plumber2

The Humble Oil Country Club you remeber was most probably the golf course located on Allen Genoa at Red Bluff. I think it's closed down now.

That is very sad. My mother worked/volunteered on fundraising activities for the Cenacle Sisters that operated a retreat center on the property. I have several postcard type pictures of the place as it looked in the late 1950's and early 1960's, that came from the small bookstore that the nuns operated inside of the building. Before I started school I would accompany my mother there on Monday's (her work day out there). The nuns would watch me, entertain me and feed me while my mother worked. She had a work office upstairs inside of the big house, that she shared with a nun she reported to (Sister Vandenberg). Sister Petra, the one that watched me was the cook. The nuns lived in a small house just to the west of the big house. The retreat buildings were behind the big house, and a wooden chapel was located just to the east of those buildings. I basically had the run of the place on these weekly visits. I was told not to go down by the lake (a lost bend from Oyster Creek I suspect). There was a small grotto and bench down there, but nobody went there because of the water moccasins, which I discovered on one of my forbidden trips down there. Yes I got in trouble when I told on myself. The Cenacle Sisters eventually built a new modern facility on Kirkwood in west Houston at Buffalo Bayou in the mid 1960's. I have never had reason to go back to the Scanlan place after that. I'm really surprised it had lasted this long.

That's exactly were it was, up against Ave B. There was a long hedge lined walkway from the convent over to it. We had a class function/party there in 1970 when I was a sophomore. No one went swimming though. I think it was too cold that day. It was strictly part of the convent, not the school. Students had to have a reason to even be on that part of the property. It was a typical 60's outdoor gunite pool, with pee gravel surrounding it. Not that big either, from what I remember. There was a diving board and a life guard stand believe it or not. I guess Sister Mary Somebody would be on duty if students went swimming. Can't believe I remember all that. Edit: Map of City of Bellaire Sec. 1 Westmoreland Farms, Harris County, Texas. May 1, 1949

All I know is that most of our construction projects that are in the planning stages have been put on hold. Projects that are underway are being allowed to continue. Yes, several clinical departments have hired and are hiring employees to fill these needs. However, these projects were planned and approved for capital spending several years ago. Nothing new is being considered now unless it is truly needed. Examples of that are replacing aging equipment and outdated facilities. The new project list is a fraction of what we are used to managing. Just Sayin!

Sears Holdings owns their building outright, so they will have the first (and possibly the last) word on what tenant will lease the space from them.

Somehow I don't feel like thanking president Trump, just yet.

Awesome photo you discovered there Tejano. This was propoably one of the outer structures on the propoerty and not the main Simms house, as the main house was a larger plantation style home, which was 3 stories. I know this because a group of us high schoolers were in it one night in 1970 or possibly 1971. It was empty and pretty trashed out at that time. We were coming down from the third floor when a group of guys (probably east enders) cornered us and wouldn't let us by. They were acting kind of bullyish toward us until the girls in our group shamed them into letting us by. Gotta love those hippie girls.

I hate to hear that he has gotten worse. I'm sorry he has to see his life end in such a slow and unfortunate pace. I never considered his show in any way a Houston show. His crank pot messaging always sounded foreign (alien) to me. I wish him well and hope he makes peace with himself and the world before he passes. His illness however never excused his anti liberal diatribes and unnecessary minimizing of gays, immigrants, progressives, union members, the poor, and any others that were not like him and his followers. His selective base of loyal of listeners I'm sure will miss him and idolize him as someone who held their same views, vocalizing and validating it for them to hear on a daily basis. No one should have to suffer a long death. I truly wish him a quick and easy passing. Cancer sucks!

Thank you. I feel so much better now that you explained this to me. When we are all sidelined and out of a job I'll remember your explanation and thank all of you (and Dr. Ferrari) who voted for Trump.

Wildcat, I didn't mean to imply that Kinkaid students or alumni are bad people, I was just trying to make the point that the road extension was held up for years, by the village people (Piney Point, Hunters Creek and the others too). It just seemed like they wanted to keep us folks out that lived on the other side of the bayou from them. At least it felt that way to us.

CHI St Luke's still owns the St Luke's Tower on Bates St along with the now vacant 1950's era hospital building on Bertner. The Texas Heart Center building on Bertner is also owner by CHI St. Luke's. They did sell the O'Quinn Tower on Fannin and the Baylor Clinic building on Main St. to Texas Children's last year. Texas Children's would be the obvious purchaser of those remaining TMC buildings once CHI St Luke's fully moves all of it's services to the McNair campus. The two institutions share already common corridors, several entrances and some life safety systems in those original buildings anyway.

Thank you Republicans for screwing with one of the expanding markets in Houston and across the nation. Now we have to put all of our plans on hold and wait it out.

The crane will come down in July.

I don't really care, so long as I can continue to listen to Tom Tynan's home improvement show on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Way Off Topic is set aside for politics. It says so right in the header. I don't usually post in this section, but it's there for those that want to, so long as they keep it respectful. I don't see it as a royal mess. I get it now.

Way Off Topic is set aside for politics. It says so right in the header. I don't usually post in this section, but it's there for those that want to, so long as they keep it respectful. I don't see it as a royal mess.

The ammonia truck accident is by far the top accident in Houston's freeway history. I was working at the Decorative Center that day and had several patrons come into the showroom claiming to have just missed being in it themselves. I went up to the roof of the parking garage to have a look but couldn't see anything above the tree tops. I experienced an incident one evening coming out of Galveston on the previous causeway. As I was climbing the high part in the fast lane nearing the top a set of headlights appeared in front of me just cresting from the other direction. I quickly moved to the right, letting him calmly go by. Others behind me did the same, as the hapless wrong way driver continued on his way, on into town, I presume. This mistake can still be easily made by a driver (inebriated or not), from the entrance/exit ramps at the Tiki Island off/on ramp. I experienced white knuckles the rest of the drive home, and a shot of Irish Whiskey helped get me to sleep that night.

IronTiger, The Big Chief in Santa Fe was never operated as a Safeway, and there was never another grocery store in Santa Fe other than the current H-E-B. The Arlan's opened as Big Chief (a franchised name I presume), and was independently owned by Tab Watt. I say a "franchised name" because I saw a Big Chief somewhere in Channelview back in the late 90's or early 00's. Tab only sold to Arlan's because he and his wife were ready to retire and he wanted to make sure the purchaser was a good fit for his employees (who wore dress shirts and ties, and also sacked and took your groceries to your vehicle). He also wanted the new owners to be a good fit for the community. Arlan's has been welcomed and patronized by the community, as the only other grocery store in town is the aging H-E-B. The H-E-B was previously a Pantry, Harvest Foods, Holiday Foods, and a Minimax. The owner of the this store(s) (Joe Tombrella) still lives in town, as I saw him at the donut shop the other day. He sold to H-E B not long after Big Chief opened. As a side note: The Arlan's that was on 25th Street at Ave P in Galveston was originally a Weingarten's. Arlan's did not reopen this store after hurricane Ike visited in 2008. The only remaining Arlan's in Galveston now is the Market at 6th St. location.

Windex!

No Utter, I wasn't even referring to you personally. I was just using your post (sorry about that) to point out the continuous use of those words in print and on air. (Especially the word "moral"). I'll try not to step on you again like that. (I also notice the humor in your spell checking me. I kind of like you now.)

"no moral compass" is a right wing radio cliche talking point. The radio hosts restated this quote over and over again through out the campaign. (Yes I listened). The next time I hear anyone use this phrase again any against future democratic candidate, or claim the opposite for their republican choice I will claim foul, and call them out for the hippocratic that they are. The "right" has closed the door on the use of "moral" in any future campaign.

But, he's been having so much fun these past few days, parading a line of people in front of the cameras, interviewing each for a job in his administration. Just like the Celebrity Apprentice show. BTW, could he please hire Rick Perry and give him a job far away from us. His embarrassing appearance on "Dancing with the Stars" the other night is just another reason people in the rest of the world think most of us in Texas are stupid idiots! I'm beginning to think so too.

Well said.

He got elected president once already, Al Gore.

As much as I disagree with the Bushes on just about everything, at least they can spot a con artist when they see one.