Now on my last day in town I was visiting three
schools. I had a good turn out on two of
the visits and one visit in which only one student showed up. Ok…it happens…better than when I first got to
Houston and no one should up to my visit from a school we see a lot of
applications from (frankly I think the counselor was checked out even though
she was brand new. She just didn’t
care). But talking to one student is not
a problem….rather talk to one than none.
After that visit I went to get some delicious BBQ before my last high
school visit and run to the airport. All
week I have been eating delicious smoky brisket. So smoky that even 30 minutes after eating it
I was still breathing the smoke. So
smoky I had withdrawal symptoms after leaving Texas. So smoky I would not be surprised if I ended
up with lung cancer (and unlike
cigarettes well worth the price I would have paid. Death by brisket!) But not on my last day in Houston. Oh no, not Houston. It wouldn’t be proper of Houston for me to
enjoy my last meal. Houston wanted me to
leave with a bad taste in mouth and it made sure that happened. The first place I had it on the fateful last
day was Brookstreet BBQ (not located on
any street named Brook but stay away from the Westheimer location). Now I have had the brisket from Brookstreet
BBQ in Sugar Land and it was right up there.
Delicious and smoky …just like me (oh yes I went there). But they have committed a cardinal sin in
this restaurant. Not only was that
brisket not smoky (it definitely had no smoke rings which the meat gets from
the slow smoking process nor a hint of liquid smoky as a form of cheating) but
they cut off all the sides that would have trapped any smoky flavor in before
serving it! I had really juicy pot roast
on a sandwich! Not brisket! And the sides were canned sides! I couldn’t believe it. I was disgusted but hungry all at the same
time and since I spent the money on it I ate it. None too pleased but I ate it. Oh and for the topper of that lunch Houston
made sure that they ran out of sweet tea by the time I got there!
Well after that I did my last high school visit in that
cesspool of human waste known as Houston.
Lovely visit and great kids, couldn’t have asked for more! So then I
went my merry way to the airport. I was
running a little late since one of the counselors decided to describe to me in
vivid detail just what students do in their four years at this high school. Not one to be rude, I sat and listened and
listened….and listened….and listened.
Really cool stuff but I had a plane to catch. Now on my way to the airport and stuck in
traffic I referenced my phone to look on the map where in relation I was. So I know I had my phone on the way
there. I stopped to fill up the rental
right close to the drop off point (makes it sound like a drug deal or
government spy…funny how descriptions of both of those coincide) and while I
was fueling up I emptied the car of all the garbage and stuffed my work carryon
full of materials and threw away the boxes.
Then I high tailed it over to the drop off center for the rentals. Grabbed my backpack my suitcase and carry on
and went to go catch the shuttle. As I
got on the escalator I went to check my phone to see what time it was. That’s when it hit me. I realized my phone was not in my
pocket! I searched my backpack and
carryon and knew it wasn’t in my suitcase.
I must’ve left it in the cup holder of the car! I ran over to the car rental people and asked
if I could leave my stuff there while I ran back up to the cars. They politely obliged and I ran back up to
the car rental area and went to find my car I dropped off 7 minutes ago. Well never mind the fact there was around
30-40 cars that were recently returned waiting to be taken down to cleaning, my
car was amongst the first to be taken from the drop off zone. The gentleman there directed me to the little
kiosk in the middle of the parking deck.
I went over there and explained everything to which a very nice and
sweet lady said she would run down to find it.
So off she went…and I stood…thinking it odd that they cannot communicate
between themselves and another area of their organization just down the ways. And I waited….and I waited…and waited…and
waited. They assured me she was looking
although they could call her to see what was going on. I would’ve happily called her myself if I had
my phone but then again I wouldn’t be in this mess if I had had it! So the time ticks by and soon 30 minutes fly
by and then 45. I asked if they had
heard anything at which point a gentleman said he would grab a car and run down
to see what was going on. And so he
did. And so I waited….and I waited….and
I waited. Finally I had less than an
hour for my flight to leave. I decided
to chalk up the phone as a loss and catch my flight back home. I hop on the shuttle to the terminal and go
to get my ticket and check my baggage.
As I am
trying to do this the machine notifies me they cannot check my luggage. So my
waiting commenced again, and when you are trying to catch a flight and need to
clear security then every second seems like a minute, making every minute into
an hour. Finally a nice lady came over
and told me that they don’t check baggage’s this close to departure because
they can’t guarantee I would make the flight.
So I had to catch a later flight (thank you Houston!) after we got all that straitened they checked
my bag and gave me my new ticket. Well
now with time to kill I hopped back on the shuttle bus back to the car rental place
the check on my phone. In that 20-30
minute period they had forgotten what I looked like because they thought I was
checking out a car when I went back to the kiosk. I mean really how many men with glasses,
saved head, majestic beard, wearing a full suit in this ungodly humidity and
heat, and wearing a bowtie do they see every day?!!? Anyways when I told them I missed my flight
and had time to kill and came to see if they found the phone they simply told
me no. Damn. All that and still phone less. Sad, down trodden, and with a broken wallet I
hopped on the same shuttle bus I just took back to the terminal. Went through security and entered the
crappiest terminal ever. Most terminals
are nice and are long with various stores.
One book store, an eatery, and dimly light waiting terminals with no
free wifi, least not working free wifi.
So I went to the one store and after about 5 minutes had seen everything
they had to offer…twice. Finally I went
to eat. Even though the stress caused me
not to be hungry I knew I had to eat at some point and it was hours since I
last ate. I went and found the BBQ place
thinking oh delicious smoky brisket with your delicious side of mac n cheese
and oh so sweet side of yams would cheer me up.
Damn you a third time Houston for playing me the fool! This brisket was unedible! It was mostly grizzle. I hate grizzle. So much fat on this that less than 40% of the
serving was meat. That and the yams were
canned and over cooked and way to sweet.
When they served me some of the yam juice found its way over the
partition into my mac n cheese totally ruining those! So all in all two meals as a loss. I went to wait for my plane. Finally got on and took off with no
issues. Hit some turbulence in the air
that was awesome (hey I can say that cuz we landed safely) and got to my office
around 1:00 am Saturday. Never mind the
fact that I had to pack the car with ten boxes full of materials for my trip to
the UP and had to leave the next day to get to Escanaba!. But Houston was not done there. It had to give me one last punch like in a
cheesy horror movie that once you think the monster is vanquished it lashes out
with its dying breath to inflict that one last kill! Well I
had bought a little gift for a friend from work, a small token of my thanks for
giving me a lift to the airport, and in trying to open the plastic lid that was
taped down really tough, the plastic
broke and jammed right into my finger tip.
So now I had to find that first aid kit and get all bandaged up. Touché Houston touché.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YYfn32yRlM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YYfn32yRlM
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