Pull Tight

http://pulltight.blogspot.com/2014/12/little-cowboys.html Wrote this a couple of years after reading an article in the New Yorker.  It is now adapted into a short video on episode 2 of the New Yorker on Amazon Prime. Read the article and watch the video. This maybe the most dangerous sport. 'Charles, between you and me we could write a book on injuries.' "We talked just a few days ago." Charlie Sampson,  1982 World Champion Bull Rider 1996 ProRodeo Hall of Fame attending Lane's funeral on Aug 2, 1989.                                       

“If time travel is possible, where are the tourists from the future?”  ―  Stephen Hawking ,  A Brief History of Time Lunch at the Paris Cafe in Fort Worth today. Dining there is like going back to the 1950s. The place hasn't changed since then. Old pictures of the city and autographed photos of long dead celebrities hang on the wall.  The waitresses call you hon or darling.  Judging by the white hair, age spots and canes of the patrons, I might have been the only one dining not old enough to have voted when Eisenhower was president. And there was I, the tourist from the future, if only for half an hour.

In Texas until the past few years, much of the State prohibited the sale of alcohol.  Pundits would sometimes say "Texans will vote dry as long they not too drunk to stagger to the polls".  One of the small towns very near where I grew up had a wet dry election about 1970. Someone related an actual conversation between two, who could be best be described as a good Baptist brother GBB and the town drunk TD. GBB "How are you voting on the alcohol proposal?" TD "I am voting just like you." GBB "Didn't think you would be voting to stay dry." TD "No, I meant just like you I am voting the way I like" GBB "Oh" The town voted wet. This is the same town from the post (What is this World Coming to?) http://pulltight.blogspot.com/2010/11/what-is-this-world-coming-to.html As election time is approaching. I am sure to be asked how I am voting by some of my AM Radio Conservative AMRC relatives, friends and neighbors or perhaps ...

"There's not enough water in the world to choke down dry turkey" Marvin Rodak, Rodak's Coffee and BBQ Grills. https://www.rodakscoffeeandgrills.com/ Expanding on Marvin's observation, there is also not enough beer, wine or champagne. Using an accurate meat thermometer helps. But what really made the difference was the use of a Himalayan Salt Egg, see remainder of turkey above. Inserting this preheated salt egg in the turkey cut the cooking time by about 30-40% and resulted in the best turkey we have ever cooked. The picture above with salt egg still in place is all that remained after Christmas dinner. The turkey came out of the oven looking and smelling really good, didn't occur to photograph until we were well into devouring. At a dinner party one should eat wisely but not too well, and talk well but not too wisely. - W. Somerset Maugham, British playwright

Remember reading somewhere, death row inmates most requested dessert with the last meal is pecan pie. "It's just the recipe on the Karo Syrup bottle,"  Mom told my wife when she asked for the recipe. Turns out the recipe has a few enhancements.  Wasn't the same at our house. Mom admitted to making a few changes.  The resulting pies are quite tasty. My uncle Lloyd tells of the fight he narrowly avoided with a restaurant owner in Georgia who claimed to have the world's best pecan pie.  My uncle assured the owner that while his pie was indeed quite good, it was still in second place because the best pecan pie in the world was baked by his sister in law, Cynthia McIntire in Paluxy, Texas. I don't want to spend my life not having good food going into my pie hole. That hole was made for pies. Paula Deen

Wife and daughter are off to a cookie decorating class this morning. My mission will be as the official taster (hopefully). There is a little bit of the cookie monster in most of us this time of year. All of the cookies and treats showing up at my workplace remind me of when I was the one bringing them.  We now have the recipe for the cookies below and make them a couple of times each year. written 12/15/05 , revised 12/20/15 On the way out of town tomorrow to see a large client in Abilene. Actually, they are the biggest in more than dollars spent with my company. Of approximately the dozen or so employees, anyone of them could easily knock off 50 pounds and still not be considered thin.   Needed to take them something for the holidays. Realized without much contemplation, cookies would be perfect.   In all probability, no one there ever passed up a good cookie. The best, biggest, tastiest and highest calorie cookies to be found are possibly the chocol...

Grandpa was a carpenter He built houses stores and banks Chain smoked Camel cigarettes And hammered nails in planks He was level on the level.... Grandpa Was a Carpenter by  John Prine While bicycling in a small town on the Jersey Shore, last summer, passed a house being remodeled.  The construction company name - "Can of Worms". If there was ever truth in advertising (entire history of the world), this was it. Look closely at dumpster over the fence. Been doing a little home maintenance myself.  Repaint the bedroom,no problem. Hall, ditto.  We had the house remodeled a few years ago sans laundry room and garage. "Can we paint the laundry room?" C.O.W.  remove 2 layers of wallpaper (70s and 90s) take out cabinets install new baseboards crown molding re tape and bed ceiling does the dryer vent and electrical outlet need relocating? So much for one weekend day and a bucket of paint. Back to John Prine, always think of Granddad when I h...