Texas, Washington Round Out Top Five Hybrid States

According to the HBJ, Texan hybrid auto sales were up 37% over 2006, which garnered the Lone Star State fourth place among the top states for hybrid auto sales at 4.9% of the total market. California continues to lead the nation with 26% of the nation’s hybrid sales occurring there. Leading Texas also were Florida at 5.5% and New York at 5%. Just behind Texas, Washington state came in at number five.

Stayin’ Alive: Rockets Eek Out a Win in SLC

The Rockets won their first game in their first round post-season series against the Utah Jazz. While the game went tit-for-tat most of the second half, Houston built a small lead in the closing minute of the game, leading by as much as 93-86 in the final two minutes of the game. The Jazz kept it close though; narrowly missing out on the win with a few last second throws. Tracy McGrady had 27 points for the night.

Ready, Set, Go!

Just a quick midweek update. Finally my grades for the winter quarter are set and done and I am most pleased and thankful to say that my quarterly GPA for Winter quarter was a 3.65. Now, if only I can duplicate that success for the remaining four quarters, and achieve phenomenal scores on my GMAT/GRE–then I will be set for graduate school. And in case you didn’t get my slightly subtle hint with the four quarters remark, pending successful completion of all my classes, I will be FINALLY graduating in June of 2009. Mark your calendars; the day is set. You are cordially invited. What I will graduate in? Still up to the gods. Lately, I’ve taken a fondness for Apollo. So maybe he will shoot some arrows into the right people and things will pan out the way I am hoping.

As far as graduate schools go, Professor Laird has stated that she and I will begin discussing what options are available to me and what directions I may want to explore soon. She is such a great professor; it would be awesome to do graduate studies under her. This quarter I am truly having a blast going hands-on (well almost) with the Roman art from the Louvre. Oh that I could only show pictures of those amazing objects I am researching now. Getting back to graduate school for a moment: the short list currently includes Rice University, Notre Dame, and the University of Texas.

So work continues well, school is busy and hectic as usual–THREE papers due this week–and the prospects of saving up some money to take a much needed vacation home in a few months seem good. Or maybe the parents can help with that–since I know you read this…

It feels so good to be a freaking SENIOR! The end.

Photoblogging Houston: Sugar Land Town Square

More pictures from my brief trip home last week. My sister and I went to town square to check on its progress. still a lot of construction. I’ve always lamented how my entire life–at times–it has felt like Houston is one big, endless construction site.

News You May Have Missed: Omnibus Edition

From the West Coast to the Gulf Coast, here are some news stories you may have missed throughout the week:

More Bad News for Boeing, More Delays Expected for 787

NEW: Seattle Post-Intelligencer reporter James Wallace says that a source close to the company has indicated that Boeing will announce further delays for the problem-plagued 787 Dreamliner. The latest delay, Wallace reports, will set the beleaguered jumbo jet back at least another six months, further tarnishing a corporate image which was already in need of polishing.

Continental, City of Houston to give Bush a makeover

The Houston Airport System (HAS) announced that Continental airlines and the City of Houston have reached a $1.2 billion agreement to renovate terminal B at the Bayou City’s largest airport. The project which is expected to be constructed in a phased program lasting seven to ten years, will more than quadruple the size of the existing terminal from 360,000 square feet to 1.7 million square feet.

Photoblogging Notre Dame: Spring in South Bend

Brother Ed and I enjoying an evening chat at Corby Hall. Brother Ed is truly the nicest, holiest man I know. Pictures of campus to follow.

Free Breakfast at Jamba Juice!

Thanks to a trip to “downtown” Sugar Land with my sister the other day, while at Jamba Juice we happened to notice that if you stop in before 10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 8 you can try a new Jamba Breakfast Meal for free. I don’t live near one myself, but I imagine this is going to be a pretty crazy event.

Home and Back Again

What an exciting if not brief trip to all of my favorite places. More posts to come for sure, but needless to say I am exhausted from a 3+ day dash down to Houston; a flight to Chicago; a train trip and back to Notre Dame; and then a flight from Chicago to Seattle.

I had such a great time eating at some of my favorite places and a few new ones too. Thanks Sean for a great time at Sabai Thai Café in Sugar Land; kudos also to Kathryn for wonderful conversation and catching up at TGIFridays, also in the suburb of sweetness. Sorry to have missed you Courtney and Sarah, but we’ll make it work better next time. My grandma and I carried on our lapsed weekly tradition at Panda Garden, and I’ll for sure give it a review.

Notre Dame was still the same, and catching up with Brian, Corey, Katie, Adina, and Brother Ed was the most fun I’ve had in months. I hope I get to see y’all again sometime soon. Eric is a loser for being in Fort Wayne, given that we have talked for going on a year and a half about me coming out to Notre Dame and hanging out. Thanks guys for all the food and putting me up while I was there it was awesome and probably the last time we’ll all see each other together like that since everyone is graduating.

Some recent thoughts from my fast-paced travels:

Most of Arizona, New Mexico, and El Paso are the closest places to Hell on Earth.

Whataburger, Chick-a-fila, and Dunkin’ Donuts are three chains that Washington lacks.

I had forgot how much I love the Midwest.

There is nothing like home sweet home.