I was really looking forward to this weekend because I was heading down to Texas to see my aunt, uncle and cousins who I have not seen for years and years! I went straight to the airport from work to catch my flight from Indianapolis to Charlotte (North Carolina), before changing to fly from there to Houston. Altogether this trip took about 5 hours. A direct flight would have taken about half the time, but would have cost a bit more. Could it be that I am turning into a stereotypically tight Scot in a desperate bid not to become Americanized? Or, is it simply because I have to survive on the virtual pittance that the SaltireFoundation see fit to pay us poor students! Only joking… with the cost of living out here being significantly lower than the UK, I have been able to exist quite comfortably on the generous remuneration the SaltireFoundation so kindly provide me with (I think that should just about get me out of the above semi-slanderous comment!).
Anyway, arriving at the airport I was delighted to see my Uncle Lindsay waiting for me at the gate to drive me back to their house in Katy, just outside of Houston. Driving out of Houston I could clearly see that the credit crunch has not yet taken grip of the city as there seems to be building work and regeneration everywhere. I have never seen such a litany of cranes littering a skyline. One of the newer buildings was the biggest Hospital I have ever seen; it really puts the Western General to shame! Apparently it’s not even a big hospital compared to others in the area.
Arriving at the house was a great experience, not just because I was finally at my destination after being awake for 17.5 hours, but because I got to see my cousins and aunt for the first time in too long. Not only was the house full of my cousins friends and boyfriends, but they had also all brought their dogs, it was quite a chaotic environment to be plunged into! After all the initial introductions it was brilliant to sit down with a few drinks and catch up on old and recent times. There was so much to talk about I didn’t actually get to bed till after 3 am, for a well earned sleep!
I was woken on Saturday morning by my cousin Kirsty’s dog, Ozzie, licking my face, he’s a pretty effective alarm clock! After a huge breakfast my aunt Kathy took me for a drive around the local area to see all the places I had only ever heard about. Later that afternoon we went to a local outdoor swimming pool. I managed to utterly embarrass myself trying to do some tricks off the diving board, especially compared to my cousin Coleen who was pretty good cheerleader in her day! This was a really pleasant way to spend the afternoon since it was over 100°F! In the evening, some of the neighbors came around for a barbeque. It was a truly enjoyable evening with drinks, food and great banter!
After we had finished eating we had a night-time fishing competition with floodlights cutting through the period’s undoubted crepuscular charm. There are apparently a lot of catfish in the man-made lake that the ‘backyard’ backs onto. Of course due to my strong beliefs in relation to animal husbandry and in accordance with my role as a spokesperson for PETA, I participated but refused to catch any fish (it’s not because I’m rubbish at fishing, honest!). After the fishing contest my cousin Doug, his wife Christina and I went out for a ride on their little electric powered boat. In an act that further served to accentuate my lack of fishing skills Doug managed to catch another two fish (as if winning the contest wasn’t enough for him!). When we got back we saw a huge turtle (and some smaller ones) eating some of the left over fish bate at the edge of the lake which was really cool, and also a couple of snakes, which I didn’t really enjoy so much. Overall it was a brilliant weekend which I will never forget.
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