Are we there yet?

Finally the 12 days of hell are almost at an end. Today, the systems started to get better. There's still problems. Incorrect data, data in the wrong place, and of course, systems that came with no training whatsoever.

My mood is getting better. Wednesday I was kicking around things, and generally pissed at the world. If it wasn't for the LJ service interruption, you would have all heard about it.

Oh, and they blocked LJ again. Grrrr. when I'm spending 11 hours at work, and I'm bored, ESPN.com only amuses for so long. (hooray for the start of Spring Training)

Still, the whole thing seemed to get so much better. The legitimate gripes started to turn into snarky comments that were more good natured. Still, I'm unhappy that the "experts" the data provider sent really aren't that helpful. We really are treading water to make things work.

Ah, the adventure of it all.

Go Texan

Today in the City of Houston, it's go Texan Day. It marks the start of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

The event harkens back to the days where the area was more agricultural and cattle was a major rail center for sending cattle off to market. Now it is a major fundraiser for agricultural scholarships, and a big country music festival.

Now, I like some country music, but generally not enough to actually go see the rodeo. I haven't been in years. The last time was with my church youth group, and that was back in the Urban Cowboy days.

The rodeo has some non-country acts, occasionally. Last year they had Neil Diamond. Think about that, you get a show of bull riding and Neil Diamond. Perfect.

I would pay to see Tim McGraw, or Toby Keith...woof.

Now, today. In Houston, you are likely to see someone wearing a cowboy hat on any given day. It's true. Today those odds go up astronomically today, as businesses are encouraged to get in the spirit of the Rodeo and allow their employees wear their best western duds.

I don't have any cowboy boots, or cowboy hats (or chaps for that matter), and I haven't since the days of the Urban Cowboy. Just not me. Though a cowboy hat can do some wonders for a man...woof again.

Now, the big part of the day. Right now a total of 14 trail rides are coming into town. Trail rides are representations of the old cattle drives into the city. Thousands of people participate in these every year, with covered wagons, horses and all of their camping equipment. They've been doing this for about 2 weeks, and they come into the city today. Houston is set up like a big wagon wheel, with spokes. The riders come from about every direction to camp tonight in Memorial Park.

It becomes a traffic nightmare - even if it's after rush hour. The next few hours get to be real crazy with tired cowboys and horses all over the roads. Still, they all go bunk down before the evening rush hour.

Cowboy up.