TEXAS LIVING!

Happy August to family & friends! WOW! Just where does the time go? Probably the same place fat goes when you lose weight, huh? Well, not exactly.

CONNOR - Connor spent Monday afternoon with me after his swimming lesson. We shot hoops and spent some time with his new bicycle. He loves that bike, even tho he can't quite peddle yet. I found it at a garage sale this past weekend - brand new for $5 - what a deal! Connor then helped me make dinner for his folks and his Lubbock grandma Cindy. He poured the pasta in the pan, and he also helped with the green beans and bacon. He likes sitting on the counter helping! TEXAS WEATHER - Weather here is much more humid right now than it was this time of year last year. I get outside early to do outside projects and then find something to do in the house or take in a movie. I fertilized front yard flowers yesterday and backyard flowers this morning. I also installed some landscape solar lighting around the backyard beds. Yesterday I had a plumber here to help with leaky outside faucets. I’m willing to do most household repairs, but one of the faucet stems wouldn’t come out and I didn’t want to break it and then have to repair brick work. I got lucky and found a guy locally who did it all for $20, including parts. And what with the water conservation debate, I couldn’t in good conscience have my faucets dripping! Back to the 100’s now predicted with much less humidity! YAHOO! We haven’t had a 3-digit day yet in 2007! TEXAS TOLLS – Texas is now looking at HOV lanes for single occupant vehicles that would pay a toll. Tolls would be much higher during commute hours – an interesting concept. Local roads in the Dallas area being considered include I-30 and the 635. If you were a commuter going or coming out of downtown during the rush hour, you would pay approximately $4.50 each way, each day, for the full distance! I’ve always liked ‘user’ fees myself, but kinda have mixed feeling about this proposal. The HOV lanes concept is a motivator to ride-share, and this just gives another opportunity for those with more money to circumvent the whole concept. TEXAS HOLD ‘EM POKER – Yep! It’s a pretty popular game around here. And of course all the Indian casinos just north of us in Oklahoma have daily tournaments. I play in a poker group here who meets monthly and we play Hold ‘Em regularly. We also play lots of ‘garbage’ games similar to what I was used to playing when I played in the County/City group in Clark County. We played here this week and I won $6 in 3½ hours. That’s pretty cheap entertainment when you’re having a beer with friends and laughing lots! When Donna is here I have to share my winnings with her – but she never offers to split my losses! DARN! So this week I get lucky, and I now have my $3 and Donna’s $3 to spend since she’s not here! Quiet, don’t tell Donna. Maybe I’ll take in a movie! As long as I go the 1st movie of the day – I’m covered and have change back too! And I’m out of the heat & current humidity!