Beautiful Swag
December 26, 2005
December 24, 2005
December 17, 2005
'Queen of the Mountain Bootleggers' dies at age 101
'Queen of the Mountain Bootleggers' dies at age 101: "'Queen of the Mountain Bootleggers' "
December 14, 2005
December 8, 2005
The Downside of Caller ID
About the only downside of Caller ID that I am aware of is that people now call back any number that they don’t recognize or that doesn’t leave a message. What a waste of time! I mean, if I dial a wrong number, I now feel compelled to say something like “Oh, sorry. I dialed this number by mistake? Or I will get the inevitable call back that goes like this:
“Hello? Did someone call me?”
“It was a wrong number”
“Oh. Why did you call?”
Click.
I mean, what do they think? They won the lottery or something? Why don’t they push this natural curiosity into something useful other than dial up numbers you don’t recognize on your stinking telephone!
Jeez. No wonder I hate people.
“Hello? Did someone call me?”
“It was a wrong number”
“Oh. Why did you call?”
Click.
I mean, what do they think? They won the lottery or something? Why don’t they push this natural curiosity into something useful other than dial up numbers you don’t recognize on your stinking telephone!
Jeez. No wonder I hate people.
December 6, 2005
Another interesting study
So my other favorite beverage is good for you also:
Study finds coffee reduces liver risk - Yahoo! News
Another cup of Joe, please!
Study finds coffee reduces liver risk - Yahoo! News
Another cup of Joe, please!
Interesting study
The question is one of cause and effect:
Moderate drinkers show lower obesity risk - Yahoo! News
But I like the results.
Moderate drinkers show lower obesity risk - Yahoo! News
But I like the results.
December 4, 2005
December 1, 2005
I don't FEEL that old
Doreen and I were recently in a small French restaurant in a cold climate. Being a cold climate, we had to wear coats. We had a great meal with some good wine, and were leaving the place to go out back out into the cold weather.
As we were leaving, the attractive young coat check girl looked up at me and asked how tall I was. I smiled and said that I was 6’6” or 2 meters tall. I said I was a perfect in metric – 2 meters and 100 kg. (ok, I know that 6’6” isn’t exactly 2 meters. But the story is better that way)
She lookup at me wistfully and sighed – Oh! Do you have a son I might be able to date?
That was a low blow.
As we were leaving, the attractive young coat check girl looked up at me and asked how tall I was. I smiled and said that I was 6’6” or 2 meters tall. I said I was a perfect in metric – 2 meters and 100 kg. (ok, I know that 6’6” isn’t exactly 2 meters. But the story is better that way)
She lookup at me wistfully and sighed – Oh! Do you have a son I might be able to date?
That was a low blow.
November 16, 2005
What do you do, again?
I was interviewed for a radio show tonight. It is a business program that airs Saturday mornings here in Houston call The Business Makers. The host is the husband of a good friend of mine, (he is a good friend as well) and he wanted to get me on to talk about my career and how I ended up where I am.
It was sort of fun to be the center of attention, and have someone ask about your history. I go to a lot of parties these days, usually fund raising type parties for my wife. And all I am there is arm candy. If I don’t raise anyone’s hackles or make a spectacle of myself it is considered a successful event. (I sound fussier about it than I am. Occasionally they have a nice wine, and I meet someone I like. Very occasionally)
But this gave me a chance to talk about all my jobs. They go something like this:
Shoveled snow
Paper boy
Cemetery worker
Student worker in a Iron Mine in Peru
Coop student engineer in an underground coal mine in Illinois
Coop student engineer in a surface coal mine in Wyoming
Addressing letters for an insurance company in Madison. (I did this for my sister Melanie. I think she fired me because my handwriting was so bad.)
Engineer for Exxon Minerals
Engineer for Exxon Synthetics
Customer Support for David P Cook and Associates
Regional VP for Terra-Mar Resource Information Services (Don’t let the title fool you. There were three other people in the company when I joined)
Salesman for Landmark Graphics Corp
Sales Manager for LGC
Customer Support Manager for LGC
Regional Manager of Latin America for LGC
VP and General Manager for LGC
Sales and Marketing VP for Bell Geospace, Inc
COO for BGI
CEO for BGI
Out of work for a couple of years, with miscellanea thrown in for good measure, including VP of Pointcross for three months
Business Unit Manager for Input/Output
President and CEO for OpenSpirit Corp
And my father said I couldn’t hold a job.
It was sort of fun to be the center of attention, and have someone ask about your history. I go to a lot of parties these days, usually fund raising type parties for my wife. And all I am there is arm candy. If I don’t raise anyone’s hackles or make a spectacle of myself it is considered a successful event. (I sound fussier about it than I am. Occasionally they have a nice wine, and I meet someone I like. Very occasionally)
But this gave me a chance to talk about all my jobs. They go something like this:
Shoveled snow
Paper boy
Cemetery worker
Student worker in a Iron Mine in Peru
Coop student engineer in an underground coal mine in Illinois
Coop student engineer in a surface coal mine in Wyoming
Addressing letters for an insurance company in Madison. (I did this for my sister Melanie. I think she fired me because my handwriting was so bad.)
Engineer for Exxon Minerals
Engineer for Exxon Synthetics
Customer Support for David P Cook and Associates
Regional VP for Terra-Mar Resource Information Services (Don’t let the title fool you. There were three other people in the company when I joined)
Salesman for Landmark Graphics Corp
Sales Manager for LGC
Customer Support Manager for LGC
Regional Manager of Latin America for LGC
VP and General Manager for LGC
Sales and Marketing VP for Bell Geospace, Inc
COO for BGI
CEO for BGI
Out of work for a couple of years, with miscellanea thrown in for good measure, including VP of Pointcross for three months
Business Unit Manager for Input/Output
President and CEO for OpenSpirit Corp
And my father said I couldn’t hold a job.
November 14, 2005
Burma and ID
I read today in the New York Times that the Burmese Military Junta has absconded upcountry for reasons unknown.
(http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/14/international/asia/14burma.html )
One of the speculations is that they are moving because their astrologers told them to move – on a specific date at a specific time.
I am not sure why, but this makes me think of Intelligent (sic) Design.
(http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/14/international/asia/14burma.html )
One of the speculations is that they are moving because their astrologers told them to move – on a specific date at a specific time.
I am not sure why, but this makes me think of Intelligent (sic) Design.
November 10, 2005
November 9, 2005
"the awesome stupidity of the common herd" (and I don't mean ID)
Stupidity on Parade - USA Today. The Times editorial page. Your local newspaper. By Jack�Shafer: "the awesome stupidity of the common herd"
November 8, 2005
November 7, 2005
November 4, 2005
October 30, 2005
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
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