You should go to sleep Sue Ellen, you know how haggard you look when you don't get your full eight hours.

Texas is not California.

Admittedly, I have limited evidence for this statement, having spent just a bit more than a day in 'the Lone Star State', but the massive expanses of empty concrete, with low rise blocks housing McDonald's, Taco Bells, Johnny's Italian Cucina, the Texan Steak House, the Boot Factory and so on, built around freeways, fly overs, and glass towers glinting in the sun, were all indicators.







The "Y'all have a good day, now" (insert drawl) when we left our diner, was another indicator.





I flew to Dallas on Friday afternoon to visit my friends D. the Pool Champion & D. the Invincible, who are in Texas for medical treatment for D. the Invincible. We stayed in Arlington, a picturesque place between Dallas and Fortsworth, overlooking the original Six Flag Theme park. Arlington is the largest city in the US with no public transport. It was a quick, sharp visit, but so much better to talk face to face over a 4x2 breakfast special.





On Saturday D. the Pool Champion and I went on a pilgrimage. For you sisters, born after 1970, you might not understand why we would bother to drive for an hour to get here, but others will understand.
We visited the South Fork Ranch, home of the Ewing family.



D. the Pool Champion, and I enthusiastically had our picture taken in the Ewing Museum - how long can this still be an attraction, you ask yourself? - and then hopped on the mini bus for the grand tour, the driver assuring us he would make an attempt at humor, tips appreciated. Not more than a 100 meters further, we stopped in front the Ewing mansion. Much smaller than we remembered; "Ah, the magic of television ". The magic had also been applied to the driveway which had been extended in the series by inserting double shots, making it longer. Another illusion was shattered when they told us that the house was not actually used for the inside shots. The rooms are now decorated 'as an homage to the characters'.



We came to understand why we had been so surprised by the cold weather in Texas. All the outside shots for the series Dallas were done in summer and used throughout the year. All these years, we have been led to believe that Texas was always sunny and warm. Not so in real life.

But hey, we ticked this box off.

We kissed the picture of JR, hanging in the museum, and now D the Invincible is going to get better.


Love S1




Update with permission, D, the Pool Champion, Texas style