TexasBob.com Blog

Capitol of Texas Park - A Walk through the Birth of Texas

2009-04-11T08:18:00.010-06:00

I stopped by West Columbia, Texas yesterday to check out the progress on that cities latest contribution to the conservation of Texas History. The citizens of West Columbia, the First Capital of the Republic of Texas, will be dedicating a new historical park at 2:00 PM next Saturday. (April 17th, 2009).

While I was there workers were putting the finishing touches on the landscaping and the stonemasons were installing the finishing touches on the 19 markers that take any visitor through a complete short course in the history of the early days of the Republic of Texas.

Have you ever wondered what the first congress of the Republic of Texas actually accomplished in the early days of the republic? There is a marker in the park that tells you. This is what it said:

Ratified the constitution
Appointed committees
Provided for protection from the Indians
Provided for the army and the navy
Created the judicial branch
Created the post office
Established a financial system
Adopted an office flag and seal
Defined the boundaries of the republic

(I wish our government today was this efficient.)

What part did the steam boat “Yellowstone” take in Texas History? There is a marker in the park that tells you the answer to that question and many more.

For more information about the dedication service and more go to this website:
Capitol of Texas Park - A Walk through the Birth of Texas

Of course there are many other things to see and do in West Columbia. While I was there I visited the Varner–Hogg Mansion and I also stopped by the Stephen F. Austin death site. There is also a replica of the first capitol building of the Republic of Texas.

...and there is more. While I was there I noticed that West Columbia has a history museum and I’ve never been there. That will have to be another day.
TexasBob

Mission Galveston - My last day

2009-03-20T07:08:00.007-06:00

My part of Mission Galveston is over. We got a lot done in the 4 houses that we worked in however they are not complete. Others coming in after us will do what they can do. There are still hundreds of homes that look fine on the outside but have no sheet rock on the walls. There are many sponsoring groups working in the Texas Gulf coast almost continuously since hurricane Rita. The group that we worked with was “Nehemiah’s Vision”. This group was started in Vidor, Texas to help rebuild New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast after hurricane Katrina (2005). Just a few weeks later hurricane Rita ripped through Southeast Texas including Vidor and Western Louisiana. Then there was Gustav and Ike (2008) their work has never stopped.

As for me I’m very sore. I used a lot of muscles I don’t normally use. I met and got to know a lot of people on my team. We worked all day, car pooled to the work sites and the entire team at our evening meal together. With distances and logistics our days started at 6:00 am and ended about 8:30 pm everyday so even blogging as been a challenge.

If you ever get the opportunity to do something like this, just do it.

Mission Galveston - Day Two - A day for all Ages

2009-03-15T21:00:00.006-06:00

Today was little different, we started the day with our partner church for Sunday morning services, had a great lunch and then it was on to our work places. As for my shower project we managed to install the shower surround and I learned an important lesson, liquid nails adhesive does not come off the skin without some pain.

One group I forgot to mention yesterday is what I call our “Shock Troops” Four young men and four young women ages 14 -18 work on “Special” projects. The four young men spent the first day moving lumber and supplies from a warehouse to the project houses all over Galveston County. The young women sorted and size the hundreds of pieces of donated clothing for redistribution. Today there was a blind woman whose FEMA benefits ran out on this very day. The Shock Troops moved all her furniture to another house.

And then there are the children. They have fun no matter what. But if you need 2000 hotel size bottles of shampoo, bars of soap and a couple 100 tooth brushes sorted by type and size, bring in the kids. It becomes a game and it gets done.

Many times when you go on a trip like this you learn new skills and this trip has been no different. Today I learned a new skill. How to operate the hotel waffle machine.

Mission Galveston - Day One

2009-03-14T21:09:00.006-06:00

I guess I was naïve. I thought just about everybody was back to normal six months after Hurricane Ike. I thought that there would be a few small houses with some problems. What I found was whole subdivisions with an RV in the drive way to live in front of a house and a house that a few short months ago have several feet of water in them. Almost every house was in some stage of construction.

Today our group was divided into four groups.

Group one loaded a large U-Haul truck to capacity with food stuff and clothing. All of which was donated by the folks at Tallowood Church as part of our Worship in Action. After it was all loaded it was delivered to the Galveston /Texas City Ministries. It was then unloaded and sorted by the same group that loaded the truck. There was a lot of stuff and they did not finish but will continue to work on it tomorrow.

Group two was tasked to sheet rock a 1500 square foot house. This work will continue throughout the week. It is a very good crew but it will be hard to complete the sheetrock and tape and bed the joints in the time we have allotted to us.

Group three has two houses adjacent to each other and there is a variety of projects. We are painting, putting down baseboards, cleaning windows, etc. You have probably heard of a house with 2 ½ baths. Well this house has a ½ bath. What I am working on is installing a shower stall in the completely non functioning bath room.

Group four feed all 40+ members of the other teams. They deliver lunch to each of the worksites and prepare and serve an evening meal at our partner church North Baptist Church – Texas City, Texas.

I’m sure I will be sore tomorrow

Mission Galveston

2009-03-13T07:59:00.006-06:00

Six months ago the Texas Gulf Coast was hit Hurricane Ike. Galveston County which consists of the city of Galveston on Galveston Island, Port Bolivar peninsula and many small towns on the mainland were devastated. My own home, 50 miles inland received only minor damage and the inconvenience no power for a day.
Galveston County has had major losses of infrastructure, schools, hospitals and jobs. Galveston was totally destroyed in 1900 and recovered. I believe they will recover again. While the government agency discuss and argue the fate of Galveston County its funding and rebuilding many are still without livable shelter
I, my wife and 40 other members of Tallowood Baptist Church are spending our Spring Break working on three houses in Seabrook, Texas. But it’s more than that. We are part of 1400 other volunteers “flooding” Galveston County this week as part of the Nehemiah Project to do whatever needs to be done to rebuild Galveston.
During the coming days, if I’m physically able, I will blog about the activities of our group. Many of you know I primarily blog when I travel to faraway lands, or about Texas High School Football. This week I’m going to blog about 40 people praying, painting and hanging sheetrock.

Join us.

Surprise in my Soup

2008-11-07T19:03:00.008-06:00

I went from Pusan, Korea to Yantai, Provence China and our host worked very hard to impress us with good food. I was careful not to offend the extremely polite citizens of Korea and China during the time I was in their countries, but I had to draw the line at the multi legged creature I found in my soup. My colleague seated at my right was a vegetarian (I wanted to convert on the spot.) my colleague seated on my left ate his surprise whole, pretty brave for a Missourian who didn’t have to say “Show Me” because it was there staring at him.

As I weighed the possible offence to my guest before I made my decision, I decided that not eating the little marine animal would be less offensive than if he reappeared with the rest of my meal on the way back up.

After 26 hours of travel I’m back in Texas. Today at lunch I went out and had a Whataburger, with cheese and jalapeños. Texas is a very nice place to live.

The Korean People

2008-11-01T00:09:00.003-06:00

I had hoped to take more pictures while in Korea but I've mostly been in Ship Yards during the day and doing paper work at night. The ship yards build everything from container ships to submarines. No pictures are allowed.

It is exciting to travel to different parts of the world but for me it is also part of my job. Not much site seeing.

I can tell you that the Korean People are the most gracious people I’ve ever met. This is a picture of the elevator attendant at the Lotte Hotel in Pusan. She is dressed in a traditional Korean dress. Tradition and structure is a mainstay in the Korean culture. They take a lot of pride in their work. For example our first social gaff in Korea was our attempt to tip the bell man for bring up our bag. That was a bad idea and embarrassed him terribly. The house keeping staff at the Samsung Hotel had their "motto" on their badge. It said, "Our Tip is our Pride in our work". They are paid for what they do and their pay is not dependant on tips. I like it. I wish it were like that in the US.

Tomorrow we leave for China and our last ship yard. I'm ready to come home to Texas

Global Plumbing

2008-10-29T00:46:00.004-06:00

In my travels I have learned that plumbing, primarily bathroom facilities, come in different variations around the world. Sometimes language is a problem. When I was with a group of Americans at a Korean place of business there came a time when we had to ask where the “Facilities” were. So, what English word would you use to ask some Koreans with limited English language skills, "Where is the (fill in the blank)?" I’ll give you a hint “rest room” does not work. As a matter of fact I was visiting their onsite medical facility, basically a small hospital, and I saw a room with the words Rest Room on the door. So I stuck my head in and what did I see, a small room with a bed in it. That makes sense to me. So what English word do Koreans use to describe a small room with a toilet in it? I’m not telling, you will have to find out your self when you come to Korea.

Back at the hotel, it is always a challenge to try and figure out the shower controls without scalding yourself. Whatever you know about hot on the left, cold on the right, right is off, left is on, forget it. It may not be true. I just get in the shower, with my glasses on, and figure it out.

I’ve always been fortunate to visit countries with modern infrastructures; you know the basics, water, electricity, flush toilets etc. But my room in Korea had something I had not seen before. It had a toilet that had a control panel that looked like it belonged on a Maytag washing machine. I’ve seen toilets with a “washing system” but never one with an electronic control panel. Did I mention I was staying at the Samsung Hotel? It had buttons, lights and controls like “Water Temp”, “Wash”, and “Dry”. I can tell you that it is a nice alternative for "John Wayne" toilet paper. (Ruff, Tough, and doesn’t take nothing off anybody.)

I think my bathroom at home is due a remodel.

당신 좋아한다 그것을 가진 튀김을 하고자 했는가? (Would you like Fries with that?)

2008-10-25T05:04:00.011-06:00

In the past ten months I done a lot of traveling, I’ve been to Akron, Ohio; Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Oslo, Norway; Dubia, United Emirates; Posan, Korea; Ulsan, Korea and in a few days, Yantai, China.

In my travels I’ve gotten a good education. The first thing I already new but only on faith but now I know through experience that Texas is home.

The second thing that I learned was something I thought I knew then I found out I was wrong. If I were to ask you, “What is the most common food in the world?” you might have believed as I did that the correct answer is “Rice”.

In volume, rice probably is the most common food available in the world, but I have learned that most consistently available food around the world with very little variation is a Big Mac from McDonalds. I’ve seen the Golden Arches everywhere I’ve been and many times a Burger King nearby and occasionally a Pizza Hut.

Anyone that knows me knows that I have seldom darkened the door of a McDonalds. I don’t really like their burgers and if I’m going to eat a fast food hamburger it’s going to be a cheeseburger with jalapenos from Whataburger, that great burger chain based in Corpus Christi, Texas since 1952.

At home I’ve not been to a McDonalds in years but when I travel overseas I usually eat at McDonalds at least once. The reason I do is because when you are in a foreign land there is something about those golden arches and a Big Mac in a box that reminds me of home. Step into a McDonalds off a street in Ulsan, Korea and you will see the same signage and goofy cartoon characters that you would see in Anycity, U.S.A.

It is kind of sad that the U.S. exports to the world some of the unhealthiest food in the world, but then we have also developed and exported the latest technology in heart bypass surgery.

We’ve had a lot of experience in both areas.

Chopsticks

2008-10-24T15:38:00.005-06:00

Our Korean host took us to fine Chinese Restaurant on the top floor of the Hyundai Department store in Ulsan, Korea. The table was finely set with white linens, small white teacup, a large spoon and a pair of chopsticks.

Our server came out and served steaming hot tea that was about the color of a brown chicken egg, just a little bit of brown color to it. It was almost too hot to drink but I drank it. Then out came a small bowl of what I would call “relish” but not finely chopped.

I’ve always been taught to use the right tool for job, don’t use a pipe wrench for a hammer (unless you just can’t resist), don’t use a screw driver for a pry bar, and don’t bring a knife to a gun fight. That said, I picked up my chopsticks attempted to eat my “relish” and although the young man sitting next to me was thoroughly entertained with my lack of chopstick skill, I thought I did well.

The next course was a bowl of “stuff” which contents was not fully known to me, except for some small shrimp. As I pick through the different bits and pieces with my chopsticks there were some black pieces that I could not pick up. I notice that my colleague, who had lived many years in the Far East, was not eating the black pieces, so I quit trying. We discussed each course in an educational sort of way and the conversations turned to the black pieces. I don’t remember the Korean name for the black pieces but I think loosely translated it means, “One who eats off the bottom of the fish bowl”. I don’t think that it was catfish.

The dishes, I think there were eight courses, became more difficult for me to manage with what I regarded as an improper tool, chopsticks, but I was pretty determined to complete the meal in a traditional manner. Sometime during the long meal I think my gracious Korean host must have signaled the server because she brought me a fork and a “Coke Light”.

It was a wonderful meal with new friends. Even with the language barrier we got to know each other much better.

End of a Long Day

2008-10-21T16:01:00.005-06:00

When the call was made to board Continental Flight 7 non-stop from Houston to Tokyo, we all scurried down the ramp as if it were a one-hour flight to Dallas. It was as if we could not wait to sit down for the 13 hours. In the end, a dead end I might add, we could not wait to get off that plane.

The passengers of Flight 7 to Tokyo, was a unique mix of businessmen from the Far East and Texas good ole boys complete with gimmie hats. In a very small area of a very big Boeing 777 I saw one University of Texas cap, two Texas Tech University caps and one Acme seed cap. What are these guys doing on this plane? It’s not the Southwest Airline non-stop to Midland.

On the Boeing 777 if you removed the seats and the partitions it’s not quite big enough for a Rodeo but I do believe it could host a six-man football game between Penelope and Abbott.

I had an on time arrival in Tokyo and was exhausted. The realization that the day was far from over made my fatigue wear like a heavy lead coat, slowing every move. I have a four-hour layover and I’m trying to stay awake. I boarded Northwest Flight 6 to Pusan, Korea with a different mix of passengers. Asian businessmen, Korean citizens returning from Holiday, and teenage Korean girls returning home from a school event, this was what I expected when I left Houston. The seat next to me was empty until a group of Americans from a delayed flight out of Los Angeles boarded the plane. The passenger next to me had left Katy, Texas about the same time I had. He was also wearing a lead coat.

I arrived at the Pusan airport and as I was going through customs I came to the realization that in the general scheme of things in this world people come in all sizes…and I am a big guy.

The Pusan Lotte Hotel is very nice but all I want to see now is the insides of my eyelids.

…more later.

Home of the Mythical Unicorn - New Braunfels, Texas

2008-09-27T08:39:00.008-06:00

It’s Friday night and the Winston Churchill Chargers came to the home of the New Braunfels Unicorns. The first thing I noticed on arriving at the stadium was the terrible parking situation. They do provide a shuttle service from a nearby church parking lot but it is still bad. The parking for the buses is very tight. The second thing that I noticed is that both bands had 18 wheelers to haul all their junk from event to event. That’s nice but it adds to the parking problem at Unicorn Stadium. Did I say that parking was bad…?

Other than that, the stadium was a pretty nice place to watch a game. The crowd was a respectable estimated 5,000 fans. The game opened with recognizing Unicorn players for coaching a flag football league in the community. The flag football players were on the sidelines with their suited up coaches. The school songs were played, the national anthem was sung by all in the stands and we were ready for the kick-off. Then I realized that I never saw the unicorns do any warm-up drills. Did I miss it? I don’t think so, I get to the game very early.

The game did not go well for the Chargers so I did something I seldom do. I had arrived early so I was park deep in the bowels of the New Braunfels High School campus. I didn’t know how long it would take to get out of this parking quagmire; the score was mounting up against the Chargers so I left early.

Final score? Unicorns 23 – Chargers 0

Did I mention that the parking was bad?

Six-Man football in Penelope, Texas.

2008-09-19T22:04:00.020-06:00

I try to make a six man football game every year. It’s exciting, it’s different and it is a refreshing view of life in the smallest of Texas towns. This year I had a trip planned to Waco for another football game and I used that opportunity to find a six man game to attend. There are a lot of six man football teams around Waco so I went to sixmanfootball.com and looked through the schedules. I decided to go to the Penelope Wolverines – Abbott Panthers game. It was reasonably close to Waco and I had heard of the Penelope from Carlton Stowers book, Where Dreams Die Hard: A Small American Town And Its Six-Man Football Team .

I arrived in Penelope about an hour before kickoff and it didn’t take long to find the school and the stadium behind it. There were already a lot of cars and activity. The FFA was having a fund raiser selling sausage on a stick and burgers right off the grill. Inside the field house was the added bonus of an ongoing volleyball game between the Lady Wolverines and the Lady Panthers. I could write a book on the funny adaptations of masculine Texas high school mascots to girls’ sports teams but I’ll save that for a later time.
I sat in on part of the volley ball game and enjoyed a sport I have to confess I know very little about. I can tell you it is hard played and competitive.

I left the volley ball game and went out the back of the field house to Wolverine Field located directly behind it. I bought a couple of cookies and a program from the student council. As I headed for the stands I kept looking for a ticket seller, actually that’s how I ended up with cookies because I thought they were selling tickets. Apparently games at Penelope are free. This is in stark contrast to Katy ISD that currently charges $12.00 for tickets purchased at Rhodes Stadium.

The stadium has stands for about 125 fans on each side. Before the night was over I would estimate that the crowd swelled to about 400 sitting in the stands, in lawn chairs in the south end zone (Next to the FFA Barbecue pits), and of course along the fence on both sides.

The pregame activities were interesting. The first thing I noticed when the Penelope cheerleaders entered the sideline was, “I know these girls” that’s when I realized that for the most part the volleyball team and the cheerleaders were one in the same. Next the visiting teams school song sung unaccompanied from the far side stands. Then in turn the Penelope school song sung in the same manner by the home town fans. Then to top off the pregame program the PA announcer led the crowd in Frances Scott Key’s “Star Spangled Banner” with gusto.

Six man football by nature is exciting and this game was no exceptions, but unfortunately this was not the game to win for the Wolverines. With the scoreboard clock only 1:31 into the third quarter of play the Abbott Panthers scored leaving the final score: Panthers 58 – Wolverines 13. In six man football if one team is 45 points ahead after half time the game is over. Even with the game ending with a 45 point deficit I never felt that the Wolverines were out of reach of a victory.

TexasBob

I Don't Like Ike

2008-09-11T11:06:00.004-06:00

Even though I was born in the Truman administration the first president I remember was Dwight Eisenhower. I remember the campaign slogan “I Like Ike”. There was a lot to like about Texas born Dwight Eisenhower, supreme commander of the European Theater Allied forces in WW II, humble, friend of the solder and American hero. He was a such a typical American apolitical career solder that when he was first encouraged to run for president he had to decide with which political party he would run. A great solder even though some consider him a mediocre President.

So why did they have to defame such a great man by naming a hurricane after him! I have just spent all morning boarding up my windows. And here I sit waiting for “IKE” to lay vengeance on me and my “Stuff”. I liked it better when they named hurricanes after women, there not Hissicanes ya, know.

Pray for all of us on the Texas Gulf Coast.

Cheese Burger at 37,000 feet

2008-08-13T20:47:00.006-06:00

The Scene:
Continental Flight 40 Houston to Newark, New Jersey.

The Altitude: 37,000 feet

The Time:
2 hours into the flight.

The Question:
What would you like for lunch, a chicken salad, or a Cheese Burger?

I could not believe my ears. I started having flash backs of the time I ordered "Mexican Food" at a Traverse City, Michigan Italian restaurant. (That is another story in itself.)

Continental Airlines is now serving cheese burgers? Did they have a little grill hidden behind a latched silver door in the galley? It sounded like a crime was about to be committed against one of my food staples. To me Cheese Burgers represent a balanced meal originating from the food groups: bread, vegetables, dairy, beef and onions. Continental Airlines was about to cause irreparable harmed.

I've risk my arteries and taste buds to test some excellent burgers. I was there for you to test the "Watts Burger in Odessa, Browns Drive Inn in Kerrville and many others. I felt it was my "duty" to make the sacrifice on your behalf.

I tried it. I would not recommend it. However I did not get food poisoning. (but I think I'm growing a sixth toe.)

TexasBob
(On the Road)

Schiphol, Texas

2008-07-22T22:28:00.009-06:00

Another day, another airport. Leaving Dubai at midnight (Dubai time) and arriving at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam at 5:00 AM local time is a cruel joke of a nights sleep. KLM serves business class a meal after takeoff, lets you sleep about four hours, turns the lights on about an hour and a half before landing and starts serving breakfast. The good news is that in a mere five hours, the wheels will be up on KLM Flight 0661 non stop flight to George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. With the magic of East - West air travel the 10.5 hour flight will only take 3 "clock" hours as we arrive in Houston a little after 1:00 in the afternoon. After passport and emigration checks and a long wait for luggage we leave the airport just in time for Houston rush hour traffic. Fortunately I'll be looking for a guy in a suit holding a sign that says, "TexasBob". Seeing that sign will make me happy! I may even give him a hug because he will drive me home and in just about 45 minutes to an hour I'll be HOME, drinking a cold Dr Pepper with the only decisions to ponder is whether to go right to bed or stay up and savor the moment.

TexasBob

Dubai in July

2008-07-21T08:47:00.004-06:00

Could I say HOT! The temperature today was 115° F with a humidity of 95%. In that heat I spent several hours climbing all over a ship in Dubai “Drydocks World”. Yes that is what they call it and I have the tee shirt to prove it.

Dubai is the “Disney World” of the Middle East. The buildings are unbelievable. As I look across the skyline from my 28th floor hotel room in the “Jumeirah Emirates Tower” I can see 15 high-rise building under construction, many slated to be taller than this 50-story hotel. . I could probably see more if it were not for the “dirty sky” that looks like the sky in West Texas on a sandy, windy spring day.

The Jumeirah Emirates Tower hotel is the best I've ever stayed in. The rooms are large, the staff, which numbers in the hundreds, is attentive to every detail. Your wish is there command. No task too large or too small. You want it, they’ve got it.

...unless you want a cold Dr Pepper.

Road to Dubai

2008-07-18T12:58:00.008-06:00

With our work finished in Oslo we had the afternoon open. It gave us a chance walk around the city. The weather has been picturesque and the street full with people enjoying all there is to enjoy in this beautiful city. Street musicians and living statues ply there trade for Kroners.

My colleague and I were discussing the sights we had seen and the rich food we had devoured in the past few days. At that moment we found ourselves in front of a McDonalds and promptly went inside and ordered a "Big Mac". I haven’t darkened the door of a McDonalds in years and didn't intend to on this day. But there was something "American" about it that attracted me. The casher had to do a double take and shift gears into English when she heard our American "draw".

Back at the hotel I entered the incredibly small elevator with a 10 year old boy. I noticed that he had on a pair of rubber sandals with "Batman" across the back strap. I said, "You have Batman shoes." trying to make a little conversation. He said, "No English, Fin" I said, "Batman shoes" trying to complete the connection. He said, "No 'Crocks'".

With our activities finished in Oslo, the morning brings another trip to the airport to board a plane to Dubai via Amsterdam.

I'm still looking for that Dr Pepper.

Texas Bob
On the road.

Boogie on the Foard

2008-07-17T22:54:00.007-06:00

Last night everyone involved in our activites, about 20 of us, went out to eat at a sea food restaurant on the Oslo waterfront. It was a very fine meal we all enjoyed. We were all told where to sit in order to mix our company with theirs. I was seated next the only woman in the group. Did I tell you that most women in Norway are younger than me (how hard is that!) and blonde? She is a former history major turned lawyer. We discussed "History" from Eric the Red, a great Viking warrior, to the Battle of the Alamo.

After dinner we all walked the boardwalk on the water front. When the weather is this nice in Norway everyone is outside. At one point there was a large deck closer to the water and the music of 1950's rock and roll was playing loudly. More than a hundred couples were dancing the swing. It was a great sight. I wish I could have intoduced them to Bob Wills and Western swing. I think that they would have liked it.

We strolled about 6 blocks and the group began to breakup. Some of our host headed home, a few went in a bar to sample the local brew. It was still very light but approaching 10:00 PM so I elected to head back to hotel. As walked along I spotted a 7-11. The signage was the same as in the US. I stopped to see if I could find a Dr Pepper. I was not to be. I settled for Coke Zero.

I'm still looking for a Dr Pepper.

TexasBob
On the road in Oslo

Texas Bob in Oslo, Norway

2008-07-16T22:45:00.004-06:00

Here I sit in a European hotel room. No A/C, bad TV, and funny bed clothes. Last night I ate an expensive piece of fish from the local waters. (Lots of Bones) It is cool here, so cool that I leave my room window open to keep cool. The only problem is that the trolley cars run right under my window. I woke up at 1:00 am only to discover that it was still reasonably light outside and there was a party going on somewhere.

It is all very interesting, but right now I just need a cold Dr Pepper

TexasBob
On the road

One More Stadium Picture

2008-07-01T20:55:00.006-06:00

I never drive through Texas without my list of football stadiums. Included in that list is a check box, do I have a picture of this stadium or not? With 1100+ stadiums listed and only 750+ pictures I have 300+ pictures to take.

On this day I was driving to Corpus Christi and passed through Odem and checking my list I knew I did not have a picture of "Owl Stadium".

A quick trip to the parking lot, find an open gate, take a few shots, count the rows, measure the length of the bleachers, estimate the capacity, check for Soccer lines, track, back to the truck and on the road in 20 minutes.

This is the life of a football fanatic.

TexasBob

Wooden Tanks, Steel Men,

2008-06-21T10:33:00.007-06:00

Several years ago I decide that I read so much about Texas that I could write a book about Texas. So I started out with the idea I would write the epic tale of my progenitors coming to Texas from Virginia on the eve of the War of Northern Aggression, that’s the Civil war for you Yankees. The only trouble was the only resource material I had was a 11 page letter of an older relative’s remembrance of what her mother had told her about what she remembered about the journey through the eyes of an eight years old.
That’s when I learned my first of many lessons about writing. You have to have good resource material, be willing to do a whole lot of research, or know what you’re talking about. That “learning” was the seed of my next attempt at writing a book.

“Wooden Tanks, Steel Men” was the working title, OK the only title of my new book. As near as I can remember I started this project in 2000. This is a subject I could get my teeth into, I grew up watching these men. I’ve even worked on a Wooden Tank crew and actually helped build the last red wood tank in the Permian Basin. (Put that on your resume and see where it gets you.) That’s when I learned my second lesson about writing. It is work. Knowing the subject well helps but it does not get words on paper.

I never intended to have this book published but after writing two chapters totaling all of 14 double spaced pages, including the title sheet, I knew that if by some miracle of God it was published, it would have to be published by Hallmark. So what did I do with all my efforts? I put it on my webpage. That was the beginning of the “Oil Patch Tales” on TexasBob.com.

Last week when I was in Odessa a friend of mine asked, “When are you going to finish that book? I want to know how it ends.” So while stuck in the Austin airport I decided to read it online. I haven’t actually read it in years. It made me laugh. I really enjoyed thinking about my grand father “Mr. Mac” and the tank crew. So what did I do? I added a couple paragraphs to Chapter 2. At this rate I should have about 100 pages by time I’m 134 years old

TexasBob

Air travel has reached a new level on my ordeal meter

2008-06-08T20:12:00.003-06:00

Air travel has reached a new level on my ordeal meter. Even Southwest airlines, an expert at herding humans and making you feel like its OK if we are having fun, is becoming a “high ordeal” event.

Rising gas prices have robbed me of the pleasure of cruising I-10 between Ozona and Iraan cut off. Zipping along at 70 mph and still being 10 mph under the posted speed limit where occasionally a truck or car passes you rocking your pick up with their sonic boom wake.

So I decided to fly. I can fly to Midland for about two thirds of what the gas would cost to drive my 16 mpg pickup, and that includes a car rental. But the trade off is the ordeal of flying and the limited amount of junk you can bring with you.

At the Midland/Odessa departure gate at Hobby Airport (HOU)in Houston I always scan the crowd of travelers looking for a familiar face, but I never see one. Although I was born and raised in Odessa I only lived there until I was 25, that means that I have not lived there more years than I lived there. (Does that make sense?)

Sunday, 6:00 AM at MAF, that’s the FAA designation for the Midland International Airport. You know the airport you are in is not busy when you can hear the “Muzak” and clearly understand the pre recorded announcements. “The terrorist level set by Home Land security is Orange” other than the massive oil reserves in the area its hard to fathom a terrorist threat in the this place. “MAF” is a very nice airport, and airport that is not too busy with masses of people should be a clean airport and this on is. But I have yet to figure out how the get on the there very strong Wi-Fi signal. I guess I don’t have the correct decoder ring. I’ll have to write Battle Creek and get a new one.

Sunday 8:30 AM at AUS, that Austin-Bergstrom International, I arrived from MAF and just realized I was going to spend about 3 hours at the Austin. At least the Wi-Fi worked.

Salt Grass Trail Ride

2008-02-25T21:14:00.008-06:00

I’ve live in Texas my whole life and in the Houston area for 16 years. Nobody does rodeo like Houston. Three weeks of Rodeo, about 20 evening performance averaging 50,000 in attendance each night. The Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo is Texas size. In January of 1952, E.H. Marks formed the very first trail ride as a way to increase awareness of the Show. Though only four men made the first journey from Brenham, Texas, the attention they raised attracted more publicity than ever expected, as more than 80 men signed up the next year. The trail rides are a signature tradition of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo today.

I’ve been associated with Wagon #1, the founder’s wagon, of the Salt Grass trail ride for about 4 years. The trail ride is organized by wagon. It has approximately 25 wagons with 40 riders associated with each wagon.In the beginning the riders slept on the ground or in tents. Today it RV’s, Stock trailers, water trucks, & generators. Today there are 13 different trail rides coming from all across Texas. This coming Friday (February 29th) all 13 trail rides converge in Memorial park near downtown Houston for Saturdays Rodeo Parade. It really plays havoc with the traffic on the freeways.

It's trail ride time in Houston!

Football Season is Over

2008-01-01T10:09:00.000-06:00

I follow High School Football especially the Katy Tigers from Katy, Texas. This year they had a 16-0 season. That is a long season for a high school team. The perfect season ended December 22nd at the AlamoDome in San Antonio, Texas when Katy beat a tough Pflugerville Team 28 to 7 in the 5A Div II Texas State Championship Game.

Game Story

With all the games, maintaining the Texas Football Stadium Database , a couple of major holidays, and my real job, I have had very little time to blog. Look for more blogging in the coming months.

TexasBob