I've waited 2-1/2 months for these ducklings to arrive. Once a week I walk along the bayou to see what has progressed. Two weeks ago I saw an old mallard male, the largest duck I have ever observed, with his young bride and her poor ugly duckling. Luckily, papa knew what he was doing, because young mama proved clueless in her parenting skills. Being a city gal, I have never seen ducks fly up close, because most of these city ducks have clipped wings. Not papa, he proudly spreads those wings and flies down into the water next to mother and child when they get a bit out of his comfort range.
This week I spotted another mama duck with 8 ducklings. Most were ugly ducklings, yet one fluffy yellow duckling stood out among the crew. I'm sure nature takes care of those ugly ducklings, by making them the color of the murky bayou water and giving them a respite from all the other creatures that would like a tasty morsel. Already a neighbor reports there are only 6 ducklings left. At my worksite, huge buzzards lurk near the young ducklings, waiting for some fresh meat. Here on the bayou, the neighbor suspects the large bass and other fish enjoy a rare delicacy. The neighbor reports bass, crappie, catfish, and other large species here in our little bayou and cove, although like me, he refuses to eat them because of the runoff pollution coming from our city streets.
Life in the Bayou City...beautiful in small ways!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Raining on the bayou
After weeks of no rain, it finally poured buckets on Friday night. It's great to see that after four inches of rain that our little tributary has only become murky and gained approximately one inch of new water. I was scared we would be flooding here.
We've seen a huge influx of birds this past week. Besides the crow I hear now, I've also discovered a new species of doves I've never seen before. They are not the regular mourning and Inca doves we normally have in Houston. They almost have a smokers-like hack if that can be described as a bird noise. They are beautiful and almost look like a gray blue jay.
Ms. Clare de Lune, my spicy tabby cat, is loving all of this bird watching. Birds fly through our vines and trees, while she spots blue jays, cardinals, robins, sparrows, and our Texas State bird, the mockingbird. (The mockingbird, an annoying creature, mimics all the other birds and also loves to swoop in on cats just like the bluejay does.)
Ms. Clare loves to watch the water. I think the bullfrog's mating calls freaked her out earlier this week, yet she loves to watch the tadpoles, small frogs, turtles, and fish hitting the top of the water. When she meditates the water, she could care less about the birds. Cat logic, who knows?
We've seen a huge influx of birds this past week. Besides the crow I hear now, I've also discovered a new species of doves I've never seen before. They are not the regular mourning and Inca doves we normally have in Houston. They almost have a smokers-like hack if that can be described as a bird noise. They are beautiful and almost look like a gray blue jay.
Ms. Clare de Lune, my spicy tabby cat, is loving all of this bird watching. Birds fly through our vines and trees, while she spots blue jays, cardinals, robins, sparrows, and our Texas State bird, the mockingbird. (The mockingbird, an annoying creature, mimics all the other birds and also loves to swoop in on cats just like the bluejay does.)
Ms. Clare loves to watch the water. I think the bullfrog's mating calls freaked her out earlier this week, yet she loves to watch the tadpoles, small frogs, turtles, and fish hitting the top of the water. When she meditates the water, she could care less about the birds. Cat logic, who knows?
Sunday, May 9, 2010
An oil spill in the Gulf, and looking for work again...
Life has been fairly quiet since my last post. Ms. Clare de Lune, Tiny Pup, and Johnny Cat have all acclimated to the new apartment. They like to taunt me by putting both front feet over the side of my second floor balcony and giving me a little motherly jump start.
My next challenge is finding a new job here in Houston, especially now that the company I "retired" from is spewing gallons of oil into the Gulf everyday. There goes what little retirement savings I had to begin with. I always said that if some executive didn't use it for his own good, it would certainly be exhausted somehow. Some days I hate my own keen sense of reality.
That also makes me wonder about my current place of work. Another major oil company, where I work as a contractor, yet my co-workers have the luxury of benefits, many weeks off, and huge retirement plans, in addition to huge savings plans. I have to hope that they have invested their money in other ways, too. Heaven forbid that something major happens with this oil company. They are perfect, you know, and something like this would never happen at their company. I always say, in the oil industry, it's all a matter of time before it happens to you, whether it be a refinery accident, a blow-out in deepwater, or a shipping spill in Alaska.
As I look for this next job, I'm looking at all fields of work. It would be great to obtain another job in my beloved field of work, the oil industry. Realistically, I am looking everywhere. If I can learn Process Safety Management and write about it, I can learn another trade.
My next challenge is finding a new job here in Houston, especially now that the company I "retired" from is spewing gallons of oil into the Gulf everyday. There goes what little retirement savings I had to begin with. I always said that if some executive didn't use it for his own good, it would certainly be exhausted somehow. Some days I hate my own keen sense of reality.
That also makes me wonder about my current place of work. Another major oil company, where I work as a contractor, yet my co-workers have the luxury of benefits, many weeks off, and huge retirement plans, in addition to huge savings plans. I have to hope that they have invested their money in other ways, too. Heaven forbid that something major happens with this oil company. They are perfect, you know, and something like this would never happen at their company. I always say, in the oil industry, it's all a matter of time before it happens to you, whether it be a refinery accident, a blow-out in deepwater, or a shipping spill in Alaska.
As I look for this next job, I'm looking at all fields of work. It would be great to obtain another job in my beloved field of work, the oil industry. Realistically, I am looking everywhere. If I can learn Process Safety Management and write about it, I can learn another trade.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Moving near the bayou
My son and I recently moved to a cool new apartment on the bayou here in West Houston. We haven't had much time yet to experience the outdoors, yet are loving being next to a small tributary on Buffalo Bayou.
I am still discovering our outdoor space. We have ducks, a lone cowbird, turtles, and too many stray cats. One cat keeps all the others indoors. He skulks about, the lone, solitary, white male. The neighbors warn me about this guy. "Oh, he's torn up my cat. Do not let your cat outside, he'll tear her apart. I never should have let my cat outdoors in the first place."
So, Ms. Clare de Lune (interpretation "bright, clear moon"), my gorgeous tabby with major attitude, longingly stares out the window at the birds from inside her perch in my room. Oh, how she would love to capture a bird. She's only 1.5 years old, yet has never caught a bird that I know of. At our old apartment, she roamed freely whenever and wherever she wanted. She stalked, ran, flushed, and taunted the birds to her heart's delight. Mostly she caught small bugs as she jumped up in the air, using her paws as catcher's mitts.
To me, Ms. Clare is my miracle kitty. I picked her up from my jobsite, where I discovered her on the very day that I got fired from my job. I had gone out at lunch time to pick up a cage and kitten chow from the Dollar General in the small town where I worked. After work, as I stumbled towards my car and her portable cage, I was crying so hard that I could barely see.
I walked into the shed where my co-workers were keeping her. The poor thing was so scared. I think she was the runt of the litter of the mama cat that they had just had fixed. She was so small. I couldn't figure out how old she was, possibly 4 - 6 weeks old, yet the other kittens were 8 weeks old and already adopted out. Maybe mama kitty had taken her in after all her other kittens had left. The place I worked was right across from a rice mill, so possibly her mother had come in from a train that stopped at the rice mill.
As I opened Ms. Clare's cage and attempted to walk to her, I fell hard (I'm great at falling down), and she lunged away from me, back into a hole in the wall. Mama kitty was scared, too. Eventually a co-worker saw me lying on the floor, crying my eyes out, and asking for her help in getting the cat. This lady could tell I was hurting, both physically and mentally, and she kindly helped me up, and picked Clare up.
Clare and I got into the car, started down Old Highway 90, and made the 30 minute trip home. The poor little kitty was so frightened from me crying all the way home. Then, she came into our old apartment and starting turning our lives around. We had not had a baby around for over 17 years. That's another story for another day...
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Post Hurricane Ike - How to make your neighbors mad!
Read more about it at www.chron.com, The Houston Chronicle, Houston's news source.
Facts
West Houston survived, as did most of the City of Houston! Hurrah!
Unfortunately, we did have a great deal of devastation along the Gulf Coast communities. The news media might be lying to you somewhat, as some of the areas in Galveston and Chambers counties were labeled as "no fly" zones, meaning...the government did not want you to see the human and animal debris along the Bolivar Peninsula, mainly out of respect for the loved one's families.
Personal Perspective
My family was very fortunate. Although most of the city had no electricity for 11 days, we received electricity 3 days post-storm. I was shouting praises when the electricity came back on. If the lineman had been at my front door, I would have hugged him for dear life. God bless these behind the scenes people who are away from their loved ones to help us out!
POST HURRICANE - DAY 1
Saturday morning - A few hours post-storm, the neighbors all got together in the rain and cleared the sidewalks of large oak trees and debris. I never knew we had so many kind neighbors. On the other hand, I never knew I had so many CLUELESS neighbors...LOL!
Saturday afternoon - Two of those kind men happened to have a generator and a window unit (swamp cooler) air conditioner that they hooked up and ran non-stop for 3 days. (On the positive side, they did share it with the beautiful ladies next door.)
For those of you who have never heard a diesel generator run,let me tell you they are LOUD AS HELL !
POST HURRICANE - DAYS 1 - 3
After the first morning of frayed nerves and attempting to sleep with my windows opened and the battery operated fan in my face, I had to admit defeat and packed up the family and headed out to Dad's for air conditioning, laundry and showers. When I got to my Dad's I couldn't keep my eyes open - I sacked out with my head back on the couch and SNORED so loudly and obnoxiously that when I woke up, there were no family members left in the room.
POST HURRICANE - DAY 3
Monday, 2:00 p.m. - When we returned home 3 days later, that obnoxious generator was still running and we still had no electricity. Luckily, my freezer only had one package of meat to be cooked. So, I dragged out one of my necessary hurricane supplies, my Coleman gas stove, and set up shop on the front patio. My son and I enjoyed delicious turkey tacos with corn and all the fixins. Who says hurricane living has to be dull?
The other thing I found when I got home was a laundry full of wet and soured towels. I put my towels out on the front bushes and let them dry in the sun. I knew I would need to wash them again, yet at least I could rest in the fact knowing that they would not be mildewing in the washing machine.
Monday, 4:00 p.m. - Hurrah! The generator has stopped. Oh! It has only run out of diesel. One of the men comes out on the front porch. I yell across the courtyard at him, "Hey, can you guys give that thing a break, some of us haven't slept (slight lie, yet defending my neighbors) in 3 nights. Can you at least turn the thing off at 10:00 p.m. tonight so that we can ALL get some sleep?"
AMAZINGLY, those clueless guys gave into my guilt trip! They shut the generator right down, and put the window unit away!
Monday, 4:30 p.m. - I'm cleaning up all of the lunch mess off of my front porch. My neighbor across the way climbs down the stairs with her children in tow, points to my front porch, and states "I've had all of this I can put up with!" Oh no, now I'm the clueless neighbor!
I guess it's all a matter of perspective, eh? I cleaned up my front porch, slowly put all of the dried towels back in the laundry basket, and then the electricity came back on at 7:00 p.m. And that's how we Houstonians survived Hurricane Ike.
Facts
West Houston survived, as did most of the City of Houston! Hurrah!
Unfortunately, we did have a great deal of devastation along the Gulf Coast communities. The news media might be lying to you somewhat, as some of the areas in Galveston and Chambers counties were labeled as "no fly" zones, meaning...the government did not want you to see the human and animal debris along the Bolivar Peninsula, mainly out of respect for the loved one's families.
Personal Perspective
My family was very fortunate. Although most of the city had no electricity for 11 days, we received electricity 3 days post-storm. I was shouting praises when the electricity came back on. If the lineman had been at my front door, I would have hugged him for dear life. God bless these behind the scenes people who are away from their loved ones to help us out!
POST HURRICANE - DAY 1
Saturday morning - A few hours post-storm, the neighbors all got together in the rain and cleared the sidewalks of large oak trees and debris. I never knew we had so many kind neighbors. On the other hand, I never knew I had so many CLUELESS neighbors...LOL!
Saturday afternoon - Two of those kind men happened to have a generator and a window unit (swamp cooler) air conditioner that they hooked up and ran non-stop for 3 days. (On the positive side, they did share it with the beautiful ladies next door.)
For those of you who have never heard a diesel generator run,let me tell you they are LOUD AS HELL !
POST HURRICANE - DAYS 1 - 3
After the first morning of frayed nerves and attempting to sleep with my windows opened and the battery operated fan in my face, I had to admit defeat and packed up the family and headed out to Dad's for air conditioning, laundry and showers. When I got to my Dad's I couldn't keep my eyes open - I sacked out with my head back on the couch and SNORED so loudly and obnoxiously that when I woke up, there were no family members left in the room.
POST HURRICANE - DAY 3
Monday, 2:00 p.m. - When we returned home 3 days later, that obnoxious generator was still running and we still had no electricity. Luckily, my freezer only had one package of meat to be cooked. So, I dragged out one of my necessary hurricane supplies, my Coleman gas stove, and set up shop on the front patio. My son and I enjoyed delicious turkey tacos with corn and all the fixins. Who says hurricane living has to be dull?
The other thing I found when I got home was a laundry full of wet and soured towels. I put my towels out on the front bushes and let them dry in the sun. I knew I would need to wash them again, yet at least I could rest in the fact knowing that they would not be mildewing in the washing machine.
Monday, 4:00 p.m. - Hurrah! The generator has stopped. Oh! It has only run out of diesel. One of the men comes out on the front porch. I yell across the courtyard at him, "Hey, can you guys give that thing a break, some of us haven't slept (slight lie, yet defending my neighbors) in 3 nights. Can you at least turn the thing off at 10:00 p.m. tonight so that we can ALL get some sleep?"
AMAZINGLY, those clueless guys gave into my guilt trip! They shut the generator right down, and put the window unit away!
Monday, 4:30 p.m. - I'm cleaning up all of the lunch mess off of my front porch. My neighbor across the way climbs down the stairs with her children in tow, points to my front porch, and states "I've had all of this I can put up with!" Oh no, now I'm the clueless neighbor!
I guess it's all a matter of perspective, eh? I cleaned up my front porch, slowly put all of the dried towels back in the laundry basket, and then the electricity came back on at 7:00 p.m. And that's how we Houstonians survived Hurricane Ike.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Everything Changes in a Day
Hi Readers - I am sorry it has been so long since I have posted. I have been involved in a long-term project at work, which zapped all of my writing creativity.
Yesterday, my company laid off at least 20 people. I, luckily, was not one of them, and have accepted a new job (finally!) with a small company that enjoys teaching and providing services involving technical writing. Yea! It's been a long two years since I home-schooled myself in technical writing through the local community college.
Seeing your co-workers laid off is sad. It's something that I've witnessed several times over the years. Some people are happy and joyful to leave, some are crying in the hallways, and the few men I've seen laid off appear almost suicidal. I suppose men focus so much of themselves into work that they never think of other aspects of their lives providing happiness, such as family or hobbies.
As for myself, I am never bored...I juggle being a single mom, dealing with my mother diagnosed with Alzheimers, keeping my house in semi-order, cooking meals for the growing teenager, providing taxi service to all of the teen's friends, and THEN...I work 40+ hours a week. Sometimes the job seems like a respite from the rest of my life.
For those of you looking for jobs, take the time to post a resume on monster.com. Also follow-up on every lead, recruiter, newspaper ad, and finally (or maybe more importantly, make this STEP 2 after posting on monster)...CALL everyone you know, especially professionally, and let them know you are looking for a job. Telling colleagues and friends you've been laid off is your choice.
Good luck in your job search, and if you need advice about living in Houston, please e-mail me. It may look inviting to live here, yet commuting alone and the electricity bill can eat up at least 50% of your paycheck.
Take care,
Terre
Yesterday, my company laid off at least 20 people. I, luckily, was not one of them, and have accepted a new job (finally!) with a small company that enjoys teaching and providing services involving technical writing. Yea! It's been a long two years since I home-schooled myself in technical writing through the local community college.
Seeing your co-workers laid off is sad. It's something that I've witnessed several times over the years. Some people are happy and joyful to leave, some are crying in the hallways, and the few men I've seen laid off appear almost suicidal. I suppose men focus so much of themselves into work that they never think of other aspects of their lives providing happiness, such as family or hobbies.
As for myself, I am never bored...I juggle being a single mom, dealing with my mother diagnosed with Alzheimers, keeping my house in semi-order, cooking meals for the growing teenager, providing taxi service to all of the teen's friends, and THEN...I work 40+ hours a week. Sometimes the job seems like a respite from the rest of my life.
For those of you looking for jobs, take the time to post a resume on monster.com. Also follow-up on every lead, recruiter, newspaper ad, and finally (or maybe more importantly, make this STEP 2 after posting on monster)...CALL everyone you know, especially professionally, and let them know you are looking for a job. Telling colleagues and friends you've been laid off is your choice.
Good luck in your job search, and if you need advice about living in Houston, please e-mail me. It may look inviting to live here, yet commuting alone and the electricity bill can eat up at least 50% of your paycheck.
Take care,
Terre
Sunday, May 4, 2008
New Park in Downtown Houston
http://www.discoverygreen.com/
It's not Central Park in New York, only a mere 13 acres, yet I wanted to share with you one of Houston's newest parks in Downtown Houston, Discovery Green Park. The park is located in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center, and I'm definitely looking for an opportunity to drive downtown and take a look.
The Houston Proud committee has been very proactive during the last 10 years, and has rapidly updated the downtown area including the addition of Minute Maid Park (first known as Enron Field and the new home of the Astros) and Toyota Center, home of the Houston Rockets. Other developments include the Main Street electric train which runs all the way from the University of Houston Downtown down through the Texas Medical Center and the Reliant Center, home of the Houston Texans.
Now if we could re-focus some of this Houston Proud money on developing a reliable mass-transit system. If we could have rapid transit trains down each major freeway corridor, I think we'd be ready to bring this city into the current century. First vote - the I-10 West Corridor - hint, hint - someone listen up!
It's not Central Park in New York, only a mere 13 acres, yet I wanted to share with you one of Houston's newest parks in Downtown Houston, Discovery Green Park. The park is located in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center, and I'm definitely looking for an opportunity to drive downtown and take a look.
The Houston Proud committee has been very proactive during the last 10 years, and has rapidly updated the downtown area including the addition of Minute Maid Park (first known as Enron Field and the new home of the Astros) and Toyota Center, home of the Houston Rockets. Other developments include the Main Street electric train which runs all the way from the University of Houston Downtown down through the Texas Medical Center and the Reliant Center, home of the Houston Texans.
Now if we could re-focus some of this Houston Proud money on developing a reliable mass-transit system. If we could have rapid transit trains down each major freeway corridor, I think we'd be ready to bring this city into the current century. First vote - the I-10 West Corridor - hint, hint - someone listen up!
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Beautiful dusk at Terry Hershey Park
Attention exercise enthusiasts - Terry Hershey Park continues to be a great place to go relax !
In my last post, I mentioned how my mother had just finished two months of illness. Unfortunately, she had a heart attack over the weekend and has landed back in the hospital again.
Of course, getting that phone call puts a shock in one's system. Last night, I decided to go enjoy walking through Terry Hershey Park and get some of that stress out of my system. I walked along the trails from about 7:55 - 8:30 p.m. At 8:10 on the dot, all of the trail lights came on.
The park maintains wildflowers along the banks of the bayou and among some of the berms or hills along the trails. Black-Eyed Susans, dandelions, natural grasses, and cat tails were abundant everywhere.
Enjoyable sites inlcuded people playing with their dogs, a man and his son throwing a baseball back and forth, and a family of 6 making a full team. Yet another family of 4 biked upwards from the bayou level to the upper level with the oldest child outpacing mom and dad, and the youngest riding in a toddler seat just in front of mom, who definitely got the raw end of the deal.
As I left the park at 8:30, the bugs and mosquitoes started buzzing. Reminder to self - take bug spray next time!
Get out and enjoy this local treasure of a park...Cheers, Terre
In my last post, I mentioned how my mother had just finished two months of illness. Unfortunately, she had a heart attack over the weekend and has landed back in the hospital again.
Of course, getting that phone call puts a shock in one's system. Last night, I decided to go enjoy walking through Terry Hershey Park and get some of that stress out of my system. I walked along the trails from about 7:55 - 8:30 p.m. At 8:10 on the dot, all of the trail lights came on.
The park maintains wildflowers along the banks of the bayou and among some of the berms or hills along the trails. Black-Eyed Susans, dandelions, natural grasses, and cat tails were abundant everywhere.
Enjoyable sites inlcuded people playing with their dogs, a man and his son throwing a baseball back and forth, and a family of 6 making a full team. Yet another family of 4 biked upwards from the bayou level to the upper level with the oldest child outpacing mom and dad, and the youngest riding in a toddler seat just in front of mom, who definitely got the raw end of the deal.
As I left the park at 8:30, the bugs and mosquitoes started buzzing. Reminder to self - take bug spray next time!
Get out and enjoy this local treasure of a park...Cheers, Terre
Sunday, April 27, 2008
The Economy in Houston
Hello everyone! I'm back after almost two months of caring for a sick loved one. See my other blog, "Frugal, Single Mom" for details.
Houston always has one of those economies that maintains no matter what is happening in the rest of the world. As an almost native Houstonian, it can be depressing at times, because it is hard to maintain friendships when your coworkers are being rotated in and out of jobs every two years. Luckily for me, some of my oil and gas coworkers from years ago have finally landed back in West Houston, and I shake their hands vigorously and get a five minute update whenever I happen to bump into one of them.
The Houston economy, at least in my opinion, is leveling out. I've called one of the local recruiting agencies lately (mainly because I'm so put out with my current job), and was told to "stay put", at least for now. That means, I've got to sit and eat crow for at least another 4 months.
Unleaded gas this week hit $3.50/gallon. My car gets 22 mpg compared to many of my coworkers who get 15 mpg or less because they drive SUVs. When gasoline goes to $4.00/gallon, I told myself that I would start staying at home, walking more, or riding the bus, but the reality becomes that Houston is 2 weeks away from 90F or higher temperatures. Sigh!
All that glitters is not gold. There are a lot of hidden costs to living in Houston...sales tax 8.25%, long commutes to your job (sometimes 60 miles roundtrip per day), high crime rates depending on where you live, TRAFFIC +++ (that's a HUGE understatement), no reliable commuter system, and it's hotter than hell here in the summer time with electric bills at $225.00 + through October.
So, my advice to those who feel lured to move to Houston this summer...stay put! Unless you have a lot of money saved up, have a great car, or are willing to live in substandard housing conditions or overly priced housing (with a high crime rate), don't make the trip.
I'm sure our mayor, who I dearly love, would paint a rosier picture. I'm Houston Proud, but not Houston Stupid. Good luck to everyone during this tricky economy!
Houston always has one of those economies that maintains no matter what is happening in the rest of the world. As an almost native Houstonian, it can be depressing at times, because it is hard to maintain friendships when your coworkers are being rotated in and out of jobs every two years. Luckily for me, some of my oil and gas coworkers from years ago have finally landed back in West Houston, and I shake their hands vigorously and get a five minute update whenever I happen to bump into one of them.
The Houston economy, at least in my opinion, is leveling out. I've called one of the local recruiting agencies lately (mainly because I'm so put out with my current job), and was told to "stay put", at least for now. That means, I've got to sit and eat crow for at least another 4 months.
Unleaded gas this week hit $3.50/gallon. My car gets 22 mpg compared to many of my coworkers who get 15 mpg or less because they drive SUVs. When gasoline goes to $4.00/gallon, I told myself that I would start staying at home, walking more, or riding the bus, but the reality becomes that Houston is 2 weeks away from 90F or higher temperatures. Sigh!
All that glitters is not gold. There are a lot of hidden costs to living in Houston...sales tax 8.25%, long commutes to your job (sometimes 60 miles roundtrip per day), high crime rates depending on where you live, TRAFFIC +++ (that's a HUGE understatement), no reliable commuter system, and it's hotter than hell here in the summer time with electric bills at $225.00 + through October.
So, my advice to those who feel lured to move to Houston this summer...stay put! Unless you have a lot of money saved up, have a great car, or are willing to live in substandard housing conditions or overly priced housing (with a high crime rate), don't make the trip.
I'm sure our mayor, who I dearly love, would paint a rosier picture. I'm Houston Proud, but not Houston Stupid. Good luck to everyone during this tricky economy!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
New Structures, New Restaurants
Along with the highway changes along the I-10 West and Energy Corridor, have come a change of the scenery along our local streets. On Eldridge, just north of I-10, Foster Wheeler (Engineering) has placed their name on a modern new highrise just across the street from Conoco Phillips. Also on Eldridge, 1/4 mile south of I-10 are new apartments (The Broadstone) that have a modern look and feel, yet have the curb appeal of an ultra-luxury "flat" as some of our British coworkers might say.
Oh, and speaking of the British, did I mention that BP's parking garages and new trading center are shaping up well at the WestLake campus. By the way, I do miss all my coworkers there. It's been hard leaving a group of friends after 13 years of comraderie. It's a pleasure when I bump into you guys in my ramblings about the city, especially at Federal jury duty this past week.
Along Memorial between Dairy Ashford and Eldridge, we've had a new "Burger Shack" open up, apparently a favorite to the local Stratford High School teens. And south on Eldridge, about 1/2 mile past the Buffalo Bayou bridge near Terry Hershey Park, cafe type restaurants are offering nouveau, niche, market type fare. Examples include Poblanos Mexican Restaurant, one or two Japenese sushi places and my still all-time favorite Cafe Red Onion, which serves the best seafood enchildas you'd ever want to honor your tastebuds with.
We're getting there, West Houston. Oh, and how I still love this neighborhood almost 20 years later!
Oh, and speaking of the British, did I mention that BP's parking garages and new trading center are shaping up well at the WestLake campus. By the way, I do miss all my coworkers there. It's been hard leaving a group of friends after 13 years of comraderie. It's a pleasure when I bump into you guys in my ramblings about the city, especially at Federal jury duty this past week.
Along Memorial between Dairy Ashford and Eldridge, we've had a new "Burger Shack" open up, apparently a favorite to the local Stratford High School teens. And south on Eldridge, about 1/2 mile past the Buffalo Bayou bridge near Terry Hershey Park, cafe type restaurants are offering nouveau, niche, market type fare. Examples include Poblanos Mexican Restaurant, one or two Japenese sushi places and my still all-time favorite Cafe Red Onion, which serves the best seafood enchildas you'd ever want to honor your tastebuds with.
We're getting there, West Houston. Oh, and how I still love this neighborhood almost 20 years later!
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
What $100/barrel oil means in the oil & gas services business
One would think that with the price of gas hovering at $3.00 +/gallon and finally hitting the $100/barrel mark this past week, that everything oil related would be doing well. Guess what, we are hitting challenges we've never seen before in this industry.
First of all, try being a service company, whether onshore or offshore. Equipment is hard to find. If you are working in the offshore environment, ask anyone who handles the barges, ships, tugs, rigs, etc., how easy it is to find available equipment at a reasonable price. It won't and can't happen. Then, say you are an operator in the Gulf of Mexico...just one vessel can run up to $500,000/day to lease, and the vessel is only available for a certain period of time. Should the vessel not finish the job or become disabled due to weather or accident, then the whole project goes off schedule, causing the company to lose millions per day both in vessel expense and production...either cut totally or slowed significantly.
I'm not saying that the majors aren't posting a profit. Certainly the number one and two companies have 10 year plans in place and will always be a good investment. What I am trying to say is that the oil industry is not living in the land of gold fixtures in our offices and the lavish days associated with former boom times.
If you are reading this and are unhappy about the price of oil, consult Wall Street, Venezuela, Iran and West Africa to see what's really happening. The balance between supply and demand is fragile, and I don't think we will be seeing even $75/barrel oil anytime soon.
I had hoped by 2010 that this country would be further along in solar power or alternative sources of energy. I can remember being a young 20-something and smarting off to my oil industry bosses years ago. Guess what - it ain't happened yet! As long as oil remains a highly valued commodity, we're stuck!
First of all, try being a service company, whether onshore or offshore. Equipment is hard to find. If you are working in the offshore environment, ask anyone who handles the barges, ships, tugs, rigs, etc., how easy it is to find available equipment at a reasonable price. It won't and can't happen. Then, say you are an operator in the Gulf of Mexico...just one vessel can run up to $500,000/day to lease, and the vessel is only available for a certain period of time. Should the vessel not finish the job or become disabled due to weather or accident, then the whole project goes off schedule, causing the company to lose millions per day both in vessel expense and production...either cut totally or slowed significantly.
I'm not saying that the majors aren't posting a profit. Certainly the number one and two companies have 10 year plans in place and will always be a good investment. What I am trying to say is that the oil industry is not living in the land of gold fixtures in our offices and the lavish days associated with former boom times.
If you are reading this and are unhappy about the price of oil, consult Wall Street, Venezuela, Iran and West Africa to see what's really happening. The balance between supply and demand is fragile, and I don't think we will be seeing even $75/barrel oil anytime soon.
I had hoped by 2010 that this country would be further along in solar power or alternative sources of energy. I can remember being a young 20-something and smarting off to my oil industry bosses years ago. Guess what - it ain't happened yet! As long as oil remains a highly valued commodity, we're stuck!
Road Construction Everywhere
These days it's not easy to get anywhere in West Houston. The Sam Houston tollway (known as Beltway 8 to locals) @ I-10 has closed access ramps to I-10 through September 2008. This means you can no longer access I-10 in any direction and will have to find an alternative route to the tollway. The olds ramps will be demolished and new ones will be put into place. Opinion: Why didn't Texas DOT make a 40 year plan, instead of allowing that money and structural work to be torn down after only 20 years! I'm mad because they've wasted our tax dollars.
Most roads north and south of I-10 from Highway 6 to the 610 loop are under construction. Be sure to plan an extra 30 - 45 minutes into your schedule should you visit West Houston anytime during 2008.
Most roads north and south of I-10 from Highway 6 to the 610 loop are under construction. Be sure to plan an extra 30 - 45 minutes into your schedule should you visit West Houston anytime during 2008.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
West Houston blogger back in business
I missed a whole season of sharing the Houston fine arts calendar with everyone. I am very bummed.
In the meantime, I did want to advertise my own upcoming choir performances, Wednesday and Thursday December 19-20th @ 7:00 p.m. at Kingsland Baptist Church in Katy.
Expect anything but your typical Christmas music, as we tend to add a bit of everything to our music including country, hip hop, spirituals, and a little gospel to boot. We aren't the perfect choir, yet what we may lack in operatic musical talent is more than made merrier by the smiles on our faces and the joy we feel enter our bodies as we sing. Expect a few hands waving in the air, some clapping and foot stomping, and a bit of dancing (yes we Baptists dance, for God, of course!).
In the meantime, I did want to advertise my own upcoming choir performances, Wednesday and Thursday December 19-20th @ 7:00 p.m. at Kingsland Baptist Church in Katy.
Expect anything but your typical Christmas music, as we tend to add a bit of everything to our music including country, hip hop, spirituals, and a little gospel to boot. We aren't the perfect choir, yet what we may lack in operatic musical talent is more than made merrier by the smiles on our faces and the joy we feel enter our bodies as we sing. Expect a few hands waving in the air, some clapping and foot stomping, and a bit of dancing (yes we Baptists dance, for God, of course!).
Friday, August 17, 2007
Hurricane Dean...sweating out the hurricane season
As I monitor the internet http://www.wunderground.com/ and TV's The Weather Channel for the latest updates on Hurricane Dean, I have to wonder how much better we've become in the last 20 years at predicting hurricanes. I've been reading up today on all the different models such as the Mariner's Model, the Historic Model, the computer model, and the 3-day and the 5-day cone of uncertainty. All of it leaves me very befuddled, especially the computer model and the historic model which change radically with every three hour NOAA update.
Each time the hurricane changes from a category 2 to a 3 and vice versa, the model changes. The smartest model to me looks to be the Mariners 1-2-3 model which tells folks where to stay out of harms way.
When the storm enters the Gulf of Mexico and and is 600 miles due south of Galveston, I end up with "my model", which has me looking up every barometric pressure reading from Brownsville, Texas to Key West, Florida. The map point that has the lowest barometric pressure readings is generally where the hurricane goes in. I was only 200 miles off (to the east) when Hurricane Rita hit in 2005. I thought for sure that Rita was going into Freeport, Texas and that Houston would be on the eastern or dirty side of the storm. Luckily, Houston remained mostly out of harm's way, but everything in the coastal areas from Port Arthur, Texas to Morgan City, Louisiana was wiped off the map. (I know, most of what you heard about during 2005 was Hurricane Katrina.)
Although I was off about the landing point that year, I will never regret evacuating my family early, two days before the storm hit.
We'll keep our fingers crossed for good luck, and I'll let you know how it goes.
Each time the hurricane changes from a category 2 to a 3 and vice versa, the model changes. The smartest model to me looks to be the Mariners 1-2-3 model which tells folks where to stay out of harms way.
When the storm enters the Gulf of Mexico and and is 600 miles due south of Galveston, I end up with "my model", which has me looking up every barometric pressure reading from Brownsville, Texas to Key West, Florida. The map point that has the lowest barometric pressure readings is generally where the hurricane goes in. I was only 200 miles off (to the east) when Hurricane Rita hit in 2005. I thought for sure that Rita was going into Freeport, Texas and that Houston would be on the eastern or dirty side of the storm. Luckily, Houston remained mostly out of harm's way, but everything in the coastal areas from Port Arthur, Texas to Morgan City, Louisiana was wiped off the map. (I know, most of what you heard about during 2005 was Hurricane Katrina.)
Although I was off about the landing point that year, I will never regret evacuating my family early, two days before the storm hit.
We'll keep our fingers crossed for good luck, and I'll let you know how it goes.
Tax Free Weekend in Texas (Aug 17-19)
Guess what? It's Tax-Free weekend here in Texas, at least on school-related items, up to $100, including backpacks and athletic shoes. If you are braver than myself and enjoy shopping with mass crowds, go for it! 8.25% is a lot of sales tax in Houston. In addition, some stores offer additional discounts.
You may see me at the local grocery store. My back-to-school shopping is complete, other than the few odd supplies such as binders and a few more t-shirts.
Enjoy the discounts...Terre
You may see me at the local grocery store. My back-to-school shopping is complete, other than the few odd supplies such as binders and a few more t-shirts.
Enjoy the discounts...Terre
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Life in West Texas
I sat in awe tonight at a local community center in Sealy, Texas. It was a benefit to raise funds for the local public library and the guest of honor was none other than my great cousin, Mr. Elmer Kelton, renowned author of Western fiction. We didn't get to chat for long, as he was hosting a book signing for his latest book, an autobiography, entitled "Sandhills Boy, The Winding Trails of a Texas Writer".
The last time I met Elmer, I was a teenager, sitting in the basement of the Houston Public Library in downtown, wondering why my parents had dragged me along. Needless to say, I'm glad they did, because it explains a lot about my family history.
Elmer Kelton is not an easy read. It's like he explained tonight - it's all about West Texas, cattle ranching, the oil business and all the inherent, unspoken jokes and suggestions that go with it. It explains a lot to me - why, for instance, my grandmother always had such a smart mouth, and perhaps why her oldest grand daughter (me) locks inside her some of that brashness and outspokenness, and lets it out in mini-meltdowns.
As I always tell my son, you can learn a lot about the present, by looking into the past. Cheers for a great weekend! Terre
The last time I met Elmer, I was a teenager, sitting in the basement of the Houston Public Library in downtown, wondering why my parents had dragged me along. Needless to say, I'm glad they did, because it explains a lot about my family history.
Elmer Kelton is not an easy read. It's like he explained tonight - it's all about West Texas, cattle ranching, the oil business and all the inherent, unspoken jokes and suggestions that go with it. It explains a lot to me - why, for instance, my grandmother always had such a smart mouth, and perhaps why her oldest grand daughter (me) locks inside her some of that brashness and outspokenness, and lets it out in mini-meltdowns.
As I always tell my son, you can learn a lot about the present, by looking into the past. Cheers for a great weekend! Terre
Thursday, August 2, 2007
25 days until school starts
This year the State of Texas finally decided to start school on a decent date, August 27th! Hurrah! I hope some state legislator will read this and learn how delighted I am that the kids got 3 whole months off from school this summer.
We were always starting school here sometime between August 7th - 15th, which makes absolutely no sense because it is the hottest month of the year in Houston.
To the school districts, it made a lot of sense, as the State would pay the schools a certain number of dollars a day, per student, for how many days the children attended school. That extra week or two of time adds big bucks to the coffers of a school district.
It also puts a lot of pressure on the parents to keep the children in school all year. After your child misses a certain number of days of school, whether legitimate or not, the district sends you a nastygram about your child's absences. We've always made sure we get our flu shots and try to stay as healthy as possible. And inevitably, my son always comes down sick on the last day of the school semester, after his finals are finished.
I've got to admit it has been challenging to keep my child busy this summer. However, that extra time has allowed him to spend time with his grandparents, start taking guitar lessons, and also learn that he loves computer animation.
Now it's time to start that back to school shopping. At least I have 25 more days, instead of 5 days to get it all done. Thank you, Texas!
We were always starting school here sometime between August 7th - 15th, which makes absolutely no sense because it is the hottest month of the year in Houston.
To the school districts, it made a lot of sense, as the State would pay the schools a certain number of dollars a day, per student, for how many days the children attended school. That extra week or two of time adds big bucks to the coffers of a school district.
It also puts a lot of pressure on the parents to keep the children in school all year. After your child misses a certain number of days of school, whether legitimate or not, the district sends you a nastygram about your child's absences. We've always made sure we get our flu shots and try to stay as healthy as possible. And inevitably, my son always comes down sick on the last day of the school semester, after his finals are finished.
I've got to admit it has been challenging to keep my child busy this summer. However, that extra time has allowed him to spend time with his grandparents, start taking guitar lessons, and also learn that he loves computer animation.
Now it's time to start that back to school shopping. At least I have 25 more days, instead of 5 days to get it all done. Thank you, Texas!
Friday, July 27, 2007
Soldier's Angels - one way to support our soldiers
I had wonderful news last week. I received word from the Soldier's Angels organization that my soldier that I had been writing to last summer had come home from Iraq. With this news, came the chance to volunteer again and write to another soldier whose unit has been held over for at least a month past his going home date.
What is the time commitment and cost to the cause you might ask? You write one or two supportive letters to your soldier every week. In addition, you send him/her a care package a couple of times a month.
Will you ever hear from your soldier? You might not ever hear from him/her. But isn't that the purpose of being an angel, the silent partner in the background, praying or thinking good thoughts for that individual?
If you are interested in this volunteer opportunity, or would like to read more about the organization, please check out this link:
http://soldiersangels.org/index.php?page=home
God bless you for taking the time out of your day to read this. Let's hope this war ends soon!
What is the time commitment and cost to the cause you might ask? You write one or two supportive letters to your soldier every week. In addition, you send him/her a care package a couple of times a month.
Will you ever hear from your soldier? You might not ever hear from him/her. But isn't that the purpose of being an angel, the silent partner in the background, praying or thinking good thoughts for that individual?
If you are interested in this volunteer opportunity, or would like to read more about the organization, please check out this link:
http://soldiersangels.org/index.php?page=home
God bless you for taking the time out of your day to read this. Let's hope this war ends soon!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
A brief respite
Intermittent greetings from Houston. I'm experiencing a few home PC problems, so hang with me while we blast our way through summer electric bills.
Would you believe that we had 49% humidity in Houston yesterday and the high was only 88F? It was almost like fall is in the air.
The rain? Yes, it will be back by the weekend. When we Houstonians get weather like this, we get out and enjoy. I personally took an afternoon break outside, and then came home and played outside with my plants.
Would you believe that we had 49% humidity in Houston yesterday and the high was only 88F? It was almost like fall is in the air.
The rain? Yes, it will be back by the weekend. When we Houstonians get weather like this, we get out and enjoy. I personally took an afternoon break outside, and then came home and played outside with my plants.
Friday, July 13, 2007
July 14-16: Katy Freeway Closes for the Weekend
Interstate 10's eastbound and westbound main lanes between Wilcrest Drive and Gessner Road will be closed from 5 a.m. Saturday until 5 a.m. Monday.
Reconstruction work will take place in the area of the Katy Freeway and Beltway 8 interchange.
Traffic will be detoured to the frontage roads.
For more information on the Katy Freeway Reconstruction Program, visit www.katyfreeway.org or 281-589-5924.
News courtesy of http://www.click2houston.com/
Reconstruction work will take place in the area of the Katy Freeway and Beltway 8 interchange.
Traffic will be detoured to the frontage roads.
For more information on the Katy Freeway Reconstruction Program, visit www.katyfreeway.org or 281-589-5924.
News courtesy of http://www.click2houston.com/
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