crunchtastic

Thank you for the info on the City and shipping containers. I'll be researching this more. Looks like you got an offer you like. Congrats. If you choose Eastwood, they throw some damn good parties here and you would be welcomed.

So......very...envious.....What about keeping the waterfront but without the boat? Get one of those smaller motorhomes (don't know what class--the kinds with front ends like vans) and park it in one of the state or county parks on the beach. Move as necessary and/or desired. Carry a kayak, bike/scooter/motorcylce on back, add tiki lights. Once you tire of the small space figure out what you want to do with the other properties. Idea number two: more commitment, but still ultimately portable, build a shipping container house on some nice bayside property that can relocated eventually. With the containers you can start with just 2 or 3 then expand....Hmm I must be living vicariously here. This whole faux-work-ethic thing substituting for a trapped existence is tiresome. Worse is the "i love my job so much it's not work!!!!" bs. I saw a taste of it when I quit my last job elaborately, with no next job in sight, and people had such tragic reactions. Cheers to you whatever you decide.

Stuff going on around SEARCH came up at the SE substation PIP meeting this week. They (HPD) asked, again, for civilians to step up as witnesses when they see anything going on with the homeless and the police. HPD has obviously had their leash shortened. Like most folks, I have a problem with police stretching their reach and take this with a large grain of salt. But.... where's the neighborhood-level discretion when the cops plainly see, day in and day out, what's going on? I got a strong whiff that there's some substantial, residual bad PR about the (pick your category) suicide-by-cop (or) shooting of mentally ill resident -- incident in SE Houston recently that got all the media attention.

I agree musicman--I have a suspicion that HPD has had its hands tied. At this point it is very much a political issue--unfortunately only a pressing one for those of us who live near it. There are some good scam artists out there--used to be a dude at Cullen and 45 who was often seen going to his place down Holman at the end of the day, getting beers with his crew.

What about rolling video and start sending weekly missives to the Mayor's office and to council demanding enforcement of the civility ordinance. Are there any angles that could be worked for code violations for landowners or the organizations 'ministering' to the homeless? Do they have permits for food service. What about sanitation? It takes an act of congress to get permitted to run a soda stand during a festival, yet these guys are serving food every day. Or noise levels---when they set up their sound system for weekend church service under the Pierce El. Is there a magic number on crowd size that makes a planned gathering illegal w/o a permit? IMO it starts with making the area as inhospitable as possible, and shutting down or scaring off the organizations contibuting to the issue by providing handouts and nothing more. No one wants to look bad by taking on the 'faith-based' groups, and that's one of the problems. The street people aren't getting off the street, because they get home delivery. I don't know if it's the long-hot-summer or what, but it seems to be getting worse. I drive through Midtown and down Pierce a few times a week, including some nights and weekends. Been approached a number of times by the 'window washer' guys who won't leave. Eventually a pedestrian or a motorist is going to engage an aggressive bum, the bum will be left dying or dead, and Mayor Bill is going to wish he hadn't ignored the problem. I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet.

Montrose defitnitely isn't the nexus it once was. Eastwood appears to have a strong gay presence. My partner and I joke that our new neighbors are all stopping by so they can meet the new token straight couple.

Musicman you just did me a big favor by reminding me of, ugh, the windows. We haven't started The Window Project yet, unsticking them all, finding/building screens. Every single one is sealed tight, and recently covered with yet another coat of paint by the previous owners. It looks great, but feels like we're entombed. And the oddest thing: people think I'm crazy to want to be able to open my windows. Un-airconditioned East Texas August. Ugh. We might be living outside on our porch a few days....note to self--get more Off.

There have been some posts about intuition/perception/response/argument. I'll say right now: I've got nothing to back me up--but second-hand smoke, second-hand whatever, better living through 21st century agribusiness..... how long is the list? As if cigarettes are my worst enemy. Forgive me being new to this board and tired of this topic. I hung in for quite a while. But come on. Red still wins the 'drinks with' category.

Don't know about the bean bag game either...Maybe some potential there. Went to the BW3 in the Village on occasion for NTN trivia. Don't see many bars that carry it anymore.

A bowling game played like Golden Tee: have played but haven't found one here in Houston. Golden Bowl?? I know, bowling, but totally addictive. Wait, don't tell me......... they have it at Hooters.

All working their way through med school, no doubt.

From the 38th floor of the AIG building (Allen Pkwy and Waugh) facing northeast, Buffalo Bayou is out if its banks but mostly inside the running path. If we get much more rain, it looks like it would spill over first at Allen Pkwy and Taft.

correction, more like 25 years ago. We were shocked that this huge mall opened right down the highway from Memorial City. How cheeky and how could they ever stay in business? But it had a Neimans and we were starstuck. Back then you had to at least get down to Memorial City or the old bowling lanes on Bunker Hill for midnite bowl to escape the teenage hell that was Katy. Of course it didn't take long to go from midnite bowl to lower westheimer. How far could you get from the suburb without coming out the other side and ending up in....another suburb? SO totally off topic, but now I remember going down Harrisburg as a teen when the serious low rider action was going on. It was like another world! Back then my mom and dad used to have 'nights out' at the Athens Bar and grill down on Navigation (?) Even my folks had to get out of Katy for fun. OK. sorry, rambling....

I have a Town & Country Mall story--- geez I can't even remember when this was, 20 years ago? James Doohan ("Scotty" of Star Trek fame!!) is how the posters described him, so sad. Anyway, he was there to do a christening on--I kid you not--an elevator. Big round cage thing that went up three stories, if I remember right he was on a platform on 2 near the the food court. I was buying a white leather jacket at a store on level three, above Scotty. They were cool because Peter Wolf had one on in that J Geils video, Centerfold. It was one of the 4 videos running nonstop on MTV at the time. Poor Scotty at Town & Country Mall. He probably couldn't even get beers at the food court.

That's cool--as a small kid (late 60s, early 70s) we would drive from Friendswood back to my dad's hometown of San Antonio, and I guess it was when 1-10 was still under construction in parts, because we took highway 90 the whole way. Through every little town. Same thing going east to Beaumont to visit mom's family. One time in the mid 80s for some forgotten reason, stoned and missed my ride, or something, I took a Greyhound bus from downtown Katy (yes, there was a downtown; caught the bus at the old tire shop across from one of the old rice dryers) back to school in San Marcos. I must have been high when I bought the ticket, because it was not 'The Express' so it took an entire day--90 pretty much all the way, rounded up to Austin, then back down 35 south. Seriously, Greyhound bus stopping on the outskirts of Weimar, or somewhere, for a snack break. The scary beat-down bus people were, like, 'what the hell is a kolache?' As an adult I've driven the old way a number of times. All those towns that the were left behind by the interstate are now being reclaimed by retirees. I'm sure the oldtime locals have their issues with it, but it's nice to see some level of re-population.

I didn't know that Boom Boom Room got it also, too bad. Met a friend there a couple of times and admittedly I was skeptical ('wine and pannini', or whatever) but it's a really nice addition to that end of the neighborhood. Time to venture out in the east end--co-worker does dart league and they occasionally play at Stephanies on Lawndale, across from the post office. Steel tip league, even--cool!

Like moths to a flame, many women are inexplicably drawn to the articulate, smoky barfly. This whole going-outside thing will add a new dynamic to the bar ecosystem. It will be like going on mini-dates with a temporary boyfriend, the worldly, smoky barfly. You never know what could happen. I must be developing a crush on RedScare.

Thought Perry had plans a couple of years ago to build some townhomes very near Lawndale/Wayside? I miss having a Shady Tavern in my hood--I love a good, cheap, unpretentious local bar, but have not quite worked up the courage for the Harrisburg Country Club... I guess the inviting exterior just doesn't say to me 'come on in and relax, middle aged white lady!' Sorry for venturing even more off topic, but anybody familiar with the old east-end ice houses?

I had a good experience with Champion Tree Preservation (281-320-8201). Bonded/insured/arborist association member). Had a lot of work done to a very large/old pecan and sweet gum, plus light trimming on a smallish camphor tree for $1250. nativehou-- how do you like Angie's List? I've been looking for some opinions before deciding to pay the subscription fee.

I'm in the same sad boat, fantasizing aobut future meals. Cruel is the ovepriced salad from the corporate deli that I just ate.

mmmmm, sizzling beef at the 8s!!! For easy reference if you phone it in, it's number 26 on the Chinese menu. Also outstanding is number 24 Chinese. Beef with scallions, leeks, cilantro and chilis. Yum.

$1,500 sounds pretty reasonable for all those trees, especially if they're quite old. I've paid 500 per tree, easy, to have old live oaks manicured. I am also interested in responses, as I have a monster sycamore and pecan getting too close to my roof for comfort.

My folks live in the Katy area (mason rd south, slightly lower end than Cinco) and there have been 2 properties on their street for sale since Feb. On the other hand, it looks like 2 of the most recent sales in my 'hood (77023) are above and at ask.

There is a video of Really Red playing at the Isand on YouTube OMG! I just joined this forum yesterday and posts about Really Red at the Island. I could have been at that show! Really Red, and don't forget Ronnie's girlfriend's band The Mydolls, Verbal Abuse, the Big Boys and the Dicks from Austin. Wow. I thought there were maybe 10 people in town who remember those days. I was there the first time the Butthole Surfers rolled into town from San Antonio completely baked, I think cover was $2. When Black Flag came to town with a new singer named Henry Rollins. Wow. I was just a bored teenager from Katy and somehow I got wrapped up in that scene. Me and my friend used to drive into town on the weekends and hang out a Ronnie's shop, like all day. He'd mooch my cigarettes and make us go fetch his lunch. I had such a major crush on him. Anyone remmber the place for a while on the Westheimer curve call Joe Starr's Omni? What else... the Caribana, a reggae club in Rice Village, had 'new wave night' for a while. It was a hopping place for 3 for 1 happy hour. When the Clash played UH for the Combat Rock tour, they went to the Caribana after, so me and my girlfriend go racing across town to try and get up close and personal, LOL. Speaking of UH, the DKs played in a giant conference room in the student center. Years later I was there for a financial planners exam and had to laugh when I remembered being jammed up against the stage at that show. Cool memories!

Yes, UH is currently leasing space and has people in there currently. Correct also on the environmnetal issues. My BF works for the UH IT deptartment. He'll be relocated off campus to Schlumberger for the fall semester. He's very amused by all the building plans the university has, given enrollment numbers (unless they abosrb TSU) and the constant budget cuts for basic admin services (all the licenses for anti-virus software used campus-wide are expiring soon and guess what, he has no budget to renew). The new parking garage has pretty much been a bust. Occupancy (is that the right word for cars?) in it has been low. People want to pay as little as posible for parking so they still use the surface lots. Still very much a commuter mindset for a commuter campus. Having attended UH and lived on campus, (granted, a long time ago) and now living right across 45, I just don't see it turned into some sort of campus-town place. Namely because of Dowling through Scott streets. Unless the urban infill continues down Elgin and Alabama all the way to campus (and it looks like there is a large part of the 3rd ward community that has no intention of being bought out) even with rail people will just ride in, go to class, and ride out again.