Something is missing......

What a great place to store old telephone books. Here is the test, what's missing? There's a phone stand, telephone books, but no phone. A sign of the times perhaps, but just plain strange. If you pull out the telephone, why keep the shelf? This shot taken in Houston, Texas at the NY Bagel Shop on Hillcroft.

I couldn't agree more....

Found this in a small restaurant in New Orleans. I couldn't agree move. Turn off the cell phone!

I stumbled across this act of "law enforcement in progress"

during my recent trip to New Orleans. Apparently, New Orleans doesn't take kindly to people who have more than two outstanding parking tickets.

Not pictured here is the traffic backed up for blocks as this transaction takes place right during the morning rush hour.

So, if you're headed for New Orleans, you better pay up or you'll get, pardon the pun, "The Boot."

Until Next Time.......

New Orleans, is known for it's food and evening activities so it was a matter of time before I'd stumble upon a topless place. And here it is, It really is, four walls and no roof, so this proves New Orleans lives up to its reputation.

Until next time........

AR

A for effort but spelling needs some work

No doubt this is one of the many vehicles that are towed or "two'd" from auctions nearby Houston and taken south of the border to Mexico.

This photo was taken by blog reader Patricia in Sugar Land, TX. I'm glad the "spirit" of this blog resonates with my readers.

Keep your comments and photos coming. I've scaled back on my posts but rest assured we're still on the track for things out of the ordinary to profile on this site.

Thank you Patricia for the contribution.

Regards to all

AR

Help Wanted Fence Estimator - Must Know How To Measure

Now I'm sure there is a reason for this, and in fact, this picture really doesn't tell the entire story, but this is just plain odd. I came across this seemingly unplanned gap in a series of fences that seemed to stretch about 100 or 150 feet separating homes in a sub division of Oyster Creek in Sugar Land, Texas, with a city park of the same name.

As odd as this does seem to me, I am not alone, two friends who I joined up with to walk the park, also echoed my sentiments.

U-Haul Stay Clear.....

Whenever you pass a rented U-Haul truck on the road, chances are it is the first time the person driving has ever been behind the wheel of such a vehicle.

Perhaps this was the case just one day ago while enjoying a cup of coffee with two friends in Sugar Land, Texas, I heard a loud 'thud" looked out the window and watched as a U-Haul truck sped away up Highway Six.

I'm sure the portion of the truck that's usually labeled "Moms Attic" is now more like "Moms Open Air Atrium" but I really didn't see the damage.

What followed next was even more amusing as other drivers attempted to work their way through the traffic hazard instead of exiting the shopping center through an alternate exit.

So, this is one of those little things that makes you wonder.

Until next time.......

A Boy Scout Grows Up..........

The motto of The Boy Scouts is "Be Prepared."

Obviously, this Over The Road Driver thinks ahead. If tractor one breaks down, he has tractor two, if that one goes, then it's on the tractor three. And who says, American Ingenuity is a thing of the past?

Gee, What's the Rush?

It's amazing, it's only October 25th, and retail establishments in the River Oaks section of Houston, are displaying holiday decorations. What's next, perhaps we should consider July 4th, in December?

Every So Often - I Need to Be Reminded - I am in Texas!

Yes, it's true - every so often I need to be reminded I'm in Texas. Found this "beast" parked behind my apartment. Wonder if gas mileage even comes into the equation? How does one navigate a vehicle that's 8 feet off the ground? You just don't see these in Manhattan!

(Double Click on Photo to Enlarge Image)

Having my Ducks - In A Row

I often hear: "You need to have your Ducks in a row." Well, here's proof it can can be done. Such was the case a few months back at my apartment complex. A picture does tell a thousand words. Until next time.....

Finally Returning To Normal

As the Houston area returns to normal after Hurricane Ike, scores of Electrical Workers still hit the streets everyday. Hundreds of trucks parked all over town, serve as a reminder to what was for me, only a few weeks back, an adventure that I hope to never repeat soon.

What have I learned? Well...

• One really needs a fully stocked hurricane kit. Flashlights, candles, canned goods, water and all the things that we take for granted on a daily basis. I'm about to order my portable propane stove from Amazon.com.
• It's not possible to go to Home Depot a day before a storm and find anything of value on the shelves.
  
• There is no reason to say in town when a storm approaches. With today's forecasting technology there is plenty of time to leave. Next time, I'm gone.
  
• Canned SPAM isn't fine dining by any means. That's all I was able to find at the local supermarket. Underwood chicken spread rounded out the menu. Yummy.
  
• Texan's can't figure out four way stop signs when the traffic lights are out. They just don't have what it takes to get the hang of it. Seems simple to me, however I had more than one close call.
  
• Nothing good happens when the power goes out. My list of "hurricane adventures" includes gun shots during the night, rowdy neighbors with no power but plenty of cold beer, battery operated boom boxes and so much more.
• Technology is not as bulletproof as I'd thought. My Blackberry network went down, however I was able to get messages OUT on Twitter and Facebook. (Seems odd, doesn't it?). Text messaging worked great and never went out. T-Mobile cell network went down. Good old, twisted pair, copper telephone line provided by the telephone company stayed working throughout the ordeal.
• I was lucky. Although I experienced some discomfort while living without electrical power for one week, I know of people who suffered major losses. Of course, some even lost their lives. The photos turning up on the internet really tell the story.

Until next time.........

Hello Houston Writer Now Schmap Houston Published Photographer

Three photographs which appear on this blog and Flickr.com, have been selected for publication in the third edition of the Schmap Houston Guide.

Photographs used in the publication are:

Click Here for Photo 1

Click Here for Photo 2

Click Here for Photo 3

Click Here for the Publication

Photo Selected for On-Line Publication

A Hello Houston photograph "The Chocolate Bar" has been selected for use by the on line publication "Gosleepgo.com"

Click here for a link to the listing

Click here for a link to the publication

An Interesting Chinese Dinner

Found this interesting Asian restaurant by accident on Bellaire, Bld in Houston, Texas. It was quite a lot of fun. I realize this isn't very newsworthy but I did want to share it with my friends. I had never seen this type of food preparation before.

It's official "I'm not in Kansas Anymore" now that I've attended just one small portion of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, I'm quite confident that I'm in a strange land indeed. Not that its strange, it's just strange to me. I didn't see any "livestock" at all, most probably because I attended a private corporate party during the three day Barbecue contest.

Yes, the folks here in Texas take their meat very seriously. Lots of beer, booze and scantly clad women handing out free liquor pretty much sums up the event which took place against a cacophony of live music emanating from each temporary tent.

There's not much news value to this post I realize that, however I had a great time at the event and realized being a Texan holds far deeper meaning than just owning that wide brim hat. I suppose the hat is just a symbol of an attitude of pride, confidence and in your face presence.So, am I off to buy a pickup truck? Not likely anytime soon. But I understand it all just a little more.

I'd say "may hat is off to the folks who know how to have a good time." Oh, I forgot, I don't have a hat. Until next time.

Are We Hungry Yet?

Couldn't resist this one. As experienced in Van Horn, Texas off of I-10 headed East.

A Google search provides a number of results referring to this establishment and the historic town of Van Horn, located in West Texas.

More to come......

Wishful Thinking

This set of vehicles rusting in Alpine, Texas caught my eye. You have to wonder will the owner of these iron relics ever get around to restoring them? Were they purchased for parts? Are they just waiting their turn in the restoration bay? Time will tell. Perhaps.

Until next time.

Honorable Mention - Prada Display In The Desert

This is an interesting marketing idea. Could the thought behind this simulated shoe store in the middle of a desert been to create word of mouth buzz? Not sure, but this structure seemed so out of place that it qualifies for my Hello Houston blog.

This structure/billboard combination rests along highway 90 in Valentine a small Texas town 665 miles West of Houston. Marfa, TX about 35 miles away has a place to shop for Prada.

NOTES:

1. Double click on photo to enlarge - My cameo appearance is seen in the plate glass reflection.
2. See where Valentine is located - Courtesy of Mapquest. CLICK HERE
   

And You Think You've Had a Bad Day?

Consider this. Just seconds before taking this photo, the fish seen here was simply swimming around off the New Jersey shore just minding its own business. It's amazing how life can change in the blink of an eye or for that matter the movement of a beak. I was there and saw it happen. Now that's real news.......

You make up the caption.......

As seen at a restaurant in New Mexico. Had to capture this and share. I'm sure it's a joke, but then again, maybe not.
Until next time.
AR

Your comments are welcome

Registered users are welcome and encouraged to comment on anything posted here. We'd like to hear from you. Thanks for your continued interest in Hello Houston.
Until next time........

Reader Entry - Food for Thought, Ridgewood NJ

I always enjoy when readers of Hello Houston comment on my posts and I'm even happier to receive suggestions and as in the case right here, a reader submitted photo.

This image sent to me by Lisa from New Jersey is representative of the the essence of Hello Houston. This blog is somewhat a take off of the Seinfeld television series. A publication "about nothing," but in reality it's about everything.
Everything that most people pass over without comment in their everyday lives.

Take a moment to read the sign on this store. as it has an interesting product mix. It makes you wonder "what comes first - The booze or prescriptions?" Perhaps for some, both at once.

Lisa, thank you for your photo and keep them coming.

References:

Lisa - An oasis of professionalism in a workplace environment that is beyond my ability to accurately describe in writing. Perhaps it's best characterized by the knot in my stomach which magically appeared each and every time I entered the New York City building of the self claiming unbiased television network. The escalators from the lobby to the newsroom did a fair job of taking me below ground, and they seemed when working to be well balanced. Working with Lisa was great and I thank you for making that period in my career a bit nicer and less caustic.

Harding Pharmacy
305 E Ridgewood Ave
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
(201) 444-4500
(201) 445-7122

Take Me Out To the Ball Game...........

A reader interactive post. Please refer to the song take me out to the ballgame as you read though this post. Here we go…..

Take me out to the ballgame. WAIT STOP, insert commercial here for Chick Fillet (Fast Food), wait 30 seconds and begin singing along once again.

Take me out with the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack, WAIT STOP, insert commercial for United Parcel Overnight Delivery Service here, wait 30 seconds and begin singing along once again.

I don't care if I never get back, WAIT STOP, insert commercial for some ubiquitous home mortgage company here, wait 30 seconds and begin singing along once again.

Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don't win it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,
At the old ball game."

WAIT STOP, before anything continues prepare to listen to several more promotional announcements of some sort. For example,

The first pitch of the game is brought to you by,

The first honorary pitch of the game is brought to you by,

The nicest smile of the game is brought to you by (some Houston cosmetic dental firm)

And so it goes. It never stopped. And like too much ice cream it became increasingly uncomfortable and irritating as the night wore on.

So, by now you’ve guessed that I’ve been to a major league baseball game. Technically, it was a baseball game but from my perspective it was more like eavesdropping into the conference room of an advertising agency. Surely, I understand the necessity of sponsorship but believe me, the commercial assault began last evening as my guests and I walked from the car towards the stadium. EVERYTHING that could be sponsored was.

Surprisingly enough the men’s room was seemingly void of commercialism.

Perhaps audio provided by a deeply voiced announcer could boast “this flush brought to you by the Tidy Bowl Man – Remember to wash your hands” They missed one, I should send them the idea.

So, why is this observation worth a post? Well, because believe me the bombardment of commercial imagery and sounds didn’t stop all evening. It even included characters in full costume, roaming the stands to sell their ideas. It’s not that I’m irritated that easily, (We’ll that all depends) it just went overboard. (did I mention that my tickets were almost 50.00 each and parking was additional? I would have spent more for the seats for a commercial free version)

It’s no wonder consumer debt in this country is sky high.

If you’ve reached this portion of the post you may be wondering what really set me off?

Well, being intimately familiar with the public relations game, I was saddened by the first pitch (which by the way was made by a veteran of the Iraq war that has spent the past four years has recovering from combat wounds). Of course the national anthem was sung by a Female Navy Officer in full dress uniform, and the display of the national colors was also quite dramatic. Believe me, I appreciate the efforts of our soldiers but I sit in utter amazement wondering how in good conscience such public displays of government orchestrated pageantry can take place against the backdrop of solders in combat at this very moment who are underpaid, under equipped and working alongside “civilian contractors” making enormous salaries for the very same work. So once again, why this post, we’ll it’s what I observed. Texas is a very proud place and the Texans at the game were well focused on the singer, flag and troops. Then of course, it was time to play ball, I mean, listen to more commercial announcements.

Interesting Links:

Lyrics of Music for "Take me out to the ball game" (Click Here)

ET Phone Home......

This doesn't appear to be anything special but can you remember the last time you saw a working telephone booth?

Most probably you haven't seen one for a very long time. This relic actually works, but then again it ought to. It's located in the parking lot at Windstream Communications - the local telephone company in Sugar Land, Texas - right outside of Houston. Until next time.......AR

A Treehouse for Police........

Came across this contraption in Fort Worth, Texas. Interesting. Set up in a parking lot of a Best Buy, this portable police observation booth is quite unique. It makes you wonder, "just how effective can this be?" or does it compromise the safety of the officer assigned to work in there?

Until next time.........

Interesting Drawing

Pride
Originally uploaded by krlove.

This wonderful drawing was made by an extremely talented artist located in Sugar Land, Texas by the name of Kathryn Love. I am not entirely sure how large a drawing this is, or for that matter, where this lion currently resides, but he really caught my eye.

Now, regarding Kathryn Love: I just finished viewing about an hour and a half of video footage shot at her open house on Saturday April 14th, 2007. I'm working with Kathryn on a number of promotional initiatives and I hope to have some video of Ms. Love up on Google Video in a few weeks. Working with Kathryn is fun and challenging at the same time. All in a positive creative way. Stay tuned for more.

To learn more about Kathryn Love Click Here.

Interesting Sculpture

This fella caught my eye while leaving Calvert, Texas. I wonder where he's headed? Any thoughts? I encourage you to drop me a line with your ideas?

When a Picture Doesn't Say 1000 Words

This photo is deceiving. Notice the falling snow and slush on the ground. Well this was taken just one day before Easter Sunday 2007 when temperatures across Texas fell well in the low thirties. Yes, it's odd but by itself not a big deal. For me, it was a blast back to my days in the cold Northeast because for about two hours prior to shooting this photo, I was driving about 20 miles per hour through sleet, snow with zero visibility, totally covered pavement and about one inch of accumulation. And yes, I forgot to mention that I was in the middle of nowhere headed back to Houston from the Dallas/Ft Worth area. So what have I learned? Never say never. I ever so proudly boast on occasion that I'll never have to deal with snow and ice again. Well I suppose I was wrong. There is a happy ending to the story. I was able to find lodging in a little town called Calvert, Texas with the help of one restaurant owner who not only called around to find a vacancy but who also got into his car and drove me to the bed and breakfast inn where a comfortable bed awaited. Can you see that happening in NY City or Houston for that matter? I don't think so.

If you ever find yourself in Calvert, Texas (about two hours North of Houston) why not visit Dereck at the Someplace Else Restaurant and tell him the guy from NY sent you.

Dereck, if you ever get your computer fixed and read this. Thank you again for your hospitality.

The Someplace Else Restaurant - 615 Main Street, Calvert, Texas 77837 / 979-575-6265

To see where Calvert Texas is located, Click Here........

A thought to ponder.......

No photo on this one, just a thought to ponder. You may want to ask yourself "Is this really worth it?" Now that I am finally taking my health seriously, I hope you will as well. Here goes.

A 16-oz. Grande latte has a robust 440 calories (about the same as two packages of M&M's) and costs about $4.50 in New York City—or about three times as much as McDonald's (MCD ) most expensive premium coffee.

Source: Business Week On-Line

Spring is in the air......

The weather in Houston has been outstanding. Spring is in the air and free entertainment is everywhere. I took this shot of a performer at Central Market on Westheimer in Houston. The band was from New Orleans and they were fantastic. Free live entertainment at the supermarket. For my Friends in the Northeast, when was the last time you saw that at a Shoprite, Grand Union, Stop & Shop or Walbaums?

I'm certainly not in New York!

And yet another reminder that I'm not in Kansas anymore. (Actually, I've never lived in Kansas). This sign and I met at a park in Sugar Land, Texas and it certainly caught my attention. I don't ever recall having to watch for alligators while commuting on the Long Island Railroad.

It's COLD here in Texas

Well, winter is here in Houston, Texas. First off, I haven't seen the sun in over a week, it's raining, temperatures hovering about 32 degrees and it's windy. So, I'm not one to write about weather because I believe it "just happens," but experiencing this does bring back memories of NY which trigger fear throughout my body. So, will the sun ever come out? Who knows.

Now, the photo in this posting is not Houston. It's New York City from the blizzard of 1888. It's really doesn't matter because that's what it feels like to me here in Texas this past week.