Latest from the Garden- End of September report

The newly transplanted spider lily checking up on things here.

Not much as changed too much in the garden since my last blog posting, except that I pulled out the tomato plants a couple weeks ago (a mealy bug infestation took its toll), and put lettuce in their stead to accompany the two types of basil that I planted from seed months ago. One of the types of basil shown here is Genovese basil, whose cinnamony flavor I recognize from a pho dish at a local restaurant, and has flatter leaves than the other more common, Sweet Basil.

This spider lily was a late transplant that was given to me by one of my neighbors when I complimented her the lilies growing in her front yard beds. I hope that the lettuce lasts into the early part of winter. As far as the basil, maybe I'll pull them out, put them in a pot to keep inside all winter, which I have never done. We'll see, I am kind of excited at the prospect of making basil available throughout the coldest months of the year!

The newest addition to the garden saying "hi!"

As much as it pains me to share this, but it looks like my lavender is in its death throes. I have not figured out as to why it is dying. My watering of it has not changed, though it tends to not be very water intensive even if it lives in a big barrel type pot. Who knows at this point. I thought maybe it has to do with me needing to trim it down after its fantastic bloom from a couple months ago, but it has gone without a trim before. Perhaps the plant got attacked by some slugs or something. Time to dig around, I guess. Needless to say, I am pretty bummed about this plant going up to plant heaven. Until next time, thanks for stopping by!

A couple of morning glories.

Great Exceedtations: Texas Rangers, their fans and their expectations

This gist of this subject has been bouncing around my head for a couple of years and I think it is time to post it.

We all have expectations for things that surround us. We expect our kids to grow up to be well-adjusted individuals. We expect our jobs to pay us a salary commensurate to our experience and work output. Though not of equal importance, but we also have expectations of our favorite sports teams: I expect the Dallas Cowboys to make more noise in this years' playoffs than Jerry Jones does when tooting his own horn. Expectations are everywhere whether we like them or not. And my expectations for the Texas Rangers are no exception.
 
After the 2009 MLB season, my expectations for the Texas Rangers' 2010 season was quite simple: playoffs or bust. I felt this team was primed for its first postseason run in a decade and had all the pieces to just get in. Nothing more. A playoff berth would suffice. Well, they got in. Then they won their first postseason series. On the road. In the ALDS. Then they beat their arch playoff nemesis Yankees in the ALCS. They finally beat the Yankees. In the playoffs. And then they got the World Series where they succumbed to the buzz-saw that was the San Francisco Giants.

Not too shabby. They exceeded my expectations. One could say that the Rangers blew my expectations out of the water. And for many months afterwards, I still could not believe that my favorite baseball team, the Texas Rangers, made it to the World Series. The Texas Rangers. The World Series. In the same sentence. That did not sink until maybe right around the 2011 World Series. So getting to the World Series that season was the proverbial icing on the cake.

I upped the ante for the 2011 season as my expectations were that the Rangers were to not only get to the playoffs but get to the World Series and win it all. My expectations were one strike from getting met. Twice. And there in lies the current psyche of most Rangers fans these days. The Rangers were so close to winning that we as fans could not wait until the start of the next season to prove that previous outcome was not a fluke. That the team should be given a free pass into the World Series because of the catastrophic way the title was lost to us.

So as the 2012 season started, I purposely kept from making any mental, or even verbal, expectations so as to not jinx myself in any way. Of course, that did not help as the team wallowed through a second-half slump that in many ways mirrored the slump slugger Josh Hamilton endured at the plate. Coincidence? Are the two slumps directly related? Eh, maybe, but I am not touching that one, plus it is a moot point. It is a team game, not a tennis match. Either way, the team looked tired the last six to eight weeks of the season and barely showed enough *umph* to eek out a wildcard game with the Baltimore Orioles. 

The team right now is banking again on the thought of "just getting in." Nothing more. Someone in the media says that they are playing "meaningful baseball" right now, which is great and all, but we all know they should be fighting the Oakland A's for AL West supremacy, instead of just fighting for their playoff lives. But the way their September play has shown, "just getting in" may not be good enough. 

Rangers fans wear their frustrations on their sleeves, including yours truly. Baseball is a tough sport and Texas Rangers fans have gotten spoiled with the team that Jon Daniels has put on the field the past few years. And I think, right fully so. The present make-up of the team even with the absence of Nelson Cruz, is set up to make a run into the playoffs and beyond, but because of the "way baseball go" they might not even get in. I expect them to be in the playoffs, at the very least, and with all platitudes aside, this fan base knows what this team is capable of and anything less will be unacceptable. 

Baseball town? Sure, why not. Though football will always be king here.

16 de septiembre, Dia de "Meh"- A Tejano's opinion

I have never celebrated 16 de septiembre, Mexican Independence Day. Nor will I ever. Even having grown up in Texas with some Mexican roots, I do not feel any connection to many "Mexican" holidays like Cinco de mayo or Día de los Muertos. One could chalk it up to assimilation, or even apathy. If anything, these days, to my friends, were just another reason to party.

My Mexican connections are fairly strong but they have not translated into a definite relationship with the country that claims most of my heritage. I can count on one hand how many times I have visited México. First as a nine year old, where we visited my grandmother's family ranch and when my eyes first saw mountains. The second time happened many years later as a college student for an awesome class trip to northern México. Then a few years after that, for archival work back in a former life in academia, and had breakfast with the state archivist for Coahuila state. 

I have plenty of extended family in México, great aunts and uncles and their families from one branch of the family. The rest of my family either left México for Texas many generations ago or have been here from the get-go, such as my Dad's family, whose roots lie elsewhere. 

For many of us Tejanos, Chicanos, Pochos, Mexican-Americans, we have a hodge-podge of cultural legacies. Some of us, like myself, are fluent in Spanish. Others are not as lucky to have been reared with the language. I grew up in an era where you were not hit on the hand if you spoke Spanish in school and had to anglicize your name, like my Dad had to endure in each case.

Though many of us can trace their roots through México, we do not necessarily embrace much of that culture. We will never forget certain aspects like menudo, tacos de pastor, piñatas etc., but we will forget the multifaceted reasons (many not so smart) México sought to rid itself of Spanish rule.  

Fortunately, I have not turned my back on my Mexican heritage with its varied intricacies. It is the land of some of my forebears and has made a mark on who I am today, but some of the holidays are lost on me. Not because I have forgotten them, but maybe because I do not necessarily care to remember them and what they stood for.

Zen and the Art of Texas Wine

More wine talk from a wine novice here. I am a wine consumer and I love to talk about Texas wine almost as much as I like to consume it. Well, not really, but you know what I mean.

From what I have seen and read about Texas wine, it takes something special to have staying power in the industry. Call it moxie, chutzpah, cojones, or whatever, but it does take something extra special to stick around. Think about it. Where else on this planet would a wine industry have to encounter the weather extremes that Mother Nature throws at this great state of ours on a regular basis? Take this year for example, not only have we dealt with this enduring drought that has ebbed and flowed for the better part of the last 5 years, but a once-in-a-lifetime late season freeze dealt the Texas wine industry a kick in the pants that will affect the industry for several years to come. If that wasn't enough, a spring hailstorm damaged portions of the Texas Hill Country wine crop. Umm, yeah...only in Texas. And then there was the whole "For Sale in Texas Only" maelstrom. 

Hey look, I am as gung-ho about anything Texas as the next Texan, but the rules set by the Go Texan program benefit the Texas wine industry and should not be viewed as semantics fodder. The utterly fantastic article written by Jeff Cope is a must read primer on this subject: Messina Hof replies to For Sale in Texas Only and Go Texan. As it has been so far this year weather-wise, the "For Sale in Texas Only" label may need to be used more often than in years past because there may not be enough Texas fruit. All I know (and feel) from this spat is that the way the rules and regulations are set up, the "FSiTO" should not be a red badge of infamy, but as tool to help wineries navigate through and around the wine industry as a whole. Plus, at last check all of these wineries were still within the state of Texas, and that should be the most important takeaway in this discussion.

Jeff also touched on something that I found rather disheartening, especially since it comes from a Texas born and based company: HEB may reset their wine shelves because, to quote Messina Hof's Paul Bonarrigo, "big guys want to control and not let Texas wines expand." Mmm...why would a Texas grown company be willing to be manipulated in such a way? (I could come up with a few rea$on$ why) Of course, I think this is funny, in a non-comical way, that this comes from a company that has billboards throughout parts of Texas (saw one in San Antonio) claiming that it is the top-selling retailer of Texas wine. (!!!) 

And then there's this: a few days after a return to the Metroplex from our summer vacation, we swung by a Central Market to see their Texas wine shelves, a little dusty, apart from the rest of the wine selections, with little or no labeling saying these are Texas wines. Plus the shelving unit served more as a wall between two different sections of the store than a functioning wine display! My impression? Texas wine, an afterthought. Again, very sad coming from a home-grown company that touts its Texas wine selling prowess. Disappointing.

I wanted to finish up this post by talking about, or wishing there was a way to keep the Texas wine industry from having to depend on non-Texas fruit to make up the difference on an as needed basis, such as a severe weather event, with some sort of state-wide wine co-op. But in the midst of getting these thoughts organized, Jeff posted another great write-up, this time about this exact topic: the need for more vineyards. His article, Grower Field Day and Benefit Dinner talks about events co-sponsored by Texas Hill Country Wineries and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Viticulture and Fruit Lab that start on September 27th at William Chris Vineyards in Hye, Texas. These events are geared at educating current and future Texas Hill Country growers with varied topics and seminars related to the growing Texas viticulture. And of course, what would a wine event be without a wine tasting? There will a couple of those, too.

Where have Yu gone, Mr. Darvish Ace

...Rangers fans have turned their lonely eyes to Yu. Yu, Yu, Yu

Don't fret Rangers fans, Darvish had an off day: five earned runs in five innings, including six (!) walks. Sure, that's not gonna cut it, but he'll figure it out before his next start.

On the bright side, Joseph Ortiz, Alexi Ogando and Neftalí did not give up a run, much less a hit in 2.3 innings of work. That's perdy darn good. And on the offensive side, both Jurickson Profar and Kittenface Gentry went 2 for 4, and Joey "How YOU doin" Butler got a pinch-hit run scoring single. Some good stuff to keep in mind there.

Plus, we're still tied for 1st place.

And then to finish:

Robbie Ross' stuff has left and gone away. Hey hey, hey...hey hey, hey...

My end of summer garden report

Grandpa Ott morning glories

Gaillardia hybrid and lantana

Overall, the garden was a mixed bag this summer. I'll start with the positive. There were plenty of flowers from the spring into the early part of the summer.  Which included Grandpa-Ott morning glories, lilies, lantana, gaillardia, and my biggest surprise, sunflowers. The most surprising aspect of the sunflowers was not necessarily that they grew so tall, but that they grew so tall while being grown in containers. Every single plant grown in my garden has its feet in containers. We are unable to plant anything into the ground as per our lease agreement. I have many years of experience with container gardening. So as long as the sunflowers were well watered, they did well.

Oh...and the lilies! I planted several oriental lily bulbs in different containers throughout the garden and every single one grew, save for one, and bloomed, each with a wonderful scent.

Smelled better than it looks.

I am very proud of my hibiscus plant which was a holdover from last summer. This one wintered inside and even gave us a bloom or two. This guy got trimmed and has bloomed continuously all summer. Another holdover from years past is the confederate star jasmine with its lovely jasmine scented blossoms.

Scratch and sniff needed here.

Herbs were my best crop for the most part. I bought a big plastic barrel planter where I moved my rosemary (have had it for 4-5 years, maybe), lavender, and oregano plants. The rosemary looks happier than it was in a much smaller container. The lavender bloomed well considering that I did not trim it like I could have last fall. I had another surprise with the oregano as it bloomed and helped attract bees to the garden. Other herbs that excelled were, mint (which bloomed to my surprised) and new additions, lemon balm and bee balm-Eary Grey (smells like the tea!)

The vegetable yield, or lack thereof, was a big disappointment. Radishes were okay early on, but took forever to get going because it looked like they were plagued with either slugs or snails. Once I took more care with them, I had a few radishes to eat. I had zucchini, yellow squash and cucumbers (twice) that failed to bear anything. It could be that they needed to be in a bigger and deeper container. I had a few green beans but not enough to yield a sufficient harvest. 

The lone bright spot on the veggie side were the tomatoes. And that's because I planted them in is a re-purposed ice bucket tote. It worked because I got some good cherry and grape tomatoes. The two plants are still hanging in there and are presently dealing with a mealybug infestation. There are blooms present so I hope I can keep the plants going and pests away for a few more tomatoes.

The biggest disappointments were the perennial flowers that did not even survive the season! I planted shasta daisies in two different pots and seemed to do well initially, but after the plants bloomed, both separate plants died. The biggest disappointing perennial was the dwarf purple coneflower, a fickle guy, who wilted at the smallest of dry spells. While its pot-mates, the oregano, rosemary and lavender, did exceptionally well, the coneflower up and died, as did the two following ones. Other short-lived perennials were two different gaillardias, including the one photographed above. I had hope to have a pop of color in among the big herb pot, but each one died. Perhaps, these perennials are not suited for container gardening.

As of this writing, the pride and joy of my garden is the long-lived chilepequín pepper plant, that has started a profuse bloom cycle. I've lost count on how many years I've had this plant in my garden, my daughter was a baby and she's almost 11, so I've had it almost ten years now. This plant came from the peppers of my dad's plant back at my parents' house. I first dried a few peppers, planted them in a pot, but nothing came up. So the next time I threw a few dried peppers and a few seeds just over the dirt, and sure enough up came the sprouts. Nature, I tell ya.

Thanks for visiting and for my reading about my garden. 

I'm 6'1". These sunflowers were tall.

Who wants seeds for next year?!

On top of Ol' Smokey- Mitas Hill Vineyard

Out on the winding roads of rural Collin County, north of McKinney, is the tiny hamlet of Squeezepenny, Texas. Far from the daily drudgery of Metroplex traffic jams, and glass and steel filled horizons, lies Mitas Hill Vineyard. A tree-lined oasis that even on a 104° day, made for a great experience. The idyllic setting amongst shumard oaks and junipers, the Mitas family have turned their passion towards wine making and subsequently into the business of entertaining folks. As a novice to winery visits, my expectations were fairly low, especially since I had yet to taste their wine. But after the visit, all winery and vineyard visits will be compared to the high bar set by this one.

My winery visit list is very short and only six weeks old: Fredericksburg in mid-July, we visited Becker Vineyards, Pedernales Cellars, and then a short trip down to Sister Creek Vineyards in Sisterdale. At the first two, we did not leave the tasting room. However at Sister Creek, we had a self-guided tour through the cellar that lasted as long as it took to read the page and a half of text on a laminated sheet. So this visit to Mitas Hill visit makes it number four, but none came close to the hospitality displayed to us by the Mitas family.

We were greeted by Michelle, daughter of owners Harold and Susan, with whom I had exchanged emails a few days prior to our visit to talk about a wine tasting and tour. Before we got a chance to taste their wines, we were taken across the way to the winery, where the magic of wine takes place.

Black Spanish getting their squeeze on.

We walked into the winery and were greeted by the truly intoxicating scent of fermenting wine. It was a treat that we arrived in time to see Santiago work on pressing the batch of Black Spanish grapes. If I remember correctly, the Black Spanish are not a stand-alone varietal but used along with their Tempranillo for their tasty Squeezepenny blend. 

Amazing color!

The floor in this room is sticky as a by-product of the wine presser which can spray out wine if not sufficiently covered. Harold mentions that if we stay still for too long that our feet could get stuck to the floor. Yep, feet got stuck for a moment.

While here, I began to think how I came across Mitas Hill. Then I realized that, had I not come across a re-tweet of an article written by Mitas Hill's PR person, Holly Becka, I probably would not have known about this place. Plus their wine can only be purchased on the premises. Hence why I had not come across it in my search for Texas wines. And in an interesting bit of happenstance, Holly was here in the room, taking the tour with us. Small world, indeed. 

Michelle took us back for the wine tasting and what stood out for me was not necessarily the wines, which were very good, but the first set of wines were paired with a small portion of cheese, fruit, or homemade chocolate mini cupcakes to coincide with the wine we were to drink. And they were prepared by Susan Mitas. What a pleasant surprise and talk about hospitality! Below were the wines we tasted with corresponding food pairing:

• Tempranillo with a slice of Manchego cheese. ¡Fantástico!
• Rosé with stuffed mushrooms. Very good.
• Zinfandel...though not paired with anything specific here, Michelle said this wine could be paired with just about everything made at home. Outstanding.
• Black Venus (Black Gypsy) with cantaloupe balls. WOW!
• Squeezepenny with homemade mini cupcakes made by Michelle's sister-in-law, the family sommelier. Batter and frosting were made with the same wine. Super Wow.
• And the last two were the Bojnice and a Tempranillo-Cab (75-25%) blend. Not my faves but good in their own right.
• Oh, by the way...the wine tasting was complimentary. (!!!)

Though our daughter is not of drinking age, she did partake in the tasting pairing, though with an orange soda. Thanks for being so thoughtful. We had the pleasure of Harold regale us with various stories about the property and stories about the Texas wine industry throughout the wine tasting. He spoke lively of Inwood Estates' Dan Gatlin and how he is essentially the father of Tempranillo wines in Texas. Harold said that the Tempranillo here at Mitas Hill will differ from those grown in West Texas on account of the underlying limestone that is found under the parts of the vineyard, which is reminiscent to the conditions found in La Rioja area of Spain, home to the Tempranillo grape.

Come back in two years to pick the grapes off of these guys.

We then hopped onto a tractor-pulled trailer that swung but around various spots of the vineyard. The first stop, Harold gave us a quick lesson that could have earned us a half credit hour towards a Viticulture certificate. He showed us what they have been working on to get new plants started by splicing a piece of vine onto root stock. All of this is right up my alley as I have my own garden. Harold took us into the vineyard and showed us the newest additions to the vineyard.

Further along Harold showed us older vines that, even though they are well-maintained, they still need tender loving care. It is a never-ending process of trimming the vines the right way so that they will grow and produce grapes, uh...productively. And like anything that involves nature, there are things we cannot see that could harm these vines, such as Pierce's disease, so the land is not only aesthetically pleasing on the eye, but also made to keep pests at arm's length. 

Black Venus leaves waved hi as we drove by.

What I found fascinating about this tour, is that Mr. Mitas is such a great storyteller. He says that way before they actually got into the wine business, he and his wife took a vacation up to the Red River valley, near the Texas town of St. Jo, where they met a gentleman who made wine using the Black Venus grape. They made such an impression on this man that they brought home a case of Black Venus wine and 25 Black Venus plants.

Future home of wine barrels. In a limestone cave.

As I alluded to at the outset, the scenery here at Mitas Hill is impeccable. The entire property is surrounded by beautiful trees and aesthetically pleasant on the eye. And aesthetics is what they are going after once the construction of the event center is completed next year. This center will be the focal point of the Mitas Hill complex and will be home to a grand wine tasting room with views of the vineyard, a ballroom, several deck areas, and even a pizza oven that will persuade visitors to stick around and not just pick up a bottle of wine and go back home. 

And that my wine drinking friends is what the Mitas family is after. Not to just sell you wine, but to have you experience what they have to offer. Wine is along for the ride, but is only part of the package. I, like many others, cannot wait for the event center to open next year. 

As I have learned rather quickly, working in the Texas wine industry is not a flash-in-the-pan sort of hobby like many in the past have done and failed when things got tough. Do not forget that all of the wine produced here is also grown and maintained out here in the backyard of the Metroplex where there is a ton of work left to do. And from I saw at Mitas Hill, they are doing it right.

Slow and steady wins the race.

Texas Wine- a voyage across the state

I have always been a proponent of all things Texas. Hell, when I lived in Madrid, Spain in a former life, I introduced myself as a Texan first. So I will Go Texan whenever possible, and these days, that pertains to Texas wine. Drinking Texas wine is nothing new to me. I use a Ste. Genevieve red, usually their Texas Red, to make sangría for my friends and family. And that has been the case way before the proliferation of Texas wineries that one sees nowadays.

Our first foray into Texas wineries were visits back in July with a stop at Becker Vineyards, Pedernales Cellars, and Sister Creek Vineyards. My hope is to visit as many of them as possible, as often as possible. The next ones on the list will be DFW locales, with McKinney's Mitas Hill Vineyard first, and maybe a slightly longer trip to the Red River valley to Arché in Saint Jo.

Check out my Twitter feed, @pacojavi712 when you get a chance, to find my latest #TXWine selection, if you can get past my Rangers tweets and related obscenities. Oh...my current twitter avi was taken in front of the Sister Creek's sign and my header from the gorgeous vista at Pedernales.

See you at the winery!

Today's the Day: Adiós Nellie?

MLB's announcement on player suspensions to those linked to the Biogenesis lab is supposed to happen today with Texas Rangers right-fielder Nelson Cruz as one of the implicated. With this said, I am disappointed to see any Rangers player connected to this PED scandal, but even more so with Cruz. He became a Ranger favorite of mine not too long after his arrival. Call it a vibe, but I knew he'd be more than a flash in the pan when he arrived in Arlington several years ago.

His on-field performance could be called bipolar or somewhat schizophrenic, with his outfield play. Thank goodness he is blessed with speed to make up for making the wrong reads on balls hit his way. Yes yes, Game 6. It's the prime example. But what I've always like about him was that he played the game with a smile on his face and had no prima donna about him. One could tell he was a good guy and a great teammate, who could hit a ball for miles, gun a guy down on the base-paths, but whose ball-getting-to made you dizzy.

But here is the gist this posting and what has been in my head since I heard Nellie's name linked to those Biogensis reports. I do not know him and I have no evidence that he took PEDs, but who is to say that amazing Game 6 misplay played heavily on his decision to help his team get back and reclaim the championship that was in their grasp, but was not because that line-drive over his head was not within his. I'm not saying he used PEDs. He could have. How many times did he go on the DL in 2012? But in the end, even if he had the best of intentions, he might have let down his teammates again.

Some Texas political insights

I will be so happy once the Texas primary season ends, having been lengthened by the run-off between David Dewhurst and Ted Cruz. Even then, I am thankful that I will not hear and see every single Republican candidate fall over each other trying to out-conservative themselves at every commercial break. The amount of ads portraying this line of thought got so ridiculous there for a while, with former Dallas mayor Tom Leppert being the worse political hack of them all. He had the audacity to say that "you know what happened the last time a empty-suit was sent to the White House." But the funny thing is, it could be said that the reason the country is where it is economically and politically, is because of his fellow conservative, George W. Bush, an empty-suit in the truest sense.

With this said, I challenge any Texas Republican to avoid a I'm-more-conservative-than-you approach and not bring up any anti-Obama sentiment that's all the rage these days. Dewhurst's newest ad has him saying that "Obama doesn't understand business." Well, probably not, since he's not a businessman, but what happened the last time a businessman was in the White House? See the the previous paragraph. I'm just saying.

Yes, I tend to lean left, but I would like to see these candidates stay on the issues, provide positive ideas, and look past the usual derision. I doubt it can be done.

Belated thoughts on Dick Clark's death

I always think about my grandmother whenever I hear about Dick Clark. In my mind, the two are linked and will be forever. For me, I do not think it was just happenstance that Dick Clark passed away within days of my grandmother's birthday. Like millions of Americans, I grew up watching American Bandstand with the ever-youthful Dick Clark as host. But the show itself does not provide the direct link between my grandmother and Mr. Clark.

My mother told me years ago that her mother and Dick Clark were the same age. Hearing that blew my impressionable young mind: "So the guy who does the weekly Top 10 and hosts New Year's Rockin' Eve is the same age as the lady who serves me frijoles and fresh gorditas whenever I come over? Awesome!"


The connection does not end there.


We spent many New Years Eves at my grandmother's. All of us cousins popped fireworks while my grandmother and aunts cooked tamales, buñuelos and hot chocolate (not the cocoa from a package, but homemade Mexican chocolate with cinnamon sticks and etc!). The cousins and I usually took a break from the cuetes to munch on a tamal or two, some buñuelos and chocolate while we watched the ball drop live from NYC's Times Square. And again there was Dick Clark reminding me that he and my grandmother were born in the same year.


Unfortunately, my grandmother has not been in the best of health lately. She paid a visit to the ER a week after burying an older sister. Nothing major, but the cough she's had since has not gone away, eerily similar to how her sister passed. Her waning health is on our minds.

Like a good nieto, I called to wish my grandmother a happy birthday a few weeks back: her oldest grandchild called his only remaining grandmother. It was great to chat with her for a bit. Upon hearing about Dick Clark's passing a few days later, I could not help but think of my grandmother: thankful that she's still here and also thinking of all the Dick Clark related memories I have of her. 

Thank you Dick Clark and muchísimas gracias Grandma!

Crazy South Texas Storms

Severe storms rocked the Texas Coastal Bend early this morning that not only dropped an amazing amount of rainfall, but a few tornadoes as well. Upwards of 15" inches of rain fell in portions of eastern San Patricio county and the NWS Corpus Christi office surveyed damage for at least 4 tornadoes in essentially the same area. Tornado warnings were also posted further south in the Kingsville area but no tornadoes have not been confirmed by the local NWS survey team. 


Area roads and highways were closed due to flooding around and through Gregory and Bayside, including HWY 181, a vital artery linking the towns north of Nueces and Corpus Christi Bays to Corpus Christi proper. 

While pictures of stalled cars and people wading through thigh-high water are disheartening, seeing 2x4 planks stuck in the sides of homes-- put there by an EF-1 tornado, that is impressive.

A couple quick hits

• Looks the economic outlook is getting worse in Europe with Spain in the middle of the turmoil. Paul Krugman believes the Spanish problem is not necessarily a home-grown issue but one that came from bad bank loans from German banks. It's amazing to see how much influence banks have over countries, and invariably, people.

• It's amazing what back-to-back World Series appearances does to a fan base. Never have I and my family and friends kept up with the Texas Rangers with so much vigor so early in the season. I caught myself cheering out loud to an inning-ending double-play in the Rangers' 4-3 win over Minnesota this afternoon: fist pump and everything! Not only that, I've exchanged several Rangers-related text messages during almost every game so far this season at almost the same pace as last season's postseason. One of my best friends, a fellow long-time Rangers fan, has said that he usually doesn't get excited about the season until around the All-Star break but has found himself intently following them so early. For me, following Jamey Newberg's analysis has kept my Rangers interest locked-in from the post-World Series disappointment through to the start of the season.

The Jewel of Arlington... Automotively Speaking

Plenty of pretty people, with their equally pretty money will be in Arlington, Texas on February 6th to see the Super Bowl in the NFL's glitziest stage. However, there is a place within walking distance of Cowboys Stadium that has its share of pretty things. Very pretty things indeed. Within the shadow of JerryWorld, lies a rather understated building full of overstated pieces of American automotive ingenuity and power. Berry Motor Cars on Division Street, is a place where the dreams of car enthusiasts and gearheads can come to fruition.

Back in October of 2010, my parents came for a visit, and like most of their visits to North Texas during baseball season, we took in a Texas Rangers game. Knowing that my dad was going to be in Arlington, my uncle asked him to swing by Berry Motor Cars to order a part for a 1968 Camaro that he is restoring. I thought that we left for Arlington with enough time, unfortunatley we got to BMC just after closing. I was a little disappointed knowing what laid inside- the opportunity to help my uncle with his project, but I also wanted to show my daughter all the awesome classic cars parked inside the showroom.

Well, as luck would have it, I spent enough time peering in through the front doors that I got the attention of the owner who came to ask if I needed help. I told him that my parents had come in from South Texas and that may dad had hoped to order a part before the game. The gentleman said that he had stayed around the shop afterwards to work on a few things and that we could help us. So as my dad spoke to Mr. Berry about the needed part, I was able to show my daughter around the showroom: fully restored Chevelles, Camaros, and a couple of Corvettes, intermingled with a few Plymouths and Mustangs. I couldn't help but shake my head in amazement at all these beautiful cars and how much one would set me back. Let's just say that I could get a fully restored 1967 Camaro for the same price as a brand new 2010 model!

Being able to see those cars and share the moment with my daughter made that weekend even more memorable. Thankfully, she's following the footsteps my dad and uncle laid out for us in appreciating the beauty of these classic machines. My thanks again to Mr. Berry and his hospitality for helping us that day. I hope that the glare that surrounds the Super Bowl shines some of its dollar-signed goodness towards Mr. Berry and his company.

The 2-Space Police Are Out To Get You!

As I read an article on Slate.com about how two spaces after a sentence's period is a writing faux pas, one of John McEnroe's most infamous on-court blowups came to mind: "You cannot be serious!"

And according to the article's author, yes, he is serious.

So it looks like millions of us, including myself, are wrong for having been inserting that extra, evil space after a written sentence. And Mr. Manjoo makes us feel horrible for having neglected this rule. All that I have written over the years should have gotten a big red X for all those superfluous spaces. Too bad for me that the professors from my undergraduate years and up into my graduate work were not part of the 2-Space Gestapo.

The article itself is well written but the best part of it was a comment left by a reader. I'm paraphrasing, but he pretty much said that he wasn't going to take any typing advice from someone with a foreign sounding name. I couldn't help but bust out laughing when I first read it. Now, I can't read into that commenter's intent, but I doubt he meant it as a xenophobic observation as some folks have noted. I think it was a comical observation seeing that the article was not written by a regular Tom, Dick or Harry Smith.

Though I make no bones about my grammatical know-how, but it will take me a while to unlearn 20+ years of typing experience. Adding that good-for-nothing second space is as second nature to me as breathing or cheering against the New York Yankees.

Rare January Tornadic Storm in the Coastal Bend

Many residents of the Coastal Bend woke up sooner than they expected last Sunday morning when a rare January tornadic storm blew through the area producing a gamut of severe weather, which included an EF1 tornado, hail, and strong winds. The squall line gathered strength as it neared the coastal prairies and put down a tornado that ran for over 20 miles.

Storm reports from my family include my grandmother hiding in her hallway as the hail pounded the paint off one side of her house in central San Patricio County and my uncle heard a freight train sounding noise when he took his dogs outside to do their business as the storm crossed into southeastern San Pat County. And my folks reported lots of hail and strong winds as the storm arrived. In addition to this, the 8am mass at my old church back home was done in candlelight due to the power outtage after the storm passed.

I'm pleasantly relieved that there were no injuries reported, or at least I did not see report of any. It is amazing that this storm was so strong to produce so much severe weather considering the timing of its genesis. One can only imagine how bad the storm would have been had it occurred during the day (the far northern end of this weather feature dumped several inches of snow in the DFW area!).

Please click on the link below to Corpus Christi's National Weather Service office's report of the January 9th storm. Tremendous kudos to the staff of the NWS office for an equally impressive summary of this impressive winter-time storm. That has to be the most imformative storm summary I have seen since perhaps their Christmas Eve/Day snow storm story of 2004.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/crp/?n=jan092011squallline

Cliff Lee leaves the cannoli and takes his gun

With Cliff Lee taking his services back to Philadelphia, he has rejected a "menu of options" from the Texas Rangers and million dollars worth of contract money from the New York Yankees. He essentially left the cannoli (both Texas and NY money) and took his left-handed gun to join a top-of-the-line pitching staff made up a #1 staters.

Skip Bayless, the morning the news broke on ESPN's First and 10 show, called Cliff Lee, "LeBron Lee," perhaps as a jab at Cliff taking less money and going to a team with a more than legitimate chance of winning championships. I won't fault the guy for taking less money in order to win more titles, but I will say this: it's possible that his back is still bothering him and the pressure to perform at a high level won't be as necessary in Philly as it would have been had he gone to Texas, where he would have been THE go-to-guy and team ace.

Good luck Cliff and hope to see you again in Arlington in October and November!

Hook 'Em! Fiesta Bowl 2009

I've been saying it all day to my coworkers, especially to the lone Ohio State fan amongst us, that the Texas Longhorns let Ohio State score their last touchdown on purpose. Yep, I think the Texas defense let the OSU running back score untouched so that Colt McCoy and the offense would have enough time to go down the field and have a chance of scoring the winning touchdown.

Ohio State was driving towards a winning score with under 4 minutes to play down by two points. If I were OSU coach Jim Tressel, I would run off as much of the game clock as I could and go for the game winning kick with only seconds remaining. Well, that's what I was thinking he would do as OSU crept closer to the goal line. But then all of a sudden, there's a quick touchdown run up the left side of the offense!

I may have not been the only one to notice that the OSU running back went in for the touchdown almost untouched to make it 21-17, pending the 2 point conversion. The color commentator for Fox's broadcast said that the runner went in "easy, too easy."

Perhaps the UT coaching staff thought it would be best to let Ohio State score so as to leave ample time for McCoy and his offense to stage another 4th quarter comeback. Who knows...

Putting the X back in Christmas

I think the use of text messages has apparently brought back the use of "Xmas" in place of Christmas. I know I used it quite often when I wrote to loved ones over the holidays. I've never understood why this written form of Christmas was frowned upon, but it works for me because it does not diminish my love Christ Himself. Folks have said that using this alternative spelling literally "takes Christ out of Christmas" but that's only to voice their concern about the commercialization of Christmas. I can see that aspect of it and it's too bad that their more ignorant compatriots have hijacked this notions for their own gains.

I've seen the use of X in old Spanish documents to spell out a person's name, namely the Spanish equilvalent of Christopher, ie: Xtobal. If folks really pay attention and do their homework, they'll see that the origin of "Xmas" has Greek origins, especially with the Greek letter X, Chi, having stood for Christ for almost two milenia now.

Look it up and you'll find that "Xmas" has a fascinating story that does not come from some commercializing atheist, but from early Christians and how they honored the Son of God through symbols from an ancient language.

Feliz Día de los Reyes Magos

Today marks the official end of the Christmas season with January 6th being the day that the three wise men reached their destination of seeing the Christ child. This holiday wasn't celebrated with too much fanfare around my family except for maybe the 6th being the day when we would finally put our pino out of its misery. But it's a big deal in other countries, like Mexico and Spain.

Ten years ago I had the luck to do spend a semester abroad in Spain. I arrived just prior to the Día de los Reyes so I was able to partake in the Rosca, the traditional pastry that holds within it, a little plastic baby (Jesus). Whomever finds it is said to have an extra bit of luck the following year. My memory of el Día in Madrid is a little fuzzy as I arrived with a head cold, which if you've ever flown with a cold, is made worse by having spent several hours on a plane.

Feliz Día de los Reyes Magos a todos mis amistades que conocí Madrid, en el Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Toledo, Barcelona y también a todos mis queridos amigos que me llevaron por la bella ciudad de Granada. ¡Os hechos de menos!