Llanta Ordinance

Say it isn't so.  I read in the LMT this morning that Laredo's favorite pasttime--dumping old tires by the curbside--is now going to be targeted?

What will they do next, aim an ordinance against the folks who open boxes of diapers at the local Wal-Marts?  Big government at its finest.

While I wish the folks in City Hall the best of luck, I also know the reality of trying to curb peoples' behaviors in this capacity.

Pokes Update

Blogging has been inconsistent.  I have no real excuses other than to say life is always in the way now, sadly.

Either way, to quote Madonna, "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina."  That's not what this is about.  Instead, how about a little Laredo-themed Cowboys love?  Yes, it never fails, despite the 5-5 record and a bye week, Laredoans love their Pokes.

Around Laredo 7 (I lost count)

As a blogger, I never know when I will have to bust out my camera at a moment's notice. Most of the time I carry a specific camera that I use to take pictures because my smart phone camera just never cuts it well enough. It turns out that I had about 20 pictures on that digital camera that I wanted to share with you fellow readers.

 However, as it often happens in this city, my truck was vandalized, broken into and I had many personal things stolen. Among those things was my favorite digital camera along with an array of images that I had taken in the past three months, since the last time I posted anything on here.

Barbacoa Sunday

It's Sunday.  For the most part folks around town will either go to church or buy some barbacoa.  I am in the latter group, preferring to stand in line in the heat of Laredo's late morning rather than in the air-conditioned comfort of some church building.  Maybe the long-term reward is not quite what it could be, but I am sure pleased with the short-term reward of the carne I find at Raul's.

The folks in line with me may not agree, but that is a typical Sunday in el canton.

Mugshot Parade

Que gacho, Nacho.

I guess there was a police crackdown on DUI offenders a few days ago.  And while that is nothing new or out of the ordinary, the publicizing of all 50+ mugshots was something that I don't remember seeing.

Seriously.

Now, the LMT has a link (click here) of all mugshots and you can even "LIKE" them on Facebook and share them with your friends as well as comment on them.

Wow.

One thing I noticed too was how some photos have a "Counter" to see how many people enlarge a particular pic.  Ms. Lauren Reyes (see the pic above) is leading the ladies while on the upper left hand corner, Mr. Roel Ramirez is leading the men.  Naturally some folks have "0" hits.  I dare not speculate as to why that is, though.  I'll let you be the judge.

***Update:  Apparently one of the accused was Mr. TAMIU, a ceremonial position for a member of the school's student body.  He resigned yesterday.

Football Coming

 The dog days of summer are coming to a close and the faint whiff of the Fall is upon the great city of Laredo.  For residents of this Metropolis, the fall means another year hoping that the Dallas Cowboys fare a bit better than the year before.  Your faithful narrator was a young little blogger the last time the Pokes were any semblance of a threat to the NFL hierarchy.  And these last few years the Laredo faithful have remained a bit disenchanted with the activities in North Texas.

But, don't be dismayed.  As you walk or drive through the barrios of Laredo, you'll notice that the carne asadas will be going strong--if not stronger--now that the NFL preseason has started in earnest.  Don't worry about the Cowboys' last miserable preseason game against the Cardinals because Jerry Jones says there is nothing to worry about.  So, stay tuned.

Meanwhile, paint your casas blue and draw a Cowboys star on the sidewalk.  It's the Laredo way.

Early Morning School Visit

It is mid August and the smell of school is already in the morning air.  I walked over to TAMIU and was mildly surprised how much it's grown over the years.

Obviously DeLaredo was there in the early morning hours and that's why you don't see a lot of people around there.

Front Page News

A few weeks ago, the Laredo Morning Times posted this pic of some sort of LISD safety drill on its front page.  De Laredo HQ meant to publish it at that time, but as with most things, life got busy in the form of beer and carne asadas.

So, here we go with the commentary that was meant when the picture first graced the pages of the local paper:  Are You Serious?

OK.  Carry on.

TV Reality

The DeLaredo crew was sitting around watching TV, desperately trying to stave off the typical August heat, when someone mentioned that The National Geographic Channel was airing an episode of "Border Wars."

Of course, ever since the end of the Al Roker inspired Bordertown: Laredo on A&E the city has been in a funk, unable to find itself without a reality show demonstrating the power of law enforcement in this fair city.

Well, fear and funk no more, "Border Wars" had a little bit of Laredo this morning.

By the time I broke out the camera, the end of the show was near.  But there are still a few riveting highlights of football.  In this case, it is the Border Patrol vs. Customs and people turned out in droves (allegedly).  So view for yourself and see if you can spot someone you know.



In my humble opinion, Knute Rockne would be proud.

Andres Mora 1984 Commemorative Glass

I was perusing the aisles at local antique shop and after walking past several tempting Schlitz beer mugs, my eyes spotted something I could not walk away from.

As you may know, I happen to enjoy a good game of baseball, and besides my beloved Texas Rangers, I have also been known to catch a game of Los Tecolotes de Los Dos Laredos every now and then. My knowledge of the team does not go too far back, other than what my dad and tios ramble about at every carne asada, especially with regards to the golden era of the 70s and 80s.

Andres Mora, ex-Teco great

In any case, I saw an awesome Tecolotes commemorative glass of ex-Teco great, Andres Mora. It seems as if it was originally either a give-away or a promotional item by the team. It's dated from 1984, and although I really did not watch the Tecos during that time, it seemed like a great gift for my dad, so I had to pick it up.

Sorry its hard to read

Almost 30 years ago

By the way, besides collecting VHS, I also now collect Tecolotes memorabilia. If you have any that you are willing to sell, please get in contact with me. Also, if you have any more information on this glass, go ahead and leave a comment.

Beer Run Change

Laredo Beer Runs are a mainstay in the sleepy little hamlet we call home.  Some of us even view them as local institutions.  But, we also recognize that they are not permanent.  Take for instance, the recent changes to the beer run on the corner of San Bernardo and LaFayette.

I saw them painting the building just a few days ago and as I stopped by to take a closer look from the trusty vantage of the Exxon across the street, I noticed that the slogan seems to be missing a letter "L."

At least, that's what I think.  I believe it should be "Papi Chulos."  Even though there is a little artistic freedom in how the heart takes place of the  letter "O" I can't seem to find the "L."

Besides, for all I know, it might not be a true, authentic beer run any further.

Stay tuned.