvania

In North Texas we have the Barnett Shale.

In Pennsylvania they have the Marcellus Shale.

Many of the same Shale drillers who poke holes in North Texas are also doing so in Pennsylvania, like Chesapeake Energy.

Some people are of the opinion that Texas is an Environmental Wasteland, that reputation earned by things like the world's biggest experiment in urban gas drilling, that being the thousand of Barnett Shale Natural Gas Wells that have been poked in Fort Worth and Tarrant County.

While some may think Texas is a bit irresponsible, methinks Pennsylvania outdoes Texas in the Environmental Wasteland area.

Pennsylvania actually has a town named Frackville. No, it was not named to honor all the fracking taking place in the Marcellus Shale.

Frackville sprang up at the time of the start of the Civil War, 1861, and was incorporated in 1876, the year of America's 1st Centennial, well over 100 years before Aubrey McClendon's greedy beady eyes started looking for places to do damage to the planet.

A very short distance from Frackville, walking distance if your idea of walking distance is around 8 miles, is the former town of Centralia.

Centralia is a rarity in America. A modern day Ghost Town.

Centralia was doing just fine as a mining town, with, at times in its history, up to a couple thousand residents.

The Sprawling Centralia Mine Fire

And then, in 1962, a fire began. No one knows what started the fire. There are several theories. The fire continues to burn to this day, 50 years later.

The fire that turned Centralia into a Ghost Town is burning in a coal vein under that town.

People continued to live in Centralia, though the earth under them was burning.

Eventually the fire got too big and too hot, to the point that Centrailia was no longer fit for human habitation.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in 1992, began condemning Centralia property by eminent domain. Some fought having their property taken.

The most recent count has 10 or 11 people still living in Centralia.

I had not heard of this particular ecological disaster til a couple days ago.

Read the Wikipedia article about Centralia, Pennsylvania to get a much better idea than I can convey of how bad it can get if underground ignitables get inflamed.

Chesapeake Energy Has Closed The Road Where My Abode Is Located

Chesapeake Pipeline Over Bridgewood Drive

Yesterday when I left my abode and headed west on Boca Raton Boulevard I was confused by signs that were indicating that Boca Raton was a detour for the street I live on, that being Bridgewood Drive.

When I left my abode today, to head to the Tandy Hills, I clearly saw what was causing the detour.

Chesapeake Energy has closed a Fort Worth city street so a pipeline crossing can be installed, so that water can be pumped to frack the Barnett Shale Natural Gas Well that Chesapeake poked, last summer, a few hundred feet from my abode.

Three lines of pipe are snaking their way up from the Trinity River, across Randol Mill Road, then across Bridgewood Drive and then along the property line between Havenwood Apartments and a storage unit complex.

How does Chesapeake Energy acquire the right of ways to run these pipelines on what would seem to be private property?

How does Chesapeake Energy acquire the right to close a road, forcing drivers to burn extra gas to get around the detour?

Is there a Chesapeake Energy toll-free line I can call to request compensation for the extra gas and time Chesapeake caused me to burn up today?

Today I also noted a messy Gas Driller Operation south of the Trinity River, east of Beach Street. There was some pipeline preparation in evidence in this location a few weeks ago.

I do not know if this Beach Street activity is courtesy of Chesapeake Energy. A section of earth has been scraped off, maybe 15 feet wide, running as far as I could see, maybe to make it level to lay water sucking pipeline, maybe to put in a road. I have no idea.

All I know is this also had me wondering how the right of way is acquired to alter what I assume is public land between the river and the freeway.