Skeleton Greetings!

This is our final Halloween picture of the year. I saw this on my way home from work today and had to take a picture! I think the skeleton is really cute, and I like the inflatable pumpkin. I like the placement of each object in this picture as well.

I hope everyone had a nice Halloween...

Come back tomorrow to see something that will disappear soon...

Pumpkins!

In stores there are still a few pumpkins left for last minute carving. We bought ours last night! These weren't just any ordinary pumpkins...they were Pirates of the Caribbean Pumpkins! (I have no idea how or why they would call it that, but there you have it.)

Whether you are carving pumpkins or heading to work...enjoy your day!

Spooky Skeletons

Several people have decorated for Halloween around town. This is such a fun house. I remember actually trick-or-treating here when I was growing up. They would dress up their dogs (as devils usually) and they would be dressed up as well when they would answer the door to pass out treats!

*On a side note: Today is one of my favorite days of the year because we "gain" an hour! Enjoy your EXTRA hour today!

Halloween is On It's Way!

All along I-45 you can find inflatable pumpkins, dinosaurs, panda bears, and even football players on top of certain buildings. These are to draw attention to drivers/consumers...and draw attention they do!

The next few days I hope to post Halloween-ish pictures for you...I like to be festive!

Enjoy this beautiful Saturday!

Chick-Fil-A's Double Drive-Thru

You are looking at Chick-Fil-A's first fully manned Double Drive-Thru here in Houston. It's a good thing there are two lanes, because this particular Chick-Fil-A on the Southwest Freeway is usually very crowded. Here is an interesting post about how this Double Drive-Thru works. (Definitely check out the Houston Chronicle article linked there too!)

It is Friday...Aren't you EXCITED!?!

Chapel of St. Basil

This is the University of St. Thomas' Chapel of St. Basil. The architecture of the building (and the shiny gold dome) caught my eye! You can read more about this interesting chapel here.

It is another wet day here in Houston, but I think I am going to go out and take some more pics today. Wish me luck!

More Texas "Art"

Here is more Texas Art painted on the side of a building/barn. From left to right you have our state flower - The Bluebonnet, a Longhorn skull flag thing, and finally you have our state mammal - the Armadillo.

The Bluebonnets are absolutely beautiful in the Spring...there are fields and fields of them. It is custom for people from all over Texas to sit in the fields to get their picture taken.

Thanks for stopping by today...see you tomorrow!

Houston Public Library

This is the side of the library close to the University of St. Thomas. I like this book return box on the street for convenience. I also like the modern look of the book return box against the classic look of the library itself.

Enjoy your day!

Lights...Camera...Action!

In this picture, you can find two cameras on top of the traffic lights here at the intersection of Richmond and Hillcroft. There are 9 other intersections in Houston that are monitored. What happens (if you aren't familiar with this process) is that when the lights turn red, the cameras catch cars that run the red lights and a traffic ticket is sent to you in the mail!

According to this site, if you are caught running a light by an officer it is a criminal offense, and if you are caught by a camera it is civil. Another interesting thing noted in this post is:

"... Eighty percent of drivers who run red lights do so within the first second after a light has turned red. And over the past 30 years, yellow light times have decreased. Cities have created yellow light traps, where a driver has to decide between slamming on the brakes and hoping not to be rear-ended, or flooring the accelerator to try and make it through the intersection. If cities would lengthen yellow light times, red light running would decrease, as even a camera proponent admits..."

These cameras may encourage Houstonians to be more safe out on the roads...but it is also interesting to learn that, "...A single camera in San Diego brought in $6.8 million in 18 months..." from red-light-runners. Something to think about.

Anyway have a great day...and be safe!

Texans!

Hello everyone! This is the home of the Texans, Reliant Stadium. We are all celebrating because the Texans won their football game today! Have a Great day everyone! (I know the Texans are.)

-Megan

Behind the Scenes...

...at Starbucks! I do enjoy a good cup of coffee. My favorite is the Vanilla Latte. It's gray and rainy outside...perfect for a cup. What do you drink at Starbucks?

*I've been making my own Vanilla Lattes at home lately. Here you can find "copycat" recipes that you might want to try!*

Have a great Saturday!

True Love...

This is one of my absolute favorite pictures!! I don't know the title of it (if anyone else does please let me know). This picture hangs on the wall of a Starbucks here in town...one of my favorite usual Starbucks. I admire it each time I go in there...it's such a happy picture...fitting for a Friday!

Very Happy Friday!

Waiting for the Bus

This is a terrible picture...but I do like what it shows. I was on my way home when I saw all of these people downtown waiting for the METRO. This is very close to the METRO station downtown.

Also, I want to point out the mini-van parked behind the fence. During the morning rush hour, all underneath I-45 people park their cars in these parking lots and then hop on a bus and head to work. I guess it is convenient if you travel via I-45!

Houston is definitely not known for their mass transportation system. But did you know that one 40-foot bus takes approximately 58 cars off of the roads? That is something to defintely think about! Anyway, here are a few more interesting bits of information from Commute Solutions:

According to a study by the Surface Transportation Policy Project and the Center for Neighborhood Technology, Houston-area commuters spend more than $9,500 a year – more than 21 percent of their annual household expenditures – on transportation.

Another study, the 2005 Urban Mobility Report, conducted by the Texas Transportation Institute, ranked Houston 5th in annual delay per traveler in the nation.

The study goes on to show that public transportation saved 20 million hours of traffic delays in 2003.

Public transportation also saved commuters a total of $341 million in that same year. Houstonians can avoid wasting so much of their hard-earned time and money sitting in traffic jams by participating in the many great commuting alternatives available.

Have a great day!

How Quickly Things Change

Remember this photo from August 24th? Well, about a month ago they changed the sign and here is how it looks today.

One thing about Houston in general is that it is always changing...upgrading...modernizing. That's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just that sometimes I think we lose our past too easily.

Enjoy today...see you tomorrow!

Remembering Better (Weather) Days...

Yesterday was just a mess! It has been raining pretty heavily since Sunday afternoon, and yesterday we had a terrible storm! It was coming down in buckets...at I-10 and the Beltway it was under about 20 feet of water. Hundreds of people (including me) were stranded at local gas stations because we couldn't get into our neighborhoods. I didn't get home safely until a little after midnight last night. I was lucky though, four people lost their lives yesterday just trying to get to safety. Please keep the families of these victims in your prayers.

This slideshow will give you a better idea of what it was like yesterday.

Today though it was absolutely beautiful outside! There is a common and true saying here in Houston, "If you don't like the weather...wait five minutes and it will change!" Therefore, I am not surprised in the least that there are more Thunder-Storms in the forecast for the next two days!

I wonder how the weather is where you are...

Harris County Mounted Police

On certain occasions, such as festivals or protests, the mounted police force is needed. Recently, I saw this beautiful horse taking a rest after a long day of tough work.

Can you see the Sheriff's cowboy hat in the dashboard of his truck? That is pretty common here in Texas.

Chocolate Fountains

One of the greatest things, I think, about weddings these days is that at the reception there usually is a chocolate fountain! At the wedding I went to yesterday, there was a dark chocolate, milk chocolate and a white chocolate fountain! They had marshmallows, fruit, and cookies to dip in the chocolate of your choice! As you can imagine this is an endless source of pleasure.

Which chocolate would you choose?

Dancing in the Dark

I went to a lovely wedding this afternoon at the Houston Racquet Club! This was the couple's First Dance as husband & wife. If you look closely you will see the wedding cake in the background glowing.

What a lovely day! See you tomorrow!

Happy Friday!

This is such a festive picture I thought...perfect for a Friday! These large balloon things are called Moonwalks or 'Jumpy Things' that kids can jump around in like crazy. Sometimes people rent these for birthday parties too. Have you ever had a moonwalk for your birthday? :-)

Happy Friday, Everyone!

I Spy...

...the Texas flag! I was driving home and I spotted this Texas flag peeking at me from the side of a building/barn thing.

We are known as "The Lone Star State," hence the lone star. Also, the blue stands for loyalty, white for strength, and red for bravery. To read more about the Texas Flag go here.

Good Night.

How Cute Is He!?!

Hahaha...this is my Aunt and Uncle's dog, Jake. I told my Aunt that I would post this lovely picture of him here. What can I say...Houstonians love their dogs!

See you tomorrow!

Kinky Friedman

I don't know much about Kinky Friedman, but I love this sign. I saw it this past weekend in someone's yard in the Museum District.

This definitely grabs your attention...and it's not like most of the other boring political signs.

Enjoy your day...See you tomorrow!

Greek Market

Here is another picture from the Greek Festival this weekend. I took this one in the indoor market they had set up. Here you can see Roasted Red Peppers, Olive Oil, and the spicy mix of pepperoncinis, carrots, and cauliflower among other things. YUM!

Until tomorrow...

OPA!!

This weekend the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral hosted the 40th Annual Greek Festival here in Houston! It was so much fun! They had tons of great food, great music, and great shopping all in a great atmosphere.

Here is what we had for lunch/dinner...it was really good:

Dinner Plate - $10.00 A generous serving of pastitsio (pas TEET see oh - baked macaroni with beef filling and Romano cheese topped with bechamel sauce); tiropita (tee ROH pee tah - triangular-shaped cheese-filled puff pastry); spanakopita (spa nah KOH pee tah - spinach and Feta cheese rolled in filo); souzoukakia (sue tze KAH kia - Greek flavored meat roll); and salata (traditional Greek salad with seasonings, vinegar, olive oil, and Feta cheese, garnished with olives and a salad pepper).

I hope you had as much fun this weekend as I have! Until tomorrow...

Gelato at Paciugo

I wasn't feeling well yesterday, and the only thing that sounded good for lunch was gelato. So, I ran in and got some at this great, new place called Paciugo.

I got a small order with 3 flavors including: Coconut, Chocolate Hazelnut, and Italian Wedding Cake. They also have great coffee!

Treat Yourself Today...

Will You Be Ready?

Because one day you may have to save the world!

This is one of my favorite billboards in town right now. You can find it on Interstate 45 going south.

Happy Friday!

Single Moms

This is a painting at school that I really appreciate. It represents single moms who go back to school, and the stress that it brings.

...Until tomorrow...

My Favorite Building Downtown

This was taken this past Saturday downtown in the theatre district. I have always loved this building...I guess because it is so different. This building is the Bank of America Center. Read more about it here.

Until tomorrow...

Hello, Mr. Cello!

I've always loved this little guy! This sculpture, entitled Virtuoso, is in front of the Lyric Center Building Downtown in the Theatre District across from the Wortham Center.

This Saturday Lu took me to the Houston Ballet's performance of Dracula at the Wortham Center. It was great!

(Read some of the facts about the Theatre District...they are impressive!)

Have a great Tuesday...

Changing Traffic Lights

Just in case you have ever wondered how they change the traffic lights in Houston...here you go!

It is actually a very inconvenient, time consuming project. There are too many cars everywhere, and if anything is out of the ordinary it slows everyone down. This was taken on San Felipe, which is a very busy street in Houston...so you can imagine!

Enjoy your Monday!

*Come back tomorrow to see "The Cello Man!"*

Houston "Taxi"

Ok, ok, so this isn't technically a taxi, but I thought it was cute. This is inside 100% Taquito (the restaurant I've shown you recently).

The first day of every month The City Daily Photo Family posts pictures to match a specific theme...and the theme for today was Taxis.

Hope you enjoyed your weekend...

Until tomorrow...