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My November Vacation 2021 Road-Trip

#TravelThursday continues now with Part 3 of my 7-part blog series on my recent 18-day road-trip between South Florida and North Texas.

At the crack of dawn of Day 3 of my road-trip I was back on the road again – across the 4,205-foot-long Natchez-Vidalia Bridge high atop (125 feet above) the mighty Mississippi River below. When I crossed the bridge I was the only one, so there was not the usual stress involved in doing so like at the various other river crossings. (I’m scared of heights, so I get nervous driving on tall bridges. It’s exasperated by tailgaters.)

It was a clear, crisp, and cold Saturday morning in the upper-30s and lower-40s in the Louisiana “low country” near the river. It was my coldest morning in a long time. Luckily it was in the mid-to-upper-60s in my car with the heater on low.

I continued west-southwestward to Alexandria Louisiana where I left behind the old U.S. highway system and network of back roads, and I rejoined America’s Interstate highways via I-49. I took that northwestward up to Shreveport – Louisiana’s 3RD-largest city. About 400,000 residents live in its metro area. Louisiana State University (#LSU) has a large campus in Shreveport, and it’s also the home of the 22,000+ acre Barksdale Air Force Base.

I picked-up I-20 westward out of Shreveport, and I took that to Longview Texas – where I stopped for a Texas BBQ Lunch (which was not very good at all – think “gas station food”). I also left behind the Interstates, opting instead for U.S. 80, U.S. 69, and a series of state and local roads en route to my family’s house in the northeastern suburbs of Dallas.

I arrived at my brother’s and sister-in-law’s house right at 2 PM on Saturday November 13TH 2021. I drove 376 miles on this final leg, so that’s 1,357 miles in 3 days of driving to North Texas.

I had planned to visit a small church on the outskirts of my family’s neighborhood (less than a mile away from their house). I had previously (in the weeks prior) done a lot of research on churches (of all sizes) within the local area. I looked at about a dozen churches online. I eventually had it narrowed down to 3 churches, and then 2 churches, and then a single church. The church I finally selected (over the other 2) started its service at 10:45 AM on Sunday.

I ended-up not attending a church service. Family comes first, and immediate family comes before church family. My brother planned a family Lunch together to celebrate our Mom’s birthday, so we did that on my first Sunday there. We enjoyed a fun Lunch at a Japanese restaurant where you order off the menu, and then the cook arrives a few minutes later, gathers-up all of the ingredients, and then cooks your meal on the large hibachi grill right in front of you while putting on a show. It was a lot of fun, and the food was pretty good too.

2 days later (on Tuesday November 16TH 2021) on an unusually warm day in the 70s (approaching 80°F) I went on a short road-trip (within the road-trip) on my own. It was also planned well in advance. After a hot and delicious Breakfast at a historic downtown district diner I ventured about 20 miles southwestward into the city limits of Dallas.

I visited the 66-acre Dallas Arboretum And Botanical Garden. I’ve wanted to visit this place for a few years now, and now I’ve done so. I didn’t get to see all 66 acres of it, but I got to see a vast majority of it during my 3-hour visit. I know I say this often: I could’ve spent all day there. I actually bought my timed-admission and parking fee online the day before. (I think you have to do it that way. I’m not sure that you can just show-up whenever you feel like it and pay to get in during this post-COVID environment.) I took 40 photos of my trek through the arboretum. Most of them will make it onto my Flickr site, but here’s 4 of the best right here:

About 6 miles away was the George W. Bush Presidential Library And Museum at Southern Methodist University (#SMU), and that’s where I spent a couple of hours that afternoon. I had never been to a Presidential Library before. It was very educational, informative, and interesting. I’d like to visit other Presidential libraries around the country.

I drove an additional 47 miles on that Tuesday, so that’s 1,404 miles in 6 days of driving to North Texas and while there.

And that’s where I’ll end Part 3 of this 7-part blog series. I’ll continue with my road-trip adventures and experiences next #TravelThursday. I’ll tell you about a few places that I did not visit on that first Thursday in North Texas. (Again – family comes first.) And then I’ll tell you all about two places that I did visit the next day on that first Friday.

All rights reserved (c) 2021 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

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Blogging Football Politics Television

I’m Still A Football Fan

I’m still a football fan. Tonight is the start of the 2020-2021 NFL season – with Super Bowl LV scheduled for Sunday February 07TH 2021 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Florida. I’m really looking forward to this new season of fun and games on the gridiron. COVID-19 cheated-us out of 65 preseason games in August, so my excitement has been building for an extra month.

Some of my friends and family on social media claim to no longer be football fans because of the various political stances of the players, the teams, and the league overall over these past few years. I respect that. As for me I don’t participate in boycotts. If I followed that logic then I’d be boycotting the NFL, the NBA, the NHL, the MLB, the MLS, NASCAR, and the WWE. I’d also be boycotting local news, broadcast news, cable news, and newspapers – not to mention Facebook and Twitter. I also wouldn’t support restaurants either – or grocery stores for that matter. Oh – and I wouldn’t go to see movies either.

I won’t let the political viewpoints of other people or companies take away my freedom to enjoy things. I choose to keep my own personal political viewpoints to myself. That’s why you probably don’t know what I believe or support.

So I will enthusiastically watch, cheer, and support the NFL starting tonight and continuing through the end of Super Bowl LV – 5 months from now.

I’ve been a professional football fan since the late-1970s, and an avid Washington Redskins fan for nearly that entire time. (I’m originally from the Washington D.C. area.) They are no longer the Redskins after 88 years. They are now known (temporarily) as the “Washington Football Team”. They are still my favorite football team. I’ll be rooting them on each week just as much as I did in 2019 – and every year before that – through the good, the bad, and the ugly.

My football team have been given no chance to succeed by football analysts and critics. I don’t agree with them. I won’t boycott them either.

♫ Hail To The Washington Football Team !
Hail Victory !
Braves on the warpath !
Fight for old D.C. ! ♫

All rights reserved (c) 2020 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

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Bible Christian God People Politics Scripture

Hate

A couple of nights ago I tweeted this @ChrisMDay:

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. (Ephesians 4:31). That applies to everyone – including those who accuse others of all of the above while declaring themselves pure.

Bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, slander, and evil behavior is a pretty good description of our nation today. It definitely describes our media and the entertainment and information industry – television, radio, newspapers, magazines, social media, et al. Nobody is exempt. Not even myself, yourself, and everyone around ourselves. That includes all of our leaders too – political or otherwise. We’re a messed-up nation (putting it mildly), and hatred rules the day. Hatred divides nations. Hatred destroys nations.

It’s easy to accuse others of espousing and spreading hatred, as we’re all pretty good at it in our own unique ways. We go around denouncing hatred online and offline, as we continue to hate certain types of people – because of the way they look – because of where they came from – because of where they live – because of what they do for a living. A lot of us believe that you can only hate other people if you’re a certain skin color or ethnicity. My friends – hatred comes from all skin colors and races. Hatred is colorblind. Hatred comes from deep within our hearts and souls. Hatred will continue to spread like wildfire as long as we have people deny that they can’t or don’t hate – while simultaneously spewing forth hatred.

Hiding hatred makes you a liar. Slandering others makes you a fool. (Proverbs 10:18)

Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible, and keep your mouth shut. (Proverbs 10:19)

All rights reserved (c) 2019 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

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Career Football God Home Life Military Music Politics Sports Television Travel Weather

Weekend Kickoff Mini-Thoughts

Let’s try this again – a rapid-fire session of thoughts in my mind right this minute:

  • Yesterday was not such a good day at work.
  • It only takes one person and a minute to ruin a whole work day.
  • I know that today will be a much better work day.
  • I know that God is always in control no matter where I go.
  • Sometimes during those not so good work days I forget that God is with me.
  • The past 12 years of my 34-year USAF career have been the best 12 years.
  • Is it a coincidence that Jesus Christ rescued and saved me 13 years ago ?
  • No coincidence, as God doesn’t do coincidences. He does intentionals.
  • Back on the homefront I enjoy relaxing in my 77°F living room.
  • I’m feeling good with my air conditioning taking care of business.
  • All of my modern technology is right here where it belongs.
  • If it’s summer then I’m watching “America’s Got Talent” and “Big Brother”.
  • I’ve never missed a single episode of either show since the beginning of both.
  • I’m also addicted to “Live PD” on Friday and Saturday nights.
  • There was a political debate on the NBCs last night.
  • I don’t get political online or offline.
  • As an apolitical person I’m in the minority fringes both online and offline.
  • I have very solid political beliefs, but I choose not to share them with anyone.
  • I’d rather talk about the weather.
  • I’m a weather expert, so I know what I’m talking about there.
  • I’ll even talk sports with you. Hail to the Redskins !
  • I’m so looking forward to the start of the NFL season.
  • I may go to a game this season – my Redskins against the Cowboys in Dallas.
  • 33 years ago tomorrow I attended the first concert of my life.
  • I was 19 at the time, and this young teenybopper was at the final Wham! show.
  • That was at Wembley Stadium in London England.
  • Google it. It was June 28TH 1986, and I was there singing and dancing.
  • I’ve been to 100+ concerts since that first one – an average of about 3 per year.
  • My two years of living in England as an 18 to 20-year-old were wild and crazy.
  • I haven’t been back since.
  • July starts in just 4 days.
  • 2019 is almost half over.
  • This whole decade of the 2010s (or #TwentyTeens) is almost over.
  • Will we all see better in 2020 ?
  • Will we all have the vision to love each other in 2020 ?
  • Will we change the world in 2020 ?
  • Time keeps on slippin’ slippin’ slippin’ – into the future.

All rights reserved (c) 2019 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries