A Week in Houston

Arrived last Wednesday night into Houston Hobby where Steph picked me up and we headed straight home and to bed.

Since then, lots of activity, not as many photos. Here's the week from the phone.

Thursday

Up early, spent half the day catching up and clearing out all my work stuff. Got over to the Leader offices in the afternoon to organize the week ahead and start up the scanner for its hot and heavy week. That evening, Steph and I took the girls (both names Maddie) to Gringos and shopping for back to school stuff, since their classes start up in another week.

Texted Nick with a "miss you!" photo. 

Friday

Friday morning I was up and out with the sun and over to the Leader, key in hand, to get going. 

My contribution to the office staff

 

Found a huge framed aerial looking north from Brio worth pulling out from behind a desk.

Scanned from 6:00 to 6:00 Friday, 1990 - 1993 out of the stacks and loads of other photographs that had been unearthed when they moved things around this summer.

Met up with the family for dinner at Pappas BBQ, who have some spectacular beef ribs on the menu.

Saturday

Had an appointment with Tim at the Julia Ideson Texas Reading Room downtown to view and order some additional never printed negatives of Almeda (should arrive today via email). I also had a chance to flip through the un-indexed Houston Magazine put out by the Chamber of Commerce. They are bound by 12 issues for the year into large books, so the pages warp when you attempt to take a photograph (scanning is not allowed). Sure enough, there in Oct. 1966, was the opening of Foley's fourth store, at Almeda-Genoa, two year before the mall would be built. I also discovered that Bob Bailey, the photographer, was a well-known and prolific photographer around Houston during that time and that his, and his son's, body of work, some half a million negatives, are stored at UT in Austin at the Briscoe Center. Since he doubtless took a whole roll of the opening and the magazine only used a couple, they are waiting for me to find them on the next trip.

a few other snaps from that book and the 1968 one:

Got back, did some more work, and more scanning of photographs I'd taken with me on Friday before the family got back from their running around and Robert grilled steaks. Steph's oldest brother and his girlfriend joined us. And I didn't get a single photo.

Sunday was spent finishing up the rest of the photo scans and running around with Steph doing errands.  (Nap) before resuming scanning at the Leader for a few hours. 

Monday

Got over to Walmart to buy a replacement carry-on for the one I managed to rip a huge hole in as well as pick up a few things for Steph. 

On the way to the South Belt Monday morning:

One of the finds that took me a good part of the weekend to finish was the huge thick album of photos of the earliest days of Beverly Hills South Belt Little League. Hundreds of photos layered in those pages!

 

Worked from 6 to 6 again, before heading over to Cafe Brasil for an evening with Cjo.

She knitted me a birthday present and included a copy of her book, 

which I made her sign, before we left.

When I got home late that night, Steph had made me a fleece blanket covered in Inside Out graphics, just like Sammi's.

Tuesday

And the next morning, I found this little present left for me on my coffee cup. I'd slept in and actually left later than everyone else, at 6:45! Slacker!

I still got about three hours of scanning in before meeting up with Mr. Golenko at the front of the "real" Dobie High School for a tour. It took some patience to get clearance, but once they let us through, we had the place pretty much to ourselves except for some meetings going on in common areas. All photos from our tour are here.

 

After that, we drove over to Dot Coffee Shop for lunch. Mr. G had never been! It's been in the same place since 1967, with most of the interior original. 

 

 

The portions are huge. This was lunch and dinner today.

 

and pie!

  

Tried to get all the portions of the large aerial they had hanging near the bathroom. 

We swung by his house so he could lend me the scrapbook made for him at his retirement in 2006.

I scanned until 6 again and headed back to the empy house, where the dogs were happy to see me. That's Lucy sitting on top of Roxy, who insisted on getting between me and the side of the couch.

Wednesday

Mr. G came by to get his scrapbook and we managed a photo together before he left.

 Scanned from 7 until 11:30 when I got over to meet up with Steph and Michelin for lunch. We forgot the photo until after Steph had departed.

Back to the Leader until 5:00 when I had an appointment to pick up the Monterey House candy that had been freshly made this week by the original baker, still going strong. 

She suggested I cut it into small pieces and wrap it in wax paper, and perhaps even place it in a bag of chips to get the consistency I remembered from my childhood. So, we'll see. Even soft and fresh, it is delicious. And yes, I'm sharing. 

Last night was just me and Steph and Mexican food. 

Two more days and I will finally not be living out of bags again. That'll be strange.