What a Couple!

From the Odessa American:
BY NATHANIEL MILLER

They’re known as Whataburger’s biggest fans.

At least, that’s what the orange and white T-shirts that Karl and Carol Hoepfner wore had printed as they sat down for breakfast Tuesday morning at the Whataburger restaurant on East Eighth Street.

The couple’s morning stop was No. 671, Karl Hoepfner said, on their trip to visit the chain’s 735 stores in 10 states. Stops No. 672 and 673 were to come later Tuesday as the couple visited the locations on Andrews Highway — Whataburger’s first ever A-frame restaurant — and East 42nd Street.

Traveling in their van full of Whataburger memorabilia that they’ve collected since their trip began, the Rockport, Texas, couple and retired U.S. Army master sergeants have been checking in at every store since starting their journey April 2011. To document their trip, the couple has been putting their receipts from the restaurants and other items, such as postcards and pictures, in different three-ring binders to document their trip.

Stores have also been giving up their plastic order number bearing the couple’s permanently assigned waiting number: 13.

“In our hometown, you can’t even get that number,” Karl Hoepfner, 75, said.

Earning the title “biggest fans” happened in November 2010 after an essay contest from Whataburger was brought to Karl’s attention asking people for submissions on why they felt were the organizations biggest fan A published author, Karl Hoepfner said he submitted a 400 word essay about the couple’s first trip to Whataburger in San Angelo in 1963 while the two were still in the Air Force and how Carol and himself have had visited Whataburger restaurants at least 7,000 times since then.

“We’ve been all over the world and we haven’t tasted a better burger,” Karl Hoepfner said.

The trip to visit all the stores started in April 2011 after Carol, 73, was diagnosed with eye cancer and underwent 17 treatments in 23 nights in Houston, her husband said. Karl Hoepfner also said his wife’s cancer is in remission and she has a hard time seeing.

The couple then decided to visit each store in the Houston area, 90 in total, and decided to visit them all. Karl Hoepfner said the company didn’t start taking notice until their 200th stop.

“I just enjoy seeing the people and talking to them,” Carol Hoepfner said.

A meal for the couple usually consists of their favorites, a Whataburger for Karl and a Justaburger — a Whataburger Jr. with only mustard, pickles and onions — for Carol Hoepfner. Carol also said she likes the organization’s chicken strips.

To keep from gaining weight from the large amount of Whataburger the couple consumes, the couple tries to avoid items things such as onion rings while ordering. Karl Hoepfner also said the couple walks all the time and he rides his bike at least once a day. His wife however, has an easier time keeping weight off then him.

“She weighed 113 pounds when I met her and she hasn’t changed since,” Karl Hoepfner joked.

Karl Hoepfner also said the company was big on giving back to the community, citing the work the Whataburger Family Foundation did after Katrina, and he and his wife try to do the same.

Winning $8,000 after his essay was picked by Whataburger, The Hoepfners decided to send $7,000 back and got 1,000 $7 gift cards instead. The couple then handed out their gift cards to help feed homeless people. Karl Hoepfner said it took them about a year before they finally ran out of cards.

The couple’s next stop will be in Midland and then move on to the Dallas area June 23, Karl Hoepfner said. After that, the couple plans on taking a cruise to Alaska for their 55th anniversary.

Karl Hoepfner also said he has a book in mind about the experience and plans to titled it after the license plates on their vehicle, “MSGTS 2.”

“It’s all about our life in the service and our trips,” Karl Hoepfner said. “It’s been a lot of fun.”

Meet Abigail!

Our newest great-niece!

Relay for Life

Transitions

From Liz's Facebook on June 1:

 

"Robert has 'graduated' from Junior High and is starting high school next year.  Today was my last working day at Kermit Elementary.  We are both stepping into new territory and are eagerly waiting to see what God has in store!"

A Scientific Ghost Town

From the Associated Press:

Hobbs, NM, picked as site of scientific ghost town
By JERI CLAUSING, Associated Press

(Hobbs is about 60 miles north of Kermit, soz ya know. - DK)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A scientific ghost town in the heart of southeastern New Mexico oil and gas country will hum with the latest next-generation technology — but no people.

A $1 billion city without residents will be developed in Lea County near Hobbs, officials said Tuesday, to help researchers test everything from intelligent traffic systems and next-generation wireless networks to automated washing machines and self-flushing toilets.

Hobbs Mayor Sam Cobb said the unique research facility that looks like an empty city will be a key for diversifying the economy of the nearby community, which after the oil bust of the 1980s saw bumper stickers asking the last person to leave to turn out the lights.

"It brings so many great opportunities and puts us on a world stage," Cobb told The Associated Press before the announcement.

Pegasus Holdings and its New Mexico subsidiary, CITE Development, said Hobbs and Lea County beat out Las Cruces, for the Center for Innovation, Technology and Testing.

The CITE project is being billed as a first-of-its kind smart city, or ghost town of sorts, that will be developed on about 15 square miles west of Hobbs.

Bob Brumley, senior managing director of Pegasus Holdings, said the town will be modeled after the real city of Rock Hill, S.C., complete with highways, houses and commercial buildings, old and new. No one will live there, although they could as houses will include all the necessities, like appliances and plumbing.

The point of the town is to enable researchers to test new technologies on existing infrastructure without interfering in everyday life. For instance, while some researchers will be testing smart technologies on old grids, others might be using the streets to test self-driving cars.

"The only thing we won't be doing is destructive testing, blowing things up — I hope," said Brumley.

Not far from the Texas border, Hobbs has seen new growth in recent years but local leaders have been pushing to expand the area's reputation to include economic development ventures beyond the staple of oil and gas.

The investors developing CITE were looking for open spaces. Brumley said his group scoured the country for potential sites, "but we kept coming back to New Mexico. New Mexico is unique in so many ways."

One big plus for New Mexico was its federal research facilities like White Sands Missile Range in southern New Mexico and Los Alamos and Sandia national labs.

Gov. Susana Martinez joined officials in announcing final site selection for the project, which she hailed as "one of the most unique and innovative" economic development projects the state has seen. She noted that no tax breaks were given for the development. "The only thing they have asked for is guidance," she said.

Brumley said plans are to break ground on the town by June 30. The initial development cost is estimated at $400 million, although Brumley estimates the overall investment in the project to top $1 billion.

The project is expected to create 350 permanent jobs and about 3,500 indirect jobs in its design, development, construction and ongoing operational phases.

Hobbs, a community of about 43,000 people, currently has two non-stop flights from Houston each day and is working on getting daily service to Albuquerque and Denver.

The mayor said discussions for the new flights have just started but having the research center may bolster efforts to connect Hobbs to more cities.

Follow Jeri Clausing on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jericlausing

You might be a Ron Paulblican

(Thanks as always to Rawhide for the text. I found the pictures everyplace.)

1.  You might be a Ron Paulblican if:

You believe that the Federal Reserve kills puppies.

2.   You might be a Ron Paulblican if:

 You came to believe after being bitten by another RP supporter.

3.   You might be a Ron Paulblican if:

You think that Rick Perry is the anti-Christ.

4.   You might be a Ron Paulblican if:

You refer to amendments 11-27 as the Bill of Wrongs.

5.  You might be a Ron Paulblican if:

 You support RP for fear of being abducted, again.

6.   You might be a Ron Paulblican if:

You believe that Satan is the patron saint of IRS agents, Washington politicians, and diet soda.

7.   You might be a Ron Paulblican if:

You believe IRS stands for I Represent Satan.

8.   You might be a Ron Paulblican if:

Every conversation you have eventually returns to Ron Paul and his midi-chlorian level being off the charts.

9.   You might be a Ron Paulblican if:

You believe that fiat money is the root of all evil.

10.   You might be a Ron Paulblican if:

You believe that Ron Paul is actually 9 feet tall, but the weight of his conscience makes him look shorter.

Liz Moves to First Grade!

After four years teaching second grade, Liz has been moved to first grade.  At first, they were going to move her to kindergarten, but I think they witnessed her reaction and they changed their minds.  Please refer to last year's article to compare and contrast the old room with the new.

So here we are in room B-120, all the way across the building from A-105.  Our theme was going to be apples this year but we wound up doing bugs again, with apples as a sort of sub-theme.  We wouldn't, after all, have apples without bees.  Oh, and this is one of our two fire extinguishers.

This reading canopy (draped over our $2.49 reading couch) is the envy of the school.  Liz found it at Oriental Trading.

A prairie dog from Science Spectrum keeps the bugs and the kids company.

The alphabet and the kids' cubbies.  (No lockers in first grade.)

The traffic light discipline chart from previous years ...

... has been replaced by this possibly friendlier set of apples.

Tattling Turtle has returned from last year.

Franklin.

The bug curtains from last year are back.

Liz got this pocket chart stand from Really Good Stuff.

Kermit and the quasi-legal pinecone.

This angry Yellow Jacket probably dates from the '60's.

This flag holder, and another one just like it, were rescued from the old East Primary building.

The audience is listening, or will be.

Wild thing.

Liz found this mural in the teachers' lounge and posted it in the hall.  It was still sealed and dated 1986.

I close with this classic poem Liz found:

I fell asleep in class today,
as I was awfully bored.
 I laid my head upon my desk
 and closed my eyes and snored.

I woke to find a piece of paper
sticking to my face.
I’d slobbered on my textbooks,
and my hair was a disgrace.

My clothes were badly rumpled,
and my eyes were glazed and red.
My binder left a three-ring
indentation in my head.

I slept through class, and probably
I would have slept some more,
except my students woke me
as they headed out the door.