They left Monday from NYC through Hong Kong. I think today is their yesterday. I’m always a wee bit nervous when FD travels to the other side of the globe…but I get over it quickly…just as soon as she checks in with dear ol’ Pops. I’m so proud of her and that adventurous spirit.
Have a good time T-Babe!!! Continue reading “Manila Phillippines welcomes the FD and Mark”
Yup it is. Along with Scottish, Indian, Afro-American, and Hispanic folks populated by the railroad industry. Stopping short of a Texas history lesson of the town and region, let me just say this: we went, we enjoyed, we will go back…and the Bluebonnets are up!
Deb and I ventured to McGregor for a short weekend. Actually, one of Deb’s “Dinner Dames” friend and husband asked us to come visit them and the beautiful new home they are building outside of town. The true intent of our invitation was for Jayne/Rusty to get advice on how to landscape their home.
Note to others with similar intentions…I love to dole out landscape advice to friends and family, but please lets have a discussion not an argument if you don’t agree with the free opinion I offer. I’m too old and grouchy to argue with you about my expertise. I look forward to going back to McGregor with the landscape summary of my thunkin’ for Jayne and Rusty.
It was an interesting weekend to say the least. Here’s a abridged version:
Ahhh, Christmas this year was spent a bit differently. Ohhhh we had our kids with us for sure, but it was out of the “home” for the second year in a row. Last year we traveled to San Antonio – that was cool. This year we were again close to San Antonio…about 45 minutes northwest in Wimberley.
Even though it went from 36° to nearly 80°…and then back to 40°, we had a 
wonderful time in the Hill Country over Christmas. We had days where we woke up to the furnace running and ate dinner with the AC blowing. Something about not having cold temps and snow on the ground at Christmas just isn’t right.
FD and Mark, FS and Tammy, and Frank and Lupe joined us for a relaxing, special time together. The time went by so fast and very little college football bowls were watched – which made it even more neat for everyone. Continue reading “Hill Country Christmas”
Winter weather in north Texas. When you have this: It must give permission to an annoying minority of drivers to run continuously the automobile’s hazard lights, travel 15 mph (tops), and straddle the lane dividers when ice accumulation has yet to make the road treacherous. Flashing hazard lights, when right in front of you, is in itself hazardous. You can’t get around the dumbo ’cause everyone is going slow wondering why the bonehead has his flashers on…I got a headache and I will dream tonight blinking lights. I think the “flashers” must make your car stay straight…. I know, these drivers are just being safe…and sorry. … Continue reading Permission granted to all flashers
This weekend was met with considerable road time and quality family time. We are a bit worn out to say the least but worth the 1600 miles, snow, flat tire, big helping of traditional turkey-day stuff(ing), road construction delays, and eating well at a couple nice restaurants in Austin.
Wednesday had me driving to Wichita to pickup Deb at the airport – she was on a return leg of a business trip from Minneapolis by way of Chicago O’Hare. 10 minutes from a 10 a.m. arrival, I brush up against a curb at the Kansas Turnpike Toll Booth and pop the stem on the front driver’s side tire. The poor lady attendant in the toll booth – she tought she had been shot by the look on her face when that stem broke off with a loud “pop”. It turned out to be an hour or so delay getting the tire changed and repaired. I finally got to the airport to pick up Deb a wee bit late (thank heavens for cell phones). Continue reading “Giving Thanks Trip”
A late lunch will sometimes pay off when bubba cars are sited around town.
Photographer dexterity and the good use of mirrors were able to capture “that’s something you don’t see every day” pictures while driving down the road. Don’t pass this link on to the DMV please.
While you’re at it, note the detailed construction techniques: the creative use of duct tape, the ingenious use of wood on the grill, sheet metal and plastic abound, the inverted john-boat to serve as a truck bed cover, and who knows what else. Oh I know, check out the wheel covers….
If you will, direct your attention to all the rivets, the non-use of bondo, the crooked application of racing stripes down the side, and a few minor oversprays of spray paint on the back bumper. The unfortunate thing about this “vehicle” is a large windshield crack has lessened the value of the truck. Now that is a bummer.
Just a passing thought: I wonder if this guy is a duck hunter? He could probably purposefully roll the “vehicle” in to the water and paddle out to retrieve his bounty. Getting back to shore could be a trick. Continue reading “Automobile (I think) aftermarket amenities”
About 9:30 last night I finally got caught up with the DMN weekend “Guide” and discovered the Plano Balloon Festival was underway. This morning I ventured to Plano to catch a sunrise launch of countless Hot Air Balloons. As STBFDIL Tammy said in a reply text message (I sent her and several others a cell phone picture around 8:30), I did my own solo photowalk today.
Balloons aside, I don’t remember the last time I saw so many cameras – of all sizes, shapes, and styles – in one place. There was just a whole lot of photo walking, sitting, standing, and gawking go on. I could have learned a whole bunch about cameras and photo-taking had the guys with the lens as long as my arm stood still long enough for me to converse with them. Continue reading “Full of Balloony and Full of Hot Air”
This year’s Labor Day weekend was spent with our parents in Kansas. It’s always grand to visit our parents – we’re trying to do that as often as we can. We came away with yet another new found perspective however. Hurricanes occupy as much TV time in land-locked Kansas as it does in the coastal states. I’m glad CFB has started. Listening to Big 12 North friendly media rant and rave about a successful Week 1 for my Wildcats (and yes I had to tolerate the Jayhawks as well) is quite refreshing, perhaps even a bit rejunivenating.
Deb’s dad had an orchard full of apples this weekend. So we grabbed buckets and sacks and trekked up the hill to do some old fashion picking. Others did the picking, I photographed (Hey Emily, you should have been with me on that Photowalk). Deb’s mom, nephew Jacob, my dad, and Gus the Dog came out and joined in on the fun. When it was all said and done, we had a bushel of apples, some already sampled by birds…others home to constant diners that dwell and relish the sweet taste and fruit firmness (aka worms). Within minutes the five of them had a load and we then kind of looked at each other and said “now what”. “Now what”, at least in part, resulted in apple pealing/coring the old fashion way (with a pairing knife) and had Deb making my dad two pies that evening. Now I like pies and apple is usually down my favorites list quite a ways, however Deb’s pies were particularly good and quite tasty. So much so, Dad and I enjoyed a breakfast of champions by having a slice of homemade apple pie and a scope of vanilla bean ice cream for breakfast the next morning. Continue reading “Labor Day, Apple Pie, and Kansas in both Windshields”
Recent posting had me pouting about everyone else’s vacations. Well this past weekend, I got an urban vacation – not Dubai, Maccuhu Pichu, Steamboat Springs, NYC, nor Alaska. FS and FSTBDIL came to Dallas (no further) and we met them at a hotel. FW (I will probably get in trouble for that…or at least questioned) Deb found a deal on two rooms at the Intercontinental Hotel through Hot Wire. Side note, that hotel is appropriately named as it truly was a vast, interesting blend of cultures and nationalities walking through the lobby. They even had a Larry-guy singing Frank Sinatra songs in the lizard lounge, and I would venture a guess Ol’ Blue Eyes is not on the top seller list in New Delhi. Continue reading “What I Did on my Summer Vacation”
Giving credit where it’s due: FD Tiffany took the picture now in my Blog header with my FugiFilm FinePix S5700 camera in Maine last summer (that was pre-Canon Rebel XT). She ungracefully scaled a fence and traversed down to the rocky shoreline at Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse (scoll down on the web page – those are FD’s perch rocks in the picture) to take this sunset photo. The mosquitoes practically carried her out to sea. Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse is the only lighthouse on Mount Desert Island (Acadia National Park)
With work demands mounting, Deb called Friday wanting to get away for a short weekend. We both agreed a quiet weekend was in order. We found a wonderful B&B in Mineola Texas that was willing to rent us a room for one night (most want a two-night reservation don’t you know). It meets the Gotta-Stay standards of the newly established TMay82 Travel and Eats Blog Review.
Check out Munzesheimer Manor – Innkeepers Bob and Sherry Murray are a wonderful couple: full of life, conversation, and serve up a gourmet breakfast worthy of asking for seconds for their guests. Continue reading “Short Weekend and Steer Butt”
21 
