Ale for the Soul

Four days in to the new year, and I can already tell 2020 will be better and different from the previous few years.  To start off the New Year, I participated in The First Day Hike at Cleburne State Park in Cleburne.  This activity is sponsored by The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and is well-worth taking part in.  In previous years, I would see this hike advertised in the TPWD magazine and usually tell myself I'll do this next year.  Well, the time to do it was now...no more procrastination.  Not knowing what to expect, I had no such expectations going in to the hike.  To my surprise, there was quite a turn-out of people.  The hike was short but sweet, and not very rigorous; however, I did slip and busted my "pride" due to wearing the wrong type of shoes.  Thank goodness I have a lot of additional padding on my backside.  Then, on Saturday, January 4th, I signed up for the Penintentiary Hollow Wild Walk at Lake Mineral State Par...

Happy New Year!  Last year was good to me in spite of a rocky journey in regard to employment.  As I grow older, which I did turning 46 years old on the 27th of December, I strive for stability and an even-tempered lifestyle.  Dramatic ups and downs no longer appeal to me anymore.  I am nearing a five-year anniversary living in the same apartment...the longest I've continuously lived in any one place.  Now, if only I can find that one job that will stick.  I had four jobs in 2019: I was fired from two of them, one I resigned, and who knows what happened with the other.  No need to reenact the cause behind why the jobs didn't work out; however, maybe I can find employment that will allow me to flourish as the person God created me to be.  2019 was a blessing for relationships.  One year ago, I met a new friend whom means the world to me.  As this friend as now moved away, I smile at the memory of her impact on my life.  People come a...

The week-long vacation has come to an end.  The time away was filled with lots of activity, including time spent with family and friends.  The previous weekend was the first time my siblings and I have met up concurrently since the passing of our father.  Then I was able to spend a week with Mom in Yoakum.  Friday was my 46th birthday, and I celebrated by smoking a cigar at Pipe World in Austin.  That was the last hurrah before making the trek to Fort Worth.  Traffic through Waco was brutal.  Part of the trouble may have been the holiday travellers; however, I believe the primary cause was due to road construction.  Even though I don't care about living in Fort Worth, I was glad to get back to a life of normalcy or routine.  Unfortunately, I need to buckle down on finding employment.  Thankfully, I have two interviews planned for this week.  Maybe something will come about as a result.  Anyway, I hope all my readers had a great...

On Friday, December 21, I met my sister at the Ol' South Pancake House in Fort Worth.  She flew in from Hawaii in order to spend a few weeks with friends and family.  After a hearty breakfast, along with a couple of errands, we were on the road headed south to Austin.  In Waco, we made a stop at the Magnolia Market at the Silos.  Of course I know who Chip and Jo Ann Gaines are, but my sister was more enthusiasted about checking this place out than I was.  Nonetheless, I still had fun since it was time spent with family.  After checking out the market, we made a stop for gas and some shopping at Bucee's.  This particular "brand" of gasoline and convenience store is a Texas phenomoneon.  They pride themselves on the cleanest bathrooms, and, so far, I have never been disappointed.  Once in Austin, we treated ourselves to a late lunch at Trudy's on Burnet Road and then shopping at The Salvation Army Store.  By early evening, we finally calle...

Almost three weeks have transpired since losing my job with Clark's.  Since then, I have been at a loss as to where to look for employment.  In the meantime, I have been enjoying the free time, but I know this must eventually come to an end.  Last week, I was able to spend a day and a half with a very dear friend.  She is still struggling, burdened with the trials and difficulties of life.  My heart is breaking, along with many tears shed, grieving for her.  She is such a dear friend, even though she isn't emotionally capable of reciprocating that friendship.  Many prayers are cast on her behalf as she walks through the valley of the shadow of death.  I'm not alone in interceding for her.  During church, I reach out to my spiritual family in requesting prayer.  As a spiritual brother, I refuse to let the enemy steal, kill, and destroy her life.  Present circumstances impede her spiritual vision, but I trust Almighty God to get her t...

As the Thanksgiving holiday came to an end, I sadly bade farewell to the week-long vacation enjoyed with family and friends.  Before heading back to Fort Worth, I spent about six hours in Austin.  Once eating lunch and a little bit of shopping were out of the way, I smoked two cigars at Pipe World on Anderson Lane.  Since running out of cigars on Tuesday, the two I smoked were very enjoyable.  In addition, I purchased a new Erik Nording pipe.  The original pipe I purchased about five years ago now has a stress fracture in the bowl.  It's still smokeable, but I've been wanting a new pipe for quite some time.  Eventually, I left Austin at about 3:30 p.m.  Even though I don't care for the present city of my residence, I was comforted by a return to the routine of daily life.  The time away performed wonders for my mental and emotional health.  Too much time had passed since I was last able to get away for a few days.  Now it's back to ...

Since leaving the Fort Worth area, I have been busy taking advantage of staying with my mother in Yoakum.  First on the agenda was a day spent in Victoria.  Among other things, and the cherry on the cake, so to speak, was a time of fellowship with my friend James.  We topped off our visit by smoking a cigar on his front porch.  I felt so free and unstressed by my time around the old stomping ground.  The next day, I headed to Palmetto State Park near Gonzales, Texas.  I hadn't been there since Cub Scouts well-over thirty years ago.  It was exactly as I remembered it, only better.  Overall, I only spent a few hours at the park, which included smoking a cigar, but I very much enjoyed the trip down memory lane.  If I could have foreseen how beautiful the weather would have turned out, I would have spent the first few days of my trip camping out under the stars.  Oh well, maybe next time!  Today I spent part of the morning in Cuero, Tex...