More Houston Museums

This morning we went to Houston Museum of Natural Science. The mineral collection there was as spectacular as I had heard, but the samples were treated too much like fancy gemstone displays and more education content could have been given, like in the extensive seashell collection. The fossil exhibit was OK, but 3/4 of the 20 dinosaurs were hidden away as part of a renovation. I did watch the IMAX Movie "Sea Rex" about dinosaur-era reptiles, which was good and educational. (I have taken a bit more of an interest in those, but that subject is for another blog entry.) While I watched the movie, the ladies checked out the very large butterfly house - they liked it, but it was hot in the enclosure. The energy exhibit was mostly about oil (not real surprising here in Texas) and informative, but I do not remember much being mentioned about carbon emissions and the possibility of global warming. I was also turned off by the prices of stuff at the museum - I saw some fossils for sale for maybe as much as ten times as they would be sold at a local rock and mineral shell. This afternoon we all went to the Houston Children's Museum. I had lower expectations, but I wound up really impressed. It was one of the better children's museums that I have attended. Some of the science exhibits impressed me more than those at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. There were many exhibits and we could have probably spent all day there. There was also a platform-and-steel cable mesh climbing area like at the children's museum in Normal, IL, but much bigger. After all this, we headed home to Austin with a big case of "museum fatigue". We had a great, packed trip to Houston.

Galveston

This morning I fed my darker interest in disasters by visiting the Texas City Museum. Newly renovated and reopened, the museum covers the history of Texas City (including the privateer James Campbell, see: http://www.wtblock.com/wtblockjr/james.htm) and has an entire room dedicated to the Texas City disaster, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_City_Disaster, which I talk about in my General Chemisty courses when I discuss ammonium nitrate. I got a better feel for some of the details and scale of the incident. I saw the anchor memorial and caught a glimpse of the battered ship propeller memorial. I sent Karen and the girls to a park to play, saving money and keeping them from getting too creeped out. We then traveled to Galveston to stroll the seawall beach area and pick shells (we saw sea anemones and jellyfish, too). After that we caught a free ferry ride across Galveston Bay and back (thanks to Karen's excellent research) and saw dolphins cavorting in the water (note two in the foreground of the pic with the SS Selma shipwreck, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Selma). The ferry ride and seeing the dolphins was probably the high point of the day. In the early evening we traveled to the San Jacinto Monument - nice, but arrived too late go up or to visit the battleship Texas (plenty of mosquitoes, though). Throughout the day, I got a good view of the jaw-dropping size of the petrochemical industry in the area (note background of pic with shipwreck).

Houston Space Center

Today I visited the Houston Space Center for the first time in almost 24 years. Karen visited about 15 years ago. My memory of that visit is fuzzy, but things have changed a bit (for example, the big Saturn V moon rocket is now indoors). The place might be more touristy, perhaps, but we geeked out and had fun either way. If you go, definitely get there right away, and get on the tram ride ASAP. It might not hurt to watch or rewatch the movie "Apollo 13" beforehand either. I have lots of pix but a slow connection, maybe I'll post more pix some other time.

Houston Aquarium

Today we drove down to Houston to see the sights. This afternoon we went to the Downtown Aquarium Houston. We saw a bunch of cool animals (mostly fish), including a sizable sawfish while on a train ride through a shark tank. I did my best to imitate a piranha. We got to touch rays, sharks, and hermit crabs. We did some other rides, too. Our hotel is really close to where the playoff-bound Houston Texans play, but their game is not until Sunday.

Pioneer Farm

Today Katie and I went with Karen and Kris when they fed the animals at Pioneer Farm. They volunteer to feed the animals there every other Monday morning. It's wierd: This morning when it was overcast I noticed the dead trees more and it reminded me of November in Peoria, but this afternoon with the blue skies I noticed the green grass and it reminded me of March in Peoria. A couple months ago I was tired of the intense Texas sunshine. Today I was happier than expected to see blue skies again. I suppose foliage is a factor. My "cold" was diagnosed as bronchitis today (I get that about once a winter on average), hopefully the meds will knock it out so I can sleep better. My kids have taken the fuzzy winter sock thing too far: Katie took off her socks and cuddled with them instead of a stuffed animal at bedtime.

Christmas Day, 2011

Today, was low key. We opened presents (and played with them), had some Jesus birthday cake, Skyped and phone called with relatives, and watched Christmas videos. I had hoped to jump in the apartment pool today, but it was in the 40s and I'm already battling a cold. Tonight, we rode over to Sonic to eat - the girls still managed to stay in their pajamas. Now we are watching the Packers play the Bears.

Christmas Eve

Went to 5 pm Mass tonight and totally underestimated the attendance at St. Albert the Great. We wound up watching it on a video screen in the vestibule. Afterward we went to Golden Corral for dinner, then watched Christmas videos and put out Santa cookies and reindeer food. Here is one of my favorite Christmas passages often read at Christmas Eve Masses - have a blessed Christmas!

Isaiah 9:2-7 New International Version

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

More Decorations

Today Katie and I did a little final Christmas shopping. Tonight we all went to see the big "tree" in Zilker Park - lots of strands of lights on a moon tower. (A moon tower is a sort of outdoor lighting system that some cities used to use.) After that we went to the Four Seasons Hotel to look at a big gingerbread spread. It was cool. After that we visited a number of houses lit up on 37th street. It was a bit random.

Decorating

Here are some blurry pix of our Christmas tree in our apartment. Our pile of presents is bigger than our tree. I re-hung the LED lights on the porch rail outside now that it got repainted (our apartment building exterior is getting repainted). We also participated in a local tradition - for some reason people over the last decade have been decorating HWY360 to the west of town. You just pull off the side of the road, decorate a cedar, and then make sure to clean up your mess after the New Year. It was fun.