Only in Northern California, I chuckled to myself, fondly remembering the fun times we had there. At least, those times I can recall, when I wasn't hallucinating significantly, having taken magic mushrooms to shift a mild headache.
At the other end of the scale was our visit to the brand-spanking-new Weiss Energy Hall at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Energy is, of course, ever more important, with an expanding population and the ravages of climate change, so it's a good time to open a fully updated, enlarged version of this gallery. What new and alternative technologies are out there? What can we do to safeguard our planet? What does the future look like?
Well, if you're standing in Houston, the future looks black, sticky, and you spell it with three letters.
Even Hannah - yes, even Hannah - thought the whole thing was a little weighted towards oil, in the sense that a supertanker of crude is a little weighted towards oil. There were fabulous displays on drilling technology, 15-ft-high videos showing Precambrian animals turning into barrels of black gold, and touch-screens on hydrocarbons to keep even the most hyperactive 4-yr-old occupied.
The highlight was certainly the motion ride that took you deep into a dried-up well. "Nothing down here but broken drill bits and disappointment," complained our deeply-Texan robot guide before showing how fracking can solve the world's energy problems.
There was a small display about imaginary alternatives like solar or geothermal or fusion, but it didn't have cool graphics or move or talk, so we skipped that part.
As a family up to our necks in oil I can only applaud Houston's pride in the stuff that built - and continues to build - the city, and then imagine what the demonstrations would look like if the California Academy of Sciences opened a similar display in Golden Gate Park. Conversely, I doubt that Dr Miller will be selling many psychedelic healing books down in this part of the world. We're too busy drilling so the rest of y'all can fill up y'all's cars to drive to y'all's protests.
Yes, Texas has a different perspective on reality. So does California - hallucinogens vs. hydrocarbons, if you will. Corralling these and the 48 other realities into one whole is almost too much for the brain - certainly the brains of anyone in government. So where do we go from here?
I can tell you where I went. I went for barbecue.
One of the fun craft activities on the members' preview night.
Roughnecks on the rig.
Who knew hydrocarbons were so cool?
Under the drill.
A fracking good time on the motion ride.
The pipeline display! Hannah's at home, and thankfully Chevron's never leak.
Indoctrination.
...
Who put those ugly turbines near that beautiful rig?
Thanks, Chevron.
I found this scrawled on the toilet wall. So, you know, balance.
Here are some things that were too lazy to become oil!
The mother country.
Hottest couple in Houston.
Can you win the wildcatter lottery? Hannah did, in the museum and in life.
Exploring the ocean depths. Who puts oil in such annoying places?
Reflecting on hydrocarbon molecules.
The list of generous sponsors! No strings attached.
