Remote Semi-Live Blogging from Galveston

Well, bright and early this morning I waved goodbye to Cat and the kids as they headed south to Galveston. The trusty family wagon including a borrowed roof top cargo carrier (thanks, Karl!) was filled with beach toys, scooters, fishing poles, swimsuits, and food for our family and the Tompsons of Houston for the next five days.

(Quick aside: as I was helping Cat pack last night, I commented that I didn't think that the 3 bottles of wine she was taking would be enough for 5 days at the beach. Her response? "Valerie is bringing 4 more, and you boys are on your own to get beer." So I think they'll be well provisioned [I typed and then quickly deleted "lubricated" because I know the type of person that reads this blog] in that respect this week.)

Anyhoo, Cat has been kind enough to update me with periodic notes and pics from the trip. They've made it safely to the house, which sounds great, and I can't wait to join them. In any event, here's the day as I've experienced it vicariously via text and e-mail:

11:15 am -- I assist in the search for a Redbox in The Woodlands in which to return a movie, as well as a McDonalds for lunch. (There's one at Exit 69 in Spring off I-45, by the way.) Thank you, Google.

1:08 pm -- "Leaving houston headed to big g." The renovations to the Tompson house are reputed to be "Awesome."

2:17 pm -- "On island not to house yet. Passed place we stayed [Spring Break 2008 with Barbara]. Still there."

2:55 pm -- "The bridge in the background is the beach. Pretty awesome."


You can barely see Sam in the lower right corner of the picture sprinting toward some unknown thrill/dangerous condition. Looks like fun.

3:17 pm -- "View from our upper balcony."


I sure hope Will Tompson survives this trip.

3:22 pm -- "I forgot the pkg of steak seasoning. It is in the spice cab. Please bring it for grill nite."

[Yes, I am happy to make a 280 mile trip to deliver spices. Try me.]

[At this point, Cat ignores my very pertinent question of whether they have had their first bottle of wine yet.]

4:49 pm -- "In the 1st 5 minutes Rach got a crab and Jack found a shark skull. Nice."


Curiously, I have not seen any pictures of my eldest child in Galveston. I'm wondering if she's currently locked in the roof top cargo carrier or if she made the entire tri? There may be a band of Gypsies out somewhere on I-45 with a new daughter/scullery maid/laundry wench. Good luck to them.

Now (roughly 6:00 pm) they were headed to the resort for the swimming pool and some dinner. Sounds like they are having a blast! Can't wait to get down there and join them!

I think I saw...

Driving down Central earlier this week, I could have sworn I saw David W. Harper in a white convertible whipping through traffic. Who? This kid from Fletch.

(Now in fairness, it was a Miata and he didn't have Chevy Chase with him, but it looked like him!)

Magic Fingers

When I was a kid, my family traveled everywhere by car. Vacations were roadtrips, and the journey was often just as important as the destination. I don't remember staying in big chain hotels on the road--or maybe we did and I don't remember--but I do remember the one night we stayed in a Holiday Inn in a little town, and when we returned from dinner, the marquee outside said something to the effect of "Welcome to the Hutton Family of Dallas!"

In any event, I do have very specific memories of staying in motels back in the 70's and 80's that had that quintessential weary traveler's aid: Magic Fingers. I remember that Laura and I would beg our parents for quarters to plug into the machine for fifteen minutes of "tingling relaxation and ease." So it was with great nostalgia and sadness that I read of the passing this morning of the inventor of Magic Fingers, John Joseph Houghtaling.

Now if only I could convince Cathy that we needed a Magic Fingers for our bed at home...

Renewing a Hutton tradition...?

Jack has just finished a week's worth of wrestling camp at Lake Highlands HS with Coach Pete Grieder. He had a fantastic time, thanks to Coach Grieder and the LH wrestlers who helped out at the camp.


He's said that he's interested in the wrestling club in the fall. If he keeps with it, great. If not, that's OK too. But I'm hoping that maybe one out of three boys will like wrestling! (No, Annie doesn't get the choice to like wrestling, except as a spectator!)

Catching up

So lessee...we haven't really posted a substantive item in months. We've only:
-- taken a Spring Break road trip (that we teased but didn't actually recap)
-- started and finished soccer season for all the kids
-- gotten a dog
-- survived 2 reach projects
-- gone to Lexington, VA for Ames' 15 year college reunion
-- celebrated Will's preschool graduation
-- enjoyed another talent show
-- started and almost finished Jack's baseball season
and
-- hosted a "buzz party" on the last day of school.

In no particular order, we'll try to hit the high points of some of those in the coming days/weeks. But for now, enjoy our Saturday routine: With 8:30 Saturday morning baseball games for our slugger Jack, we typically get donuts for the kids but the grownups seldom get enough breakfast for the day. So we head down to our new favorite taco joint, which is ironically enough named The Taco Joint, and fill up on the Austin-inspired grub. Good stuff. And it's not just the adults who enjoy it...


And the owner Cory gave Jack a free drink for a good baseball game! Cool place, we'll be headed back soon! So and check it out...