#hotel near Six Flags Over Texas

[courtesystaymansfieldtx]

Hotels near Texas Health Mansfield

A hotel near Six Flags Over Texas that’s truly appropriate for family travel can be hard to find because some hotels in Mansfield, TX or the surrounding area don’t cultivate a family-friendly environment. And some don’t offer pricing that’s affordable when traveling with children. But you’ll find the experience you want with us, as our many satisfied past family guests prove. In fact, whether you’re looking for hotels near the many tourist attractions or just passing through and needing a stop-off for a few days, you’re sure to stay in comfort and with the best amenities when you stay with us. May we be your go-to place for family-friendly travel in North Texas?

Hotels in Mansfield, TX , Mansfield, TX Hotels, Hotel Inn & Suites Mansfield, TX, Mansfield, Texas Motels, Hotels near Texas Health Mansfield, Hotel near Six Flags Over Texas, Motels in Mansfield, TX, Mansfield Medical Center Hotels, Hotel in Mansfield, TX,

[somethingusefulfromflorida]

I want to go to Ohio next April to view the total solar eclipse, but I haven't booked a hotel yet because I haven't finalized my itinerary. This was a mistake, because every single hotel in the city I was planning to visit is already booked solid. I wouldn't be surprised if every hotel in the path of totality is booked. I'll have to look for one a few hours away.

Columbus and Cincinnati are probably booked up, so maybe I'll try Louisville or Lexington down in Kentucky, or Detroit up in Michigan. Or maybe I should avoid big cities all together and look for a hotel in a small town instead.

Before I finalize anything, I want to know if any of my mutuals are planning on coming out for the eclipse. I've been banking on Ohio this whole time because it's a straight shot up the I-75 from where I'll be at, and I wanted to visit the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta (Neil's childhood home, directly in the path of totality), but I'm willing to travel anywhere in the path

Mutuals, if you guys live in or near this grey band or are planning to travel there on April 8, 2024, let me know if you want to meet up. I was planning a big road trip up from Florida, with tentative stops at amusement parks along the way (Six Flags Over Georgia, Dollywood, King's Island, maybe Cedar Point or Hersheypark because I don't know the next time I'll be up north, so I may as well cast a wide net).

My car can fit four comfortably (and I do mean comfortably, it's big, lots of leg room), five max, so if anyone wants to fly out I can pick you up and we can carpool/caravan.

This is my tentative route from Gainesville on up, but I'm willing to deviate. I could take the I-10 west to Texas instead, or I could overshoot the path and meet up in Detroit or Chicago or as far out as St Louis.

It doesn't matter where I end up just so long as it's in the path of totality; come hell or high water I am going to see this eclipse.

DM me if you want to join in!

If enough people are interested, I'll set up a discord server so we can all talk together and finalize our plans by committee. I'll leave this pinned until August 1st, and if there are no takers I'll go with my original plan; head out in late March, hit up Six Flags, visit the Smokeys for a couple days, mull around in Kentucky or Ohio until the eclipse, afterwards maybe head east to Pennsylvania, maybe visit some Civil War sites, maybe visit some relatives in the DC area, definitely hit up Dollywood on the way back (besides the eclipse, the theme parks are my main focus; hitting Six Flags and Dollywood both on the way up would be exhausting, so one up and one down works perfect)

This is a major undertaking, a trip of a lifetime for me, so I want to make it special. Spending a week with friends would be nice, before, during or after the eclipse, whatever boats your float.

Once I know who all I'm dealing with, then I'll start booking rooms and buying tickets. I want to explore, I want to see the country, I want to have a real tourist vacation experience (I've been on the customer service end of things for too long, I need a break).

[dasmuggler]

Here are some little known, very interesting facts about Texas:

1. Port Arthur to El Paso : 889 miles. Port Arthur to Chicago: 770 miles

2. Brownsville to Texline (north of Amarillo): 956 miles. Texline to Canada: 960 miles

3. El Paso is closer to California than to Dallas

4. World's first rodeo was in Pecos, Tx July 4, 1883.

5. The Flagship Hotel in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built over water. Destroyed by Hurricane Ike - 2008!

6. The Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman who was the first full-time coach at Rice University in Houston, Texas .

7. Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other area in North America.

8. Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of North America 's only remaining flock of whooping cranes.

9. Jalapeno jelly originated in Lake Jackson in 1978.

10. The worst natural disaster in US history was in 1900, caused by a hurricane in which over 8,000 lives were lost on Galveston Island.

11. The first word spoken from the moon, July 20, 1969, was " Houston ," but the Space Center was actually in Clear Lake City at the time.

12. The King Ranch in South Texas is larger than Rhode Island.

13. Tropical Storm Claudette brought a US rainfall record of 43" in 24 hours in and around Alvin in July of 1979.

14. Texas is the only state to enter the US by TREATY, (known as the Constitution of 1845 by the Republic of Texas to enter the Union ) instead of by annexation. This allows the Texas Flag to fly at the same height as the US Flag, and Texas may choose to divide into 5 states.

15. A Live Oak tree near Fulton is estimated to be 1500 years old.

16. Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.

17. Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. There is no period in Dr Pepper.

18. Texas has had six capital cities: Washington-on-the Brazos, Harrisburg , Galveston , Velasco, West Columbia and Austin .

19. The Capitol Dome in Austin is the only dome in the US which is taller than the Capitol Building in Washington , DC (by 7 feet).

20. The San Jacinto Monument is the tallest free standing monument in the world and it is taller than the Washington Monument .

21. The name ' Texas ' comes from the Hasini Indian word 'tejas' meaning "friends". Tejas is NOT Spanish for Texas .

22. The State Mascot is the Armadillo. An interesting bit of trivia about the armadillo is they always have four babies. They have one egg, which splits into four, and they either have four males or four females.

23. The first domed stadium in the US was the Astrodome in Houston.

24. The Beck family ranch land grant is one days ride by horse (25 miles) in each direction from the headquarters.

25. The name of the XIT ranch in Dalhart Texas stands for "ten in texas". That means 10 counties in Texas!

[lonestarlife]

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT TEXAS

1. Beaumont to El Paso : 742 miles

2. Beaumont to Chicago : 770 miles

3. El Paso is closer to California than to Dallas

4. World's first rodeo was in Pecos , July 4, 1883.

5. The Flagship Hotel in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built over water. Destroyed by Hurricane Ike in 2008!

6. The Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman who was the first full-time coach at Rice University in Houston.

7. Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other area in North America

8. Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of North America 's only remaining flock of whooping cranes.

9. Jalapeno jelly originated in Lake Jackson in 1978.

10. The worst natural disaster in U.S.... history was in 1900, caused by a hurricane, in which over 8,000 lives were lost on Galveston Island.

11. The first word spoken from the moon, July 20,1969, was " HOUSTON ," but the space center was actually in Clear Lake City at the time.

12. King Ranch in South Texas is larger than Rhode Island.

13. Tropical Storm Claudette brought a U.S. rainfall record of 43' in 24 hours in and around Alvin in July of 1979.

14. Texas is the only state to enter the U.S. by TREATY, (known as the Constitution of 1845 by the Republic of Texas to enter the Union ) instead of by annexation. This allows the Texas Flag to fly at the same height as the U.S. Flag, and may divide into 5 states.

15. A Live Oak tree near Fulton is estimated to be 1500 years old.

16. Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.

17. Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. There is no period in Dr Pepper.

18. Texas has had six capital cities: Washington -on- the Brazos, Harrisburg , Galveston, Velasco, West Columbia and Austin.

19. The Capitol Dome in Austin is the only dome in the U.S. which is taller than the Capitol Building in Washington DC (by 7 feet).

20. The San Jacinto Monument is the tallest free standing monument in the world and it is taller than the Washington monument.

21. The name ' Texas ' comes from the Hasini Indian word 'tejas' meaning friends. Tejas is not Spanish

for Texas.

22. The State Mascot is the Armadillo (an interesting bit of trivia about the armadillo is they always have four babies. They have one egg, which splits into four, and they either have four males or four females.)

23. The first domed stadium in the U.S. was the Astrodome in Houston.

[daysinnarlingtontx-blog]

Hotel near Six Flags over Texas

[secondhand-sheep-shack]

Random fun for Europeans.

Here are some little known, very interesting facts about Texas:

1. Port Arthur to El Paso : 889 miles. Port Arthur to Chicago: 770 miles

2. Brownsville to Texline (north of Amarillo): 956 miles. Texline to Canada: 960 miles

3. El Paso is closer to California than to Dallas

4. World's first rodeo was in Pecos, Tx July 4, 1883.

5. The Flagship Hotel in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built over water. Destroyed by Hurricane Ike - 2008!

6. The Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman who was the first full-time coach at Rice University in Houston, Texas .

7. Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other area in North America.

8. Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of North America 's only remaining flock of whooping cranes.

9. Jalapeno jelly originated in Lake Jackson in 1978.

10. The worst natural disaster in US history was in 1900, caused by a hurricane in which over 8,000 lives were lost on Galveston Island.

11. The first word spoken from the moon, July 20, 1969, was " Houston ," but the Space Center was actually in Clear Lake City at the time.

12. The King Ranch in South Texas is larger than Rhode Island.

13. Tropical Storm Claudette brought a US rainfall record of 43" in 24 hours in and around Alvin in July of 1979.

14. Texas is the only state to enter the US by TREATY, (known as the Constitution of 1845 by the Republic of Texas to enter the Union ) instead of by annexation. This allows the Texas Flag to fly at the same height as the US Flag, and Texas may choose to divide into 5 states.

15. A Live Oak tree near Fulton is estimated to be 1500 years old.

16. Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.

17. Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. There is no period in Dr Pepper.

18. Texas has had six capital cities: Washington-on-the Brazos, Harrisburg , Galveston , Velasco, West Columbia and Austin .

19. The Capitol Dome in Austin is the only dome in the US which is taller than the Capitol Building in Washington , DC (by 7 feet).

20. The San Jacinto Monument is the tallest free standing monument in the world and it is taller than the Washington Monument .

21. The name ' Texas ' comes from the Hasini Indian word 'tejas' meaning "friends". Tejas is NOT Spanish for Texas .

22. The State Mascot is the Armadillo. An interesting bit of trivia about the armadillo is they always have four babies. They have one egg, which splits into four, and they either have four males or four females.

23. The first domed stadium in the US was the Astrodome in Houston.

24. The Beck family ranch land grant is one days ride by horse (25 miles) in each direction from the headquarters.

25. The name of the XIT ranch in Dalhart Texas stands for "ten in texas". That means 10 counties in Texas!

ItsATexanThing.com

[newstfionline]

Saturday, July 31, 2021

Biden to allow eviction moratorium to expire Saturday (AP) The Biden administration announced Thursday it will allow a nationwide ban on evictions to expire Saturday, arguing that its hands are tied after the Supreme Court signaled the moratorium would only be extended until the end of the month. The White House said President Joe Biden would have liked to extend the federal eviction moratorium due to spread of the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus. Instead, Biden called on “Congress to extend the eviction moratorium to protect such vulnerable renters and their families without delay.” By the end of March, 6.4 million American households were behind on their rent, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. As of July 5, roughly 3.6 million people in the U.S. said they faced eviction in the next two months, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey.

Evacuation flight brings 200 Afghans to US (AP) The first flight evacuating Afghans who worked alongside Americans in Afghanistan brought more than 200 people, including scores of children and babies in arms, to resettlement in the United States on Friday, and President Joe Biden welcomed them home. The evacuation flights, bringing out former interpreters and others who fear retaliation from Afghanistan’s Taliban for having worked with American service members and civilians, highlight American uncertainty about how Afghanistan’s government and military will fare after the last U.S. combat forces leave that country in the coming weeks. Family members are accompanying the interpreters, translators and others on the flights out. The commercial airliner carrying the 221 Afghans in the special visa program, including 57 children and 15 babies, according to an internal U.S. government document obtained by The Associated Press, touched down in Dulles, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C.

Not in control (NYT) Consider these Covid-19 mysteries: In India—where the Delta variant was first identified and caused a huge outbreak—cases have plunged over the past two months. A similar drop may now be underway in Britain. There is no clear explanation for these declines. / In the U.S., cases started falling rapidly in early January. The decline began before vaccination was widespread and did not follow any evident changes in Americans’ Covid attitudes. / In March and April, the Alpha variant helped cause a sharp rise in cases in the upper Midwest and Canada. That outbreak seemed poised to spread to the rest of North America—but did not. / This spring, caseloads were not consistently higher in parts of the U.S. that had relaxed masking and social distancing measures (like Florida and Texas) than in regions that remained vigilant. / Large parts of Africa and Asia still have not experienced outbreaks as big as those in Europe, North America and South America. / How do we solve these mysteries? Michael Osterholm, who runs an infectious disease research center at the University of Minnesota, suggests that people keep in mind one overriding idea: humility. “We’ve ascribed far too much human authority over the virus,” he told me.

Diasporas at the Olympics (Foreign Policy) Cuban athletes at the Tokyo Olympics are evidence of the exodus from the island over the years. By the Cuban sports journalist Francys Romero’s count, more than 20 athletes at the Olympics were born in Cuba but became naturalized in and are now playing for other countries. That’s a group almost one-third the size of Cuba’s own delegation.

Peru’s politics (Foreign Policy) Peru’s new President Pedro Castillo chose Guido Bellido, a congressman and fellow member of his Marxist Free Peru party, as his prime minister as part of a cabinet announcement on Thursday, setting up a tense confirmation battle with the country’s opposition-led Congress. Bellido courted controversy in a local media interview in April when he expressed sympathy for members of Shining Path—a Maoist guerilla group who fought a bloody insurgency during the 1980s and 1990s.

Death toll in Turkish wildfires rises to four, blazes rage on (Reuters) The death toll from wildfires on Turkey’s southern coast has risen to four and firefighters were battling blazes for a third day on Friday after the evacuation of dozens of villages and some hotels. More than 60 wildfires have broken out across 17 provinces on Turkey’s Aegean and Mediterranean coasts this week, officials have said. Villages and some hotels have been evacuated in areas popular with tourists, and TV footage had shown people fleeing across fields as they watched fires close in on their homes.

Three Jehovah’s Witnesses sentenced to six or more years in Russian prison for their faith (RNS) Three Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia were convicted and sentenced to prison for practicing their faith on Thursday (July 29). Vilen Avanesov, 68, was sentenced to six years, and his son Arsen Avanesov, 37, along with a third defendant, Aleksandr Parkov, 53, were both sentenced to six-and-a-half years. All three men have already spent more than two years in pretrial detention. “These men should never, ever have had to spend a minute in prison, and yet they’ve been locked up for two years,” said Rachel Denber, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Europe and Central Asia division. The three Jehovah’s Witnesses were detained in Rostov-on-Don in May 2019 and accused of continuing the operations of a Jehovah’s Witness organization that had been liquidated. All three were charged with organizing extremist activities. In January 2020, Arsen Avanesov was also accused of “financing extremist activities” by collecting donations to rent a room to meet with other Jehovah’s Witnesses. Near the trial’s conclusion, Arsen Avanesov spoke of his devotion to God: “I dedicated my life to him and did it sincerely. … I don’t want, I can’t and will not give up my promise.” The sentences for the three men are considered particularly harsh in a country where rape is punishable by three years in prison and kidnapping by five. The sentencing follows a 2017 ruling that categorizes the religious group as “extremist.”

Myanmar leaders ‘weaponizing’ COVID-19, residents say (AP) With coronavirus deaths rising in Myanmar, allegations are growing from residents and human rights activists that the military government, which seized control in February, is using the pandemic to consolidate power and crush opposition. Supplies of medical oxygen are running low, and the government has restricted its private sale in many places, saying it is trying to prevent hoarding. But that has led to widespread allegations that the stocks are being directed to government supporters and military-run hospitals. At the same time, medical workers have been targeted after spearheading a civil disobedience movement that urged professionals and civil servants not to cooperate with the government, known as the State Administrative Council. “They have stopped distributing personal protection equipment and masks, and they will not let civilians who they suspect are supporting the democracy movement be treated in hospitals, and they’re arresting doctors who support the civil disobedience movement,” said Yanghee Lee, the U.N.’s former Myanmar human rights expert and a founding member of the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar. “With the oxygen, they have banned sales to civilians or people who are not supported by the SAC, so they’re using something that can save the people against the people,” she said. “The military is weaponizing COVID.”

North Korea began the summer in a food crisis. A heat wave and drought could make it worse. (Washington Post) At the beginning of the summer, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un described the country’s food situation as “tense” after border closures caused by the coronavirus pandemic and crippling floods. By midsummer, a cycle of grinding heat and record-low rainfall could be a sign of a greater food crisis and hunger ahead. Temperatures in North Korea have climbed as high as 102 degrees in some areas this week—a shock in a country where temperatures do not often break 100 degrees. The heat wave has been compounded by a growing drought. North Korea had gotten 21.2 millimeters, or less than an inch, of rain as of mid-July. It is so hot that state media reports have been repeatedly warning residents about the dangers of dehydration and low sodium levels, especially for the elderly and those at risk of heart disease or stroke. They are urging residents to stay out of the sun, eat more fruits and vegetables, and drink more than two liters (about two quarts) of water per day, according to NK News, which monitors North Korea’s state media.

Hong Kong protester given 9-year term in 1st security case (AP) A pro-democracy protester was sentenced Friday to nine years in prison in the closely watched first prosecution under Hong Kong’s national security law as the ruling Communist Party tightens control over the territory. Tong Ying-kit, 24, was convicted of inciting secession and terrorism for driving his motorcycle into a group of police officers at a July 1, 2020, rally. He carried a flag bearing the banned slogan, “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times.” Tong’s sentence was longer than the three years requested by the prosecution. He faced a possible maximum of life in prison. Tong’s sentence is a “hammer blow to free speech” and shows the law is “a tool to instill terror” in government critics, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific regional director, Yamini Mishra, said in a statement. The law “lacks any exemption for legitimate expression or protest,” Mishra said. “The judgment at no point considered Tong’s rights to freedom of expression and protest.” Defense lawyers said Tong’s penalty should be light because the court hadn’t found the attack was deliberate, no one was injured, and the secession-related offense qualified as minor under the law.

New Zealand rated best place to survive global societal collapse (Guardian) New Zealand, Iceland, the UK, Tasmania and Ireland are the places best suited to survive a global collapse of society, according to a study. The researchers said human civilisation was “in a perilous state” due to the highly interconnected and energy-intensive society that had developed and the environmental damage this had caused. A collapse could arise from shocks, such as a severe financial crisis, the impacts of the climate crisis, destruction of nature, an even worse pandemic than Covid-19 or a combination of these, the scientists said. To assess which nations would be most resilient to such a collapse, countries were ranked according to their ability to grow food for their population, protect their borders from unwanted mass migration, and maintain an electrical grid and some manufacturing ability. Islands in temperate regions and mostly with low population densities came out on top.

Ethiopian roadblock (NYT) Aid workers in Ethiopia claim that an unofficial Ethiopian government blockade has cut off the only road into the conflict-torn region where millions of Ethiopians face the threat of mass starvation. A relief convoy headed for Tigray came under fire on the road on July 18, forcing it to turn around. On Tuesday, the World Food Program said 170 trucks loaded with relief aid were stranded in Semera, the capital of the neighboring Afar region, waiting for Ethiopian permission to make the trek into Tigray. The blockade is intensifying what some call the world’s worst humanitarian crisis in a decade. The crisis comes during an intensifying war, which has deepened ethnic tensions and stoked fears that Ethiopia will collapse. The United Nations estimates that 400,000 people there are living in famine-like conditions, and another 4.8 million need urgent help. The Ethiopian prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, who won the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, said last week that his government was providing “unfettered humanitarian access” and committed to “the safe delivery of critical supplies to its people in the Tigray region.” However, Mr. Abiy’s ministers have publicly accused aid workers of helping and even arming the Tigrayan fighters, leading to aid workers being attacked at airports, and even killed.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 11.21

164 BCE – Judas Maccabeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family, restores the Temple in Jerusalem. This event is commemorated each year by the festival of Hanukkah. 235 – Pope Anterus succeeds Pontian as the nineteenth pope. During the persecutions of emperor Maximinus Thrax he is martyred. 1009 – Lý Công Uẩn is enthroned as emperor of Đại Cồ Việt, founding the Lý dynasty. 1386 – Timur of Samarkand captures and sacks the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, taking King Bagrat V of Georgia captive. 1620 – Plymouth Colony settlers sign the Mayflower Compact (November 11, O.S.) 1676 – The Danish astronomer Ole Rømer presents the first quantitative measurements of the speed of light. 1783 – In Paris, Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d'Arlandes, make the first untethered hot air balloon flight. 1789 – North Carolina ratifies the United States Constitution and is admitted as the 12th U.S. state. 1861 – American Civil War: Confederate President Jefferson Davis appoints Judah Benjamin Secretary of War. 1877 – Thomas Edison announces his invention of the phonograph, a machine that can record and play sound. 1894 – Port Arthur, China, falls to the Japanese, a decisive victory of the First Sino-Japanese War; Japanese troops are accused of massacring the remaining inhabitants. 1902 – The Philadelphia Football Athletics defeated the Kanaweola Athletic Club of Elmira, New York, 39–0, in the first ever professional American football night game. 1905 – Albert Einstein's paper that leads to the mass–energy equivalence formula, E = mc², is published in the journal Annalen der Physik. 1910 – Sailors on board Brazil's warships including the Minas Gerais, São Paulo, and Bahia, violently rebel in what is now known as the Revolta da Chibata (Revolt of the Lash). 1916 – Mines from SM U-73 sink the HMHS Britannic, the largest ship lost in the First World War. 1918 – The Flag of Estonia, previously used by pro-independence activists, is formally adopted as the national flag of the Republic of Estonia. 1918 – The Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act 1918 is passed, allowing women to stand for Parliament in the UK. 1918 – A pogrom takes place in Lwów (now Lviv); over three days, at least 50 Jews and 270 Ukrainian Christians are killed by Poles. 1920 – Irish War of Independence: In Dublin, 31 people are killed in what became known as "Bloody Sunday". 1922 – Rebecca Latimer Felton of Georgia takes the oath of office, becoming the first female United States Senator. 1927 – Columbine Mine massacre: Striking coal miners are allegedly attacked with machine guns by a detachment of state police dressed in civilian clothes. 1942 – The completion of the Alaska Highway (also known as the Alcan Highway) is celebrated (however, the highway is not usable by standard road vehicles until 1943). 1944 – World War II: American submarine USS Sealion sinks the Japanese battleship Kongō and Japanese destroyer Urakaze in the Formosa Strait. 1945 – The United Auto Workers strike 92 General Motors plants in 50 cities to back up worker demands for a 30-percent raise. 1950 – Two Canadian National Railway trains collide in northeastern British Columbia in the Canoe River train crash; the death toll is 21, with 17 of them Canadian troops bound for Korea. 1953 – The Natural History Museum, London announces that the "Piltdown Man" skull, initially believed to be one of the most important fossilized hominid skulls ever found, is a hoax. 1959 – American disc jockey Alan Freed, who had popularized the term "rock and roll" and music of that style, is fired from WABC radio over allegations he had participated in the payola scandal. 1961 – The "La Ronde" opens in Honolulu, first revolving restaurant in the United States. 1962 – The Chinese People's Liberation Army declares a unilateral ceasefire in the Sino-Indian War. 1964 – The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge opens to traffic. At the time it is the world's longest bridge span. 1964 – Second Vatican Council: The third session of the Roman Catholic Church's ecumenical council closes. 1967 – Vietnam War: American General William Westmoreland tells news reporters: "I am absolutely certain that whereas in 1965 the enemy was winning, today he is certainly losing." 1969 – U.S. President Richard Nixon and Japanese Premier Eisaku Satō agree on the return of Okinawa to Japanese control in 1972. The U.S. retains rights to bases on the island, but these are to be nuclear-free. 1969 – The first permanent ARPANET link is established between UCLA and SRI. 1970 – Vietnam War: Operation Ivory Coast: A joint United States Air Force and Army team raids the Sơn Tây prisoner-of-war camp in an attempt to free American prisoners of war thought to be held there. 1971 – Indian troops, partly aided by Mukti Bahini (Bengali guerrillas), defeat the Pakistan army in the Battle of Garibpur. 1972 – Voters in South Korea overwhelmingly approve a new constitution, giving legitimacy to Park Chung-hee and the Fourth Republic. 1974 – The Birmingham pub bombings kill 21 people. The Birmingham Six are sentenced to life in prison for the crime but subsequently acquitted. 1977 – Minister of Internal Affairs Allan Highet announces that the national anthems of New Zealand shall be the traditional anthem "God Save the Queen" and "God Defend New Zealand". 1979 – The United States Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, is attacked by a mob and set on fire, killing four. 1980 – A deadly fire breaks out at the MGM Grand Hotel in Paradise, Nevada (now Bally's Las Vegas). Eighty-seven people are killed and more than 650 are injured in the worst disaster in Nevada history. 1985 – United States Navy intelligence analyst Jonathan Pollard is arrested for spying after being caught giving Israel classified information on Arab nations. He is subsequently sentenced to life in prison. 1986 – National Security Council member Oliver North and his secretary start to shred documents allegedly implicating them in the Iran–Contra affair. 1992 – A major tornado strikes the Houston, Texas area during the afternoon. Over the next two days the largest tornado outbreak ever to occur in the US during November spawns over 100 tornadoes. 1995 – The Dayton Agreement is initialed at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton, Ohio, ending three and a half years of war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 1996 – Humberto Vidal explosion: Thirty-three people die when a Humberto Vidal shoe shop in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico explodes. 2002 – NATO invites Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia to become members. 2002 – Arturo Guzmán Decena, founder of Los Zetas and high-member of the Gulf Cartel, was killed in a shoot-out with the Mexican Army and the police. 2004 – The second round of the Ukrainian presidential election is held, giving rise to massive protests and controversy over the election's integrity. 2004 – Dominica is hit by the most destructive earthquake in its history. The northern half of the island sustains the most damage, especially the town of Portsmouth. In neighboring Guadeloupe, one person is killed. 2004 – The Paris Club agrees to write off 80% (up to $100 billion) of Iraq's external debt. 2006 – Anti-Syrian Lebanese politician and government minister Pierre Gemayel is assassinated in suburban Beirut. 2009 – A mine explosion in Heilongjiang, China kills 108. 2012 – At least 28 are wounded after a bomb is thrown onto a bus in Tel Aviv. 2013 – Fifty-four people are killed when the roof of a shopping center collapses in Riga, Latvia. 2013 – Massive protests start in Ukraine after President Viktor Yanukovych suspended signing the Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement. 2014 – A stampede in Kwekwe, Zimbabwe caused by the police firing tear gas kills at least eleven people and injures 40 others. 2015 – The government of Belgium imposed a security lockdown on Brussels, including the closure of shops, schools, public transportation, due to potential terrorist attacks. 2017 – Robert Mugabe formally resigns as President of Zimbabwe, after thirty-seven years in office. 2019 – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is indicted on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.

[killeeninfo]

Historical Trips in Killeen

There are a few neighborhoods in Killeen, Texas that have become iconic in the Dallas area, and two of those neighborhoods are Parks Killeen and Silverton. Parks Killeen and Silverton are in the southwest part of Dallas, near I-35. These two neighborhoods sit about a mile south of downtown and a little over a mile from Bailey Cove. The area is predominantly homes, but there is also a small shopping area along Belmont Road. The area surrounding the neighborhood is largely undeveloped, except for the occasional tree clearing or a small golf course.

Long Branch Park is the largest and most beautiful of all Killeen parks, and easily the finest park in the north end of the city, just north of Highway 190 (heading southeast out of town). The park is named for the long branch of the Killeen Creek that winds through the middle of the park. The largest of the numerous lakes in the area has a name, Lake Bonney. The park also features a nature center, picnic area, hiking trail, swimming pool, tennis courts, basketball court, and a pavilion.

Silverton Park is less than one mile from downtown, in the northernmost tip of Killeen. It is less developed than the Long Branch Park, with only a paved parking lot. Silverton features a small pavilion, water tower, hiking trails, picnic area, and tennis court. There is no swimming facility at this park, nor is there a restaurant.

A third neighborhood, Cedar Point is located south of downtown, near Beltway 8 and I-35. It is a working class town, filled with small family-owned businesses, including a bank, grocery store, movie theater, fast food restaurant, miniature golf, and three marinas. The closest large structure to the area is an amusement park called Six Flags Magic Mountain. The town is known for its unique architecture, such as that of the town's courthouse. The town's most notable landmark is the enormous Consignor Building, which houses the city's tax assessor.

Three springs in Killeen, Texas are popular tourist attractions: Big Bear Lake (which is on the National Scenic Trail), Windansea (which is near the Six Flags Magic Mountain), and Bridalveil (which is close to the Killeen-Bryant county line). All of these sites have different attractions but all draw their inspiration from the same natural source. The Big Bear lake is dammed and shaped by the San Saba and Big Bear river valleys. The water enters the Lower Colorado River. Water flows into a pair of mountain lakes, the source of the Windansea River. Finally, it enters a large reservoir, which serves as a source for Killeen's drinking water.

The Windansea and Bridalveil springs both provide water for the Killeen area. However, unlike the Big Bear lake, the Windansea Springs is fed by underground springs, which make the water much hotter, and thus more enjoyable to drink. In addition, Windansea's water supply is not dammed, so it is cleaner. Bridalveil's water source is located at the top of a mountain and dammed. It is fed by underground springs that provide clean, crystal clear water.

There are many other attractions in Killeen, Texas, which draw a variety of visitors. Two parks located nearby have historic architecture, hiking trails, picnic areas, and a playground. Also, the Bailey-Matthews Historic Plantation offers a butterfly house and nature studies center. The town's largest attraction, however, is located in the historic district of Killeen. This area hosts several festivals, exhibits, outdoor shows, and festivals, including the annual Killeen Arts Festival.

When visiting Killeen, Texas, one of the things you should do is take the time to tour the historical areas. You can visit historic sites like the Bailey-Matthews Historic Plantation, Windansea Springs, and the Windansea Hotel & Spa. Additionally, historical tours of the area are offered by several organizations. These tours offer the opportunity to view one or all of the parks mentioned above, along with the historical places and other attractions located in Killeen. Additionally, some companies offer cultural tours of historical buildings in the area, which allow visitors to enjoy music, theatrical productions, and museums.

[allfathertoday]

Here are some little known, very interesting facts about Texas:

1. Port Arthur to El Paso : 889 miles. Port Arthur to Chicago: 770 miles

2. Brownsville to Texline (north of Amarillo): 956 miles. Texline to Canada: 960 miles

3. El Paso is closer to California than to Dallas

4. World's first rodeo was in Pecos, Tx July 4, 1883.

5. The Flagship Hotel in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built over water. Destroyed by Hurricane Ike - 2008!

6. The Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman who was the first full-time coach at Rice University in Houston, Texas .

7. Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other area in North America.

8. Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of North America 's only remaining flock of whooping cranes.

9. Jalapeno jelly originated in Lake Jackson in 1978.

10. The worst natural disaster in US history was in 1900, caused by a hurricane in which over 8,000 lives were lost on Galveston Island.

11. The first word spoken from the moon, July 20, 1969, was " Houston ," but the Space Center was actually in Clear Lake City at the time.

12. The King Ranch in South Texas is larger than Rhode Island.

13. Tropical Storm Claudette brought a US rainfall record of 43" in 24 hours in and around Alvin in July of 1979.

14. Texas is the only state to enter the US by TREATY, (known as the Constitution of 1845 by the Republic of Texas to enter the Union ) instead of by annexation. This allows the Texas Flag to fly at the same height as the US Flag, and Texas may choose to divide into 5 states.

15. A Live Oak tree near Fulton is estimated to be 1500 years old.

16. Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.

17. Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. There is no period in Dr Pepper.

18. Texas has had six capital cities: Washington-on-the Brazos, Harrisburg , Galveston , Velasco, West Columbia and Austin .

19. The Capitol Dome in Austin is the only dome in the US which is taller than the Capitol Building in Washington , DC (by 7 feet).

20. The San Jacinto Monument is the tallest free standing monument in the world and it is taller than the Washington Monument .

21. The name ' Texas ' comes from the Hasini Indian word 'tejas' meaning "friends". Tejas is NOT Spanish for Texas .

22. The State Mascot is the Armadillo. An interesting bit of trivia about the armadillo is they always have four babies. They have one egg, which splits into four, and they either have four males or four females.

23. The first domed stadium in the US was the Astrodome in Houston.

24. The Beck family ranch land grant is one days ride by horse (25 miles) in each direction from the headquarters.

25. The name of the XIT ranch in Dalhart Texas stands for "ten in texas". That means 10 counties in Texas!

[courtesystaymansfieldtx]

Mansfield Hotel near Aristide Event Center

Looking for a pick of Mansfield Medical Center hotels that you can trust for quality of experience and a nice break at a price that makes sense for your budget? We’re a great idea for a hotel inn & suites Mansfield, TX can be proud of and offer safe, sensible and friendly accommodations. May we be the place that travelers like you choose again and again? Stay with us for pleasant surroundings at a low price and you won’t be disappointed. Why not book a room with us right away so you can have the affordable, comfortable and pleasant experience you need? We’ll do a great job for you and your traveling companions.

Hotel in Mansfield, TX, Mansfield Hotel near Aristide Event Center, Mansfield Hotel near Six Flags Over Texas, Mansfield Hotel near AT&T, Stadium, AT&T Stadium Mansfield Budget Hotels ,Hotels near Mansfield Historical Museum TX, Mansfield, Texas Hotels

[dasmuggler]

Here are some little known, very interesting facts about Texas:

1. Port Arthur to El Paso: 889 miles. Port Arthur to Chicago: 770 miles

2. Brownsville to Texline (north of Amarillo): 956 miles. Texline to Canada: 960 miles

3. El Paso is closer to California than to Dallas

4. World's first rodeo was in Pecos, Tx July 4, 1883.

5. The Flagship Hotel in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built over water. Destroyed by Hurricane Ike - 2008!

6. The Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman who was the first full-time coach at Rice University in Houston, Texas.

7. Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other area in North America.

8. Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of North America 's only remaining flock of whooping cranes.

9. Jalapeno jelly originated in Lake Jackson in 1978.

10. The worst natural disaster in US history was in 1900, caused by a hurricane in which over 8,000 lives were lost on Galveston Island.

11. The first word spoken from the moon, July 20, 1969, was " Houston," but the Space Center was actually in Clear Lake City at the time.

12. The King Ranch in South Texas is larger than Rhode Island.

13. Tropical Storm Claudette brought a US rainfall record of 43" in 24 hours in and around Alvin in July of 1979.

14. Texas is the only state to enter the US by TREATY, (known as the Constitution of 1845 by the Republic of Texas to enter the Union) instead of by annexation. This allows the Texas Flag to fly at the same height as the US Flag, and Texas may choose to divide into 5 states.

15. A Live Oak tree near Fulton is estimated to be 1500 years old.

16. Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.

17. Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. There is no period in Dr Pepper.

18. Texas has had six capital cities: Washington-on-the Brazos, Harrisburg, Galveston, Velasco, West Columbia and Austin.

19. The Capitol Dome in Austin is the only dome in the US which is taller than the Capitol Building in Washington, DC (by 7 feet).

20. The San Jacinto Monument is the tallest free-standing monument in the world and it is taller than the Washington Monument.

21. The name ' Texas ' comes from the Hasini Indian word 'Tejas' meaning "friends." Tejas is NOT Spanish for Texas.

22. The State Mascot is the Armadillo. An interesting bit of trivia about the armadillo is they always have four babies. They have one egg, which splits into four, and they either have four males or four females.

23. The first domed stadium in the US was the Astrodome in Houston.

24. The Beck family ranch land grant is one day's ride by horse (25 miles) in each direction from the headquarters.

25. The name of the XIT ranch in Dalhart Texas stands for "ten in Texas". That means 10 counties in Texas!

[daysinnarlingtontx-blog]

Pet Friendly Hotels Arlington Texas

Welcome to Days Inn by Wyndham Hotel Arlington Texas Centrally located in the Metroplex, Arlington near Six Flags Over Texas.

[cityofsanantonio]

Nightlife in San Antonio City, Texas

San Antonio Nightlife : The Official San Antonio Guide sanantonio.com/nightlife From Downtown to the Strip to the epicenter of San Antonio nightlife on the Riverwalk—where there are numerous bars all within walking distance—the Alamo City s bar and club scene is definitely an experience. Featured Listings. Betty’s Battalion. 1524 East Grayson Street San Antonio TX 78208

THE BEST Nightlife in San Antonio – Tripadvisor tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g60956-Activities-c20-San_Antonio_Texas.html Top Nightlife in San Antonio: See reviews and photos of nightlife attractions in San Antonio, Texas on Tripadvisor.

Nightlife | San Antonio San Antonio’s Free Alternative Weekly. … Nightlife. Best Bar: Esquire Tavern. … City Guide. More… San Antonio Current. 915 Dallas Street. San Antonio, Texas 78215

San Antonio Nightlife | San Antonio Bars | Video City Guide Nightlife Guide Explore our San Antonio nightlife Guide! Watch videos, check out virtual reality tours, view high res photo galleries, and read killer reviews of San Antonio’s top 17 bars and clubs!

Find Nightlife in San Antonio Directory of Nightlife in San Antonio. The DoSeum Children’s Museum Arrives in San Antonio; First Bite: Southerleigh Restaurant and Brewery

Nightlife in San Antonio – City Guide | cityseeker Las Canarias is located inside one of San Antonio’s most historic hotels, Omni La Mansion del Rio. It offers formal, courtyard and patio dining in addition to providing room service for hotel guests. Renowned chef Scott Cohen, who was formally trained in France, strives to provide food and service that goes beyond guests’ expectations.

THE 10 BEST San Antonio Bars & Clubs (with Photos … tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g60956-Activities-c20-t99-San_Antonio_Texas.html “So if you are near the Alamo and the Crockett Hotel and looking to get a drink and sit down and relax for awhile, then Ernie’s Bar is for you….It was definitely for us on this visit to San Antonio.” “Staying at the historic Crockett Hotel, it was nice to have Ernie’s bar open for late night visits and we loved the location sitting at the bar and being able to see the Alamo complex out the …

Nightlife – San Antonio, TX – City Guides on City-Data.com city-data.com/guides/tx/san-antonio/nightlife.html From clubs where you can wear your boots and learn to line dance to places where you can sip a martini in a quiet corner and enjoy the smooth sounds of a jazz ensemble, San Antonio has a varied nightlife scene. This chapter covers the highlights, including some of the city’s best nightspots and some of our personal favorites.

Clubs San Antonio, TX nightlife The Official San Antonio Guide sanantonio.com/nightlife/categories/clubs Clubs San Antonio pretty much has it all in the way of nightlife. From eclectic wine bars and tequila bars to comedy clubs, amazing live music venues and hot dance clubs, those looking for entertainment after dark have no shortage of options. Around the Bend is a perfect neighborhood bar to hang out with friends after work or late into the night. For a great place to eat and have a tasty beer …

Nightlife San Antonio The city waits for the sun to go down and it rocks to the rhythms of the nightspots. My night out to the city’s heart throb of San Antonio’s nightlife in Hotel Discotheque is shocking. Hotel Discotheque is situated in Tuscany Stone of the city.

San Antonio Hotels, Restaurants, Nightlife & Events

sanantonio.com Introducing San Antonio. With a population of over one million and second only to Houston as Texas’s most populated city, San Antonio, Texas is big in every way. With varied historical, cultural and downright fun attractions, San Antonio sees well over 20 million visitors to the city every year.

The Hottest Nightlife Spots in San Antonio | WhereTraveler wheretraveler.com/san-antonio/eat/hottest-nightlife-spots-san-antonio San Antonio is a popular tourist destination. There’s the Alamo, SeaWorld, the River Walk, Six Flags—yes, S.A. is the place for tourists. However, unless you’ve been closely following what’s been going on in the city in the last five years, you might not be aware of the thriving nightlife scene that the city has developed.

San Antonio – VipNightlife sanantonionightlife.com San Antonio is your best San Antonio guide for top events, places, tickets & more! … Orlando Ottawa Pittsburgh Quebec City Salt Lake City San Jose Seattle South Bend St Louis Tahoe Tampa Bay West Palm Beach Whistler San Antonio ClubZone … Join our vip nightlife team. View list of availiable positions.

Best Nightlife in San Antonio, TX – USA TODAY 10Best 10best.com/destinations/texas/san-antonio/nightlife/best-nightlife San Antonio is a little bit of this and a little bit of that, with a lot in between.The nightlife can be as thrilling or chill as you wish it to be. Whether you’re looking for a special place to …

City Sightseeing Tours citysightseeingsanantonio.com City Sightseeing Welcome Center, 111 Alamo Plaza, Alamo Plaza, Opposite H&M, San Antonio, Texas, 78205. Tel: 210 224 8687

Nightlife in San Antonio, TX | CityOf.com cityof.com/tx/san-antonio/local/nightlife 4553 N Loop 1604 W San Antonio, TX 78249 Directions (210) 810-5090. Website, Facebook, Instagram. Catch the spreading nightlife fire at Burnhouse Rooftop, one of the finest examples of the rooftop bar trend currently winding its way through the Alamo City.

THE BEST Nightlife in San Antonio – Tripadvisor tripadvisor.ie/Attractions-g60956-Activities-c20-San_Antonio_Texas.html Top Nightlife in San Antonio: See reviews and photos of nightlife attractions in San Antonio, Texas on Tripadvisor.

Nightlife in San Antonio – Clubs, Bars, Weekdays, Sunday!

packforcity.com/nightlife-in-san-antonio The city of San Antonio is not known for its nightlife scene, but it is very important for visitors to know about them. There are a wide variety of different nightlife venues for those interested in going out Monday through Sunday. The city of San Antonio has everything from great nightlife events to urban dance clubs.

Nightlife Restaurants in San Antonio – Urbanspoon/Zomato zomato.com/san-antonio/drinks-and-nightlife View Menus, Pictures, Ratings and Reviews for Best Nightlife Restaurants in San Antonio – San Antonio Restaurants for Nightlife Restaurants. Zomato is the best way to discover great places to eat in your city. Our easy-to-use app shows you all the restaurants and nightlife options in your city, along with menus, photos, and reviews.

Nightlife | San Antonio – Yelp yelp.com/topic/san-antonio-nightlife San Antonio is historical and culturally rich. While it might not have the late-night club scene like some of the other cities, there are definitely places to hang out until the wee hours. Our bars in SA are more the type of place you can come as you are, not wait in line, not pay a cover, and not pay a lot for booze.

The BEST San Antonio Bars & Clubs

tripadvisor.ca/Attractions-g60956-Activities-c20-t99-San_Antonio_Texas.html “a must stop when on the Riverwalk for great entertainment and a cold beer and hot soup, perfect for a December stroll before dinner and night out.” “Love this place, went in to take a break on the river walk, enjoyed the piano bar and songs.”

Nightlife in San Antonio – Yelp yelp.com/c/san-antonio-tx-us/nightlife Find the best Nightlife on Yelp: search reviews of 668 San Antonio businesses by price, type, or location.

The Best Nightlife in San Antonio – Tripadvisor tripadvisor.co.za/Attractions-g60956-Activities-c20-San_Antonio_Texas.html These experiences are best for nightlife in San Antonio: River City Ghost Tour; San Antonio City Lights Ghost Tour by Segway; Drunk History – Straight Up; Go San Antonio Explorer Pass; The Barwalk – “The Classic” See more nightlife in San Antonio on Tripadvisor

THE BEST Nightlife in San Antonio Bay – Tripadvisor tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractions-g12301324-Activities-c20-San_Antonio_Bay_Sant_Josep_de_Sa_Talaia_Ibiza_Balearic_Islands.html Top Nightlife in San Antonio Bay: See reviews and photos of nightlife attractions in San Antonio Bay, Spain on Tripadvisor.

San Jose – VipNightlife sjcnightlife.com Looking for the best events ? San Jose is your best San Jose guide for top events, places, tickets & more! Lock those car doors, San Antonio. The Alamo City ranks 13th among large U.S. metros for incidents of auto theft, according to a new study by website AutoinsuranceEZ. The ranking is based on data.

source https://sanantoniopopulation.wordpress.com/2020/11/16/nightlife-in-san-antonio-city-texas/

[stephenjaymorrisblog]

Disclaimer:  All names have been changed to protect the innocent.

  Larceny Incorporated

 February 15, 2020

 By Stephen Jay Morris c/w Pamela Amodeo-Morris

©Scientific Morality

             Moving is a nightmare, as many of you know.  Try moving across the country.  You do what you can to cut corners and save money.  However, the axiom rings true:  you get what you pay for.  In this conservative era of laissez-faire idiocy, there are dishonest hucksters hiding in the back offices of hundreds of warehouses.  Pamela and I were victims of one.

           When we walked away from our home in Oregon, we ended up living in mobile homes in the Southern California desert for six and a half years.  Living in a mobile home is a heartbeat from homelessness. Many mobile home parks are ghettos for poor white people.  I pity the poor, but some of them are damaged people who get on my nerves.

Our first home was not in a park, per se, but was on a residential street of a small city. The coach, as park managers and owners reference these homes, was situated on a large, privately owned, corner lot.  Its street was near a major intersection, where police and emergency vehicles’ sirens screamed day and night.  Druggies and drunks would walk past our walled yard all hours of the night, shouting threats at each other, and dark figures in old cars would frequently park just outside our bedroom window late at night, engine idling and gangsta rap blasting from their sound systems.  Unlike most mobile homes in the desert, which are primarily landscaped with small rocks and concrete, this one was heavily planted with fruit trees, rose bushes, shrubs and plants.  The landlord, who was an elderly man, was a great collector of native and non-native plants and trees.  He paid a neighbor to come and water the property twice weekly, and more during the intense summers.  It usually took the guy about three hours to complete the task.  We finally moved from there when the landlord wanted to reoccupy his property.

Since 2012, our primary goal had been to move to New York.  We wanted to be near Pamela’s family and within driving distance of New York City. But, with tight finances again dictating our fate, we rented a second mobile home in the same town.  (Just before this move, we got sidetracked a bit and almost moved to Texas, to be near Pamie’s sister.  In hindsight, though, everything worked out for the better.)

Unlike the first rental, this mobile home was situated in a large, beautiful, well-managed park, tailored for the 50+ community.  It was a great improvement over the latter:  spacious, insulated from the downsides of city-life, and owned by a responsive, absentee landlady.  However, the homes here were situated very close to one another on small, leased lots. With our focus steadfastly fixed on New York, we unpacked only our basic living necessities.  The vast majority of our belongings remained boxed and stored inside the home, in a large, unused area apparently intended as a recreation room. As such, it resembled a warehouse.

The neighbor to the right of us was a loud mouth, Trump supporter.  Every morning, he sat on his front porch, cell phone to his mouth, loudly berating the ills and failures of the Obama Administration and the country’s “nanny state.”  He initially tried to hustle me in his efforts to find customers for his “car repair business.”  He soon got the message that I was not interested in his business or his company. Lord, have mercy!

This move was supposed to be temporary, but we ended up living there for three and a half years. I had my heart attack in the small backyard at the end of our second year there.  My beloved Golden Retriever passed away there 14 months later.

All the while, Pamela searched relentlessly for a New York home.  She worked with several realtors and finance brokers via phone and email.   She even flew east twice to look at potential houses.  Finally, when a move looked imminent, Pamela searched found a long-distance moving company that quoted us a price at about 50% below the competition!  I’ll call them “L.A. Bowel Movers.”  The salesman, or “move coordinator,” called himself Jeremiah.  I immediately thought that Mormons owned the company.  Like Howard Hughes, I trusted Mormons.  Well, I later came to learn that this was no Mormon outfit.  We trusted Jeremiah.  We sent him a deposit and booked a move.

           However, as time went on, potential new home deals fell through.  We spent loads of money on required house inspections. But one house after another, something would go awry.  We canceled and rebooked our move with Jeremiah at least five times, and each time, he promptly and without incident, inked a new date for us.  Jeremiah was a charming guy, affable and easy-going. Usually, that would be a red flag for me.  However, anxious to buy our very own home in New York, I was suckered in.

           Switch and bait:  One thing I found odd was that this company hadn’t sent anyone to give us an on site estimate.  Jeremiah had provided it by phone and email, based on details Pamela gave of our current home’s size and the gross weight of our belongings recorded in past moves.  That was yet another red flag we ignored.

           Cut to moving day.  We were aware of the company’s policy:  No goods loaded until 50% of the total move balance was handed over.  Payment could only be made by cash, cashier’s check, or postal money order.  Another red flag we overlooked.  Pamela had already obtained a cashier’s check in the required amount.

The movers showed up 30 minutes late.  The truck they brought was 26 feet long, much smaller than we’d expected.  We soon learned that it was intended only to accommodate the total cubic footage and weight on which the original phone estimate was based, with room to spare.  Our entire load would later be transferred onto a contracted mover’s semi-truck.  Well, the moving team’s lead man, Jose, surveyed our entire household’s possessions.  He then informed us that more space would be required on the truck to accommodate everything; approximately 546 more cubic feet. This, of course, translated to additional costs of over $3,100.  We panicked; we didn’t have the extra funds!  They had us over a barrel!  After several phone calls were made between Jose, his boss, Jeremiah and us, Pamela and I discussed our dilemma in private.  We were stuck.  We had no choice but to pay up and get the truck loaded.  Our new home was scheduled to close in six days, we had a plane to catch, our lease was up, and we had a team of people depending on us! After some protests, we obtained an option to request a discount.  The lead man’s boss accepted it, we agreed for the move to proceed, and we handed the cashier’s check to Jose.  During this entire ordeal, five workers sat in front of the house, waiting for their orders.  It seemed as though they’d been through this before.  Funny, the movers ultimately managed to load all of our stuff onto every cubic inch of the small truck.   Go wonder.

Cash only:  Fast forward:  we successfully arrived in New York and, after several hotel stays, we were invited to be guests at our realtor’s home while awaiting the closing of our new home and arrival of the moving truck. This home’s very remote location left us with no cell service, which was the sole means by which the mover (driver), Don, could reach us.  Fortunately, there was a land line we could use while there.  We phoned the mover and, with great difficulty, we provided that phone number to him.  Immediately, a communication problem with the mover became evident, as he spoke with a heavy mid-Eastern accent in very broken English; his comprehension was even less.  He informed us he would be arriving in five days.

           Two nights before the expected arrival date, Don phoned to inform us that he would be arriving the next morning, between 7 and 10 a.m.  This meant we had to hustle, get to bed early, and arrive at the house in time to meet him.  Well, we arrived at 7:15 a.m. and waited.  After almost two and a half hours, we decided to leave, figuring he wasn’t going to show up.  Just before we got into our rental vehicle, we saw this semi-truck coming up the road.  They arrived at 10:30.

To our astonishment, there were only two guys to complete the delivery:  Don and his partner.  Just the two were going to move our voluminous amount of stuff from the truck and into our new home!  Don, the leader, was an unctuous dude who was short in stature with the biggest Napoleonic complex I had ever witnessed!  As we came to soon find out, he also had a persecution complex and argued with us several times in his broken English.  Pamela would instruct him how to set up furnishings and he would either ignore her or angrily dispute it.  It was below 30 degrees out, but he insisted that we turn off the heat and leave all of the doors open the entire time!

The other major hurdle was the requirement for the means of payment.  Total due was over $5,200.  We had been instructed, only after we’d left our former home and place of banking, that the driver would only accept cash or postal money order. We had neither, and had no easy access to our funds.  We were limited by our credit union to withdraw no more than $2500 a day.  We’d already obtained that amount the previous Friday, after great effort and a long drive in the snow and rain, from and to our remote guest house.  But, now, while the move delivery was in progress, we had to leave the movers alone at the house to travel again to areas unfamiliar to us.  Finally, we were finally successful in purchasing the remaining funds at a post office in the form of postal money orders.  We returned and paid the funds to the mover, obtained his receipts, and painfully endured the project through its finish at 9:30 p.m.  We were so frustrated, defeated, and exhausted that we told the movers to simply leave us to finish assembling the furnishings that were still lying in pieces on the floor.

           When it was all over, I was pissed off and Pamela was exhausted.  As time went on, we found damage to some of our furnishings.  We opened boxes and found more damaged goods.  When it finally came time to use our clothes washer, it made a terrible banging sound. We ended up going to the laundromat twice.  A repairman later found it had been damaged during the move.

           Not only did the movers fuck us over, but our vehicle transport company also ripped us off.  I won’t get into that right now.  If you are telling me that capitalism is superior to socialism, I will reply that that is similar to comparing Scarlet Fever to cancer.  Both diseases should be cured.

Unless I become a millionaire, I will never move again.

[omegastryker]

NCIS X Hockey - Dallas Stars Fic

*Narrator*: There have been werehouse arrests, close to life-threatening arrests. But so far, no missions involving hockey games have been involved so far.

On the eve of the opener. Something terribly goes wrong.

Prior to that though, Jordan had just landed in Dallas with him and his mom. Hoping to see his friend that had text him just as they landed.

*Earlier that morning* His boss let him off for vacation time. Which it would be the entire week, then he’d be back in the New Year

His sister had dropped him and his mom in the Seattle/SeaTac Int'l Airport with their luggage. Having a short devotion and prayer. And other Southwest airline passengers also joined them.

Jordan had saved arouned 2k for the entire trip for his mom and him. Including round trip airfare, hotel lodging, car rental, restaurant dining and shopping. Leaving with just 1500$

That afternoon, Southwest landed them and the rest of the passengers in Dallas. Around close to lunchtime (CT), he found the one. The bud that wore the T.S hat that visited Seattle. Welcoming them to Dallas. Heh, though you already know who I am ~ Tyler

“You do Jordan?” said his mom. “Yeah, met him on one of my trips to Seattle. "Pleasure to meet you ma'am. I’m Tyler Seguin of the Dallas Stars” said Tyler as he shook Jordan’s mom's left hand. “I hear that he saved enough for this trip.” he said. “Yeah, was really nice :).” said his mom

*narrator* So Jordan introduced his mom to his new friend. And they talked over lunch in the DFW airport's cafe. Had lots of laughs. He was quite the friend. Then after that, they showed where they’d be staying. Which is at the W hotel, it was just a short walk from the AAC. He was near Tod Jaggi’s appartment.

Jordan’s POV

Dallas was a really big city. Like as if Seattle had merged with Lynnwood. He (Tyler) got to show us where they hung out. Namely with the Galleria of Dallas mall and Six Flags Over Texas

Jordan’s POV

On some nights, my friend would sleep with us. Then he’d return to his house. It was like as if he was a brother to me. Rather than paying for the tickets. He offered it to them as his guests. My mom and I got to meet the players. It was a dream come true. Being NCIS though, we’d shoot an episode, which AAC allowed us. Tyler was my partner in the Dallas episode we shot. Being like Deeks. Comical, yet serious when it got to the mission. Kensi and Deeks from the L.A branch also came to assist. The mission came after the game. After the mission. Fans who assisted the NCIS team took some pictures of the team.

*Narrator*

It was an eventful day for the Stars. Jordan introduced Tyler to his mom. And him, his mom and Tyler became friends. So much so that they packed up and moved to Dallas. The culprit were played by Stars fans.