Day 2 Of May Thinking About Firing Chesapeake Energy's Aubrey McClendon

Looking through the bars of my patio prison cell on this morning of May Day 2, I see a swimming pool looking like it needs to be swam in. I also see it is yet one more breezy morning in Texas.

A breezy morning already heated to 70 degrees. Heading to a high 12 degrees hotter, if the temperature predictors are correct in their prediction.

I must have missed the news about Aubrey McClendon in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The Star-Telegram has reason to spew news about McClendon due to what Chesapeake Energy has done to Fort Worth and its surrounding area.

While the Seattle P-I has reason to spew news about McClendon due to the shady way he moved the Seattle Supersonics to Oklahoma City.

Apparently the Chesapeake Energy shareholders have been complaining about McClendon's shady dealing in doing things like borrowing more than $1 billion to buy stakes in Chesapeake's wells.

So, on Tuesday McClendon was removed as chairman of Chesapeake Energy due to complaints that his personal business interests conflict with those of Chesapeake Energy. McClendon continues as Chesapeake's CEO. For now.

Enough about Chesapeake Energy and its corrupt CEO. It's time to go swimming now before it gets any hotter.

Mechanical Bike Dysfunction & A Walk Around The Green Slime Of Fosdic Lake

The Growing Green Slime On Fosdic Lake

I am not a mechanically inclined individual. This fact was freshly made clear to me this morning when I tasked myself with replacing an inner tube in a bike's rear tire.

The wheel came easily off the bike. The flat inner tube came easily off out of the tire.

And then the fun started.

I had trouble getting the new inner tube around the rim. Eventually I managed that. And then I started having trouble getting the tire to seat around the rim.

Eventually I overheated and hauled the vexing tire to an indoor location with air-conditioning. At that location I also had Internet access, so I Googled "mountain bike tube installation" and got myself some directions. From that point on it was only a half hour or so til I had the wheel back on the bike.

One thing I learned during this morning's ordeal was that working on a tire is aerobic exercise when one is an inept bike mechanic.

By the noon time I needed some peaceful walking time, so I went to Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdic Lake.

The green algae Fosdic Lake covering has grown larger since my last visit. And the duck population has decreased to just a few ducks from the 10 or 11 ducks I saw on my last visit. And I saw no turtles in Fosdic Lake today.

The Fish Consumption Advisory signs around Fosdic Lake currently seem a bit unnecessary. Would anyone eat a fish caught in this currently ever greener lake?

Celebrating International Workers May Day With A Flat Tire

Looking out my primary viewing portal on the outer world on the morning of May Day, that being the first Day of May, or what my fellow traveling communists celebrate as International Workers' Day, I see a sky with clouds blocking the sun and a breeze blowing the trees.

What I can not see, but can feel, is the temperature. It is currently 70 degrees, heading to a high of 81, if the temperature predictors are correct in their prediction.

Changing the subject from my favorite one to something else.

Apparently I'd not called my mom and dad since my mom called to tell me my little sister had a medical woe. So, my mom called last night to ask why I've not gotten gas lately. The Phoenix zone is being a bit hotter than my location. Arizona has had several temperature record days in the 100s.

Last night I discovered the rear tire on my new bike has gone flat. I've only pedaled on paved trails, so this flat vexes me very much.

This morning is the regularly scheduled day off, so no pool for this fool this morning. I think I'll get myself some aerobic stimulation by replacing an inner tube.

Tandy Hills Hot Humid Hiking With Smoked Turkey Legs

Wildflowers On Top Of Mount Tandy

The biggest patch of very colorful wildflowers that I have seen this year on the Tandy Hills is on the top of Mount Tandy, to the east of the Fort Worth Space Needle.

Getting technical about it, with getting technical not one of my few fortes, I don't know for sure if the area east of the Fort Worth Space Needle is considered one of the Tandy Hills. It may be part of the Broadcast Hills.

I am almost 100% that the area to the east of the Fort Worth Space Needle is not part of the Tandy Hills Natural Area.

The Tandy Hills hill hiking was humid today. Very humid. A steady breeze brought some relief from the muggy humidity.

Changing the subject from the Tandy Hills, and humidity, to turkey legs.

I got around to picking up the current ink edition of dfw.com on my way back from the Tandy Hills.

On the cover is a giant turkey leg.

The one person who reads my blog may remember that last month when I was in Arizona we spent a lot of time hunting for illusive turkey legs. When we found enough turkey legs my dad smoked them in a smoker.

My mom was not happy with the turkey legs after they got smoked.

I have not read dfw.com  yet, but I think I need to mail the ink edition to my mom and dad due to the fact that on the cover there is a giant smoked turkey leg with text saying Bird is the Word, Plus: How to smoke your own giant turkey legs at home.

I'd email mom and dad the link to dfw.com so they could read how to smoke a turkey leg  on their computer screen, but I think the snail mailed ink edition would have a better chance of being seen.

The Final Monday Of April Dawns With Possible Incoming Storms

Looking skyward on this last day of April it appears less stormy than yesterday morning. However, today storminess is in the forecast, with possible rain and lightning strikes.

I hope I can get in some salubrious endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation by doing some hill hiking before any precipitation precipitates.

It is 39 degrees above freezing, already, on this Monday morning.

I've got my windows open, but am not getting a satisfying incoming cooling. The ceiling fan is spinning and that is not providing a satisfying cooling either.

Something in the air is annoying my eyes, again. A burning sensation.

Among the many things I liked about being in the desert in Arizona, last month, was nothing irritated my eyes. And I did not need any sort of spray intervention to keep my respiratory system functioning correctly.

It is now that time in the morning when I quit whining in blogging mode and go swimming where I whine quietly to myself.

Visiting Veterans Park Before Visiting Arlington's International District

On my way to Arlington's International District, today, I stopped at Arlington's Veterans Park to visit the veteran who guards the Veterans Park Memorial.

As you can clearly see, this morning it was cloudy and windy in Arlington.

What you can not see is that both of the park's parking lots were almost full. There was not one large singular activity that accounted for the almost full parking lots, but a lot of individual activity of individuals and small groups of individuals.

After visiting Veterans Park I visited 3 stores in Arlington's International District. That being 2 stores that are Asian themed and one, Import Market, that is more Middle Eastern/Russian themed.

I got a jar of Ginger Paste at the Import Market. I have no idea what this is used for, but it was on sale for $3.99 and the description on the jar made it sound as if there are all sorts of uses for it. I also got Whole Wheat Pita Bread. I'd not seen Whole Wheat Pita Bread before.

I looked all over the Import Market for Hummus. I found cans of chickpeas, but no Hummus.

The customers in the Import Market appeared to be more multi-cultural than the Asian themed stores I went in, where I tend to be the only Anglo in the store.

I did see one other Anglo in one of the Asian stores. She was stunningly beautiful, exotically so.

Many of the Asians in the Asian stores are dressed very stylishly. The Asian stores are run very efficiently. The Middle Eastern/Russian store has some quirks in how it operates, with the quirks being part of what is interesting. For instance, many items have no indicator of the price. So, I bought the Whole Wheat Pita Bread not knowing what it cost til I saw it scan at $1.49.

If you live in the Arlington zone and have not shopped in Arlington's International District, you really should check it out.

I wonder why no one opens a Uwajimaya type complex in the D/FW zone? Uwajimaya is in Seattle's International District. Uwajimaya is an Asian store on steroids, with one of the best food courts I've ever had the pleasure of being pleased in.

The Final Sunday Of April Has Arrived After A Night Of Sleep Walking

Looking out my primary viewing portal on the outer world, on the last Sunday of April, gray seems to be the color scheme this morning.

Eventually today is supposedly going to be partly cloudy. Currently the sky is totally cloudy.

I've got my windows open so the steady breeze can blow in naturally air-conditioned air that has been chilled to 68 degrees.

Eventually the sky furnace will turn on and the windows will need to be closed. But, with the scheduled high today being only 83, maybe I'll be able to avoid turning on the un-natural air-conditioning.

Changing the subject from my favorite one to one of my personal problems.

I had a sleep walking incident last night. That makes two nights in a row. The previous night I walked in my sleep and opened the patio door. And left it open. Last night I woke up and could not find my pillow. I looked all around the bed. Then got out of bed. The pillow was nowhere to be found in my bedroom. Or the closet. Or the bathroom.

So, I exited my bedroom, looked in the kitchen, and then the living room, to find the pillow on a coffee table.

I find these sleep walking incidents to be very disturbing due to the fact that I have no idea what else I may be doing whilst sleep walking.

It is time to go swimming now. Later this morning I think I will go to Arlington's International District.

Pedaling The New Veridian Trail At Arlington's River Legacy Park

The Thin Ribbon Of The Veridian Trail

No, what you are looking at in the picture is not some location on the Tandy Hills. I did not go to the Tandy Hills tonight, did not go to Prairie Fest x3 Part 2.

Instead of joining the throngs on the Tandy Hills I joined the throngs at River Legacy Park and had myself a real fine time going on a real long bike ride.

The orange cones that had been blocking entry from the River Legacy trail to the new paved trail that trails off into the Veridian Project had been set aside.

So, I pedaled that new Veridian trail until it terminated.

The End Of The Veridian Trail

The new Veridian trail is very narrow. I don't quite see how it is intended to be used. A pedestrian trail connection to the River Legacy trail? With bikes banned?

I have to say it was fun biking on this trail, going real fast.

The parking lot where I usually park at River Legacy Park was full tonight. The park was way busier than my mid-week visits. But the traffic on the trails was not quite as frenetic.

I was quite impressed with the number of over inflated people out getting themselves some exercise tonight. There was one really big pair at the end of the trail, the 7 mile mark. They did not appear to move too fast. I hope they made it back to their vehicular transport before it got too dark.

CatsPaw Takes A Close Look At Fort Worth's Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Pedestrian Bridge

That is an artist's rendering of what Fort Worth's  Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Pedestrian Bridge will look like upon completion in about a month.

I got the artist's rendering from the Freese and Nichols website. Freese and Nichols are the Fort Worth based constructors of this architectural wonder.

Quoting from the Freese and Nichols website...

The 386-foot-long Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Bridge across the Trinity River will be an important and highly visible pedestrian bridge connection between downtown Fort Worth and the City’s Cultural District. With the bridge’s prominent location at historic Trinity Park, the aesthetic design is of paramount importance. After evaluating multiple concepts, an elegant “stress ribbon” design was selected by a design committee. This arch-supported stress ribbon bridge will be the first of its kind in the United States. The bridge was designed in collaboration with noted bridge designers Rosales + Partners and Schlaich Bergermann und Partner.

The cost of this architectural marvel is only $3 million.

America is flush with cash, while Fort Worth is not flush with cash, so you in the rest of America contributed $2.3 million of the $3 million for this direly needed bridge that will help connect Fort Worth's downtown to its isolated Cultural District.

Looking West At The $3 Million Bridge Under Construction

If you visit Fort Worth and want to walk across the bridge you helped pay for, I think you will likely be able to do so without paying Fort Worth any more money.

However.

Having said that, I must warn you that Fort Worth has a bad habit of charging admission fees for things that most towns consider to be life enhancing amenities to be used, free of additional charge, by everyone.

A couple days ago I blogged Questions About Fort Worth's New Pedestrian Bridge Across The Trinity River, after which, CatsPaw, she being the renowned Fort Worth photo journalist and graphic designer, sent me three photos she took yesterday of the Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Pedestrian Bridge under construction.

One Of A Kind Stress Ribbon Bridge

Looking at these photos one can clearly see how this little bridge could easily cost $3 million.

If I remember right the new Tacoma Narrows Suspension Bridge cost around $1 billion. That is 333 times more expensive than this new bridge in Fort Worth.

Just guessing, but I suspect Tacoma's new bridge is way more than 333 times bigger than the new Fort Worth bridge. If I remember right the Tacoma bridge carries 6 lanes of traffic. Plus pedestrians.

I don't know if the new Tacoma Narrows Suspension Bridge got any federal grant money to help with the funding. If I remember right it was something like 7 or 8 counties voted in the proposition that led to the construction of the new Tacoma bridge.

One Month Til The Grand Opening

In Fort Worth we don't believe in the public voting on things like public works projects.

I have not yet learned how it was that the Phyllis Tilley Memorial Pedestrian Bridge came to be constructed.

However, I do know for certain it was not the result of a public vote.

CatsPaw took these photos yesterday. It appears that there is a lot of constructing still needing to take place if this bridge is going to look anything remotely like that artist's rendering at the top, by the time of its Grand Opening in May.

The Segway Experience With CatsPaw In Fort Worth's Botanic Garden

CatsPaw surprised me today by letting me know that, via Groupon, she'd signed us up for a Segway tour of the 109 acre Fort Worth Botanic Garden.

Are Segways able to go off-road? On trails?

Before we are led on our tour we get personal instructions on how to operate the X2 Segways.

I have been all over the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. I may be wrong, but I don't think there are all that many areas where something like a Segway would be allowed, just like how a mountain bike or golf cart would not be allowed.

And then there are the elevation changes. Do Segway's easily navigate elevation changes?

The information that comes with the Groupon says that riders must be able to make motions such as climbing and descending stairs without assistance.

Climb and descend stairs? What does one do with ones Segway whilst climbing and descending stairs?

Also the Groupon ad says riders must weigh between 100 and 275 pounds. I guess I need to lose some weight before I get on a Segway.

It will be interesting to see how this Segway ride through the Botanic Garden works.