For years, I have been just like you on my drive in to work, listening to the radio hearing reports about the big Cowboy Breakfast. It is an annual tradition here in San Antonio to mark the beginning of Rodeo, and because of the need to work, I have never joined the thousands of people all duded up in cowboy gear to get free breakfast tacos, biscuits and gravy, and of course, hot coffee.
Today, because I had to take the morning off for a service call at the house, I decided to find out what all the excitement of the cowboy breakfast was, first hand. Oh, my wife was glad to simply observe the event via the local morning news, and while I headed out into the 30 degree weather at 6AM, she was safely snuggled in the bed, no doubt laughing at me and the other suckers attempting to set a record for the most cups of free coffee served.
By the way, I never could get it straight as to what the number was supposed to be. I heard people saying things like 4,000 cups and I heard others saying 40,000 cups. I don't want to sound like a party-pooper, but wouldn't it be reasonable to assume that the Red Cross would easily serve 4,000 cups of coffee during any hurricane event?
Anyway, I got to The Rim without a lot of traffic or fanfare. In all honesty, I was expecting serious traffic issues, but really, there was no more traffic (in my mind anyway) than a normal visit to the same shopping center during Christmas.
One of my main goals was to take pictures of the KENS-5 TV folks broadcasting from the CB. That was a big fat FAIL. As it turned out, I simply could not get to where they were at, apparently behind some sort of long line that involved the free tacos and biscuits and such. Honestly, I could not find them, even though I did see several different people they had interviewed earlier in the morning. Oh well.
The CB had two big stages with bands playing. My fingers were so freakin' cold, I could not for the life of me understand how these artists could play guitar. Maybe they had some blow torch like heaters up on the stages that I couldn't see.
As I looked at the lines of people trying to get their free food, I came across our police chief, Bill McManus. He was nice enough to pose for me twice. The first picture I took was really blurry so I just said, "Wow, that came out really blurry", and by God, he stood there until I could get it right.
His public information officer didn't wait for the better picture. And now look at him.
The CB wasn't just full of important people either. I came across this guy standing in front of a radio station booth, MIX 96.1, and I'm not sure if he was just there hanging out or if he was one of the random characters on the show. Anyway, he needed a hug because it was cold. I offered him the flash of my camera, but not much more. I think he had hugged quite a few people though because to be honest, he smelled a little.
Then there was the chick with blue hair. It turns out that a new magazine was being launched called Stash, and she was passing out copies of the mag and taking pictures with people. I don't know the two guys posing with her; they just happened to be there when I was snapping pictures.
I have to tell you, I spent probably 45 minutes walking around the place and never once even considered standing in line to get the tacos, the biscuits or the free coffee so I could be part of the big record. Because of all the news and fanfare it gets every year, attending was actually a let down. I was hoping to see people getting liquored up and doing crazy things (all before work, mind you) but for the most part, it just seemed like a bunch of really cold people waiting in long lines for food they could have easily paid a buck for in a drive-thru somewhere. And what a mess!
Speaking of messes... one bright spot for me was on my way back to my vehicle. I spotted this gem in the lot parked just a row over from me. Egad! Perhaps these people were trying to get a start on the Cowboy Breakfast clean-up by tossing crap in the back of their car.
Giddy up! See all the pictures over on Flickr.
Update: Here is a small video I made before my camcorder ran out of tape...
The other day as we were driving home from the rodeo, we passed this little gem on Highway 90. 
This guy is apparently running for Sheriff, and decided to use this spiffy old Mayberry R.F.D. looking Barney Fife cruiser as a prop. I wonder if he had a single bullet in his shirt pocket, just in case.
Each year since forever, my wife and I make a trip to the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo on or around Valentines Day. I take off early from work, and usually, with one or both of our kids and a few tagalongs, we get their early enough in the day to avoid the crowds, walk around, eat some fried food, drink some draft beers, look at cows, pigs, horses, and people, and just enjoy the afternoon.
Then, by the time we are ready to leave, we have avoided the flood of people entering the grounds to attend the actual rodeo (bucking broncos, calf roping, fisticuffs) and concert that follows.
Of course, this year, my daughter couldn't join us because she and her husband are off in New Jersey dealing with the cold weather. My wife was none too pleased with this, but we have persevered and to make things lively, invited our neighbors Gus and Ruby to join us for the big walk around the stables.
These days, it seems kind of gross, what with people so health conscious and such, but for some reason, we always seem to have this hankering for that fried onion blossom. It sounds so good when you get there and you can just smell the trans-fats floating through the air. Now if you go to Chili's or probably the Outback (I wouldn't know since we stopped eating there years ago), when they serve up one of those fried onion blossoms, it comes with some sort of horse radish sauce or some crazy concoction that tastes spicy. We immediately fix that problem by ordering some honey mustard on the side. And usually, this is not a problem at the rodeo.
First thing we do as soon as we get in the rodeo is order up an onion. The booth you choose is a critical factor in how your onion experience goes. We chose wrong.
The blossom we got had clearly been cooked a few weeks ago (okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little) and was not even close to warm. They did not have honey mustard or even the standard horse radishy stuff that we don't like anyway. What they gave us was Ranch dressing. It is the rodeo, after all. Hey, I love Ranch Dressing. But not on an onion. Especially a just this side of cold onion.
I went down to the next booth selling onions and sheepishly asked the nice lady there how much would she charge me for a cup of honey mustard, and she just gave me some without a thought. Situation averted.
When you walk around the rodeo grounds, you get to participate in sampling of foods, and they issue you a big plastic bag (this year, provided by Country station Y-100), and you fill it with all the crap they are giving away. We got lots of fruit cups, almonds, Grill Mates, some coupons, and not much else. Pretty disappointing actually. I only whine about it because in previous years, we have loaded up big time. But what the heck.
There are a group of cowboy characters who put on little shows and to be honest, they are quite entertaining. I often wonder what these people do when there isn't a rodeo for them to perform in. I mean, let's face it, this isn't the type of look that fits in at bank, even in Texas. Though you can surely get a job selling papers on the corner every weekend, and this attire would be perfectly appropriate.
We looked at this exhibit called "Birds of Prey". Holy crap. I kept thinking some of these things might make a tasty bar-b-q, but I have always been partial to yardbird.
The main focus for us is going inside the old Joe and Harry Freeman Coliseum which is located just next to the AT&T Center. For those readers not in San Antonio, The AT&T Center is where our beloved San Antonio Spurs play. During the rodeo (which requires that the basketball court be removed and the floor covered in dirt) the Spurs go on what is called the Rodeo Road Trip. More info than you will ever need if you are not a basketball fan or a Spurs fan.
Anyway, we go into Freeman Coliseum because it is filled with vendors selling things that would appeal to people who go to rodeos. Everything from boots to country-fied clothing to turquoise jewelry (yeesh), to paintings of cowboys and just all sorts of stuff that I never buy. But it is nice to walk around there and observe the fancy cowboy duds that people have put on for the big trip to the rodeo.
I'll try to put this delicately so as not to create consternation with my wife on Valentines day, but if you are a man, you should be aware that many of the ladies who come to rodeo dress to impress. I'll leave it at that.
After walking through aisle after aisle of vendors, surely you will want some guy to give you a personality test, right? I wonder why it is they need your phone number and e-mail address to do the test? Could there be some future Spam or a few phone calls coming your way just when you sit down to eat dinner? 
Can't make it 8 seconds? Why not climb aboard a huge plastic bull and get a photo made so you can tell all your friends you didn't just go to the rodeo - your were the rodeo!
But for those people really into it, you can raise a real cow, get him all fattened up, brush his hair real perty, then parade him around the gorunds like these kids do. San Antonio Stock Show is one of the biggest put on for school aged kids to compete in. And when they are done, the winners get purchased, slaughtered and served up as steak! Yum!
For my wife, one of the highlights is this big, huge, really tall horse named Thor who shows up every year. Thor is some sort of Flemish breed horse that stands 20 hands tall. To give you a frame of reference, the Budweiser Clydesdale's look like Small Horse, Big World characters compared to Thor. He really is beautiful. Oh, I took some pictures from another angle - strange how it was my wife who noticed that Thor seemed pleased to see her, but I wouldn't want to publish them for fear that a San Antonio city Council member might try to shut down the rodeo due to the prurient nature of things.
Anyway, you aren't allowed to ride Thor but my wife was able to jump on for a little entertainment, if only to experience what it could be like to be a real cowgirl.
I on the other hand prefer to stick with things a little more my speed. You know I could eat yard bird everyday of the week, but as healthy as it sounds, I tend to resemble the Pillsbury Doughboy!
I don't do Cowboy Breakfast because I have a job. I'm sorry if that sounds as though I don't have the spirit.
In fairness, my wife and I do go to the rodeo every year on Valentines Day, not to see any concerts or to actually watch the rodeo events, but we make an afternoon of looking at livestock, shopping inside the Joe & Harry Freeman Coliseum, and happily paying Spurs game rates for beer as we walk around collecting free samples from eager vendors and radio stations. Oh, and we dig the onion blossoms.
For the first time in nine years, the rodeo folks decided to run some cattle down Houston Street to get some local attention, and you better believe that we were in place, camera in hand and ready to celebrate the cause.
In case you couldn't make it, here are a few pictures of what you missed from start to finish as if you were lined up like we were on Houston and Main in downtown SA.
As we readied ourselves for the big event, it was pretty exciting to imagine that we were just steps away from the famous Bob Lee, Air Conditioned Hotel on Houston Street in downtown SA waiting to see some cattle. Oh, and as a note; I always complain about the lack of places to pee downtown, so kudos to the Riverwalk Market & Deli who served up some piping warm coffee at a fair price and a clean restroom when my wife needed to make a sprinkle.
I have to tell you, the city had their act together. we parked and walked over to a good place to stand (toward the beginning of the route - not the end by the Alamo) and watched as police officers manned the intersections in preparation for the cattle drive.
Soon, city crews came by and quickly blocked off the streets with barricades so that cars would stop and the cattle would stay on course.
Likewise, rodeo ladies in their official jackets and beehive hairdos readied themselves for the drive, 
and crowds of bystanders eagerly waited for the big event.
Moments later, we could see the cowboys (and girls) coming down the street. Let's not freak out here. We have all seen cows and cattle and such, if not in a zoo, at least in the meat section of our local HEB; but I have to tell you, this up close and personal business is pretty entertaining.
And the cows...
At one point as I was busily taking pictures, one of the cows took an interest in me and seemed to wander my way. I looked up at one of the cowboys on his horse and gave him the international sign for, "Holy Shit" by saying, "Holy Shit!" He recognized my anxiety and simply gave a quick, "Whoop!" and the cow moved along.
In all, the 35 mostly well behaved cattle made their way past us in a matter of minutes on their way to the
Alamo where I can only assume that a big crowd slaughtered them, then ate them.
But from our vantage point, we got to see the rest of the event to include horse riders, waving big rodeo flags and showing off beautiful horses, boots, and hats.
Up next, the clean up crew came - first in the form of some guys with shovels...
then, always a crowd favorite at parades... the guy in the street sweeper.
Finally, what would a rodeo be without a rodeo clown or two?
Our total time from start to finsih was less than half an hour, but it was something you just don't see everyday, at least here in San Antonio.
Today, because I had to take the morning off for a service call at the house, I decided to find out what all the excitement of the cowboy breakfast was, first hand. Oh, my wife was glad to simply observe the event via the local morning news, and while I headed out into the 30 degree weather at 6AM, she was safely snuggled in the bed, no doubt laughing at me and the other suckers attempting to set a record for the most cups of free coffee served.
One of my main goals was to take pictures of the KENS-5 TV folks broadcasting from the CB. That was a big fat FAIL. As it turned out, I simply could not get to where they were at, apparently behind some sort of long line that involved the free tacos and biscuits and such. Honestly, I could not find them, even though I did see several different people they had interviewed earlier in the morning. Oh well.
As I looked at the lines of people trying to get their free food, I came across our police chief, Bill McManus. He was nice enough to pose for me twice. The first picture I took was really blurry so I just said, "Wow, that came out really blurry", and by God, he stood there until I could get it right.
His public information officer didn't wait for the better picture. And now look at him.
The CB wasn't just full of important people either. I came across this guy standing in front of a radio station booth, MIX 96.1, and I'm not sure if he was just there hanging out or if he was one of the random characters on the show. Anyway, he needed a hug because it was cold. I offered him the flash of my camera, but not much more. I think he had hugged quite a few people though because to be honest, he smelled a little.
Then there was the chick with blue hair. It turns out that a new magazine was being launched called Stash, and she was passing out copies of the mag and taking pictures with people. I don't know the two guys posing with her; they just happened to be there when I was snapping pictures.
I have to tell you, I spent probably 45 minutes walking around the place and never once even considered standing in line to get the tacos, the biscuits or the free coffee so I could be part of the big record. Because of all the news and fanfare it gets every year, attending was actually a let down. I was hoping to see people getting liquored up and doing crazy things (all before work, mind you) but for the most part, it just seemed like a bunch of really cold people waiting in long lines for food they could have easily paid a buck for in a drive-thru somewhere. And what a mess!
Speaking of messes... one bright spot for me was on my way back to my vehicle. I spotted this gem in the lot parked just a row over from me. Egad! Perhaps these people were trying to get a start on the Cowboy Breakfast clean-up by tossing crap in the back of their car.
