flashman181

Another glorious day dawned and even a bit of nip in the air . Today was a visit to Stockyards at Fort Worth so first had to get myself to Union Station. Now I am an early riser which is suited in Maryhole but trust me this place is dead before 8 am. I thought Union Station must have moved given it is hub for Amtrak et al. No one around really and you just walk across tracks and hope you heard the train a coming first. Anyhoo caught the TRE nice and easy and sat back for the hour long trip through extremely dull country . On arrival time to find a bus and head west young man. The stockyards are a fair way out of city centre and one could say in another county if not maybe another century. A couple of good old boys were jawing on the bus , in between spitting baccy, about how Taylor Swift had sold out . I told them my financial advisor was a huge fan and he suggested this trip so he knows stuff. When he rested his hand on his gun I broke into some Tim McGraw and it all settled down . If I had on me boots there would have been scooting

As per earlier fact it was still relatively early when I hit cowtown (09:30) and even the tumbleweeds were still tied up. Walked up and down the street a few times until saw a 10 gallon hat poking out a door and found a saloon open! Yee Ha. And they were playing Harper Valley PTA ! Again, an enormous beer came out in the thickest glass I had seen but hot diggety it was colder than a rattlesnakes stare. Then went and watched some calf roping before the cattle drive down the Main Street at 11:30. Everything is big in Texas – apart from this cattle drive. Looked like about 3 Longhorns and an over fed dog. So I went and lassoed me one and sat on it just because I could . Then it was onto Billy Bob’s Honky Tonk tavern and fair to say the love affair with size was back. The place is huge! Another beer and a ” photo opportunity ” before time to traverse back to ITC and catch train home . It all worked smooth enough but a lot of time was spent on public transport. Still, it was well worth the effort to be a cowboy for a few hours and even picked up some Spurs for CLP

As Union station is next to Reunion Tower and it was still a glorious day I did the observation tower thingy. Then some more buses just for a change . Have to say the integrated transport system along with the excellent GO app does make travel around easy .

Tomorrow looms as a fairly relaxed day with some souvenir shopping maybe and a general walk around downtown. There does appear to be a large population of disaffected youth wandering the streets and also a strong police presence. Always felt safe but could see some potential for disturbance . I wouldn’t say my nerves are rattled but better go out and have a beer in case

Can’t hurt eh ?

Yeah ok a day late but those Aussies won’t know. So a rough nights sleep as expected after all the travel didn’t exactly bode well for a long day but as soon as the the sun shone through on a bright blue day I knew it would be alright. Today’s plan was Segway and a visit to 6th Floor museum. First time to use the bus DART system so left nice and early for my 10 am tour. The designated meeting place turned out to be a fire hydrant in an empty lot so thought I may have been sucked in until remembered had not paid yet. Rang the guy and he said he would be there in 5 which was great as only 08:45. Duly turned up at hydrant with wifey in tow – it’s a small operation folks. Still in what was turning out to be a likely run of blister inducing knob kisses he said you are only person on tour so we can go early. ” Have u ever ridden one before ?” ” Do Texans shoot first and ask later mate?” Put them in their place early I say

So headed off with wifey and once again confirms that a Segway tour is the best way to see a new city. Saw so much and stopped for all photos all on a glorious brisk morning. As finished well before time decided to see if my 1pm booked tour of ” the naughty supply room” was transferable for 11 am . Pants down, flute pointing north – ” Of course sir” . Very informative visit indeed but really the highlight is being in Dealey Plaza and looking at the two “x” marks on street indicating the two head shots . Highlight may be poor choice of words but it is a slightly surreal moment . Scanned the grassy knoll for any shell casings but came up empty.

As day was going so well thought why not catch a bus and a train out to SMU today and see the George Bush Presidential library. All worked quite well with the excellent DART trip planner app and so arrived around 1:30 pm. Of course one has to sit in the replicas Oval Office and have photo taken. It’s a massive place well worth a visit and have to say the Cafe 43 lunch I had of Texan Chicken Caesar salad was simply superb. The transit back to my abode was a bit more tricky but still achieved and home before 4 pm. Relax for a bit and then out for another beer. Although the Beerita beckons may check out other places first. After all variety is the spice of life

Downtown Dallas is a rather sprawling city but very clean and no conglomeration of skyscrapers. All well spaced out. Hopefully tomorrow is off to Fort Worth for the day

Remainder of time in Sydney was spent watching final round of Pebble Beach Golf before starting to pack. Ok, so my TSA lock won’t open, lucky it was unattached at time. Across toad to QVB and a quick purchase of a new one and then time to catch train to International Airport. The airport link train is an excellent mode of travel. Of course I arrived in plenty of time and was pleasantly surprised to be able to book in 4 hrs before departure ! As it was a late upgrade I did not have seat confirmed but happy to see it was a window seat in middle of upper deck. The Qantas club is of course excellent but one does have to pace one self. Yeah right…….

Fairly smooth boarding and we left on time. On a 16 hr flight one is a little concerned when in a window seat but luckily had a small Asian woman next to me that was going to be easy to jump over even at full stretch. These are of course the refurbished A380s and they have skinted on some of the luxuries – like number of toilets ! The plane was showing its age a bit but these are first world problems. Have been fortunate to fly Emirates BC as well and would say the seat and cabin are better there but where Qantas excel are food and service. Now even though the possibility exists to get as full as a state school hat rack you never do because before u know it the shades are down and the Jammies are on. Yep, slipped into my Peter Morrisey Summer Bogan collection that would not look out of place at Station Square on Centrelink day. Comfy though. Now lie flat is a fine concept but never really get comfortable and my feet did actually touch seat bubble in front at full stretch. Watched The Martian at last which was very enjoyable and then a couple of 20 min cat naps and before you knew it there was only 10 hrs to go! Another fine breakfast served a couple of hours out which was actually 11:30 am Texas time so body clock could get confused . Now just have to see how the traverse through customs goes and hopefully there is a driver waiting outside to take me to Dallas lodgings

Got through Customs nice and quick with automated processing although the Sheila in uniform wasn’t buying I was old enough to be retired! A sista was there to take me to lodgings and she was very helpful and even took me to AT&T after check in to fix up phone. The apartment is great and in a good complex. A few lite groceries and then a walk around neighbourhood before jet lag sets in. Hey, look at that a beer garden….. Katy’s Trail is a well known walking running track in the area and of course smack bang in middle is the Icehouse beer garden. As expected in Texas the beers and burgers were huge and very reasonable price. Once again very friendly people although may get tired of hearing ” ya good Hon” ? after a few days .Mind you if she is serving beer it may pass. Or maybe it is a question unrelated to service at all and more of a challenge ?? I will have to go back and try the beerita – frozen Margeurita with beer upturned in it. Lovely afternoon despite current forecast of thunderstorms. Who would have thunk the bureau could be wrong here too.?

Will be early night after flight and then full on touristy clown starts tomorrow with Segway and JFK museum.

I think I could like Texas

And so , because 3 weeks galavanting around USA is not enough let’s have a weekend in Sydney first. As you do. The big bird to Dallas only flies from Sydney anyhoo so it is a necessity your honour. Booked into Hilton in George Street and asked for a high floor. 42 will do nicely. Basic room but everything u need including roll down blinds. Great location for discovering the city and some iconic erections. It was the month of Love in Sydney and also Chinese New Year or something so the place was full of lovers and Chinese. Just as well they lifted the one child restriction eh . We wanted to see all of the 12 “lanterns” littered around the city and were able to do this easily by foot over the two days. First up though was a walk to Darling Harbour for a walk and a bite . Such a lovely day we thought would be devilish and see if any cruises available at short notice and of course there were as it was that sort of trip so far. So off we headed with Gilligan for a 2.5 hr cruise – government cutbacks already! It’s a stunning harbour as we all know but does appear to be a free for all and why there are not daily accidents amazes me . Seems to be no rhyme or reason for rules of the sea except maybe big boat beats little boat for right of way. And there were some massive liners at dock. After our cruise it was back for a special dinner to celebrate my birthday and Valentines Day. We had booked into the Glass Brasserie on site which sounds a little low key but has a famous chef Luke Mangan so we gave it a whirl for the degustation and matching wine. Simply superb and trust me we have had a few degustations over time.

So after a rather rugged nights sleep the day dawned dark and miserable. Ah no, we left the blinds down again. Ok, another glorious day and those lanterns were coming down tomorrow so let’s head off . Walked to Circular Quay to see the great unwashed disembark at regular intervals and then around to Opera House etc. Then headed in opposite direction for Chinatown to complete our Lantern odyssey before back to room for a bed a lie down. Then it was time to check out the Lunar Markets over at Pyrmont Park which were nothing special to be honest but were located opposite Star Casino so instead we went to Skydeck bar and paid $10 for a Corona but the view was worth it trust me. A final dinner at Darling Harbour on way back concluded a rather wonderful 36 hrs.

It’s now 5 am Monday morning and CLP has just headed off to airport for red eye back to Brisvegas as she still has to work. Yeah tried to keep a straight face too but couldn’t manage it :). Just so the devoted fans don’t feel too sad for moi I was able to upgrade flight to Dallas to Business class using some FF points. Well, a lot of FF points but when you are #internationalbarfly they do accumulate over time ! So a lazy few hours to fill in this morning around hotel before head out to airport with feedbag and funnel in place . And then the real fun starts

It’s been a wonderful start to the holiday but will be glad when get to some cooler climates . One hopes for some snow maybe the following week but first up have to avoid pissing off the open carry brigade in Texas with my usual charm and sensitivity . I am representing Autralia after all

Have the cap to prove it!

In a sure sign of advancing old age as holiday approaches my excitement level doesnt rise but more the list of things that could go wrong expand! A lot can happen in 7 days – Old Whiskers may create another heaven and earth for example. Probably looked at the weather forecast and put it off a while. At least I should be able to tick off “severe head cold” because I have had that for the last week! Seem to have avoided the salmonella/spider laced salad treat as well so far.

First concern of course is actually leaving the country. Once you get on that first plane then at least anything that happens after that at least u r on holidays even if u suddenly find yourself in Cuba. I have asked for an upgrade on first leg on A380 as do not have ideal seats and may as well use the FF points. Of course Qantas dont tell you of your fate until about 24-48 hrs before flight because they are still hoping to flog the seats for full whack. Clearly not as much hope on our first domestic leg from Brisvegas to Sydney where I have been bombarded with emails from Qantas this week asking me first if I want to upgrade this leg and when that failed if I want to bid on an upgrade. Well clowns no because I have to keep all my points in case I get the international upgrade 2 days later which u aint telling me about yet! BC upgrade for such a short leg really isnt worth it when already a QC member so full on snout in trough before even get on plane.

Weather is always a concern but then you cant do much about that. Last year I was trying to keep one step ahead of Marcia Marcia Marcia as it slowly moved down the coast. As I have plenty of time I though as a sheer exercise in futility I would monitor predicted temps in the 3 cities I will visit for period I am there. When the overnight mins varied by 8 degrees in a 48 hr period I knew this would only be a frustrating exercise. My fave though had to be the one for NYC on March 4th. Ok this link will likely change over next 24 hrs but trust me when I say it predicts the temperature range for that day is 4 to 4. Yep, not a degree change all day! “Hey Frank , are you sure this is right?” “Yep, that is what the modelling says”

Weather NYC March 4th

Hoping for a bit of winter snow at least in Boston but may well be out of luck. Phil is predicting an early spring and lets face it has as much chance as anyone else of being right! Does anyone else think those bloody hats could be blocking the shadow! At least we know where failed Republican Presidential candidates end up

Any pending OS travel of course means interaction with Centrelink before ,during and after. Actually physically presented twice to downtown office and much smoother process than actually waiting an hour on phone. Confidence level still the same though. I have a letter confirming my notification of leaving country but the lassie said I will
still get the annoying reminders about reporting etc because “they are automated”. Well switch them off sweetheart, its 2016! Technology is wonderful until it aint.

We do of course have a very enjoyable weekend in Sydney first up and read an interesting blog this week comparing Sydney and Melbourne with the author coming down very much on the side of Sydney. I have always been a Melbourne fan but it struck me about a similar comparison between NYC and Washington. Like Washington, Sydney has some of the most iconic must see sights in Australia for any international visitor but does that make it the more interesting city? Dont think so but will be good to see for a couple of days with a very nice dinner planned for Saturday night and with both Valentines Day and my Birthday to celebrate … well if I can even walk onto the plane on Monday someone isnt doing their job properly eh!

So now just a case of waiting and filling in the week with usual mix of work, coughing and play. Still waiting to hear about possible White House tour but all I have are a few emails from Hillary Clinton so not confident but very well informed about US foreign policy!

Acronyms rule baby. When I was a youngun the first thing we did , after washing our slate in the morning, was learn our ABDs. Yes the letter C was banned due to the possibility of its usage in the naughty word. Catholic. Simple but fun times. Then Whitey and his Less Hairy Simian mates sung a tune and the world changed

But I digress as is my want. ABD does of course refer to Adventure Before Dementia which is my Creed (Yo Rocky) for my trip to USA next month. Yes , now only a month away. The plan was to retrace JFKs backwards but saying KFJ just kept making me hungry for some reason. In a week when you certainly dont want to be 69 it can also be said that applies to the conversion rate for the Aussie $ to the US Greenstuff given now is the week the US accommodations want the final payments. Ouch! It really is a case of bent over the bonnet with chili on the stick . One’s eyes do water. What can u do though eh when u need to plan holidays up to 12 months in advance and hope for the best ? So, given that Jackie gave the Dallas Uber driver a really bad review we must start there

Ah Texas, the land of “Open Carry”. I am hoping like hell it means the cowgirl takes the top of your beer before bringing to your hay bale but I fear it has something more to do with the point and shoot variety of accessory. A few days in Dallas to kick off as Qantas do fly straight in from Sydney and thus avoid the need for that dreaded LAX transfer. A Segway is planned, always a great way to get the lay of the land in a new city. A trip to 6th Floor Museum and a general inspection for shell casings around the grassy knoll are on the agenda along with a day trip to Fort Worth to actually see some cattle roaming down the middle of the street. You know like Kangaroos do here. The weather should be pleasant for Texas with no real winter to speak of and seem to have my head around the transport system there referred to as DART. Of course whenever I think of Dart my mind does wander to weather forecasting so should be prepared for anything and the buses going the wrong way etc

Then it is on to Washington with American Airlines Fokker or similar. A week up near the Capitol area should be very pleasant and a bit cooler. Easy walking town and though have been there before have a few new sites lines up including Foggy Bottom. If its anything like Foggy Head should be a hoot and easily forgotten the next day. Do have a White House Tour request in which basically involves a long drawn out process, a promised kidney donation if needed and a lot of luck. If my luck holds I could well be sitting on Michelle’s lap for my 58th birthday. Our Union could be in some State eh. With my luck I will probably get run over by bloody Seinfeld and his Corvette. A few watering holes have been penciled in just for a change and a detailed public transport odyssey outlined to see the famous Exorcist Steps in Georgetown. A day trip to Baltimore is also on the cards just for something different and to see Babe Ruths birthplace etc

Finally it is on to Boston where a lot of it started for JFK. Once again have been here briefly before and walked the Freedom Trail yada yada yada. Different weather this time with the general forecast not all that Flash for Boston in March. Still anything beats Feb/March in QLD! A day trip to Salem planned to catch up with some old bosses and once again a fairly easy walking town, weather permitting. One thing u do find at this time of year is many tours close especially any involving the harbour. Plenty of TV/Movie sites to check out and of course the original Cheers pub . Mind you I just tend to walk into any pub , grab a beer and say Cheers mate.

Then it is a train to NYC for one night just to make the travel home more relaxed. Mind you one night’s accommodation in NYC could probably feed an African family for a year but as JFK would say “Ask not how much is the room, but is breakfast included” ? Maybe lost something in the translation. One of his quotes does seem rather appropriate though

Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.

I assume he is referring to underwear but I also think there is something in there about looking forward and going with the flow. Its an uncertain world these days and if your number is up so be it. Obviously it wasnt for last weeks Powerball or I could well be staying at The White House next month!