Galveston, Oh, Galveston!

Sunday, February 6    {What an Egyptian ExPat Refugee Does in Houston}

This is the day that the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! This morning we went down to the lobby for breakfast where Barbara and Mark K. were dining. They had already been to early mass and were pumped full of joy for the hearing of it. ( in English!) Sam and I enjoyed a full breakfast in the lovely restaurant. All fruits were brightly colored, ripe and beautiful. I opted for a bowl of creamy, steaming oatmeal sprinkled with brown sugar and berries! Sam had an omelet made to order, full of veggies, ham and cheese!

Once our appetites were satisfied, it was time to feed our curiosity. We are curious about Galveston, how the hurricanes of years past have changed her and what’s left for tourists. It felt so good to be heading out of town! We breezed past exits on the highway; some familiar sights like the Chili’s where we ate once, the turnoff to the town Gina and Dan Regouby used to live, and then finally, some of the bay homes on canals with private boat docks. Off in the distance we could see the glass pyramids of Moody Gardens...a tropical conservatory and live butterfly museum. Galveston holds special memories for Sam and I. We have had several opportunities to be there over the years. Sam used to work in Houston while the kids and I lived in Tulsa. One time, Steve and Denise Regouby came to visit Galveston with us. We went to the nearby town where his brother’s family lived for church on that Sunday. I remember being impressed with the small, country church because they had a group of kids who were taking their music on the road. They were active in missions and... this is the part that stands out in my mind the most: they sang Christian lyrics to the tune of “Nights in White Satin.” They called the song “Saints in White Satin.” It was one of my favorite songs in high school and I thought it was quite a feat to turn it into a “Christian” song! After church, we went to lunch at a small diner in town where everyone knew everyone else! We also took them to the Moody Gardens- Sara Beth and Jacob. Sarah Beth is about David’s age. This was many years before they wound up moving to Tulsa. 

David jumped in the pool at Sam’s apartment building one time we were visiting and cracked open his chin. It required 3 stitches to close it. The emergency room at the hospital had a children’s area so he got taken back right away. It was a good ER experience but it did put a hamper on swimming after that.

Another special time in Galveston was when Sam was working on the ship channel. We rented a condo on the beach, right next to a public beach, so every morning and evening, I would walk the beach and look for sea glass. Sheyenne had her 13th birthday here at Joe’s Crab Shack. They made her ride a stick horse around the room while singing a song. We had two of the girls’ friends come for a visit while we were there; Lindsay Grabowski, and Avi Tomczak. We planned something fun to do everyday. We made sand candles, sand castings with plaster of Paris, we went to the museum or to the beach or to the Strand. One of our favorite places on the Strand was called “Water Wall Burgers”. There was a waterfall at the back of the outdoor restaurant. The burgers were good, but the setting was the most fun! Today when we went, we were disappointed to find the red sandstone wall still there, but lacking water and now under a different owner. It doesn’t appear that the fountain wall is working anymore. 

Bill and Connie went to Galveston with us once too. We all stayed in the same apartment-Sam’s roommate being away for the weekend. We enjoyed the Strand and its antique shops. We sang karaoke in a Christian Coffee house and explored Captain Bubbas Army Surplus store. This store has military uniforms from all the wars. He is often called upon to outfit actors in movies with historically correct uniforms. Sam and Bill especially enjoyed this store. It was closed this day we were on the Strand. We hired a horse and buggy for a historical tour of the downtown area. We got a kick out of Bill, who asked the driver if his horses’ name was Dobbins. The guy told us his horse’s name was something else. He never picked up that we were kidding about a horse named Dobbins! 

Today Galveston has changed, but we were pleased to see that the beaches are clean. The water is no murkier...in fact, there was less seaweed on the shores. We did not see ANY oil on the shore or anywhere for that matter! We stopped at the far end of the beach where the Flagship Hotel had sustained major damage from the past storms. The air had that salty, sea smell. We breathed deep and sighed at the memories it stirred in our hearts.

 

A small flock of sea gulls became a large flock as I imitated throwing food into the air. From seemingly nowhere, what was 10 birds became 100 or more! Throwing sand into the air soon was only a bluff and they called me on it! We noticed that one bird seemed to have only one leg. He hopped on one leg, balanced in the breeze on the one leg and flew off with a hop on that one leg. As I looked around, there were lots of birds with only one leg. “Could this be a result of the oil spill or chemicals in the water along the bay?” I wondered. As I snapped some photos, Sam pointed out to me that these birds were standing on one leg with the other drawn up underneath its body ! We had a good laugh at this ‘anomaly’ and our ignorance!

We drove down to our old Beach condo. It was still there and to the east of it, a new building (new to us). To the west was the old public beach. It was not as nice as before. It has not been restored and the erosion caused by the storms was evident. There were some cars there indicating it was still in use. From here we drove to the Strand, parked our car along the pier and went to Willie G’s for lunch. It was the same. Along the pier is the theatre where you can see the film about the devastating flood of 1900, the shipbuilding museum, several restaurants and the boardwalk out to the water where you can see the ship channel with its service bays for large, ocean going vessels. While we were there, we could see a jack up rig and some platform rigs in for service. 

One of the new things along the pier is the dock for cruise ships. In dock today is a HUMONGOUS Carnival Cruise ship. It is bigger than the buildings and the other ships in the channel. I wonder how many people it can hold, and how they can possibly all have a seat outdoors! I don’t think I would enjoy that at all!

 
We enjoy a nice meal...Me--stuffed shrimp and Sam, a bacon wrapped cheese stuffed shrimp. While our meal digests we head out to the pier to view the channel. About three gulls are floating in the water. I pulled my saltine crackers out of my purse; the ones I did not eat for lunch-- I crumbled the bag in the cellophane package, making a sound for the birds to hear. I sprinkled the crumbs in the water and waited...not one fish or bird appeared to eat the now wasted cracker. Or so I thought. As we walked further down the pier, about 5 birds hit the crackers as they were getting soggy and floating in to the depths of the green brown water. After they snapped up the crumbs they began to gather overhead. I looked around to see if I was breaking the law by feeding the birds here. No sign of prohibition here! So I pulled out another cracker and held a piece of it in my fingers. The birds began to hover and squawk at me. Finally, one brave gull, suspended at my eye level by its rapidly beating wings, shot forward and took it out of my hand! I did the same with each piece in the wrapper until the cracker was gone. It sure was fun! I wished I had a few more to feed them, but I know the diners outside under the awning of the building were glad that I didn’t! they can become pesky, snatching food right off diner’s plates!!

When we entered the restaurant, we saw a “Dobbins” and his driver sitting in the carriage right outside the door. After feeding the birds we looked for him but he was gone. We walked the short distance past dock warehouses converted to storefronts and what appears to be a youth hostel, to the Strand. It looks the same, only cleaner, fresh--probably from new paint and being restored after the storms. There are still the same souvenir shops full of beach balls, resin paper weights encasing shells and t-shirts with suggestive slogans, as well as beachwear shops and gift stores for the upscale shopper. 

We are pleased to see two things, especially. The full -size chess set is still in the park and the store with the soda bar and ice cream store is still there on the wooden boardwalk. As you traverse the board walk the smells and sounds are much the same: country music from this eatery, Bob Marley and Bob Dillon from these over on this side of the street. The scent of incense from the head shop, beer from the sidewalk bar, and sweet aromas from the funnel cake place. The Bass shoe store is gone, as is the quarter driven player piano from the Sarsaparilla Bar, and the Karaoke Christian coffee shop. Physically gone, forever in my memory.

We find the gray ‘Dobbins” on the corner with two other horse-drawn carriages. Chad is the driver and Dobbins is actually named Mae. We opt for the short drive and settle into our buggy. We go past many buildings built in late 1800s or early 1900s. There is the first bank in Texas, an old rooming house where a murder took place and whose ghost haunts the room to this day. The alley where a young boy was run over in early 1920s while chasing his ball. His ghost wanders the alleys and back streets laughing and playing in his invisible world. The hotel where a miser lived until two men took his life and his treasure and where you can rent THAT room and sleep (if you dare) with his ghost. The street where 3100 bodies were burned after they had drowned during the Great Storm of 1900. First, they were buried at sea but they returned on the tide and so, for health reasons, a mass burn and burial was held. Their ghost haunt the Strand and much of Galveston Island. This island has the highest concentration of ghosts anywhere in the USA. The only spirit I am aware of is that of our dear friend, Bill who sits beside us on this tour saying quietly and mockingly, with a grin on his face and an ornery glint in his eye, “Stupendous, Marvelous, Outstanding (buildings)”. I smile to Sam and we reminice about our friend. 

We dropped off our laundry as we came into town. Now that our ride is over we need to get back to the reality of being Egyptian Refugees. We picked up our washed, dried, and folded laundry, stowed it in the back seat and head back to the mainland and the Super Bowl Game Party at the hotel. What a walk down memory lane. It is different but same too. I am glad we went! It is nice to do something away from the speculating and wondering and sometimes complaining that takes place around the lobby at the hotel!

The Super Bowl Party was well attended! Apache outdid herself for us again! We had hot dogs, nachos, icecream, cookies, drinks and a large, large screen TV. Tables and chairs for those who chose to be at the back of the room and nice, comfy arm chairs for those who want to watch the game. I did see Rachel Lunsfort dancing at the half time dance. I could not be sure which was her since she had a cube on her head! It was fun all the same, to know someone there! I had to go upstairs before the game was over. One glass of wine and I was very tired! I enjoyed visiting with some people I did not know before! I got to know Ebby a little and Raquel some more. I enjoyed catching up at the end of the day with Julie and Margaret, and Ann.