Pictures of the Day - a day in Houston

Guys? I have a problem. I think I'm addicted to exploring new places around the city. Okay, okay, that sounds ridiculous. But keep in mind that I have no driver's license. My poor mother.

For breakfast? Dirk's coffee. Previously Diedrich's, this cozy neighborhood place offers a selection of pastries and (the best) bagels (in the whole world) from the Hot Bagel Shop. Though the huge windows look out onto a wide grey road, it's still cozy to sit at the counter peering out the window through steam from a hot coffee. 

Half Price Books! Seriously, why did I not buy this book. We're reading passages from it in English class -- we just finished the Oresteia, and it's possibly the best thing I've ever read in an English class. The writing was so amazing, and put in historical context (though our English teacher certainly didn't make an effort at that...), it's even more interesting. Moral of the story: I love used bookstores.

Lunchtime! Yeah, I really spend that long in bookstores. Quite the nerd, I will admit. Taco-a-go-go on Main is a great place to cheaply (a good idea, after spending so much as I do at bookstores) satisfy your hunger with delicious tacos. Who would've guessed, with a restaurant name like that, hm? In addition, the place has every Mexican soda you could ever ask for, coffee, alcohol... and yeah, other foods too. But even the employees agree that you should stick to basics. Even if you're going to branch out by getting a dessert taco *gasp* in the flavors of pumpkin pie or blackberries and cream.

Then I came back closer in to my own neighborhood by visiting the MFAH (Museum of Fine Arts) and the CAMH (Contemporary Arts Museum). I saw a series of sixteen or seventeen short films called Independent Exposure, produced by Micro Film. It was in turn awesome, disturbing, hilarious, cute, strange, experimental, jarring, and just plain confusing. I'd highly recommend it if you ever get the chance to see it, though I don't know if it's playing outside the Cinema Arts Festival. Which, by the way, has now ended. NOOOOOO! I suppose this means I get to hold on to some of my money, though.

 After that, home. Even if you don't live in the area, there's plenty more to do. You could go to Hermann park, ride the little train around, walk around the Japanese garden and go to the zoo. You could go to Rice University, eat at the student center, find a film at the Rice Cinema, and go to D-17, the installation at the Rice Gallery. You could... you get my point. You have no excuses for not having fun in this city. It can be so cool.

Sara