Merv's Texas Adventures

Discussion in 'SBAF Blogs' started by purr1n, Dec 31, 2020.

  1. Phantaminum

    Phantaminum Friend

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    Imagine the fustercluck this would cause if Texas successfully voted to secede. Texas becoming an independent country, the trade treatise that would have to be drawn up and agreed on by the US and other countries, no longer receiving aid from the government (hurricanes love our coast), military aid, business flight, etc... Also, the rest of the United States would never allow this to happen.

    I'll say that Texas has a good mix of both parties. It's slowly moving Democratic but it's very interesting how the Republican party picked up a good chunk of the Hispanic vote. Houston is a great example of a melting pot with so many different people living together. The city leans more liberal but if you don't like to live close by you can always drive in from outside the city from areas that feel more rural and lean conservative. The amount of land here is ridiculous.

    You're in a good spot in North Padre and luckily you didn't move to Houston and experience I-45. You would of probably committed Seppuku knowing that the drive that should take you no more than 15 minutes is now an hour.
     
  2. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    Just sounds like small peepee syndrome to me. This is why I prefer a minimalist lifestyle aesthetic. I just have a magnum dong and definitely don't need the world to know about it.

    And the latter part reminds me of people that are total jackasses online, or maybe behind your back, but incredibly pleasant when interacting with them in person or directly otherwise. Which is the true them? (Assuming such a thing exists.)

    Or maybe it's much simpler and the same reason people root for a specific sportsball team for absolutely no other reason than regional proximity, a concept that I 100% may or may not understand myself. Kinda like how some guys are proud of being native to Colorado, as if they had/have/will have the power to manipulate the universe to predetermine their birth location.
     
  3. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    I think it's a lot more simple. The two-faced shit, seen a lot more of that in California than anywhere else. A dark secret is that a lot of people living in California are under pressure: financial, looks, job, etc. 100% of people in SoCal we knew were divorced or had marital problems, unless they bought a home in the 1970s or earlier. 80% had dreams of being a writer or producer in Hollywood.

    I take people at face value. People are always going to talk behind your back. I do think that you are treated differently if you have money.
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2021
  4. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Very well aware of the traffic in Houston. Saw first hand of how Austin changed and the traffic there at rush hour. No way I was going to move from California to experience California traffic again. I was lucky that I had a choice.

    --

    Noted that schools here, at least in Corpus go from roughly 8am to 4pm. Little if any homework. I love this because homework was always parent work. Back in California, we knew many parents who did their kids homework or sent them to Kumon or Mathnasium. This was the downside of being in a "good" school district.

    The local school districts require a few more vaccinations than in California. The admins take this very seriously. I thought it may been the other way around because of the anti-vaxxer movement that I read about in Texas. Fortunately, the admins, the guardians of our children, don't buy into this stuff and firmly believe in public safety.

    The teachers are more strict in a certain way, more demanding of deference. Less class clowns. Yet at the same time, they let kids in class do whatever they want on their iPhones, as long as it's not during a test. In California, smartphones were forbidden during class. Middle school requires plain clothing - no Rick and Morty shirts. High school has restrictions on not dressing like a ho - no belly buttons, no shoulders, no short skirts. One girl in high school did dress as a furry (tail and all). The Spanish classes are taught by people of Mexican heritage, so it's not so much the Spain Spanish, but Mexico Spanish.

    Student to Teacher ratio is 12:1 to 17:1. In California, it was 33:1, even in the "good" school district. I don't know how the local school district in Corpus pulls this off. The spending per student in Flour Bluff (TX) and Las Virgenes (CA) school districts was almost exactly the same. California teachers do get paid 22% more.
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2021
  5. yotacowboy

    yotacowboy McRibs Kind of Guy

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    Well, now, ahem, that's not exactly the case anymore, is it?
     
  6. Syzygy

    Syzygy Friend

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    Is that why you're called "Hands"?
    \/
     
  7. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Thinking about this again... Places like California are way too diverse to have a common identity. Canadians around the country of Canada, however very different they are from PEI to BC, have a stronger common identity. Their citizenship test is harder than the US citizenship test which is kind of bullshit gimmes. Canadians also know a shit ton more about their own country and the country next door. No Californian has any idea of California history. it's really not that interesting.

    Anyway, think Michigan. The effective flag of Michigan during my time there in the 90s, and this a bit after the famous U of M football coach Bo Shumblockumeister or whatever, with the moderately successful Lloyd Carr, was this:

    upload_2021-1-13_21-49-31.png

    Others in Michigan may disagree and may be Michigan State fans. Or those near Traverse City may claim this logo:

    [​IMG]

    However, for the most part, folks in Michigan, at least within the sphere of influence of Ann Arbor, Wayne County and even going west a bit, attached themselves to the Wolverines, whether they had any affiliation with U of M or not. U of M definitely created a strong brand. Lots of random people would go to U of M games. Lots of random people would wear U of M gear. I even had my own U of M shirts and sweatshirts, given to me as gifts. Heck, even my son was gifted U of M clothing from my in-laws. Always beat me why folks who had no direct connection to U of M loved this brand, but they just did. I only went to the games because I had satellite communications connections that came with messenger tags (more access than press tags). Well, and also to see Charles Woodson (it was obvious he would make it in the NFL) score a TD against Ohio state. I was in the end zone with the press photographers when this happened.

    I didn't quite get it when I was younger, but I get it more today. It's good to have a sense of belonging, an identity. After almost eight years in Ann Arbor, I started to develop one. Ann Arbor is like one of those insular college towns were you never quite feel apart of, until you do. Something that takes time. However 2002 came with the dot-bomb, and everything in Michigan turned to shit, so I moved back to California to take my chances.

    I do lament that Americans don't take more pride in their flag because they seem to fear that others will think they have a small pee pee. America's got problems, but...
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2021
  8. jexby

    jexby Posole Prince

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    muck fichigan is a motto to live by.
     
  9. Bobcat

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  10. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Frozen in Texas.

    PXL_20210215_132809571.jpg

    I slipped on my ass (black ice) getting across the street. Record lows in Corpus for past three days. Lost power 3:30am Sunday. Just lost water about an hour ago. A water pipe to the Island burst. Major roadways have mostly been closed with limited openings.

    We are doing fine. There was some sentiment that the shit was going to hit the fan on Nextdoor so we stocked up on water, rice, pasta, and some frozen food (can be kept outside). We traded dishes with neighbors. Some in the odd house or two that have power have offered to share to charge phones, take hot showers, make hot coffee.

    We do still have gas. The city and H.E.B. are arranging shipments of water to to the Island tomorrow. One of thr first things I wanted to get was a generator (we didn't pack our old with us in CA but gave it away because of the weight), but we had just moved in last Friday.

    I don't expect to have power until Friday. At least many of the stores and gas stations are open. AEP, the transmission provider has mot been given the OK to repair lines since electrical generation is still insufficient for the state. The generators weren't hardened for sustained zero degree weather, gas turbines wouldn't start and blades on the windmills iced over.

    I'm sure there will be a political price to pay. I'm rather fine with it. The Woolsey Fire in CA was 20 times worse. This situation is a mere inconvenience. At least I don't have to hear bullshit about Climate Change as the cause as folks in Texas are admitting that the power generation equipment could have been better hardened against freeze spells. However hindsight is always 20/20. These are record colds, harkening back to 1899.

    The funny thing about "disasters": it's these times that determine if your boss is a dick or not. Will be it: "Are you safe" or "Where is that Powerpoint".

    Don't know if I will be able to post more. Cell service has been flakey.
     
    Last edited: Feb 16, 2021
  11. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Just a quick notice. I have been super duper delayed with reviews and loaner shipments.

    The storm and three day power and one day water outage last week (who knew that conservative less regulated water pipes burst more easily) set a lot of stuff back for more than a week. Basically we were expecting delivery of our moving Pod, TV, washer and dryer, kids beds (we are torturing them by making them sleep on the hard floor), lawn (sod), spread throughout last week, but everything is coming this week all within the span of two days. Didn't realize how stressed and drained of energy I was and am now finally catching up with more energy.

    Also, anyone got any recommendations on a 30" outdoor grill head that will run off natural gas? Subject matter experts on gas grills please reply. $1k+ is about what we are looking to spend. The table top is already on the outdoor cabinet and just needs to be cut to size depending upon what we select.
     
    Last edited: Feb 23, 2021
  12. bixby

    bixby Friend

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    Not a natural gas expert, but I have used one premium gas grill that has lasted 23 years. They do make natural gas models. They are a bit pricey but they last and they have parts forever. The brand is Modern Home Products and they are US made.

    https://www.mhpgrills.com/
     
  13. dasman66

    dasman66 Self proclaimed lazy ass - friend

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    23 yrs? WTF... I'm lucky if I can get one to last 4 yrs before it's rusted out...
     
  14. Ksorota

    Ksorota Friend

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    Those MHP grills look really nice!

    Going on 12 years with my Weber spirit model, not all that high end, that is used weekly. Changed out the grates and flavor bars but otherwise it’s still working great. It’s on its 3rd grill cover, but worth the cost to keep it in good order.

    Almost any grill can be converted to natural gas Pretty easily by changing out the orifice. I have the parts to do mine, just haven’t gotten around to have a plumber install the line.
     
  15. atomicbob

    atomicbob dScope Yoda

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    50+ years of grilling experience. Have gone through a number of grills as we grill all year round. We now have ten years on a Broilmaster P3X. Key features are durability and able to reach 700 °F which is great for steaks without needing reverse finish. They have a natural gas version H3X: http://broilmaster.com/grills/deluxe-h3x/

    We had perfectly grilled steaks during the snow in PNW. Just had to clear a path to the grill.

    *edit*
    Examples:

    IMG_1546_small.jpg

    IMG_1548_small.jpg
     
    Last edited: Feb 23, 2021
  16. Azimuth

    Azimuth FKA rtaylor76, Friend

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    Natural gas is not as harsh on burners as propane.

    Just get a Trager pellet grill.
     
  17. jexby

    jexby Posole Prince

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    no gas recommendations.
    30 years of grilling experience, only charcoal on a Weber.
    may get a Green Egg one day.
    do it right people. :p
     
  18. yotacowboy

    yotacowboy McRibs Kind of Guy

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    Sous vide with cast iron sear.

    oh, wait, this isn't the 'what did you cook' thread. sorry!
     
  19. Ksorota

    Ksorota Friend

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    Pretty sure that a Trager comes in the Joe Rogan welcome to Texas kit along with a subscription to Spotify!
     
  20. Azimuth

    Azimuth FKA rtaylor76, Friend

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    Haha! I would figure they would ban all gas grills in Texas. Charcoal or wood only.

    Next thing you know, they'll ban BBQ sauce. At least on brisket that is a sure no-no.
     

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