Thing 13: Scooter!

After a long wait, here are more fun things in Tyler, TX!!

Not the dog you were looking for, I bet. This is Scooter!

He runs!...

He catches!...

He retrieves!...

I don't know what kind of dog he is, but he is kind of big, really likes to play, and got all up in Tootsie's face once at Ultimate (not in an aggressive way). We keep them separate now. Maybe someday they will be friends. But probably not.

Scooter is trained only to go after colored discs, so he doesn't ruin game discs. Crazy, huh? I thought dogs were colorblind. Here's a picture of Scooter with her owner (Tyler), and a lil' Tootsie in the background. Stay tuned for more picture-based awesomeness!

We'll be back to all-Tootsie all the time soon enough...

Thing 12: Ultimate People vol.2

Here we are again. More far, far away grainy pictures from my sidelined camera phone!

Woah. Intimidating line!

Ridiculous marking skills!

And cross-field flick hucks!! No really, that guy's one of the best on the field. :)  He's also a doctor.

And, the grand finale... raw footage video!!

That's right, two sideline layouts/stretching catches in a row! That's how intense these folks are. Okay, so my image capture skills are terrible, but we really do have some good players here who keep me and each other running, playing D, and jumping for every disc.

You will no doubt dominate here once you're ready to take the field again.

That's it (until next practice!) for the on-field ultimate antics. But there are a few other, non-field Ultimate antics you'll like even more. Yet again, stay tuned in the upcoming days for what was going on next to me on the sidelines!

Thing 11: Tootsie Tries to Speak (now with BONUS KISSING!)

She sure tries.

Thing 10: Ultimate People vol.1

One of the best things about Tyler is that there is a pretty decent group of ultimate players, especially for the size of the town. The biggest gathering is at the university on Wednesday evenings and Sunday afternoons.

There's a far, far away shot of a couple of players. I can name all the ones I can see.

Here's another far, far away shot. Those are in vogue now, you know. But there's more people!

They even run the other direction sometimes! Okay, my phone camera is not great, and my injured self couldn't get many pictures from the sidelines anyway. But that's sure a nice blue jug, huh?

Here's some final proof that ultimate is played in Tyler. I call this one the "grainy photo evidence"!

It's a lot better in person, I promise. There are more far, far away pictures where these came from! And I've got some additional non-action ultimate shots in reserve. Stay tuned!



P.S. - Here is some grass!

Thing 9: Tootsie Plays Dead

She is not good at being dead.

Thing 8: Tootsie kiss!! OMG!!

She loves me! She really loves me! (When I have treats.)

Thing 7: Tootsie Shakes

Tootsie shows she still knows how to shake it.

Thing 6: Tootsie Goes Away

Tonight I'm inaugurating a possibly-daily series of Tootsie videos! She is certainly a fun thing. And she is certainly in Tyler. And she's having some fun here as well.

To start things off, here's a double-dose of our precious one.

Tootsie dances (sort of)...

Then Tootsie goes away (for real)...

Thing 5: UU Fellowship of Tyler

Finally, a semi-serious "fun thing" to post! Today I went here:

Some random person's yellow-brown house with attached garage, you say? Wrong! It's the...

(These pictures are stolen from their website, but I swear, I really went there.) The Unitarian Universality Fellowship of Tyler draws on a self-defined "liberal religion that draws inspiration from many of the world’s religions and other sources."

Check out the lobby:

They have an 11am service on Sundays, which today had about 40 people there. It's a small but attractive space with a few seats left over for visitors. The sanctuary, below, manages to blend a clean, modern look with the feel of a warm cottage.

The service today featured the rabbi from a nearby Reform Jewish Congregation, Congregation Beth El. He gave us the short version of the history of American Judaism and the various denominations around today. The presentation was very informative - especially as its doctrines mirrored that of UU in some ways - without being dry or proselytizing.

Here's another sanctuary shot, featuring the simple seating.

As with most UU services, we sang a number of hymns, heard some themed readings, and heard a guest sermon/presentation. I got to say hello to a handful of people afterwards, all of whom were very nice and welcoming. There were even a handful of people in their 20's and 30s there, though I didn't get a chance to speak with any of them much.

I really enjoyed the service, and plan to go back - probably next Sunday. It was somewhat stimulating, and a good chance to leave the house, be around people, and even sing some hymns! As for me helping with the community service next Saturday, well, we'll see how this coming week shapes up!

...Here's one more sanctuary shot. Looks like a wedding! :)

Thing 4: Yazz Music

Here are a few clips from a jazz concert I went to this week on campus. Dr. Webb's group was playing, and they are really very good. Unfortunately, the audio on my phone is terrible, so there's not much to hear.

That was part of a piano solo by an amazing player, by any city's standards. Here's another, this time on synth:

Dr. Webb soloed a lot, too, mainly on his sax:

...but also on YAZZ FLUTE!!

While these videos do not do the concert justice, I really did enjoy it very much, and look forward to hearing them more. They are one of the live acts that plays on Saturday evenings down at Fresh grocery store. A couple could check them out, have some wine on the patio, and have a real good time!

Thing 3: Animal Medical Center of Tyler

Just a hop and a skip from home sits another fun (or at least great) thing about Tyler.

Ugh. Now that's a terrible nighttime picture!

There, that's better. The Animal Medical Center of Tyler is a quality, welcoming place to bring your pets for all check-ups and health concerns. The staff was professional and helpful in my first visit, even helping me sort through my records to find my pet's latest info.

Yep, those are my scattered records on the exam table. Oops! We got it sorted out, though.

While I waited for some tests to be run, I got a chance to take in the exam room's ambiance. First, there's the comfy and colorful blanket.

(I can't help but suspect it's largely to please the humans.) Of all the cute animal pictures on the walls, my favorite was Dogbacca:

They also had a full complement of industry brochures.

My favorites were these:

1.

Yup, Dog Appeasing Pheromone. Coming in liquid, spray, and "Glade Plug-in -esque" formats, this compound is supposed to help calm your dog in loud or stressful situations. The best part? A warning: "Do NOT spray directly on dog!"

...and 2.

Informative, stylish, and depressing. Perfect!

The visit ended with a helpful, detailed conversation with the veterinarian and founder of AMC, Dr. Laura Cauthen:

 She really took her time to answer my questions and make sure I understood our options for our pet. I'd recommend her and the clinic to anyone!

Lastly, it looks like our little one might have some real competition in Tyler for the title of "cutest pet evar." Check out the tiny-dog pictures, and especially the tiny-dog video a little ways down the page!

http://www.facebook.com/amctyler

Thing 2: Super 1 Foods

 

Today, for the first time, I visited the non-Wal-Mart grocery store closest to our apartment: Super 1 Foods. With a name like that, you know it's got to be awesome. (It is.) And it's on the way home from my school.

The awesome begins even before you enter the store. This place is situated in a prime commercial center, featuring such trendy businesses as:

1.) Dollar Tree, where everything (I assume) is "only a $1.00". (Or, $1.06 plus tax, I assume.) I wonder if they sell $1 hubcaps?

2.) "Anytime Fitness". Fitness. Anytime. Just think of the possibilities!

and 3.) A closed-down Wal-Mart right next door. Any place that closes down a Wal-Mart, man, they've got some staying power. They must doing something right!

Inside, the awesome just keeps getting awesomer. The first section I need to highlight is the flower section. Or the floral department. Or the herbarium. It looks a little something like this:

Bam! What is that? A floral section within another floral section? Floral-section-ception. Seriously, they have two entire rows of flowers. I couldn't even fit a few of them in the shot. Helps that they're in the "Rose Capital of the Country", I suppose. Speaking of...

Yes, you read that correctly. For only $9.99, you can walk home with a DOZEN ROSE CONSUMERS!! Now, I'm not 100% sure what rose consumers are, but considering they're only 83¼ cents each, they've got to be worth it. But wait, if you buy these, do you then become a rose consumer, thereby adding your very self to the list of items eligible to be bought by the dozen? I don't know. I guess the point it, there are perfectly good flowers - nay, two rows of them - in November, about half a mile from where we live.

Let's move on. The other highlight among highlights at this classy joint is the "Mexican" aisle. They didn't even label it the "Potentially Undocumented Eaters' Aisle", and this is Tejas, so that's saying something.

This aisle has everything an America-loving, documented foreign national from the near-south could want, starting, of course, with this:

That's right, chicos and chicas: 80 glorious ounces of kosher dill pickles. 80 OUNCES! This thing was huge. Only someone with a gigantic appetite for pickles would consider buying this monster. I see the phrase "Since 1926" at the top, and assume it is either a best-by date, or the date they were put on the shelf. Either way, I am impressed.

This is by far the best Mexican tradition ever. I know you can read this in the image above, but I need to type out these words anyway. "El Mexicano Pork Cracklins - Fried out pork fat with attached skin". And the little dude on the package has a sombrero. Need I say more?... Great for cooking, indeed.

And what Mexican section would be complete without a "Virgen De San Juan" candle? That's Mexican for "Innards of the Osprey". Gorgeous.

So, all in all, this Super 1 Foods is pretty spectacular. The prices are reasonable, the culturally-diverse selection can't be beat, and the location is perfect. Oh, and did I mention the location?

One parting point about the exterior: this beauty is also in the same parking lot:

In case you can't read it above, that does say "Card & Party Factory".That's the place parties come from. (And cards.) And Super 1 Foods is a few feet away. How awesome is that?

Thing 1: Genghis Grill

A friend and I ate here after the East Texas Symphony Orchestra concert in September. It was great - just like HuHot in Fargo, but I wasn't "post-gin-and-tonic-ill" this time.

They are great because they are faaaast! See?

Seriously, I think I ate two servings before I even sat in my booth.

And they're awesome because they cook on an open grill. With fire. FFFFFFFIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRRRE!

  

(Okay, that didn't actually happen when I was there. This may be a news / fire department photo.)

But Genghis Grill is also great because they support progressive social causes, such as vegetarian diets (the Buddhist Bowl)...

...as well as important community organizations.

I wonder what their syndicate is fighting for? Probably for equal rights, or to end cancer. I dunno. I gave them a dollar and a high five. You can, too, if you come to Tyler, Texas, home of Tyler, Texas' only Genghis Grill location!