Long before the CD, the cassette or the 8-track, there was the Dictaphone. By today’s standards, it was large and had poor audio quality, but in its day, it was the office tool to have if you were running with the big boys. In the beginning, its only competition was the vinyl record, which won for better audio quality and distribution, but for onsite recording and playback, the Dictaphone was the tool to use until magnetic tape became the standard.
It can get cold. It might even freeze once or twice, but winter in Houston is mostly just dreary. The wind will blow and it will rain, but mostly it's just an inconvenience. There has been a powdering of snow once or twice over the last twenty years, but you might have to wait that long before it happens again. I think I would enjoy living a further north, where they have four real seasons. Houston has summer and not-so-summer. Spring and fall are a few weeks that fly by too fast.
As far back as I can remember, the slide was always one of the top things to play on at the park. Yes, there were the swings and the jungle jim, but the slide was unique. It was the one item that stood taller than the others on the playground. If you think about it, it was the training ground for roller coasters. It was a long slow climb to the top, then you get a quick glimpse of the view from up high. You looked down with second thoughts, but you let go anyway and whoosh, down you went. This carnival super slide can handle eight sliders at one time. At a dollar or two per trip, someone is making a lot of money.