July 26, 2012
What’s black and white and read all over?
Paddle for Parkinson’s
TxDMV Releases New General-Issue Plate
“The Texas Classic,” the new general-issue license plate released by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV). The Texas Classic is white with black lettering, and features the Texas star, state silhouette, and “The Lone Star State” slogan. It also comes with a new security feature.
Kleberg Bank partners with Paddle For Parkinson’s to sell raffle tickets Raffle tickets for a Versa Board valued at $1,400 and donated by the Clarks & Outlaw Embroidery; a two night stay at Cinnamon Shores valued at $1,200; or a iPad2 valued at $400 and donated by Coastline Properties are available through the Kleberg Banks located at Flour Bluff, Saratoga, or Alameda Road HEB stores for $5 each or 5 for $20. The drawings will be held on September 1st following a kayak/standup paddle board relay through the canals of Padre Island. This 5 mile relay can be paddled solo or in 1.25 mile legs in team combinations. Pendgo Timing will professionally time the relay. BBQ plates are also available at the event for $10 each. A FREE practice paddle of the route will be held at 9:00 am August 4th beginning at 15601 Gypsy Park boat ramp followed by an 10:00 am organizational meeting at the park. For sponsorship availabilities, volunteering, relay signup, BBQ or raffle tickets go to www. catchthecure.org or contract 361-960-9597. All proceeds benefit research to find a cure for Parkinson’s disease.
WHITECAP LIQUOR Liquor
Wine
Beer
14414 Whitecap Blvd. Corpus Christi, TX On North Padre Island..... near the Beach
361 949-9289 whitecapliquor@yahoo.com http://www.whitecap.vpweb.com
Andy Stansel, Manager
The TxDMV is currently shipping The Texas Classic plates to the state’s 254 county tax offices. But don’t rush out to get it. To save taxpayer money and avoid waste, counties must first exhaust their inventory of the current general-issue plate before issuing the new one. For the fashion conscious, the black and white plate’s classic design will go with any color car or light truck. If you think of yourself as a little retro then this plate is sure to match your taste. And if you just want a simple, easy-to-read license plate, this is the one for you. “The majority of the almost 22 million registered vehicles in Texas display the generalissue plate,” Vandergriff added. “The Texas Classic plate design isn’t colorful like some of the specialty plates or the current general-issue plate, but it is a purposeful license plate that is supported by law enforcement.” The Texas Classic includes: • Two new, high-visibility security threads embedded into the license plate sheeting join the existing holograms. Texas is the first state in the country to provide dual security threads, making it easier for law enforcement to spot legitimate plates. • Bigger plate numbers. The plate letters and numbers are a full inch wide and just over 2 ½ - inches tall. • A new license plate pattern. Plates will be issued with three letters followed by four numbers. By keeping the letters and numbers separate in the alpha-numeric pattern, the seven- character license plate number is easier to remember. This is convenient for plate owners, and also provides better recall for law enforcement and citizen witnesses. The TxDMV believes many Texans will embrace The Texas Classic. The top-selling license plate design for the state’s specialty plate marketing vendor, My Plates, is a black and white design. Texans who prefer to have a different plate design may choose from a variety of specialty license plates available from the TxDMV or My Plates. Currently, there are about 1.2 million Texas vehicles with specialty license plates. Specialty plates have the added advantage of personalization, which is not available on the general-issue license plate. Those who like the current multi-colored, general-issue plate can keep those plates until they are due for mandatory replacement. All state license plates are replaced every seven years due to a loss in reflectivity. More information on license plates, including The Texas Classic, is available at www.TxDMV. gov.
Isle Mail N More Now inside Mail N More...
Costa Sur Cevicheria & Cafe
All your Packaging needs FedEx, UPS, USPS P.O. Boxes Local Artistry Gelato & Coffees Cards & Gifts (361) 949-9325 14493 S.P.I.D, Ste A Corpus Christi TX 78418
Try the Leche del Tigre Hangover Shot $2 Chef Nicolas Mackrizz 361-949-1989
Johnny D’s
15605Johnny SPID nD’s 949-2500 15605 SPIDHours: n 949-2500 Hours:
Open TuesSat4:30 4:30 - 10 PM Open Tues- Sat - 10 PM Sunday 4:30 - 9 -PM Sunday 4:30 9 PM Closed Monday Closed Monday
Happy Hour Happy Hour 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
$2.00 Pints 4:30 Full to 6:30 p.m. Service Bar Located on Padre Island, Johnny D's offers Island dining at its best. Serving Corpus Christi with the freshest local seafood and culinary masterpieces, order the rack of lamb and you'll be calling your friends from the table! Hours of operation are Tuesday-Saturday 4:30 to 10pm and Sunday 4:30 to 9pm
$2.00 Pints 15600 SPID On the Island 949-2500
Featuring 7 Draft Beers HOURS-Closed SUNDAYS & MONDAYS Located on Padre Island, Johnny D's offers Island dining at its best. Serving Corpus Christi with the Check our website forfreshest daily local specials seafood and culinary masterpieces, order the rack of lamb and you'll be calling your friends from the table! Hours of and more information TUES-SAT 4:30 till on 10:00Tap operation are Tuesday-Saturday 4:30 to 10pm and Sunday 4:30 to 9pm www.letseat.at/johnnydsrestaurant Daily Features.15600 Fresh Fish. SPID On the Island 949-2500 Great Daily Dinner Specials We will cook your catch.
Full Service Bar We can cook your catch! Featuring 7 Draft Beers on Tap Great Daily Dinner Specials
• Moving • storage • Remodeling • Free up space • home staging
We can cook your catch!
Convenient and secure, timely pickup and delivery! COWs of Corpus Christi • 361.937.3930
www. 866-get-a-cow .com
866-get-a-cow
Island Moon
A 13
Puerto Rico - It’s All About The People
By Mary Craft My most recent travel took me to the island of Puerto Rico. I chose this destination because there was an Optometric meeting at the Ritz Carlton where I could pick up continuing education hours and write off the trip. It was easy to convince my friend Mimi to join me since I would pick up the hotel tab. I found out how the hotel got its name because it was definitely ritzy. The evening we arrived we strolled the lush walkways in the center court leading to the beach. There were loud chirping bird sounds and we could not figure out or see what birds would be singing at night. We thought maybe the hotel was so lavish that it piped in sound effects but the following day we walked to a local diner and there were the same sounds coming from a vacant lot. We later learned that what we were hearing were tree frogs. They are called coqui (ko-key) because that is the sound they make and are native to this country.
of the race track.” He told us to put most of our money on horse #8 in the sixth race which we did. The horse easily came in first and just as the race finished he took my hand and rushed us to a side elevator that took us down to the grounds. The others followed and we worked our way through the bleacher crowd to get to the winner’s circle. We got our picture taken with the horse and jockey - what unexpected fun! Carlos pointed to us in the picture and said “Close” meaning he was almost my height. I had earlier mentioned my height requirements.
Lots of eye candy
There was much more fun in store for us during the trip and that was because of its charming people. The natives are very attractive, sensual and everyone looks twenty years younger than they are. Evenings out are a reason to dress up. Travel & Leisure magazine had a best dressed cities list and San Juan came in second right after New York and beating out Miami and L.A. Couples of all ages do the salsa which is For this trip I did not do any research because captivating to watch. The El San Juan Hotel this was going to be a “girls gone wild” trip. was walking distance from our hotel and is No ziplining, no tours of forts, no visits to the where the locals go for entertainment. It was rain forest. built in 1957 and the huge lobby has intricately carved dark wood walls with three bars and a casino adjacent to it. It felt like the Rat Pack should be walking in. Earlier that week it was closed for two days for filming with Justin Timberlake and Ben Affleck in the movie Runner, Runner about illegal online gambling. Each night there is a different salsa band and one night there was even a nine piece At the Winners Circle at Hippodroma Race Track, band. the only one in Puerto Rico. The international Fred Astaire The first thing I noticed upon arrival was that Ballroom Competition was held on the second it did not seem like I was outside the United floor. There were women in their 70s dressed States. All signs were in English and Spanish in sparkly sassy dresses with partners in their and everyone spoke English although amongst 20s. We spoke to one of the ladies to find out each other they spoke Spanish. how you get to compete and she replied “Pay the entry fee.” Off to the races
We were entertained with salsa music on one of My goal was to go where the locals are and not our cab rides. As soon as we stepped in we were tourists. There was a large cockfight arena near handed a set of maracas and palitos which are our hotel. There are 86 of these government run percussion instruments we used to play along. arenas in the country and has been a cultural At each stoplight the driver would beat on the tradition for more than 100 years. Mimi did center of his steering wheel with two hands like not think she could handle that so I went online a bongo. He had a branch of quenepas which is to see if there was a horse track. Bingo! There a fruit and showed us how to peel off the skin is only one and it was a 30 minute drive just with your teeth and suck the round pulp whole. outside San Juan. It was built in 1972 and it It looks like a jumbo grape and is tart. He said was easy to see that it was quite elegant in its “This is natural viagra.” heydey. As you enter there is a large sunroof which allowed for a small rain forest area of trees and flowers. The lower level is rundown and you feel like you are in a third world country. The restroom was full of graffiti and no paper products. The food vendor had huge vats of empanadas frying in deep oil. The bleachers which looked onto a beautiful track with a pond in the center and a back drop of mountains was filled with less well off men. They stared at us like we were just dropped from a space ship. A Coquie (ko-key) tree frog. This frog, native to Puerto Rico, got its name from the chirping sound it makes. When we went back inside they were just bringing the horses into stalls right inside the My first and last offshore fishing building for the next race. The handlers brought experience them over to us to pet. We each picked the one we thought was frisky enough to win the race. Mimi is an avid fisherman and her goal for the We tried to place a bet but the tellers did not trip was to catch a marlin, mine was to catch speak English. a handsome six footer. It was my first offshore fishing so I made sure I took dramamine an hour We went up the narrow escalator to the before just in case. We shared the four hour trip Clubhouse and it was so different from below on the 48’ Hatteras yacht with two men from that it was hard to believe we were in the same Dallas. It was a cloudy day and while going building. There was a huge air-conditioned through the marina I enjoyed the view of the dining area with white linen tables each with city from the water. Then we passed the jetties a TV. The tables were on tiered levels facing and the boat started to rock and roll. By the time a floor to ceiling glass wall with a view of the we got to where the grass lines were, which is track. where the fish are, the swells were 12- 15 feet. This went on for two hours and at one point the Land in the winner’s circle boat tipped so much I thought we were going to We headed for the sports bar and quickly capsize. We were all seated on the upper deck so befriended Duke the bartender and other when the pelting rain started everyone headed patrons. Interestingly, Duke did not know why down the ladder to the cabin below except for he was given that name. He was not aware that me. There was no way I could walk on the wet John Wayne was called the Duke but did tell us deck with my flip flops and the boat rocking. about the Dukes of Hazard. We were the only I remembered my friend Dann broke her neck women spectators and the only tourists - my going down steps on a yacht. I preferred hours mission was accomplished. One of the men of torture rather than possibly weeks. I felt like I sent over drinks and once they arrived so did was in the movie “The Storm” for those endless he. We spent the afternoon with Carlos and his two hours which were my most miserable friends and during this time he would often be ever and that includes labor. The highlight of approached for his picks on different races. the trip for me was when the captain reeled in Turns out he has friends who are trainers and he the four bait lines that never got a single bite. I gets inside info. Mimi called him the “Godfather never did get seasick but my body did get sore from bracing myself for four hours. We got “skunked” meaning no fish which also happened on my only other trip bay fishing with Barry. Whatever that exhilarating feeling is that happens when you catch a fish is one that I am not meant to have.
Other than this experience it was a funfilled vacation full of laughter. As far as my “catch” I met him on the last day but he had other commitments and I had to leave the next San Juan buildings are colorful and full of character. They remind morning. If only I had Juan more day.....
me of the French Quarter in New Orleans