October in Texas.

Here’s some late-breaking weather news. Temperatures have cooled down considerably here, with average daytime highs in the mid-80s and overnight lows in the upper 50s. While we’re all mighty happy to be finished with that never-ending summer heat wave, Texas is still stuck with a DROUGHT. A brief thunderstorm in September dropped about two inches of rain but didn’t make much of a dent in our 16-inch deficit for 2012. (We had a deficit LAST year, too.) I’m just saying.

I thought I’d seen it all, but here are four of the major new stories this morning on  MSNBC.com. You’d better brace yourself.

“Canadian Arctic Loses Nearly Entire Ice Shelf”
“Nine American Cities Are Going Broke”
“Colorado Town At Center of Listeria Outbreak”
“Whoopi Goldberg Says Potato Chips Are Her Weakness”

I can’t seriously imagine that ANYBODY gives a crap what Whoopi Goldberg eats. I sure don’t.

In other news, to help my brother-in-law David get ready for his visit next week I thought I’d post a few photos from one of the high spots of our agenda — a visit to the WinStar Casino in Thackery, Oklahoma. Below are images of the outside and the inside; above right is a shot promoting one of the the casino’s most popular dining options, Cheap Grilled Lobby Dogs. They also have a buffet specializing in meatballs and a food court with a Panda Express.

Incidentally, I might be joking about some of this. The WinStar is actually pretty cool with an enormous assortment of penny slots and an exceptionally above-average buffet with a SUGAR-FREE DESSERT BAR. I really LOVE that dessert bar!

And now, for the sports fans among you, it’s almost game time! Sam and I are getting set to watch the Cowboys vs. Detroit here at Cowboys Stadium. We’re having mozzarella sticks for lunch and at half-time I want to clean out the freezer. I’ll be accepting applications for helpers for the next 90 minutes, so please send an email with your qualifications. (Please note — this is considered an internship position with no financial compensation.)

Thank you, as always, for reading this.