Waco Weekend

Before my sister and her husband made the decision to move to Waco this fall, most of my interactions with the town had been driving around Baylor campus and down Valley Mills Rd. While Baylor has a nice campus right next to the Brazos River, the city that I saw left something to be desired. When my sister announced this would be her new home, I was determined to venture off my well-beaten but ugly paths and find some of the more beautiful attractions Waco has to offer.  This weekend I got to revisit some of those places.

One place I did not revisit was Health Camp. This is a local burger and shake restaurant that began in 1948 to serve military personnel at the local air force base.

It's located in Waco's traffic roundabout. (Why they build roundabouts in America, I have no idea. I do not like them.) Employee's even wear shirts that say, "I survived the circle." You can order inside or at the little walk-up window outside. I had recommended the local joint to my sister and she tried it when she moved into town. She wasn't so impressed and prefers the burgers at George's. I, on the other hand, had thoroughly enjoyed my chocolate, peanut butter, banana shake.

I was scheduled for a hearing in Waco on Monday and decided to drive up Saturday afternoon to spend a little more time with my sister. We had discussed renting a canoe at Outdoor Waco located downtown and just across the road from the Brazos, but with the threat of rain and waning sunlight we opted for a quick trip to Lake Waco instead.

Lake Waco is man-made lake created by a dam on the Bosque River. Bosque means "forest" in Spanish. (FYI: There's only one natural lake in Texas - Caddo Lake near the Texas/Louisiana border.) When we pulled up to the lake we saw a fisherman with his catch of the day displayed proudly on the bed of his 1980s Chevy truck. The fish were lined up in order of size from smallest to biggest . He caught 1 catfish and about 7 buffalo fish. The biggest weighing 30-35 lbs.

We didn't bring a fishing pole, but with two geologists in tow we soon began looking for brachiopods and gastropods. I just thought they were called shells and bivalves.

When all the specimens were identified, we skipped rocks. Chloe was a natural, but I required a few lessons from Tanner. Apparently, skipping rocks has more to do with rotation and form then pure arm strength. Not that our form looks all that graceful.

After dinner, we got in the Halloween spirit by carving pumpkins. Chloe and Tanner had picked out three the night before at an over-priced, charity pumpkin patch. Supposedly, there was one large pumpkin selling for $100.

Photo taken by Tanner

While I stuck to the traditional form, Chloe decided to get a little creative. Instead of the intended mustache she got something more akin to a cleft palate. Tanner went an alien route.

On Sunday afternoon we headed to Cameron Park. This is by far my favorite part of the town as it has several hiking and biking trails, look-outs, and even a zoo. Our first stop was Proctor Springs.

At the springs, a geology lesson was given as to how and why the water trickles down through the rocks. Regrettably, my non-geologist mind has since forgotten the lesson. All of my Texas geology knowledge comes from four years of teaching Texas History. This spring, and others like it in central Texas, were created by the Balonces Fault which serves as a border between the hill country and coastal plains.

The fault can more easily be seen at Lover's Leap. The banks of the Bosque River differ in elevation before joining the Brazos River just a few hundred feet downstream. (See also photo above.)

In addition to geological sites, I saw a lot of this throughout the weekend...

...newlyweds.

Monday, before I had to take off for my hearing, we went to see the Baylor bears. No, they are not stuffed like I had originally thought. They are actually living black bears housed on campus at the Bill and Eva Williams Bear Habitat just down the street from the Baylor bookstore. Bears became the official Baylor mascot in 1914 after competitive alternatives like bookworm were voted down. The first live mascot came to campus in 1917. In 1974, it was decided that all bears would be given the name "Judge" followed by a surname.

Meet today's live mascots, sisters named Judge Joy Reynolds ("Joy") and Judge Sue Sloan ("Lady").


I'm not sure which is which.

This one was pacing in circles the whole time we were there which made me sad.

The bears are one year apart. The oldest will be thirteen in January. They will live the rest of their lives at Baylor, which will be a longer life than a wild bear ranging between 22 and 25 years as opposed to 18 to 20. Fortunately, the practice of feeding Dr. Pepper (a Wacoan creation) to the bears ceased in the 1990s.

One place we didn't make it to this weekend was the Ansel Adams exhibit at the Baylor Museum of Art. The museum is closed on Mondays. But that's no problem, because I'll be back in Waco next Tuesday for more wac-o fun with my sis. And oh, maybe a little work as well.

Myrtle Beach, SC

When I got the email that I was assigned a hearing in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina I thought, surely this can't be. I mean, I had been assigned a hearing in New York City and Denver before, but that was only because our scheduling partner had made a mistake. I never actually got to go to those places. I thought for sure the same thing would happen in this situation. Someone would realize the mistake and assign the hearing to one of our East Coast attorneys. But that never happened. Two days went by and I was still listed as rep. So I bought my ticket and booked my hotel (on the beach!) before anyone could change their minds.

I flew into Myrtle Beach around 7:00 p.m. and from the airport it looked a lot like Panama City, Florida. The lady at the rental car agency recommended I eat at Creek Ratz, south of town on the Murrell Inlets overlooking the marsh. I thought the marsh may be cool, but I wanted to see the beach.

I find my hotel on South Ocean Blvd and check-in. I'm assured I have an ocean front view from my 5th floor balcony. The middle-aged lady at the counter asked what kind of work I did. When I told her I was an attorney, I almost gave her a heart attack. She gasped sharply and exclaimed, "Oh, I though you were just a baby." I'm not sure how young babies are in South Carolina, but I at least look 25 I'm thinking, and 25 is still technically old enough to be an attorney. I assured her that I would look more grown-up the next day when I put on my suit and had my hair down.

After locking myself out of my room (the first time ever!), and then forgetting my camera, I finally cruise Ocean Blvd keeping an eye out for the big Ferris wheel I had seen online.  It wasn't hard to find.

 

What was hard to find was an available parking spot. The spots that were available required cash which I didn't have. I was starting to feel tired and worn out from the day and all of a sudden all I wanted was something familiar and comfortable. I turn a corner and lo behold, there was Chick-fi-la. I know. I should have been more daring and adventurous, but there it was, like a home away from home calling to me. I had had a rough morning and I couldn't help it - I caved. I took my meal back to my 5th floor balcony and ate it as I listened to the lapping waves and unwound for the day.

My hearing was scheduled for late Wednesday morning and the office was located about ten miles north of my hotel. The hearing was over by lunch time.

As I tried to find my way back to the beach, I stumble upon a bookstore and a mall. Perfect. I had just finished reading Divergent by Veronica Roth on my flight out and was desperately wanting to get my hands on the second book of the trilogy, Insurgent. Not only was I enthralled with the story, but I needed a book for the beach and my three hour flight back home. (Book #3 comes out on Tuesday!) I also needed a place to change out of my business suit.

I'm prepared with cash this afternoon and I find a prime parking spot. First stop is lunch at Peaches Corner.

The young waitress calls me "darling" and plops into my booth to take my order. Oh, is that your natural hair color? No, it used to be red and now it's faded. Oh, well you should keep it like that. She goes and gets my drink. Upon returning she must've seen my camera bag and asks, Ooh, are you a photographer? Nope, just having fun with my new camera. She looks stumped.

After lunch I head for a store that caught my eye the night before, I Love Sugar.

I walk into the store and I see this welcome banner of color and candy.

 

I make a bag of carefully selected Jelly Belly beans and then I discover Wolverine PEZ. And of course, I buy it.    



 

Next stop is the SkyWheel.

 

 

I buy my $13.00 ticket and wait in line. While I wait I learn a few things. The wheel was built in May 2011 and goes 200 feet high.  The ride will take you on 3 revolutions and will last 8-10 minutes. If you get claustrophobic or scared (like the teenage girl in front of me was becoming) there's an emergency button in your gondola that alerts the attendant that you need help and he will slowly bring you down.

 

The young twenty-something-year-old attendant that puts me into my gondola tries to figure me out. So, everyone else chickened out, huh? No, it's just me. Pause as he thinks this over. I'm here for work. Oh, what do you do? I'm an attorney. OH. He slowly registers that I'm older than I look and maybe he should stop smiling so much. He makes a few more comments and the people who are waiting to be put in their gondola next start looking at us and I'm thinking, time to wrap it up dude.

 

I'm starting to realize that a young woman traveling on her own makes people uncomfortable. They must figure me out. I must be traveling with friends, they are just not with me at the moment. Or I must be a photographer (I wish!), which would somehow explain why I have a camera in a tourist town all alone.

 

The ride provides a great view of the beach and town.

 

 

And as far as I know, the teenage girl in front of me didn't need the emergency button.

 

As I get off the ride, the attendant, who has had 3 revolutions to think things over, decides to now address me as Ma'am and wishes me good day.

Now it's time to relax at the beach with my toes in the sand. The temperature is 70 degrees with overcast skies and, despite local laments for sun, I love it. The water is cold and I can't imagine swimming in it. Several beach-goers don't seem to mind though.

Unfortunately, 4 o'clock rolls around and it's time to head to the airport. I stop at a gas station to fill my rental when a guy delivering ice starts talking to me. How you doing? Good. Are you from Myrtle Beach? Nope, just visiting. Well, when are you leaving? Right now. Where are you from? Houston. Oh. Do you travel here much? Nope, first time. And then he starts telling me when a good time to visit is and when isn't, etc. He drags out the conversation as I open my car door and try to give him the hint that I want to leave. Well...I would say I'll see you next time you're in town...but I guess we'll never know. Guess not.

I think of the advice I was given the previous morning by some unknown man sitting across the lobby of a Houston hearing office: The key to finding Mr. Right is to stop looking. Well, I'm not looking, but this man delivering ice definitely isn't him. And it wasn't the SkyWheel attendant. And it wasn't the car passenger who smiled and waved as I tried to cross Ocean Blvd. And it wasn't the airline attendant who commented as he walked by, "Now there's someone who knows what they're doing. Whatever it is you're doing, just keep on doing it." But you know, South Carolina might not be a bad place to stop looking for love.



George's

What's the best thing about being assigned hearings in Shreveport, LA one day and Austin, TX the next? Driving through Waco! That's right, I get excited to go to Waco.

My sister, Chloe, and her newly-wedded husband, Tanner, moved to Waco this fall so my brother-in-law could attend grad school at Baylor University. (My sister graduated with her master's last spring.) This trip would be the first time seeing them in their new home.

I rolled into Waco on Monday around 5:00 p.m. and chilled in their complex parking lot until my brother-in-law came home with the key. (I had traveled to Waco earlier in the year for work and had used my free time to check-out certain rental properties for my sister. This complex had not been on their list and I suggested they look into it as a potential future home.)

My sister was working until about 7:30 p.m., so, after a quick apartment tour, my brother-in-law and I chilled in front of the TV as I caught up on work and he caught up on ESPN news.

Around 7:30, we drive around the corner and meet up with my sis at George's on Hewitt Drive. I had been wanting to try this restaurant for a year. A hotel clerk once recommended it to me and raved about their Crazy Wings. George's has only two locations in Waco and began serving food back in 1930. They are known for their famous drink "Big O," which was given that name in 1967. George's has catered all over the state and even catered for President George W. Bush while he was at his Crawford ranch.

We decided to sit on the patio because it's Texas in October and only 70 degrees. Our server recommended the Chicken Fried Steak or the Crazy Wings but assured us that everything on the menu was great. And it was. Chloe ordered The Classic hamburger, Tanner ordered the BBQ Sliced Brisket Sandwich, and, breaking from my normal dietary regimen, I ordered Crazy Wings and Big "O" Rings - very much a man's meal I think.

Chloe said it was the best hamburger she's had in Waco. Tanner had no problem finishing his sandwich. And although I couldn't finish my meal, it was pretty amazing.

Crazy Wings consist of "chicken, jack cheese & jalapeño wrapped in bacon and fried." I ordered ranch for the dipping sauce but ended up using the house sauce that came with my onion rings.

Crazy Wings

This would commence my week of eating - see Austin Eats & Treats

More important than the food was the conversation and hearty laughs I shared with my sister. It was hard to say goodbye at the end of our meal and head off to Austin alone, but seeing her broke up the lonely monotony of my trip and reminded me that sisters are the best friends a girl can have.

Tanner & Chloe

Austin Eats & Treats

Normally when I travel, I'm in and out of a city with little time to spare. I drive in the night before, crash at a hotel, do my hearings, and race back home. Or if the hearings are in the afternoon, I'll do all my traveling in one day. It is not uncommon for me to drive eight hours round trip in one day for one hearing. This often occurs on more than one day of the week. So when I get to spend two days in a row in the same city, it's a rare treat.

This week I got to spend an extra day in Austin and I was determined to find unique places to eat. With the help of some friends (thanks Mark, Macie, and Chloe), I found the following three.

1. Torchy's Tacos

For lunch in between hearings, I headed over to the South Austin Trailer Park & Eatery located on South 1st Street.

Inside this trailer park of food trucks, I easily spotted Torchy's Tacos as it was the only truck with a line at 11:00 a.m.

There was a cupcake trailer next-door but it wasn't open for the day yet. There was another non-descript lunch trailer, but it received no attention for the 45 minutes I was at the park.

The trailer park is located right next-door to the Texas School for the Deaf. The man ordering in front of me was deaf and I thought about striking up a conversation in my limited sign language, but decided against it.

I ordered the taco of the month, Scarecrow. Torchy's Tacos describes this taco as "pumpkin-seed breaded chicken tenders and roasted poblano peppers, escabeche carrots, queso fresco, cilantro, and creamy Chiptole Ranch." It. Was. Delicious.

 

For all my Houston friends, there's good news. Torchy's Tacos has a trailer in Rice Village and last month, one opened up in the Heights. Check it out.

2. Hopdoddy Burger Bar

For an early dinner, I headed over to South Congress, which was pretty happenin' at 3:00 p.m. on a Tuesday. Parking is limited on the street and I ended up parking in the garage behind the restaurant. (Parking is free for the first two hours so long as it is validated.)

Hopdoddy is named is named after a hand-crafted beer (hop) and a nickname given to the native cow of Aberdeen, Scotland (doddy). Burger choices include: angus beef, bison, lamb, turkey, tuna, and black bean-corn. I opted for the classic and a chocolate shake.

The shake I ordered was called Chocolate Stout. I thought nothing of this. Stout is after all an adjective. I though it must be a funky Austin way of describing a chocolate shake that is thick and full and decidedly delicious. I found out the hard way that the word stout is not only an adjective, but is also a noun. A noun referring to a type of beer.

Despite my degrees, I have a very limited knowledge of all things alcoholic. I have chosen to live my entire life alcohol free (yes, I graduated from undergrad and law school stone cold sober). I, therefore, find it imperative to impart this valuable lesson to my sober friends who have made similar commitments and may be similarly naïve. Be forewarned. Stout is beer. So stay sober my friends. And if there is a word on the menu you think is merely an adjective, you might want to double check before ordering.

3. Gourdough's

To recover from my previous day's follies, I stuck to something familiar for Wednesday's lunch. Partly for punishment and partly for fear. But I did pick up some treats before heading out of town.





Gourdough's, which sounds like the Spanish word for fat - gordo, is another food truck located on South 1st street, just a block or so from Torchy's Tacos. They specialize in donuts. Big. Fat. Donuts.




That's me in the reflection.

Walking up to the truck, I see three people sharing one donut. Uh-oh. Could I handle one donut all by myself? I was heading back to Houston to share this treat with a good friend (and loyal dog-sitter) and wanted donuts that would make the 3 hour car ride back. I chose Miss Shortcake and ODB (which I think stands for "oh dear, beck!" because that's how good it was). Other random flavors include: maple & bacon, PBJ, fudge & marshmallow, etc. It's pretty much donut heaven.




ODB: Cream-filled donut holes with icing rolled in coconut

Miss Shortcake: Cream cheese icing with fresh cut strawberries

Disclaimer: Lest you think I eat like this on a regular basis, I want to clarify that this was not typical behavior. I am a girl who watches her carbs (even gluten and dairy) and eats meat sparingly. Not because I'm watching my weight (although that is an added benefit), but because I feel better and cleaner when I avoid those things. I do believe in self-indulgence from time to time. This was one of those times. I will now go back to rice and beans for the remainder of the week.

A Golden Crane

Above my desk is a United States map with red dot stickers marking cities I've traveled to for work. In the lower right-hand corner, hanging from a pushpin, is a golden crane ornament. I picked this up in a gift shop in Oklahoma City to remind me of a few things I learned while I was there.

I was 3 months into my new career as a practicing attorney. I was busy learning the ropes, adjusting to my new travel schedule, and just trying to hang on. My week was looking good until I got a call on Monday afternoon. I was told that I now had six additional hearings: four on Thursday and two on Friday. To make matters worse, I would need to travel. Thursday's hearings were in Tulsa and Friday's hearings were in Oklahoma City. 6 cases to prep, 2 trips to arrange, and a flight and a road trip. All with two days notice. And I still had a trip to Harlingen, TX to make.

Tuesday, I take off on a day trip to Harlingen. Everything went smoothly until I tried to fly home. Due to weather in Houston, our little Express plane was not going to make it. Our flight was cancelled. No more flights with that airline were flying out that night. They tried to re-book me on another flight for Thursday. I was supposed to be in Tulsa on Thursday and I had a hearing Wednesday morning in Houston. That was not going to work. So I tried to see about getting a rental car and just driving the six hours up to Houston. Rental agencies refused to book a one way rental. So then I went to Southwest. Due to their bigger planes they had no problem flying through the Houston weather. Unfortunately, my car was parked at the Bush Airport in north Houston and Southwest only flies into Hobby, just south of downtown. Once I got booked on my Southwest flight, I had to arrange for a shuttle to take me from Hobby to Bush to pick-up my car. The Southwest flight got delayed, there were other passengers in the shuttle that had to be dropped off first, but eventually I made it to my car and back home. With four hours of sleep, I was up and at it again.

Wednesday, I had my hearing in Houston and flew out to Tulsa. Due to yet another delay, I arrive later than expected. I'm given a hummer-esque type jeep to drive and I make it to my hotel well past midnight. I get a whopping fours of sleep, yet again. I'm the kind of the girl that needs a full eight to function properly. With six or seven I can manage pretty well. But four hours of sleep, two nights in a row...it wasn't looking good.

I arrive in downtown Tulsa for my four hearings. Took me awhile to find the building and I had to ask for directions. My first hearing with the Judge I walk in and say "Good morning," smiling as I try to mask the complete exhaustion and bewilderment of my week thus far. The Judge, however, did not appreciate my greeting, and proceeded to lecture me on how my behavior was entirely unacceptable. Getting chewed out for saying good morning?! Let's just say that was only the beginning. I'm not really sure how I did it, but I somehow made it through without crying. That came later.

Once I finally made it to Oklahoma City (and fortunately I did not fall asleep on the two hour drive there), I finished the mandatory work for the day and crashed. Early. Despite the city excitement that surrounded the NBA Finals to be played there that night.

Oklahoma City proved to be much better than Tulsa. The Judge was nice, our hearings went smoothly, and I was in and out with time to spare.

The Oklahoma City federal building, where my hearings were held, is located right across the street from the site of the old federal building. The one that was blown up in 1995 by Timothy McVeigh. It is always a humbling experience to do hearings in Oklahoma City. There's a constant reminder of how short life is and how many people pay the price for senseless violence. If I had been doing in 1995 what I'm doing now, I would have been in that building.

With the extra time I had before my flight, I toured the grounds of the old federal building and the monuments dedicated to those who lost their lives.



The wall says 9:01, when OKC lived in innocence.
There is another wall on the opposite end that says 9:03, when OKC would never be the same again.
The reflection pool is where the federal building once stood.
 

168 chairs represent those that died.
There are 9 rows to represent the 9 floors each person was on.

This was written by one of the first responders. It still remains, untouched and unchanged.

 

There are still loved ones who bring the departed gifts and notes tucked into the wire fence that remains.

I bought a ticket and toured the museum housed in the building next to the site. I have never been to such a place for such an awful event that happened in my lifetime. I remember seeing the news and feeling the horror as so many other Americans did. While I was at the museum, they had a woman speak to us for an hour about her experience on that horrible day in April. She had a one-year-old son that attended day care in the building and was killed the day of the bombing. I can't tell you what an effect it had on me.

Here I was having what I thought was the worst week ever: 1 cancelled flight, 2 nights with 4 hours of sleep, 4 cases before a judge that chewed me out for saying "good morning," and 6 hearings dropped on me with 2 days notice. But it wasn't the worst week ever. I've never come close to having the worst week ever.

In Japanese folklore, it is believed that folding a thousand paper cranes will help cure illness. This belief was made popular by a Japanese girl who died from the effects of radiation after the atomic bomb in WWII. Paper cranes have since become an expression of mourning as well. After the Oklahoma City bombing, schoolchildren sent paper cranes in increments of a thousand to comfort the victims. These paper cranes are exhibited in the museum.

I bought a golden crane in the gift shop on my way out and hung it above my desk when I got home. It is there to remind me that no matter how bad my week is, it can never be that bad. On a rough day, I look up at it and remember, my day is pretty good after all.