This morning I had an interesting experience in the shower (no visualizations, please). Upon entering the shower I noticed that there was not a bar of soap to be found. I remembered that Bethany mentioned that there was a large plastic bottle of body wash instead of soap. Unfortunately for me there were actually eight large plastic bottles in the shower, which wouldn't pose much of a problem for a sighted person, but for a person such as myself with 20-1,000,000 vision and no glasses it brought about a slight problem. Try as I might I could not definitively make out what any of the bottles said. The first one I tried left me feeling as if I had rubbed butter all over myself, which I decided wasn't a good thing. So, I did my best to find another bottle that would produce a better outcome. This one smelled like coconuts and also left me feeling a little slimy. After my shower I returned with my glasses to determined exactly what I had bathed in. I discovered that by first coat was conditioner, and my second was volumizer. I thought I looked like I had a little more volume after my shower.
Have you ever wondered how the city of Round Rock got its name? I'm sure many of you have laid awake many a night pondering this very question. Well, you're in luck because I'm going to let you in on the secret of the Round Rock name. In the middle of Brushy Creek (that's really the name of the creek), at a spot where wagons used to ford the creek back in the 1800's before there was a bridge, is a round rock that marked the low water point of the creek. No kidding, there is actually a rock that is almost round. Not round like a ball, but round like a circle. It seems that when the time came to assign a name to the newly established post office, the newly named postmaster was a local boy who had fished from the round rock as a lad, and based on his fond memories of all the fish he caught he more or less forced the residents to abandon the name Brushy Creek in favor of Round Rock. Vicki and Bethany are pictured on the bridge near the famous round rock of Round Rock.
For breakfast on Friday morning Bethany took us to the "World Famous Round Rock Donuts" which is a bakery that has been in operation in Round Rock since 1923 (I think). We showed up around 9:00, and unlike most donuts shops that are deserted after the "pick up some donuts on the way to work crowd" has come by, this place was hoppin'. There was a long line at the drive-thru and another line inside. As first-time guests (Bethany lied) we were each given a complimentary donut to munch on while we decided what to order. We ordered an assortment and opted to enjoy our delicious junk food in the ambiance of a concrete table about four feet from the street in the blazing sun. If you're ever in Round Rock you need to definitely stop by this place. They're open until 9:00 p.m. I considered buying one of their tee shirts, but the cowboy riding the donut wasn't really happening for me (see picture of authentic Styrofoam cup below).
After the donut feast Vicki and Bethany dropped me off at the Texas State History Museum in downtown Austin. With the exception of Ellis Island, this is probably the best museum in the world, especially for a Texan. This was actually the second time I've visited there in the last few months. The first time I was accompanied by Bethany and Vicki and I didn't quite make it all the way through the museum before they were ready to leave. I would highly recommend a day-long visit for any true Texan (such as myself) who has a desire to learn and know as much as possible about our great and beloved state. I suggest allotting at least seven hours to get through the museum, unless you're a luke-warm run-of-the-mill Texan (like Vicki and Bethany), and then you should plan on about 45 minutes to blow through on your way to the gift shop and then the snack bar (I hear they have Blue Bell). My favorite exhibit was an audio rendition of a letter written by a little girl whose pet turkey - which she "loved as much as any boy loves his dog" - was commandeered for a banquet honoring the Confederate soldiers from her home town who were home on leave. In her letter she expressed her wish that the soldier who ate her turkey would choke to death on a bone, or evading that fate, would be stabbed to death with a Yankee's bayonet. She admitted that her attitude was "not very kind and certainly not very patriotic."
After the donut feast Vicki and Bethany dropped me off at the Texas State History Museum in downtown Austin. With the exception of Ellis Island, this is probably the best museum in the world, especially for a Texan. This was actually the second time I've visited there in the last few months. The first time I was accompanied by Bethany and Vicki and I didn't quite make it all the way through the museum before they were ready to leave. I would highly recommend a day-long visit for any true Texan (such as myself) who has a desire to learn and know as much as possible about our great and beloved state. I suggest allotting at least seven hours to get through the museum, unless you're a luke-warm run-of-the-mill Texan (like Vicki and Bethany), and then you should plan on about 45 minutes to blow through on your way to the gift shop and then the snack bar (I hear they have Blue Bell). My favorite exhibit was an audio rendition of a letter written by a little girl whose pet turkey - which she "loved as much as any boy loves his dog" - was commandeered for a banquet honoring the Confederate soldiers from her home town who were home on leave. In her letter she expressed her wish that the soldier who ate her turkey would choke to death on a bone, or evading that fate, would be stabbed to death with a Yankee's bayonet. She admitted that her attitude was "not very kind and certainly not very patriotic." 
I have a few things to report on the job front. I mentioned a week or so ago that I was working on the possibility of an interview for the Benefits Director of a large Houston hospital chain. The VP of HR there is planning to retire in two years and they are looking to hire someone to work their way into her job. My recruiter did his best to get me an interview, but was finally told that they were looking for someone who could take over in two years, not someone who could take over right now. Hmmm. On a more positive note, I heard from a friend who works for one of the big HR consulting firms about a company that is moving it's corporate headquarters from Pennsylvania to Houston, and is looking to hire someone locally to be their Benefit Director. This is a pipeline company, which could be good for me given that I spent almost fifteen years in a past life with Transco, which was at one time one of the largest pipeline operators in the United States. I'm having lunch with my consultant friend on Tuesday to discuss the possible opportunity. I'll keep you posted.
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