I have to admit, I've never seen the movie or the television show called Friday Night Lights, which is based on a high school football team in Odessa, Texas. I do, however, have personal experience with high school football in Texas, and can tell you that most towns think their team deserves a movie made about them.
My hometown of Lewisville, Texas had a great football program for many years, and the Lewisville Fighting Farmers (yes, our mascot was a farmer named "Big John") won the 5-A football state championships in 1993 and 1996. Many of the traditions at Lewisville High School are over 100 years old, and the whole town comes together on Friday nights to watch their boys play.
When I was in high school I was an officer on the Farmerette Drill Team, our school's pom/dance team that performed at halftime. Our band, cheerleaders and drill team were just as much a part of the experience as the football itself, and I think some of the band parents were more hardcore about football than the players' parents.
Schools in Texas pay millions of dollars for their state of the art stadiums, and the football boosters often raise more money than any other organization at the school. With the crowd roaring and the hometown heroes playing their hearts out, there's really no better place to be than a high school football game on a Friday night.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
My Texas Legacies
One of the reasons I have such pride and admiration for the state of Texas is because of the quality of people that I know to live here. My family has lived in Texas for many generations, and one thing I can say for sure about native Texans is that they are some of the hardest workers you will ever meet.
My fraternal grandmother grew up Basdrop, Texas, and her Irish-Catholic family owned many acres of land and raised cattle for many years. My great-grandfather, Earl Callahan, opened a general store in 1978 next to his Feed & Milling Company so that ranchers wouldn't have to go all the way into town to get supplies. Callahan's General Store, located at 501 Bastrop Highway, is still in business today, and sells much more than just cattle feed. Just about every pair of cowboy boots I've ever owned came from Callahan's, and they sell everything from live baby ducks and chicks (my favorite when I was little) to Christmas decorations and Stetson cowboy hats. Callahan's has been a sponsor of the Austin Rodeo for many years (in fact, my great uncle built the performance stage that they use, and my dad's cousin used to compete as a cowboy) and my grandmom and her siblings still own the business today.
On my mom's side, there's a slightly different legacy- ever heard of Dan's and Fran's Hamburgers? Well I know Dan as "Popo" (my late grandfather and my namesake) and Fran as "Momo" (my crazy grandmother). My grandparents worked in the restaurant business for several years before deciding that they could do it better; and in 1973 they opened the first Dan's Hamburgers on South Congress.
My family worked hard to provide the best quality food for an affordable price, and thanks to their hard work, we have regular customers who have eaten at our restaurants for over 35 years. There are now 4 Dan's Hamburgers and 2 Fran's Hamburgers locations in the greater Austin area, and my aunts, uncles and cousins still run the restaurants with the same meticulous eye for quality control that my grandfather started out with. The stores have become an Austin icon, and I promise you won't find a better jalapeno cheese burger in the whole world. (Promise.)
Growing up with such determined family members has given me so much respect for the entrepreneurs of Texas, and a special affinity for Austin and its local businesses. From sweating away in a restaurant kitchen for double shifts to working on the ranch until the sun came down, I come from some hard working Texans, and I know there are many others out there too.
My fraternal grandmother grew up Basdrop, Texas, and her Irish-Catholic family owned many acres of land and raised cattle for many years. My great-grandfather, Earl Callahan, opened a general store in 1978 next to his Feed & Milling Company so that ranchers wouldn't have to go all the way into town to get supplies. Callahan's General Store, located at 501 Bastrop Highway, is still in business today, and sells much more than just cattle feed. Just about every pair of cowboy boots I've ever owned came from Callahan's, and they sell everything from live baby ducks and chicks (my favorite when I was little) to Christmas decorations and Stetson cowboy hats. Callahan's has been a sponsor of the Austin Rodeo for many years (in fact, my great uncle built the performance stage that they use, and my dad's cousin used to compete as a cowboy) and my grandmom and her siblings still own the business today.
On my mom's side, there's a slightly different legacy- ever heard of Dan's and Fran's Hamburgers? Well I know Dan as "Popo" (my late grandfather and my namesake) and Fran as "Momo" (my crazy grandmother). My grandparents worked in the restaurant business for several years before deciding that they could do it better; and in 1973 they opened the first Dan's Hamburgers on South Congress.
My family worked hard to provide the best quality food for an affordable price, and thanks to their hard work, we have regular customers who have eaten at our restaurants for over 35 years. There are now 4 Dan's Hamburgers and 2 Fran's Hamburgers locations in the greater Austin area, and my aunts, uncles and cousins still run the restaurants with the same meticulous eye for quality control that my grandfather started out with. The stores have become an Austin icon, and I promise you won't find a better jalapeno cheese burger in the whole world. (Promise.)
Growing up with such determined family members has given me so much respect for the entrepreneurs of Texas, and a special affinity for Austin and its local businesses. From sweating away in a restaurant kitchen for double shifts to working on the ranch until the sun came down, I come from some hard working Texans, and I know there are many others out there too.
Monday, October 19, 2009
The State Fair of Texas
This past weekend I took a trip up to Dallas with some friends to enjoy the festivities of the Red River Rivalry (the annual UT v. OU football game held at the Cotton Bowl) and the Texas State Fair. The weather was great, the longhorns won (barely), and the food at the fair was as perfectly greasy and unhealthy as always.
My crew at the UT v. OU football game.
The Red River Rivalry has been going on since 1900, and is held in "neutral ground" at the Cotton Bowl football stadium in Dallas. It's always a big event for co-eds from the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma; students take buses from their college town, overrun the hotels of downtown Dallas, and the winning fans take over a bars near SMU for celebratory drinks after the game This year the game was a little scary- the last quarter was too close for comfort, but the Longhorns pulled through, winning 16-13.
View of the Cotton Bowl from the top of the "Texas Star" ferris wheel.
If you've never been to the State Fair of Texas, believe me, it is a site to behold. When I was growing up we would get free fair tickets and a day off in early October just to visit the fair, if that gives you any idea of how huge it is for North Texas. Big Tex, a 52 foot cowboy donning size 70 boots and a 74-gallon hat, is the emcee of the event, and welcomes visitors in a booming voice to enjoy the festivities.
There are plenty of exhibits and shops to enjoy at the fair, including livestock shows and competitions, free concerts, antique car shows, a huge petting zoo, carnival games in Midway, over 300 shops and vendor booths, ethnic and cultural dance groups, and the largest ferris wheel in North America called the Texas Star. But perhaps the one thing more iconic than Big Tex is the food- they have fried everything. Fried butter, fried coke, fried snickers, fried pizza, chicken fried bacon, fried peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and of course, the famous Fletcher's corny dogs.
Fletcher's Corny Dogs are the original corn dog, invented by brothers Carl and Niel Fletcher of Mesquite, Texas in 1942. They have been sold at the fair ever since, and always have the longest line of all the food stands. When I was in high school, my dance team did fundraisers at the corny dog stands, and though the hard work and hot peanut oil made me swear off the crunchy treat for a while, I still love them.
The Red River Rivalry has been going on since 1900, and is held in "neutral ground" at the Cotton Bowl football stadium in Dallas. It's always a big event for co-eds from the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma; students take buses from their college town, overrun the hotels of downtown Dallas, and the winning fans take over a bars near SMU for celebratory drinks after the game This year the game was a little scary- the last quarter was too close for comfort, but the Longhorns pulled through, winning 16-13.
If you've never been to the State Fair of Texas, believe me, it is a site to behold. When I was growing up we would get free fair tickets and a day off in early October just to visit the fair, if that gives you any idea of how huge it is for North Texas. Big Tex, a 52 foot cowboy donning size 70 boots and a 74-gallon hat, is the emcee of the event, and welcomes visitors in a booming voice to enjoy the festivities.
There are plenty of exhibits and shops to enjoy at the fair, including livestock shows and competitions, free concerts, antique car shows, a huge petting zoo, carnival games in Midway, over 300 shops and vendor booths, ethnic and cultural dance groups, and the largest ferris wheel in North America called the Texas Star. But perhaps the one thing more iconic than Big Tex is the food- they have fried everything. Fried butter, fried coke, fried snickers, fried pizza, chicken fried bacon, fried peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and of course, the famous Fletcher's corny dogs.
Fletcher's Corny Dogs are the original corn dog, invented by brothers Carl and Niel Fletcher of Mesquite, Texas in 1942. They have been sold at the fair ever since, and always have the longest line of all the food stands. When I was in high school, my dance team did fundraisers at the corny dog stands, and though the hard work and hot peanut oil made me swear off the crunchy treat for a while, I still love them.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
The Legend of the Bluebonnet
I don't know if other states have this type of store, but in just about every mall in Texas, you can find a gift store dedicated to all the Texas paraphernalia you could possibly want. (And things that a lot of people probably don't want- think airport gift shop times 100.) These stores can be hilariously tacky, and are usually over the top with their products, but the other day I found myself browsing through The Texas Store (original name, no?) in Austin's Barton Creek Mall.
While perusing the aisles for an appropriate gag-gift for a friend's upcoming birthday, I saw a book from my childhood that I had all but forgotten. The book is titled "The Legend of the Bluebonnet" by Tomie de Paola, and my sister and I had it read to us numerous times in school and at home. The story is about a young Native American girl who has to sacrifice her most prized possession, a doll with beautiful blue feathers on her head, to the gods during a great drought. She is very sad, but lovingly throws her doll into the fire, then spreads the ashes in the wind. When she wakes up the next day, there are beautiful blue wildflowers across the hills as a promise for rain and good times to come.
I'm not sure if the legend is true or not, but I do know that the bluebonnet is a highly recognizable symbol for the state of Texas. It has been the state flower since 1901, and many families (including mine when I was younger) take their children and dogs out to fields of bluebonnets in the spring and summer to take family photos in the beautiful wildflowers. There is even an entire festival devoted to the state flower in Chappell Hill, Texas every spring.
While perusing the aisles for an appropriate gag-gift for a friend's upcoming birthday, I saw a book from my childhood that I had all but forgotten. The book is titled "The Legend of the Bluebonnet" by Tomie de Paola, and my sister and I had it read to us numerous times in school and at home. The story is about a young Native American girl who has to sacrifice her most prized possession, a doll with beautiful blue feathers on her head, to the gods during a great drought. She is very sad, but lovingly throws her doll into the fire, then spreads the ashes in the wind. When she wakes up the next day, there are beautiful blue wildflowers across the hills as a promise for rain and good times to come.
I'm not sure if the legend is true or not, but I do know that the bluebonnet is a highly recognizable symbol for the state of Texas. It has been the state flower since 1901, and many families (including mine when I was younger) take their children and dogs out to fields of bluebonnets in the spring and summer to take family photos in the beautiful wildflowers. There is even an entire festival devoted to the state flower in Chappell Hill, Texas every spring.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Don't Mess With Texas
This bold statement can be found all over the Lone Star state- on t-shirts, shot glasses, and on the bumpers of our Ford trucks. While many believe that this threatening sentiment is intended to let the rest of the states know how hardcore we are (and perhaps to some it is) the saying actually started in 1986 as a public service and advertising campaign. About trash.
This anti-littering campaign is sponsored by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), and works to educate Texans about the high cost of litter and promote litter prevention. The campaigns advertisements (like the one featured below) have starred famous Texans, have won numerous awards, and are based on research on littering trends in Texas.
This anti-littering campaign is sponsored by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), and works to educate Texans about the high cost of litter and promote litter prevention. The campaigns advertisements (like the one featured below) have starred famous Texans, have won numerous awards, and are based on research on littering trends in Texas.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
