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    Home and Deranged

    Giving up on growing up: How I spent my tax refund

    Caroline Gallay
    Apr 16, 2010 | 2:24 pm
    • I ditched my piggy bank in favor of a legitimate savings account
    • I'm almost looking forward to nights of bypassing happy hour for laundry, andthat is truly horrifying
    • Yeah... this isn't going to work out

    I barely recognize myself these days. It’s not a new hairstyle, a bad tan or a new brand of makeup. It’s a propulsion toward (slight) maturity that’s too disturbing to celebrate.

    Two weekends ago I got rowdy enough at a friend-of-a-friend’s boyfriend’s crawfish boil that I had to go through strangers’ mail in the morning to locate an address where I could tell a cab to retrieve me. I then took that cab to Easter service.

    I know that might not sound like the behavior of a mature adult, but if you knew me in college, we can call it progress.

    Then on Wednesday, despite my most ardent desires, I did not spend my tax refund on shoes. I didn’t spend it on happy hour, either, or even rent.

    Instead, I put the entire refund into a low-interest savings account. And, for the first time, this newly opened account was not nicknamed “Spring Break, What What” or “Nautical Wedges.” It’s called simply, “Rainy Day.”

    And, though it pained me, I set the account up to debit my checking account every month on payday before I so much as lay eyes the money I’m parting with in the name of fiscal responsibility.

    And it gets weirder.

    The same night, I broke it off with a guy I’d been seeing on and off since September because it just wasn’t going anywhere. (He’s good-looking and a ton of fun, but he lives in Louisiana and has his text messages set to auto-delete — neither are qualities I look for in something serious).

    The old me — the me I knew — would have at least waited until Sunday (when he returns to the swamp) to take optimum advantage of the free meals at better-than-usual restaurants, but it just didn’t seem time effective.

    I’m applying cost-benefit analysis to relationships now, apparently. Normal.

    And when a still-in-college friend texted me in the middle of my workday to spill deets on a great (and very recent, as in just happened) hook-up, I swiftly responded: “It’s, like, two in the afternoon!” “Go to class!!” and, “Bless you,” in rapid succession.

    Before you know it, I’ll be skipping happy hour to get some laundry in and read myself to sleep.

    I'm almost looking forward to it, and that's truly horrifying.

    unspecified
    news/city-life

    honoring a legacy

    IAH Terminal E dedicated to late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee

    Eric Sandler
    May 18, 2026 | 4:09 pm
    George Bush Intercontinental Airport IAH Terminal E dedication ceremony
    Courtesy of Houston Airports
    Members of Sheila Jackson Lee's family attended the ceremony.

    Travelers passing through George Bush Intercontinental Airport’s Terminal E will be reminded of an iconic Houston politician. On Monday, May 18, the City of Houston named the facility for the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.

    Jackson Lee died in July 2024 at the age of 74. She represented the 18th Congressional District for more than 30 years.

    Since the 18th includes IAH, Jackson Lee advocated for the airport throughout her tenure, helping secure more than $125 million in funding during her tenure, according to press materials. Houston Mayor John Whitmire and Houston City Council approved naming the terminal for Jackson Lee in a 2025 vote.

    “Sheila Jackson Lee dedicated her life to the people of Houston, and today our city honors a legacy built on public service, opportunity and an unwavering belief in this community,” Whitmire said at the dedication ceremony. “For decades, she fought for the neighborhoods, families and future of Houston, and there could not be a more fitting tribute than having her name welcome millions of travelers from around the world to this great city.”

    In the coming weeks, the airport will install a 500-pound memorial plaque crafted from cast bronze and black granite that features a bas-relief portrait of the late congresswoman. It will be located in Terminal E’s international concourse just beyond the TSA checkpoint. Approximately 35,000 international travelers pass through Terminal E daily.

    “Terminal E is where Houston welcomes the world,” said Jim Szczesniak, director of aviation for Houston Airports. “Millions of travelers from around the world will now encounter the story of Sheila Jackson Lee here at one of America’s great international gateways. There could not be a more fitting tribute to a public servant who dedicated her life to connection, opportunity, and the people of Houston.”

    George Bush Intercontinental Airport IAH Terminal E dedication ceremony

    Courtesy of Houston Airports

    Members of Sheila Jackson Lee's family attended the ceremony.

    airportpoliticsiahgeorge bush intercontinental airport
    news/city-life
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