2015 Comes In Down Under

I always enjoy viewing the fireworks photographs from Sydney as they usher in the new year. This one was taken by Wolter Peeters.

If anyone in Australia is reading this post, it is 4:02 p.m. in Houston on 12/31/14. How does the new year look?

Pic(s) Of The Day - 12.30.14 - Wine/Glasses

Prior to Christmas, I went for my annual eye exam at Diagnostic Eye Center. Dr. Aric Welton always does a good job! I debated about buying a new pair of frames to go with the new prescription and decided to go ahead and spend the rest of the money on my FSA account. Much to my surprise, the glasses arrived a week earlier than expected so I skedaddled over and voila!

Later in the day I met up with Tall Todd at Fleming's for wine and conversation. We haven't seen each other in awhile so it was good to catch up over Cabernet and Shiraz. We've both had quite a bit going on in our lives plus traveling for the holidays. And...if you go to Fleming's on W. Alabama, be sure to ask for Sheriff! He took care of us last night.

Pic Of The Day - 12.29.14 - Let It Snow

It's not very often that we get snow and/or ice here in Houston. Don't get me wrong, it has happened and it is quite the novelty.

Anywho...I purchased these battery operated snow flakes a few weeks ago and decided to decorate my work space. It is not approved by our facilities department but oh, well!

The snow flakes change colour.

Pic(s) Of The Day - 12.28.14 - On The Road Again

The Calvinator and I departed Fort Worth to head back to Houston. Prior to our departure and after the poop incident at the park but before going to Starbucks we stopped to gas up The Cal Mobile.

It has been a long time since I have seen gas prices this low. It has some of us worried because Houston is the energy capital of the U.S. and we love the high gas prices because it drives the economy.

There's something going on with Saudi Arabia and the U.S. and all of the other oil producing nations but I can't quite figure it out and well, right around Christmas it is nice to be paying lower gas prices.

This is another photo I snapped on Sunday at the end of the trip.

Pic(s) Of The Day - 12.27.14 - The Modern

On Saturday, I decided to play tourist and went to The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, aka The Modern. The new structure opened in 2002 and yes, I've been to Fort Worth many times since 2002 but never made the time to visit...until Saturday.

I'm glad I went because the current exhibition is Urban Theater: New York Art in the 1980's. Among the artists in the exhibition: Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Jeff Koons, Barbara Kruger,  Robert Mapplethorpe, Allan McCollum, Kenny Scharf, and Andy Warhol.

It was time well spent and it also introduced me to Gran Fury and Guerrilla Girls.

Kind Of Blue by Jenny Holzer

Pic Of The Day - 12.26.14 - 7th Street

There is a portion of Fort Worth that has undergone a major makeover. It's all taking place on 7th Street.

I think the catalyst may have been the old Montgomery Ward building. It was repurposed into lofts and retail with a shopping center behind it. Then some lofts were built with retail space on the ground floor. Then other apartments were built and other retail and restaurants popped up.

I really hadn't gone into the bowels of the redevelopment so when Leah suggested we meet at AF+B I was game. It was good food but even better conversation. I had not seen Leah since 2011 and we had some catching up to do.

We both commented about how different this area looked. There used to be car lots, bars, and warehouses. I'm sure that area is singing, "If they could see me now..."

The view from Crockett Street. This could be Houston.

Support The Warwick Rowers

Back in November I did a posting about Warwick Rowers upcoming calendar. It was a brief snippet of behind the scenes of the calendar shoot. Here is a longer giving you more behind and in front scenes. And BTW, while this all for a good cause and there is nothing pornographic about it, you probably shouldn't view this at work just in case someone comes walking by.



I haven't purchased the calendar yet but I would be inclined to purchase the 60 minute video. After all, it's for a good cause! Support the guys by clicking here.

Pic(s) Of The Day - 12.25.14 - Loteria

This is what Christmas with my mother's side of the family looks like. The group is large and no one really has a house big enough for everyone to fit in. So, like we did at Thanksgiving, we rented a space in Saginaw, TX.

Everyone brings something to eat and we always have more food than we can eat. And, it's not always just family. Friends are always welcome.

And, what is becoming a Christmas tradition, several games of Loteria are played. It's also known as Mexican bingo and tests your command of the Spanish language.

Pic Of The Day - 12.24.14 - It's A Christmas Miracle.

For those of you who have been following this blog, you know that I got WAY behind in posting my Pic Of The Day. And, you also know that recently I lost track of taking at least one photo a day.

Well, with this post, I am caught up through yesterday which means I'm caught up because I typically post the Pic Of The Day the next day. Make sense? And yes, this is a Christmas miracle that I'm caught up!

I'm not sure when we started going to the Christmas Vigil Mass at St. George Catholic Church in Ft. Worth. As a kid, I remember going to Mass on Christmas Day. Sometimes I would sing at Midnight Mass. A few times we attended Midnight Mass at All Saints Catholic Church.

So...as we have done for the past however many years, we attendedthe Christmas Vigil Mass last night at St. George.

I'm also not sure when we started having dinner after Mass and opening presents but the tradition continued this year as well.

Pic Of The Day - 12.23.14 - Santa Calvin Has Arrived

The Calvinator and I headed to Fort Worth (Haltom City) for the holiday. It wasn't real happy about wearing this hat so once I was able to get a good photo, I stopped.

Merry Christmas from The Calvinator and me!

Pic Of The Day - 12.22.14 - Hang On Mr. Snowman

I went home at lunch to walk The Calvinator. It's what I have a quick pee. It's just long enough to let him get some fresh air and pee.

His new crib has a dog run so it is perfect for a quick pee. As we were heading back to the door, I saw this snowman hanging on from a second floor balcony. Someone on Instagram commented, "Don't jump Mr. Snowman!"

Pic(s) Of The Day - 12.21.14 - Santa Calvin

With everything going on related to the move, I missed out on taking Calvin to Petsmart for his annual photo with Santa. Through the power of Google, I was able to find Santa making an appearance on December 21 at Meadowlake Pet Resort.

It's a little bit further than I normally travel for a photo but I'm glad I did. Everyone at the place was very friendly and as usual, Calvin made friends with everyone.

Pic Of The Day - 12.20.14 - You Deserve A Break Today

Sometimes I amaze myself. Toward the end of the move when I was hauling my belongings from the house to the car, from the car to the storage unit and to the apartment, I acted like I was a contestant on The Amazing Race and I was doing a road block and Phil Keoghan was waiting for me at the finish line. #determination

So...that's how I treated Christmas shopping. I took off from work on December 19 and knocked out a big chunk of my list. I saved Saturday for Highland Village, Petsmart, Target and various other places. By the time lunchtime approached I was hungry and decided to venture to River Oaks Shopping Center. I had already decided that if I couldn't find a parking place, I wasn't stopping.  And guess what? I found a parking space.  Off to Le Madeleine I went!

French onion soup, lemonade and Caesar Salad with chicken. #foodporn

Pic Of The Day - 12.19.14 - Oh Christmas Tree

It's been a few years since I have been this far behind on Christmas shopping. Thank goodness for Macy's and their preview of their One Day Sale!

It was pouring down rain on Friday and I had shopping to do. I whisked The Calvinator off to daycare at Dogtopia, purchased a new pair of glasses and off I went to The Galleria.

I made it through most of my list at Macy's and then decided to stroll down the mall to Versace, Polo, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany's, and Neiman Marcus. And no, I don't have the money to spend at those stores but it's always fun to window shop.

This wing of the complex also as the ice skating rink. The ice skating rink is also home to the Christmas tree.

Pic Of The Day - 12.18.14 - Humpty Dumpty

I had a great fall on Wednesday. And no, I don't mean as in winter, spring, summer, fall. I fell down and I fell hard.  You see...

I went to the Kroger on Studemont and to avoid the man ringing the bell for the Salvation Army, I parked on the west side of the parking lot.  When I exited, I went down the wrong aisle to get to my car so I decided to cut over.  When I did, my foot caught the end of a cement parking barrier and well, I fell.

And I guess I said, "Shit!" so loud, it caught the attention of the teenager who was in the lot gathering stray grocery carts. I started getting up just as he was approaching. At that point I had already picked up everything that had fallen out of the bags. It hurt but it really hurt when I got home and still had to walk The Calvinator.

So why this picture of a bottle of Coppola wine?  You see...

This bottle was in one of the bags that I dropped in the parking lot. It didn't break. And now, I'm afraid to open it because it must have some sort of special powers.

Pic Of The Day - 12.17.14 - The Calvinator's New 'hood

Houston doesn't have any zoning ordinances so it makes for some interesting neighborhoods. Deed restrictions can be enforced but other than that it's a free for all inside the city limits.

The Calvinator's new crib is in a 5-story building that backs up to a cute, quiet neighborhood. It's a mixture of old and new homes. This is one of the homes that we walk past on our strolls.

Pic(s) Of The Day - 12.16.14 - Keeping Watch

The Calvinator loves his balcony. I have no idea what he is looking at but hey, it keeps him quiet and occupied.

Pic(s) Of The Day - 12.15.14 - Come On Baby Light My Fire

The Mayor's Hispanic Advisory Council had their holiday party at Cafe Adobe on the Katy Freeway. I had never been to that location and since Legacy was a sponsor the Hispanic Heritage month, and since I was invited, I decided to go. There was a really cool fireplace with a water fall. I was mesmerized by it. I was quite as mesmerized by the huge neon sign but it was worthy of a photo.

Pic Of The Day - 12.14.14 - And Then This Happened

So this happened.

Yes, for the first time in my life, I got stuck in an elevator. It happened around 7:18 a.m. on a Sunday, in a storage building and no one else was in the building.

I was in there about an hour. Once the service repairman arrived, it didn't take anytime to get me out. It was the convincing the people in the call box that they needed to call him sooner than later but it turns out, it wasn't up to them!

The manager had to be called and then she tried her magic, which didn't work, and then she called for help.

Being stuck in an elevator was never on my Bucket List so it really can't be scratched off.

And then this happened.

So Sunday evening I decided I needed to get that big, heavy box out of the way.  And yes, 80% of it was filled with vodka. The remaining contents consisted of wine.

As I was unpacking the box, I noticed I had a collection of novelty Absolut bottles; worthy of a picture.

Pic Of The Day - 12.13.14 - Miscellaneous

So...there really isn't a box to check on the moving box for vodka! Hmmm. Maybe I should go to Shark Tank and pitch an idea about moving boxes that allow you to mark bourbon, scotch, vodka, etc. Or, better yet, "In case of emergency, open this box first!"

So yes, I do have quite a bit of vodka and I probably should have taken a swig or two right out of the bottle at the end of the garage sale. #willpower #IDontHaveADrinkingProblem

Pic Of The Day - 12.12.14 - Keys

This photo sums up the past few weeks. Keys to the new place, the old place and a storage unit or two. I think I have a hip injury from carrying all of these keys.

(Another) (No) Pic Of The Day - 12.11.14 - Baytown

I didn't snap a photo for the 11th but I can tell you that I was in Baytown. I can't recall ever really stopping Baytown. I've driven through it. So, on this day, I had a meeting and actually found a really nice Starbucks at Garth Road & I-10!

Pic(s) Of The Day - 12.10.14 - Schmooze

It's the party with a purpose. Schmooze.

When the Center for AIDS merged with Legacy Community Health Services, Legacy carried on the tradition of the fundraiser.  This year the hosts were Kathryn & Jeff Smith. Of course Shelby was there to provide coverage. And to view more photos, click here.

Pic Of The Day - 12.09.14 - Little Free Library

One morning while out walking The Calvinator in his new 'hood, I saw this:

It's a free library in someone's yard. You take a book and return a book. Who knew? Here is more information about Little Free Library.

Pic Of The Day - 12.08.14 - Do You Believe In Magic?

This is Renita. She works with me and some days she thinks she is the boss of me. :-)

Lisa, one of our new employees, thinks Renita can do miracles and magic; maybe she can, maybe she can't.

To show her appreciation for everything that Renita does, and to continue the magic, she purchased a magic wand for Renita...and of course it came with a crown.

Pic Of The Day - 12.07.14 - Party With A Purpose

For the past few years, my friend JimSki has hosted a holiday party. He foots the bill and encourages the guests to make a donation to the designated charities. For many of the parties, he has designated Legacy Community Health Services and for this we are grateful!

Last year, he moved the party from his home to Gloria's and this year it held there again. And, this year everyone had a fabulous time! Adult beverages. Lite bites. Music. Stunning repartee.

A big thank you to JimSki, Carlos Fuentes and the staff at Gloria's for making the party a big success and raising money for a worthy cause.

Pic Of The Day - 12.06.14 - I'm Not A Hoarder (Part II)

So, once again, I have determined that I am a collector. You see...

When I was a traveling man, I would collect Starbucks mugs from as many cities as was possible. This is only a portion of the collection. The rest were already in the cabinet when I decided to snap this pic.