Attitude Archives | Page 2 of 5 | Funky Texas Traveler

Mar 14 2018

Big Ass Crawfish Bash

In 2017, the Bigass Crawfish Bash grabbed the Guinness World Record for the most crawfish served in an 8-hour period. Almost 15,000 people consumed nearly 60,000 pounds of crawfish served up by 87 boiling teams. The Bash also raised a record $124,000 for charities, including Camp Hope, a place that helps veterans and their families cope with combat PTSD.

When the 4th Annual Bigass Crawfish Bash returns to Gulf Greyhound Park on March 24, you’re going to want to be there. After all, how can they possibly top last year?

Better logistics for one thing. This year, I-45 South won’t be in the middle construction and Bash organizers have set up a shuttle ($5 RT) at Mall of the Mainland. Still, expect to see huge flocks of seagulls circling Gulf Greyhound Park that day.

If the Bigass Crawfish Bash is unfamiliar to you, don’t feel left out. I’d never heard of it either until a friend started talking about it, a few months before the 2017 Bash. The fact this now-giant event exists is because a couple of guys were drinking beer and trying to get out of cooking. When you hear this story, you’ll appreciate the Bash even more.

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Feb 05 2018

Sam Houston – modern lessons for contemporary times

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A few weeks ago, I wrote about a lunch I had with former Texas governor Mark White several months before he died. One of the things we found we had in common was almost evangelical respect for Sam Houston.

A few weeks ago, I found out about a new biography on the last days of Sam Houston. So on my Facebook page, I posted these words, “The more I learn about Sam Houston, the more he inspires me. We camp every April in Sam Houston State Park which is just a few miles from his last home, now a tremendous museum. Statesman, drunkard, war hero, coward, Texas governor kicked to the curb and at the end of it all, a man truly trying to do the best he could. I’ll be interested to read this book.” [Read more…]

Jan 23 2018

How to survive and thrive when your reputation tanks – Life lessons from Mark White

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Last spring, I had lunch with Mark White, the former governor of Texas. I wasn’t attending some huge conference where he was the speaker. It was just Mark and me and Joe Holley, a friend who worked with the Houston Chronicle and got us all together at Mark’s favorite restaurant, The Reef. I got there a little early, so I went to the restroom to check for fashion disasters. Usually scattered and in a rush leaving the house, I’ve been known to put my shirt on inside out or miss a button.

When I got back to the hostess stand, Mark was waiting by himself. “Well, this is awkward,” I thought. “Mark?” I asked. “Linda?” he responded. “I looks like Joe is late as usual,” I said, shaking his hand. ‘Let’s grab a table and stick him with the bill,” Mark said, and any awkwardness disappeared.

We were early for the lunch crowd but heading to the back table, he was stopped by at least two people he knew. Once we sat down, another man came by to introduce himself. Mark was enthusiastic and gracious, even drawing me into the conversation. This tall former state leader with the reddened face and the prominent nose was definitely admired.

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Nov 18 2017

Southwest Airlines Boarding Game

Flying with kids can be a painful experience for the whole family. Here’s a game my husband and I developed that kept our kids occupied while in line to board Southwest Airlines. Miraculously, it even kept them entertained once seated and waiting for other passengers to get settled.

It only works with Southwest Airlines because the airline has a different and quicker boarding procedures than other airlines. That boarding systems also makes Southwest more profitable. No wonder the flight attendants are always cracking jokes.

The Southwest Airlines System

Herb Kelleher drew up Southwest’s original Texas routes on a cocktail napkin. Herb was a prankster but his vision for a profitable discount airline was no joke. Southwest made money because it did away with a lot of luxuries we didn’t want to pay for. But mainly, it cut turnaround time to ten minutes versus one hour for many airlines.

That’s the time it takes to get a load of passengers off and another load of passengers on and get the plane back in the air. Planes only make money when they are flying. The ten-minute turnaround time was the Hail Mary pass that helped save the infant airline in 1972.

To make it happen, Southwest nixed assigned seating. You get an A, B, or C boarding pass and selected a seat once you were on the plane. To occupy my kids while we waited in our assigned group, we played this game. It also works with drunk adults! [Read more…]

Oct 31 2017

Port Aransas post Harvey

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I drove south this past Wednesday with Joe Holley from the Houston Chronicle to see how Port Aransas post Harvey was faring.

Admittedly antsy as I rode the ferry, I worried about my friends and favorite places in this beloved Texas town. My anxiety ratcheted up when I heard from a very good friend who didn’t want me to post on social media that I was headed down there.

“Please delete your facebook post. The last thing the poor island needs right now is people down here who aren’t part of the clean up.” If I could have reversed direction in the ferry line, I might have done so but I am so glad I didn’t.

My friend’s frustrated reaction was completely understandable. I should know. My home in Houston flooded a few days before when Harvey paid us an unwelcome visit. But I was compelled to come down. Port A has always felt special. As Dan Solomon said on a recent Texas Monthly blog, “People from all over Texas have strong, tender feelings toward the town, and have long used the place as a getaway from their day-to-day reality. “

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