The Cockeyed Seagull

It’s definitely fun to travel with such a seasoned traveler. Clay is relaxed and low-maintenance… a definite plus in my books. The flights were uneventful, other than the bizarre lack of a window next to our “window seat” on our second flight. Even the flight attendant thought it was comical and decided she was going to draw a scenery and tape it to the wall. It surprised me how much I missed having that window, especially when we landed!

We got our rental car and headed out and around Houston on the toll road G8. Travel advice—take this route. We bypassed the downtown traffic. 

Down in the NASA area, Clay guided us to his favorite dive bar, The Cockeyed Seagull. I had my first shock of the trip when we stepped through those hallowed doors… people smoke indoors in Texas! I couldn’t believe it. Clay laughed at my expression. He commented with a chuckle, “I don’t think the Il Forno Classico ladies would like this place.” 

I’m pretty sure he’s right. He laughed even harder when I saw the bill and my jaw dropped. Two cocktails, two beers and a glass of merlot was only twelve bucks! We’re definitely not in California anymore.

Then we checked into our hotel on Clear Lake. Not sure where the name Clear Lake came from. There’s nothing remotely clear about this lake. It’s a lovely shade of brown. We got into our rooms and ten minutes later we were heading back out. Man, I love traveling with people who can be ready that fast. That’s the upside of dressing nice for the air travel, you’re ready to go out without an ordeal. 

Clay treated us to another of his favorite places, an upscale restaurant called Tommy’s Oyster Bar. I had a glass of wine that cost as much as our entire bill at the Cockeyed Seagull (love that name). The waitress turned out to be an incredibly smart girl with a love of science and space travel. Clay’s faced glowed with joy at her enthusiasm for his favorite subject.

We went back to our hotel and guess what? Clay and Joe wanted another cocktail. Seriously? Next thing I know I’m following them to the hotel lounge. I couldn’t bring myself to order yet another glass of wine, so I got a half glass. I’m going to have a liver problem by the time I leave this town. Needless to say, I conked out as soon as my head hit the pillow.

This morning finds me sitting on the fourteenth floor in the breakfast lounge looking out over Clear Lake, which is not clear. I sat out on the balcony to write because I love the humidity, but my laptop didn’t like the sprinkles of rain. I’m back inside and just shut my WiFi off because my computer went bonkers. This will definitely slow down the blogging process!