Back from Texas

I spent most of the weekend in Dallas, went to see the Texas State Fair and a football game at the Cotton Bowl. Grambling beat Prairie View 34-17. While Grambling did trail early on, due to a blocked punt and a turnover, they still made the plays when they needed to. Before starting this entry tonight, I decided to find a few songs on Youtube. Although when I was looking for 'Don't Mess With Texas' it didn't seem to have those words in the song, though one of them was a public service ad, sang by Leann Rimes. One of my souvenirs from the airport was a 'Don't Mess With Texas' magnet, along with a few postcards. The others were 'All My Exes Live in Texas' by George Strait, 'Yellow Rose of Texas', and 'Eyes of Texas', apparently the U of Texas fight song. It sounded a lot like some other song I had heard before, like 'working on the railroad'.
   It would have been nice to spend more time there, but one must make the most of the time available. I went over to Arlington and saw the Rangers and Cowboys stadiums, got pictures of both but the Cowboy stadium was one from off in the distance. I could have gotten started a little earlier on my day, as there were some delays I could have handled better. One of those was trying to look up information on my own through the phonebook in the hotel room, but it didn't have much. Found out the Fedex Office was just down the road, going online gave me the answers I needed. Another was about the public transport system there, after finding out how it really wasn't 'rapid' like the name says it was. I decided not to wait for it and drove over to the state fair as I wanted time to look around before the game. Liked seeing a DAR building there, as the organization is big on historical preservation. There was a women's museum as well, liked how I was familiar with many of those remembered there. The food and drink there was on the ticket system, much like some of the events I had been to before where you pay for all items with tickets instead of money by buying tickets in advance. Big car show as well, this tent was where I got a footlong hotdog with chili and cheese along with a Shiner Bock Beer. Got to get a Texas beer at the Texas fair. Saw a Marines band playing their song, 'Montezuma to Tripoli'. Unsure if that is the official title. I know "Semper Fidelis" is their slogan, Latin for 'always faithful'. Music is everywhere, and I like paying attention to it as you can see. At halftime of the football game I saw somebody on the field singing 'get out of your mind', a hip-hop song I had heard a few times before. I was impressed how the bands played some recent hip-hop, or rap, songs, like Eminem's 'Not Afraid'. Another had 'hey hey hey' in it, will have to look it up.
   Earlier today I went to Grand Prairie and got a picture of the minor league baseball stadium, an independent team. Wanted to see more than I did in Fort Worth, but had little time, wanted to be on time for my flight. I got a picture of their minor league baseball field as well, same league as Grand Prairie, and the famous, historic Fort Worth Stockyards sign. Saw some cowboys on horses there, and what looked like a walk of fame, would have been nice to see all of the names on it. I noticed one of them was Buffalo Bill. I think Emerson Hough would have been proud I saw some of these places, since he was a western writer. And one of his novels, 'North of 36', was done as a movie, called 'The Texans', starring Randolph Scott. In addition, at the state fair, I saw a quote in stone by his friend, Theodore Roosevelt. It was about competition, how the real winners are those who compete instead of just watch others do so.  This was in a section called 'Land of the Free, Because of the Brave'.
   I do my best to remember the people I meet while traveling, this included my seatmate on the way there on Friday. She was on her way to a wedding in a suburb, Lewisville. Sounds expensive to be part of a wedding, with the outfits needed if a woman. Simple for a man, just rent a tuxedo.
  I decided to replace a pair of jeans after I started noticing rips forming in them while traveling, and when that happens I just can't leave the rip alone. So I went back to JC Penney and used more of my gift cards for a pair, most of the cards are used up now. In the evening I went to the comedy club, good crowd, bigger than normal.