Two museums and an Air Force One parking lot

Two museums and an Air Force One traffic jam is probably the best way to sum up today’s activities.

Health museum - digestive system chart

Rain prevented my usual walking exercise today, so I got cleaned up early and then waited on Joan to get up and around. About 10 a.m. we were cleaned, polished and out-the-door and on our way to the Houston Health Museum.

At one point Joan did something that she thought would inconvenience me and said: “I guess I’ll get fired.”  To which I answered, “No, you’re just going to get laid off, but without unemployment.”

We had heard from a friend of Joan’s sister that the Health Museum would be an interesting stop, along with yesterday’s venue the Natural Science Museum and because our CityPass included a ticket for the Health Museum, we decided to put it on our must see list.

On the news last night we learned that President Obama was heading to Houston on Friday, but not for an official visit, but to raise some money for his re-election at a $40,000 a plate dinner. Guess the 99 percenters weren’t really invited. As much as that was interesting, it had a big effect on our trip home later.

A chart for the Uleskey clan

OK, back to the health museum. Yesterday we had 30,000 school children at the natural science museum and today about half of those showed up to the Health Museum, which is a much smaller building.

Note to self: Never, ever go sightseeing on the week before spring break in any state, anywhere. It looks like the teachers planned these trips so these overly wired, sugar fueled, high volume young people would not be sitting in a classroom on the days before the big vacation.

Fortunately, the man at the door gave us a strategy to enjoy one part of the museum until noon, at which time the yellow school buses were scheduled to pull up to the door and take all the little crumb crunchers back to school.

So we visited the Hall of Cells where there were interesting displays on DNA, cell reproduction and other basic life form information. When noon arrived it was time for a 3D movie about a voyage inside the human body’s circulatory system. The movie included some 4D effects, which included the spraying of water and the blowing of a cold wind (although I would think wind inside the body would be a warm 98.6 degrees).

Me and my shadow, er skeleton (It moves)

We visited a number of other interesting exhibits on the digestive system, the ear and a dental portion on the mouth. Frankly, the museum was more set up as an educational place for school youngsters or families with small children, but it was an enjoyable three hours anyway.

One neat thing I did was ride a bike which was hooked to a human skeleton on a bike and as I rode, the skeleton moved showing me what was going on inside my body. I didn't wear a helmet like the skeleton, however.

By the time we were done at the museum, it was time for lunch, which we ate in the car while a steady rain fell.

Joan found another museum that she wanted to say (one we didn’t have a ticket for) just a few blocks from the Health Museum – advertised as the world’s only weather museum. Not sure about that, but for $3 (senior price) we figured it would be worth a look.

We arrived there about 2:15 p.m. and got engrossed in a fascinating movie about at Hurricane chaser and his coverage of all the hurricanes of 2008, including the massive one in Galveston that we had already heard so much about.

Joan at the health museum

There was great footage of the hurricanes and the aftermath and we got so into it, we decided to risk heavy traffic and watch it to the end. Unfortunately for us, we didn’t realize the museum closed at 4 p.m. and the poor young woman in charge finally walked into the theater about 4:15 p.m., kind of cleared her throat and politely mentioned to Joan and I that the museum was actually closed.

We felt bad that she hadn’t told us earlier, but we thanked her for letting us watch as much of the movie as we did and we headed outside, ironically, in high winds, lightning and thunder and torrential rains. The museum had great displays and old and new weather equipment and Joan, who is a big fan of the weather, said she really enjoyed the place.

Air Force One just over the trees landing at Ellington

By the time we got on the freeway – which looked more like a parking lot – it was 4:30 p.m. The good thing for us is that we were headed to I-45 South. Good thing, because the northbound lanes of I-45 from Ellington Field well into Houston was completely blocked off and closed for the arrival of the President.

Originally he was scheduled to arrive about 3:30 p.m., but weather and his schedule apparently delayed that to 4:30 p.m. right in the heart of the Friday rush hour. As far as the eye could see traffic on the side streets to the freeway were clogged with traffic and every police officer available had every northbound exit and entrance to the freeway blocked.

Air Force One parking lot on I-45

Our side moved fairly well, although it looked weird to see the other side of the freeway completely empty. A local radio newscaster reported that Air Force One was circling Houston because of the electrical storm, which only must have infuriated drivers waiting to get home knowing they couldn’t get on the freeway until the President was safely by.

Like I said, the President was only here to filch some big money for his re-election from wealthy  one-percenters in the Houston area. Don’t think he won many votes from the folks left idling their $3.79 a gallon gas while his $60,000 an hour airplane circled over their heads.

Joan at the health museum

South of the Sam Houston tollway, Joan say the big Blue and White Air Force One crossing the freeway in front of us on final approach to Ellington Air Force Base. I grabbed the camera and snapped a couple quick photos out the window.

South of Ellington Airport, northbound traffic was stopped on I-45 and was stopped for about 10-miles south of the airport. You know, Mr. President, it wouldn’t hurt for you to stay in your office in Washington and work once in a while instead of messing up everyone else’s day so you can raise millions for your re-election while flying around in an airplane paid by us. And just in case you were wondering I feel this way about all Presidents, regardless of party.

Inside a very big mouth

It brought to mind the freeway accident in the Flint area back in the 1990s when I was reporter there when Bill Clinton came to town and traffic on the freeway was completely stopped and a semi-truck driver came around a curve and didn’t realize all traffic was at a dead stop in front of him and crushed and incinerated three people in a small car.

Finally past all the traffic, we got off and headed for home. By now it was close to 6 p.m. and we opted to stop at a Domino’s Pizza and pick up dinner in a box.

As I sit here writing this tonight the outside air is cool, the wind is howling at 25 mph and the rain is coming down in buckets. Our role as drought busters continues.