FlyClear - Get Through Those Security Lines Quick!

When you’re at Denver International, you’d best have all your little duckies in a row and get there plenty of time before boarding. Walking through security there is like walking through a maze.

Did you know that you can Fly Clear? Clear has come to major airports -and you can fly through airport security! For a small annual fee, you can sign up, skip the lines, and get in and out of security in a flash. Last October, I signed up for this service. They do a background check, make sure all your little duckies are in a row, and you're in. I came home, and a couple of days later, I had my Clear security card waiting for me in my mailbox.

I flashed it at ThatManILove. Here’s how it went from there…

TMIL: What did you have to give up to get that?
Janie: What do you mean?
TMIL: Fingerprints? What?
Janie: Oh…ummm…fingerprints. And…umm…pictures of my irises. (His eyebrows go up past his hairline - and that's a ways!) And...ummm... copies of my passport and drivers license. (No. Hell, no. I didn't even tell him I paid for the privilege of giving that stuff away.)
TMIL: Girl. You’re in the system now. Did they put a microchip in your forehead?
Janie: No. God. I didn't even think about that. Shut it, please.

Visions of the end days and "666" flashed before my eyes. How could I have been so stupid?

Months pass.

We go to Denver. ThatManILove grabs a brochure for Clear and reads it. Decides to sign up and get hizownbadself “in the system”. When we go to the airport for our return flight, we get there 3 hours early just to sign up.

Here he is going through “the drill.”

We’re almost through when I pull the plug.

Janie: Just one more thing, honey. They've done your iris pictures, taken good shots of your fingerprints. Now. See this copier? They need an image of your bare butt.
TMIL: What?

I was teasing about that part. But not about the Clear Card. For the record…it took me 7 minutes to get through Denver security with my Clear Card. It took ThatManILove 18 minutes without his.

You go through the Clear line, put your card into the machine, an attendant double checks your i.d. and the card. Then, the uniformed attendant helps you unpack your laptops, etc., puts them in bins, and carries them for you - oh, yes, he does - up to the x-ray machine. All you have to do is follow the attendant. And, yes, if you happen to be wondering what happens next, the attendant politely steps in front of the line, secures a place for you, at the front of the line, making you first in a line of a million people, right at the entrance to the x-ray machine, puts your items on the roller, and steps back, after bidding you a good day.

Nobody gripes that you just major line-jumped, or anything. It almost makes you feel guilty.

Naaaaaaah. It doesn't. Pampered, yes. Guilty, no. And the whole time, ThatManILove is watching, and shaking his head in disbelief. And if ThatManILove wasn't a believer, he by golly is now.

Q&A from Texas Red!

Texas Red flung an interview upon me. So, here goes the answers to her questions. And man. She went a little deeper than the most!

Her questions (and my answers) are as follows:

(1) When and why did you join the oilfield industry? Well. Hmmm. I didn’t join with any set purpose – kind of hard to believe now, huh? Oil and gas is a major industry in West Texas. I was raised an oilfield brat. And when a job came available as an office manager, I took the job. My son was 2 years old…so that was 26 years ago! My, how time flies when you’re having fun! I soon was promoted to sales, and promoted, and promoted and here I is. Even in it’s worst cyclical nightmare, I love the oilfield. It’s never boring, always changing, and full of awesome people.

(2) What does your typical weekday look like---posting on the blog; lots of phone calls; meetings; travel in the field, etc.? Mondays, I drop breakfast by a customer’s office by 7 a.m., then spend most of the morning on conference calls with my staff and fellow coworkers…starting at 9am, it’s the sales call; morphing into the 10 am accounts receivable call. Meanwhile, my friend Daniel comes and steals LaToya the Sequoia for her weekly carwash. Some Mondays, I’ll then go meet another oilfield salesperson at Starbucks to trade opportunities and information (that’s how this patch works, it’s all about networking.) At 11:30, I’ll be at a customer’s office to pick them up for lunch. After lunch, I spend most of the afternoon collecting invoices, fielding calls from consultants, making sales appointments for the rest of the week, and making sales calls. I leave the office around 6-6:30 p.m., and head to the house to free Zack the WonderDog from the confines of the backyard. Then we grab something to eat, do some laundry, and if I’m lucky, I’ll spend time reading blogs. And every once in a while, writing something of content and purpose. If I'm really motivated, I'll post ahead a couple of days. Tuesdays look totally different, but that’ll save for another Q&A session, right?

(3) What would you recommend for non-hunters trying to learn about/appreciate the sport? Go with someone! Tag along. Observe the hunter, preparing, planning. A hunter is patience personified. Watch the dogs work – it is a fine dance, one that becomes a finely executed ballet when the hunter works with his dog. It's beautiful. Learn to shoot, and connect with times of old – when hunting was an absolute must, in order to live. Hunting gets you “out” – out in the open, sunshine, cold, whatever. Know that it’s a glorious thing to be outside, in the wild, with the wild, and watching a fine dog do his work to his best ability. Watch TV shows. Learn about whichever hunting sport most intrigues you, and go to it! There are classes and hunters all around you, I promise. They may be quiet, but they’re there. And almost every hunter I’ve know has an excellence about them…a love for wildlife, and for the cycle of life. You’ll see. And you’re welcome to go with me, anytime. Any of y’all are welcome to go. Just tell me you want to, and it’ll be A. Done. Deal.

(4) What do you love most about West Texas? Lord, girl. The sunsets. The people. The weather and its inherent insanity. The oilfield. The farmers. Stock shows and rodeos. Blue skies. Pumpjacks on the horizon. Oil rigs, lit up like Christmas trees, when I'm landing on the flight from anywhere at Midland International Airport. But mostly, it's the people I love. The people are great, no matter their race, religion, or gender. I love the “try” in people…they just will not give up, and they are bound and determined to make their way in this beautiful desert land that is the frontier of West Texas. I’m one of them. There are a million awesome things about West Texas. Balmorhea. Goldsmith. Ft. Davis. Alpine. Midland. Stanton. Big Spring. Odessa. Forsan. Kermit. Coahoma. Each of them has their own drawing points. Okay, enough about the towns. But wait, one more thing about the West Texas towns…the best thing is they are all great places to raise your children. How about the colleges? Did you know most every child that graduates in Midland/Odessa has the chance to go to college for free with a little community service? Are we blessed, or what? Back to what I love most about West Texas, I cannot forget Scenic Mountain in Big Spring…I have cried my heart out on that mountain. When I was younger, and lived there…and after I moved to Midland, I would drive over. And when I came to the Lord, cried out, screamed, ranted to Him many times on Scenic Mountain. And He heard my cries. And then, I worshipped. It’s a special place to me., and to many others, as well. Go pay your $2 and check it out. There’s something awesome about that State Park...

(5) What was your motivation for starting this blog? I read blogs for about a year. And commented. Before that, I wrote stories about my life experiences, i.e., vacations with the boys, a work experience, something that happened with my mom, and would send these stories via e-mail to my customers. They loved them! They encouraged me to write, to try to publish. And though I’ve not yet gone that far, I won’t forget my first try at blogging. I loved, and love, the comraderie and friends I’ve made through blogging. If I were to stop writing tomorrow, I’d still stay in touch with my blog buddies. You and they are all part of my family now, if that makes any sense. So, in essence, I started for myself – but I stay, because of y’all.

Hope you enjoyed that. If anyone else has any questions, please feel free to contact me. Like I said before, "I ain'ta skeered!" You may be bored to death, but I'll try to answer.

Robert Keen, Robert Keen...

Last Sunday night found us at the Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas, listening to Robert Earl Keen. Fifth row seats – what could be better?

Our sons love his music – one of the first songs Elder Son ever performed for us was Keen’s “That Bucking Song”. I’ll never forget it. Elder Son blew us away with his performance, and that night, we knew he was really serious about his music. Robert Earl Keen did the song at Bass, and blew us away again. The crowd ranged from teens to people in their 70’s…which speaks to the timelessness of Keen’s music. (Of course, being a good old boy from “Texas A&M University” didn’t hurt the attendance one bit – unless, of course, you were a Tech or UT Grad – many of whom were in the audience as well.) Robert Earl Keen is a flat-out entertainer, and one who possesses a great sense of humor.

I’ve heard different songs, over time, by Keen, though I’d not seen him in concert. Sunday night, his performance just rocked. The Bass Performance Hall was sold out and filled to the max. And REK never left the stage – though his band took a break – until the end of the show. He played and sang and entertained for almost 3 hours straight. And then, REK came back for an encore. Then, the show was over – we thought. They all came back, and did an acoustic set – just gathered up at the front of the stage, sans mikes, and got it on. It was simply amazing.

I can’t even say enough about the band – each musician is very accomplished in his own right. So, I’ll just review the one that blew everyone away: the lead guitarist, Rich Brotherton, was simply amazing. Just put a stringed instrument in his hands, and watch him go. In my opinion, Brotherton’s mastery of the guitar rivals that of one of my guitar heroes, Dan Tyminski with AKUS. Brotherton has played professionally since the age of 11, and after receiving his college degree in Music Theory and Composition from Colorado College, went and spent considerable time in Ireland learning from some of that country’s finest traditional musicians. And man, does it show. Brotherton enjoyed several solos (as did every musician in the REK Band) during this performance, and the audience went completely silent – until the end of the song, when they went crazy! Brotherton has also produced two of Keen’s albums, and has a recording studio in Austin.

Anyway – I say all that to say – if you get a chance, a Robert Earl Keen show is worth the money. Go. See. Be amazed. The man is a good ol’ boy entertainer, deluxe. And let me know what you think…but I betcha I already know.

Best Burger in Fort Worth

Tonight, we (MLH, Pam O, Michael O, and myself) went to see Charlie Wilson's War. Afterwards, we were to meet some mutual friends, Totila and Lynn, to experience “the best burger in the Metroplex” at the Love Shack at the Fort Worth Stockyards.

So, off we went to the stockyards. We found the Love Shack. We went in…and quickly realized there was no freakin’ roof…and just a couple of fires in the middle of the eating area by which to keep warm. I quickly called calf rope – “This is NOT going to work for me.” It was very cold, like in the low 40’s, and I’ve been sick. My cohorts quickly agreed the time was ripe to leave – so, off we went to the next “best burger in the Metroplex” at Dutch's Hamburgers, in the TCU district.

Little do you know that in the very recent past, I’ve become a Pappas Burger fan. Pappas serves an amazing burger, people. But I’m a-tellin’ you, folks, Dutch’s beats Pappas all to heck. I could not believe it. Dutch’s hamburger buns were absolutely delightful. Onion rings, old fashioned, piled high in the basket (yup, basket.) French fries, made from scratch. It was great.

We sure enjoyed visiting with our friends – and when we were leaving (as usual, one of the last groups to leave the joint), I catch a glimpse of a guy putting on his jacket*, and crack up. And of course, we have to get him to pose for us. (Thanks, PamO, for having your trusty camera ready!)

So, here’s MLH, goofing around for the camera.

Here, MLH coaxes the Enzyte smile out of the jacket guy. (Somehow, the jacket guy's smile looks more sincere than MLH's, don't ya think?) Michael O’s comment to MLH concerning the entire episode?

“You’re standing next to Viagra and all you can get up is your thumb?”

Such are the days of my life.

*Gwynne- BTW, girl - I get the NASCAR/jacket connection. No explanation necessary.;)

What would Dave say?

I know, ‘tis the season and all, but…I have to sound off about the Wendy’s on Loop 250.

S.......................L.........................O.........................W.

I think Wendy’s makes good burgers. I’m just not sure if they are worth a 23 minute wait in the drive-through line at 9:30 p.m. And it just reinforces how tired I am that I let it happen.

Just sayin’.

Actual Movie Review

Call me a romantic, or call me tired of the blood and guts of major violence, or call me stupid. MLH and I loved the movie Dan In Real Life. Go. See.

Rattlesnake!

Saturday morning, Zack the Wonder Dog and I rose with the chickens and were out at the shooting range by 7 a.m.

Today was the annual Llano Estacado Bird Hunting Association’s “De-Snaking Clinic”, which was organized by R. L. Orth, Mike McKinney, Curt Sievert, Sean Carter, Tom Atkins, and other club members. What is a desnaking clinic, you ask? Well, it’s just what it says...it is an organized event where dogs are exposed to rattlesnakes so the dogs will understand the danger of such and learn to avoid the deadly creatures. Most hunting dog owners bring out their dogs to go through the training, and many dogs were there for a refresher. Everyone’s getting ready for the upcoming hunting season, and as such, this is a timely clinic. Venomous snake bites translate into huge vet bills, long recovery time, and sometimes can be fatal.

Dogs are, by nature, nosy creatures. Dogs have a natural curiosity about snakes, and most often, will not naturally avoid them. Zack, by virtue of his breed, is a hunting dog. He stays pretty much nose down anytime he is outside. Chances are good that he will stumble across one of those ornery snakes at some time, and we want him protected. Sometimes, dogs will survive a snake bite, but just as often, the snake bites are deadly. (There is also a new Rattlesnake Venom Vaccination (a series of two shots, a month apart) which lessons the toxicity of the venom, should a dog suffer a bite.)

Here’s how the clinic is set up. First, registration and release of liability is executed. Your dog is put on a lead, fitted with a shock collar, and then released to the handler. Two rattlesnakes are planted in the field. Their mouths are sewn shut so there is no chance of a bite or venomization. The handler (in this case, Ray Grappe, a renowned hunter trainer from Levelland, Texas) takes your dog to one snake, which is out in the open. Depending on your dog’s reaction, if the dog is curious and gets close to the snake, a shock will be administered. The dog will associate the shock with a rattlesnake, and won’t get close to it, should he happen on a rattlesnake in the future. The snakes also have handlers – as the day progresses, and warms up, those snakes want to move around. Those snake handlers had their hands full today, as temperatures soared close to 100 degrees.

Zack smelled that snake and wouldn’t have anything to do with it. He didn’t need any shock treatment at all. Zack tried to put the handler between himself and the snake, even at times leaning on Ray's leg. Zack reacted the very same way to the second snake hidden in the field. To my knowledge, Zack has not yet been exposed to a snake. Ray said that some dogs are smart, and just know that rattlesnakes are dangerous and won’t go around them. I was proud of Zack.

We were third in line, so afterwards, Zack and I helped with registration. There were 87 people signed in before I left at 10 a.m., and many of them had multiple dogs. This wasn’t just for hunting dogs – I saw Daschunds, Corgis, Westies, Schnauzers, all sorts of breeds. One young man brought an albino deaf Aussie. It was doubly important that this Aussie be de-snaked, since she couldn’t hear. She was going to have to go strictly on smell. She performed very well in the training.

There were hilarious moments, as well. One huge black lab saw that snake, and took off the other way, dragging the unsuspecting handler about 30 feet. The lab raced back to his owner, causing everyone to laugh, even the handler.

It was fun to meet all the dogs and their owners, see each dog react differently, and know that each dog learned something today. And they’ll all be safer when they’re exposed to the deadly rattlesnakes. The Llano Estacado Bird Hunting Association did a great job, and I commend them for their service to this community.

Sucker....

Just for the record, I, too, went to the Avis Lube mentioned in Eric's story. This morning. And I was determined to be strong. Not buy a flipping thing they tried to sell me. Just get my oil changed, tires checked, and get the heck out of there.

I caved. Just sayin’.

Nate

I have a young shotgunner friend named Nate. About a year ago, I suggested to Nate's parents that he be enrolled in 4-H shooting sports. At that time, he had no shotgun, but was very interested. I mentioned Nate and the lack of a suitable shotgun to a couple of mutual friends, and one of them loaned Nate a gun. Nate joined our local 4-H club. He took a lesson from one of the local range pros, and fell in love with shotgun sports.

This young man of 10 has been mowing lawns and doing yard work all summer in order to save up to buy a gun. One day, his father called me, and asked if they could come see me. We set up a time, and father and son came by my office.

When I get a call like that, it’s usually a plea for sponsorship. Not so this time.

Nate just wanted to personally thank me for encouraging him towards shooting sports.

He. Is. Ten. Years. Old.

I have watched this young man bloom, in a matter of months, from a shy young boy to a more confident, look you in the eye, not be afraid to ask you questions young boy. And Nate is a young man well able to take instruction. At the recent 4-H fundraiser shoot, though one of the youngest shooters there, he went to the stage with the older teenagers to help distribute awards. Not one moment’s hesitation did I see. All the rest of the kids his age were chunking rocks and playing by this time of the day. Nate just went up there and got busy. Another benefit I see is that Nate and his dad are getting to spend some really valuable time together, sometimes with the rest of the family, and sometimes just the two of them. They’re all having a blast!

I called Nate yesterday to ask a favor. We needed to 3-hole punch a huge mass of card stock scorecards in order to get ready for this weekend’s shoot. I've been very busy and it would help me out.

His reply? "Sure!" He came up, and went straight to work, getting the chore done in record time.

Though Nate nor his parents asked, after that first visit Nate and his daddy made to my office, MLH & I did sponsor Nate. And with the sponsor money, given with the restriction that it be used for shooting supplies and entry fees, he and his father opened Nate his own checking account. Nate added his earnings from the yard work. His parents are smart – they are teaching this young man money skills at the same time they are letting him participate in the shooting sports. And he’s having a great time, meeting some great people, and realizing the value of money.

Nate’s turning in to quite a little shooter, too.

I’m excited for Nate.

Dance Card

For those of you that like ballroom dancing, (or wannabees like me!), go check out this inspiring story over at Mamma O's. What a neat idea!

Keith Richards

Julie made me laugh today. Ahoy yourself on over there and check it out.

Just a thought...

This is good, but what if I have a question on May 28th?

I think - and therefore, I am...tagged.

Wow.

I am honored. Some sweetheart named Karen over at the Pondering Penguin nominated me for a Thinking Blogger award. Since she’s very concise and to the point concerning everything political and all else, an awesome gourmet cook and an excellent blogger herself, I’m wondering if someone may have spiked Karen’s hot tea this morning…for her to choose me as a thinker. Some readers might beg to differ.

For those of you that I have chosen, here are the participation rules.

If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.
Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.
Optional: proudly display the “Thinking Blogger Award” with a link to the post that you wrote (here is an alternative Silver Thinking Blogger logo if Gold Thinking Blogger logo doesn’t fit your blog design.
Please remember to tag blogs with real merits, i.e., relative content, and above all – blogs that really get you thinking!

So here are some of my favorite blogs that really make me think.


The guy who got me started blogging, Eric over at the Fire Ant Gazette. Though Eric promises a content-free blog, rarely is it so. He is funny, entertaining, and very patient with baby bloggers such as myself. He is known as an encourager, and his deep seated river of faith shines through in all he does. His dog, Abbye, will provide new entertainment for you each time you hit refresh!!

One of my new favorites is Pepe Guzman over at Mi Tabula Rasa. Pepe and his wife enjoy two beautiful little boys and a love for the Lord. Pepe writes clearly, loudly, quietly, succinctly - and he truly has an awesome sense of humor. I have laughed until I cried at his stories of his boys. He is as real as real can be. Through it all, the underlying grounding of the Kingdom shines through.

Winston at Nobody Asked is an excellent writer with just a tad of attitude. He is refreshing, and lives in that beautiful town of Nashville. You’ll love his stories and take on life.

Cowtown Pattie over at Texas Trifles is a great Fort Worth gal with a hankering to move south to the oasis of Big Bend. And I’m a-bettin’ she’s going to get it done, and soon. She’s a romantic, a lover of anything Texan, and is a prolific writer and, well, hie thee on over there and check her out!

Waiter Rant, from the first, has been one of my favorite blogs. Waiter is real, true, loves his work (most of the time) and writes about it well. Waiter recently signed a publishing deal, and as such, doesn’t post as often, but his postings are well worth the wait. He cares for others, and lets us look through his work window, so that we might do the same. This blog will give you a whole new appreciation for your wait staff.

It is hard to pick only 5 blogs of all the blogs I frequent. Some of the ones I chose had already been selected, and the original blog asks that if the blog has already been nominated, to look elsewhere. All of the blogs I’ve picked have probably been nominated, but I just can’t remember – so if you have, just accept it again with your normal good grace and carry on!

Thanks again, Karen, for your kind words.

Welcome back to Texas!

Click on the following link to see why ABC News has chosen Bert Brady, ABC Person of the Week. This man welcomed the troops coming home for 300 days at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport last year. The video is awesome. Get out your kleenex.

Pretty amazing.

Land-locked seafood...in Midland!

Ahoy, amigas and amigos! A new restaurant has opened in Midland, called Vela Bay!

What? Seafood, in Midland, Texas? Not only that, but seafood with a little taste of south of the border? West Texans, try it out! My husband and I met there for supper Monday night, and it was good. Paper plates, but who cares, with food like that?

Tuesday lunch, I took 7 customers; the food arrived hot, with appetizer orders of blonde gumbo and etouffee, side orders of home-cooked black eyed peas, pinto beans, and we were treated like royalty. My Cajun buddies loved this place!

Thursday, we arrived at noon with 5 customers in tow, who were duly impressed. Service was great, the food was awesome. By now, the wait staff is greeting us by our first name.

But tonight…tonight beat all the prior visits. We walked in at 8 p.m. (a late visit is always a good test for a new restaurant) to sounds of a Mexican guitarist with a beautiful voice. The owner, a sweet long-time Midlander named Les Vela, was sitting at a table with a friend, eating…snow crab legs. She encouraged us to try them.

We did! And they were fresh, cooked to perfection, and the portion was larger than I've ever received at any Pappadeaux's or other large-town seafood house. This is definitely the place to go for fresh, sweet-crusted fried shrimp, raw oysters on the half shell, succulent snow crab, fresh fried fish. At this point, you may bring your own Pinot Grigio or cerveza to this BYOB – soon, Vela Bay will be operating under its own by the glass license. Live music on Monday, Tuesday and Saturday nights – and you might even get to witness Les doing the cumbia, and singing along (she's good)!

If this week is any portent of the future, there will soon be people waiting at the door to get a seat! Vela Bay is located west of the old K-Mart, on Midland Drive, north of Illinois Street. Their phone number (should you want to call ahead for reservations, or to take out orders – they even have a drive-through!) is 432-218-TUNA.

The Freedom Writers Project - Person-by-person, heart-by-heart.

We went to see the movie Freedom Writers this week, and absolutely loved it. The movie is based on a true story, and even though it’s one of the familiar themes depicted lately of the teacher saving the students, this one struck a note of absolute truth. Erin Gruwell (portrayed by Hilary Swank) naively tries to reach a group of 150 gang-bangers, divided by race and past experiences. In the process, these kids break her heart, and she dives right into their lives, getting so involved with her students that…well, go see the movie. You’ll see!

This is a story of redemption in that these young adults are inspired by their teacher to let down their walls and begin to cautiously trust. The teacher, Erin Gruwell, and the original students depicted in this movie have formed the Erin Gruwell Project. Of these 150 students that graduated in 1998, many have gone on to college, and some are now teachers themselves. Many of the original students organize and lead nationwide teacher training workshops to spread the Freedom Writers message and to teach others “to write what needs to be written.”

Teachers across our nation are attending the Freedom Writers Workshop. It is still a young organization, but it is having a positive impact. Here’s a comment from a teacher that really touched me…

Dunbar Middle School – Forth Worth, Texas
After experiencing the Freedom Writer workshop first hand, this Freedom Writer Teacher is in the beginning stages of forming her own Junior Freedom Writers group, which in time, will consist of 50 students. After attending the Freedom Writer workshop, she told us that “my life is changed forever, and each encounter with all of you is surreal…your capacity for an educational and moral revolution is being realized person-by-person and heart-by-heart.”

You can check out the vibrant organization inspired by Erin Gruwell and these young students by going to Freedom Writers Foundation. And spread the word!

Get You Some Happyness!

Happy anniversary to us! We’ve had a great couple of days since last post. Our anniversary was yesterday – we ran a few errands, went to lunch. Then we met friends at the new Will and Jaden Smith movie, The Pursuit of Happyness. Later, we went to one of our favorite restaurants, the Garlic Press. If you’ve not visited the GP, please give it a try. The food is awesome. We had a delightful afternoon, and evening, with each other, and with friends.

Back to “Happyness”…we liked this film, a lot. The story deals with the daily ins and outs of a strong father-son relationship inundated with hardship. Mom leaves, dad and son have to go it alone. Hard things. Eviction. IRS garnishment. Stout stuff singly – much more as a parent.

MLH and I both have been married previously, so a lot of things hit home. But if I were giving a review, I’d say, “Hie thee unto the theatre – post haste!” Will Smith is an excellent actor…but little Jaden steals this film. He is such a natural.

Usually, I’m a sucker for a film like this…but yesterday, I was not alone. The almost full theatre spontaneously erupted in applause at the end of the movie.

Go. Go! Buy tickets. Buy popcorn. Watch all the trashy pre-movie stuff (or visit with your friends.) Then, sit back, and enjoy.

You might just learn to spell happyness in a whole new way.

Have ya been to the iFest?

The iFest is short for The Houston International Festival

This year, it is scheduled for the last two weekends in April, and is spotlighting China - an ancient and future celebration. Last year, the iFest spotlighted Jamaica.

Lucinda Williams, prolific songwriter and singer, is scheduled to perform at this year's iFest at the Texas Stage on April 29th, 2007. I've not seen the entire lineup, but I know one thing - the musicians of my house will want to be present!

Jerrie's Café – Kermit, America

Today, friends scheduled to go with us to visit one of MLH's leases. We left our house about 6:20 a.m. to go pick them up. We were supposed be there 6 a.m., but Zack, our GSP, heard the truck running, and assumed we were going hunting. Zack promptly went outside, and parked himself by the open door of the truck, ready to assume his position. He would not move. He looked at us like, "Where are your guns?" We finally got Zack coaxed back in to the yard, and left.

Picked up our friends, stopped by Starbucks, and headed west towards Mentone and beyond. Our plans were to stop at the Town and Country at Kermit, get breakfast as well as a Subway sandwich for lunch, and head on out to the lease. As soon as we get out of Starbucks, we are enveloped in a heavy fog all the way to Kermit, Texas.

Our timing was such that we hit the Kermit Town and Country simultaneously with the later oilfield crowd, stocking up for breakfast. And we couldn't get the deli help to pay attention to us at the Subway counter. After a little discussion, I asked MLH to go inquire about any breakfast restaurant that might be open on Sunday in Kermit.

Their reply? Jerrie's Café. My heart leapt! This is a place I frequent when we get through with our big frac jobs at Mentone. It might be 4 p.m. when we're released to come eat lunch, but they're always ready to serve us. My crew loves eating there, the food is great, and it's always fun. The wait help is oilfield-friendly. We can come in wearing our coveralls and steel-toes and it's no problem. Jerrie's is a biker bar by night, café by day. We grabbed snacks for later, and hopped back in the truck, planning to do a late lunch in Pecos on the way home. We headed a couple of blocks west, to sample Jerrie's breakfast fare.

We walk in, grab a table. I'm the only one of us four that's ever been to Jerrie's. There's already quite a crowd there, and they are wondering who the heck we are – it's obvious we're not locals. The air is thick with smoke…and Jerrie is wearing jeans, shirt, her flannel robe, and her fuzzy slippers. My traveling companions are decidedly curious, but they go with the flow. A lovely young lady comes to our table, takes our drink orders, and gives us menus.

A second later, I am laughing out loud. On the menu, there are things like:

Burritos

Burrito
Suicide Burrito
(or just tell me what you want)

Omelets

Omelet
Omelet with meat (your choice)
Pain in the A** Omelette
(or just tell me what you want)

I ask our waitress, "What's a suicide burrito?"
"Whatever the cook decides to put in there, depending on his mood." she replies.

And, I fall for the second one…"What about the Pain in the A** Omelet?" She just looks at me and grins.

I can only imagine. We all order pretty traditional breakfasts.

About that time, we realize that Jerrie is in a confrontation with one of the locals. She's teasingly harassing him, I think, but quickly, he gets up to leave. About that time, she starts clapping, and says, "Hey, y'all, ***** is leaving, yeahhh!" All the locals join her in clapping, and she kind of pushes him out the door.

About 10 minutes later, Jerrie gets back up from her table, and goes into the kitchen, and comes back out with a baby bottle about half full with coke, or coffee, or something. She delivers it to another table inhabited by two grown men, with a smart remark about no whining. She says, "I got in at 5 a.m., I do not want to hear it." They duck their heads, but they're smiling. Who knows?

Our breakfasts are delivered, and they are delicious. We've had an entertaining morning. We finish, pay the check, and head west. It's going to be a great day!