Thanksgiving 2011

This year Thanksgiving Day activities were a bit different than normal. We thought we’d try something different and spend the morning volunteering at 33rd Annual Thanksgiving Big Feast sponsored by the CityWide Club of Houston. Several thousand people showed up for the event, and in fact there were more volunteers than they actually needed. So we really didn’t do much of anything. It was still kind of nice to see all the people and just in such a positive environment. They actually had many volunteers stand along the walkway and applaud and cheer people as they came in the door. Later we got in line as well and walked through a gauntlet of “Happy Thanksgiving”, high5’s, applause. It was like being a celebrity and walking the red carpet! Kind of fun. 🙂

The bad part is the car was towed while we were at the event. I parked in a spot with a meter, but didn’t look closely enough and see that the City of Houston had marked this zone special just for the day for the Thanksgiving Parade. So 4 hours later we return to find the car missing. They didn’t even put a notice up telling where or how to find the car. Actually, I wasn’t even sure if had been towed – maybe it had been stolen?! But no, Holly did some digging on the internet and figured out where the car had been taken. When all was said and done it cost $270 to get it back. Thanks City of Houston for sticking it to us on Thanksgiving Day with your half-ass notice taped on the side (not visible from the street) of the parking meter saying specially zoned for today! Oh, and you’re welcome for our donated time at your Feast too.

I like living downtown, but I have to admit you’ve got to be careful or you’ll get ticketed of fined over the stupidest little things. And those fines aren’t cheap! Expect to pay upwards of $100 for a parking violation. Plus, the Tow trucks are always circling around like vultures waiting for any opportunity to kidnap your car and hold it hostage until you pay. Downtown Houston you are kind of schizophrenic – sometimes you’re pretty cool with your free concerts and great events, but then again sometimes you really suck with your petty fines and pain-in-the-butt parking nightmares.

Oh well, whatever. That’s life in the Big City.

It is officially the Holiday season. We’ve got a whole plate-full of things to do between now and Christmas. Happy holidays!