Ray watches on Sunday as Paul and Scott tug on this sixty yard long conduit they pulled out of the channel. It was left over from the old pier and they used Scott's boat to tow it to the ramp and drug it from there. It's not obvious from my photo, but they had to put some serious effort into pulling it on shore.
I talked to Mandy at the Texas Public Utility Commission yesterday as well as Anthony at Cirro Energy about the $6,000 bill we received. They have trouble understanding why one of our board members would have signed a long term agreement for the electrical services on Richy's property. That is hard to explain. There may be some culpability on the part of that board member. I asked Anthony, he wouldn't let me reach a supervisor, to get with Hilda Olmeda at the AEP and she would confirm that we did not terminate any electrical services to our property. Likely we will hear nothing, but penalties and interest will be added to the $6,000. It was with great fanfare when Governor Perry deregulated electrical services in Texas and promised competition would bring better service and lower prices. Just the opposite has happened.
A 40+ drum has decided to make our mitigation site his personal HEB and he shops regularly. He is so large and the water so shallow, he looks like the Lochness Monster when he prowls the site with half his back exposed. Last evening, just for grins, I threw my tandem lures over his back as he was close to shore. I snagged him near the tail and pulled him around 90 degrees and parallel to my line. Fortunately, my hook slipped off and he continued to prowl without even acknowledging my hookup. I guess when you are that big you can't let the little things bother you. I do have two poles set out there right now baited with small perch. I hope those are not on his shopping list as I would have to restring those reels.
Yesterday for lunch I decided to visit K-Bob's as I had not been there in weeks. I waited until 2:30pm so it would not be too busy. I was seated in a corner in the bar area. After 20 minutes and no waitstaff to take my order, I rose and asked to be seated in an area with an active waitstaff member. I was, but soon realized that the adjective "active" did not mean the same to me as it did to them. I looked around and everyone in the place seemed to be impatiently waiting for service. Finally, a waitress took my order for a "Sirtender" steak. After another 45 minutes the manager brought out my order himself and apologized for the problems they were having. I thought at least the meal would be worth the wait. Wrong! I have never in my life been served a more grizzled piece of meat. I should have sent it back, but by this time I thought I could eat shoe leather. Wrong again. I have all 32 original teeth and despite my best efforts this steak was impossible. My jaw muscles became sore and I developed a headache.
My waitress made her second appearance at my table to bring me the check. I dutifully paid and started out the door when the manager, Lee Burden, caught up with me. Again he apologized and offered me a $15 gift certificate. While we were talking another waitress approached him and said a customer at table 32 wanted to speak to him. I think he had a really bad afternoon. I wasn't as unhappy as I was disappointed at "Sirtender" being "Sirtough". He did say he has to cook what corporate sends him, but to stay in business it better get better.
This week's blog stats show I had hits from 42 cities in Texas. Someone in Ballinger hits it nearly every, but I have no idea who that may be or where Ballinger is. There were hits from 25 states with the State of Virginia, or is that a commonwealth, leading the pack with 19 hits. I don't know who is in Virginia either.