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Specwriter

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Everything posted by Specwriter

  1. Specwriter
    The misleading identification may be prophetic. Weren't Sugar Land, Katy, League City, etc. once considered to be "out in the boonies?" 😀 In 1961, when my parents bought their home in Hidden Valley (then US 75 at FM 149, now Interstate 45 at SH 249) my grandmother made the comment "You may as well have moved to Conroe."
  2. Specwriter
    OK, it's been a while but here is a Houston Chronicle article from February 2019I found regarding the name of Laura Koppe Street: Stella Link, Laura Koppe and Shatner Drive: How Houston streets got their names (chron.com)
  3. Specwriter
    The historical marker for Aldine from the Historical Marker Data Base: Aldine Historical Marker (hmdb.org)
  4. Specwriter
    I said it five years ago and I'll repeat it now: Life is becoming great again. I've since moved away from Houston but return now and then. I think I would enjoy a visit to a renovated Magic Island.
  5. Specwriter
    Firebird, I got my copy of Around Aldine last week. I really enjoyed reading the book. It brought back many memories; mostly good but one particularly bad. I was two rows away from the row that collapsed at the stadium in September of 1977. That was the most disturbing thing I had witnessed to that point in my life. I noticed in the acknowledgments the names of three individuals who figured very positively in my early life. Edgar Reeves was our family's insurance agent and went above and beyond each time we needed his assistance. I've since learned he was instrumental in getting the historical marker for Aldine installed at the site of the original school. Elizabeth Battle was my history teacher. Her passion for history was indeed infectious. She gets much of the credit for my continued enjoyment of the subject. I had three different classes with Gerald Wesbrook, one at Stovall Jr. High and two at Aldine Sr. High. Needless to say, they were very positive. He was absolutely born to teach. We stay in touch to this day fifty years on.
  6. Specwriter
    Touche, Houston19514. The "did not like" comment was made tongue-in-cheek. I seriously doubt animus toward a previous owner would have real bearing. If someone disliked the previous owner he probably would not even be considering buying the property. My thinking about mentioning a current owner is it could influence the negotiation of a selling price and you are correct, it probably applies as much to other high-cost items as to real estate. Professional athletes' lives are pretty much out in the open. Knowing, or believing, that person's situation - he's looking to be traded or facing financial difficulty - puts him in an adverse situation seems unfair. My post was meant to be humorous but I guess I missed the mark. For me prior ownership of a house, car, plane, or boat carries no weight unless it belonged to Elvis Presley. Then I might have to consider the possibility of it having bullet holes. 🙂
  7. Specwriter
    Well said, Luminare. I do believe we are considering the word 'cheap' in a different way of thinking though. You appear to be condemning, and rightly so, the cheap aesthetic of having one material 'pretend' to be another. I was thinking more in terms of materials like concrete having a higher initial cost but providing economy through long-term durability. Here's something to think about: In past times formwork for vertical concrete was made up of boards nailed across whalers. When the formwork was removed the concrete showed the individual planks and often the wood grain of each plank. I don't believe the look was intentional so I wouldn't consider it dishonest. Besides, the concrete was often parged or covered by some other material. Also, I should not deride OSB in and of itself. It does have an honesty about it when it is exposed and properly protected with something like a clear polyurethane coating. I was thinking more in terms of its use as the sheathing over wood studs in situations like tract house construction when it is covered by other materials like a sheet weather barrier. In that case it does not stand up well to shoddy construction that allows moisture to get to it and destroy it. That is my understanding of cheap. 🙁 We are both architects. We should be part of a panel discussion to reinforce those Vitruvian ideals for the next generation. This has been a very interesting exchange. Thanks for your contribution.
  8. Specwriter
    I know it was tough times and people were glad to have jobs but these guys (probably all men), especially the high steel workers, really had cojones.
  9. Specwriter
    It may not have been cheap-cheap to build but it should be durable which is great for student housing. The dorm I lived in my freshman year in college had CMU walls between the rooms and along the corridors. Half the people who lived there were animals; the rest of us were just careless. 🙂 At least the school splurged on vinyl tile instead of bare concrete for the floors.
  10. Specwriter
    IMO, writing that the house belonged to Correa was not really a wise thing to do. What if a potential buyer didn't like Correa? Seriously, that seems unprofessional especially if it might in any way affect negotiations or put the owner in jeopardy. Hopefully the famous owner is no longer in residence as is often the case. I like old and exotic cars and I follow the auctions for entertainment since most everything in them is beyond my budget but I do notice that references to previous celebrity owners are mentioned but, that case, it only enhances the cachet and doesn't invade the privacy of someone who no longer owns the car. Who wouldn't want a Peugeot that previously was owned by Peter Falk? 🙂 I did have, on two separate occasions, the opportunity to buy directly, not through and auction, vehicles that were purported to have belonged to one of my favorite comedians, Red Skelton. One was a late 1960s Mercedes-Benz coupe and the other was a Jeep Wagoneer. I was informed both times that I already had enough toys. 🙁
  11. Specwriter
    Regarding "design" a very respected architect in this city (Houston) once told me "it will never get better if you don't stop picking at it." 🙂
  12. Specwriter
    There are still quite a few "we tote the note" used car lots here but nothing like in the past. The real estate has become too valuable.
  13. Specwriter
    Perhaps the price of spray paint is going up with everything else.
  14. Specwriter
    . . . since the first time I drove it in the late-seventies.
  15. Specwriter
    That's a point my wife brought up. Even at 3,600 sq. ft. plus it is evident the house on Peden was built more for entertaining than raising a family.
  16. Specwriter
    The in-state tuition thing may not be as cheesy as if first appears. If someone owns real property in Texas he is paying property tax, taxes on utilities, and sales tax on goods and services for that property, etc. If only renting the renter those taxes are built into the rent. Politicians move around, or simply rent a place, just so they can run in races they feel they can win.
  17. Specwriter
    . . . drunk students with affluent parents. Actually this might be a good investment for anyone with the means. My cousin's daughter went to Florida State in Tallahassee in the early 2000s. My cousin bought a three bedroom condominium in a small complex close to campus which her daughter lived in for the duration of her time at FSU (under grad and graduate) and rented the two remaining bedrooms to other students. Since her daughter graduated and moved away my cousin found a good leasing agent and has kept the property since. It is a nice cash generator for her.
  18. Specwriter
    I so hope you are correct, wilcal. I would expect all celebrities to live in very secure places like gated communities with around-the-clock on-site personnel. That is a very nice house though.
  19. Specwriter
    😭
  20. Specwriter
    Try Historic Houston Salvage Warehouse https://historichouston.org/salvagewarehouse One has to be a member to access the warehouse but if you are looking for more than a couple of items it might be worth joining.
  21. Specwriter
    My father bought a new Volvo from Star in 1973. The service after the sale was abysmal. He thought it was because the Mercedes-Benz customers were getting better service and Volvo customers were the "step-children." A family friend who owned a 1972 Mercedes-Benz told my father that he wasn't satisfied with Star's service either. See what happens when you don't treat your customers right - almost 50 years later they pull your franchise.
  22. Specwriter
    Thanks for the clarification, mkultra. To me it doesn't make sense but, like I wrote earlier, these days I would rather watch the Spurs. Maybe I should have moved to Hallettsville after all. 🙂 I'm glad MLB doesn't have the same policy as the NBA.
  23. Specwriter
    As I am now in San Antonio I now watch the Spurs (on Bally) who are somewhat less difficult to watch than the Rockets. Ironically, though we have AT&T Sports primarily to watch the Astros, the Rockets games are blocked here. It must be some arrangement with Roku. I'm also hoping the lockout gets resolved and doesn't interfere with the upcoming season. I'm already planning upcoming trips to Houston around the home schedule.
  24. Specwriter
    "I can tell a judgmental person just by looking at him." Sorry, I cannot remember where I heard it.
  25. Specwriter
    I believe it is a balcony for the corner units on the two floors in the red ellipse. Look at the opposite end of the building on the next two floors up and you will see plywood covering an opening to the balconies on those two floors.
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