Long John Silvers, Tractors, and a Mannequin

In November 2012, I wrote a post called Whiskey, Wine and Root Beer http://wthomsonjr.com/november-2012/whiskey-wine-and-root-beer/ . It was a fan favorite, and still to this day one of my favorite posts. This weekend my family and I made the drive down to Carrizo Springs, TX again. This time it was not for deer or dove season, it was spring time. It was time for all of us to get away for a long weekend. We all need a break from work to recharge our batteries. A long weekend is just what the doctor ordered. Our family needed some time to remind us of what is really important in life.

In a week filled with tradgedy with the Boston Marathon and the explosion in West, Texas, a childs laughter and my wife's smile was all I needed to see and hear. Now Carizo Springs hasn't been known for much other than hunting and its severely hot weather in the summer. Recently, however, Carizzo Springs has become an a oil town where hotels, restraunts, and even a new H.E.B have popped up. Still, to me it is that quiet place where all of us can ride in our jeep, see the game, go fishing and drink a whiskey, wine or root beer.

When we drove down it was getting to be lunch time and we were getting hungry. We pulled off to Military Drive, a street in San Antonio, to see where we could eat. There was McDonald's, KFC, Wendy's, Sonic, all the fast food chanis you would expect to see in Texas. Then we saw it. Long John Silvers! Do you remember the last time you ate at Long John's? I don't know where Long Johns is located in the US, but I can tell you this, if you haven't eaten there, it is the unhealthiest of unhealthy. Fried fish, fried chicken, french fries, fried shrimp, fried EVERYTHING! It was AWESOME. Now we eat healthy, but this sounded good to us. Something different. Not an everyday occurrance. That set the tempo for the weekend.

When we got to the ranch, the first thing we noticed were the Tractors. Oh man- a 2 year old seeing a tractor must be like me sitting on a beach with a Pina Colada. The excitement in his voice was contagious. DADDY! TRACTOR! Sit in it! Sit in it! "Okay Trace", said Laura and me. Kennedy, our daughter, was just as excited because Trace was excited. Laura and her broken foot was taking pictures with her camera phone. Memories I won't forget.

We later got in the pool, took a long jeep ride, went into town to have a steak dinner, and then went to bed watching Storage Wars. Oh well, Storage Wars it was. Best we could do. The next morning, we cruised the strip and then went to Wal-Mart. You know every small town has a Wal- Mart. It was awesome. Oh yea, Trace got some Elmo PJ's and and Kennedy got her dress for $6.89 that she wore all weekend.

We later went to this store called Circle V. I needed to use the restroom, so I told my 5 year old daughter to look after Trace as my wife hobbled into the store on her crutches. Not smart. I came back, and words can't do justice to what I was about to see. My son was screaming, my daughter was screaming, and my wife was trying to hold up a mannequin that Trace had pulled the arm and leg off. It was quite a sight. I tried not to laugh, but it was impossible.

You see, nothing crazy. Just an ordinary weekend. Long Johns Silvers, Tractors, and Mannequin's can make our lives worthwile. Times like these are moments I will treasure forever. It seems like something magical always comes out of Carrizo Springs. In a crazy world where people are obsessed with money, power, greed, unhappiness, & sadness, I treasure moments like these. I want to surround myself with people that I love the most, because in the end, that is really what is most important.

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Comment by Valentino Martinez on May 11, 2013 at 2:06pm: Well, Will—

I missed this post but now had the opportunity to check it out. This here is a great mix of storylines ...with a tie-in to my H-E-B share in the mix of personal events that seemed basic enough but grew into something hysterical and FUNNY. All things I appreciate so I had to read through to see how you would link H-E-B to: “Long John Silvers, Tractors, and a Mannequin”. I particularly liked the picture of your son, Trace, sitting in farm equipment only Paul Bunyan could drive. A picture of the dissassembled mannequin with your son holding on to an appendage would have been priceless

Like you, Will--I also had the opportunity to take a picture of my son, Mario, sitting in a tractor like he was sitting on the top of the world. My daughter, Regina, BTW, didn’t want to miss out and took her turn in the driver seat of a beautiful John Deere at the National FFA Convention some years ago in Kansas City.

As a recruiting manager over the years I managed to take family to national conventions and job fairs where they could get a first hand view of me at work and the great people and places I would visit on my recruiting trips...

photos by Valentino Martinez

Comment by Will Thomson on May 13, 2013 at 10:08am: I like the pictures Valentino! Yea, this was an oddball post, and lost in the mix, but a fun one to write. Watching my wife hobble on the crutches and having a mannequin disassembled with both kids crying was one of the funniest things I have ever seen. I'm glad you liked it. We have more than a few tractors at our ranch. After all we have to get the fields ready for dove hunting every year :)

HEB for those of you that don't know, is the one of the largest grocery chains in Texas. Texans can relate, they are on every corner.

Comment by Valentino Martinez on May 13, 2013 at 1:30pm: I can actually imagine the scene and the chaos--having participated in such adventures in my youth. Hats off to your wife and, all mom's for that matter, who have to manage critters on two and four legs -- when situations get out of hand.

On Mother's Day I featured a photo of "My Mom on horseback (http://www.recruitingblogs.com/photo/my-mom-on-horseback-happy-moth...), before she had the thirteen of us. Raised on a ranch with seven tough-as-nails brothers -- five of whom fought in WWII (see http://www.recruitingblogs.com/photo/new-mexican-cowboys-before-the...) - my Mom was more than prepared and able to keep us in-tow...on crutches as well, when they were needed.