- Joined
- Nov 17, 2005
- Messages
- 2,859
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Houston, TX
- First Name
- Anthony
- Last Name
- Martinez
Last week marked my first week as an engineering (mechanical) student in some eight years. That was interesting enough in itself. First off, there are a LOT of women studying engineering now. This was absolutely not the case in 2001. I like that change, even if I'm comparatively ancient where these young ladies are concerned. Secondly, taking Calculus again has shown how little I've actually used anything more complex than basic arithmetic in the last eight years. Relearning Algebra, and Trigonometry has been fun. If you've not ever checked out Wolfram Alpha you should. It's an excellent resource for this sort of thing.
Anyhow, that's hardly related to motorcycling so I suppose I should get to the point. I'm attending the University of Houston, but living (for now) out in Katy with my parents. My classes are at the ever undesirable hour of 0800. All you Houstonians know what that means. I leave the house no later than 0630 to account for, well, Houston.
Motorcycle parking permits at UofH are free, though spaces available for motorcycles are quite limited. I suppose the one desirable thing about having 0800 classes are the empty motorcycle lots at the time I arrive on campus. Driving my truck 360mi a week for school, would be what some might call "cost-prohibitive" so I ride the FJR every day, rain or shine. Lucky for me the Katy Tollway is in HOV status when I leave, and often when I come back. That lets me avoid about 20 miles of insanity each way.
The interesting stuff begins when I exit the relative safety of the tollway. I am glad the FJR has brakes capable of stopping the beast as quickly as it can, and an engine capable of going from legal to warp speeds almost instantaneously. Commuting on a motorcycle in Houston is probably the least sane thing I've done in my life thus far. Yes, that includes enlisting the day before a ground invasion. I do not, in any way, enjoy moments spent on I-45 going through downtown Houston. It is almost as if people throw their brains out the windows immediately upon crossing I-10 if headed south on I-45, and US59/TX288 if headed north. Mind boggling at all daylight hours.
Things I've dodged in the past week:
Tomorrow, bright and early, I do it again.
Anyhow, that's hardly related to motorcycling so I suppose I should get to the point. I'm attending the University of Houston, but living (for now) out in Katy with my parents. My classes are at the ever undesirable hour of 0800. All you Houstonians know what that means. I leave the house no later than 0630 to account for, well, Houston.
Motorcycle parking permits at UofH are free, though spaces available for motorcycles are quite limited. I suppose the one desirable thing about having 0800 classes are the empty motorcycle lots at the time I arrive on campus. Driving my truck 360mi a week for school, would be what some might call "cost-prohibitive" so I ride the FJR every day, rain or shine. Lucky for me the Katy Tollway is in HOV status when I leave, and often when I come back. That lets me avoid about 20 miles of insanity each way.
The interesting stuff begins when I exit the relative safety of the tollway. I am glad the FJR has brakes capable of stopping the beast as quickly as it can, and an engine capable of going from legal to warp speeds almost instantaneously. Commuting on a motorcycle in Houston is probably the least sane thing I've done in my life thus far. Yes, that includes enlisting the day before a ground invasion. I do not, in any way, enjoy moments spent on I-45 going through downtown Houston. It is almost as if people throw their brains out the windows immediately upon crossing I-10 if headed south on I-45, and US59/TX288 if headed north. Mind boggling at all daylight hours.
Things I've dodged in the past week:
- Bicycle
- Tread of 18-wheeler tire
- rolling chair
- F450
- Porsche Cayman S
- Audi S5
- Ford Fiesta (surprised to see that one on the road still)
- Case of Budwieser
Tomorrow, bright and early, I do it again.