Remember the Alamo...Bowl

This week I road-tripped it to San Antonio. I know the I-10 route well but this time I was headed to the Alamo City for fun with my family in tow. Or rather, I was in tow. I somehow got out of driving the three hour trip and instead sat in the backseat of a car remarkably similar to mine.

There are definite bonuses to being a backseat passenger and sharing the road with friends.

For example, impromptu dancing and singing often erupts.

And World Geography knowledge can be tested with the Houston Chronicle's 50 Question Geography Quiz. (No, I've never heard of Nollywood and do not know what US city is "too busy to hate." Anyone?)

Stopping at Buc-ee's is also a different experience as the normal quick in-and-out trip turns into a twenty minute shopping tour complete with a plan to divide and conquer Icees and Beaver Nuggets before reuniting at the car.


In truth, no Beaver Nuggets were bought or consumed, but they are quite a hit with the regulars.
See the link above for more details.

Upon arriving in San Antonio, we check into our hotel located within walking distance of the River Walk - one of my favorite places in Texas at Christmas time.

We stop at the first Mexican restaurant we find, The Original Mexican Restaurant. It was a cold night and as this restaurant did not provide ponchos for the patio (like another restaurant further down), we opted to eat inside.

More bonuses for traveling with family: live Mariachi serenades.

(The song was called Mariscos, which means seafood in Spanish...can't imagine singing such a pretty song about fish. Maybe someone can enlighten me?)

And someone with whom to try on the traditional Mexican garb.

Sharing a hotel room with new family members provided a special treat as I was awoke in the middle of the night to the shouts of a sleep-talking male.

In the morning, we headed straight to the Alamo. As a former Texas history teacher, I was excited to impart my knowledge to my newly transplanted brother-in-law. Like how Bonham Street (a street we had to cross as we walked from our hotel) was named after James Butler Bonham one of the couriers during the 13 day siege at the Alamo. And how the numbers next to the state flags displayed in the Alamo represented the number of men who died from that state in the battle. (The most famous death being that of Davy Crockett from Tennessee who was quoted as saying, "You may all go to hell and I will go to Texas.") I'm not sure my brother-in-law appreciated all the wealth of information I was dumping on him (as you might not),

but as a born and bred Texan - I just couldn't help myself. I was even more excited when I found the DVD version of the movie Gone to Texas in the Alamo gift shop. This is a highly factual depiction of the life of Sam Houston and other crucial events of the Texas Revolution. As a teacher, I had shown my students many clips from this movie. It also helps to explain why Sam Houston did not come to the aid of the Alamo. (He was busy forming a government and training an army that would later defeat the Mexican troops at the Battle of San Jacinto.)

After our Alamo tour and informational video, we headed to the River Walk for our boat cruise. On our ride we were reminded that San Antonio is named after St. Anthony - patron saint of lost things. Perhaps, if my brother had been Catholic, he would have been able to recover the cell phone that slipped out of his pocket and landed in the river four years earlier when he sat down to lunch. As of yet, no such luck.

From the river, you can also spot a glimpse of the San Fernando Cathedral from which the Mexican dictator Santa Anna had flown the red flag of no quarter (no surrender) during the Alamo siege.

As a side note, Santa Anna is often credited for introducing chicle, the base of chewing gum, to America.

Eventually, we made it to the event for which we had come to town - the Alamo Bowl. My parents started the tradition three years earlier when they had hoped their alma mater would be playing - they didn't, but that didn't stop my parents from buying tickets. They had so much fun they decided to keep coming back. This was my second year to join them.

Seeing as I had no ties to either school, I was a little unsure of who to cheer for. Texas or Oregon?

While I was pretty sure Oregon would win (and they did), I was happy to see Mack Brown's last stand...at the Alamo. The Longhorn band even spelled out his name at halftime.

As we journeyed home the next day, I was aware that while traveling with family has its rewards, there's still some give and take. Like how many pitstops are allowed on the drive home. As the oldest and most experienced traveler in my car, you'd think I'd know better. Fortunately for me, I'm a member of a compassionate family who in the end finally showed mercy and let me make an extra stop. All in all, I'll take the give and take any day.

TSA

 

Tuesday I woke-up up at 3:00 a.m. to make my flight to El Paso. The trip was uneventful as was my interaction with airport security. Like many trips before, my conversation with the TSA consisted mostly of orders to take off jackets and shoes and empty out liquids and laptops. Unlike this trip, however, I have found that sometimes TSA agents have more to say.

 

Sometimes TSA agents are curious.

 

Like the time I wore my Mellow Johnny's shirt:

 

Agent: Where's Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop?

Me:      Austin

Agent: Who's Mellow Johnny? Is he a good guy?

Me:      Well, it's Lance Armstrong's store, so....[Draw your own conclusions.]

Sometimes TSA agents are sweet.

Like the day I had the sniffles and was feeling sub-par at best:

 

Agent: Have you ever had strangers tell you how cute your freckles are?

Me:     No, but thanks.

Agent: You're not one of those girls who wishes they didn't have them are you?

Me:     Some days

Agent: Well, don't. Keep 'em.

 

And sometimes a TSA agent will want your phone number.

Except he can't write it down because he's working. So he'll give you his instead.

 

I was next in line at the security checkpoint in Terminal A when all of a sudden I hear my name being called. I look up alarmed. Why is there a TSA agent calling me...by name? I have not shown anyone my ID yet right?

 

3 security booths down I see Young Agent. Oh hello!

 

During law school I had taken a nonlegal part-time job to get me through my final year. The job helped me financially, but also gave my mind a much needed break. Young Agent and I had worked together.

 

Young Agent seemed excited to see me from his perch 3 lines over but we couldn't really talk as this was airport security and he appeared to be in training.

 

I whiz through ID verification. (The fact that a fellow TSA agent called me by name no doubt boosted my credibility.)

 

I quickly start undressing, whisking out my liquids and loading up my plastic bins. I bend down to take off my shoes. When I raise my head again, there's Young Agent on the other side of the conveyor belt.

 

YA: So how you been? Your hair looks different.

 

By different he probably means dry. We were swim instructors and he rarely saw me properly clothed.

 

We play catch-up for a second when it's clear he wants my number. He remembers that he's in training and can't write it down so he suggests that I get his number and send him a text. To avoid an awkward moment, I grab my phone before it gets sucked into the bag scanner and jot down his digits.

I'm then being propelled towards the body scanner. Old Agent is there to give me my cue.

OA: So you know Young Agent?

Me: Yeah, we used to work together.

OA: That's what he said. [Smiling amusedly.]

 

News travels fast.

 

As I come out the other side of the body scanner and retrieve my things, Young Agent appears again for the third time.

 

He travels fast too.

YA: Don't forget to text me your number!

Me: Sure thing.

I turn the corner, find a bench, and put my shoes back on as I fight the urge to laugh. I've never run into a TSA agent I've known before. And I've never had one ask me for my number. My trip was starting off well.

In the end, I make the cruel decision not to text him. I figure his heart might break when he realizes I'm ten years his senior. I was never very good at texting anyway (just ask Texting Cowboy).

 

But to the single ladies, as you travel home this holiday season, don't rush too fast through those TSA checkpoints. You never know where love could be lurking. And say, while your arms are raised for those 3 seconds in the body scanner, do what I've always been tempted to do - shake your hips and hope for the best.*

 

*Advice given by my little sister - as it applies to life not necessarily body scanners.
 

Controlling the Uncontrollable

For those of you that know me well, you know that I'm a planner. I like to know what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, and even next month sometimes. As a young child at bedtime, I would always ask my mother what we were going to do the next day. I always wanted to know what tomorrow would bring. As a young woman, I would tell people my plans and how things were going to work out. They kindly and wisely advised that things don't always work out how you plan it. I smartly replied that while I understood this, for me, things will go as planned. Needless to say, I've a learned a lot since then.

The most important lesson I've learned is that suffering most often comes when we try to control the uncontrollable, fix what cannot be fixed, change what cannot be changed. In short, we are unhappy when we try to resist what life throws at us.

Let me explain.

1. I used to be scared of roller coasters. I hated that feeling when your stomach "goes up". I wanted my stomach to stay where it was supposed to stay. I didn't like that free-falling feeling. I liked to control how I felt. But then my junior year in high school we had Physics Day at Six Flags Astroworld. My friends "forced" me onto this ride called Dungeon Drop which takes you 20 stories above the ground, your feet dangling in the air, and then, simply drops you. While I was screaming the entire time, even before we actually dropped, and my stomach did "go up," I exited the ride carried by my own two feet. After facing down the worst ride in the park, I could now ride anything. I finally accepted that while you are in control as to whether or not you choose to ride (even under peer pressure), you may not be in control of your body while on the ride. But that is the experience you chose when you buckled yourself in. Learning to accept what the ride offered, helped me to appreciate the joy of roller coasters. I can now ride anything, mostly.

2. A couple years ago, I needed a shot. The shot was going to help me get better, but it was going to be painful, particularly so because of the location of where the shot was to be inserted. I braced myself for the pain and the doctor inserted the needle. I felt the pain coming. It hurt, it HURT, oh I wanted to scream! But no, I told myself, accept the pain, the pain is from the shot which will cause the healing. I relaxed, the pain in this case was my ally, if not my friend. After administering the shot, the doctor remarked at what a high pain tolerance I must have to not react as she had seen grown men jerk and cry out with pain when undergoing the same treatment. While I had felt the urge to jerk quite strongly in fact, I learned that accepting pain is sometimes more pleasant than resisting it.

3. I went skiing for the first time when I was 16. Growing up in Texas didn't offer a lot of opportunities. I was a timid skier and cautious as I descended the mountain. I did not face the runs head on with my chest pointed downhill and only my hips turning side to side - the proper technique. I would instead turn my entire body, including my chest and head, sideways as I debated if descending the mountain is really what I wanted to do. I then went to college in the mountain west and took a skiing class for credit. It was in the class that I learned success in skiing comes when you face the mountain head on, when you relinquish fear and hesitation, and you simply attack the slopes. And what a difference it made! For the first time ever, I made it down a black diamond in one piece.

So what do all these stories have to do with real life?

A few months ago, there was something in my life that I wanted. I did all I could to make it happen. It was a worthy desire and I felt, for that reason alone, something positive would come of it. It didn't. I grew frustrated. Here I was, doing all I could to bring about something that was good, something I really wanted, and nothing was happening. (This scenario repeats often in my life.) Essentially, I was trying to control or force to happen something that could not be controlled or forced. No matter my determination, persistence, and hard work, there are still some things in life that cannot be changed by my will alone. In addition to being frustrated, I grew unhappy, I compared myself to others, I suffered.

But then I remembered, I just needed to let go. This is the life I signed up for. Of course there are going to be times of pain and discomfort, but isn't that wonderful? It means I'm living life, having adventures, learning and growing. When I decided to accept what was and to let go of what I could not control and attack the slope essentially, it was amazing what happened. All of a sudden, thoughts, ideas, adventures, good things, rushed into my life. So much so that I struggle to find time to keep up with all of them. Life is full.

So what if I hadn't let go? What if I had resisted the fact that I can't control everything? What if I had refused to accept the discomfort of things not working out as planned? Would I still be harboring a woe-is-me attitude, failing to see all the joy and fullness around me? I've come to discover that most suffering comes when things don't work out as we think they should. And as I've said before, sometimes that's okay.

I realize that the lessons above are mine, tailored to me in a way I need and understand. Perhaps they will not apply to everyone. But as for me, I get it. And don't worry, I'm sure I will have the pleasure of learning these things many, many, many times over.

Flying Lessons

Here are a few things I've learned from flying this year.

1. If you wear a navy suit at DFW airport, you will be mistaken for a flight attendant. The first time you are asked for directions, you will think nothing of it. The second time, you will think it's just your friendly face. The 3rd time you are asked for directions within a five minute time frame, you will realize it is just a case of mistaken identity.

2. Driving on the wrong side of a divided highway going 65 mph in the dead of night could result in death. (This may seem obvious, but I was not the only one to have done this after leaving the Abilene airport in a rental car. According to the rental car agent, three people have died doing exactly that. The 18-wheeler I passed sure didn't seem to notice anything amiss.)

3. Sitting at your gate prior to your scheduled departure time does not ensure you will hear your boarding call or make your flight. If, after missing your flight, you try to book the last flight to a neighboring city, you will find that after several delays that flight will be canceled. After spending six hours at the airport and getting nowhere, you will finally realize the only option left is to try again in the morning. (Bytheway, this has also happened to other seemingly responsible people I know. I blame small planes and the caos of Terminal B.)

4. When you finally make it to your destination after enduring scenario #3, do not overindulge in fine spirits - you will be arrested for public drunkenness. (This was not me!)

5. On a similar note to #3, a canceled flight to Lubbock may mean a late night drive to Ft. Worth. Though you may not be with your clients, you'll at least be with the Judge.

6. If you are going to forget your book on the plane, be sure to use your boarding pass as a bookmark. The American Airlines attendants will return it to you on your flight home.

7. Even though there may be seven TSA agents at your gate checking identification for a second time prior to boarding on the day after the federal government has shutdown and rid itself of all non-essentials, try to rest assured that this sporadic security measure is now standard procedure at DFW. Of course despite being informed of this, for the duration of the flight you will be considering what course of action to take when the unidentified terrorist makes his move.

8. Although you have just read a book about a girl's fear of drowning and your plane's descent into Myrtle Beach is taking you closer, Closer, and CLOSER! to the ocean below with no runway in sight, you will touch down unharmed.

9. When traveling out of Bush, keep an eye out for passengers, TSA agents, grounds crew, flight attendants, and pilots you may know. (Yes, I've known and run into at least one in each category.)

(I hope everyone's made it this far because #10 is the most important!)

10. Never, EVER, sit next to a woman who is eating chicken noodle soup prior to take-off. Said woman WILL spew/project/launch the contents of her stomach upon landing. She will take out at least seven people in three different rows. Although you are sitting next to her, you will miraculously be saved, but you will be rendered incapacitated due to approaching levels of medical shock.