I came across an interesting website which gives extensive demographic information for any particular zipcode. I wrote in 76653 and found out a number of interesting facts about the Kosse zipcode area. Click for website. There are 1120 people, which is 1/10 the national average for a zipcode area. In comparison to the national average, we are five years older, earn $11,371 per year less, enjoy a cost of living only 68% as high as others, have a total crime rate which is 67% higher, have 1/3 the usual number of college graduates, and rate a 5 out of 9.3 in regards to culture. One statistic that did not make sense to me involved total household income versus total household expenditures. We average $30,979 in household income versus $37,722 in household expenditures. Does that mean the average household in the Kosse area is going in the hole by $6743 every year?
The figures regarding college graduates brought to mind the years when I taught college and almost everyone had a Ph.D. or doctorate of some type. I discovered there is a higher percentage of nuts in this educational achievement category than among the general populace. I will not say that most were in the twilight zone because that would not be true. I will say that if you gather ten professors in a relaxed peer setting where they will speak their true thoughts, at least two or three will be most unusual in their thought process. Many would probably say I belong in this category but we will skip over that possibility.
Theresa Thiess, owner of AG Accounting & More in downtown Kosse, sent me the following e-mail with a request to post it. It is self-explanatory.
Hi, This is Teresa with AG Accounting & More. I'm sorry if some of you have been looking for me at the office but, my 13 year old had a 4 wheeler accident on Sun. Sept 10th and we were in the hospital from Sun - Wed. We are home now and he is doing very good, although due to injuries of his liver and spleen he has to stay down for a couple more weeks. The Dr.doesn't want him to move around to much till that heals. We go back to the Dr. on the 25th and then he will decide when he can go back to school. So, Until he is all better I will be staying home with him. I want to THANK those of you who knew about the accident for the prayers and ask that you just continue praying for him. "I need a few prayers to because he is feeling better and the better he feels the harder it is for me to keep him down. LOL".
I hope that this hasn't been to much of an inconvience for anyone and urge you to stop by and see what all I have to offer, when I can get back to work. As, you all know tax season is just around the corner and I am here to help you get everything ready to get your taxes prepared. As, everyone works now days it is hard to make sure you have everything that you need. Then I will be set up and ready to file your taxes, and get your refund back in a matter of a few days, or sooner. You can electronically file your return as early as early to mid January. If there is anything I can do, feel free to call me at home 254-729-5473 or on my cell phone 254-625-0799, until I can get back to the office.
Thanks Again and God Bless.. Teresa Theiss
I began a new special at the cafe today. (Advertised at the top of this page.) Marketing is one of the essential aspects of any business, so I am always interested to see how my latest scheme works out. This one did quite well. I have had some bomb marketing ideas over the years. One time I decided to run an all-you-can-eat pork chop deal, only to discover that a number of local pork chop connoisseurs were able to eat a whole side of pork in one setting. I soon saw I would need to invest in a swine herd in order to meet the demand. One of my more successful ideas was to add a Hungryman Meal section to our menu. Click for menu. I was inspired to do this after my own experience at a restaurant in Teague. I was at the Teague Pizza Pro and found myself in need of nourishment. I was in the mood for real food, so I ordered a plate lunch from one of the local restaurants. I got the chicken fried steak meal with corn, green beans, and a piece of cake. As I drove with my food back to the pizza place to eat, the aroma wafting through the 1996 Saturn sedan brought on my Pavlov's dogs imitation, in anticipation of what promised to be a rib-sticking feast of southern cuisine. I began by unwrapping the package of fine plastic dinnerware. I was now prepared to dig in. I opened the lid of the 3-compartment styrofoam container in which would be found the three-course banquet. I felt like I was suddenly in Clara Peller Land. Click for video of explanation. It wasn't enough food to fill up Twiggy, much less an amount to properly maintain my fine round figure. It's bad enough when you can actually count the kernels of corn on a plate lunch, but to discover there was approximately one-square centimeter of chicken fried steak under the cream gravy was truly excruciating. It was at that moment that the idea of adding Hungryman Meals at the Kosse Cafe came to mind. Even though our normal portions are quite large, I was determined to never put a ravenous cafe patron through the dreadful ordeal I had just experienced in Teague, Texas in 2002.
Willie Nelson was arrested for marijuana and mushroom possession early yesterday morning. He was on his tour bus at the time, having finished a concert at the Austin City Limits. Click for article. This is not exactly a shock as Willie has told anyone who wishes to listen how he smokes pot everyday. Willie is a true Texas legend. I remember in the early 90's when he was selling an album on television with all the proceeds going to pay off his tax bill. It was titled "The IRS Tapes: Who'll Buy My Memories?". He owed $16.7 million and paid it back in three years. Click for article.
The heavy rains lasted through yesterday morning and the low spots are filled with water. Things should green up for awhile. Hard rains have a negative effect on the cafe sales as many of the local truckers cannot run. Despite this, it was nice to get the moisture.
As mentioned before, my mother has moved to Lake Jackson with my sisters. She is selling her house in Groesbeck and doled out the furnishings and other items that she did not wish to take to Lake Jackson. We were given her piano among other things. My formal training on the keyboards is limited to one class in college, so I am by no means the successor to Van Cliburn. It is quite relaxing to bang the keys occasionally, although I do try to limit any singing to soundproof areas. It's hard to forget the time I was singing outdoors and all the neighborhood dogs begin howling. I knew then I better stick to selling chicken fried steaks and forsake any thought of being the next American Idol.
We finally got a soaking rain. I drove to Rosebud last night and saw a large number of raccoons along the way. I assume the rain had brought them out, although I've never noticed a rain/raccoon correlation before.
The Rosebud to Kosse trip involves a ten-mile stretch from Reagan to Kosse. There is a part of the road which will find itself underwater after a significant downpour. I found this out the hard way one night a few years ago. John Peters had accompanied me to Rosebud that night to do some work. If you know Mr. Peters, you know he is a big talker. He was telling me some off-the-wall story in the midst of the torrential downpour. I was driving about 45 m.p.h. when all of a sudden we came upon the area where water was standing across the road. It probably was only a few inches deep but it felt like we were suddenly in a shallow river. The water was across a long stretch of the road, so I had a few seconds to ponder the situation I now found myself in. Five miles from civilization in a major thunderstorm, stuck in a 1995 Ford Taurus with John Peters as he continued relating his story, frantically trying to control the car while traversing the swollen tides of what was formerly the Reagan road. Not a good scenario. I grasped the wheel and held on for the outcome. Amazingly the car followed the path of the road and only at the very end of the overflow did it seem to lose control. It then hit the drier pavement and corrected itself. The ten-second adventure was over, and Mr. Peters' story had not been interrupted. All was well with the world.
It was a very hot and humid day yesterday. It will sure be nice when the cool, crisp mornings of autumn arrive. It is my favorite time of the year.
The Pope has offended Muslims by implying Muhammed brought about evil and inhumanity. Click for article. The Muslims are offended that Islam is not regarded as a peace-loving religion. The peace-loving response to this has included firebombing four churches and threatening to kill the pope and attack Rome.
With the election less than two months away, the political signs are going up around town. My father became a politician when we moved to Limestone County. I can remember my brothers and I going out and hanging signs during each of his campaigns. We would ask people to vote for him, and it was amazing how almost 100% said they would do so. On election night people would gather at the courthouse in Groesbeck to await the results. One time I heard one of the candidates expressing disbelief that he had lost. He could not understand it because most everyone he talked to had said they would vote for him. I ran for office one time in my life and ended up being elected mayor. I was only twenty-five at the time so I was able to get it out of my blood early in life. I discovered my being involved in small-town business and politics was not a good combination. Now if I ran for office I would probably get one vote, assuming I did not oversleep and miss the polls.
The Rosebud Pizza Pro was once again burglarized Thursday night. Our front door was kicked in, destroying the locks and molding on the door frame. Our cash register was also messed up. This is the fifth time in five years we have been broken into in the dead of night. The building is a wood structure, and one time the perpetrators literally sawed a hole in the rear wall so as to gain entry. It is most discouraging each time one's efforts are destroyed by some little punk.
As with all communities of any size, Rosebud has a minority percentage of people who are of the criminal element. Over the years I would estimate being victimized at least thirty times in various locales. Out of these thirty or so times the crime has been solved a grand total of once. From what I have observed, property crimes are not highest on the list of importance. Many times I have had officers tell me they know who did it, but are lacking proof and therefore can do nothing about it. It is very frustrating.
Now for the local sports report. The Groesbeck Goats pulled out another close one last night, defeating long-time rival Mart by a score of 35-33. This puts them at 2-1 for the season. The Bremond Tigers won their first game of the season by defeating Thorndale 21-20.
September is half over and autumn arrives in a week. Quite a hodgepodge of headlines today, all of which have or could affect Kosse. According to the National Climatic Data Center the U.S. had its second hottest summer in history. Click for article. According to a leading energy analyst, gasoline prices could fall as low as $1.15 per gallon. Click for article. And Texas gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman will attempt to legalize marijuana if elected. Click for article.
Wayne, the Marine I mentioned a couple months age, is coming home from Iraq. He is the only participant in the Iraq War that I personally know. He survived having his armored truck hit by an I.E.D., and also a suicide bomber that walked into his building and blew himself up. Four of his group of Marines did not survive the tour of duty. His squad is currently undergoing psychological debriefing and analysis, and so far three of its member have been deemed in need of psychiatric care before returning to active duty.
Sam Lindsey, Sr. was the feed store manager when we purchased it from my brother in 1992. He was quite a character. He consistently mentioned an unfortunate incident that had occurred a year or two before my involvement in the business. It was obvious the memory was indelibly etched in his mind, and after hearing the anecdote I can understand why. It seems as if one day he and my brother John were on the second story of the building. I have no idea why although it doesn't matter. A portion of the second story did not have an actual floor and was nothing beyond 2"x12" wooden beams. Sam decided to traverse the distance he needed to go by way of the wooden beam area. While inching slowly towards his destination, his foot slipped off the beam and he suddenly found himself straddling the 2"x12" piece of vertically-placed wood. Needless to say this proved to be a most uncomfortably painful experience. Sam claimed he was singing soprano for a month although this was never officially verified. I always avoided the wooden beam area of the second floor.
Former Governor Ann Richards died yesterday of cancer. Click for article. The two things she was most known for both involved the Bushes. One was her comment at the 1988 Democratic convention in which she stated George H.W. Bush was "born with a silver foot in his mouth". She will also go down in history as the person who was defeated for governor by George W. Bush, which of course led to his being elected president in 2000. On a more local level she will be remembered as the person who saved the Mexia State School from closure in 1992. Click for article.
A number of events are scheduled for Kosse within the next few weeks. The Kosse City Council will be meeting next Tuesday for a budget workshop in which the public is invited. The Kosse Chamber of Commerce will be meeting this Monday evening. The city-wide garage sale and First United Methodist Church bazaar will be held on October 14. There will be a community-wide revival next Tuesday through Thursday at the First Baptist Church. Additional information on each event is available on the Kosse Courier page. Click for Kosse Courier. It's a hopping time in Kosse.
Each week the Groesbeck Journal publishes events which happened thirty years ago in Kosse. I noticed that this week in 1976 the Kosse Snack Bar business was sold to Floy Sullivan. I was not involved in Kosse until the 1980's so I am not sure if the Snack Bar was located in what is now my office building or not. I do remember in the 80's this being the location of a Mexican restaurant. I think it was owned by the Cordova's, although I am not positive of this. I remember coming in here a few times to get enchiladas and listen to the jukebox. When we moved here it was owned by Peggy Clark. She was from whom I purchased what eventually became the Kosse Cafe. One day I will write about how it came to be that we bought the place. It was quite an adventure.
I mentioned a week or so ago that I spent the summer following my graduation from Groesbeck High living with my brother Bill in Lake Jackson. We had two vehicles for our transportation needs that summer, and since we had to go in different directions for our jobs both vehicles were in daily use. Being eighteen and much more daring than now it did not bother me that one of the vehicles was a motorcycle. Bill is the self-proclaimed rugged individualist of the family. One weekend he made plans to go to Austin to see one of his friends from college and decided to ride the motorcycle on his four-hour journey. The bike was not made for touring but he figured a four-hour trip could be easily accomplished. On the designated date of departure Bill mounted the Kawasaki 250 and headed west. About ten minutes into his relaxing excursion to the state capitol, it suddenly began to rain. As he trekked onward the intensity of the downpour began to increase. The two-lane roads being traversed quickly had their low spots filled with water, but Bill was determined to be the rugged individualist he had labeled himself. The now-miserable driving conditions were exacerbated further with each 18-wheeler that was encountered coming in the opposite direction. According to the first-hand report of my resolute brother, the trucks would bring about an experience akin to Moses' parting of the Red Sea, with himself being placed in the role of the Egyptians. The resultant deluge in his face was of biblical proportions. As unfortunate happenstance would have it, the storm was headed in the same direction as Bill's destination, so he found himself in the midst of its effects for a couple of hours. Finding himself numbed by pelting raindrops (combined with the tsunami effect of the eighteen-wheelers), Bill finally decided to surrender to Mother Nature and stop at a roadside business until the storm passed. He eventually made it to Austin on his two-wheeler, and the remainder of his drive proved uneventful. Upon his return to Lake Jackson a few days later I was informed of the woeful experience on the Kawasaki 250, and remembered how I had spent the day of the downpour comfortably ensconced in apartment #204, enjoying the sound of the raindrops rhythmically beating on the roof.
Another strange and tragic story involving former Mexia resident, Anna Nichole Smith. Her twenty-year old son died while visiting his mother and newborn sister in a hospital in the Bahamas. Click for article. If you watch the AP video offered within the article, you will hear the reporter comment on her former employment at Jim's Krispy Fried Chicken in Mexia. Her pronunciation of Mexia is meck-see-a, which is a common mispronunciation found among those who are not familiar with the town. I have found that people also mispronounce and misspell Kosse if our town is unknown to them. They think the pronunciation is kos, and the spelling is Kossee. We get checks on a regular basis that are made out to "Kossee Cafe".
Tim Russert had an hour-long interview with Vice President Cheney Sunday on Meet the Press. Click for article and video. Russert conducted a hard-hitting interview backed up by direct quotes, poll results, and government studies. Cheney either avoided, disagreed with, or rationalized every subject presented to him. He even did this in regards to his own taped quotes from earlier appearances on Meet the Press. Watching this interview did not give me great confidence in the man who is a heartbeat away from the presidency. A year or so ago I watched a press conference with President Bush in which he was asked if he had made any mistakes as President. After a minute of thinking he answered he could not think of a single mistake he had made. My opinion of Bush was not enhanced by this response, and it had nothing to do with a disagreement over any particular policy. It showed that our president did not have enough faith in the American people to realize we do not expect perfection in our leaders, and the admission of imperfection is the first step in bettering a situation. A few weeks ago President Bush was asked basically the exact same question at another news conference but this time his response was much different. He listed a number of things he regretted, from his "Bring it on" comment to the Hurricane Katrina response. My response to his humility was evidently shared by other Americans, as his poll numbers took a bounce upward after this.
