HOUSTON

Houston evokes a lot of memories. I was here in the 80's, teaching

programming courses to NASA folks at the Johnson Space Center. Even in

those times, the drivers seemed unusually manic -- this time it is much

worse. More about that later.

My first stop was the Mexican Consulate. It is hard to park there, requires

three or four times around the block! And then a 30-minute wait, only to

find that I need to call a "border number" to get the real lowdown on the

changes in customs regarding electronics and other things. I dial the

number numerous times, only to get a busy signal.

I arrive at Colombo Services during the lunch hour, and unload everything in

the truck. As I unload, I develop the strategy that everything heavy must

get off the truck; speakers, amplifiers, TV, DVD player & recorder, all wind

up on the "to be shipped" pallet. I wind up with a much lighter, emptier

truck. Ernest, my friend at Colombo, will put these in a box which is about

42" x 42" x 42". It doesn't make much difference what it weighs because the

(ocean) shipper worries about volume. Ernest charges me $680 total to pack

and ship to Belize City. If you need this sort of service, or any sort of

freight consolidation, you should contact:

Ernest Alfaro, Jr.

Colombo Services, Inc.

4000A Airline Drive

Houston, TX 77022

(713)691-3513

A Colombian, he called me "Mr. Rick" the whole time. The shipment will

leave Houston on Nov 19, and arrive in Belize on the 23.

I have to pick up some foamcore, which I use for storyboarding (see my 

article here) so I go back downtown (groan) to Texas Art Supply, where a 

4X8 sheet of foamcore costs half what I ever paid for it before!! With 

foamcore loaded in the truck in two smaller pieces, I am off

for I-10 and the trek out of Houston.

WHAT A HASSLE!! It's 3:30 and it takes me about a half hour to get on I-10

westbound. Now the sun is in my eyes, I-10 is in the throes of severe

roadwork, and it's just a big slowly moving parking lot. An hour later, I

get off in Katy, and find refuge in a Sam's Club, where I get a new battery

for Betsy.

Editorial: I have said before, on- and off-line, that I thought the COS

drivers were about as bad as any I had encountered. They pale to

insignificance compared to Houston drivers. They are all angry, in a hurry,

ignoring speed limits completely, tailgating, cutting me off, buzzing me at

30 miles over the limit -- just about everything I've ever encountered in

rude drivers. Of course, after driving an hour at a crawl, with the sun in

their eyes, they are REALLY angry, and I'm sympathetic with anyone who lives

in Katy and commutes every day. But I can say without reservation that

these drivers will die of heart attacks and stroke at an early age, if they

don't shut it down, and move to someplace quiet like Belize!!

Having said that, I will say that I did survive that drive and almost

anything else will be easy by comparison.

The motel, a Super 8, is not that cheap, but things are more expensive here

in Katy, and I'm glad to bed down for the night and get totally out of

Houston first thing in the morning!

Rick Z.

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