Looks like grass fire but smoke thick enough to close 380

By 4;30 they were beginning to open the highway back up. And, for the life of me, I'm not sure why the smoke was a severe as it was. I don't know if any structures got in the way, but it wouldn't surprise me.

(Pictures taken from Shell parking lot on 380 looking eastward)

Fire

Dang it, my lawyer job kept me from posting about it. I know it was over by the Waggoner Mansion but I don't know how close. Developing . . .

Now This Is Big Time Law Practice

I just got appointed on a case where a guy is accused of using a make-shift Whizzinator. And I'll be dang if we don't have a statute broad enough to make it illegal. And as an attorney board certified in criminal law, I'd like to state: I had no idea.

Tragedy!

How did I miss this? FORMER Channel 8 sports reporter Erin Hawksworth is now working in Boston.

I'll be in the fetal position under my desk if you need me.

Things I Just Learned From The First 20 Pages Of Time Magazine

• Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman have split.
• Sixty one year old Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood has run off with an 18 year old Russian waitress. (Hey, now.)
• 1 in 4 Americans do not graduate from high school
• 1 in 6 Americans do not have health insurance
• Fannie Mae almost went under last week and its CEO makes $13.4 million a year. Fine job.
  
• 42% of Americans have tried marijuana
• That New Yorker cover sure got everyone riled up
• At age 41, Mark Spitz tried to make the Olympic team but failed.
  
• And this from a Letter to the Editor: "I'm sick of reading that the 15th Amendment of 1869 granted former slaves the right to vote. The 15th Amendment granted only male ex-slaves the right to vote. Women of all races occupied a rung well below males slaves on the U.S. ladder of rights. This failure to include women should not be ignored or forgotten." Duly noted.
• On an unrelated note, Rush Limbaugh is now referring to Obama as "Little Barry."
  

Generation Kill

I'm not sure if this is worth a post of its own (then again, what isn't?) but a commenter mentioned that I had missed the first two episodes of HBO's Generation Kill.

When I was trying to go to sleep last night, I had HBO on in the background and that show was already on. (The good stuff on Cinemax was already over.) And, man, that was some pretty good stuff - - - even if I did fall asleep due to exhaustion.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• My inbox that is right in front of me is so tall that i just powered down.
• Someone told me that the way to avoid post-vacation depression is to start planning the next one. Good advice.
  
• I watched the ESPYs last night for the first time in years. Justin Timberlake hosted and that guy was great. Smooth, funny, and overall in control. (One song and dance skit had a Fake Tony Romo dancing with a Fake Jessica Simpson.) Edit: Funny video of part of show here.
  
• Some pitcher for Minnesota had a perfect game against the Rangers yesterday through six innings. The some guy for Texas named Taylor Teagarden came to the plate in only his second major league game. And he homered. The Rangers won 1-0.
  
• And as a sidenote about that homerun: It landed a foot from a lady moving out of the way ash she held what looked like a newborn. I always take my newborns out to the ballgame.
• Laker Girl tryouts.
• My lawn didn't look too bad. Did it rain?
• You had to have seen it, but a lady from Fort Worth who lost her parents and brother in a plane crash in Kaufman County over the weekend was interviewd by one of the news stations last night. (I can't remember which one I was watching.) First, I'm never appearing on camera within 48 hours of the death of anyone close to me and, second, she didn't seem upset at all (but, once again, you really had to see it.)
  
• I never listen to Russ Martin but he's made the headline after being arrested in Southlake for Aggravated Assault. Trust me, aggravated assault cases, due to the way the statute is ridiculously overbroad, are notoriously nothing more than silliness.
• Not exactly fun stuff, but this was an interesting post about how Facebook/Myspace pics can become evidence of a defendant's character. That's ridiculous. My Facebook cover pic of me surrounded by Hooter Girls while I was only wearing a speedo reveals nothing about my character.
• Looks like the Messenger website had issues while I was away. But, when you could finally see Friday's Update, we learned that the Newark City Council will pass an ordinance limiting the number of pets for each household to five cats and five dogs. Gold.
  
• R and R reported on a suicide in Bridgeport. Horrible.
  
• The new Batman movie looks great which isn't exactly saying anything since it set a box office record this weekend with $155 million.
• This time one week ago I was throwing up in Cancun.
• I just noticed that Tropical Storm Dolly is hitting Cancun right now.
  
• While trying to catch up with the Bag Of Nothing's posts, this one broke my heart. The War in Iraq was not worth that one man's pain (or her's). Remember, Obama will get us out of there.
• Forks with any type of covering over the handles bug me.
  
• I hear more and more people say, "I don't like drama" (translation: "My friends can be freakin' crazy sometimes.") Ya know, me loves me some drama. I'm never involved in it, but I love watching it.
• Indy girl catfight involving Danica Patrick (who I still can't stand.) And I can't understand what the other girl is saying, but that accent jazzes me.
  
• I mentioned a couple of week's ago I mentioned I hadn't been in Burger's Lake in Fort Worth in years. And while I was away they shut it down due to a possible parasite.
• A movie star I thought was the perfect girl but who stopped acting years ago: Deborah Foreman from Valley Girl and My Chauffeur.
  
• Other news while I was away: Jesse Jackson is caught using the N Word on Fox while he thought tape wasn't rolling but Fox won't release it. You gotta be kidding. The man who railed against Seinfeld's Kramer for using the N-Word is being protected by Fox?
• Man, did you see the story of the lady who went in for a three hour manicure/pedicure on her wedding day only to learn that her four year old son had died in her car outside of the salon? (I thought it was interesting that temperatures outside "only" got as high as 89 degrees - which apparently is too hot.) They aren't sure if they knew he was in the car.
• That's Claire Danes in that pic up at the top. Can you believe that?
  

Initial Random Vacation Thoughts: Getting There

- How can you feel that it is good to be home and sad to be home at the same time?
- I could live in Terminal D. And I could spend hours people watching at any airport.
- Ticketing is a breeze. Swipe your credit card, swipe you passport, and a boarding pass comes spitting out.
- I was randomly picked to go into the new special see-you-neekid x-ray machine. I tried to suck in my gut.
- American Airlines gets a lot of bad press, but the airline worked like a charm for me. Both flights were on time, with no last second gate changes, no-waiting-forever-on-the-tarmac, and no baggage issues.
- In fact, I've never been on a flight like this one where we taxi down to the end of the runway to do the U-Turn for takeoff and (without coming to a stop) the captain says, "We're number one for take off."
- Also a first: The jet was barreling down the runway - seconds from the wheels lifting off the ground - when the captain suddenly shuts down the engines. He tells us about a minute later that he saw a "nuisance light" (the most confusing term ever) and didn't want to take any chances. I was afraid we'd head back to the gate and spend two hours having a maintenance crew check it out. But no. We just did went back to the start of the runway and took off.
- I love the first five minutes of a flight where I look out the window try to figure out what exact part of DFW I'm over.
- The plane was full. I got my tickets about a month ago with frequent flyer miles and that saved me a fortune.
- That American Way magazine isn't that bad. (But it also has a Mensa quiz that makes me feel stupid.)
- Took the above picture with a cell phone. I always wonder how hard it would be to arrange a trip to a part of the beach that no one else goes to.
- Filling out the Custom Declaration Form promising you aren't bringing certain things into the country seems silly.
- The Cancun airport is nice. Really nice. (Or maybe I believe that just because it's air conditioned.)
- Pushing the button which lights up either a red light (your baggage gets searched) or a green light (you are free to go), makes me as nervous as that guy in Midnight Express.
- Having pre-arranged transportation to the hotel is worth every penny. But I've learned that every Mexican airport will have a ton of guys trying to lead you to their transportation company. It took me about a minute to realize the guy I was talking to had nothing to do with my designated company - but only after he took my voucher out of my hand and started to walk away to lead me to his booth. I actually had to yell, 'Hey, give that back."
- The humidity in Cancun is brutal.
- I actually stayed about 25 miles south of Cancun, I think it's an area called Riviera Maya.

View from my just abandoned hotel room

I'm Off

(Picture taken last year. I like that.)

During this quiet week for The Blog, please waste time visiting those fine blogs listed to the right.

• Anobiter's Blog - A smart little ditty with a tad bit of High Toneness
• Jarhead's Blog - Well, you know. Careful, he'll bust out an AR-15 on you.
• Lovelit's Blog - Almost too sweet to be on here. A 20 Something literature teacher.
• Silicone Alley's Blog - Man, that thing is R rated sometimes. Visit with caution.
• R and R's Blog - She'll throw down a shocking post as well.
• Bag Of Nothing - Some pretty good stuff from a former country boy.

And anyone else I don't have time to mention (yep, go give WordKyle some love).

I may post a pic or two during the week but no promises. My therapist suggests I step away from the laptop.

Drove past new Cowboy Stadium

Joys Of The Wise County Jail

Look, I'm A Traffic Reporter

If you are headed to Fort Worth: Fatal accident involving tanker, cement truck and car has closed all westbound lanes at Northeast Loop 820, Traffic Pulse says. One eastbound lane getting by near Blue Mound Road in Saginaw. Expect major delays.

Jack County: Law and Order

Getting reports that Jack County law enforcement arrested almost 20 people yesterday. That would be a one day record.

Let the question go forth: What is up?

Edit: Getting unofficial word that it was a round up for new drug related warrants (surprise.) Fifteen arrests. Four to go.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• The kid who didn't lace the cookies with marijuana and LSD is now free. But all the reports are that he was delivering the cookies as part of his community service as a part of a probation. That's community service? I've heard of Toys for Tots but Cookies for Cops?
• WBAP interviewed a kid from Decatur yesterday who was camping outside the Apple Store in Southlake to get a new iPhone. But I didn't catch his name.
• Edit: A reader sends along this KXAS video of five teens from Decatur trying to snag the iPhone. (Thanks Joe.)
  
• John McCain campaigned in the town of South Park yesterday. Really.
• I don't trust kids on skateboards
• Terry Everett, branch manager of DATCU in Decatur, and her family were once on the Family Feud when it was hosted by Richard Dawson.
• I was once a "a man on the street" interview when the old 4 Country Reporter came to Bridgeport in the 1970s. I was a kid. The question was something about speeding rock trucks. Not much changes, does it?
  
• I used to have a boss in a bank that would say, "No, make it good day" whenever anyone wished him a good day. Beating.
• I remember when highway 380 ran right past the courthouse in Decatur (there was no bypass so if you drove from Denton to Bridgeport you'd be funneled to downtown Decatur.)
• For the life of me, I don't understand why Chesapeake Energy Corporation is spending krillions of dollars on a PR campaign about the Barnett Shale. First Tommy Lee Jones, and now they are starting something called www.shale.tv and have hired longtime DFW anchor Tracy Rowlett to run it.
• And does anything sound more exciting than an Internet TV station run by an energy company promoting the Barnett Shale? Can I reserve season one on Netflix?
• Horrific stop down title of a news story: "Parents Plan Funerals for Twins after Pharmacy Mistake"
• That kind of brought down the room, didn't it?
• I liked my briefly running Friday Dance Off feature but it was almost impossible to find two good dance videos on youtube. You'd think it would be easy, but it wasn't.
• I just did a search for my past Friday Dance Off and I think all of them can be found here. That was good stuff.
• Prepare for withdrawal symptoms. I won't be here next week.
• I've downloaded a few songs by N.E.R.D. and really like them. (First heard of the group when their song "Lapdance" was played as exist music on Entourage.) And their new album was reviewed in People magazine last week.
• I get irritated when I hear that an album "drops" on a certain date.
  
• The Bridgeport City park had this rocket in it when I was a kid. Well, maybe not that rocket but a rocket that looked like it.
  
• The hotel out by the Gaylord Texan that has a waterpark inside of it looks cool. And they are already adding on a new wing after being open for less than a year.
• That Genghis Grill that opened up off Western Center Boulevard is really good. But you'll get Confused Head trying to order.
• And I think the Bridgeport City Council naming buildings after residents is probably a road they don't want to go down. I'd at least like a dumpster named after me.
• WBAP just reported that they were watching a police chase in South Dallas right now. I loves me some police chases.
  

News

Getting reports that a small plane had to land on 287 or on a frontage
road.

Developing ...

Barry (from mobile)

Waffle House Wedding

You can see all the pictures here or you can see a montage set to music here (I'm still crying over the video. It may be the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.)

Background story here with this money quote:

"I think it's pretty redneck myself," dad said, laughing. "But I'm a redneck anyway, so."

The couple plans to honeymoon Monday and Tuesday, but then it's back to work.

The destination?

"I don't know yet," the groom said.