We Be Trippin': The Great DIS-nee Road Trip

[catotigger]

I know! The butler did it! Hey... wait, that's me!

I knew it! I knew it was YOU!

Really, FTC, you are TOO funny!

 

[DISgeeksfromDC]

Howdy! (vague response from audience)

I said HOWDY! (at least 2 people still lurking respond with a small howdy)

Welcome to Texas A&M University!

I'm Cathie, Class of '83!

Before we start touring the campus, I have a special surprise for you!

Introducing Segway Bob!

That's right! We all get our own Segway to ride for our tour of the campus!

Segway Bob - show us how to ride our Segways!

<OK - everyone pretend you're riding a Segway!>

"HOWDY!" Cat.

A Segway Tour?!? Woo-hoo!!

Look out, people! Make way for Mrs. DISgeeks!

(Whoa! ... Sooooooo, how do you stop this thing??)

 

[DISgeeksfromDC]

THIS is IT! Just because I've been feeding you la-dee-da food this week, doesn't mean that you've been eating traditional Texas grub! So remember Guideline #1!

Tonight we are heading out to Snook, Texas for a local delicacy: Chicken Fried Bacon!

Yes, you read that correctly - Chicken Fried Bacon!

There is a little hole-in-the-wall place that serves up this amazingly wonderful treat. I first learned of it thru a Texas show called Texas Country Reporter. Here's their video:

Chicken Fried Bacon Video


Now, if you think I was willing to just LINK to this, you are wrong! I needed to explore for myself, so I could report truthfully about this food!

I got all the guys I work with, and we took a field trip to Snook for lunch one Friday.

What fun, Cat! I'm glad you turned your leg of the journey into an excuse for a field trip with friends. I hope that you and your colleagues really enjoyed yourselves!

You can tell by the sign, it's a classy place!

'Kinda reminds me of a sign I spotted -- and photographed -- en route home from Disney World: The "AFFL [Waffle] HOUE" restaurant, where you're guaranteed a truly awful waffle (?)

...Or, maybe you're promised a reeeeally "Affl" experience. ​

Uhhhh, I'd like to buy a "w," please!? (And maybe an "e" and an "s," too!)

The Menu - please note the ads for a Gun Shop, Home Health Agency, and a Funeral Home!

Ahhhhh - the Bacon!

And one more time...CHICKEN FRIED BACON!!!!!!!

As for the menu... With tasty, artery-clogging staples such as CHICKEN FRIED BACON, I guess the joint sort of lends itself to Funeral Home advertisements!

Was the chicken-fried bacon a unanimous hit? I think I mentioned before that I tried the fried pickle chips at Cheeseburger in Paradise and absolutely loved them! (Oh well! Everything in moderation... )

 

[catotigger]

What fun, Cat! I'm glad you turned your leg of the journey into an excuse for a field trip with friends. I hope that you and your colleagues really enjoyed yourselves!





'Kinda reminds me of a sign I spotted -- and photographed -- en route home from Disney World: The "AFFL [Waffle] HOUE" restaurant, where you're guaranteed a truly awful waffle (?)

...Or, maybe you're promised a reeeeally "Affl" experience. ​

Uhhhh, I'd like to buy a "w," please!? (And maybe an "e" and an "s," too!)


As for the menu... With tasty, artery-clogging staples such as CHICKEN FRIED BACON, I guess the joint sort of lends itself to Funeral Home advertisements!

Was the chicken-fried bacon a unanimous hit? I think I mentioned before that I tried the fried pickle chips at Cheeseburger in Paradise and absolutely loved them! (Oh well! Everything in moderation... )

Ooooh - love those pickle chips! We have those here, too!

It just proves my theory that deep fat frying makes just about anything taste better! I have a Disney related story about that...I'll share it sometime!

As for the Chicken Fried Bacon...it was almost a unanimous hit. Most the guys and myself agreed it was well worth the trip! But one of my co-workers is super health concious, and generally eats vegetarian. He does eat some seafood, and there are rumors that when backed in a corner he has eaten a Sonic corn dog. (I've never seen it! )

Anyway, he came with us because of the comraderie, and after my begging and pleading, he tried the a piece of the bacon. Well...he refused to give a comment, but I swear the lifting of the left eyebrow was one of pleasant surprise rather than one of disdain!

And note - he is not shown in any of the pictures I took! I promised to publish no evidence of his even being at that place! (His partner would NOT understand!) But I do have a couple of pics under lock and key - just in case I ever need blackmail material!

 

[Justin M]

Love the Texas trip, Cat!! You're a wonderful tour guide!!!

 

[DSNY4ever]

Loved Segway Bob! Can I bring my segway home with me, I want to zip around town here And Chicken Fried Bacon?!?! That was definitely a first...I have never heard of that, but who doesn't love bacon

 

[catotigger]

Love the Texas trip, Cat!! You're a wonderful tour guide!!!

Thanks, Justin!

Of course, I'm learning from YOU!

 

[catotigger]

Loved Segway Bob! Can I bring my segway home with me, I want to zip around town here And Chicken Fried Bacon?!?! That was definitely a first...I have never heard of that, but who doesn't love bacon

Mmmmm, bacon!

And of COURSE everyone can keep their own Segway! I've even designed special license plates!

 

[catotigger]

Speaking of Segways, let's hop back on for the last bit of our Texas A&M tour!

For those of you who don't know, the first President Bush (we call him 41), decided to have his Library and Museum built here at Texas A&M. We still don't know why --he didn't come to school here--and he was stationed in west Texas -- but there you have it! He picked College Station!

Careful now, stay together, we're going to go "across the tracks" to West Campus and beyond, to visit the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum.

Official George Bush Website

Info from the site:

The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum

The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum is located on a ninety-acre site on the West Campus of Texas A&M University. The Library and Museum is situated on a plaza adjoining the Presidential Conference Center and the Texas A&M Academic Center. It operates under the administration of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) under the provisions of the Presidential Libraries Act of 1955.
Fact Sheet

• The museum is open seven days a week with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Hours are Monday - Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays, noon to 5 p.m.
• Admission is $7.00 for adults; senior citizens and active/retired military is $6.00; groups of 20 or more with advanced reservations are $5.00, children 6-17 years old are $3.00, children under 6 are and Texas A&M and Blinn students with a valid ID are free, all other college students are $3.00.
• The museum now features state-of-the-art audio guides featuring the voices of George and Barbara Bush as well as their Daughter Doro Bush Koch. The guides are available in English and Spanish, and an audio descriptive version is available for visitors who are visually impaired. The cost to rent an audio guide is $3.00.
• The museum recently completed an $8.3 million renovation to the main exhibit on the life of George Bush. With the renovation the museum video content has increased 10-fold and the latest in touch screen and interactive technology has been implemented.
• The library and museum is a 21,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility dedicated to the preservation, research, and exhibition of official records, personal papers, and memorabilia of George H. W. Bush. Included are the main gallery space dedicated to The Life and Times of George Bush and a changing exhibit gallery. The first exhibit in this space documented the life of President and Mrs. Bush since the White House, with memorabilia that included the parachute used in his 1997 jump with the Golden Knights in Arizona. Other exhibits that have been features were: Flexing the Nation's Muscle; The Longest Winter: Berlin and the Cold War; Christmas in the White House; Barbara Bush: An Extraordinary Journey; Trains: Tracks of the Iron Horse and The White House in Miniature.
• The library and museum is part of the George Bush Presidential Library Center which is also home to the prestigious Bush School of Government and Public Service and the George Bush Presidential Library Foundation.
• The library and museum contains 43 million pages of documents, one million photographs, thousands of sound and video recordings, and other volumes of information documenting the life and career of President George H.W. Bush.
• The museum collection holdings contain more than 90,000 artifacts ranging from a White House dog house for Millie, to solid gold palm trees, to the Kuwaiti Door located in our Gulf War exhibit. The museum collections also include over 3,000 of the gifts from the foreign heads of state that George Bush received as president and many of the gifts that he received as vice president.
• Included in the library and museum's documents are all of George Bush's vice presidential and presidential records, as well as scores of personal papers from his public service career as a U.S. Congressman, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Chief of the U.S. Liaison Office in Beijing, China, and Director of Central Intelligence.
• The library and museum opened to the public on November 7, 1997. The library's research room opened January 20, 1998, according to Presidential Records Act guidelines. The research room is open Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except federal holidays.
• Included in the museum's main exhibit are items ranging from a 1925 film of George H. W. Bush's first steps in Kennebunkport, Maine, documents that highlight his service at the CIA and United Nations, and records and correspondence from his tenure as the 41st President of the United States of America. Other areas of the gallery include a TBM Avenger aircraft, a 1947 Studebaker, ordinance from Operation Desert Storm, a segment of the Berlin Wall, replicas of President Bush's Camp David Office, Oval Office and White House Press Room, as well as numerous foreign and domestic gifts.
• Of special significance is a classroom, the first of its kind in the Presidential Libraries network. The classroom may be used by student groups as a computer learning lab or as a traditional classroom.

To contact the library and museum, call (979) 691-4000 or visit on the web at http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu.

The visiting exhibit that just left was:

It had some really interesting stuff that can still be viewed online here: Born to Play Ball

 

[catotigger]

And as long as we're looking at Libraries, let's finish up our tour by riding by all the Libraries here at Texas A&M University.

FYI - I used to do microcomputer customer support for all the staff at these facilities! My main area of responsibility was at the Library Annex, where I still have an office...

West Campus Library

Medical Sciences Library

Cushing Library

Sterling C. Evans Library (left) and Annex (right)

 

[catotigger]

Now, you can always tell an Old Ag, because we usually start most sentences with "When I went to school here..."

When I went to school here, we would have concluded with a stop at The Creamery. This was a small building in the middle of campus, where students could learn to manufacture dairy products.

They provided the dairy products to Food Services, but some products you could walk in and buy. Including Ice Cream. Fresh, just as good as homemade, from milk from the cows that day, Ice Cream.

And I'd pass it almost everyday on the way to and from class from my dorm. Luckily, I kept myself from stopping more than once a week!

Anyway, they had THE BEST ice cream and milkshakes! And so cheap! But they closed in 1991, to make way for the stupid building my office is in! And the parking garage I now park in! Shoot!

Well, we could use the wayback feature on the cat-o-timer, but I thought I'd take you on one more field trip to the current home of THE BEST ice cream now available:

Blue Bell Creameries

Their motto is: "We eat all we can and sell the rest…"

This is just down the road in Brenham, and I thought a tour of the creamery would be a fitting way to end our time here in Aggieland!

If you want to pretend you are really there, watch this video! How we do it video

At the end of the tour, we all get to have a scoop of ice cream! Yummy!

Check out the description of the newest flavor:

Candy Jar - Gold Rim

Rich caramel ice cream containing all of your favorite candy pieces - peanut butter cups, chocolate chunks, peanut brittle, chunks of caramel and chocolate crisp pieces. Click here!

It used to be that you could only buy Blue Bell in Texas, but now they've spread out to these states:

Now, I know it's hard not to want some of this, and if I had the money, I'd use Blue Bell's handy dandy service to send you all some ice cream!

However, due to the high price of shipping ice cream, it costs $119 to ship 4 (four) Half-gallons of the stuff! So I hope you understand why I'm sending this triple decker cone instead!

 

[tothesea]

And one more time...CHICKEN FRIED BACON!!!!!!!

Never never never had I ever heard of this...ever!!! You would think it would be an Oklahoma thing too...maybe it is, still just amazing!

What I really loved though, was that you actually went and took a bunch of people with you--how fun! You really made it an adventure!

 

[tothesea]

Mmmmm, bacon!

And of COURSE everyone can keep their own Segway! I've even designed special license plates!

I loved Segway Bob too, but this is even better!!!

And now we know where to find you every day! The annex looks the most interesting. I've always heard stories of A&M and of course aggie jokes. And it sounds like the rumors (traditions) are true--even the ones you probably couldn't reveal!

 

[tothesea]

Now, you can always tell an Old Ag, because we usually start most sentences with "When I went to school here..."

When I went to school here, we would have concluded with a stop at The Creamery. This was a small building in the middle of campus, where students could learn to manufacture dairy products.

They provided the dairy products to Food Services, but some products you could walk in and buy. Including Ice Cream. Fresh, just as good as homemade, from milk from the cows that day, Ice Cream.

And I'd pass it almost everyday on the way to and from class from my dorm. Luckily, I kept myself from stopping more than once a week!

Anyway, they had THE BEST ice cream and milkshakes! And so cheap! But they closed in 1991, to make way for the stupid building my office is in! And the parking garage I now park in! Shoot!

Well, we could use the wayback feature on the cat-o-timer, but I thought I'd take you on one more field trip to the current home of THE BEST ice cream now available:

Blue Bell Creameries

Their motto is: "We eat all we can and sell the rest…"

This is just down the road in Brenham, and I thought a tour of the creamery would be a fitting way to end our time here in Aggieland!

If you want to pretend you are really there, watch this video! How we do it video

At the end of the tour, we all get to have a scoop of ice cream! Yummy!

Check out the description of the newest flavor:

Candy Jar - Gold Rim

Rich caramel ice cream containing all of your favorite candy pieces - peanut butter cups, chocolate chunks, peanut brittle, chunks of caramel and chocolate crisp pieces. Click here!

It used to be that you could only buy Blue Bell in Texas, but now they've spread out to these states:

Now, I know it's hard not to want some of this, and if I had the money, I'd use Blue Bell's handy dandy service to send you all some ice cream!

However, due to the high price of shipping ice cream, it costs $119 to ship 4 (four) Half-gallons of the stuff! So I hope you understand why I'm sending this triple decker cone instead!

Thanks for the ice cream Cat!!! It sure hit the spot, especially in the 105 degree heat that isn't real thanks to your guidelines! I didn't know Blue Bell wasn't national...I knew Braums is just our area. The 2 best in my opinion!

Thanks too for all your work to show us such a great time! I can't wait to see you in charge of tours, activities, and fun stuff at Disney one day! You'd be awesome at it!

 

[catotigger]

Never never never had I ever heard of this...ever!!! You would think it would be an Oklahoma thing too...maybe it is, still just amazing!

What I really loved though, was that you actually went and took a bunch of people with you--how fun! You really made it an adventure!

We had so much fun on that field trip! In fact, it's been a while since we went, and there are rumblings it's time to take another one! I wonder who started the rumblings?

Thanks for the ice cream Cat!!! It sure hit the spot, especially in the 105 degree heat that isn't real thanks to your guidelines! I didn't know Blue Bell wasn't national...I knew Braums is just our area. The 2 best in my opinion!

Thanks too for all your work to show us such a great time! I can't wait to see you in charge of tours, activities, and fun stuff at Disney one day! You'd be awesome at it!

Thank you so much! If nothing else, I should be able to point out all the places to get ice cream at Disney!

I loved Segway Bob too, but this is even better!!!

And now we know where to find you every day! The annex looks the most interesting. I've always heard stories of A&M and of course aggie jokes. And it sounds like the rumors (traditions) are true--even the ones you probably couldn't reveal!

I'm glad you like your Segway!

And how did you know I was going to share some Aggie jokes?

Why did the Aggie get fired from the M&M factory?
He kept throwing away the W's.

An Aggie ordered a pizza and the clerk asked if he should cut it in six or twelve pieces.
"Six, please," said the Aggie. "I could never eat twelve pieces."

Why did the Aggie get so excited after he finished his jigsaw puzzle in only 6 months?
Because on the box it said From 2-4 years.

Why did the Aggie stare at a frozen orange juice can for over an hour?
Because it said 'concentrate'.

Why did the Aggie tip-toe past the medicine cabinet?
So he wouldn't wake up the sleeping pills.

How many Aggies does it take to eat an armadillo?
Three. One to do the eating, and two to watch for cars.

A Longhorn walks into a bar. The bartender asks him what he wants. He says he doesn't want anything, but asks the bartender if he wants to hear an Aggie joke.
The bartender says, "See that man to your left. He is 6'5 and 300 lbs. See that man to your right. He is 6'3 and 280 lbs. I am 6'4 and 275 lbs. You know what we all have in common. We're all Aggies. So do you still want to tell that joke?"
The Longhorn says, "No I guess not. I wouldn't want to have to explain it three dang times."

Did you hear about the Aggie at the stop sign?
Well, he's still there!

There are many more, of course! But here ends our adventures in Aggieland!

 

[tothesea]

I'm glad you like your Segway!

Aww, thank you! I love it!!!

And how did you know I was going to share some Aggie jokes?

Why did the Aggie get fired from the M&M factory?
He kept throwing away the W's.

An Aggie ordered a pizza and the clerk asked if he should cut it in six or twelve pieces.
"Six, please," said the Aggie. "I could never eat twelve pieces."

Why did the Aggie get so excited after he finished his jigsaw puzzle in only 6 months?
Because on the box it said From 2-4 years.

Why did the Aggie stare at a frozen orange juice can for over an hour?
Because it said 'concentrate'.

Why did the Aggie tip-toe past the medicine cabinet?
So he wouldn't wake up the sleeping pills.

How many Aggies does it take to eat an armadillo?
Three. One to do the eating, and two to watch for cars.

A Longhorn walks into a bar. The bartender asks him what he wants. He says he doesn't want anything, but asks the bartender if he wants to hear an Aggie joke.
The bartender says, "See that man to your left. He is 6'5 and 300 lbs. See that man to your right. He is 6'3 and 280 lbs. I am 6'4 and 275 lbs. You know what we all have in common. We're all Aggies. So do you still want to tell that joke?"
The Longhorn says, "No I guess not. I wouldn't want to have to explain it three dang times."

Did you hear about the Aggie at the stop sign?
Well, he's still there!

There are many more, of course! But here ends our adventures in Aggieland!

They are never ending and for some reason, just always funny!

And yes, I'm thinking you need to get everyone and go back for more bacon and good times! But I can't even guess who instigated it this time!

 

[FirstTimeCaller]

When I went to school here, we would have concluded with a stop at The Creamery. This was a small building in the middle of campus, where students could learn to manufacture dairy products.

Umm... just how long ago did you go to school? Never mind. Forget I asked.

 

[DSNY4ever]

YEAH! I love my DSNY4ever segway!! And the aggie jokes gave me a good laugh. I have to admit I have never had Blue bell ice cream- now I have to try Blue Bell ice cream AND chicken fried bacon!

 

[catotigger]

Umm... just how long ago did you go to school? Never mind. Forget I asked.

 

[catotigger]

YEAH! I love my DSNY4ever segway!! And the aggie jokes gave me a good laugh. I have to admit I have never had Blue bell ice cream- now I have to try Blue Bell ice cream AND chicken fried bacon!

You'll definitely have to plan a trip here sometime...I'll give you a REAL tour, and even buy you bacon and ice cream! Ummmm, that didn't come out right!