Original Timmy Chan's

After 4 pages, I think I can summarize this thread pretty easily. White people, apparently.

I was gonna say the same thing, take whatever you think it's gonna cost and DOUBLE IT. If you budget that, you won't be caught short when you find out about the extra hardware that wasn't included with your fixtures, the old plumbing to be repaired, the hidden termite damage, etc... Not trying to be funny...you don't know from where it'll come, but count on surprises.

Hmmm...every store I've bought cigarettes in the last 3-4 weeks has already been charging the "tax." Every pack I've bought lately has been $7-8, and several places in the last several weeks have actually told me it's because of the new federal tax. That's quite a surprise to hear that the tax goes into effect TOMORROW, when I've already been paying the "tax" for a month!!!

I agree that you can lock up your property. I think it's important that you're aware not to build anything in that easement that you won't mind losing. The city/HL&P/other utilities have the right and responsibility to maintain their lines within that easement. Don't build a shed, pool, garage, shrine, etc. out in that easement or you risk losing it. My understanding is that the utility entity is not required to replace anything that's in the easement.

Hmm...that photo looks like something I drew after a trip to a cow pasture outside Houston. Or to be more specific, after a trip resulting from a trip to a cow pasture outside Houston. (Not to mention the pastures we used to visit in Pasadena, Friendswood, League City, Pearland... )

If I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life, it would have to be black-eyed peas. If I could have two things, I'd add Pecos canteloupe. JCI hot dogs and Whataburger would also make the top 10.

It's been about 20 years since I was over there, but as I recall, they turned an old grocery store into "Sagemont Singles" and also opened up a Christian coffee shop. I think they used the shopping center as additional meeting space for various church groups. Like I said, I quit going shortly after they opened up the 10 million seat arena back in the early or mid-80's. That was just before they bought the grocery store and drug store and shopping center. I also know that back when I was going it was still Sagemont BAPTIST Church...I notice they've dropped the "Baptist" out of the name.

I spent several years under those power lines (or right across the street). Those power lines, and the fields and ditches around them (pre-Beltway) were our hangout when I was a kid. I used to go to Sagemont Baptist Church, back when it was still one building. I was saved and baptized there. But even as a 10-year old I could sense that something wasn't right about the building spree they went on. I stopped going to church shortly after they built the gigantic auditorium. It seemed to me, even as a child, that the almighty dollar was bigger than the Almighty. I recall when they bought the shopping center across the street. I thought they were getting big for their britches. Now, looking at an aerial, looks like they've exploded. Pretty good business model, apparently.

Shoot the cat, problem solved. Or, if that's too extreme, throw the cat out the back door.

A quick HAR.com search shows 90 condos/townhomes INSIDE THE LOOP that fit the description. (Only searched the "Central", "South" and "Southwest" areas inside the Loop.) Many around the Med Center, some around Greenway Plaza, some on Allen Pkwy, some around West U. I don't consider those to be undesirable locations. Just saying it's not necessary to go out west (and fight traffic) to find something that fits the bill.

Pearland's not THAT bad.

Not an aviation geek, although I can appreciate the Air Show, loved going to the Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton when we lived in Ohio, and "The Right Stuff" is one of my favorite movies of all time. I'd love to go skydiving, and I've dreamed for years of taking a trip out to West Texas in a Cessna. Hell, I think flying over Houston in a small plane would be great. Nothing against aviation per se, just not a fan of the commercial flight experience.

Both sides should be publicly flogged. The prospective buyer ought to know better, but the brokers and lenders REALLY ought to know better...it's what they do for a living!

I can't say I've ever been to an airport I've enjoyed...but the whole process of flying irritates me. A lot of "hurry up and wait". Not that I'm an impatient person per se, I just don't enjoy any part of the process. From the parking to the security check to the waiting at the gate to the waiting in boarding line to the waiting to sit down to the waiting to take off to the waiting on the runway to the waiting for a drink, it's just not a pleasant experience. And if you're over 6 feet tall, it's a painful experience as well, being stuck in one position (knees jammed into the seat in front of you) for hours at a time. I'd much rather spend 30 hours in the car than 4 or 5 hours in flight. I enjoy driving, don't enjoy flying. If we can drive, we do, regardless of the time spent on the road. (Exception being the trip to Ecuador...we technically could drive there, but neither of us has the vacation time to be able to do it!) To me, the question of "What is your favorite airport" is kinda like asking, "Which eye did you prefer having gouged out the most?" Anyone else feel that way?

OK, maybe I should rephrase what I meant about the "reasonableness" of the drive to Alvin. I'm not judging the rationality of driving 90 miles a day, just the drive itself. Personally, I wouldn't choose to make those drives every day, but I understand that everyone's circumstances are different than mine. I thought that my drive to Alvin took a reasonable amount of time for the distance involved...27 miles in 30 minutes seemed pretty good to me. Of course, I hit all greens going down SH 6. I was surprised at that, and I can understand that hitting every light would cause you an extra 10 minutes of drive time. By comparison, there are much worse 27-mile commutes in Houston. Driving 27 miles into Houston from Cypress probably takes something longer than 30 minutes. Also...in reference to the original dilemma of where to live for a couple who have separate commutes to Alvin and the Med Center, somebody's going to have to do some driving. My suggestion is that the person with the longest distance to drive at least do the drive as a reverse commute, rather than doing the longest distance in rush hour traffic. In other words, say the couple moves to Alvin...the person who works in Alvin has a short drive. The person who works in the Med Center gets the 30-mile drive in rush hour traffic, which ain't gonna be a 30-40 minute drive with traffic. On the other hand, say the couple moves to the Med Center. The person who works in Alvin has a 30-40 minute drive, going against traffic. The person who works in the Med Center hops on the MetroRail and doesn't worry about driving, parking, etc. Just my humble opinion.

Don't tell me you don't ever get a hankering for some Itza Shitza. I think I can still taste the so-called pepperoni.

This may be old news to some, but UH Regents have approved a new undergraduate dorm to be built between the Towers and the Quad on Wheeler St. The dorm will house almost 1,100 students. This is in addition to the 1,000 new beds at the Calhoun Lofts that are nearing completion. From the scuttlebutt I've heard, the next move will be to knock down the Cougar Place efficiencies at the corner of Cullen and Wheeler and replace them with another new dorm. The leadership at UH has taken to heart the idea to build alumni pride (and donations) by putting more students on campus. Those that live on campus are more likely than commuters to build strong ties to the university and become committed alumni. "In Time" http://www.uh.edu/uhtoday/2009/02feb/02190...enovations.html February 19, 2009 REGENTS APPROVE NEW RESIDENCE HALL, RENOVATIONS TO DINING FACILITIES The University of Houston System Board of Regents recently approved two major construction projects that will play key roles in building a stronger "Cougar Nation." The regents approved a new undergraduate residence hall and a major renovation to Moody Towers

I was ready to type up another diatribe in defense of my neighborhood and similar neighborhoods (Sunnyside and South Park)...but I'll avoid being a pompous ass today. In response to VicMan's questions: in my experience the probability of random crime in our neighborhood is less than in other neighborhoods I've lived (including the Heights). Quality of life is what you make it, in my opinion. There are miserable people on my street and then there are some of the happiest people you'll ever meet on my street. Some of the most miserable people you'll meet in your life live in River Oaks. Drugs do exist in our neighborhood...just like every other neighborhood in Houston. Ours is more in the open, with deals occuring at certain corners at certain hours. Of course, I think I just read about a bunch of students in Katy getting busted, and I recall something happening in Sugar Land recently as well. It happens everywhere...in our neighborhood I don't bother the dealers and they don't bother anyone else, for better or worse. In response to the original post from sevfiv, looking for ideas on places to live: I lived in Old Pearland in younger days, right close to the Pearland/Friendswood boundary...and from what I recalled, it's a 15-20 minute drive to get to any freeway from there. That's something to keep in mind if you consider Old Pearland or Friendswood. On the other hand, you'd be pretty close to Alvin. You might consider a rental in the Med Center area, like the condo city around Almeda and Holly Hall. I had to head to Alvin recently for a morning meeting, and it was about a 30-minute drive from my house (288/610) to get just south of Alvin. I had expected a slow drive down Hwy 6 with all the lights, but I think it was about 15 minutes from SH 288 to SH 35. Add in 15 minutes from 610 down to Hwy 6, and it was a pretty reasonable 27-mile commute, averaging a mile a minute the whole way. Reverse commutes are nice.

I don't live in Sunnyside, so I can't speak directly to life there, but I'm about 10 blocks north (across the South Loop). As far as recreation and safety, it's been a great place to live. As far as my home price...I've got 2500 sf (totally renovated 5 years ago) for a mortgage under $1000 per month. 5 minutes from Downtown, 5 minutes from our alma maters (UH and TSU), 5 minutes from Museum District, 5 minutes from Hermann Park, 5 minutes from Gulfgate, 5 minutes from Meyerland, 10 minutes from New Pearland. It's as quiet and safe as any neighborhood I've ever lived. If Sunnyside's not an option, you might check across the freeway.

Lucky dog...my wife and I spent 3 days in Big Bend after Christmas on the way out to Silver City, NM. I've been ready to go back for the last month...already trying to plan my next trip. I've never floated the Rio Grande. A friend's dad went a couple months back and said that all his usual camping spots were washed out. I hope you find plenty of room to sleep out there. My wife and I took the East River Road from Rio Grande Village to the Glenn Springs Road, and camped out at Glenn Springs. The River Road was mainly good, we were able to make at least 30 miles an hour much of the way. That being said, there were a couple of rough gullies to cross. I don't think it could be done in a car. Our Element finally met its match trying to get up to the top of the hill at the Black Gap Road turnoff. I think we could have made it if we were going downhill, but to get enough speed going up I was going to tear my transmission off getting through the last 3' deep washout. I had to let the dream go about 10' from the Black Gap turnoff. Some Park Rangers earlier that day showed me the nice crease they got in the side of their pickup trying to get through there. I had a blast driving out there...Glenn Springs was a very cool place. John Rich, whereabouts are you hiking? Bastrop - I'm trying to imagine just what it must have been like to get out to Big Bend in 1973. Was there such a thing as a 24-hour gas station in those days or was it just impossible to travel at night? I know the area seems to have changed in the 15 years I've been going out there...I imagine it almost felt like the wild west back in the 70's.

As far as Big Bend goes, there is a motel in the Chisos Basin, but I've always heard that rooms go quick, so reserve far in advance. Not too far outside of Big Bend is Study Butte/Terlingua. I've never stayed in a motel there, but I know there are a good number of rooms around, making it a nice base for exploration of the area. There are also a handful of restaurants and bars. I'm partial to La Kiva...one reason being that they let you camp for free on the banks of Terlingua Creek. It's a pretty cool bar too. There's also the Starlight Theater for food in Terlingua Ghost Town, but it's a bit high for my wallet. Miss Kathy's Kozmic Kowgirl Kafe is a good place to sit and have some coffee and breakfast and meet some interesting folks. There are also plenty of rooms in Alpine...I don't find much reason to stop there anymore since all of my friends there have left for cheaper pastures. Anytime I pass through there I stop at Alicia's Burrito Place on 118 just south of the tracks. I'm something like 10-for-10 there in randomly running into people I know there...not that it helps you, but it's been a good way to catch up on what's been going on out there, and their burritos are fantastic. I highly recommend a drive up the River Road from Terlingua to Presidio. There were signs around New Years Eve warning that the River Road was open to local traffic only, but a guy I talked to in Terlingua said the road's open, you just have to drive on the shoulder in a few places where the pavement has been damaged. Another Big Bend recommendation is to take the paved Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive down to Castolon and Santa Elena Canyon. The Santa Elena Canyon trail was wiped out by the floods last year, but it's still a great view. There are also plenty of things to stop and look at along the way if you're doing a car trip. A soak in the Hot Springs on the Rio Grande (in BB Nat'l Park) is a very nice way to enjoy a few hours. If you have a vehicle with good clearance and 4x4, I'd recommend getting off the pavement and onto the miles of "primitive" roads. Many don't actually require 4x4, just good clearance, but it doesn't hurt to be safe. It's tough to go wrong out in the Big Bend area in my mind. To really enjoy it though, you're going to have to get out of the car every once in a while, walk to the middle of nowhere and just enjoy the solitude and silence. That's my opinion, at least.

Maybe it's just me and my spotty memory, but I seem to recall driving by signs for Waterlights District for years now: "Coming 2007", "Coming 2008", "Coming 2009". I'm not saying it's not coming, but I think the developers were a little optimistic with their original timeline. Does anyone know the real story? I know their property backs up to Clear Creek...maybe the problems have to do with either approvals to develop in floodplain/floodway or maybe some USACE permitting issues? Knowing where the project is, those would be my first two guesses. Either one of those issues could easily delay a project for a couple years.

There are two Lynchburg Ferries, and I own them both. (Bob Eckels told me so.) Tomorrow, I want all of you to get off my ferries!

I'm pretty certain that the Bushmen in the Kalahari have heard "Greatest Love of All". I think it was the theme to our prom... Anyhow, I couldn't find a Whitney Houston version, but here's a take on it by Randy Watson (and his band, Sexual Chocolate)... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoS8j9eNMZU (song starts at 1:00)