33 Degrees With The People Of Fort Worth Supporting Nepotism, Cronyism & Despotism

33 degrees when the sun showed up this morning to begin its daily heating duty.

33 degrees, along with my computer based temperature monitoring device issuing a dire "FREEZE WARNING".

Reality seemed to not match the data from my computer based temperature monitoring device this morning, because there definitely was frost whitening   roofs in my vicinity.

I believe for frost to appear the temperature must be freezing.

I have now been iced out of swimming for two mornings in a row. The longer this icebox continues the longer it will take for my pool not to be cool when temperatures in the 70s return.

Changing the subject from one type cold to another.

I did not realize til this morning that Kay Granger had been re-elected as Fort Worth's representative in Congress.

The people of Fort Worth have spoken and have sided with the forces of nepotism, cronyism and despotism.

I don't recollect not voting for Kay Granger being one of the options on my ballot. Maybe she slipped past my attention when I was dazed by the dozens of Republican judges, without opposition, that I did not vote for.

I was not shocked to read somewhere, I think it was yesterday, that Tarrant County is now the most Republican county in Texas. Meanwhile,  I believe Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Houston gave a majority of their votes to Obama.

If you look at a map of how the entire country voted, with counties marked BLUE for Democrat and RED for Republican, it appears that, for the most part, urban goes Democrat, while rural goes Republican.

I guess this makes Fort Worth the biggest city in America that has a lot in common with rural America. Which, I guess makes sense, since the town does not mind referring to itself as Cowtown.

A Cool Day After Veterans Day Walk Around Icy Blue Fosdick Lake

That is icy blue Fosdick Lake, in Oakland Lake Park, you are looking at in the picture. A very serene, calm, icy blue Fosdick Lake.

The temperature this morning, when the sun arrived, was one degree above freezing, with the wind chill having it really feel as if the temperature was well below freezing.

Needless to say, the pool was too cool for this fool to go swimming this morning. Actually, more accurately, the air was too cool. The pool did not feel all that cool, due to being way warmer than one degree above freezing.

I saw some turtle activity today, despite the cold. And some duck and geese action, with the ducks being too noisy with their quacking and an out of control goose having a hissing fit with a big dog on a leash.

The strong storm system that the weather predictors predicted for yesterday pretty much petered out with a few drops of rains and no lightning at my location. I was in the mood for a good storm, and so was very disappointed.

Changing the subject to lunch.

Today we are going Middle Eastern. Pork Kabobs, Rice Pilaf, Pomegranate Salad and a Tomato Feta Salad.

The buzzer is buzzing, which means the Rice Pilaf has completed its cooking process. Which means it is time for lunch. Talk to you later.

A Strong Veterans Day Storm Is Blowing Into North Texas With Freezing & Pomegranates

If the weather predictors are correct with their prediction, this 2012 Veterans Day Sunday will see a strong storm storming its way into North Texas.

The graphics in this particular blogging I gleaned from this morning's Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Apparently this incoming storm will have cold air following it, which may have us freezing in North Texas by Monday night.

I am not a big fan of freezing.

I am only a couple minutes into typing this weather report and I am seeing raindrops dropping on my computer room window.

I probably should shut my windows, what with this incoming rain coming in. I had my bedroom window slightly open all night long. This made for a very pleasant temperature in my slumber chamber.

Swimming this morning was also very pleasant, what with the air being heated to a temperature in the 70s,  with the water slightly cooler than the air. Tomorrow morning will likely be my last swim for awhile. I'll need to be getting my water kicks in in the hot tub instead of the pool.

And, on another atmosphere related note, for the first time since my respiratory system started rebelling on me, with allergic maladies, the Pollen Index is Low. I guess this may explain my current ease of breathing.

I am guessing that better than Low is when the Pollen Index indicates it is Good.

Changing subjects from Pollen to exotic fruits.

Yesterday, at ALDI, I got myself some Pomegranates. Previously I have had no success with getting the tasty seeds out of a Pomegranate. Since this is such a popular, and healthy, fruit, I figured there must be some technique to release the tasty seeds. Googling gave me the technique. As soon as I hit the publish button on this blogging I am moving on to Pomegranates.

As in, right now.

I Am Advising You That It Is Windy Today In North Texas

My computer based weather monitoring device has been issuing a  "WIND ADVISORY" for two days.  I guess the purpose of this advisory is to advise people that if what they plan to do might be impacted by wind to be advised that it will be windy.

Well, just as my computer based weather monitoring device advised, it has been real windy the past couple days.

The wind seems to be blowing from the south. And thus it is a warm wind, as in, currently, coming up on 3 on this Saturday afternoon, the temperature in the outer world at my location is 78 degrees.

As you can see, via the view of the wagon trail high atop Mount Tandy, heading west towards the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth, the wind has blown some fast moving clouds over North Texas.

Tomorrow those clouds overhead are scheduled to release some moisture, along with random lightning strikes, which you can see predicted on the printout below, brought to you by my computer based weather monitoring device...

Looking at the above weather information it appears Monday morning will be the last morning, til the next heat wave, where the temperature criteria will meet the 24 hour average of 50 degrees or above required, by me, for the pool to be comfortably swimmable.

I think I will go on a rare Saturday afternoon swim in the wind, just to get in some extra swimming before the temperature ban arrives.

Is Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price Auditioning For Dancing With The Stars?

Betsy Price & Elsie Hotpepper

Among the many reasons Fort Worth is the Envy of the Nation, making towns far and wide Green with Envy, is the spirited young lass who we are proud to have as our mayor, Betsy Price.

That is Betsy Price in the picture.

Elsie Hotpepper sent me this photo of Betsy. I believe this photo was taken at the dedication of the JFK tribute sculpture in downtown Fort Worth, Thursday morning.

My sources tell me, and I must admit I have no way to verify this, except for the photo, that at some point in the ceremony, when music started filling the air, Betsy Price jumped up and began to dance a rather elaborate, looked to be professionally choreographed, dance routine.

Is Betsy trying to follow in fellow Texan, Tom Delay's, footsteps and get herself on Dancing with the Stars? I can see Betsy being a better partner for Maksim Chmerkovsky than Kirstie Alley is currently being.

Betsy Price is in incredibly good shape due to her bike riding regimen. I believe no other American mayor in a city the size of Fort Worth rides her bike to work. Yet one more reason why Fort Worth is the Envy of the Nation.

And did I mention that Betsy is a fashionista? I guess this goes without saying, what with the photo example above of high fashion on parade, I mean, dancing.

Dodging Widow Makers & Snakes In River Legacy Park Before Christmas Shopping In Walmart

Those are my handlebars in River Legacy Park today, on the mountain bike trail, stopped by a widow maker.

I do not know if widow maker is a universal term, or not, but, in the Pacific Northwest a widow maker is what a logger calls a tree which behaves badly, turning the logger's wife into a widow.

With with my computer based weather monitoring device issuing a "WIND ADVISORY" I had some reservations about going biking today in the River Legacy Park jungle due to the wind potentially blowing at a high velocity, knocking limbs off trees.

But, I disregarded the reservations and heading to Arlington anyway.

As I pedaled along the turning twisting trails the wind only periodically managed to pierce the dense cover of trees. At times I found myself pedaling over a very thick carpet of leaves. Pedaling over a thick carpet of leaves can be a bit unsettling because one does not know what lurks beneath the leaves.

I pedaled past one snake today. A very little snake with a diamond type pattern, ala a rattlesnake. But, I'm fairly certain the little guy was not a rattlesnake. I heard no rattle.

Currently the outer world is being heated to 82 degrees at my location, slightly after 3 in the afternoon of the 2nd Friday of November. The outer world was already heated into the 60s when I went swimming this morning. The pool should be warmer tomorrow morning than it was today, due to this current heat wave.

The pool remaining so swimmable past one week into November is the best evidence I've experienced yet that Global Warming is a reality.

I went to Walmart after I was done dodging widow makers. Christmas stuff is already on the shelves. Ugh.

I heard Feliz Navidad on the radio on the way to River Legacy Park. The evermore unhinged Rush Limbaugh was playing that Christmas classic as part of his current insanity about Santa Claus and the Democrats.

I used to escape the holiday season, or at least part of it, by going to Reno, Las Vegas or Southern California. Or all three, on more than one occasion. I've only escaped the holiday season once since I've been in Texas, that being Christmas of 2000, spent in Yuma with my parental units, going to Mexico Christmas morning.

Feliz Navidad, everyone.

The City Of Fort Worth Is Allowing The Clear Cutting Of Miss Puerto Rico's Forest

What you are looking at above is the view from Miss Puerto Rico's balcony, today, looking north, across the apartment complex she helps manage and the canopy of green foliage that helps create a park-like setting for Miss Puerto Rico's property.

Well.

A couple months ago Miss Puerto Rico's property was sold to a new owner.

This new owner does not like trees.

Last month, on the day before Miss Puerto Rico flew back to her home island, she called me, quite upset, because she'd just learned that the new owner was going to have all the trees, on the property she helps manage, cut down.

Miss Puerto Rico thought this clear cut was going to take place during the week she was back on her home island. However, this did not happen.

Then, a couple days ago, big X's began to appear on the trees. Last night Miss Puerto Rico told  me the trees were going to start coming down on Friday, as in tomorrow.

The town to the east of Fort Worth, Arlington, has a city ordinance regarding tree removal whereby a citizen must get permission to cut a tree on their property. I do not know if this involves a permit or what.

Below is what it looks like below the canopy of green foliage you see from Miss Puerto Rico's balcony. You are looking at some of the marked by X for Death trees. These trees are located in the center of the picture you see above.

Apparently the non-progressive City of Fort Worth has no city ordinance regarding tree removal.

Removing trees can have serious consequences. Trees help slow up flooding. The shade helps with cooling.

And, aesthetically, trees are appealing. I will miss the foliage view from Miss Puerto Rico's balcony. Watching the trees sway during the gusts of a windstorm is borderline hypnotic.

A Somber Walk To The Village Creek Blue Bayou Pondering Durango Obesity

The Village Creek Blue Bayou

Today it seemed to me a peaceful walk to the Village Creek Blue Bayou, with the Indian Ghosts who haunt this place in the Village Creek Natural Historical Area, was just the sort of contemplative place I needed to be to do some pondering.

The Blue Bayou was being particularly blue today, matching my mood. The leaves in the trees are no longer all green.

I want a house painted inside and out in the current Village Creek Blue Bayou color scheme.

The last time I chose colors, for the inside and out of a house, off white and brown was pretty much the color scheme. I was not a very colorful person at that point in time.

This morning I blogged on my DurangObesity blog for the first time in awhile. The blogging was titled The Airlines Are Getting Serious About Flying Obese Customers Of Size.

When I logged into the Obesity blog account I saw Gmail was among the Google products. I did not recollect setting anything to go to DurangObesity Gmail. I clicked on the DurangObesity Gmail and found 18 emails. None of them spam.

I was surprised to learn that I'd gotten email from someone on the production staff of a UK reality show soliciting my help with a program that had something to do with fat families in the UK and US. This person wanted to know if I knew any American families who were okay with being fat. The show was going to switch a UK Fat Family with a US Fat Family. I think that was the premise. Fat Family Swap.

I did not feel too bad that I'd not found this email in a timely fashion because I could be of no use, because I know of no American family who is all happy about being fat.

Another email was from the author of a book about the diet President William Howard Taft went on way back early in the last century. That blogging was titled William Howard Taft: America's First & Only Obese President. The author of the book was inquiring as to whether I'd be interested in reading it. He offered to email me the book in PDF format.

Another email shared with me that person's diet plan, asking me what I thought of it.

The other emails were of a similar ilk, one way or another.

By the time this day is over I am going to check the Gmail accounts of all my blogs. I am  guessing I am in for some surprises. For some reason I thought I had all incoming from the blogs directed to my main email address. Instead, apparently, it is just comments I have directed to my main email address. I did not realize people were emailing the Gmail address associated with the various blogs.

I am such an idiot sometimes. I freely admit this and don't feel this condition is anything I can improve, because it is what is known as a chronic condition.

Another thing that surprised me when I logged into the DurangObesity Google account today was to see the number of page views of some of the various bloggings. I don't think I saw this info with the old version of the Google Blogger. Some of the DurangObesity bloggings have had thousands of page views.

I knew the DurangObesity AdSense revenue thing was constantly generating, but I did not realize this was due to a large number of page views.

Like I already said, I am such an idiot sometimes and readily, freely, admit this.

Handlebars Over The Pool Dragging Down My Blog

Those are my bike's handlebars looking as if they are preparing to dive into the pool. If one were to think that that is what is about to happen this would be what is known as an erroneous assumption.

My bike is near the pool because that is the location of the nearest hose from which I can dispense water to wash off the dusty bike.

This morning I learned, via a blog comment from someone named Anonymous, that my bike's handlebars being pictured is having a serious deleterious affect on my blog....

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Mountain Biking In Gateway Park Before Having Fish & Chips": 

Please drop the bike handlebars pictures. Now. It's dragging your blog down. No excuses.

I had no idea that my blog was so elevated that pictures of a bike's handlebars could drag it down. Anonymous seems to be a very demanding sort, insisting these handlebar pictures cease "Now" with "no excuses" allowed for not dropping the handlebar pictures.

From what I know of my nature, or character, or whatever one calls ones behavior pattern, I think I have a tendency to ignore anyone telling me do to something. Unless they have some sort of credential in my eyes, or make some sort of case that makes some sort of sense.

In this serious handlebar pictures issue I can not imagine how someone Anonymous musters up a level of energy over someones personal blog to the point where someone Anonymous would feel the need to leave such a comment.

Sort of bizarre.

Yet also sort of amusing.

I am likely driving my handlebars to the Village Creek Natural Historical Area today. I do not plan on riding my bike today. But I may drag the bike out to take yet one more handlebar picture in order to further drag my blog down into that abyss into which it is apparently falling.

Mountain Biking In Gateway Park Before Having Fish & Chips

My handlebars were back on the Gateway Park Fort Worth Mountain Bike Association mountain bike trail today.

In the picture you are looking over my handlebars at a trail junction. It is a bit dark under the Gateway Park jungle canopy, so you can barely make out the trail direction sign pointing to the right.

If one were to miss seeing that sign pointing one in the right direction, one might quickly find oneself flying over a cliff into the Trinity River.

I am liking the cooler temperatures whilst hiking and biking. The cooler pool temperature is also being enjoyable, so far. This morning the pool was cool, but not too cool. I continue to find that if the 24 hour average is 50 degrees, or above, the pool is not too cool.

When I used to go swimming in Washington lakes, in summer, I suspect the temperature was very similar to my current slightly cool pool.

I am making fish and chips for lunch. It is my celebration lunch to celebrate the end of another election. Four years goes by so fast. The next election will soon be upon us.

It seems like only yesterday, but, it was 8 years ago, on the day after that election, that being the one where George W. Bush beat John Kerry, I was up in Washington at that point in time, in Tacoma. Sara, the Chocolate Lady, took a group of mourners, including me, out to Zoopa, to drown our sorrows in salad, so morose were we at the idea of 4 more years of George Bush.

The buzzer has buzzed. Time for fish and chips. And salad.