The Lone Star Nation

This week is turning out to be a Texas week. My Dad once said to me "you will never have to ask a man if he's from Texas, he will tell you." In my travels, I've found that to be very true. Texas isn't just another state, it's a way of life. Big. Texas size. There is a mileage sign near the eastern point near Beaumont that says "El Paso 857". That's 857 as in miles. If you're counting, that's about a 13 hour trip before you hit New Mexico. I think the state put it up for pride. I've never seen a mileage sign with that many miles. It's interesting to me to see exits that begin in the 800's. That's a lot of exits travelling across the state.

The natives must have been crushed all those years ago when Alaska was admitted to the Union, displacing the Lone Star state as the largest land area state. But, you wouldn't know it from the attitude in the state. There are "Don't Mess With Texas" souvenirs all over the place. In Burger King, it's not just a Double Whopper, it's a Texas Double Whopper. I didn't get to measure it, but it looked bigger than all the other burgers on the menu. I saw a Texas cigar that was about two feet long with a sizable girth. It appeared to be an all day smoke.

This is a place of no nonsense. Texas law rules. I think the Sadaam Hussein figured that one out. Homeboy and resident Tator, Ron White said "in Texas, we've got an expressway to death row. If you kill somebody, we'll kill you back.." I've always had a wary feeling for states that require license plates on both ends of a vehicle. Texas is one of them. You don't test the law in Texas. There are also rules to follow. If you want to play in Texas, you've got to have a fiddle in the band. I think Randy Owens from Alabama became enlightened to that notion.

I've spent part of the week in Houston. It's my second time through, except this time, I got to make a delivery here and stay for a bit. The city is laid out well and the roads are marked clearly with street signs and painting in the roadways on the interstates, telling you what lane you need to be in for an upcoming turn. I wish I had more time to check out Galveston and Corpus Christi. Although still recovering from hurricane Ike, it's supposed to be a great place. Give me a beach and water anytime!

Today, I'm back in Laredo. There seems to be a decidedly Mexican attribute to a lot of the locals. There is a lot of Spanish spoken. I just made a delivery for the Mexicans to pick up and take south. The last time I was here in July, it was 107 degrees. They had a record breaking summer with countless days over 100..and one day at 115. Today, the weather has been quite nice, breezy and sunny, in the 70's in the morning..but it will toast up in the afternoon and that screen door from H E double toothpicks will swing open. I'll be following the shadows all day. Parts of the town looks like what you'd picture the Mexican border to look like with tumble weed, cactus and scrubby looking vegetation with sandy kind of soil. I didn't see my friend in the Hawaiian shirt, who I encountered on the earlier trip...the guy who complained about being photographed from outer space by the government. They must have beamed him up.

When you think of "Tex-Mex", this is the place. Taquerias dot the landscape all the way to Houston. These are restaurants that vary in size from a portable trailer to a regular sit down restaurant. I haven't been yet, but Tacos look to be the fare of choice. I love tacos and plan on partaking in the Texas experience before I depart! If you like Mexican fare, you wouldn't have a hard time finding it here. I'd like to find some of those burrito type things that come wrapped in corn husks.

In all, I like Texas. It seems to be a destination that I hope to frequent in the raw, cold winter months. There are palm trees all over the place...so, I figure it can't get too nippy here. The people are friendly and cheerful. I'll enjoy my time in Texas, just give me enough cold tea and shade. Where ever you are, I hope it's a great day for you.