Spring

The Stock Show is over, I've been given a beat to cover (social services with some science . . . holla) and Dan is going to Cleveland this summer, so I'll also be taking over the night cop reporting shifts.

And spring is in Texas. The sky is big and beautiful, the weather is still a little unpredictable, but spring is a good thing. It's my favorite season in Texas. It's (usually) not too hot, not too cold. It's blustery and green. It's good for driving around and listening to music and staying out late at night with a beer or margarita on a patio. Topper loves the breeze and warmth and his winter coat is starting to shed out, revealing his slick red again.

Noel died on Monday. He was a good fish. I had him for 3.5 years, which I guess is pretty good for a beta. He lived on my desk in my dorm my junior year, and then on my desk in the newsroom my senior year. While I was at school he was with Dan, living on top of the TV-tank that all Dan's fish are in. I don't feel too bad about his death . . . he was well-traveled, and had lived in Virginia and Texas and in many different locations. I don't know how many fish have traveled in airplanes in the cabin, but he did so a couple of times.

I had promised him a few years ago that if he died I'd put him in the Trinity river, so that's what we did Monday. I dropped him off a bridge over by the country club at night, and he made a tiny splash as he hit the water.

Like I said, he was a good fish.

Spillman and I have been going out on Thursday nights to the Ginger Man, a new bar that opened up halfway between Dan's apartment and downtown. Thursday night is pint night, so when you buy a glass of the featured beer you get to keep the glass. I have a big Warsteiner beerstein, two tall and slender Heineken glasses, and now a St. Arnold's pint glass.

We got dinner and then went to get ice cream before heading back to Dan's to watch the Tour of California and drink some more beer. Spillman was going to drive to campus quickly, and I was going to head to Dan's, so we pulled out of the parking lot of the ice cream place and onto University.

Then, some guy rammed into my car and drove off. A hit and run, the bastard. I wasn't hurt, and I thought he would pull over because he put his blinker on, but then he sped off. Spillman called to make sure I was ok, and we gave up trying to find the guy, so I pulled over in front of the Modern and called my parents, the insurance company, and the cops. It was stupid.

The car isn't really bad--the left fron panel is jacked, and my door doesn't open much, but it's still driveable. It just ticks me off because the guy left. Accidents happen, that's fine; but not pulling over is a jackass move. This is the second time this has happened to my car, too. Last time some guy gashed up my left back panel and broke all my lights when it was parked, and didn't leave a note or anything.

Grr.

But I got a new fish today. His name is Jens Voight and he's a crown beta, I think. He's kinda spiky looking, and he's blue. It's hard to believe Noel was ever that small.

Tonight and tomorrow morning I have stories to cover. I hope it's not raining. We're supposed to have thunderstorms and hail late tonight/wee hours of the morning.

I'm ready for this week to be over.

You Mean I Can Have My Nights Back?

I thought that my night life was getting quashed last semester at school, working at the Globe, but little did I know that the Stock Show would do the same thing. In addition to being out there for seven days and working on other news stories from Lee, I offered to do all the agate for Erik, who's serving as the Stock Show editor. I figured hey, it's extra money, it pays per hour, I can do it at home on my sofa watching Six Feet Under reruns, why not?

And then I remembered why I got annoyed at the Globe. I've been spending about three hours a day just typing for the past three weeks. It's painful. I don't know how transcriptionists do it, or other people who just type type type what's already been done or written. But I got to see results of Longhorns from Tokyo and horses from Belgium and sheep from Louisiana.

Today was the last day of the Stock Show. Dan had off yesterday, as did I (the only day where usually neither of us are working), so we drove to Dallas to see Body World. I adored it. Then I went and typed agate for 3 hours. But then Dan and I spent the evening at his parents' and at Erik's place, griping about newspapers and hearing his and Lori's ghost stories. It put me in a good mood to go to work today, out in all the animal crap for one last time.

The weather turned nice again, just in time for the last day. The poor vendors and whatnot--attendance was so low this year because of the two bad winter storms we had, and while I enjoyed being out there, I didn't enjoy trying to take notes with frozen fingers. It was sunny out and the English classes were taking place, so I spent my day wandering and talking to people with pretty jumpers and hack horses. Then I went home and typed the last of the agate--such a relief!

I was going to watch the Super Bowl, but I fell asleep.

Tomorrow, since I don't have agate and will hence have an extra three hours in my day, I'm going to ride Topper and maybe my bike too. On the way to blanket the horses tonight the moon was full and buttery-colored, and the weather is supposed to be mild for the rest of the week. But it's Texas, so I'm not holding my breath for any consistency.