The Front Page
The Risk is Real - Serving our Country
Remembering those that have served and those that are serving our country.
You know sometimes it doesn't hit you until it is personal.
Please remember these Santa Anna folks that are serving our country in military combat, training, or support: Maricela (Marty) Siller, Clay Stewardson, Eddie Dawson, Ike Garza, James Watson, Austin Voss, Randy Casey, Mike Montgomery II, Mark Rutherford, Allen Tucker, James Culpepper, Shane Watson, Brandon Beloat, Glen Donham, and Jeffrey Watson.
1772 American soldiers or sailors have died in Operation Enduring Freedom as reported by the
Department of Defense and the
Iraq Coalition Casualty Count. Pray for our country, its' leaders, and our soldiers and sailors.
Please remember the many serving as volunteers for various groups and those that may be working for the media or one of the many Department of Defense contractors that have employees in support roles in Iraq including Santa Anna's Jason Dane. These folks are serving an important part in the rebuilding of Iraq and the danger is just as great if not more for them as it is for soldiers.
The
Iraq Coalition Casualty Count has also tracked the deaths of 91 American contractors working in Iraq so the risk is real.
Many service men and women return home safely. Operation Tribute to Freedom Homecoming Photographs.
We must never forget the sacrifices of men and women serving our country from all generations. Tex Wright recently sent me this information:
The Coleman County Historical Commission has started work on a new project.
Since this year is the 60th anniversary of the end of WWII, we (Texas Historical Commission statewide) have started a project to honor the ones who served.
We (I) have set up a Web Page to keep people posted on what is being done and to ask for their help in remembering those Men and Women.
The Web Page is:Coleman County Historical Comm.
WW2 Commemorative Activities
A little vacation... well a little working vacation!
It will be the closest we probably get this year to a vacation. We are saving the rest for ballgames and such since it will be Jessica's Senior year. I can't wait until that first volleyball game..
Cindy and I will be spending the week in Austin so the news may be pretty light.
A little break from the house painting! Speaking of house painting... it got interrupted Saturday by some wet stuff... I don't think it got in my rain gauge though.
Three days this past week I ran through pouring rain between Brownwood and the County Line and not a drop in Santa Anna!
Here is kind of a side-by-side old paint and new paint photo of our house... quite a change for us... but it is kind of growing on us... Cindy would shoot me if I told you the colors... last time we painted it wasn't too long before there were several other houses painted the same color around town.
You might be from Santa Anna if...
You might be from Santa Anna if... you think more than one stop light in a town is too many!
Driving from Austin to work in Goldthwaite through this Thursday really tests my driving skills...
Did you know that if you are the first one at the traffic light that you have to wait the longest?
Did you know if you are the last one at a traffic light in Austin when it turns green chances are pretty good that you are going to be the first one in line at the same traffic light if you poke around?
You might also be from Santa Anna if.. you think that too much traffic is someone in front of or behind you at a stop light!
I like to be in front of everybody but did you know that 70mph in a 55mph zone on I-35 through Austin at 6AM isn't fast enough to be in front of everybody else?
You might be from Austin if.. you realize there is no "in front of everybody else" or maybe there is and you were there once along time ago when you were young and had a 280ZX. Note: if you don't know what a 280ZX is ask your dad!
It all sure makes me want to be back at home in Santa Anna!
Austin
I have been taking I-35 to Hwy 29 in Georgetown and then Hwy 29 to HWY 183 at Seward Junction/Liberty Hill and then Hwy 183 through Lampasas and on to work in Goldthwaite this week. Monday one of my bosses suggested going through Burnett and Marble Falls and then take 71 into Austin. He had gone that way to get to the airport before which is on that side of Austin near our hotel which is at the corner of I-35 and 71/Ben White Blvd. It was a different and scenic way to go, but the traffic and red lights in Marble Falls and Burnett were terrible... and I do mean RED lights... each one turned RED about the time I approached it... see "first one at the traffic light" above. The scenic route added about 30 minutes to my 2 hour drive which actually worked out Ok. Cindy called me as I was stopped at one of the RED lights in Marble Falls and told me that she kind of wanted to go to an evening class that wasn't going to get out until 6:30 or so. I had left work at 4 so by the time I made it to the hotel it worked out perfect.. we both were in the hall to the room at the same time.
Needless to say Tuesday I went back through Georgetown!
Austin - Part II
Wednesday was a new day and my Austin driving adventure continued. Wednesday morning I think I actually thought I had made it to the "Front" in Georgetown.. see "You might be from Santa Anna if.." above. Then I realized there were some cars in front of me as I exited. I came to a new realization also that you might be having to drive too far to work if you have to get gas everyday to be able to make it back to where you want to buy gas on the next day! Gas has been $2.099 at HEB in Lampasas which is about the cheapest I have seen. We did see a a Walmart in Austin with $2.089 per gallon Wednesday.
Wednesday afternoon as I was approaching Seward Junction they came on the radio and...
Austin Part IV
If you are a regular reader of SantaAnnaNews.com then by now you know that I like to listen to KOXE in Brownwood. But the signal from KOXE is too week past Goldthwaite really and the signal from Austin stations is a little in and out through the hills between Goldthwaite and Lampasas but I pickup WACO 100...99.9. Once I top the hill in Lampasas I can pickup KASE 101... 100.7. They usually give the traffic reports for Austin during rush hour and Wednesday afternoon as I was approaching Seward Junction they came on the radio and...
... said there was an injury accident on I-35 South at Town Lake bridge. I knew my wait in traffic would be long if I went I-35. So I kept going down 183 to Leander. As I caught every traffic light in Leander I began to flashback to the day before and my drive through Burnet and Marble Falls where I spent the better part of half an hour waiting at RED lights! Then came Cedar Park with it's ten lights. But as I cruised through the first light on green... a new and welcome color... I started getting a rythym as I lead the pack or "Peloton". The spelling is correct. "Peloton" was originally, a French military term meaning a "platoon". Used to refer to the largest pack of riders in a race like the Tour de France which is a hot topic in Austin this week as Austinite, Lance Armstrong, is in place to win another.
Anyhow as I lead the "peloton" each light was glowing green... my new old favorite color. Then I came upon the road construction of one of the new mixmasters for Hwy 183 which is supposed to take the place of all the lights. As I started to gain speed on the new concrete I realized I needed to watch for the MOPAC exit. I didn't know that MOPAC stood for the Missouri Pacific Railroad which runs between the lanes. It is a pretty strange feeling heading down the freeway and a train approaching between you and the oncoming lanes of traffic. MOPAC runs into Hwy 71 and our hotel is at the corner of Hwy 71 and I-35 so I arrived at about the same time that I did the rest of the week except for I felt like Lance Armstrong winning the Tour de Lance!
We did venture down Congress Avenue later Wednesday night to cruise down 6th Street and see the Capitol at night.
Austin Part IV - Rare Friday Update
Most of the past week I got up at 5:00 to have enough time to get ready and make the two hour drive to work. Well this Friday morning I got to sleep in and I woke up when Cindy did at 7:00. I have always liked to watch ABC's Good Morning America and as I watched this morning I realized how much safer it is to travel in Texas versus the rest of the world. Bombings in London and Iraq, random searches begining in New York City, missing persons in Arruba...
I figured out too, how Lance Armstrong became such a good cyclist.. he is sort of like me in a way.. he likes to be out in front of the traffic and he learned how in Austin!
Well I hope you all have a good Friday.. I am sure that you all don't have the day off like me.. so don't work too hard!
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