Houston Memories

All our bags (and boxes) are packed and we're ready to POD it up tomorrow. We thought we would write about things we are going to miss about Houston.

- Restaurants: Mark's, Fadi's, China Stix, Ruggles, Empire Cafe, Paciugo's (the best gelato), Saltgrass steakhouse, Hungry's, Skeeters, Chocolate Bar, House of Pies.

- Our Sunday stops at Dunkin Donuts. Matt loves the chocolate cream filled (pray for his arteries!), but the best part about the place is the old people that meet there. They talk about the funniest things and we usually sit in silence as we eat, so we can listen to them. One of them is a very grumpy old man, who brings his own tea cup and another one looks like Rick Moranis' father.

- Going to the zoo for free on Martin Luther King day and touring the whole zoo in 2 hours (it's not very big!).

- Going for walks around the apartment complex and stopping to say hi to Clarence and his little dog Ava.

- Sunday dinners with the Fords, they are pretty much delightful in every way!

- Pastor Boys' sermons. We have heard many preachers, especially since we went to Master's, and Michael consistently challenges us every week with amazing insight into the text. Check out a sermon or two at http://www.bethelipc.org/. We especially recommend Genesis 32 on February 17th.

- We will both miss friends from school/work, and church that we have made over the last 3 1/2 years. We will both miss our Bible studies.

- We will miss the accessibility of Randall's, Chik-fil-a, Blockbuster, Barnes and Noble, and Marble Slab, all within a 5 minute walk.

- The houses in the neighborhoods surrounding us. They are very cool and unique (not to mention HUGE).

- The old man who is a crossing gaurd for the local elementary school. Watching him throw down his sign and grab onto the pole nearby like his life depends on it every time he finishes helping a child cross helped us wake up each day. Matt always wondered if he would have to jump out and use his advanced cardiac life support skills (ACLS).

- Miller Outdoor Theatre. It was free and they had cool shows.

- Thunderstorms and how green they make the city.

- The easy accessibility to the Harrell Hotel. We thankfully never were directly hit by a hurricane, but enjoyed evacuating from the potentials.

- People watching: one of our first experiences here was seeing a man run naked around a day care center with a police man holding a blanket ready to apprehend him.

- The weather guys on the local news, (how can you beat names like Casanova Nurse) and the terrible local commercials, with people like Mattress Mac.

- Cheap gas....well, cheaper than everywhere else in the nation.

- Night at the Apollo with Monique and Bernie Mac reruns (there's not much on when you don't have cable).