Blaze taking a sip from our water feature.
October 29, 2005
Why we love Houston!
Chicago Tribune 21 things you should know about Houston*:
Howard Hughes is not buried in a mausoleum.
Howard Hughes is not buried in a mausoleum.
October 26, 2005
Cool Weather in Houston
Fall seems to have arrived in Houston. For the past several evenings, the temperature has dropped down into the 40s! Yipes. That is just downright chilly. Luckily it still gets up into the 70s during the day, even the low 80s. I know that this cold snap won’t last forever, so it is fun to have to wear heavier clothes for a change.
I moved down to Houston in 1980. I was just out of school (University of Wisconsin, Madison) and had a job at Exxon Minerals. I was not unused to hot weather (My mother was from south Louisiana, and we visited there every summer when I was a child. Summers in South Louisiana, Winters in Wisconsin. Someone had quite a sense of humor) and do not mind it one bit.
The worst thing about those early days is that I had to wear a suit to work (no business casual, and no casual Fridays). AND I had a car with no air-conditioning. That first summer here was the hottest summer in Houston of all times. We had something like 20 days of +100 degree heat in a row. I learned how to sweat.
Since that time, I have lived in Houston or The Tropics with a brief excursion to Denver for a short year. I have become one with the heat, and while I am not foolish enough to say that I don’t like this cool weather, I really enjoy the summers.
I moved down to Houston in 1980. I was just out of school (University of Wisconsin, Madison) and had a job at Exxon Minerals. I was not unused to hot weather (My mother was from south Louisiana, and we visited there every summer when I was a child. Summers in South Louisiana, Winters in Wisconsin. Someone had quite a sense of humor) and do not mind it one bit.
The worst thing about those early days is that I had to wear a suit to work (no business casual, and no casual Fridays). AND I had a car with no air-conditioning. That first summer here was the hottest summer in Houston of all times. We had something like 20 days of +100 degree heat in a row. I learned how to sweat.
Since that time, I have lived in Houston or The Tropics with a brief excursion to Denver for a short year. I have become one with the heat, and while I am not foolish enough to say that I don’t like this cool weather, I really enjoy the summers.
October 21, 2005
Top ten animals that will kill you
I will bet that you can't guess which is #1. But after you see it, you will say, "But of COURSE!"
NBC5.com - Slideshow
That was a hint.
NBC5.com - Slideshow
That was a hint.
October 20, 2005
October 18, 2005
Belloc
Belloc once observed that "We sit by and watch the Barbarian, we tolerate him; in the long stretches of peace we are not afraid. We are tickled by his irreverence, his comic inversion of our old certitudes and our fixed creeds refreshes us; we laugh. But as we laugh, we are watched by large and awful faces from beyond: and on these faces there is no smile."
October 9, 2005
Cool Weather and Hot Oil Men
The first real cold front came through Houston on Friday. The weather is crisp and dry, and it got down into the 50s last night! Hard to believe. The Mighty Weather Station has once again proved its usefulness as we try to find out what to wear for our 5:30 AM walk.
The 50s! That is chilly. It is right now about 80, and I am sitting on the front porch typing (WiFi is a great thing) watching folks walk to the Greek Festival down the street. I have a nice glass of Matua Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand (SB from NV, you can’t go wrong) and I am just enjoying the day.
A neighbor, who is an independent oil man, stopped by an hour or so ago to tell me that they will be selling their house and moving to River Oaks. Now, River Oaks is the hoitiest toitiest part of town, where even a fixer upper will command California prices (in total, not per square foot). It seems that literally his well has come in. One of his partners asked his wife if she would have a hard time spending $150,00 a month. And that was wnet natural gas prices were at $6/MCF. Now they are about double that. Yes, I think that he has it made.
This fellow is a real “Bet a Million” type oil man. He told me that a couple of years ago (in one of our many busts) he almost lost his house – the one he lives in now, down the street from me. He had to mortgage it for some deal or another, and it went bust. He narrowly missed having to move out to the suburbs.
So what I would guess is that he will move to River Oaks now, and maybe in a year or two he will be in the same position.
River Oaks has moved from being the province of Oil Men to the province of lawyers and doctors. Their income is a lot more stable, and they don’t bet the farm on the next patient or client. I think that we all lose something that way.
So here’s to the oil men who put their money where their mouth is. I don’t have the guts to do it, and I have only respect and admiration for them.
The 50s! That is chilly. It is right now about 80, and I am sitting on the front porch typing (WiFi is a great thing) watching folks walk to the Greek Festival down the street. I have a nice glass of Matua Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand (SB from NV, you can’t go wrong) and I am just enjoying the day.
A neighbor, who is an independent oil man, stopped by an hour or so ago to tell me that they will be selling their house and moving to River Oaks. Now, River Oaks is the hoitiest toitiest part of town, where even a fixer upper will command California prices (in total, not per square foot). It seems that literally his well has come in. One of his partners asked his wife if she would have a hard time spending $150,00 a month. And that was wnet natural gas prices were at $6/MCF. Now they are about double that. Yes, I think that he has it made.
This fellow is a real “Bet a Million” type oil man. He told me that a couple of years ago (in one of our many busts) he almost lost his house – the one he lives in now, down the street from me. He had to mortgage it for some deal or another, and it went bust. He narrowly missed having to move out to the suburbs.
So what I would guess is that he will move to River Oaks now, and maybe in a year or two he will be in the same position.
River Oaks has moved from being the province of Oil Men to the province of lawyers and doctors. Their income is a lot more stable, and they don’t bet the farm on the next patient or client. I think that we all lose something that way.
So here’s to the oil men who put their money where their mouth is. I don’t have the guts to do it, and I have only respect and admiration for them.
October 8, 2005
Why Blog?
It may come as no surprise to the few who read this blog, but I was very active in my High School newspaper. I had a column that reflected on the life at Appleton High School West. It was called 4% Pantomime, named after The Band song written by Van Morrison and Robbie Robertson. The song was about a poker game. I loved writing for that newspaper, and for a while even toyed with the idea of becoming a journalist.
So why these True Confessions? An old friend of mine was reading the blog this last week and suggested a topic – and that topic was “Why do people blog”? I started thinking about this, and of course, I can’t answer for all the millions of blogs clogging up the internet, but I can talk about mine.
I like to write, and having a forum like this makes it easy for me to pretend that I am publishing something important. It also lets me share interesting websites with close friends and family. I can occasionally come up with a clever bon mot, or an interesting question that I can’t answer.
SO why do I blog? I guess because I have interesting insights and opinions.
AND why do others blog? Because they are all blow hards.
So why these True Confessions? An old friend of mine was reading the blog this last week and suggested a topic – and that topic was “Why do people blog”? I started thinking about this, and of course, I can’t answer for all the millions of blogs clogging up the internet, but I can talk about mine.
I like to write, and having a forum like this makes it easy for me to pretend that I am publishing something important. It also lets me share interesting websites with close friends and family. I can occasionally come up with a clever bon mot, or an interesting question that I can’t answer.
SO why do I blog? I guess because I have interesting insights and opinions.
AND why do others blog? Because they are all blow hards.
October 6, 2005
Community
Has work replaced community as, well, community?
I am not really a very social person. I like time to myself, and as my lovely bride says (sometimes a bit too often) my ideal Saturday night is just spending time with her at home. We cook a good meal, we drink a nice bottle of wine, and that is about it. We have been together for almost nine years now, so we have passed through the limbic phase of the romance. But it is still my favorite evening, simple, calm, and relaxed.
So we don’t really spend a lot of time with our friends. We LIKE our friends, we really do, but after a long day at work, just sitting at home and being alone together is important to me.
But then who do you call when a crisis looms? In particular, when a force five hurricane is staring down your goozle, who do you want to keep in touch with?
Family, of course, and we did that. We spent a lot of time on the phone, and in text messages to local family members. Close friends, people we have known for years, and then work colleagues.
I wonder what happens when you leave a job abruptly. Someplace that you have worked at for a long time. Does it feel like you have been ripped out of relationship? Is it like you just got dumped? Can you no more control your emotions and do you want revenge so bad that you must physically be constrained?
I have no idea. But I wonder.
I am not really a very social person. I like time to myself, and as my lovely bride says (sometimes a bit too often) my ideal Saturday night is just spending time with her at home. We cook a good meal, we drink a nice bottle of wine, and that is about it. We have been together for almost nine years now, so we have passed through the limbic phase of the romance. But it is still my favorite evening, simple, calm, and relaxed.
So we don’t really spend a lot of time with our friends. We LIKE our friends, we really do, but after a long day at work, just sitting at home and being alone together is important to me.
But then who do you call when a crisis looms? In particular, when a force five hurricane is staring down your goozle, who do you want to keep in touch with?
Family, of course, and we did that. We spent a lot of time on the phone, and in text messages to local family members. Close friends, people we have known for years, and then work colleagues.
I wonder what happens when you leave a job abruptly. Someplace that you have worked at for a long time. Does it feel like you have been ripped out of relationship? Is it like you just got dumped? Can you no more control your emotions and do you want revenge so bad that you must physically be constrained?
I have no idea. But I wonder.
September 30, 2005
Death in the Afternoon
Death stinks.
No, no – I mean it. Death really stinks. Last weekend, as we were congratulating ourselves over our near miss with Hurricane Rita, our sweet pooch found a playmate under the house. Unfortunately, Blaze doesn’t play well with others.
Monday afternoon we came home from our first day of work post-Rita, and noticed an odd smell in the house. I thought it was a dead mouse in the wall. We had a dead raccoon in the yard a while pack, and the smell was reminiscent of that poor thing. Another one of Blaze’s playmates.
We didn’t think too much of it, and went to bed. The next morning the smell didn’t seem so bad, so I thought it was going away.
That night when we got home, however, it was worse. We sniffed and searched, trying to find out the source of the stench. No avail, so we burned some candles.
The next morning, again, the smell was almost gone. Hmm. Seems like we need a problem solver on this case. Doreen crawled under the house to try and find the problem, but she could smell nothing there. (Doreen is the small one in the family, you see, so she is the one who goes under the house. I am the one who puts things on shelves and carries things around)
That night (Wednesday) again, the smell was back. Now Doreen had a theory – it was coming from the Air Conditioner. Yipes! We turned it off, and let it sit a while. We then turned it back on, and yes indeed! Death from the Air Conditioner vents! It was too late to go under the house, so we skedaddled upstairs to get away from the smell.
The next morning the smell was gone until the AC kicked in again. Then it was worse than ever. Doreen crawls under the house again to see if there was a break in the duct work. Yes, she said, from under the house, a break in the duct work indeed. She was looking to see if a small animal had crawled into the duct, when she spotted the four day dead opossum, looking like four day dead mammal would look. And she didn’t vomit! I was really proud of her.
So I volunteered to go to the hardware store and buy some lime to cover up the carcass. I got to Southland Hardware, and they told me that they had run out of 10 lb bags of lime. So I opted for a 50 lb bag. (it was only $8.00)
I got home with the lime, and Doreen (bless her soul!) when under the house AGAIN! She is too good for words. She covered the thing with lime, and we called the AC folks to come and fix their error. By the time we got home that evening, the stench was completely gone!
That lime is something.
No, no – I mean it. Death really stinks. Last weekend, as we were congratulating ourselves over our near miss with Hurricane Rita, our sweet pooch found a playmate under the house. Unfortunately, Blaze doesn’t play well with others.
Monday afternoon we came home from our first day of work post-Rita, and noticed an odd smell in the house. I thought it was a dead mouse in the wall. We had a dead raccoon in the yard a while pack, and the smell was reminiscent of that poor thing. Another one of Blaze’s playmates.
We didn’t think too much of it, and went to bed. The next morning the smell didn’t seem so bad, so I thought it was going away.
That night when we got home, however, it was worse. We sniffed and searched, trying to find out the source of the stench. No avail, so we burned some candles.
The next morning, again, the smell was almost gone. Hmm. Seems like we need a problem solver on this case. Doreen crawled under the house to try and find the problem, but she could smell nothing there. (Doreen is the small one in the family, you see, so she is the one who goes under the house. I am the one who puts things on shelves and carries things around)
That night (Wednesday) again, the smell was back. Now Doreen had a theory – it was coming from the Air Conditioner. Yipes! We turned it off, and let it sit a while. We then turned it back on, and yes indeed! Death from the Air Conditioner vents! It was too late to go under the house, so we skedaddled upstairs to get away from the smell.
The next morning the smell was gone until the AC kicked in again. Then it was worse than ever. Doreen crawls under the house again to see if there was a break in the duct work. Yes, she said, from under the house, a break in the duct work indeed. She was looking to see if a small animal had crawled into the duct, when she spotted the four day dead opossum, looking like four day dead mammal would look. And she didn’t vomit! I was really proud of her.
So I volunteered to go to the hardware store and buy some lime to cover up the carcass. I got to Southland Hardware, and they told me that they had run out of 10 lb bags of lime. So I opted for a 50 lb bag. (it was only $8.00)
I got home with the lime, and Doreen (bless her soul!) when under the house AGAIN! She is too good for words. She covered the thing with lime, and we called the AC folks to come and fix their error. By the time we got home that evening, the stench was completely gone!
That lime is something.
September 28, 2005
September 27, 2005
Words with no English equivalent
I want to have a Tingo at our friends Charles and Eddie's House!
BBC NEWS | Magazine | Tingo, nakkele and other wonders
BBC NEWS | Magazine | Tingo, nakkele and other wonders
September 26, 2005
September 25, 2005
September 24, 2005
Back to normal
She’s gone.
For us in Houston, she was a flirtation. The bat of an eye, a smile, maybe one close slow dance. But then she ran off with that Beautiful Hill, Beaumont.
No hard feelings, of course. No hearts here were broken. We knew that she would leave us at some point anyway.
We now have sunny skies, and almost no wind. We took a nice bike ride this afternoon, and saw a lot of leaves blown down. A few big branches down, mostly from the brittle trees – Pecan, Chinese Tallow, maybe a Water Oak or two. Everyone is in a very talkative mood. It reminds me of that Churchill quote “There is nothing so exhilarating as being shot without result” We have been shot at, and missed.
Many folks boarded up windows and did other serious hurricane preparation. They were all taking their plywood down today. One couple asked us why we didn’t do anything, as “You live in a glass house!” Just playing the odds, I guess.
Now I just hope that our local NPR station gets back to their regular programming in time for Garrison Keilor.
We lost our cable modem for about five hours. That I can live with. A couple of plants got beaten down. And now we get back to our normal lives.
For us in Houston, she was a flirtation. The bat of an eye, a smile, maybe one close slow dance. But then she ran off with that Beautiful Hill, Beaumont.
No hard feelings, of course. No hearts here were broken. We knew that she would leave us at some point anyway.
We now have sunny skies, and almost no wind. We took a nice bike ride this afternoon, and saw a lot of leaves blown down. A few big branches down, mostly from the brittle trees – Pecan, Chinese Tallow, maybe a Water Oak or two. Everyone is in a very talkative mood. It reminds me of that Churchill quote “There is nothing so exhilarating as being shot without result” We have been shot at, and missed.
Many folks boarded up windows and did other serious hurricane preparation. They were all taking their plywood down today. One couple asked us why we didn’t do anything, as “You live in a glass house!” Just playing the odds, I guess.
Now I just hope that our local NPR station gets back to their regular programming in time for Garrison Keilor.
We lost our cable modem for about five hours. That I can live with. A couple of plants got beaten down. And now we get back to our normal lives.
Now it's raining hard
We are just now starting to see winds and rain. From the radar it looks like the bands will continue hitting us for a while. As I mention below, I hope she moves fast and gets out of the area. That would mean less rain, and less wind. We still have a lot of trees around, and I don’t want them breaking power lines or windows.
We are not out of the woods yet, but it looks better now than it did twelve hours ago.
More later.
We are not out of the woods yet, but it looks better now than it did twelve hours ago.
More later.
Rita Hits
She’s on shore near Beaumont.
We are getting some strong gusts of wind, but not much rain.
I hope it moves fast and doesn’t drop much rain.
September 23, 2005
She keeps moving east
First Signs of Rita in Houston
Waiting for Rita
Now we are just waiting. We have moved everything inside, we have stocked up on provisions, we have assembled our disaster kit. The weather is still fine, but it feels ominous. (That is probably projection) The storm is still coming into the east of us, for which we are thankful.
We have a small pond with fish in it, and we are debating whether or not to put them into a bucket. I think not, Doreen thinks so. We’ll see how the rain comes.
The radar shows the rain starting to come in from the coast. You can see it here, and I will post a snapshot as well.
The strange thing about hurricanes qua natural disasters is that you KNOW they are coming. You may not know exactly where, and you certainly don’t know exactly what trouble they will cause, but you KNOW they are coming and you have a lot of time to think about it. Some take that time to prepare (putting up plywood, buying provisions) others take the time to just wait and watch. We still don’t know what exactly will happen as the storm moves. She could still swing west and nail us, she could keep heading west and threaten Louisiana.
My best to all my relatives in Louisiana. I hope that the storm splits the difference between us.
More later.
September 22, 2005
Rita Heroes
The true heroes of the early Rita panic are not the mayor (though we love him) nor the country commissioners (we like them pretty much, too), and certainly not the feds (though they are trying to avoid the debacle that they stepped into in New Orleans) No, the true heroes of today are the poor services workers who are still doing their jobs.
We don’t want to start cutting into our larder yet, so we have been trying to eat out today, and maybe tomorrow. So at lunch today (Thursday, at least 36 hours before landfall) we thought we would go and have some lunch. We don’t want to drive (saving gas) and walked to a nearby, wonderful Sushi restaurant. We saw people walking into the place, but they were family and carrying food. The funny thing was that the food they were carrying was cans of Spam. Got to wonder what will be in those California rolls next month.
We then walked past Rouge, a fancy place, it was closed. Felix’s, a horrible Mexican place, and it was closed. Taco Cabana, a pretty good (and quite well known Montrose institution, even if it is a chain) and it was closed. But Schlotsky’s, a bankrupt sandwich place was open. Yea! The staff was harried, but pleasant. THEY were working. I wasn’t. It took an hour to get a sandwich, but that was OK.
Then for dinner, we walked to a local fish taco place called Berryhill Taco (it is a local chain), and it was PACKED! The staff was, again, pleasant in the face of less than friendly customers. I tipped big and said they were my heroes for the night.
Don’t forget these folks. They don’t get paid much, but they show up. Not like those losers at the TSA in the Houston Airport!
More later.
We don’t want to start cutting into our larder yet, so we have been trying to eat out today, and maybe tomorrow. So at lunch today (Thursday, at least 36 hours before landfall) we thought we would go and have some lunch. We don’t want to drive (saving gas) and walked to a nearby, wonderful Sushi restaurant. We saw people walking into the place, but they were family and carrying food. The funny thing was that the food they were carrying was cans of Spam. Got to wonder what will be in those California rolls next month.
We then walked past Rouge, a fancy place, it was closed. Felix’s, a horrible Mexican place, and it was closed. Taco Cabana, a pretty good (and quite well known Montrose institution, even if it is a chain) and it was closed. But Schlotsky’s, a bankrupt sandwich place was open. Yea! The staff was harried, but pleasant. THEY were working. I wasn’t. It took an hour to get a sandwich, but that was OK.
Then for dinner, we walked to a local fish taco place called Berryhill Taco (it is a local chain), and it was PACKED! The staff was, again, pleasant in the face of less than friendly customers. I tipped big and said they were my heroes for the night.
Don’t forget these folks. They don’t get paid much, but they show up. Not like those losers at the TSA in the Houston Airport!
More later.
Hummingbirds
Since we are home, we are watching the yard more closely. This is the time of year that hummingbirds come through town, and we are seeing them non-stop in the yard. We have plenty of blooming flowers, and while I sit here I see at least four of the little fellows non-stop. They are very territorial, and are continuously chasing each other. Hummingbirds don’t play well with others.
Is she turning?
Keep your fingers crossed, but it looks like Rita is heading east. That would be good for us, but bad for Beaumont, Lake Charles, and those folks. Sorry.
The main story here is traffic. The evacuations are proceeding VERY slowly. From downtown Houston to Barker Cypress in Katy, about 20 miles, it is taking SIX HOURS! Holy Mackerel! The state is going to open the inbound lanes to outbound traffic. I hope that everyone has a full tank of gas.
More later
The main story here is traffic. The evacuations are proceeding VERY slowly. From downtown Houston to Barker Cypress in Katy, about 20 miles, it is taking SIX HOURS! Holy Mackerel! The state is going to open the inbound lanes to outbound traffic. I hope that everyone has a full tank of gas.
More later
Rita is still coming
The story continues.
I left work yesterday, Wednesday, at about 6:00 PM. More of less my usual time. I anticipated a LONG commute home, and so I took one of my standard alternate routes (Freeway mostly, surface streets to avoid congestion at the end). Traffic was a breeze. Of course, I was not heading OUT of town north, nor west, nor northwest. Those are the major routes out of town. I arrived home in about 20 minutes.
I got home about the same time my lovely wife did, and she was bearing goods. She had some water, some peanut butter, and other canned and dry goods. She said that the local Fiesta was crowded, but stuff was available.
We spent the evening believing that Rita would be heading into Matagorda, well south of Houston. Not the best track, as that makes us on the “dirty” side of the storm, but far enough away so that we don’t really need to worry.
We woke up to the National Hurricane Center telling us that Galveston is the most likely landfall. Bummer for us.
The “Strike Possibilities” now show Galveston as 22% (highest) shot at getting a direct hit.
I hope it keeps heading north and east.
More later.
I left work yesterday, Wednesday, at about 6:00 PM. More of less my usual time. I anticipated a LONG commute home, and so I took one of my standard alternate routes (Freeway mostly, surface streets to avoid congestion at the end). Traffic was a breeze. Of course, I was not heading OUT of town north, nor west, nor northwest. Those are the major routes out of town. I arrived home in about 20 minutes.
I got home about the same time my lovely wife did, and she was bearing goods. She had some water, some peanut butter, and other canned and dry goods. She said that the local Fiesta was crowded, but stuff was available.
We spent the evening believing that Rita would be heading into Matagorda, well south of Houston. Not the best track, as that makes us on the “dirty” side of the storm, but far enough away so that we don’t really need to worry.
We woke up to the National Hurricane Center telling us that Galveston is the most likely landfall. Bummer for us.
The “Strike Possibilities” now show Galveston as 22% (highest) shot at getting a direct hit.
I hope it keeps heading north and east.
More later.
September 21, 2005
Hurricane Rita
Lovely Rita. The hurricane preparedness is proceeding with alacrity as I type these words. I am shutting down my office at 4:00 PM today (Thursday) and it will be closed until Monday at least. Traffic in Houston ins a mess. The main evacuation routes are solid with cars. The mayor (Bill White! Gotta love him) just had a press conference with Judge Eckels (county commissioner) telling people to help their neighbors get out of town. Mandatory evacuation for low lying areas.
So what am I doing for the storm? Well, uh, nothing. We are at 49’ above sea level, about 50 miles from the coast. There will be some wind, there will be some rain. The worst thing will be that I think we will lose power for as long as a week. But maybe not!
I was here in 1983 for Hurricane Alicia. She came straight up the center of town, and we lost power for only an hour or so. I think some parts of town lost more, but we were OK.
Most of the people I know are just about panicking. I think that this is the result of the horrible mess that Katrina caused. Most of the folks in the office are heading inland. I think they are overreacting.
Am I being foolish? Perhaps.
But I doubt it.
So what am I doing for the storm? Well, uh, nothing. We are at 49’ above sea level, about 50 miles from the coast. There will be some wind, there will be some rain. The worst thing will be that I think we will lose power for as long as a week. But maybe not!
I was here in 1983 for Hurricane Alicia. She came straight up the center of town, and we lost power for only an hour or so. I think some parts of town lost more, but we were OK.
Most of the people I know are just about panicking. I think that this is the result of the horrible mess that Katrina caused. Most of the folks in the office are heading inland. I think they are overreacting.
Am I being foolish? Perhaps.
But I doubt it.
Working like a Dog!
I have been inundated with inquiries about where are my blog comments?
Well, work is getting more frenetic, and I have an “employee issue” that I am dealing with. I hope that I will be able to write about that soon.
But I was in New York City last weekend, and I will right about that soon.
So Hold on to your horses!
Well, work is getting more frenetic, and I have an “employee issue” that I am dealing with. I hope that I will be able to write about that soon.
But I was in New York City last weekend, and I will right about that soon.
So Hold on to your horses!
September 5, 2005
September 2, 2005
September 1, 2005
Coffee: We Need It.
A Coffee essay by Garrison Keillor:
HoustonChronicle.com - Keillor: Drink up, because it is bitter and because it is our coffee
HoustonChronicle.com - Keillor: Drink up, because it is bitter and because it is our coffee
August 25, 2005
Good artcle about good, cheap wine (from the SF Chron)
BEST BUDGET BRANDS / Our 10 favorites deliver consistent quality and value for $15 or less
The sidebar talks about the wineries.
The sidebar talks about the wineries.
August 20, 2005
Mighty Weather Station
Earlier this year, we were in a Home Depot and saw some phones for sale. Our phones at home were dying with sad regularity – sometimes you couldn’t pick up, and at other times they just didn’t ring. So we had been keeping our eyes out for a new phone.
So we spot this bin of portable phones at Home Depot, and they had something extra. They were only about $30, and they not only were a phone, but they had a MIGHTY WEATHER STATION included! What? YES! A MIGHTY WIRELESS WEATHER STATION!
We could not pass up this deal. We bough the MIGHTY WEATHER STATION PHONE (or MSWP) and brought it home to install tout d’suite.
This is a great phone. It has a transmitting part that you put outside (in the shade, of course) and the home base gives you time, day, date, phase of the moon, tide, barometric pressure, internal and external temperature and humidity. What joy!
In reality, we rarely use the MIGHTY WEATHER STATION part of the MWSP in the summer, but in the winter it is invaluable. In the summer, you always know what the weather in Houston will be like. Hot and Humid (two wonderful attributes, I might add) but in the winter, you never know. So the MWSP has paid us back in spades.
I would recommend a MWSP to anyone in the market for a phone. Or a weather station.
So we spot this bin of portable phones at Home Depot, and they had something extra. They were only about $30, and they not only were a phone, but they had a MIGHTY WEATHER STATION included! What? YES! A MIGHTY WIRELESS WEATHER STATION!
We could not pass up this deal. We bough the MIGHTY WEATHER STATION PHONE (or MSWP) and brought it home to install tout d’suite.
This is a great phone. It has a transmitting part that you put outside (in the shade, of course) and the home base gives you time, day, date, phase of the moon, tide, barometric pressure, internal and external temperature and humidity. What joy!
In reality, we rarely use the MIGHTY WEATHER STATION part of the MWSP in the summer, but in the winter it is invaluable. In the summer, you always know what the weather in Houston will be like. Hot and Humid (two wonderful attributes, I might add) but in the winter, you never know. So the MWSP has paid us back in spades.
I would recommend a MWSP to anyone in the market for a phone. Or a weather station.
August 17, 2005
The Texas Gov
This is a quote from the Texas Governor from back in June:
Political Wire: Quote of the Day
This is what it spawned:
http://www.cafepress.com/pinkdome
Don't Mess With Texas!
Political Wire: Quote of the Day
This is what it spawned:
http://www.cafepress.com/pinkdome
Don't Mess With Texas!
August 14, 2005
August 13, 2005
August 11, 2005
Fundraising
Fundraising, with the emphasis on fun.
Doreen and I are big fans of Annise Parker, Houston’s city controller. She is good at her job, and a very nice person besides. She lives in the neighborhood, and is up for re-election this year. Houston has two year city terms, and all city elected officials are term limited to three terms. is just finishing her first term, and should be easily re-elected twice more.
But with all elections, there is some uncertainty. Nobody has yet filed to run against her, yet it will probably happen before the deadline appears. And while our city elections are nominally non-partisan, she is obviously a Democrat in a Republican state. So the “R” team will probably want to run someone in the race, if nothing else just to draw down her funds.
So when Doreen was asked to hold a house party fundraiser, she said yes. I was dragged along for good measure. My natural reluctance to have anything to do with people kept me from being too excited about the whole endeavor (I would have preferred to sit home alone and read a good book) I thought it would be a good thing for us to do.
We used the website “Evite” to set up the party, and asked most of the people we know in the neighborhood, and pretty much all of my friends (I don’t have very many. See above) I think that a total of about 60 invitations went out, and we received about 40 confirmed attendees. That being started, we had to figure out what we were going to do to keep people entertained until the party started.
We are lucky enough to live in an interesting house. It was built around 1910 for one of the local entrepreneurs of the era (John Stevenson, from the company Stewart and Stevenson) We have never had an open house to allow our neighbors a chance to look around and see what work we have had done, so we knew we could get most of them to come by and pay the recommended $25 donation to get in the door.
We also like to enjoy a nice bottle of wine now and again, so we tried to think of some interesting, and yet economical, wine that we liked. We wanted to offer both red and white, so we chose a nice Spanish Rioja Crianza, Condesa de Leganza (which we lovingly call Condoleezza Rice at our house) and for the white, a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc: Matua. The Boss and I had a slight disagreement about how much wine we would drink (I figured we would go through maybe a case, total. She wanted to get a case of Red and a case of White. She bought it, so you know what we got. The good news is that we bought wine we drink, so it will not go to waste. Oh, we went through 11 bottles total)
Finally we had to get some food. Now usually, I like to cook for things like this, but we decided to take advantage of our CostCo membership and bought some Hummus and Baba Ganoush. We also bought some Manchego Cheese and some Chevres. I think we had some crusty bread, some pita chips, and some pita its own bad self available as well. So the food was basic, but delightful.
We were all ready for the guest to start arriving, and Annise’s delightful campaign manager Amanda Scott arrived to help us with the final setup details. She laid out the table with name tags and contribution forms, and figured out what we had where in the house. She has done this before, and we have not. It was great to have someone who knew what she was doing.
As 6:00 rolled around (The nominal start time for the event) my friend Fred Jenson was the first to appear. He is also probably the only Republican to show up for this event. But he does understand about good public servants, so he was glad to come, meet , and add some money to her campaign. He did grouse some about giving money to a Democrat, though. Oddly enough, I would guess that he has NEVER given money to a Republican. He probably thinks they don’t need it…
After that folks started coming in quickly. I think that we had about 36 – 38 folks stop in. That was good, and we raise a nice amount of cash. Annise gave a nice speech from our stairs, and our cat Little Guy only bugged her once or twice.
Anyway, it was a fun event. E-mail Amanda for more information about how to do something similar.
Doreen and I are big fans of Annise Parker, Houston’s city controller. She is good at her job, and a very nice person besides. She lives in the neighborhood, and is up for re-election this year. Houston has two year city terms, and all city elected officials are term limited to three terms. is just finishing her first term, and should be easily re-elected twice more.
But with all elections, there is some uncertainty. Nobody has yet filed to run against her, yet it will probably happen before the deadline appears. And while our city elections are nominally non-partisan, she is obviously a Democrat in a Republican state. So the “R” team will probably want to run someone in the race, if nothing else just to draw down her funds.
So when Doreen was asked to hold a house party fundraiser, she said yes. I was dragged along for good measure. My natural reluctance to have anything to do with people kept me from being too excited about the whole endeavor (I would have preferred to sit home alone and read a good book) I thought it would be a good thing for us to do.
We used the website “Evite” to set up the party, and asked most of the people we know in the neighborhood, and pretty much all of my friends (I don’t have very many. See above) I think that a total of about 60 invitations went out, and we received about 40 confirmed attendees. That being started, we had to figure out what we were going to do to keep people entertained until the party started.
We are lucky enough to live in an interesting house. It was built around 1910 for one of the local entrepreneurs of the era (John Stevenson, from the company Stewart and Stevenson) We have never had an open house to allow our neighbors a chance to look around and see what work we have had done, so we knew we could get most of them to come by and pay the recommended $25 donation to get in the door.
We also like to enjoy a nice bottle of wine now and again, so we tried to think of some interesting, and yet economical, wine that we liked. We wanted to offer both red and white, so we chose a nice Spanish Rioja Crianza, Condesa de Leganza (which we lovingly call Condoleezza Rice at our house) and for the white, a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc: Matua. The Boss and I had a slight disagreement about how much wine we would drink (I figured we would go through maybe a case, total. She wanted to get a case of Red and a case of White. She bought it, so you know what we got. The good news is that we bought wine we drink, so it will not go to waste. Oh, we went through 11 bottles total)
Finally we had to get some food. Now usually, I like to cook for things like this, but we decided to take advantage of our CostCo membership and bought some Hummus and Baba Ganoush. We also bought some Manchego Cheese and some Chevres. I think we had some crusty bread, some pita chips, and some pita its own bad self available as well. So the food was basic, but delightful.
We were all ready for the guest to start arriving, and Annise’s delightful campaign manager Amanda Scott arrived to help us with the final setup details. She laid out the table with name tags and contribution forms, and figured out what we had where in the house. She has done this before, and we have not. It was great to have someone who knew what she was doing.
As 6:00 rolled around (The nominal start time for the event) my friend Fred Jenson was the first to appear. He is also probably the only Republican to show up for this event. But he does understand about good public servants, so he was glad to come, meet , and add some money to her campaign. He did grouse some about giving money to a Democrat, though. Oddly enough, I would guess that he has NEVER given money to a Republican. He probably thinks they don’t need it…
After that folks started coming in quickly. I think that we had about 36 – 38 folks stop in. That was good, and we raise a nice amount of cash. Annise gave a nice speech from our stairs, and our cat Little Guy only bugged her once or twice.
Anyway, it was a fun event. E-mail Amanda for more information about how to do something similar.
August 6, 2005
Love me, Love me, love me!
Since it is the anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, there has been a lot of talk on the radio about the old civil rights movement. On one program, Medgar Evers was mentioned. Now, I don’t remember Megdar Evers, but I do remember Phil Ochs, and so I started singing “Love me, I’m a Liberal”, but my dear, sweet wife was not familiar with the song. For your edifications, here it is:
I cried when they shot Medgar Evers
Tears ran down my spine
I cried when they shot Mr. Kennedy
As though I'd lost a father of mine
But Malcolm X got what was coming
He got what he asked for this time
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
I go to civil rights rallies
And I put down the old D.A.R.
I love Harry and Sidney and Sammy
I hope every coloured boy becomes a star
But don't talk about revolution
That's going a little bit too far
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
I cheered when Humphrey was chosen
My faith in the system restored
I'm glad the commies were thrown outof the AFL-CIO board
I love Puerto Ricans and Negros
as long as they don't move next door
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
The people of old Mississippi
Should all hang their heads in shame
I can't understand how their minds work
What's the matter don't they watch Les Crain?
But if you ask me to bus my children
I hope the cops take down your name
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
I read New Republic and Nation
I've learned to take every view
You know, I've memorized Lerner and Golden
I feel like I'm almost a Jew
But when it comes to times like Korea
There's no one more red, white and blue
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
I vote for the Democratic Party.
They want the U.N. to be strong
I go to all the Pete Seeger concerts
He sure gets me singing those songs
I'll send all the money you ask for
But don't ask me to come on along
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
Once I was young and impulsive
I wore every conceivable pin
Even went to the socialist meetings
Learned all the old union hymns
But I've grown older and wiser
And that's why I'm turning you in
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
More About Phil Ochs including a discography.
I cried when they shot Medgar Evers
Tears ran down my spine
I cried when they shot Mr. Kennedy
As though I'd lost a father of mine
But Malcolm X got what was coming
He got what he asked for this time
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
I go to civil rights rallies
And I put down the old D.A.R.
I love Harry and Sidney and Sammy
I hope every coloured boy becomes a star
But don't talk about revolution
That's going a little bit too far
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
I cheered when Humphrey was chosen
My faith in the system restored
I'm glad the commies were thrown outof the AFL-CIO board
I love Puerto Ricans and Negros
as long as they don't move next door
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
The people of old Mississippi
Should all hang their heads in shame
I can't understand how their minds work
What's the matter don't they watch Les Crain?
But if you ask me to bus my children
I hope the cops take down your name
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
I read New Republic and Nation
I've learned to take every view
You know, I've memorized Lerner and Golden
I feel like I'm almost a Jew
But when it comes to times like Korea
There's no one more red, white and blue
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
I vote for the Democratic Party.
They want the U.N. to be strong
I go to all the Pete Seeger concerts
He sure gets me singing those songs
I'll send all the money you ask for
But don't ask me to come on along
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
Once I was young and impulsive
I wore every conceivable pin
Even went to the socialist meetings
Learned all the old union hymns
But I've grown older and wiser
And that's why I'm turning you in
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
More About Phil Ochs including a discography.
August 2, 2005
The Stages of Roasted Coffee
From Sweet Maria's an internet supplier of green coffee from around the world:
A Rough Pictorial Guide to the Coffee Roasting Process
A Rough Pictorial Guide to the Coffee Roasting Process
Homage to Sir Mix-a-lot
I have a nephew who is a bit Sir Mix-a-lot fan. This site is for him.
quislibet: a musical interlude
And remember, de mortius nili nisi bonum!
quislibet: a musical interlude
And remember, de mortius nili nisi bonum!
Vindication for Ivory-Billed Woodpecker and Its Fans - New York Times
Well, it turns out that there really ARE Ivory Bill Woodpeckers.
This is from the New York Times. You need to register (free) to read the story:
Vindication for Ivory-Billed Woodpecker and Its Fans - New York Times
July 30, 2005
July 29, 2005
Zoning! or "I am smarter than you are"
I had to go to dinner with some really smart people this week. Well, let me rephrase that. I had to go to dinner with some people who would describe themselves as very smart of pressed. They would also describe themselves as Democrats (and democrats), and egalitarian, and concerned with the common man, and wanting to do good for the world. And by my observation, at least one of them grew up extremely wealthy (beyond all normal person’s comprehension) and the other two had achieved a certain level of fame and comfort in their professional lives.
These people consider themselves so smart, they are sure that they know what is best for you. And for me. Well, for everyone, as a matter of fact. Me, I am not so sure. I tend to believe that given a choice, your average Joe would act mostly in his best interest. (I am not naive enough to believe FULLY in the “economic man”, but I think that he sort of exists out there)
So you can imagine that as the topic veered towards cities, and my own beloved Houston, one subject that came up was zoning. I am not fan of government interference in my life. I believe in the 5th amendment (prior to the Kelo v. City of New London (04-0108) case of last month) and I don’t like the idea of a local board of yahoos and political appointees telling me what I can do with my property.
My argument for the evening, however, was more along the lines of “Zoning institutionalizes poverty” I believe that without a flexible set of rules that cities cannot change. And if they cannot change they inevitably fall into disrepair as the residents of the city move away.
The howls of protest could be heard outside! How dare I, I mean how DARE I even SUGGEST that zoning was not the answer to all the problems that Houston faced! How dare I suggest that a learned board (of course, peopled by folks like themselves) would have anything but the best interest of the poor residents in their hearts!
But then, of course, one of the people did admit, that, yes, the zoning board in Philadelphia was shot through with corruption. And yes, there was a possibility that getting the right people into those jobs may be problematic.
But heaven forbid! That would not happen here!
It was interesting.
Then, by happenstance, I was looking at Slate today and say this article.about how zoning increases housing costs. There is a very rigorous analysis done here that explains how costs go up because of zoning. Good stuff.
Too bad I didn’t have those statistics at my fingertips earlier in the week.
Quote of the day
This is from Neal Mollen posting on Mark Squire's wine BB:
"If I see one more thread about the metabolic setup of any mammal vis a vis xanthine oxidoreductase, phylogenetic loss of de novo ascorbate biosynthesis in the evolution of prosimians, or uric acid's contested role as an antioxidant in vivo, that's it! I am leaving this board! "
The discussion centered on alcohol and human evolution.
"If I see one more thread about the metabolic setup of any mammal vis a vis xanthine oxidoreductase, phylogenetic loss of de novo ascorbate biosynthesis in the evolution of prosimians, or uric acid's contested role as an antioxidant in vivo, that's it! I am leaving this board! "
The discussion centered on alcohol and human evolution.
July 28, 2005
Speeding? Me? Never!
I have about an 18 mile commute. It is against traffic (I live in a neighborhood called The Montrose, and it is only about two miles from downtown. I work in Sugar Land – Tom Delay’s hometown – to the Southwest of Houston) and the traffic flows nicely. There are two other folks I work with who live rather close to me, and I occasionally see them on the way to work.
This morning, when I was about two exits away from the office, I passed one of these guys. He had recently purchased a new car – an Audi A4 – and I thought it would be fun to speed up a bit.
So I slammed the hammer down and quickly jumped from 65 to about 95. Then, I just coasted up an incline with takes me over US 90 and down to my exit.
As I crested the hill, I see a small black and white Mustang parked on the shoulder. My heart jumped into my mouth, and I looked down at my speedometer. Whew! 65 again.
I was still jazzing on adrenaline as I pass the State Trooper, and he slowly pulled out as I was passing him.
What??? This can’t be right. I was trying to figure our how he could possibly have got a read on me over the hill. But I was relieved as he let me pass by, and then jumped to the main lanes and rocketed off into the distance.
I was never so happy to be passed by a cop.
This morning, when I was about two exits away from the office, I passed one of these guys. He had recently purchased a new car – an Audi A4 – and I thought it would be fun to speed up a bit.
So I slammed the hammer down and quickly jumped from 65 to about 95. Then, I just coasted up an incline with takes me over US 90 and down to my exit.
As I crested the hill, I see a small black and white Mustang parked on the shoulder. My heart jumped into my mouth, and I looked down at my speedometer. Whew! 65 again.
I was still jazzing on adrenaline as I pass the State Trooper, and he slowly pulled out as I was passing him.
What??? This can’t be right. I was trying to figure our how he could possibly have got a read on me over the hill. But I was relieved as he let me pass by, and then jumped to the main lanes and rocketed off into the distance.
I was never so happy to be passed by a cop.
July 26, 2005
Questions to Snopes
July 24, 2005
Globalization
Today I bought a six pack of Cerveza Cristal. Now that, in and of itself is not necessarily notable. However, I only paid $5.09 for this six pack of beer, which is brewed in Peru, (I was introduced to Cristal when I was working in an iron mine in Marcona. See Below)
What makes this interesting is that the same day, at the same store, a six pack of Shiner Bock, a beer brewed about 40 miles away from my house, was selling for $5.99
What makes this interesting is that the same day, at the same store, a six pack of Shiner Bock, a beer brewed about 40 miles away from my house, was selling for $5.99
Home again
There are many rules regarding air travel, and I am sure that they all have very good intent. But they DID make my flight five hours late yesterday coming home.
It seems that there were storms again in Houston Friday night, and the incoming IAH to CCS flight was two hours late. One of the flight attendants told me that the FAA rules state that a pilot has to wait twice as long as the flight time before he can get behind the yoke again. So our 9:10 AM flight turned into a 1:17 PM
The good thing was that I knew it before I got down to the airport. I still got there on time, got a good seat, and struggled through the interminable Venezuelan airport bureaucracy. It took about an hour from when I got my ticket to when I got to the gate area.
Once, when I was living in Caracas, I was on an early morning (7:00 AM, if I recall correctly) American Airlines flight. Many, many people did not get through immigration before the flight left. I asked the flight crew (with my obsessive fear of missing a flight, I was one of the folks on the plane) about the 50% of the passengers who were not there. I was told that American does not have an immigration hold policy. I don’t know what happened to those poor jokers who missed the flight.
But I am home again. It was a good trip.
It seems that there were storms again in Houston Friday night, and the incoming IAH to CCS flight was two hours late. One of the flight attendants told me that the FAA rules state that a pilot has to wait twice as long as the flight time before he can get behind the yoke again. So our 9:10 AM flight turned into a 1:17 PM
The good thing was that I knew it before I got down to the airport. I still got there on time, got a good seat, and struggled through the interminable Venezuelan airport bureaucracy. It took about an hour from when I got my ticket to when I got to the gate area.
Once, when I was living in Caracas, I was on an early morning (7:00 AM, if I recall correctly) American Airlines flight. Many, many people did not get through immigration before the flight left. I asked the flight crew (with my obsessive fear of missing a flight, I was one of the folks on the plane) about the 50% of the passengers who were not there. I was told that American does not have an immigration hold policy. I don’t know what happened to those poor jokers who missed the flight.
But I am home again. It was a good trip.
July 22, 2005
Smells of the city
Every city has its own smell. For my first day here I was too sequestered in air conditioning to smell the city, but today I did. It is the same. The ripe, rich smell of a verdant rain forest combined with 20 year old cars belching exhaust from leaded gasoline. I love it.
It is interesting being here and being taken care of by a big company. No street taxis. Wear your seat belt. Lock your doors. While, admittedly, this is all good advice, I didn’t just get off the bus yesterday. Even though I lived here for two years, they are skeptical to let me get too far a field. I don’t think that they want a dead gringo on their hands.
This is a beautiful city
It is interesting being here and being taken care of by a big company. No street taxis. Wear your seat belt. Lock your doors. While, admittedly, this is all good advice, I didn’t just get off the bus yesterday. Even though I lived here for two years, they are skeptical to let me get too far a field. I don’t think that they want a dead gringo on their hands.
This is a beautiful city
July 21, 2005
Caracas
It is sort of unnerving to return to a place after ten years. Especially if you lived in that place for two years. You feel as if you should know the place, and indeed it seems familiar, but in a déjà vu sort of way. The roads have names you recognize, but you don’t know where they go. The buildings look familiar, but not enough to walk into. You think you can find your way around, and yet you are lost. You think about the route you took home everyday, the drive to the country, the streets you knew took you to your clients. But they just don’t seem to be the same.
The offices I visited I have visited many times before. But all the players have changed. That should be expected after ten years, but because of the oil strike of a couple of years ago, the corporate memory is gone also. From my standpoint it is neither good nor bad, it just is. The people I meet want to like our stuff, and I think that they will. They want to BUY our stuff, and I think that they will.
I was much younger than I am now when I lived here. To me, it was the biggest adventure of my life, and I thought it was the coolest thing that anyone could possibly do. The coolest job that anyone could possibly have. Working overseas, especially in a “hard duty” post was what I had wanted to do for years. Coming back here makes me just a tiny bit nostalgic. But more for the feeling than the experience. I have had all the experiences that I need. But that desire to be at the front of the pack, the drive to experience it all was something else.
Expats are funny. I have written about that life before, and I probably will again. I think I mentioned about the expat game where you talk about how cool it was before the new guy got here. I still see people playing that game.
I am hoping to have dinner tomorrow with someone I used to work with here. More on that later, I hope.
The offices I visited I have visited many times before. But all the players have changed. That should be expected after ten years, but because of the oil strike of a couple of years ago, the corporate memory is gone also. From my standpoint it is neither good nor bad, it just is. The people I meet want to like our stuff, and I think that they will. They want to BUY our stuff, and I think that they will.
I was much younger than I am now when I lived here. To me, it was the biggest adventure of my life, and I thought it was the coolest thing that anyone could possibly do. The coolest job that anyone could possibly have. Working overseas, especially in a “hard duty” post was what I had wanted to do for years. Coming back here makes me just a tiny bit nostalgic. But more for the feeling than the experience. I have had all the experiences that I need. But that desire to be at the front of the pack, the drive to experience it all was something else.
Expats are funny. I have written about that life before, and I probably will again. I think I mentioned about the expat game where you talk about how cool it was before the new guy got here. I still see people playing that game.
I am hoping to have dinner tomorrow with someone I used to work with here. More on that later, I hope.
Fruits
I generally don’t care for tropical fruits. Guanabana (usually called soupsop) is far too sweet, with a funny white pulpy texture and shiny black seeds. Lechosa (papaya) has a strange, other worldly taste and a very mushy texture when wipe. Mangos? Don’t even get me started. When I lived here in Caracas before, I had several mango trees on the property. They are VERY prolific, and I had rotting mangos around the house all the time. One of the dogs (A big, black cross between a Lab and a Doberman) would eat several a day.
But I love Parchitas. Called passion fruit elsewhere, I think that they are great. Too sour and bitter for most, the yellows skinned version you get here I find delightful. I can drink parchita juice all day long. I had some at breakfast today, and hope to have plenty more before I go home tomorrow.
But I love Parchitas. Called passion fruit elsewhere, I think that they are great. Too sour and bitter for most, the yellows skinned version you get here I find delightful. I can drink parchita juice all day long. I had some at breakfast today, and hope to have plenty more before I go home tomorrow.
En Route to Caracas
Waiting for a plane to leave is sometimes like not waiting at all. You get on the plane, and the slow process of the plane filling up is always the same. You wait to see ifteh seat next to you will be taken, and it inevitable is. You then wait for the “cross check and verify” command from the front of the plane, which means that you will be forced to turn off your cell phone. Then you wait for the “howdy” from the pilot, and you push back and get ready to live through the boredom of the next five hours.
This flight, from Houston to Caracas, was really no difference. It is, of course, imbued with a slight different frisson for me – this is the first time I have been to Venezuela in about 11 years (I need to check that to make sure), and much has happened in that time. But the waiting for the travel to commence was the same, maybe worse.
There have been afternoon thunderstorms in Houston for the entire month of July. Over a two day period a week of so ago, we got about five inches. Since then, it is a rare afternoon that goes by with no rain.
So once we loaded the plane and the rain started to fall, I cannot say that anyone was surprised. Then they stopped the loading of the luggage. Then the rain stopped, and we finally got to push back, about 45 minutes late.
But, as in any large airport, there are plenty fo other planes waiting to go as well. So we waited another hour or so. We are two hours late leaving, which means we will get to the Caracas airport about 11:30, up to the city about 12:30. That is not something that I am looking forward to.
I have also not made my own reservations, so I am at the mercy of my hosts. I have had bad experiences with this in the past, and, quiet frankly, I am expecting the worst. But before I finish this piece, the truth will be out.
I lived in Venezuela in 1993 and 1994. I was working for a software company that was international in breadth, but sometimes provincial in approach. I loved the work, I loved the countries where I spent time. I don’t want to make it more that it was, but I was an expatriate for those two years (and two years more in Asia) and I loved it.
Now, I hate to travel. I have mentioned that before, and I don’t need to belabor it here. It will be an interesting couple of days. I just hope that I will be able to drink some Polar Beer, eat some meat or maybe some cachapas, and try to get some business started.
This flight, from Houston to Caracas, was really no difference. It is, of course, imbued with a slight different frisson for me – this is the first time I have been to Venezuela in about 11 years (I need to check that to make sure), and much has happened in that time. But the waiting for the travel to commence was the same, maybe worse.
There have been afternoon thunderstorms in Houston for the entire month of July. Over a two day period a week of so ago, we got about five inches. Since then, it is a rare afternoon that goes by with no rain.
So once we loaded the plane and the rain started to fall, I cannot say that anyone was surprised. Then they stopped the loading of the luggage. Then the rain stopped, and we finally got to push back, about 45 minutes late.
But, as in any large airport, there are plenty fo other planes waiting to go as well. So we waited another hour or so. We are two hours late leaving, which means we will get to the Caracas airport about 11:30, up to the city about 12:30. That is not something that I am looking forward to.
I have also not made my own reservations, so I am at the mercy of my hosts. I have had bad experiences with this in the past, and, quiet frankly, I am expecting the worst. But before I finish this piece, the truth will be out.
I lived in Venezuela in 1993 and 1994. I was working for a software company that was international in breadth, but sometimes provincial in approach. I loved the work, I loved the countries where I spent time. I don’t want to make it more that it was, but I was an expatriate for those two years (and two years more in Asia) and I loved it.
Now, I hate to travel. I have mentioned that before, and I don’t need to belabor it here. It will be an interesting couple of days. I just hope that I will be able to drink some Polar Beer, eat some meat or maybe some cachapas, and try to get some business started.
July 19, 2005
What will they think of next?
If you need a doll, I guess a Calude Monet doll is as good as any.
The Clever Blokes from www.lazyboneuk.com
A Salvador Dolly?
The Clever Blokes from www.lazyboneuk.com
A Salvador Dolly?
July 18, 2005
Lavish Dwarf Entertainment
Here is a quote from today’s (7.18.05) Wall Street Journal:
The festivities began with a trip by private jet from Boston to a small airport outside New York City. There, the revelers picked up some Wall Street traders and at least two women who investigators suspect may have been paid for their attendance, say people familiar with the matter. The partygoers -- including the groom-to-be, who was getting ready to marry the daughter of former Tyco International Ltd. boss L. Dennis Kozlowski -- then continued to trendy South Beach in Miami. The fun included a stay at the ritzy Delano Hotel for some, a yacht cruise and entertainment by at least one dwarf hired for the occasion.
"Some people are just into lavish dwarf entertainment," says the 4-foot-2 Danny Black, a part-owner in Shortdwarf.com, an outfit that rents dwarfs for parties starting at $149 an hour. Mr. Black says he spent part of the weekend on the yacht and worked as a waiter on the Friday night at a high-end Miami eatery alongside what he called "regular size" people. "A good time was had by all," he said, declining to provide further details.
I don’t even think that I need to add anything to this except:
LAVISH DWARF ENTERTAINMENT???!?!??!?!??!
The festivities began with a trip by private jet from Boston to a small airport outside New York City. There, the revelers picked up some Wall Street traders and at least two women who investigators suspect may have been paid for their attendance, say people familiar with the matter. The partygoers -- including the groom-to-be, who was getting ready to marry the daughter of former Tyco International Ltd. boss L. Dennis Kozlowski -- then continued to trendy South Beach in Miami. The fun included a stay at the ritzy Delano Hotel for some, a yacht cruise and entertainment by at least one dwarf hired for the occasion.
"Some people are just into lavish dwarf entertainment," says the 4-foot-2 Danny Black, a part-owner in Shortdwarf.com, an outfit that rents dwarfs for parties starting at $149 an hour. Mr. Black says he spent part of the weekend on the yacht and worked as a waiter on the Friday night at a high-end Miami eatery alongside what he called "regular size" people. "A good time was had by all," he said, declining to provide further details.
I don’t even think that I need to add anything to this except:
LAVISH DWARF ENTERTAINMENT???!?!??!?!??!
July 17, 2005
July 15, 2005
Wine Blogging Local Wines
I wanted to love this wine. Heck, I wanted to LIKE this wine! I noticed about a year ago that a little Mexican food place down the street form my office had closed (There was a photyocopied sign on the door saying something about the non-payment of rent), and would stop back occasionally to see what the great county of Fort Bend would allow us to have.
Imagine my surprise when I went by around Christmas, and noticed a sign on the door that stand Circle S Vineyards would soon be opening in that spot. A Vineyard? In Sugar Land, TX???
Now, let me say right now that I don’t LIVE in Sugar Land (Hope of Imperial Sugar and Tom Delay), I only work there. I will write about where I live by and by. S-Land is a typical Houston suburb, with typical Houston suburban leanings. I never thought that a Vinyard was one of them.
So I waited, and waited. And waited…
They finally opened, and I slipped over there one Thursday afternoon. Nice facility. They have the primary fermentation tanks (Stainless Steel) there. They have some oak barrels, too, but I was unclear as to whether or not they were for show or for real.
I talked to the Vintner, who is fifth generation at this sort of thing. He grows some grapes up around Centerville (so named because it is midway between Houston and Dallas) and imports some from Italy. I asked for a taste, and he reluctantly agreed. I had a Montepulciano. I thought it was OK, so I bought a couple of bottles of this, and a couple of his Sangiovese.
We tried the Sangiovese earlier, and found it very simple and fruity. Much like red Koolaid.
Tonight, in recognition of Wine Blogging Wednesday #12 we tried the Montepulciano. It had more to say for itself, but it was still a very simple, fruit forward wine. No tannin, no acid, no nuthin! were my notes on CellarTracker. I like to drink local wines, and I like some Texas wines. I think that this one needs more time.
Imagine my surprise when I went by around Christmas, and noticed a sign on the door that stand Circle S Vineyards would soon be opening in that spot. A Vineyard? In Sugar Land, TX???
Now, let me say right now that I don’t LIVE in Sugar Land (Hope of Imperial Sugar and Tom Delay), I only work there. I will write about where I live by and by. S-Land is a typical Houston suburb, with typical Houston suburban leanings. I never thought that a Vinyard was one of them.
So I waited, and waited. And waited…
They finally opened, and I slipped over there one Thursday afternoon. Nice facility. They have the primary fermentation tanks (Stainless Steel) there. They have some oak barrels, too, but I was unclear as to whether or not they were for show or for real.
I talked to the Vintner, who is fifth generation at this sort of thing. He grows some grapes up around Centerville (so named because it is midway between Houston and Dallas) and imports some from Italy. I asked for a taste, and he reluctantly agreed. I had a Montepulciano. I thought it was OK, so I bought a couple of bottles of this, and a couple of his Sangiovese.
We tried the Sangiovese earlier, and found it very simple and fruity. Much like red Koolaid.
Tonight, in recognition of Wine Blogging Wednesday #12 we tried the Montepulciano. It had more to say for itself, but it was still a very simple, fruit forward wine. No tannin, no acid, no nuthin! were my notes on CellarTracker. I like to drink local wines, and I like some Texas wines. I think that this one needs more time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)