“While the feel of Corpus Christi was always like an ocean-front vacation, Pleasanton was a hot, dreary, dusty, rugged place. There were no tourists, no coastlines, and no water. I had to look hard to find anyone not wearing cowboy hats, rough faded jeans, and weathered ranch boots. Guns, high school football, livestock, hunting, the summer heat, getting rain, and sweet iced tea were the most important things in this part of the country.”