The city of Warner Robins, Georgia and Peach County, along with the promise of almost $2.3 million to be spent on traffic and utility improvements, are sealing a deal for Buc-ee’s to invest at least $35 million on a 53,000 square-foot travel center off Interstate 75. It is projected to draw 8,000 to 10,000 vehicles a week, with city leaders hoping visitors will also seek out other attractions in the area after they fill-up, potty and shop. New Buc-ee’s locations outside Texas include several new stores in Alabama, Georgia and Florida.
Don’t trim your crepe myrtles just yet. Wait for Valentine’s Day because the warm weather we are having may trick the tree into thinking it’s spring, then if a freeze comes, it will kill all the new growth. And when you trim them, please look up how to do it properly. Improper trimming is called crepe murder.
Anne-Elisabeth and I visited Texas Roadhouse last night. It was only our second time since they opened because they have peanuts on the floor, and my son is allergic to peanuts. BUT my son wasn’t home, so we said YES and scooted quickly to the mall. Piping hot rolls, whipped cinnamon butter. Heaven. The steaks were displayed as we walked in, and obviously that tactic works because that’s what we both wanted. I asked the server to suggest the ‘best’ steak. We received the small Dallas Filet with a side of sautéed mushrooms, a baked naked sweet potato, fresh vegetables and of course, another order of hot rolls. It was the best steak I had ever ordered in a restaurant. Perfection. Just letting you know. Oh, we also indulged in a Sangria Margarita. That was pretty good, too.
If today were the last day of your life, would you want to do what you are about to do today? Steve Jobs
What about those Astros? Such a disappointment for fans and the kids that look up to players as role models. What the heck is happening to our society where anything goes. I know they fired the Astros manager and general manager. Alex Cora has now parted ways with the Boston Red Sox since it seems he developed the sign-stealing system, but as bad as I hate to put it out there, something should also happen to the players. Wrong is wrong.
The Cosmic Crisp apple aka apple variety WA38, could be a lifesaver for Washington apple growers because it was developed specifically to excel in Washington State’s climate, unlike Gala and Fuji, which were developed outside the states. It took two decades to develop this apple from start to finish. It’s a cross of Honeycrisp and Enterprise apples with the name coming from a starry pattern on the skin formed by small pores called lenticels. The apple is firm, crisp and juicy, resilient and able to stay in good shape for up to 12 months after being harvested and put into storage. Yikes. 12 months?!? When I told my son about the shelf life, his response was, “well, that’s frightening…” It is described in Time Magazine as, “It’s biology, basically.”HEB is now carrying a few of the apples and they are delicious. Washington apple growers will have exclusive rights to the Cosmic Crisp for 10 years.
Congratulations to Bill Yenne, LJ City Manager, celebrating his 40th year of work at the city.
THANK YOU to Jennifer Kolthammer for working in the esplanade in my subdivision. Roses are beautiful!Ella, for my handmade potholder. I love it. A gentleman just walked in the front door of our office to tell us how many hours he spent in our building as a kid, when it was the Look & Listen Record Shop. Aww. Thanks for sharing. Audrey,for the delicious chocolate chip cookies you brought to my office and for spending time with me so we could catch up. Sabrina,at city of LJ, for coming out to check the manhole in my yard. Jesse Aguilar, our favorite credit card guy, for chocolate cake and Moscato. I shared the cake but not the wine 😊.Debra, for the Port of Freeport luncheon invitation. She takes such good care of me. Paula,for stopping by and sharing some love. Hope you got some ‘alone time’ when the kids went back to school. Holiday breaks are tough on moms. It’s so nice to have kids’ home but equally nice when they go.
RECENT BIRTHDAYS: Record producer Phil Spector is 80. TV host John Walsh is 74. America’s Most Wanted. Actor Gerard Depardieu is 71. He has completed more than 170 films since 1967. Actor Frank Langella is 82. Rock singer musician Country Joe McDonald is 78.1960’s psychedelic rock group Country Joe and the Fish.Rhythm & blues singer Abdul ‘Duke’ Fakir is 84. The Four Tops. Rock musician Mick Jones is 75. Foreigner.
TV hostJack Hanna is 73. Actress Wendy Phillips is 68. Falcon Crest. Model Christy Turlington is 51. Actor Taye Diggs is 49. Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Musician Rod Stewart is 75. Comedian actor Larry Storch is 97.The bumbling Corporal Randolph Agarn on F Troop. Fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg is 73. Actor Tim Matheson is 72. Smooth-talking Eric “Otter” Stratton in National Lampoon’s Animal House.
Game show host Bob Eubanks is 82. Rockmusician Tom Hamilton is 68. Aerosmith. Olympic gold medal gymnast Gabby Douglas is 24. Magazine publisher Jann Wenner is 74. Rolling Stone Magazine. Singer Kenny Loggins is 72. Talk show host Katie Couric is 63. Radio-TV personality Howard Stern is 66. Singer Melanie Chisholm is 46. Spice Girls.
Buck Henry died at 89. He co-created Get Smart with Mel Brooks, and hosted SNL 10 times from ’76 -‘80. He was twice nominated for an Academy Award, in 1968 for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Graduate and in 1979 for Best Director for Heaven Can Wait alongside Warren Beatty. Neil Peart, the drummer and lyricist for Rush, died at age 67 of brain cancer, which he had been quietly battling for three-and-a-half years. Wallace Schlemmer of Jones Creek died on January 1, at the exact age of 97. He had many jobs in his lifetime and was as interesting as anyone you’ve ever talked to, explaining the exciting adventures of his life. His obituary said that he had been at Woodlake Nursing Home for the past year and half. I wish I had known. To his sons, please accept our condolences. Lisa & staff.
Forbes top-earning musician of the 2010’s was not Taylor Swift at $825 million, but Dr. Dre at $950 million, because of his Beats products, since he hasn’t put out an album since 2015.
Over the holidays, I worked a little bit in my garage, cleaning, moving around and throwing away. Actually, I had so much furniture that I’m refinishing, I had to clear a path so Champagne’s could deliver a new washer and dryer (which are Speed Queen and so far, I just love them…10-year all parts and labor warranty.) They delivered on Christmas Eve, so I just pretended it was Santa. If any of your appliances should die in the near future, I can recommend Champagne’s. Yikes, how I digress. But there’s just so much information that I need to tell you each week. Back to my garage. In the process of cleaning, I found a paper Sky Lantern still in the package that someone had given my son several years ago. You light a little fire in the middle of the lantern that heats the air inside, making them able to fly and shine at night. Very, very pretty. After reading the instructions and thinking about it, I put it in the ‘giveaway’ pile. Then last week, I read about a fire that raced through a zoo in Germany burning down its entire ape house and killing more than 30 animals. Several witnesses saw the paper lanterns (they use them to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Germany) flying at low altitude near the zoo at midnight. Police received the first emergency calls 38 minutes later. I guess I’m taking the lantern out of the pile and use it for kindling.
An alligator bit an 18-year-old college student who was hiking and wading through the water on a wet trail at Everglades National Park. I’m sorry for the girl but the alligator was probably there first.
More than 1,000 magic tricks went to auction last week at the auction of the late Lonnie Frankel, owner of Frankel’s Costume Company. I have some favorite memories of that place.
If you’re bored this month, it’s your own fault. The International Gem & Jewelry Show Jan. 17-19th. Houston Auto Show Jan. 22-26th. Houston Gun Collectors Association Jan. 25-26th. Brazosport Art League presents Passions of Color plus show…Jan. 14th-Feb. 16th. The BASF Planetarium show, Jewel of the Solar System, Planet Earth is showing until Jan. 28th. My son says that the Grammy award-winning Patti Austin concert on Jan. 18th at The Clarian, will be a fabulous evening. She will be with the Brazosport Jazz Orchestra playing tribute to Ella Fitzgerald.
Harry and Meghan: So, you leave the country where you get too much media attention and intense public scrutiny…such drama…nothing is going to change by moving. They will still have intense public scrutiny. But I don’t blame them. It must be terrible. Meghan Markle is often compared to Wallis Simpson, the last American to disrupt the royal family. (Queen Elizabeth’s father became king after his brother’s abdication because he was told to dump his still-married, once divorced girlfriend from Baltimore or dump the crown. He chose the girl.) I don’t really see comparison at all. It’s WAY more like Yoko Ono and the Beatles. So, in reference to them becoming financially independent…Diana left him millions, they’ll be fine. Madame Tussauds London has already removed Meghan and Harry’s figures, so they no longer appear in the Royal Family set. The popular figures will be moved to another area in the attraction.
It was the final moments of Canada’s Family Feud. The question was, “Name Popeye’s favorite food.” Before the host could even get all the way through his question, the contestant interrupted with a scream of, “Chicken,” and broke into a very premature, happy dance. Sigh.
John Mayer released a Christmas song, entitled CVS Bag, addressing the limited shopping options at his family home in a small town. Here are some of the words.“I fell asleep too early / I woke up at midnight / I was hungry / It was alright, you were there / CVS bag on the table…Mariah Carey, watch out.
The U.S. Postal Service’s new Priority Mail stamp featuring Big Bend releases on Jan. 18. It is a beautiful stamp, a miniature work of art, and will cost $8. There are several new stamps…a few are Year of the Rat (I’ve known some rats), Made of Hearts (perfect for Valentines), Let’s Celebrate, Wild Orchids, Arnold Palmer, Contemporary Boutonniere, Garden Corsage, American Gardens, Voices of Harlem Renaissance, Hip Hop, Fruits & Vegetables, Women Vote, Mayflower, and my favorite…Earth Day. That’s a bunch of new stamps. You should write someone a letter.
Australia – I’m so sad for the people and animals of Australia…actually, there are some animals that I like better than people but that’s a column for another day. The Australia Zoo, owned by the late Steve Erwin’s family, has taken in over 90,000 animal patients and more are expected. Koala bears tend to climb further up in trees when danger arrives, but when the oils in the eucalyptus trees heat up, the plant releases flammable gas, which ignites into a fireball.Nicole Kidman and Pink have both donated $500,000 each with many celebrities now making or matching their pledges. I couldn’t understand how so many new fires were popping up. Pyro-cumulus clouds (pyro mean fire and cumulus means pile up)are forming which are creating fire-induced thunderstorms, then lightening from those storms start new fires. NASA operates a hotspot detection program which identifies fires on a daily basis. Google: Nasa Satellite Active Fire Hotspot Detection. It’s so interesting to watch. 24 people have been charged with deliberately setting fires with 183 facing legal action.In addition to those, authorities said another 53 people are facing legal action for not complying with the state’s fire ban and another 47 people for discarding a lit cigarette or match on land. Starting a bush fire intentionally and being reckless in causing its spread can result in up to 21 years in prison.
Life is a one-time offer, use it well. Thanks for reading us this week. We appreciate you.
Lisa Baker
