Starbucks Shutting Down 6 Texas Stores

Living in the land of corner coffee outlets here in Salem, it's hard to imagine that Starbucks is shutting down stores. Six will shut down in Texas - Brownsville, Laredo, Dallas, Rosenburg and Waco and two eventually in Austin.

Now, when I was living in the Texas motherland, I drank coffee like there was no tomorrow, but sometimes it was just too danged hot outside to work up a hankering for a cup of java. Iced tea usually won out to hot coffee.

Now, living up here in the hinterlands, I drink coffee throughout the day. I am on a permanent caffeine buzz. Oregonians love their coffee like Germans love their beer - lot's of it and all the time.

I've never stopped to count the number of coffee outlets here in Salem, but that would be a nice trivia question. Anyone got the answer?

Thank you. Thank you very much.

I went to a restaurant in Salem the other night. A group of people (four or five) were right behind me. I opened the door and held it open so they could enter first (being the southern gentleman that I am). Guess what? Not a single thank you was uttered from any of their carpetbagging mouths.

This happens a lot around these parts. Is it just Oregon or do other places have the same aggravation?

The Thrillville is Gone.

Just read a story on the Statesman Journal site about Thrillville going down the tubes and representing a, "simpler bygone era." I'm sorry, the place was creepy to us newcomers. It looked old and out of place and to me, it reeked of something that went out of business 30 years ago. Anyway, here's my comment from the article:

"At the risk of being run out of town on a tilt-o-whirl, "Thrillville" gave me the heebie jeebies. It reminded me of old rundown haunts of mine back in Texas like "Snake Farm" and "Wonder Cave." Frankly, I'm not surprised it's gone. If you are going to survive in an ever changing market place, you got to change a little with the times - or maybe just some fresh paint and a good sign. The Oregon Gardens finally wised up and hopefully not too late, when they decided that their entrance needed more pizzazz."

Ace Reid - Cowpokes

Ace Reid was the creator of a cartoon called, "Cowpokes." He was the quintessential Texas cartoonist. Ace was born in 1925 near Amarillo, Texas. Here's a sample of his work:

Update: Texas Governor's Mansion Fire

When Texas Governor Rick Perry found out that a fire had been set at the Texas governor's mansion while he was away in Europe he, "went from heartache to pretty damn mad."

Lordy, you don't want to make the Texas governor mad. When whoever set this fire gets caught (and they will get caught) they'll be lucky not to be tarred and feathered and shipped up to some yankee prison somewhere.

"As long as I've been the governor ... few sights have left a deeper impression on me than the charred remains of this genuine Texas treasure," Mr. Perry said. "I want to know what was working and what wasn't working. I can assure you the hard questions are going to be asked."

Sad Day For a Texan - The Governor's Mansion Burns

Got some terrible news this morning on the internet. The Governor's mansion in Austin, Texas burned this past Sunday. Police suspect arson. Enough of it remains to be restored according to experts.

I've been to the mansion many times over the years. The most memorable being the day my wife and I and business partner met with then-governor George Bush in the library for an interview for my magazine, True Believer.

I pity whoever did this. Texans don't take kindly to their holy places being burned down.

I have returned from the mountains.

My family and I headed for the hills last week. Clear Lake Resort to be exact. Now, let me tell you something. Never ask an Oregonian how much snow to expect when you head up the mountainside.

I asked, and the person on the other end of the phone said, “not much.” Not much? When we arrived at our cabin we were staring 3 to 4 feet of snow in the face. The driveway and roads around the camp were clear, but let me tell you, in Texas, that would have been a heap of snow.

Still, it was beautiful. The people were friendly and except for a raging hailstorm followed by a typhoon, it was relatively peaceful.

If you get a chance, go check out the place. Absolutely beautiful.