Galveston

Ugh, I have a headache. So I'm going to cop out a bit today - I went down to Galveston with my mom to have lunch with my aunt, and it was interesting seeing Galveston again. The last time I was down there was probably in the summer, pre-Ike. How has Galveston changed? The oaks on Broadway are (probably) dead, from all that saltwater that flooded their roots. There were some random beached boats. Not on the road, but off to the side. The blue tarps are still present, but those are probably present in every Houston suburb from the Woodlands on down. Same with the random roadside tree stumps. We didn't drive to see the West End, much less Bolivar. I don't want to know what those look like. (I suspect both places will be casualties of Ike for years. Who would want to move there?) I also saw my favorite Galveston landmark, the San Luis hotel. I dunno if I was the only one who obsessively followed the Ike landfall, but every reporter in Galveston was in the San Luis hotel. It's probably the safest place on the island. Just think - if you stayed there, you could sleep where Geraldo slept! Gag me.

My aunt works at Galveston College - that's the local community college. It was pretty interesting going there. The atmosphere reminded me of UHCL, except the college was more compact. I understand the nursing program is very popular. A lot of the students there are older folks. Many students left before Ike and never returned to the college.

I think there's a lot of downsizing going on in Galveston. Galveston College fired all of its adjunct professors. Sometimes I read about UTMB and its problems in the paper. I'm sure there are many other firings that have transpired.

Probably my most eerie thought was this - thinking "That building flooded" as the buildings went on by. Except for the buildings on the Seawall, I guess every building flooded. I wonder what the flooding was like inland, in La Marque or Texas City or wherever.

If I'm going to write an entry about Hurricane Ike (at least sort of) I must close with the bear on the Seawall. (Bears adore Snickers.)