Thursday, March 22, 2007

Abilene, Abilene, Unfriendliest Town that I’ve Ever Seen

I got out of work today. 110 of my students were busy all day writing ten test questions on magnetism. Did I ever mention that I am a physics instructor? I can’t remember.

Nope, no work today for me. Instead, John, Judy and I got in a rent-a-car and drove from Richmond, Texas to Abilene, Texas. Six hours plus a half hour for lunch at a DQ in Santa Anna. John drove the first leg, then I drove the 2nd.

Now this is a true story. Our offramp in Abilene was Buffalo Gap. The offramp ended in a T intersection with a boulevard stop sign, and a sharp curve you couldn't see 50 feet to the left. Wierdest intersection I’ve ever seen. So I figured out the rules. You wait until you can’t see anyone coming around the curve and then turn left, gunning the engine, hoping to Almighty God no one is coming from the right.

I had to. Some wingnut came up behind me at the stop sign and grew impatient with my trying to negotiate the intersection without getting T-boned. So he starts honking his horn and gesticulating wildly at me. Finally no one came screaming around the curve that you can’t see around (light waves don't bend unless you have a refracting medium) and I gunned the engine. Some other guy in a Chevy Nova came screaming around the curve and HE honked at me.

Great. I’m in Abilene for 1 minute and get honked at by two different people within a minute of each other.

I turned to Judy, who was born in Amarillo, and asked “Is there anything about North Texas that I need to know?”.

“Yes,” she said as she pointed to the 3rd religious billboard we had seen in as many minutes (Life is short, Eternity is a long time), “don’t tell anyone that you are a Democrat”.

Why am I in Abilene and not teaching eager young minds? I’m going to a physics teacher conference.

Cool, huh?

Best thing about it?

Free barbeque!

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