Who knew Al Gore was so hot?

So I know that I have slacked on the blog for a few weeks but in my defense it can be tough to get around in this town. My tourist adventures have been pretty much limited to within walking distance, which includes a mall and a movie tavern (ie. not much worth blogging about).

I was going to avoid talking too much about food but since that's the one excuse I have to get out then that's all I've got for now. One place that we (my two co-workers and I) have frequented over the last month is called Firehouse Subs.

This firehouse themed sub shop has plenty of appeal and a

flair for hearty sandwiches.

One Firehouse staple is the overwhelming choice of hot sauces. These are labeled with stickers that range from 1-10+++ so you know just what you are getting yourself into.Some of these are quirky like the Al Gore 'I Invented Hot Sauce' hot sauce rated at a 7 for hotness. I love hot sauce and usually do fine around the 7-10 range but the other day I thought I would test my co-worker who also enjoys the real

spicy stuff. Margo is probably in her 50's and has worked for Streamline just a few weeks longer than me. I gave her a bottle of the 10+++ rated Mad Dog 357 hot sauce. In all fairness I told her how hot it was but I think I should have showed her the legal disclaimer on the side of the bottle. She put a good dollop on her sandwich, took a bite, and gave me a blank look as her eyes teared up. As she left to the restroom to blow her nose, which was probably on fire, I thought it was only fair for me to try it as well. I put about a BB sized drop on my sandwich and after taking a bite can only describe the experience as painful. It's like a California wildfire that starts on your tongueand follows your esophagus down to your stomach.

Apparently it's called 357 because it's certified at 357,000 Scoville units. When she returned, Margo asked "why did you try it, didn't you see the look on my face?" I told her that I thought it was only fair but regretted the decision for the next hour. Firehouse Subs is delicious but experimenting with hot sauce can be dangerous. Just remember kids...

A lot of bull followed by some dirty love

Today was my second trip down to the Fort Worth Stockyards. The historic stockyards were once the last major stop for the drovers heading longhorn cattle up the Chisholm Trail. As one of the greatest livestock and meatpacking industries in the country, the stockyards would earn Fort Worth the nickname “Cowtown”. Today many of the historic buildings have been preserved and the Stockyards are one of the largest tourist attractions in Texas. One of the main attractions is Billy Bob's Texas, the world's largest honky-tonk. Spanning three acres, Billy Bob's has an indoor rodeo arena, dozens of bars, restaurants, arcade games, and a Wall of Fame with celebrity hand prints including those of Johnny cash.

Twice a day they walk the longhorns down the main street for all the tourists. They move slow but those things are huge! Unfortunately they don't let you run with them like in Barcelona.

Watching all the cattle walk by put me in the mood for a burger so we headed over to the the Love Shack. I went all out and got the Dirty Love Burger which is famous for a unique ingredient, the quail egg. The burger is a combination of prime tenderloin and prime brisket and it is DELICIOUS! You can find out more about the Love Shack here.

No underpants in the Water Garden

My first weekend in Fort Worth I decided to do a little exploring down town. I found a great sports bar called Fox and Hound where I was the only person watching USC/Cal and not TCU. I also stumbled upon (not literally) a great little Irish bar called Durty Murphy's. It reminded me a lot of Paddy's from It's Always Sunny especially since the two owners were guys about the same age. Also downtown I ducked into a Barnes and Noble since the rain let loose as I was walking by. Inside there is a two-story replica of Frederic Remington's Bronco Buster statue. The next week I visited downtown Fort Worth again with my co-workers and was shown the Fort Worth Water Gardens. Like a hidden oasis the Water Gardens lie between hotels and the UFO-like convention center. There are three main water features in the gardens including a meditiation pool, an aerating pool and the active pool.

Locals will tell you that the active pool was closed in 2004 after three children and one adult drowned due to a pump malfunction; it has since been reopened. The active pool is definitely the most impressive of the three but the meditation pool is also neat. The water spills over and slowly trickles down the towering walls creating a calming sound that contrasts the roaring water of the active pool.

Posted on the wall is a sign that most likely means no wading but it's more fun to think it means no underpants in the Water Garden.

The aerating pool is like a mini Bellagio water display and although far less impressive it looks really cool at night from the highest point of the park, the Mountain.

Introductions are always awkward...

While I have already been in Fort Worth for over a week now, I still feel a bit alienated. The people are nice, the food is outstanding and there is plenty to do if you have a way to get around. But somehow I still feel out of place. Maybe I should have done some research on the football teams or bought some plaid shirts and wranglers before I got here. Either way, I don't think I should wear pink anymore cause I got some weird looks from the Haliburton guys.

Just as a little background, I started working for Streamline Imaging just after I graduated in September from the University of Oregon. I was only in Portland for about two weeks before I was asked to travel down to Texas for work. We are scanning documents at the National Archive and Research Administration (NARA) in Fort Worth, Texas.
I already have seen some neat places and had some great food but for my first post I would like to mention a local favorite, the Hickory Stick BBQ in Everman. The smoked chicken drumsticks are a popular treat and are certainly worth the 99 cents since they look as if they came off a turkey.
I tried the brisket which was tasty and the piece of white bread they give you to mop up your leftovers was a nice touch. The walls are decorated with taxidermy wildlife and the ceiling painted as a giant Texas flag. Still my favorite touch was the cow on the roof.
I think the sign says it best "YOU TRIED THE REST, NOW TRY THE BEST".