The Other Chip

When we returned from Spring Break last weekend, I was surprised to see the Bluebonnets already in season.  In a few of the regular bluebonnet places near my home, I was also surprised to see the grass growing.  That's usually a bad sign that the bluebonnets won't look as pretty this year.

But that's just where I live.  What's it like in your neighborhood, and have you seen any great bluebonnets where you are?

I haven't shot pictures yet this year, but here's my favorite photo from long ago.  This would have been around 1998 or 1999, back before my first digital camera.  This is my wife Susan and my son Andrew, then either 2 or 3.  As you can see, it was shot just outside of Brenham in Central Texas.

 

Just got back from a Spring Break trip to Los Angeles and San Diego with my wife and kids. 

What I like about California?

• The weather...  except for last week when it was just as cool, damp and dreary as I'm told it was here.
• The 14-lane freeways...  except for when all 14 lanes are backed up.
• The good restaurants...  except for the long waits to get a table.

Wow, I guess I missed home more than I thought I would.  But while I'm glad to be back, there's one thing North Texas doesn't have -- views like this:

 

 This was the last picture of San Diego we took, as we were taking off on our flight back home.

I've had an iPod Nano for a year now, and I love it.  I've got lots of music on it, but what I listen to most are audiobooks.   Right now I'm listening to Doris Kearns Goodwin's new book on Abraham Lincoln, "A Team of Rivals".

In the mail today, I expect to get my first iPod video device.  If you have one of these, what video content do you like to watch the most?  I'll be searching iTunes tonight for interesting video podcasts and maybe a few TV shows too. 

Recommendations anyone?

Here's yet another FOX 4 and myFOXdfw.com first! 

 

Check out our new Video Vault online!  Some of the funniest on-air moments in the history of our station, and some of the funniest moments from our anchors/reporters on-air careers before they got here!

 

Click here for the link.

 

When you come back here, tell us your favorite clip of the ones you've seen.  Post a comment here if you like, or start your own free blog.

 

Also, tell us what clips you want to see.  We're furiously digging through our desks trying to find more material.  If you remember something you loved back then, let us know!

 

Now tell me this -- what other TV station is cool enough to take a chance to put these old (and sometimes embarrassing) moments back on the web, for the world to see again?  FOX 4, of course!

I hate malls. I'd much rather visit local stores, even the standalone big boxes. I do a lot of my shopping online. I just don't like fighting the crowds, walking past all the stores I don't need to visit.

But even if I don't get to a mall the rest of the year, I'm guaranteed one mall visit each December -- to take the kiddos to visit Santa.

We usually find Santa at Vista Ridge Mall in Lewisville. It's not the closest mall to where we live, but it's not too far, and they've got the best Santa among those malls nearest to us. The lines are usually long on the weekends. We've had to wait an hour or more in years past. Standing in a crowded line with fussy/anxious/hungry/gotta-go-to-the-bathroom kids, even my own, isn't my ideal use of time. So this year, we chose a Monday afternoon. 4pm to be exact. No line. Santa and his elves were waiting just for us, it seemed. Kids had all the time they wanted on Santa's lap. We could take all the pictures we wanted.

Note to self - do this again next year!

Each week on Good Day Saturday, I do a quick live segment on the show featuring the best of our myFOXdfw.com blogs.

Today I'm all about the photos that people are posting here. Right now we have 2,700 photos on our site -- some submitted by our own staff, but most uploaded by people like you.

We love to see what you're seeing, and it's really easy to share your photos on our site. If you've ever sent a photo as an e-mail attachment, you already have all the technical knowledge you need to upload a photo to our blogs. Even if you haven't uploaded a photo before, it's really quick and easy. Just click on the "Community" tab, and find the link that says "Add a Photo".

By the way, photos and avatars are the only things our FOX 4 moderators pre-approve before their posted on the site. We do take a look at every photo that's submitted before it shows up on the site, but we try to get those approvals done as soon as we can.

Since I grew up in Fort Worth and Arlington, and since I've lived in this area for 32 of my 42 years, I've been to Six Flags over Texas hundreds of times over a 30-year span. Many of you can boast similar attendance records.

Some of my FOX 4 friends have visited and they think attendance appears to be soft. The two times I've been this year, I've found attendance to be about what I expected for the month, day and time of day.

It's hard to get jazzed up about the 10 new rides, since they're mostly rides we've ridden before at Six Flags or at other parks, but the kids love them.

One thing I've noticed this year is Six Flag's attention to detail in their restrooms. Cleaner than ever, and more likely than not, you'll find an attendant in close range making sure it stays clean.

What do you think about Six Flags - version 2006?

... building some sort of decent roadside attraction or eatery along I-45 between Dallas and Houston. Once you pass Corsicana, there's a good 120-mile stretch of nothing until you get to Huntsville. I'm not knocking the good folks in Fairfield, Buffalo, Madisonville and Centerville, but there's just not much there. We had a hard time finding a clean restaurant and a decent restroom on our weekend trip to Houston last week.

One idea: On I-44 northeast of Tulsa, there's a McDonalds billed as the world's largest (or at least it used to be). It spans over the freeway, and if you're traveling between Tulsa and Springfield, MO, it's a landmark. At least you know you'll find a clean bathroom, very important when you're traveling with small kids.

How about a Czech bakery, like those in West, along I-35 north of Waco? There's all kinds of things to do along I-35. One day someone will come along with a great idea to capitalize on the I-45 traffic.