Houston, We Have a Humidity Problem (and I Kinda Love It)
okay, so. houston. i didn’t really plan on houston. i was supposed to be in new orleans, but a series of unfortunate events involving a cancelled flight and a very persuasive travel agent landed me here. and honestly? it’s… something.
I’m a touring session drummer, you see. My life is a blur of airports, dodgy hotel rooms, and the occasional surprisingly good diner breakfast. I’m used to chaos. But this… this is a different kind of chaos. It’s humid. Like, really humid. I just checked and it's clinging to everything like a lovesick octopus - twenty-one point something degrees, feels like twenty point three. Pressure’s steady, but the humidity is a solid thirty-eight percent. You know, the kind of weather that makes your hair frizz and your clothes stick to you. I’m not complaining, though. It’s… interesting.
I’ve been mostly wandering around the *Museum District, which is actually pretty cool. Lots of big buildings, lots of people looking thoughtful. I stumbled into a little jazz club last night - The Big Easy, ironically enough - and heard some incredible music. Someone told me that the owner, a guy named Earl, used to play with Louis Armstrong. Drunk advice, probably, but it sounded good at the time. I checked it out on Yelp - https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-big-easy-jazz-club-houston - and it seems to have decent reviews.
I’m staying in a little Airbnb near Montrose*. The neighborhood is… eclectic. Lots of vintage shops, quirky cafes, and murals. I spent a good hour just wandering around, taking photos of the street art. I’m thinking of posting some on my Instagram - @drummer_adventures - if you’re interested. If you get bored, Galveston is just a short drive away. I heard that the beaches are decent, though the water’s probably a bit murky.
Speaking of murky, the food scene here is… intense. I had some barbecue the other day that was so good, it almost made me cry. Seriously. I’m trying to find a good Tex-Mex place - someone at the jazz club said that El Tiempo is the place to go. I’ll check TripAdvisor - https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60926-d726783-Reviews-El_Tiempo_Cantina-Houston_Texas.html - before I commit.
I’m also trying to find some decent coffee. My usual spot back home is a tiny little place in Brooklyn that roasts their own beans. Houston’s coffee scene seems… varied. I saw a few places on a local board - https://www.houstonpress.com/bestofhouston/best-coffee-shops-in-houston-2023-30288617 - that look promising.
Honestly, I’m just going with the flow here. No real plans, no real agenda. Just wandering around, soaking up the atmosphere, and trying not to melt in the humidity. I’m also trying to find a decent drum shop - my snare head is looking a little worse for wear. I found one on Google Maps - https://maps.google.com/maps?q=drum+shops+houston - that seems to be nearby.
Someone a local warned me about the traffic. Apparently, it’s legendary. I’ll keep that in mind. For now, I’m just enjoying the chaos. Houston, you’re… something else.
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