Yeeeeee--Haaaaaaa!!!

Today is Texas Independence Day. But for a proud and displaced native Texan, the celebration lasts for a week. At least it does at our house. There is a distinct and altogether appropriate correlation between the size of the state and the length of the partyin'.

Here is a good rundown of the history behind the date. It has a lot to do with the Alamo, remember? ("Remember the Alamo". Get it? Oh, never mind.)

Of course there is a lot that goes into this kind of celebration. Here are some choice audio and video files to git you in the mood: Waltz Across Texas, Texas When I Die, Yellow Rose of Texas, Deep in the Heart of Texas, Lone Star State of Mind, San Antonio Girl (for our Principessa), That's Right You're Not From Texas, God Bless Texas, and my favorite, the Texas State Capitol building illuminated, with the Texas Longhorn Band playing "The Eyes of Texas".

If the building looks a little, ahem, derivative, that's because it's based on the US Capitol building. And because it's Texas, that great state's version was built a little taller than the one in Washington DC. After all, we have a reputation to protect--everything's bigger in Texas!


(above photo of the University of Texas Tower is from jensri_austin's Flickr photostream, and dedicated to my Dear Professor, whose blood runs a particular shade of burnt orange!)

So grab yer boots and yer ten gallon hat, some chicken fried steak or chili and a John Wayne movie and party hearty for Texas. Today, for a period of 24 hours, by special dispensation of the state legislature of Texas, everyone who wants to be is hereby declared a naturalized Texan.

Yeeee--haaaa!