Should I stay or should I go?
August 28, 2008Long story short, I'm no longer a reporter for the Times Record News, although I'm still a freelancer for the paper as well as a blogger. (And I'm still on very good terms with the lovely TRN, which was my home for 7 productive and worthwhile years.)
Anyway, I decided to go to law school in the lovely town of New Orleans. Yep, THAT New Orleans. The one with hurricane Gustav on a beeline for. Right now, Gus-Gus is slated to hit landfall sometime Monday/Tuesday.
Tulane Law School (where I attend) has cancelled classes already for Friday afternoon and won't resume until next Thursday, assuming that Gustav is somewhat nice to the my new hometown. But if this turns into another you know who (Katrina), then who knows what my life will be like in a few days.
For the meantime, I'm staying put. The rational, future lawyer in me sees the benefit in packing up my important belongings and cherished family photos and heading to higher -- and more importantly, inland -- ground this weekend.
But the journalist in me . . . Well, i've never been through a hurricane before.
I'll keep you posted.
Posted by Lara Richards at 9:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Tetanus shot
June 4, 2008Reason I need a tetanus shot, Part 7
I won't go into the details of how I got my latest wound, courtesy of my country existence. It simply involved a baby kitten, a crowbar, a stormy night, a scared dog and a roll of barbed wire.
One of my little sisters, who's in med school, told me once and for all that I needed to get a tetanus shot.
Still haven't. Still alive and able to chew gum.
What can I say. I'm a country girl. I don't need no stinkin' shot.
That's just how I roll.
Posted by Lara Richards at 2:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Are we safe?
June 2, 2008It's been so long since I blogged. What's worse is that I even wrote a few blogs -- which I swear I had posted -- which I apparently didn't.
So, here's some catch-up posts. This first one I wrote after photographer Torin Halsey and I traveled to the region to cover a major wildlife sometime back in the spring.
Here goes:
Continue reading "Are we safe?"
Posted by Lara Richards at 4:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Sprinkles and Rat Turds
March 24, 2008I was eating one of those cookies with the frosting and sprinkles from United, which I've become increasing addicted to. (You know the ones. They're white and soft and come in a variety of gooey colors, with round, cylindrical sprinkles on the top.)
Well, one of the dark sprinkles fell down on the carpet in the living room. I immediately picked it up and threw it in my mouth.
And in the mili-second that it was suspended in air, about to plunge down my throat, I made a startling discovery: Sprinkles look a lot like rat turds.
In the farmhouse, there's a good supply of both. I guess I was lucky this time.
Posted by Lara Richards at 1:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
The Lying Pelvises
February 22, 2008Anybody need a pelvis?
Cuz there'' two lying in the front yard at our farm.
The young Lab puppy, Red, has been on some kind of sick, twisted scavenger hunt lately. The good news is that he has stopped dragging the hose from the old Shop Vac that was in the garage around.
But now, he's all about bones, and his favorite appear to be pelvises. (Or is the plural pelvi? Or pelvuses?)
Apparently, he goes out into the pasture during the day and proudly drags back whatever he can find. I'm no vet, but I think we've got one coyote and maybe a wild hog pelvis.
Any takers?
Posted by Lara Richards at 8:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Carcass
February 21, 2008It was a horrible oversight, but I guess I forgot to feed the farm dogs the other day.
Before you start leveling PETA-filled complaints at me or something like that, let me explain.
First of all, it's not like it's convenient.
The minute I open up the feed bin, two big dogs plus my baby calf -- who's weighing it at around 500 pounds now -- come barreling up. (Cherry the Calf's food is in the same bin, so she thinks she's about to get food, too.) I
It becomes an "American Gladiator" style fight to the finish to get the food out, the bin lid shut and make it to the food dishes before one of three animals tries to push me over and take all the food for themselves.
Posted by Lara Richards at 8:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Yak and Cheese
February 20, 2008It's always somewhat of a crapshoot going back into the pantry at our farmhouse. Sure, me and my mom have tried to clean out the cupboard from time to time over the years, but it just seems we always miss a few things.
A while back, I reached into the pantry and came out with a blue box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, a staple in my carb-heavy existence.
Continue reading "Yak and Cheese"
Posted by Lara Richards at 2:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Power of the Pen
January 2, 2008I wrote a story about the Texas Ranger Memorial Cross program that appeared in our paper Wednesday. My story concerned 79-year-old Charles Albus' pursuit of the cross for his grandfather, John F. Stengel, who had served in the Texas Rangers in the 19th century.
Stengel died in 1911 and is buried in the Rhineland Cemetery behind the old Catholic Church there.
Mr. Albus sent me copies of two articles that appeared in the Munday Times in 1911 after Stengel's death. One of them was a typical obituary. The other one, titled "Necrology of Mr. John F. Stengel," was simply written by "A Friend."
I thought I'd share it with you, mainly because I find the wording fascinating. Gosh, why don't we write like this anymore?
Here's the article:
Continue reading "Power of the Pen"
Posted by Lara Richards at 6:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Judge Bell
December 5, 2007I know I'm not supposed to like politicians, especially since I'm a journalist.
It's like a 7-year-old boy liking a girl.
Or a Boston native rooting for the Yankees.
But I have to admit I have a Texas-sized soft spot for Foard County Judge Charlie Bell.
Posted by Lara Richards at 12:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Luke-A-Pie
October 31, 2007It's one of those family legends.
No one truly knows when the dessert got its name.
But we all know that German Chocolate Pie isn't the "official" name for that delicious dessert my grandmother used to make.
We simply call it "Luke-A-Pie."
And here the story goes:
Posted by Lara Richards at 8:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Rufus
October 30, 2007I was watching TV at my parents' house in Clay County when I heard a low, guttural growl come from deep inside our house cat Rasputin, or "Pootie" for short, who was outside prowling.
I was immediately worried and went out to investigate, expecting to find blood and guts and maybe a bobcat around.
Instead, I found a new cat on the roof.
Posted by Lara Richards at 8:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Beauty tip?
October 29, 2007One of the best things about shopping at Wal-Mart is that you never know what's going to happen in the check-out line.
Continue reading "Beauty tip?"
Posted by Lara Richards at 8:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Home
October 28, 2007Home.
I feel sorry for people that don't know what the word means.
Not from a literal standpoint, but rather from the emotional/psychological/spiritual one.
Because if you have a place that you call Home, with a capital H, then everything else just falls into place.
Posted by Lara Richards at 9:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Blue doors
October 19, 2007I have driven past the old grain elevators in Electra countless times.
Photographer Torin Halsey and I even climbed through and explored as many of the buildings as we safely could several weeks ago before the railroad started tearing the old buildings down Monday.
Posted by Lara Richards at 8:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Cuss words
October 18, 2007Sports Editor Nick Gholson and I have had a blast today, probably the most co-worker friendly day we've ever spent together.
And maybe that's cuz we've cussed at each other all day long.
Posted by Lara Richards at 5:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Naked sister, Part 2
October 17, 2007So Sister 6 wasn't mad or even ashmaed about the recent "Naked Babies" blog I wrote.
(In fact, she actually posted a comment at the bottom of the blog, just to clear things up about her current lack of nudity.)
Continue reading "Naked sister, Part 2"
Posted by Lara Richards at 9:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Worm meat
October 16, 2007It looked like an ordinary roast.
And like any ordinary roast, Mom had thrown a bunch of carrots, potatoes and sliced onions all around it.
After church that particular Sunday, we came home, each served ourselves a plate of roast and fixings and dug in.
All except Sister 2. That day, she claimed she was a vegetarian.
All of a sudden.
Posted by Lara Richards at 5:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Naked babies
October 15, 2007One of the greatest things about growing up in the country is that you get to stay naked for a really long time.
I really don't think I owned clothes -- and certainly not shoes -- until I started kindergarten.
Naked babies and toddlers are as common as tumbleweeds and mesquite trees across the countryside.
Which brings me to my favorite story about Sister 6.
Continue reading "Naked babies"
Posted by Lara Richards at 9:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Oven Fried Buffalo Chicken
October 12, 2007One of my good friends told me -- more like dared me -- to try Internet dating, not for the "find-your-true-love" aspect of it but more just because it’' something to pass the time when you're sitting at home. Alone. With nothing to do. Every weekend.
But my friend said I had to come up with a cool user name. That's what really lures them in, she said.
Continue reading "Oven Fried Buffalo Chicken"
Posted by Lara Richards at 8:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Church signs
October 11, 2007I fell in love with church signs at a young age.
The First Christian Church in Paducah had one that stayed up for decades.
"If you are too busy to go to church, you are TOO busy," it read.
It still makes me chuckle.
Continue reading "Church signs"
Posted by Lara Richards at 7:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Presents from Red
October 10, 2007The new farm pup, Red, brought me some presents last weekend.
I opened the front door to find three gifts on the front porch that he'd rustled up.
A thoroughly gnawed-on stick, slobber still present.
The brushy endpiece to the Shop Vac from the garage.
A coyote's jawbone.
And he just smiled and smiled and smiled at me.
I guess it IS the thought that counts, after all.
Posted by Lara Richards at 8:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Question of the day
October 9, 2007Is it butt naked or buck naked?
Because, sadly, that question comes up more frequently in my life that I care to admit.
Posted by Lara Richards at 8:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Blog hits
October 8, 2007Fellow Times Record News blogger Jason Palmer posted the number of hits on TRN blogs from September on his blog. And then Clayton Hein commented on the results on his blog.
Quite frankly, I was horrified.
Not at either Jason or Clayton but the fact that my blog was viewed 1,597 times in September.
Posted by Lara Richards at 1:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Chicken spaghetti
October 2, 2007Please don't read this blog if you are, say, eating lunch right now.
Especially chicken spaghetti.
Continue reading "Chicken spaghetti"
Posted by Lara Richards at 10:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
In my desk
September 26, 2007In my left-hand bottom desk drawer right now:
100 packets of extra fine sugar
A Red Cross gimme T-shirt for donating blood
4 cans of soup
2 bags of popcorn
2 bottles of salad dressing
A jar of honey
3 bathing suits
Posted by Lara Richards at 8:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Hats off to cowboys
September 25, 2007I was remiss in my blog called "A Fine Ass-ignment" because I forgot to thank the four men who came to my rescue, in true cowboy fashion, for a photo that I needed to go with a story called "Cowboy Charisma."
Even though my photographer wouldn't let me use his name on the photographs that ran in the paper (see previous blog), the four fellas were happy to give me theirs.
And yet I never printed them.
Continue reading "Hats off to cowboys"
Posted by Lara Richards at 8:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
I-scream for expensive snacks
September 24, 2007What does a $36.35 scoop of ice cream taste like?
It tastes like frozen whipped money.
Of course, when I bought the scoop of cappuccino chunk at Braum's in Vernon two weekends ago, it was just $1.35, which I put on my debit card because I never carry cash.
And now I've got even less cash, thanks to my sketchy math skills.
Continue reading "I-scream for expensive snacks"
Posted by Lara Richards at 8:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Potluck dinner
September 21, 2007No one can organize a potluck dinner like a church.
The Throckmorton First Baptist Church found a unique way to organize the food preparation for its 125 anniversary celebration this weekend.
Their food assignment sheet reads:
For the Saturday evening meal. (Barbecue is provided by the church.)
Last name begins with A-M: Please supply cole slaw, potato salad or other salad
Last name begins with N-Z: Please supply a dessert.
For the Sunday noon meal. (Ham is provided by the church.)
Last name begins with A-G: Please supply a dessert.
Last name begins with H-Z: Please bring a vegetable dish.
Posted by Lara Richards at 8:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Reason I'm going to get fired, No. 574
September 20, 2007Several months ago, someone hung up inspirational slogans and sayings in our building.
They're everywhere.
I can't go get a Coke or go to the bathroom without running into one of them.
This will come as a complete shock to anyone who knows me, but I hate being force-fed inspirations.
Continue reading "Reason I'm going to get fired, No. 574"
Posted by Lara Richards at 8:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Job perks
September 19, 2007My old city editor, Steve Clements, had very strict rules about what we could and couldn't accept from people we interviewed.
If you could eat it or wear it, you could take it.
One of my desk drawers is filled with gimme T-shirts. And I've eaten my fair share of barbecue, fried chicken and pineapple upside-down cake.
The rules were put in place so that a reporter's integrity and objectivity can never be questioned.
And mainly, so that no one can ever imply we were paid by a source or accepted favors to do a story about someone.
But all that went out the door two weeks ago when I got the best freakin' gift any person I've ever interviewed has ever given me.
Posted by Lara Richards at 8:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Mutiny at the farm
September 17, 2007The critters are out to get me.
My Pop had to leave the new dog, Red, tied up for about eight hours Thursday until I could get out to the farm later that night.
When I drove up the driveway, I saw seven sets of eyes staring at me.
Angry, angry eyes.
"How could you tie up our friend?" they seethed at me.
Continue reading "Mutiny at the farm"
Posted by Lara Richards at 8:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Catching mice
Our indoor cat, Blue, caught a mouse the other day.
A stuffed animal mouse, to be precise.
A stuffed animal mouse that's wearing a pink velvet jumpsuit.
Continue reading "Catching mice"
Posted by Lara Richards at 8:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Critters, Part 3
September 14, 2007Blue is the new indoor cat that's some Siamese blend and has the cutest blue eyes, hence the name.
But there's nothing cute about him. He's pure terror.
He's torn down curtains, pictures and quilts off the walls and regularly breaks into trash can like he's a raccoon.
Continue reading "Critters, Part 3"
Posted by Lara Richards at 8:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Critters, Part II
September 13, 2007My calf thinks she's a dog.
We found Cherry half-starved underneath a tree about five months ago, clinging to life. I was worried she wouldn't make it, but she's thriving and looks fantastic.
We've been bottle-feeding her, and then she has her feed and a yard full of grass to much on.
But that's not our secret ingredient to her recovery.
She loves dog food. Loves it.
Continue reading "Critters, Part II"
Posted by Lara Richards at 8:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Critters, Part I
September 12, 2007I spend almost every weekend out at our farm in Paducah taking care of the animals.
I say this, and most people think it's an easy, typical affair. A few buckets of dog food and cat food and I'm done.
I only wish it were that simple.
Continue reading "Critters, Part I"
Posted by Lara Richards at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
A fine ass-ignment
September 11, 2007It's not often I get paid to go trolling for fellas.
But that was the case three weeks ago when I hit the Texas Ranch Roundup to work on a story that was unofficially dubbed inside the office as "Hot Cowboys."
I had conned my bosses into letting me do a story about why women find cowboys so irresistible.
Slow news day, eh?
Continue reading "A fine ass-ignment"
Posted by Lara Richards at 2:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Wrath of chiggers
June 8, 2007Michael Hines' story in the newspaper says there's not a local chigger problem, according to the experts.
Then what do you call this?
Continue reading "Wrath of chiggers"
Posted by Lara Richards at 8:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Government cheese
May 21, 2007This blog is for my sister's friend Texas Chad (named thusly because she had two friends named Chad at that time, and this Chad was from -- you guessed it -- Texas). He's overseas right now and reads this blog because he said it reminds him of his roots in North Texas.
***
I'm hooked on $4 cheese.
Continue reading "Government cheese"
Posted by Lara Richards at 1:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Cat math
May 18, 2007Our girl cat out at the farm -- Pinky -- started hanging around the front door of the house several months ago.
Used to, she'd run at the first sound of a human.
"She sure is getting friendly," I told my pop.
He replied: "She sure is getting friendly with somebody. She's pregnant."
Posted by Lara Richards at 2:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Napkin notes
May 17, 2007I'm driving through Henrietta when I notice a new barbecue joint.
The business' phone number is plastered on its marquee, so I start scrambling -- while I'm driving and probably talking on my cell phone -- for a pen and a piece of paper.
Pen and paper. Pen and paper.
Continue reading "Napkin notes"
Posted by Lara Richards at 1:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Maternity leave
May 15, 2007I realized when I wrote my "testicle" blog last week that it'd been a few months since I'd posted.
I have a good excuse, I promise.
I was on maternity leave.
Continue reading "Maternity leave"
Posted by Lara Richards at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Testicles
May 12, 2007Testicles. Testicles. Testicles.
I have said that word more in the last two weeks than I have my whole life.
Posted by Lara Richards at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Mr. Donahue
February 12, 2007It couldn't be, I thought to myself.
It just couldn't be.
But let me start at the beginning.
It was August 2006. I called the Northside Independent School District to speak with Superintendent Ed Donahue about the school's upcoming expansion project.
Continue reading "Mr. Donahue"
Posted by Lara Richards at 2:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Locked cars
February 8, 2007Everyone has their distinct personalities.
Their own peculiar quirks.
And that goes triple for our photography staff, which I've realized first-hand traveling many miles with them through our region.
Continue reading "Locked cars"
Posted by Lara Richards at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Texas Chainsaw Massacre?
January 11, 2007My father told me last week that he had just gotten his chainsaw tuned up.
My 67-year-old father.
My 67-year-old father who had a car wreck and three major brain surgeries in late 2005, who didn't get the final thumbs up/you're healed from his doctor until August 2006.
Continue reading "Texas Chainsaw Massacre?"
Posted by Lara Richards at 8:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Hog wash
January 10, 2007I took my dirty car to a car wash to get it cleaned yesterday.
It was so muddy from all the recent rainfall in North Texas -- and from traipsing down old dirt roads in Cottle County -- that the car wash place charged me an extra $5 for what they dubbed a "hog wash."
Something about having a car that dirty just makes me proud.
Posted by Lara Richards at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Booger lives
December 31, 2006My family is really, really bad at naming animals.
Really, really bad.
But it didn't always start out that way.
Our first two family dogs -- a female and male collie -- were named Cindy and Button. Plain, but simple; nothing too embarrassing.
But then the namings just started to go downhill.
Continue reading "Booger lives"
Posted by Lara Richards at 10:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Cotton-pickin' candle
December 11, 2006The reporter looked at me suspiciously, part fear, part intrigue spreading over her face as I gave the candle to her in our newsroom.
I had been walking around a local department store earlier that day in Wichita Falls when I stumbled upon a new candle collection. One candle's scent was labeled, "Fresh Picked Cotton," complete with a picturesque scene of a boll in full bloom.
Wait a cotton-pickin' minute, I thought to myself.
Continue reading "Cotton-pickin' candle"
Posted by Lara Richards at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Rawhide
December 5, 2006Reason I love Texas, No. 3,247:
Posted by Lara Richards at 10:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Getting the story
December 4, 2006Sometimes, being a reporter in North Texas means more than sitting down with a pen and a pad of paper for an interview.
Sometimes, it means feeding a calf first.
Continue reading "Getting the story"
Posted by Lara Richards at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Hidden gems
December 1, 2006Some days, the most interesting tidbits you'll find in our newspaper are on our obituaries page.
Continue reading "Hidden gems"
Posted by Lara Richards at 4:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Me and the gun
November 27, 2006My mother calls me at work distraught. During my parents' move into a new house in Clay County where my mom teaches school, she had misplaced a few key items.
"I can't find the skirt patterns," she said.
Continue reading "Me and the gun"
Posted by Lara Richards at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
I've got the skills
November 20, 2006It was a Friday morning this August and I was driving home to Paducah. I pulled in to the Allsup's in Crowell and immediately knew something big was going on.
Beer trucks were everywhere.
It hit me -- Foard County had voted in May to go wet -- and now, the beer was here.
Continue reading "I've got the skills"
Posted by Lara Richards at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
