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Travelogue:
Texas (mostly)
April 2003
Part 3
By Roger W. Reini
WORK IN PROGRESS
By date:
April 8 to
18 (Part 1) | April 19 to 25 (Part
2)
26th | 27th | 28th |
29th | 30th | May 1st
| 2nd
Read part 1 and part
2
Saturday April 26
This weekend would have been the targeted weekend for our Un-reunion, an
informal get-together of high school classmates in off-years (i.e., not a
20th or 25th or anything like that). But it turned out that this weekend was
not a convenient one for many people. Being the weekend after Easter, it was
likely that events which might have been held last weekend had it not been
Easter were pushed to this weekend, so many who might otherwise have been
here had conflicts and could not attend. The only classmate I would end up
seeing today was Rob Wohrer.
I was falling in and out of sleep, waking up for good close to 9. My
off-and-on intestinal distress of the last few days appeared to have abated;
good. I didn't have breakfast because I'd be having lunch around 11:30. But
I still wanted to read the paper. However, when I went downstairs to the
rack outside the lobby, it was empty. I had to walk over to the Luby's
Cafeteria to get a paper. After finishing that, I watched some of the Speed
Racer DVD, along with part of the TV commercials DVD set I'd gotten
yesterday. After 11, I stopped and got ready to head to Seabrook.
Tookie's is a Seabrook landmark, known for their hamburgers. But until
today, I had never set foot inside the place. Traffic on 146 made it hard to
turn into the parking lot, but I eventually did so and spotted a black
Impala with Texas A&M license plates. Rob was here, all right. I went
inside, and he waved to me from his table. The waitress had to visit our
table a few times to take our order. Rob knew what he wanted, but I didn't.
This was new to me. I ended up ordering the same burger as he, though I only
got fries on the side while he got a fries and rings combination. We talked
about old times and more recent times and bemoaned the fact that we were it
for the April attempted un-reunion. He recalled being turned on to Tookie's
by classmate Mark Estes, who worked here back then. Apparently, he lost his
job for providing too many free samples to friends at the back door, said
Rob, who happened to be one of those friends.... He mentioned the
travelogues I'd done in the past and wondered if today's meal would be
included; wonder no longer, Rob! And now I'm wondering why I had never
bothered coming here before today, for their burgers are excellent.
After finishing our meals and soaking in enough atmosphere, we decided to
pop on down to the Kemah Boardwalk and hang out there a bit. We would park
in the garage, and if we got separated, then we'd meet near one of the
arcade games (ring the bell, win a prize). Traffic was a little heavy at the
light leaving Tookie's. I was listening to NFL draft coverage on ESPN Radio
and learned that, as expected, Detroit selected wide receiver Charles Rogers
from my alma mater, Michigan State, with their first pick. We had little
trouble parking in the garage, though I had taken a wrong turn and exited
the garage before immediately re-entering it. So there we were hanging out
along the boardwalk, I with my video camera in hand. It was a wonderful day
– warm but not too humid. The creek was filled with boats heading into and
out of Galveston Bay. One boat was offering bay and lake tours for $5
(normally $8). Another boat, Joe's Boardwalk Beast, offered 20 minute rides
on the bay at speeds up to 50 MPH. "You may get wet," said the
signs at their ticket booth. We walked along the whole length of the
boardwalk, from the start at the Aquarium to its finish past Willie G.'s. On
the way, we observed many ducks and ducklings, live fish of varying sizes,
at least one fish head, some pieces of trash that had gone astray, a few
dead fish, and at least one jellyfish. Rest assured, these were in the
water, not on the boardwalk.
As we walked, we started talking about reunions and un-reunions, and I
suggested that the Boardwalk might be a good place to hold one. There is a
small hotel here called the Boardwalk Inn, I said. So we went over to the
inn to see it for ourselves. One of the managers on duty gave Rob a folder
containing the information needed for events such as reunions. Their large
room only holds 70 people, and they only have around 60 rooms. That would
make it tough for a full reunion, as we had well over 100 show at the last
one. But the restaurants could be reserved for parties, she explained. She
gave us her contact information, and we left contemplating what might be. We
stopped at the unisex bathroom in the lobby, a potential scene of discomfort
for those who enter and didn't notice that it said "unisex
restroom." No, this wasn't like the one on Ally McBeal; this
restroom had separate rooms for washing and for the toilet, but neither was
segregated by sex. Back to reunion planning: I wouldn't mind seeing either a
reunion or an un-reunion here. An un-reunion certainly would work, for you
wouldn't have that many people attending (not like a full-blown one), and
you could set aside a block of rooms at the inn. And those who were local or
who didn't want to stay there could come down to the Boardwalk easily. There
is definitely an ambience to the Boardwalk that attracts people, and I for
one would like to take advantage of it someday.
Well, it was time to leave. We said our goodbyes and then headed up the
road. Coincidentally, we were both heading north on 146. Rob was probably
heading back home. I, on the other hand, was heading to Pasadena on Red
Bluff Road. I had not known earlier what I was going to do, but now I did.
Having only bought the Galveston and Brazoria Key Map atlas yesterday, I was
now after the Harris County and Houston one. I figured that Wal-Marts would
have it; I did find the one atlas there, you know. Red Bluff hadn't changed
all that much, not up to the intersection with Fairmont Parkway. The parkway
had become more developed over the years, though. I remember a time when the
old East Belt began at Fairmont Parkway – all surface streets, no
overpasses, and not much was around. Now, it's a full-fledged freeway
intersection, and there was a Wal-Mart there among loads of other stores.
The Wal-Mart was busy, as one might expect on a Saturday afternoon in
Pasadena. Unfortunately, they didn't have the atlas. I found the next
Wal-Mart, this one a Supercenter, on Southmore between Main and Shaver, the
former location of Sears. This, too, was a busy store. But they didn't have
the atlas, either. I consoled myself with a can of 25-cent pop –
Wal-Mart's version of 7-Up. I put the ballgame back on, for I'd been
listening to it since I left Kemah. The game was tied in the bottom of the
10th, and Astros reliver Billy Wagner was in his final inning no matter what
happened. The announcers were praising the job he'd done so far, when
suddenly he gives up a home run. Game over, Astros lose again. Hoo boy. At
least they're not as bad as the Tigers.
Back to my map quest (not to be confused with Mapquest.com): I recalled
seeing an ad in the other atlas for their own store on Alabama. So it was up
on the Pasadena Freeway, which wound its way through the very picturesque
refinery district of Stinkadena (no odors today, though), then onto the
South Loop for a short time, then up the Gulf Freeway to the Southwest
Freeway to Shepherd to Alabama. I was concerned that the store would have
closed for the day by the time I arrived. Well, I didn't need to be
concerned about that at all, for the sign on the door said "Closed
Saturday and Sunday". That part of the trip had been in vain. Next: the
Bookstop on Shepherd. No atlas. The Borders on Alabama and Kirby: nope, no
atlas. The Walgreens on Westheimer across from Central Market: nope. I set
aside my map quest for two things. One, get gas, which I did at the Exxon on
San Felipe and the West Loop; and two, visit the Micro Center just north of
there. I didn't expect to find the atlas there, and they didn't have it, but
I did find some magazines of interest, two relating to video production and
the other being Mac Addict magazine. Next door was their store front for
HDTV's and other entertainment devices. I visited briefly and noted that one
of the projectors (HD capable) was on sale. Then it was back to the atlas
quest and back to the Barnes and Noble on Westheimer across from the
Galleria. No atlas!
By this time, it was getting late, and I was getting frustrated. I vowed
to try the Key Map store next week. But I had a couple more places I could
try. I had noticed that the Gulf Freeway was congested both ways at FM 1959,
so I considered it a place best avoided. So I worked my way back to Nassau
Bay via the West Loop, which turned into the South Loop, then down the South
Freeway to Beltway 8 to Telephone Road (almost typed "Telegraph"
there – must remember that Telephone is Houston, but Telegraph is Detroit)
through Pearland. The regular Wal-Mart on Telephone Road did not have an
atlas. But it did have another 25-cent vending machine, from which I bought
a can of grape soda. Then it was onto FM 518 and past a Wal-Mart Supercenter.
My last chance for tonight for an atlas, and I came up empty. So back to the
hotel I went.
Now you may be wondering why I've been on a quest for these atlases, when
you consider that I'm now living in the Detroit area. What use would I have
for them up there? Well, they would not be of much use up there, but I do
get down to Texas fairly often. I've driven down the last 3 years. Also,
I've got atlases from San Francisco and Los Angeles from my trips out there.
I needed them there and might need them again. Also, I've liked maps from a
young age and have been collecting older ones over the last few years. In
fact, I brought some vintage maps with me on this trip. One of them is of
Houston from around 1950 (1948 to 1951 at the latest). This map shows mainly
the area that we know today as inside the Loop. There is one street that
follows the course of the North Loop, but it's just a street, not a freeway.
The only freeway shown on here is the Gulf Freeway, and it's under
construction. No I-45, no I-10. I also have a state map from 1937 that shows
the highways and some unusual highway markings by today's standards. First
of all, the road that we know as Highway 3 is shown on that map as being
Highway 6 as well as US 75. Highway 3 back then was a lot longer than today;
it followed US 90 across the state. Highway 35 started up in East Texas and
followed the route of today's US 59 into Houston before leaving the same way
it does today. In fact, while coming down 59 two weeks ago, I saw some signs
saying "Old Highway 35" branching from the roadway. OK, end of
digression.
It was 6:30 when I got home. Today had been a full housekeeping day, so
the room had been completely cleaned. But the bathtub was filling with
water; it seemed that my faucet was hard to completely shut off. I called
Keith Z. to see what was up, as he should have returned from DC yesterday.
He had indeed returned, but he was in no mood for company. He was
complaining about coming down with something on Easter (recall our visit to
Eckerd's for medicine and munchies), and it turned out he was right. His
ears had yet to pop from the flight. Having experienced that problem myself,
I knew how miserable he must have been feeling. Best to try again in a few
days. So now I had to figure out what to have for supper. There was a box of
fajita preparations in the freezer – meat, veggies, sauce and tortillas
– so I figured I'd have those. I defrosted everything and cooked the meal
and was disappointed with the taste. Not much flavor to them at all. I'd
been spoiled by the real Mexican food down here. What I didn't finish (quite
a lot, actually), I scraped into the garbage bag. So I settled in for a calm
evening of surf music on XM 30 (Wax My Woody), then some of Space Cowboys
on TNT, and finally a Saturday Night Live repeat from a few weeks ago. Hm
– perhaps I should start to develop the SNL habit again.
Top
Sunday April 27
Another morning, another breakfast, another check of e-mail, another
shower. I tried calling the Vandervorts again, wondering why they had not
replied to my message from a few days earlier. It turned out that they'd
been out of town and had just returned. We made arrangements to meet for
dinner tomorrow at Joe's, naturally, at 6. As I was reviewing my e-mail, or
perhaps doing some work on this document, the phone rang. It was my aunt
Marie calling from Detroit. It took me a moment to recognize her, for I
wasn't expecting to hear from her down here. Uncle Bill was off in his plane
heading for Indiana, scouting locations for a regional gathering of Stinson
plane owners later this year. She reminded me that the annual EAA pancake
breakfast is in June and that Sharon and family would be in town for it. We
could make it a big ol' affair there this year. I've been to it on numerous
occasions.
What was I going to do today? Head back to the Boardwalk, that's what. I
wanted to take a ride on one of the boats. Not the Boardwalk Beast, though,
but the other one. I got there prior to 11, but there was no sign of the
boat. I got some fish food and ended up throwing it at a couple of ducks;
they ate it. I went up on the top of the parking deck and took some video
from up there. I thought I might have been able to see all the way across
the bay, but I wasn't sure. Noon approached, and I was getting hungry. But
before I could decide on a restaurant, I saw the boat pull up to the dock.
Their first ride of the day was noon, it appeared. So I was the first one to
board the vessel – and I was the only one to board the vessel. It was just
two crew members and me as we went out into the bay for a bit, then turned
around and headed up the creek and into Clear Lake. We went under the bridge
and past the Seabrook Shipyard, past the fancy homes of Clear Lake Shores.
We went as far as the Watergate Yacht Club before turning around and heading
back to the dock. This boat was the first one in operation at the Boardwalk;
the Beast is a more recent attraction. Naturally, I had video running most
of the time. We had a nice breeze blowing through the craft as we went east.
After we docked, I saw the line for their next ride. No private ride for
the next crew! Now what to do for lunch. Would I try the Aquarium? Not
today; instead, I'd go across the channel to Seabrook and Pappadeaux. I
didn't think I'd have any problem with bugs in the rice this time. And I
didn't. I had the opelousas again, but this time the sauce was somewhat
different. It was quite good, and I couldn't finish it. Maybe if I'd passed
on the Caesar salad, I might have finished it. But I had some room for a
slice of key lime pie. After I left, with my wallet lightened by $38 (after
tip), I went to the Kemah Wal-Mart. Yes, I was resuming my atlas quest. But
first, I had to visit the restroom. Having completed that business, the
quest resumed in earnest. And this time, success! I found the atlas! Then I
set off looking for some caffeine-free Dr Pepper, but they didn't have any.
So I left with just the atlas. My next stop was the Kroger's on FM 270, the
one that used to be an Albertson's. Like the one on Kirby, there was a
newspaper vendor out front. He asked if I wanted to get a paper; I said I'd
consider it on the way out. I did find the pop, and I did get a paper on the
way out. It was back to the hotel, but the drive turned miserable. I feared
a relapse of my intestinal distress. It was all I could do to hold on until
I got back to my room. I wonder what happened? It may have been the Caesar
salad; they have been known to irritate me. So it was time for another dose
of generic Imodium. While it took effect, I read the paper and worked on
this travelogue.
Time passed. It was now 7, and I was thinking about supper. I was
thinking about Fuddrucker's, in fact. But I waited for a half-hour before
going there, where I ordered their smallest burger (1/3 pound) and a regular
order of fries. The burger was good, as always. Perhaps I could have had a
half-pound burger. Now which is better, Fuddrucker's or Tookie's? They're
both good, though Fuddrucker's lets you top your own burgers yourself. I've
only had one Tookie burger, while I've eaten at Fuddrucker's many times, so
I can't make a fair decision yet. And given that there are Fuddrucker's
around the country but only one Tookie's, I may never be able to make a fair
decision.
While going to the game, I tuned the radio down the dial. I heard KIKK-AM
sign off for the day. Business Radio – what a change from the country
music that was synonymous with KIKK. Then it was on to KILT and ESPN Radio,
where they were carrying a game featuring the Anaheim Angels. Now had I
traveled to California, I might have gone to that ballgame. But I wouldn't
have gone to Tookie's...
Now for some comments about radio down here. With my XM, I hadn't been
listening to much radio down here. KTRH had the Astros and news and talk.
KIKK-FM was now playing smooth jazz. KRBE was still hot hits and top 40,
although I wouldn't listen to it now; it's no longer my music. There are
more Spanish language stations than there used to be.
When I arrived back at the room, I was going to put the ballgame on.
However, I encountered Star Wars on TBS, so I left it there. Can't go
wrong with Star Wars. I had it on in the background while I did some
checking of e-mail and some work on this travelogue.
Top
Monday April 28
Today started out as a slow day. I went down for my paper and had my
breakfast, finishing the box of Cracklin' Oat Bran. I didn't have anything
scheduled until 6 at night, when I would go out to Alvin. So what did I do
today? Not very much in the morning and early afternoon. One factor: I was
low on money, and payday wouldn't be until Wednesday (my paycheck would be
direct-deposited, so I knew it would be available on payday morning). So I
didn't go out for lunch. I had a frozen pizza instead. I cleaned the windows
on my car, for they were filthy, and I had trouble seeing the outside
mirrors under certain conditions. I did the dishes. I listened to Rush
Limbaugh for a time, then turned on CNN to see and hear the President speak
from Dearborn, not more than 3 miles from my office. I worked on this
travelogue for a time.
A little after 3, I decided to spend some time at the new Wal-Mart
Supercenter in La Marque before going to Alvin. I went down Highway 3
through Webster, League City and Dickinson before turning off onto FM 2004
and passing the Mall of the Mainland before encountering the new Wal-Mart on
the other side of the freeway. This store replaced the one in Texas City
that was across the street from the mall. Of course, it was similar to other
Wal-Mart Supercenters elsewhere. Today, I was looking for replacement blades
for my electric razor. They were two years old, and though frequent cleaning
via compressed air helped prolong their life, they were in need of
replacement. Oddly enough, it was on a trip down here in 2001 that I got
those blades. I found the blades easily enough. But the new razors and their
features caught my eye. There was one razor there that could be cleaned by
washing the heads. There were many like that, actually. The prices went all
over the map. But this one was apparently $40, according to a tag on the
shelf. Wow, what a bargain. A new razor for the price of two replacement
blade sets. Forget the blades, get the razor. Then I went around the store,
picking up things as I went along. I got some coloring books for nephew
Brandon while he visits me in June. I got the latest issue of Texas Monthly,
which rated the top 50 barbecue joints in Texas (Joe's in Alvin was not on
the list, but Goode Co. in Houston was). I got some MiniDV tapes, though I
doubted I'd be using any more on this trip. I picked up the DVD
"Standing in the Shadows of Motown", a documentary about the
backing musicians on all of the great Motown hits, men who were unknown to
the general public. I also picked up a 20-cassette set of The Shadow, the
old radio series. I'd become interested in it when I heard it on XM Radio's
RadioClassics channel. I knew of an online archive of old Shadow episodes,
but I wasn't too happy about their fidelity. Hopefully, the tapes would
sound better, and I could create better-quality MP3 files for loading into
my iPod. Of course, I could listen to the tapes in the car. And one other
thing: the set cost half-price here, $30 instead of $60.
I had to pay for the electronics items in that department, so that's what
I did. Then I left for more shopping. I found a pair of shorts and put those
into the cart. Then it was time to check out. But there was a problem with
the razor: it rang up $148, not the $40 I was expecting. The cashier called
for a manager, who took a long time to appear. She would not honor the $40
price. I walked with her over to the rack and pointed out the $40 price. She
and several other employees reviewed the situation. Although the model
number and name were on the tag on the rack, the UPC code was not identical,
so the manager would still not honor the price. It would have to go to
another manager. This had taken some time, and I was getting quite upset, so
I said forget it, got the blades I came here for, and got those instead.
There was another problem at checkout: the register was taking forever to
approve my charge. I thought it was a problem with the card, but it wasn't.
I'd seriously considered junking the whole order and walking out, but I
didn't. I left in a foul mood. I was of a mind never to shop there again!
I had a lot of time before I had to go to Alvin, so I went over to the
Mall of the Mainland. Now this facility had never had a lot of business. The
parking lot in front of Sears wasn't busy at all. I went inside and started
looking for razors. I was going to prove Wal-Mart wrong. Sears had one razor
that Wal-Mart had, but not the one I wanted. Their price was higher, but it
was comparable to Wal-Mart's. Next, I went to Foley's. They had improved
versions of that razor and the one I had planned on getting, the improvement
being a 12-volt car adapter. The one razor was higher than Sears, but the
one I wanted – well, imagine my surprise when it was priced at $199! Hm
– perhaps the Wal-Mart computer was right and the rack tag was wrong. I
checked the other stores, but none of them had that razor. I needed to find
another store to check the price – who was right? I went out to Alvin,
listening to the Bangles on my iPod. When I got there, I went to the
Wal-Mart and headed straight for the razors. Now their rack had a price tag
for a similar model to the one I had wanted – but it said $128. There was
no doubt about it: the rack tag in La Marque was in error, and the store was
well within its rights to refuse to honor it. That was over a hundred-dollar
error! But I didn't know that at the time. I wasn't trying to pull a fast
one; I honestly thought $40 was a reasonable price. I wonder if the tag
would have been pulled or corrected were I to visit tomorrow? Still, that
was a nice razor, but only at $40, not at $148. But I didn't leave
empty-handed; I got two 12-packs of caffeine-free Dr Pepper and the new TV
Guide. Now you might argue that I didn't need to get the TV Guide, that I
should have waited until returning to Michigan. Well, I would be getting the
Detroit one upon my return. But I wanted to review the listings to see if
there was anything I should be alert for.
Joe's wasn't very busy tonight. John Vandervort was on a bench in front
of the restaurant, on the watch for me. I showed up and we went inside. Now
I didn't feel like a BBQ baked potato tonight, so I just had a chopped beef
sandwich and a bag of chips, along with a Sprite. The barbecue was the same,
and it was still as good as always. Already inside at their table were
Helen, Gaye, husband Steve and their daughter Joanna. Everybody was doing
all right, even Helen, who was recovering from health problems that I won't
disclose here. We talked about various things, including the quality of
barbecue at some high-rated restaurants in the Hill Country (they'd gone
there last week).
It was back to the hotel around 7:45. I found a place to store the 3
12-packs of pop currently in the car, pop which would be heading back to
Michigan with me. I picked up the loose garbage in the front seat of the car
and put it in the bag. I took my stuff and went upstairs for the night,
where I would spend the evening working on this travelogue while listening
to the XM Music Lab on XM channel 51, their channel for progressive music
(think Frank Zappa, early Genesis, and extremely early Pink Floyd, all of
whom I heard tonight). The new shorts fit well and should be comfortable.
Later on, I snacked on some tortilla chips and Nuevo Leon salsa, which
starts off moderately then gets quite hot the more you eat it. Whoa!
Top
Tuesday April 29
I showered, then read the morning paper. What was I going to do today? In
the evening, I would be going downtown to see the Astros, but this morning,
I was going to go into town for one final visit to the Central Market (final
visit for this trip, I mean). It was mainly a stock-up visit for wasabi-coated
peas and some St. Arnold root beer. Three 6-packs of it went into the back
seat of my car when I left the store, and it won't leave until I put it into
my pantry back home. I may save some for when my sister and family visit.
According to the Saint Arnold Website, the only store that sells their root
beer is in fact the Central Market on Westheimer. A few restaurants around
town offer it, including Goode Co. Barbecue, and they sell it by the case at
their brewery. I won't be finding it in Michigan any time soon.
I'd reached the store by taking Elgin Avenue all the way from the Gulf
Freeway and the University of Houston campus. There had been some
developments at UH since the last time I was there, such as the building
that now houses KUHT-TV and KUHF-FM. From there, it was a straight shot to
the Central Market (Elgin turns into Westheimer, as you read earlier in this
travelogue). When I left, I debated whether or not to visit the Apple Store
at the Galleria. If I'd gone, I would have considered getting a wireless
networking card for my iMac computer. But I didn't go. There are Apple
Stores in Michigan, and I could get the card there just as easily. Instead,
I visited the Container Store across the street, and then I stopped by the
Best Buy on Richmond again. I didn't get anything at either place, though I
briefly considered the second-season set of Babylon 5, which had just come
out today. I have yet to get the first season set.
When I left, it was 11 AM. Lunchtime was at hand. But I wasn't in the
mood for anything on that side of town. Instead, I wanted to make my second
and final visit to Laredo's on this trip. So I threaded my way across town
(Richmond to Weslayan to the Southwest and Gulf Freeways, then the South
Loop to the Pasadena Freeway to Red Bluff Boulevard) and got to Laredo's
after noon. Of course, I had my usual. Then I went back to the hotel to rest
up and let my stomach settle down.
Around 5:15, I got a call from the lobby. Chris Mallios was here to pick
me up for the ballgame. I'd seen his dad last week, but I hadn't seen him in
several years. He'd run for county commissioner in north Galveston County
last year but lost to the incumbent. He was currently working for the
Channelview school district on the groundkeeping staff after holding a
similar position with the county.
We got to the park in plenty of time for the first pitch. We parked in a
nearby church parking lot and walked over to the Will Call window for the
tickets. I remarked that we'd be a lot farther out at the Dome. And so,
after picking up our tickets, we went inside Minute Maid Park (formerly
Enron Field and Astros Field). We walked around the whole park. I wanted to
get ideas for dinner, and I wanted to see the sights. We stopped at one of
the gift shops, where I bought an inflatable bat for Brandon (a real bat
might not be a good idea for him just yet). It folded nicely into my pocket,
where it would stay until I got back to the hotel. We went up to the club
level, one level above main level. Now this was a nice setup. The concourse
was "inside", as if it were a regular building. There was a bar
area, some restaurant facilities and tables where you could eat your meal.
When you wanted to go to your seat, you'd open up a door like you were
leaving a building. Our seats were up the third base line, but we had a
great view of most of the field, all except the left field corner. The roof
was open tonight, and there was a breeze. It seemed to be blowing from right
field to left.
Now it was time for supper. Despite my having had Mexican food already,
we both ended up having something Mexican for supper; Chris got a fajita
plate, while I got a fajita salad, thinking it would be different enough
from what I had for lunch. In fact, it was different enough. It was somewhat
inconvenient to eat at the seat, but it was enjoyable anyway. It was quite
large, and I couldn't finish it. As for the game, it too was enjoyable, even
though the Astros lost. It was in doubt until the last pitch, though. Lance
Berkman was ejected late in the game for arguing balls and strikes with the
umpire, and the fans let the ump have it.
When the game was over, we stopped briefly at the Shed, the Astros
memorabilia store. I got an Astro hat, and Chris got a coffee mug. We had to
exit through old Union Station. It had to have been a fancy building in its
heyday serving train passengers. I remember being with my folks as they were
picking up Grandma Reini at the train station; I wonder if it was this one?
Then we found the truck and headed for home. All in all, a nice evening.
Top
Wednesday April 30
I woke up fairly early, around 6 AM. I wanted to get more sleep, so I lay
in the bed for a while, but it didn't work. So I gave up and resumed reading
Forward The Foundation, which I ended up finishing. I went
downstairs, got the paper, and then had breakfast. I checked e-mail, and I
also checked my bank account balance. Payday was today, and the check would
be direct-deposited, but I needed to know the amount. Why? Because I had to
pay some bills that would be coming due shortly, bills that I didn't think I
could wait to pay until I returned home. What a fun experience.
I knew my vacation was drawing to a close, so I took out my suitcase and
began to pack it. I wouldn't need all of my clothes on the return trip; I'd
hardly need any at all, in fact. Later that morning, I went to the CompUSA
and Barnes and Noble on Bay Area. I didn't get anything at CompUSA, but I
did pick up two science-fiction magazines. I came close to getting Marvin
Zindler's biography, but I decided to pass on it. Now it was lunchtime, and
my destination was Chabuca's on Nasa 1. Unfortunately, I had to wander
through the back streets of Webster to get there, as eastbound Nasa 1 was
closed at Walnut due to an accident. But I didn't have to wander very long
or far, and I soon found myself in the Chabuca's parking lot. I'd been here
last year, and I really enjoyed it. Their centerpiece meal is the rodizio,
where many different varieties of meats and some fruits are supplied to you
on spits from chefs who walk around the restaurant, offering to slice some
off for you. Along with that, you can enjoy a buffet of different kinds of
salads, cheeses, breads, etc. It's not a cheap meal ($14.95 for lunch), but
it is a very good meal. Naturally, that's what I got. I thought the meats
were a little slow to come out, but once they did, they came quickly. I
sampled nearly everything, but I had to pass on some items when I just
didn't have room on the plate for them – or in the stomach, for that
matter. I rolled out of there, so to speak, and went back to my hotel room.
I'd be meeting with my friend Keith in the afternoon, and I'd be having a
light dinner at his place (I wouldn't have been in the mood for a heavy
dinner). Before I went over, though, I took a swing by Helen's Garden in old
League City again. This time, I inspected the main dedication plaque and the
plaque on one of the benches. I did indeed see the Mallios name there, as
Chris had told me last night. I'd not noticed on my first visit, but this
time I did. I drove past the old and "new" League City Elementary
schools, then headed over to Zab's, fending off the traffic jams on Main
Street near the freeway and Hobbs Road. When I got there, he was busy
finishing up an important paper he was writing for the Marine Corps, so I
passed the time by watching the Scooby-Doo movie that he'd recorded on his
PVR. I'd never seen it before, for I'd been turned off by so-so reviews.
However, it was a better film than I thought it would be. Halfway through,
his ex Renee brought home daughter Hannah (it was a daddy week for her).
Tonight's dinner was a rice dish, somewhat akin to dirty rice, and a soup
that I sweared smelled very much like the hot sauce from Swanson's Mexican
TV dinners. I did not say that as a complaint, for I liked the soup, and I
liked the hot sauce. It was a good meal, and I said so. Then it was time for
Mommy to leave, but Hannah was somewhat reluctant to see her go. Later on,
Keith and I started discussing what would be involved in digitizing his old
videotapes. He had around 10 8mm tapes that he wanted to digitize, but he
didn't have all of the equipment to do so. I did have the equipment, so I
offered to take the tapes back up to Michigan and digitize them. One
roadblock: how would I get the digitized material to him? He didn't have a
MiniDV camcorder, so that was out. DVD's were a possibility, but I'd need a
lot of them. I'd figured out that a 120 GB hard drive would likely have the
capacity for the digitized material. Since there wasn't a spare 120 GB hard
drive laying around, we got online and searched for a good deal on one.
Having found a deal, he ordered it and had it shipped to me. It would arrive
after I got back to Michigan. By this time, South Park had started.
Thanks to the miracle of the PVR, we could start to watch it while the
remainder of the show was being recorded. Thus, it was 9:40 when South
Park ended and I took my leave. I had a long day ahead of me tomorrow.
Top
Thursday May 1
Well, this was it. Time for me to return to Michigan. I got up around 6
and continued with my packing. As soon as 7 o'clock rolled around, I went
downstairs for a luggage cart. Fortunately, both carts were available, and I
took one of them back to my room. I loaded up the larger items (suitcase,
guitar, etc.) and took them downstairs and outside to the car, where I
loaded them into the back. Then it was back upstairs for another run, mainly
of grocery bags. Some bags had groceries, and some had books and other stuff
I'd bought on the trip. I put the cart back for others to use, then went to
the room for one final check. All of the drawers were empty; I'd put the
hotel's clock back in operation; the refrigerator was empty. All I had to do
was turn out the lights, leave, and check out.
It was 7:55 when I started the car and began the trip back to Michigan. I
wanted to go up through Texas and Arkansas while avoiding rush hour
bottlenecks in town. Plotting my trip via Microsoft Streets and Trips a day
or so ago suggested a possibility, which I took. Instead of heading up the
Gulf Freeway, I went East on Nasa 1, then north on Kirby to Red Bluff. That
would take me to the East Belt, which I could take to get up to the Eastex
Freeway. It saved me some traffic problems, I'm sure. As I neared the East
Belt, it suddenly occurred to me that I'd just made the drive that my dad
took for two years or so to get to work, back when we lived in Pasadena. In
terms of time, it was comparable to the drive I take to get to work every
day, but it was a farther drive (15 miles versus my 11 or 12 miles).
There were no traffic problems on the East or North Belts, though the
westbound exit to 59 was not marked, forcing me to do a loop-around. I was
listening to KTRH for a little while; one big story was the arrest of Astros
player Julio Lugo on charges of assaulting his wife. Those charges would
lead to his dismissal from the team. Then I put on 60s on 6 on XM for a bit,
and then I listened to The Point on 106.9, Conroe/Houston's '80s station.
The drive up 59 was uneventful, and I made good time. I did stop at the Hot
Biscuit in Nacogdoches, where I had their buffet. Unfortunately, the food
wasn't very good, and I didn't care for it. Should have had something else.
Back on the road, I tuned in the Rush Limbaugh show on Shreveport's KEEL.
The drive on 59 continued to be uneventful. I made my first gas stop in
Marshall, just south of I-20. Marshall has been a traditional gas stop for
our family on our trips, and I continued the tradition. As I drove up to
Texarkana, I finished listening to Rush and started listening to the Sean
Hannity show, for that was next on KEEL. He started reporting on President
Bush's arrival by Navy jet on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. I
flipped over to Fox News on XM to hear for myself. It took me 7 hours to get
up to Texarkana, so this was shortly after 3 o'clock. I stopped at the first
rest area in Arkansas for a bathroom visit, a chance to stretch, and a
chance to get something to drink.
The drive continued. I encountered construction outside of Little Rock,
but it didn't slow me very much. I didn't have any problems bypassing Little
Rock and picking up I-40. Unfortunately, I hit some bad congestion on I-40
near mile marker 188. I wanted to keep going, so I exited the freeway and
found my way down to US 70, which I would follow for several miles until I
reached Brinkley. I got to drive through a couple of small Arkansas towns
along the way; whoopee! While in Brinkley, I stopped for gas and had supper
at McDonald's. I did not stop for the night; instead, I continued onward. I
had it in my mind to stop in Blytheville for the night. When I-40
intersected I-55, I took 55 heading north. I was listening to the president
speak to the nation from the deck of the Abraham Lincoln and kept on driving
until he finished. By that time, I'd arrived in Blytheville and decided to
stop for the night. There was a hotel right off the exit ramp, and I mean
right off the ramp. I pulled in, got a room, then turned on the TV to watch
the Astros lose again to the Braves.
Top
Friday May 2
For some reason, I woke up around 4:30. I couldn't get back to sleep, so
I decided to get up for good. I did want to get an early start, after all. I
turned on the TV and found one of the PBS stations (WKNO from Tennessee)
airing some old TV programs. They were broadcasting the final episode of the
Hollywood Palace, and then they started to carry an Ozzie and Harriet show
with original commercials. But I didn't stay for that. I loaded up the car
with the two bags that I'd taken in. Unfortunately, while intending to lock
the car, I hit the wrong button on my keyless entry key fob. Instead of
locking the car, I set off the alarm. The horn sounded four times before I
could turn it off. I imagine that woke up a few people, but I hope they got
back to sleep quickly. By 5:10, I was on the road again. But the clock in
the car said 6:10, for I'd already changed it to Eastern time. I could hear
WJR and the Paul W. Smith show on the radio, but just barely. I gave up on
it and put on the Old Time Radio channel, which was playing a two-hour block
of The Lone Ranger.
My drive took me into Missouri very quickly, but I would leave it almost
as quickly, for I took I-155 across the Mississippi River into Tennessee. It
would turn into US 51, which I would follow to its intersection with
Kentucky's Purchase Parkway. I could see ominous weather in the distance,
and it wouldn't be long before I ran into it in Kentucky. The rain puddled
in the grooves in the road, and there were times that I had to drive while
almost straddling the lanes. I didn't want to wipe out. I stopped for gas
(but not breakfast) in Benton, Kentucky, then continued onward. I missed the
turnoff for I-24, so I had to backtrack. I stayed on I-24 for a bit, until
it was time to take the Western Kentucky Parkway.
There weren't many rest areas on the parkway, but I needed to stop at
one. I felt myself getting tired, but I managed to hold on until the service
area in the middle of the parkway. I saw a National Guard convoy parked
there. I visited the restroom, picked up a Wall Street Journal, then
proceeded to rest there for 20 minutes or so. I hadn't had breakfast, so I
had a can of Dr Pepper and nibbled on some breadsticks. That must have
perked me up a bit, for I made it to I-65 without any problems. As I cruised
up the highway, I saw a billboard for Steak and Shake, so I decided to go
there for lunch. It was in Louisville, a mile and a half from the freeway.
Traffic was busy as I approached the restaurant, and it was busy as I left.
But I did need the time to relax, eat and unwind. It put me in good stead
for the final stretch.
I knew I could make it home tonight, possibly before dark, assuming
nothing interfered. However, four spots of congested traffic did interfere:
one outside Louisville, two in Cincinnati, and one in Dayton. But once I got
through them, it was smooth cruising up I-75 into Michigan. At 8 PM, I was
just south of the Sibley Road exit on I-275, listening to the Tigers game.
Before long, I was on home grounds. Not much had changed in three weeks. I
stopped at the Little Caesar's Pizza Station for some sliced pizza for
supper, and I arrived home at 8:30 PM. The major unpacking could wait until
tomorrow.
THE END
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©2003 R. W. Reini.
All rights reserved.
Written by Roger Reini
Revised April 20, 2008 |