Trippin’ Around North America

Three days in Lubbock…

November 14

Lubbock is a city of 200,000 people in the Panhandle of Texas. In addition, there are 30,000 souls who are students at Texas Tech University. Lubbock IS Texas Tech.

The area around Lubbock is “Oil and Cotton”, some lucky cotton field owners have oil wells in their fields as well, sounds nice to me!

We met Gerry and Margaret on a three-week Black-sea to-Amsterdam cruise about four years ago. We ate a bit together and lightly socialized, then exchanged e-mail addresses and kept in touch that way sort of. When planning this trip we asked if we could drop by and say hello on the way up North.

Well, the last three days have been outstanding for us. Gerry and Margaret are somewhat younger than us, [who is not], and Gerry works. Margaret recently ‘retired’ from her job, which was a book editor specializing in reference books and Dictionaries”; this fascinated me when we first met.

Gerry is a professor of law at Texas Tech. His area of expertise is wills, estates, trusts and estate planning. We have since found out that not only is he and expert on these, he is the Guru of these subjects in Texas and far beyond. He is revered by his students and highly respected by his peers and professionals involved in those matters. He is the author of several books and the accepted authority on the subjects. He offers Expert Testimony and is a highly sought after speaker to attorneys, CPA’s and estate planners.

Wow, who would have thought that friendly Texas couple we met four years ago were such celebrities!

We started our visit with catch-up talk, ending that night with the best Steak Dinner we have had this century! Texas T-bone, done to a turn. Next day, Gerry was off early for an 8.00 AM lecture while Margaret gave us a quick tour of the town.


Lubbock was devastated by a tornado in the 70’s. There are now only two high-rises in the town that doesn’t really seem to have a downtown.

Texas Tech seems to be the centre of activity; the beautiful campus is the second largest academy in the United States. The Air Force Academy is larger because they have runways! How is that for a fact folks?

Margaret, Fellette and I took in a 12 noon lecture by Gerry. There was a small class of about 25-30 third year law students, and us. It was fascinating. That was the first time we saw Gerry in action. He is an outstanding teacher, [that was his passion since age 6]. Nobody would nod off in his class. He is animated, authoritative, knowledgeable and humorous as well. Riveting is a good word for his style.

We then went for lunch in a Texas Roadhouse Café. Interesting, to say the least, and good fun.


I then went and purchased appropriate clothing for my new Alma Mater. Later in the evening we went to “The Strip” on the edges of the Lubbock City Limit to buy some wine for a party that they are having.


Lubbock is a somewhat dry city and no liquor stores are in the city itself. It is a bit of Las Vegas, near Lubbock, somewhat interesting.

Next day, Gerry had a speaking engagement in Midland, 120 miles south-west of Lubbock. He was addressing The Midland Business and Estate Council on Estate planning and possible conflicts of interest and some other legal mumbo-jumbo stuff!

The Venue was the Midland Petroleum Club.


Midland is the family home for the Bush’s, and in the heart of Oil Country. A city of about 100,000, Midland apparently is, and I noticed it, a very gentle and conservative Texas City. The people are extremely polite and soft spoken. So is Lubbock for that matter. We sometimes think of Texas as good old boys in pick-ups with gun racks in the back. Not here folks.

There was a wind warning for the day that we went to Midland. On the way home, we encountered a mild dust storm that was a bit exciting; the trailer would have presented a problem had we been on the road. Speaking of wind, there is a Tornado Shelter in their garage.


It is solid concrete bomb shelter type with room for six scared people for the short time that a tornado takes to rip apart your home. They have never used it but apparently, Margaret once had the door open ready to pop in but did not have to do so. There are “weather alert” radios in the house that will go off anytime there is high winds or a tornado warning.

On the last night we bought in Chinese and had an absolutely wonderful last meal with our Texas Hosts. What a super way to end our “visitations’ on this seemingly endless odyssey.

posted by Doug and Fellette @ 10:55 AM