Houston...Too Close to New Orleans

Those poor bastards in Houston.  25 years to the day Andrew nailed us, Texas us dealing with the worst storm to hit in 50 years. And it's name is Harvey -- the name of maybe a friendly CPA -- not a killer cyclone.

Harvey was a Cat 4 when it hit the coast, and destroyed a lot of Galveston and nearby cities.  In Houston it's a rain event -- already they're flooded with 30 inches of rain and may get another 25.

Fortunately, my only connection to Houston is a friend whose daughter moved there just last month, to start her first big girl job, with Amazon.  She's doing ok, but my buddy John is still way worried.  He knows it'll be a city under siege for quite awhile, and he's not happy having his recent grad daughter have to deal with all that entails.

I've only been to the airport in Houston.  I've had no real desire to go, either -- to most of Texas, for that matter.  I spent some time in Ft. Worth, and watched an awesome Canes game in Dallas.  I guess the only city that holds any appeal to me is Austin.  D2 had a girls' trip there last year and enjoyed the food and music scenes.

I've heard that Houston has the worst Miami qualities -- only on a larger scale -- awful traffic, and zoning for cars instead of people.  Plus, it's hot as hell in the summer.  No -- not a place I have any desire to visit, but I still feel for the people there.

After Andrew, it took us nearly two full years to rebuild our house, and resume life as it was the day before the storm.  We moved a LOT -- first to an apartment on Brickell, then to my in laws' house after we bought it and they decamped to Pembroke Pines, and finally back to our place west of the Falls, in March of '94.

D1 told people that Andrew "mistroyed" her house.  It's a word our family uses to this day.

So I send my good thoughts to the city Robert Hunter claimed was too close to New Orleans.  We have a trip to NOLA planned for November -- a friend's daughter's wedding.

After Katrina, tons of NOLA people, mostly very poor, moved to Houston.  I wonder whether Harvey will send them back the other way.

One of my mentors in life, my former friend Vince's Dad, used to say that Mother Nature was a spiteful bitch.  Harvey shows his wisdom...