The Shadow Of The Tandy Hills Thin Man Sequel

If you look closely at today's Shadow of the Tandy Hills Thin Man compared to Thursday's Shadow of the Tandy Hills Thin Man compared to the Last Day of October's Shadow of the Tandy Hills Thin Man you can spot a disturbing trend.

As in the last 7 days has seen a huge increase in the amount of clothing worn to hike the Tandy Hills.

Today was not a warm one in my favorite hiking zone. For the first time in a long time I was on the Tandy Hills in long pants. And a  long-sleeved shirt over a t-shirt.

Eventually I warmed up. A little.

Just like last Saturday I came upon a pair of Tandy Hills newbies. I tell you, the hills are almost coming alive with the sound of humans.

After I was done hiking I went to Town Talk. Have I ever mentioned how much I appreciate Don Young pointing me to Town Talk? I never know what I am going to find there. And the people who work at Town Talk are very nice. And efficient.

I have not heard from Elsie Hotpepper today. I don't know if I should be concerned or not. I've not spoken to Elsie since she called a couple days ago, all fired up in total Hot Pepper mode, cursing like a drunken sailor on shore leave.

Such language, I'd not heard, since Gar the Texan lost his temper over a bunch of annoying Germans in Germany, which caused him to unleash F-Bombs for the first time in my experience with the usually meek, mild mannered Gar the Texan. The poor guy was married to a German for awhile. This may have caused his inner Hitler to be released.

Speaking of people who have little impulse control, when it comes to spewing profanely, I've not been over to Miss Puerto Rico's since her return from her home island.

Because English is Miss Puerto Rico's second language her use of Americanized profanity is sort of out of whack. I have wondered if she realizes these words she uses so frequently are known as profanity? I think she picks up the verbiage by watching too much cable TV, and then it goes through a strange Puerto Rican morph. And comes out sounding a bit crazy.

@#%$*&!!!!!

I forgot to mention that Tootsie Tonasket called while I was on my way to the Tandy Hills. I talked to Tootsie for about half of my hill hiking. The ol' gal has a lot going on. This week she plead "not guilty" to being a deer poacher. Apparently those in the courtroom were giggling as the judge read the charges. Even the judge was, supposedly, acting bemused by what the little ol' lady was being accused of.

I blogged on my Washington Blog about the Ruby Ridge-like Raid on Tootsie Tonasket's Poaching Gang Headquarters, back when it happened, last March. Since then, Tootsie's neighbor has set up sophisticated monitoring equipment, supposedly because he feels in danger, due to the proximity of the Tootsie Tonasket Gang.

The National Debt Road Trip Routes Through Dallas & Fort Worth

Below is a very clever video with a very clever way of illustrating the out of control American National Debt. With George W. Bush we were almost breaking the freeway speed limit. With Barack Obama we are speeding across America at well over 100 miles per hour. I fear without stoplights, airbags or seatbelts.

Anyway, watch the clever video with a very clever way of illustrating the out of control American National Debt below. Don't blink or you will miss the ride as it passes through Dallas and Fort Worth.

Thinking About Moving Back To Washington On A Cold Saturday Morning In Texas

40 degrees this November 6 Saturday morning in Texas as the sun starts to try to light up the place.

The aches and pains and burning eyes that yesterday had me thinking I was coming down with something, have abated, somewhat.

I had nightmares last night involving moving back to Washington. I kept getting thwarted. And bit by bit I kept losing the stuff I was trying to move with me. Eventually I could not even keep a light lit.

I'm sure it was all very Freudian. Particularly the unable to keep a light lit part.

I think if I still had a house waiting for me in Washington, I'd move back. But, my house was sold in 2002. I think it was 2002. It may have been 2003.

I am wondering if I want to take a shock treatment this morning by getting a chill thrill in the pool.

I know for certain I am going to the Tandy Hills today and get myself a heavy duty endorphin fix.

Arlington Aches, Pains & Burning Eyes While Looking At Grounded Columns At Veterans Park

Arlington has been busy working on Veterans Park. Unlike a much larger city to the immediate west, Arlington seems to get right on any infrastructure problems.

For instance, the last time I was at Veterans Park I saw the boardwalk to the formal garden had been removed. I had noticed a few worn boards, but nothing too dire. Certainly nothing like the rotted boardwalks that are boarded up in Fort Worth's Gateway Park.

The new boardwalk in Veterans Park appears to be finished, but not quite open due to some finishing touches.

Phase 2, or 3, of the Veterans Memorial in Veterans Park is underway. Columns are laying on the ground behind the soldier standing guard over the memorial. I assume the columns are not laying on the ground as symbols of fallen soldiers, but instead are awaiting being installed.

A lot of people were in Veterans Park today. I suppose this was due to the weather being perfect.

To me it seems a bit cold. As in too cool for the pool this morning. It was 40 degrees when I tried to get some chill thrill. I lasted, at tops, 3 minutes before common sense got me out of the water.

I've been feeling sort of slightly under the weather all day, including before the chilly pool incident. Something has been in the air today that has been irritating my eyes. It was worse in Arlington, well, actually, in Pantego is when it got really bad.

Elsie Hotpepper just emailed me to nag that there must be something wrong with me because I've not been blogging.

I only do the blogging thing when I don't have something else that needs to be done. Elsie emailed me an assignment or two, today, that took priority over blogging.

That and I'd blogged on my DurangObese Blog about What's Eating Gilbert Grape and a Harvard MIT study that purports to show that the American Obesity Epidemic will worsen til 2050, when it tops out with 44% of Americans being obese.

I hope I am not coming down with anything. I have not been sick in a long long time. I have been feeling a bit of stress of late and stress weakens the immune system.

It Is Chilly In Texas So I'm Making Chili

We're behind the bars of my patio prison cell, looking out at the November 5 darkness.

It is a cold Friday morning here in the semi-deep South. 40 degrees.

Meanwhile, right now up in balmy, semi-tropical Seattle, it is 54.

When is this Daylight Savings Time nonsense going to end so the sun can be scheduled to arrive earlier?

It seems like usually Daylight Savings Time is gone by now.

I got up on the wrong side of the bed and banged my head against the wall, thus resulting in a slight headache this morning.

I don't know if the pool is going to be doable this morning. 40 degrees is getting a bit too chilly.

Speaking of chilly, I think I'll make chili today. Chili is a good thing on a cold day.

The Shadow Of The Tandy Hills Thin Man

It appears as if I've lost an arm, in the picture, but appearances are deceiving. In reality, my right arm was being used to take the picture of the long shadow, some time between 3 and 4, this afternoon, on the Tandy Hills.

I thought it might be pushing it, mud-wise, to return to the Tandy Hills just slightly 24 hours after the rain stopped.

I don't mind growing taller, but not when it is due to mud sticking to my shoes. Which is what was happening on the Tandy Hills.

So, I cut the Tandy Hills visit real short and continued on to my next destination.

I got in some good swimming, this morning, so my endorphin withdrawal problem had already been taken care of, prior to the aborted Tandy Hills hike.

I also got some aerobic stimulation when I was making lunch (BBQ chicken and avocado whole wheat sandwich with eggplant soup) when Elsie Hotpepper called in Hot Pepper mode, cursing like a sailor on shore leave. Such words spewing from such a delicate flower of the South. I am not used to my womenfolk being profane verbiagers. Except for my Puerto Rican womenfolk, who are all profane verbiagers.

Yes, I know, "verbiagers" is not a word. But, I feel it should be. So, I'm adding it to my dictionary.

I've got my windows open with a pleasant breeze blowing through. I suspect I will not have my windows open tomorrow, with the temperature predicted to get down in the 30s.

Fort Worth Is About To Use Money Intended For Landscaping To Build A Monument To Itself

My Fort Worth eastsider insider source, who I call "Deep Grass," sent me some interesting info this morning.

Back in 2004 the City of Fort Worth received $265,000 of landscaping funds from something called the Governor's Community Achievement Award, to be used for roadside landscaping in one of five locations in Fort Worth. One of the five locations is on the opposite side of I-30 from the Tandy Hills.

Six years have gone by without any of the money being used to do any of the intended landscaping. Landscaping, might I add, that Fort Worth really needs to do. Such as landscaping the two freeway exits that lead to Fort Worth's #1 tourist attraction, the Fort Worth Stockyards. Currently those exits are a weedy, littered mess. Not big city worthy.

Somehow the money that was supposed to be spent on landscaping migrated to something called FWPA, initials standing for Fort Worth Public Art.

Which leads us to the picture at the top. The City of Fort Worth is trying to fast-track that ugly sign, without public input, sticking the sign somewhere on I-30 between Fort Worth's eastern border and downtown. I could not figure out what the images on the sign were supposed to be representing. Is the squiggly blue line the Trinity River? Is that a Dallas skyscraper on the right, with the river and the W compass point leading to Fort Worth?

Those behind this "sign" scheme are calling it a monument. This monument, to be built on the eastside of Fort Worth, has been conceived without any consultation with the Eastside Activists. You know, those people who are working hard to make Fort Worth a better place to live, preserving what needs preserving, fixing what needs fixing, stopping what needs to be stopped, making this a better place to live.

Well, the FWPA will be holding the first public meeting on this proposed monument next Wednesday, in the East Regional Library. That is my local, neighborhood library.

Show up and let the city know you'd prefer not to see this monument built, but would prefer to see the Governor's Community Achievement Award money go to its intended purpose, such as (in the words of "Deep Grass") a lush planting of 4-foot tall prairie grasses like switchgrass, eastern gamma grass, and big bluestem with a liberal sprinkling of perennial prairie wildflowers (not the usual bluebonnets and paint brushes), enhancing the public easement on I-30 near the Tandy Hills, between Beach Street and Oakland Boulevard.

Fort Worth Monument Boondoggle Meeting Info below....

I-30 Gateway Monument Project

Community Meeting

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

6:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Community Meeting Room

East Regional Library

6301 Bridge St

Fort Worth, TX 76112-0823

(817) 871-6436

Agenda

6:30 pm Welcome from Mayor Pro-Tem Danny Scarth

6:35 pm Overview – I-30 Gateway Monument Project

Anne Allen, Public Art Project Manager

(AA introduces Debbie Branch, Code Compliance, and

representatives of Keep Fort Worth Beautiful)

6:40 pm GCAA & Texas Department of Transportation

Richard Schiller, Director of Maintenance, TxDOT

(RS turns it back over to Anne Allen,
who introduces Susan Sitzes, Artist)

6:50 pm Background: City Win’s Governor’s
 Community Achievement Award

Debbie Branch, Code Compliance, Commercial Recycling & Keep Fort Worth Beautiful Coordinator

(DB introduces Richard Schiller, TxDOT)

7:00 pm Presentation of Conceptual Design Artist Susan Sitzes

(Susan turns meeting back over to Mayor Pro Tem Scarth, who

opens it up for questions)

7:15 pm Q & A

7:30 Adjourn