Houston!

After more than 12,000 miles of driving, I have arrived in Houston. My perspective on the place is heavily influenced by my time in Boston... I feel that I should compare by providing some anecdotes.

Driving south on I-35 from Minneapolis, I passed through Dallas on the way to Houston. I had been to Dallas many times before to visit my ex-girlfriend and still close friend, Jennifer. I ate at my favorite BBQ restaurant there in Dallas. It's called Sonny Bryant's Smokehouse. It's high quality BBQ.

From 723-2011

Jennifer's parents are good people, so I decided I would pay them a visit. I called them up to find out that their truck had broken down in Houston a week earlier and they needed a ride to go pick it up, so I stayed the night at their place and rode down to Houston with Jennifer's father, Eric, in the morning.

From 723-2011

At this point, my car was not handling the 100+F heat very well. The air conditioning was long-gone, and the car was overheating to some extent, so we rode down with the windows cracked. Clouds protected us from the worst of the heat fortunately, so we were able to arrive with only a minor sweat. Eric picked up his truck and headed home, and I went on to learn my way around the city by running errands.

I found a hotel using hotels.com ($40/night 5 miles from my future office), and decided to get to bed early. I woke up to find my car filled with ants! I had left my windows cracked, and apparently my car is very sweet smelling. These ants were unlike any ants I'd seen before. They looked the same as the ants I had seen growing up in Alabama, but they were faster, MUCH faster, as if they had microprocessor upgrades. This allowed them to fill my car with trails overnight. I still don't know what they found that was so attracting, but I think this is a sure sign that I need to vacuum my car.

I've been hanging out in a local Panera for the free wifi. I was surprised to see a man in a security outfit riding around in a golf cart outside in the parking lot. After seeing this, I have noticed more private security in parking lots around the town. Apparently Houston takes security seriously. This reminds me a bit of Africa, where private security guards protect homes and businesses, only they have AK-47's instead of golf carts.

Driving around the city can be quite dangerous. I have already had several close encounters with motorists who do not respect lanes, signs, or lights. Massachusetts drivers are notorious, but these Houston drivers "just don't give a fuck", and their crumpled automobiles prove it.

But where there are minuses there are always pluses right? I have so far successfully used Houston's craigslist to find the EPA-forbidden Freon R12 refrigerant for my new car for a very good price a few miles outside Houston. I have also been able to find an apartment in a beautiful complex full of beautiful people for the price of my old place in East Cambridge, which left much to be desired.

Cookies are also cheaper than in Boston! Panera cookies cost me $1.49 instead of $1.89+tax in Boston. Whole Foods cookies are $1.19 instead of the $1.39+tax I was getting in Boston. Whole Foods baked goods are slightly different than in Boston, so it's been a nice experience trying new treats.

Buying electricity is also a new experience. Many different companies offer many different rates for electricity in terms of cents per kilowatt hour. I am now considering a 6-month deal for $0.10/kwh.

Houston takes outdoor advertising to a new level. On busy highways, men and women stand in the medians in the 100+F heat waving signs, wearing wedding gowns, or dancing in funny costumes to attract customers to shops in strip malls. I've seen apartment complexes, pizza shops, gold-buyers, and wedding supply shops advertising this way. To me it seems like a hot and dangerous job, but I suppose it is effective. I actually found the apartment complex that I'm living at after seeing a man waving a sign for it on a nearby highway.

I'll likely post more about Houston, along with some deep thoughts that I've been thinking and refining in the next few days. Another post is guaranteed. I'm also considering starting a new blog dedicated to my experiences in attending different churches to meet ladies... I may go to hell for that, but it should make for an interesting blog. Thoughts?