So this is our last few days of reasonable internet service and suddenly all that paperwork and emails that have been building up need to be addressed. A year off in 2016 doesn't, unfortunately, mean a real year off life. Builders still at the unfinished house, financials, the change of ownership of the Kings basketball team, CPD for my new qualification, visas and future travel all need to be addressed in 48 hours in Houston.
Steve booked us in at the Houstonian Spa resort. The kind of place for ladies that lunch and play tennis. It has the largest gym I have ever seen where middle aged (am I that age?) women work out in full make up and middle aged guys sit on the bikes reading a news paper while watching Trump spout off yet more hate incenting garbage.
As I write I am depressed because of the news out of Belgium this morning and what it potentially further means for Europe and will for now sit on our un-finished European plans.
I'd like to see more of Houston but the location of the hotel means we are miles away from anywhere. I insisted we go to NASA which we visited yesterday. I am glad we did. In this moment of bad news, visiting a place definied by exploration and optimisim is a welcome relief and reminder what can be achieved when countries work together. We loved exploring the shuttle but Steve and I walked out of the Apollo exhibition wondering why after 17 Apollos in 5 years and several landings on the moon was it finished by 1972. Are the conspiry theories real????!
Steve swears blind he saw an aligator in a river we passed on the tram tour. I am not convinced, even after he has shown me photos of aligators in Houston.
Children loved everything about NASA and it's a shame that much of it is only open to the over 14s. A little bit of interesting info was that most astronauts were boy scouts..dib dib and all that!
The hotel has an indoor basketball court and Kyran has made up for 12 weeks no training by playing on the court for an average of 4 hours a day. I've got a face free of make up but am hitting the gym hard for about 20 minutes a day. Life is too short for agony - I'd rather walk...
Off to Costa Rica tomorrow. Erin and I downloaded Babbel and are ploughing are way through. I studied for a couple of years 20 years ago and unfortunately nothing has stuck - lets see how much I can regain in the next 6 weeks of Costa and Belize
Hasta Luego amigos