Sometimes I Remember

When the wind blows warm from the south or that afternoon thunderstorm rolls in or when watching Dave Ward do the news at 10:00 PM, I remember
But more often than not it happens when driving across town
a town that now includes everything that used to be considered way out there

I remember when Humble, Rosenberg, Katy and Conroe were way off the beaten path
Back when the Dome was the 8th wonder of the world and the bleacher seats in center field were the best seats in town and the only thing greater was the Astro's on AM radio on a humid summer night

I remember Ron Stone an Ron Franklin calling the Oiler games on the same AM radio though on a different station and going out side to re-enact the plays I heard them call and when it got dark, I remember the Houston Toad.

I remember when the best birthday present was a season pass to Astroworld and before that we went to Peppermint Park on South Main, where the ponies had to walk in circles in the sun and had the saddest look in their eyes.

I remember when the coliseum had pro wrestling and pro hockey and when the people who went to the Summit worshiped "The Dream" and "The Glide" and Prince and U2. Back when the world seemed to end at Sharpstown mall and you had to go downtown to get a James Coney Island or over to Richmond to get Chilis or Pappasitos

Back when there was one Ninfa's, one Los Tios and one Loma Linda's and I remember whem there was it seemed on every corner. Back when there were cowboy cut wranglers and cowboy boots, Bud and Sissy and Gilleys

When the only loop was the 610 loop and Crash was the DJ on Rock 101 playing The Allman Brothers and Skynyrd and Journey and REO and AC / DC. Back when on Sunday nights you tuned into Quiet Storm on KMJQ out of Clear Lake City.

Must be getting old if I'm driving around remembering the "good old days" but I think the city was a better place back then.

The towns off the beaten path are now part of the suburbs, the dome is crumbling, the Coliseum is gone and the Summit is home to Joel Osteen and those that worship the lord.

Chili's is almost global and Pappasitos is now national. Loma Linda's is gone and Los Tios and Ninfa's have downsized. Cowboys are still here but the Urban Cowboy craze is gone. Rock 101 is now hispanic and the last time I heard Crash's voice was at my dad's funeral. Toad's are scarce, if you even see one and at some point some jack ass decided to move Peppermint Park to 59 south where it failed miserably.

I don't know what happened to the ponies with the sad eyes, I hope they found a pasture with shade and water and no damn kids to ride on their back, I always imagined they were tired of carrying kids in a circle - at least thats the way I remember it.