Porchman

Mrs. Porchman gave me an absinthe set, complete with spoons and glasses, for Christmas. It's Versinthe. I rather like the anise flavor after it's been diluted through the ritual.. The odd thing about this ritual, though, is that you probably should have consumed something before all this is that interesting. They also have absinthe fountains. Some of the antique fountains with silver fittings run several hundred dollars.

Mrs. Porchman and I scooted down to the Island today. Gorgeous weather! Here's a bit of what we saw. The Flagship has seen better days. The driveway onto its pier is still collapsed. While the loss of the historic Balinese Room is sad, the view east of 25th is remarkably uncluttered (save pouting children). The Strand looks like the Strand when you first get there. Then you realize how bad things were. See the water line marked with blue tape? Notice the new stair risers indicating how high the water rose. The buildings themselves seem in good shape. Their interiors are not. About 1/3 of the Strand has operating businesses. One observation...bars and restaurants are making a much more noticeable appearance along the Strand. Several of them are new (at least to me) - tequila bars, wine bars. Yaga's is open. Luigi's appears to be on the verge of reopening. It also looks like La King's will be getting the soda fountain going soon. It appears the flood preserved the signs.. Other than a handful of gee-gaw shops (t-shirts, crystal objet that you didn't realize you needed), the retail operations are gone. No more outlets. No more Col. Bubby's. We did not think the houses looked all that bad. In fact, we thought the storm may have pushed some much needed paint jobs all over the island. However, as we discovered on the Strand, the exterior may not tell the whole story. Suffering a broken toe, I did not walk the neighborhoods as I often do. Such walks often help reveal much about what's happening along those streets. The Galvestonian lost its deck, pool and its really cool dune bridge (along with much of the dunes). There is also much patch-up underway on other parts of the island. Seawall Blvd was spotty. Many businesses are open. MANY people going to the freshly restored beaches. That was good to see. There was something out of place during our visit. I was not sure about it originally. Then it became very apparent. The trees...they're brined. This is what Church Street looked like today. Broadway and so many other streets looked much the same. For me, this was the saddest sight of the visit. The charm that the old trees gave to the old island neighorhoods is gone. Some of the trees showed some signs of foliage. Many did not. It looks like winter there. At this point, I could make some comment that I hope Galveston sees its Spring season soon. However, all the poets I studied in high school (not to mention the Mamas and the Papas) make such references trite. Besides, there are so many challenges and it seems so many unknowns (e.g. what is the future of the Island's biggest employer?). It is clearly a game-changing opportunity and challenge for Galveston to recover from Ike. I hope the people of Galveston are up to the task, because, in play with the seasonal metaphor, the Island's groundhog drowned.

You are correct. It does count on your record. Did you roll a right turn or push the "auburn" rule?

I've done the online program for the same reason. You can do it piecemeal. You can finish a section while chowing down your microwave lunch at work and in lieu of some pre-bed reading. You have a certain amount of flexibility with On-Demand. My main hesitation with the Comcast program would be with the response/synching of the system, which can be a real frustration when viewing other On-Demand programs.

So, it can't be figured out

Are they combining the concept with the laundymat next door? Now, that would be a concept.

That would be great. He has a great legacy with BCM, and, from what I understand, he had given (continues to give!) through patents of his inventions. We're not talking small numbers. Peter Wareing's jewish! Who knew? Oy! Both institutions have had jewish leadership for many years. Actually it's a matter of business and business model. Regarding Methodist

Yeah, but it pales in comparison to the cumulus you get when you search "Red" .

We have King Cake at the office today. EDIT: Dingo remark removed

See topic: http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...showtopic=19146

Congratulations on your new home. It sounds terrific. While you may not have expected the pool, there will be days in July and August when you will be glad to have it and your air conditioning. Welcome to Houston! Keep us apprised of your experiences and discoveries as you settle in.

Thank you for arranging it, tmariar. I thoroughly enjoyed it. So did Mrs. Porchman. BTW, "Mrs. Porchman" is the newest HAIFer. She so enjoyed talking with all of you. She'll post soon. (Viva Italia!)

This class starts on Monday. I'm really looking forward to it. Any other HAIFers attending?

Here are the YouTube Videos that Larissa Lindsey has posted. You really can't see all that much.

What's pathetic is assuming that a weathered basketball hoop/goal/whatever, out by the street, on a Monday (trash day in the Heights, and heavy trash day for some) was an attempted theft. That's pathetically white.

I found it creepy that a retaurant chain would use a creature that looked like a rat in its ads. Everyone needs cheeky, immature, British humour, now and then (just not in their sub shop commercials). EDIT: Decided not to reference related website, because current feature video doesn't just test the bounds of good taste. It defecates on them .

Awesome! Mrs. P. will particularly dig this. I can't remember the last time I had oyster loaf.

It is heavy trash day for parts of the Heights. They may not have checked the Houston Solid Waste Map to determine the boundaries. Moreover, since it weathered outside for several years, it may have appeared a candidate for innocent scavenging.

And then there were three...unless Outlaw Josey Wales IV runs again . Ben hall has declined to run for Mayor. He was supposed to announce the day before Parker, but backed off when he got a call from Gene Locke, whom he now apparently is backing. Story in the Houston Chronicle

Mrs. Porchman and I went the NMFH today. It's pretty cool. They have a lot of different exhibits on funeral traditions. I was particularly impressed with their hearse collection which dates back to the mid-19th century (many from Robert Waltrip's collection), and the array of programs and momentos from funerals of the famous. They sort of lack an overarching examination of funeral custom, but the various, individual sections of the museum are great. I highly recommend it.

Oh, this is going to be fun. I post, and I step back as if throwing meat to pitbulls (with all due respect, of course ) KHOU REPORTS: Police Union sues Quannell X

Please merge http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...ic=19165&hl=

Wow! Their presence in Hempstead is HUGE. They really got a double whammy - (1) the economy, as a whole, and (2) the plummet in truck sales.

Actually, this would be a good option for Jones Plaza

It looks good. Great pics. I'm adding it to my favorites, so you now have joined Editor and Gus in providing me with surfing distraction. More feedback anon.