texas-with-texas-flagI always hate it when I miss an important anniversary. Sara and I missed one by a few days this year. On October 12th, Sara and I moved to the great State of Texas five years ago. We consider it one of our best achievements so far. Okay, we’ve had a lot of great things happen to us, but we’re just so happy to live in Texas. Some of you reading this aren’t from Texas and you may not get it. I don’t know that I can totally explain it. I think there must be something in the air. Now there are certainly places in Texas where I totally would not want to live, but it’s a state with a rich history and a state worth being proud of. Here are some interesting facts.

Texas is a nearly self-sufficient state. Texas is the only state with a legal right to secede from the Union. (Reference the Texas-American Annexation Treaty of 1848.) So, if that ever happened, Texas could pretty much take care of itself.

  • We refine over 85% of the gasoline in the United States.
  • Defense Industry–we have over 65% of it. The term “Don’t mess with Texas,” will take on a whole new meaning.
  • Oil – Texas can supply all the oil Texas would need for the next 300 years.
  • Natural Gas – Texas has huge reserves of natural gas.
  • Computer Industry – Texas leads the nation in producing computer chips and communications equipment -small companies like Texas Instruments, Dell Computer, EDS, Raytheon, National Semiconductor, Motorola, Intel, AMD, Atmel, Applied Materials, Ball Miconductor, Dallas Semiconductor, Nortel, Alcatel, etc, etc. The list goes on and on.
  • Medical Care – Texas has the research centers for cancer research, the best burn centers and the top trauma units in the world, as well as other large health centers. The Houston Medical Center alone employees over 65,000 people.
  • Texas has great colleges: University of Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Texas Christian, Rice, SMU, University of Dallas, University of Houston, Baylor, UNT (University of North Texas), Texas Women’s University.
  • Texas has an intelligent and energetic work force that is not restricted by unions. Here in Texas, it’s a Right to Work State and, therefore, it’s every man and woman for themselves.
  • Texas has essential control of the paper, plastics, and insurance industries, etc.
  • Military: In case of a foreign invasion, Texas has the Texas National Guard, the Texas Air National Guard, and several military bases.. Texas doesn’t have an Army, but since everybody in Texas has at least six rifles and a pile of ammo, Texas can raise an Army in 24 hours if needed. If the situation really gets bad, the Texas Rangers could be called on.
  • Texas is totally self-sufficient in beef, poultry, hogs, and several types of grain, fruit and vegetables, as well as seafood from the Gulf.
  • Three of the ten largest cities in the United States, and twenty-three of the 100 largest cities in the United States, are located in Texas. And Texas also has more land than California, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, Rhode Island and Vermont combined.
  • Trade: Three of the ten largest ports in the United States are located in Texas.

Here are a few more interesting things about Texas

  • Beaumont to El Paso: 834 miles
  • Beaumont to Chicago: 1097 miles
  • El Paso is closer to California than to  Dallas
  • The Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman who was the first full-time coach at Rice University in Houston.
  • The first word spoken from the moon, July 20, 1969, was ‘ Houston’.
  • King Ranch in South Texas is larger than Rhode Island.
  • Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. There is no period in Dr. Pepper.
  • Texas has had six capital cities: Washington-on-the Brazos, Harrisburg, Galveston, Velasco, West Columbia and Austin.
  • The Capitol Dome in Austin is the only dome in the U.S. which is taller than the Capitol Building in Washington DC (by 7 feet).
  • The name ‘ Texas’ comes from the Hasini Indian word ‘tejas’ meaning friends.  Tejas is not Spanish for Texas.
  • The first domed stadium in the U.S. was the Astrodome in Houston
Probably most important to my family about Texas is:
  • Sara and I were married in Trophy Club, TX on July 24th, 1999
  • Titus was born in Grapevine, TX on June 11th, 2007.

Oh, and one of my favorite. Where else can you go and stay in a hotel where the waffle irons create waffles in the shape of our state.

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Well, I think that’s enough. We’re glad we’re here!