Yes I am late, but better late than never. I wanted to mark the passing of architect Philip Johnson who died on January 25th. He had a major impact on Houston architecture. Among the list of buildings that Johnson designed are Houston’s Pennzoil Place, the Bank of America Center (my personal favorite), the Williams Tower and its Water Wall, and the University of St. Thomas campus including the gold domed chapel. Johnson said in an interview “”I saved all my best buildings for Houston.” We thank you for that.

For those of you who live/work or will simply be in the Clear Lake Area this Thursday, I’d like to let you know about the following announcement.

CREW REMEMBRANCE AT 10 A.M. THURSDAY
FYI: The flyover will be between 10:01 & 10:05 on Thursday morning.

January 27, 2005 has been selected as a day of remembrance for the lost crewmembers of Apollo I, Challenger and Columbia. In addition, JSC team members are asked to take a moment to remember lost members of our extended NASA family.

Bells will toll 3 times in tribute to the NASA crews:

• Apollo I – Gus Grissom, Ed White, Roger Chaffee (January 27,1967)
• Challenger (STS-51L) – Francis Scobee, Michael J. Smith, Judith Resnik, Ellison Onizuka, Ronald McNair, Gregory Jarvis, Christa McAuliffe (January 28, 1986)
• Columbia (STS-107) – Rick Husband, Willie McCool, Michael Anderson, Dave Brown, Laurel Clark, Kalpana Chawla, Ilan Ramon (February 1, 2001)

After a short moment of reflection, the ceremony will conclude with a T-38 flyover in missing man formation (weather permitting).

A Day of Remembrance event at NASA Headquarters will be televised live on NASA TV at 1p.m. central time. JSC team members are invited to view this program as well.

Noticed a Reuter’s news report this morning concerning our diligent Houston law officers. Looks like the boys in blue are gettin’ nekkid!

“Knowing police were not allowed to disrobe meant sex workers could ask customers to undress before propositioning them to determine if a potential client was an undercover officer.”

So asking someone to take off their clothing doesn’t count as a proposition? Oh man, I’m so behind on my prostitute/”stress relief” worker protocol.

The Houston MetBlog family will be creeping away from our respective keyboards and facing the sunshine come Saturday, Feb. 12th. Yes yes y’all – time for our first-ever MetBlog Meetup!

You can sign up/RSVP at Meetup.com – this invitation is extended to both Houston Metblog writers and readers alike. It should be a nice relaxing time to chat, share a bottle of wine (or not) and match ‘RL” faces with screen names, etc.

It sure would be a whole lot cooler if you came.

One
Has anyone received their electric bill yet? I just received mine from Reliant and it

Just a reminder, but today is the last day to sign up for Burn It – The Winter 2004 Edition. The theme this season is remixes, so there should be some interesting compilations created.

You know you want to join, so go read the rules and sign up!

As if parking wasn’t a stressful enough issue to deal with at the beginning of this semester, buying textbooks can also cause pounding headaches. The lines at the UH bookstore and The College Store (formerly known as Rothers) can make anyone practically go insane. Not to mention the fact that you probably have better things to do then wait in line.

If you’re ready to move on, join the number of people who purchase their textbooks online. It’s fast, it’s easy, and best of all, it’s cheaper. Last semester, my friend saved almost $100 buying books online instead of at the bookstore. The only obvious downside to this method is having to wait for the books to come in, but if you don’t need them until next week anyway, it should be okay (just make sure to choose expedited shipping). Worst case scenario, you can borrow the book from a classmate for a day and read up on the necessary material until yours comes in.

A Few Things To Consider

• As mentioned above – if you’re in a rush or a bit nervous about doing this, choose an expedited shipping method. It will cost more, but chances are that it will still cost less than the bookstore. Keep in mind you are also saving money on tax.
• Make sure to thoroughly comparision shop. Books can vary significantly in price depending on the site. You may find that it will be necessary to purchase from more then one store.
• If you
  

H-Town Blogs is having a happy hour tonight around 7:00 for anyone that would like to come.

It’s taking place at Onion Creek Coffeehouse, 3106 White Oak Drive, in The Heights.

Hope to see you there!

You may or may not have noticed my absence here. For those who follow my adventures on my personal blog, you’ll know that I’ve been off giving birth and adjusting to life with a newborn. This means that I’ve also been inducted into the world of breastfeeding. Ironically, in a city that’s reknowned for its topless bars, as I face the prospect of baring my nipples in public–with nary a man waving singles at me, I might add–I realize how difficult it is to feel supported in the choice to feed my child in the manner recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization (despite the fact that Texas law permits breastfeeding in public). It feels like a minor miracle to find places outside of a La Leche League meeting that are friendly to breastfeeding mamas like myself.

Luckily, one of the best breastfeeding resources is right here in Houston. In Rice Village, you can find A Woman’s Work, a shop dedicated to nursing products and resources, and its associated A Woman’s Workshop, which offers breastfeeding and parenting classes with lactation consultants.

AWW is the only place I know of in Houston where one can purchase the Glamourmom nursing camisole–a godsend for those of us who want to nurse in style. I just wish that they carried it in more of the available colors–currently, AWW carries only red, black, and white. Every nursing mother I know is a fan of these versatile camisoles.

AWW staff is friendly and helpful, and able to assist with questions about breastfeeding and pumping as well as custom-fitting you with the perfect nursing bra. The shop also provides multiple changing tables (a decent public changing area is a great rarity in Houston, I’ve found), as well as scales for weighing your infant (a great way to assure yourself that yes, your baby is getting enough milk–since breasts don’t come with handy tic marks to show how many ounces have been sucked up by your little one).

The best aspect of this shop by far, however, would be the two nursing areas with comfy armchairs, support pillows, and a water cooler for shoppers whose babies need a lunch break. This is unfortunately a rarity among shops for nursing and expectant mothers, and such a smart marketing move, to boot. On a recent visit, I enjoyed being able to stop and feed my little guy in the company of other nursing mamas–a form of socialization that reminds me of the Friday afternoon coffee klatsches I once shared with my baby-less friends. An AWW associate stopped by to join the chat, offer her expertise (and of course, to suss whether we were ripe for any more purchases–all in a day’s work).

Now, if they’d just add an espresso bar….

I just found out what I am doing this weekend. If you are into indy film, horror films or just plain checking out cool stuff… read on. There will be 16 films, free giveaways, and a performance by Houston’s own Zombilly. It is the 2005 Horror Dance film festival.

There is a meet & greet with the filmmakers tonight and the festival itself starts at 7PM tomorrow (Saturday.) Admission is $12 and it will be held at Numbers: 300 Westheimer.