Tag Archives: Dallas

Seasonal Love Letter – You Suck at Parking!

Ford F150I recently purchased a Ford truck, very much like what you see in the picture. This is my second truck, and I don’t think I’ll ever revert to a smaller vehicle again. I formerly drove a Honda Civic (too small for Texas roads). Driving something large is in by best interest. Everything on the road in this state is jumbo-sized. Driving a big truck is self-defense!*

Any how, the point of this story is that recently I annoyed someone with my parking skills – or lack of parking skills. I so distressed this person (I think female; though, the handwriting looks male) that she took the time to write me a note. At first reading, I was bothered. I did not take up four spaces (I took two – there were no parking places for large vehicles, everything was labeled compact car – why do these crazy little spaces still exist? This isn’t Europe!) and there were plenty of other places to park! Obviously, the whole Christmas shopping thing had frazzled her last nerve. I came to that conclusion after a second reading of the note. On the third reading I laughed, and every reading thereafter has delighted me!

Here’s the letter for your enjoyment. If you’re sensitive to foul language, you best stop here!

You're Parking SucksI love the assumptions in this note.

First, it’s assumed I’m male (and tough). I’ll have have you know that girls, those whom are not debutantes, drive trucks too!

Second, it’s assumed that if I had another vehicle, I would park differently. I could easily take two parking spots with a car. I’ve seen others do it.

The cherry on top of this note is “Have a nice day!” I just love that. I really wish I could meet this person and give them a big hug. They’ve given me so much pleasure. If only they had taken a picture and submitted it to youparklikeanasshole.com.

*Texas is the “land of pickup trucks,” even charging lower taxes on pickup truck registration (agricultural use only) than on other types of vehicle registration. As a matter of fact, Texans have 14% of the pickups in the U.S., and automakers sometimes offer special editions of their pickup trucks, with names like “Texas Edition” and “Lone Star Edition,” more commonly known as the “Big Horn” in other states.

And here’s something ironic – Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is headquartered in Texas, the state in which more people die each year in drunk driving-related accidents.

New Record for Snow in DFW

After my last post, it continued snowing. Altogether, we received over 10-inches of snow. Here are some pictures I took early this morning. The trees in my backyard are hurting from the weight of the icy stuff. I’ve lost one branch. This white gift from heaven is so amazing. I haven’t seen snow like this since I lived in Germany as a kid. It’s amazingly beautiful.

Here’s a street view of the snow.

Here’s another street view of the snow.

Tommy bravely ventured outdoors this morning.

The trees in my backyard are bent from the weight of the snow.

The chaise never looked more inviting.

Record Snowfall in DFW area

About 30 minutes ago on News 8, it was reported that we had an average of 7.3 inches of snow in Dallas-Fort Worth, and it’s still snowing. This snowfall is a record for February, but we’re near reaching an all-time record for snow at any time. I had a snow day today. I expect I’ll have another tomorrow; the roads will be frozen. Temperatures are expected to drop in the 20′s tonight. You do not want to drive on ice in Texas!

Here are some cell phone pictures taken by my son late this afternoon.

This is my snowy lawn.

The neighborhood pool gets a dusting of snow.

Virgin snow covers the neighborhood park.

Traffic Observations

I drive a hell of a long way to work (and back) everyday. All of this time on the road has allowed me to make many observations. Here are just a few.

  • No matter which radio station I listen to, the traffic report fails to cover the road I’m on.
  • If there is a lane of traffic moving faster than the one I’m in, if I change to it, it slows to a crawl.
  • There are people who think it is both wise and safe to exit the tollway from the far left lane. WTF!
  • The people who shave, apply make-up, or hot-roll their hair while driving are very scary.
  • Worse than the shavers and make-up artists are the imbeciles who text or chat on their cell phones while driving. One such moron rear-ended my brand new Honda Element last fall. Four years prior to that accident, a similar idiot rear-ended my brand new Honda Civic (Multiple cars were involved; I was in the fifth car in the chain accident.). You can imagine how I feel about driving around in a new vehicle.
  • Traffic is at its worst on the days I have an early morning meeting.
  • Yes, I can see you picking your nose, your teeth, your ears.
  • Petroleum/chemical tankers are disasters waiting to happen.
  • It really sucks when I forget to go to the bathroom before my commute.
  • Visors do not completely shield your eyes from the sun. Often they serve absolutely no purpose.
  • What’s up with road crews? One man working and ten supervising.
  • Men who build roads appreciate flannel in the cooler months.
  • Where is that other shoe?
  • Billboards do not inspire me to make a purchase.
  • Trees look better with leaves.
  • Green means go. Red means stop. If you’re colorblind, you shouldn’t be driving.
  • Gold hubcaps are the equivalent of gold teeth.
  • When tossed ice hits your windshield, the glass appears as if it has shattered. Pretty damn freaky!
  • Some people like to share their music with everyone in a half-mile radius.
  • 1 out of 10 people gesture in appreciation when I let them slide in front of me in traffic.
  • 9 out of 10 people gesture offensively when I don’t let them have their way on the road.
  • Frequently I say: “That was absolutely BRILLIANT!” • “Way to go, GENIUS!” • “Move bee-otch!” • “What a dickhead!” • “What an asshole!” • “IDIOT!” • “OH, for God’s sake people!”
  • The only fume I appreciate is the occasional waft of weed.
  • It seems people are no longer concerned with keeping America beautiful.
  • A suspended plastic bag is beautiful in the film American Beauty; it’s not so beautiful any where else.
  • Squirrels must have a death wish.
  • When I see the Texas lotto sign, I fantasize about winning. All of that dough would eliminate a commute to work.
  • The higher the number of bumper stickers the lower the IQ.
  • Driving a Hummer? You’re a pompous ass.
  • Cops like sitting at the bottom of hills.
  • Are you insane? Please crate your dogs. Don’t let them run loose in the back of your pick-up.

Night at the Dallas Museum

Dallas Trolley CarWell, I’ve experienced my first Friday (5/18) at the Dallas Museum of Art, and I have to say, “I must do it again!” My friend and I road a trolley car to the museum from the West Village. This was my first time to ride the trolley, and I’ve lived in Dallas forever! It was fun and only a 10-minute trip from the Village. Once at the museum, we saw a variety of people with an enthusiasm for art, music, and poetry.

We spent time going through several galleries. The first exhibit we explored was Fast Forward, an exhibition of works from the modern and contemporary holdings of the Hoffman, Rachofsky, and Rose families, who gifted their collections and future acquisitions to the Museum in 2005. I discovered my new favorite artist – Gerhard Richter at this exhibition. He’s frakking amazing!!!

There was also a photo exhibit, which we caught on its last day. My favorite photo was by William Eggleston, the man who made color photography an art. Look at that color! If only you could see the real thing – the saturation of red. Photographing red is difficult. This dye transfer print is considered by Eggleston to be one of his most challenging and powerful works.

We missed the poetry readings, but we did get to hear part of Bjork’s new CD, Volta, in the sculpture garden. It was…eh…hmm…well, not my cup of tea.

At 9:30 we went back to the West Village and had dinner at Cru. Dinner for me was chicken scallopini, very yummy. It was much like this recipe. When I got home I crashed. Too much fun, food, and drink! Consequently, this all led to a migraine headache on Saturday and into Sunday. Was it worth it? Yeah.Red Ceiling