Ramblings Of A Caffeinated Mind 15.0

My mind is swirling in many different directions today. Sorta like a frozen Margarita Sangria Swirl from Cyclone Anayas. Where to begin?

Look Ma! No Nosebleed!
To my friends who live outside of I-610 (known as The Loop to us Houstonians) you know I love you so please don't be offended by these next comments.

Yesterday I was invited to Friend Floyd & Friend Mike's house. I had only been there one time and it was after I landed at IAH and had to drop off some stuff for a Krewe garage sale. It was at night and I remember it being a ways out but I really didn't remember where they live.

So a couple of weeks ago I received an evite to a pool party at their house and I accepted. So I Googled where they live and was a bit surprised to see that it is about 30+ miles from NoRO. OY!

Before I left NoRO, I made preparations from my trip. Calvin had been walked, fed and had plenty of water. I had bread crumbs to leave a trail in case I couldn't find my way home. I packed a snack for the journey. I packed cotton balls. You see...

For those of us that live ITL (Inside The Loop), legend has it that if you go too far out you will get a nosebleed. Not only did I travel OTL (Outside The Loop), I traveled outside Beltway 8 AND FM 1960! Unheard of I tell ya!

I'm glad I made the trek. It was a good group of people and it was nice to be able to sit and talk and not have to scream over loud noise and music at a bar to carry on a conversation. Too many friends to list who were there.

And the food! Let's just say that after two trips to the trough there was no way I was taking my shirt off and showing my stuffed stomach pooching out over my swimsuit. It would have looked like a double stuffin' muffin top...and not pretty.

Friend Mike is a good cook and had all kinds of food. Tamales, grilled chicken, steak bites, grilled sausage, fruits, vegetables, potato salad, macaroni salad, desserts, poppers (not the kind you snort, the kind you eat) and best of all was this other grilled chicken that was stuffed with cream cheese, jalapenos, assorted bell peppers and wrapped in bacon.

It was open bar with a nice lady who was bartending. However, considering that I had a drive back down I-45 I knew better than to partake of too many adult beverages. I can be responsible you know.

Kaye Sedilla/Sopa Pilla was the topic of discussion several times during the party. Many people were asking how she is doing in rehab at The Betty Ford Center. I have many messages of hope to give her. Kaye Sedilla/Sopa Pilla...if you're reading this, everybody is pulling for you dahling!

Spending time at Friend Floyd & Friend Mike's was well worth the journey. And I did not get a nosebleed and didn't have to get into my snack pack.

Cat Fight
The other night I had dinner with some friends at their house. While we were eating they mentioned that their cat had been missing for 4 days. Toward the end of the evening the cat returned (it was actually sitting on The Cal Mobile). It looked like it had been in a fight. This made me think of my favorite cat fight from a movie.

(This clip is kind of long but the best part is from the beginning to 3:33).


Valley of the Dolls was released in 1967. My mother and our neighbor so wanted to see the movie but they couldn't find a babysitter. So they took us kids with them to the drive-in. I really didn't pay too much attention to the movie. It wasn't until MANY years later that I watched it again and realized how campy it is. It has become one of my favorite movies.

Then, in 1995 Unzipped, the frockumentary, was released. At one point in the movie Isaac Mizrahi quotes a line from Valley of the Dolls:
"There's only one star in a Helen Lawson show, and that's ME baby! Remember?" Classic line!

And in the sense of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, Sandra Bernhard was in Unzipped and she was on Project Runway the other night. So you see, it all gets back to Valley of the Dolls...or in my twisted mind many things I like all related to Valley of the Dolls. And just to prove this point, someone has done a Valley of the Dolls video set to Amy Winehouse's Rehab.



Some great lines from Valley of the Dolls:
Helen Lawson: They drummed you out of Hollywood, so you come crawling back to Broadway. But Broadway doesn't go for booze and dope. Now get out of my way, I've got a man waiting for me.

Jennifer North: I wouldn't pay any attention to that. You know how bitchy fags can be!

Neely O'Hara: Boobies, boobies, boobies. Nothin' but boobies. Who needs em?

Neely O'Hara: "I have to get up at five o'clock in the morning and SPARKLE, Neely, SPARKLE!"

Neely O'Hara: I want a doll! I want a doll!

Neely O'Hara: [drunk in a bar] Who's stoned? I am merely traveling incognito.

Neely O'Hara: Mel? God? Neely?... NEEEEEEELYYY O'HARAAAAAAAA!

(Stage manager): Neely? Neely open the door, you're on. Neely!
Neely O'Hara: Hi!
(Stage manager): My God. You've got on your costume for the second act.
Neely O'Hara: So? I'll do the second act first!

Ramblings Of A Caffeinated Mind 14.1

Upcoming Anniversary
July 31, 2008 will mark the 16th year of my arrival in Houston. The past 16 years have been eventful. There have been more ups than downs. Along the way I have been a ton of wonderful people and a handful of not so wonderful people.

I know today is the the 28th but I'm at that point in my life where if I don't write it down immediately, I forget. Old age? Hmmmm.

Anywho. Just wanted to thank everyone for 16 fun years in the Bayou City. Let's hope there are many more to come.

And somewhere in my boxes of memories (really, there are boxes stuffed with photos, etc.) is a photo of my friend Robb who drove the Ryder truck for me. I took a picture of this little white boi in a big yellow truck at a truck stop off of I-45. (Remember in Jumpin Jack Flash when Whoopi Goldberg is using the pay phone to call the cops and she says, "I'm a little black lady in a big silver box. You can't miss me.")

In case you missed...
Amy Winehouse as a scarecrow. To read the story, click here.

Kaye's Kommunique
The other night I arrived at Quadra (at Status) a bit late. The crowd was thinning out but I still had the opportunity to see a few folks.

Someone that I did not expect to meet was Toma(s) Tillo! Toma(s) Tillo is a long lost brother of Kaye Sedilla. Toma(s) and Kaye found each other earlier this year when she was doing her lounge act in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. He didn't know he had a sister, much less a sister who is an international star, but when he walked into the lounge at Hotel Casa Linda he knew they were related. You see...

Kaye and Toma(s) both have big red hair with dark roots. Toma(s) would not let me take a photo of him but let me just say the resemblance IS THERE and that is how I knew he must be related to Kaye Sedilla.

Although communication with clients at The Betty Ford Center is limited, Toma(s) Tillo was able to speak briefly with Kaye Sedilla...well, let's just say she thinks she is Sopa Pilla. Toma(s) said that until Kaye/Sopa gets over her amnesia they will not be able to deal with her other issues.

Kaye/Sopa thinks she is going to be there for a long, long, time. Her spirits are high, just like her hair. Liz and Liza both sent Kaye/Sopa a message of hope and that really lifted her spirits.

Kaye/Sopa can't remember much about what happened on July 20 but she is sure that she was fabulous and wants to thank everyone who showed up.

If I hear anything else from Toma(s) or Cha Lupe (Kaye's 1/2-sister from the wrong side of the tracks), I will let you know.

Heat Wave
It is hotter than Hades here in Houston. These temps are almost like the temps I lived with in Ft. Worth! OY! At least the humidity is low. And yes, I'm sweating.

Church
Yesterday was my first day to assist with Communion during the 5:00 p.m. at St. Anne's. As a child & teenager, I was an altar boy (acolyte) for many, many years. So this was almost second nature to me but I still got nervous. You see...

There are steps that lead up to the altar at St. Anne's and they are made of marble. The last thing I wanted to do was fall down and drop the chalice. It is standing room only at the 5:00 p.m. Mass and in this day of YouTube, I so didn't want to be featured on YouTube. When the wine is consecrated you just can't wipe it up and get on with your life, there is a ritual that needs to be performed. There is a reason for my fear. You see...

Many years ago I was at the 12:00 noon Mass at St. George's in Ft. Worth. I wanted to sing in the choir that day but they needed an altar boy and my mother insisted that I be the altar boy. So I go to the sacristy to get dressed and the cassock that I select has an unraveled hem. I'm running out of time so I put it on anyway.

Everything was fine until...

Communion was over and I had to clear the altar. I was almost finished and I pick up the chalice with the consecrated hosts. I needed to set it on a small side table that was was at the bottom of the steps (4 of them) I take a step and my foot gets caught in the hem of the cassock. I go flying forward and never step foot on any of the steps (btw...the steps and floor were covered in carpet).

I land on my knees. I am holding the chalice with my right hand and my left hand is covering the top of it and get this...it is upright and I didn't spill anything other than my pride. I so wanted to cry.

When Mass was over we processed down the center aisle and I felt like everyone was staring at me and laughing. My mother comes to the back of the church to get me and I was so embarrassed and mad. She says she doesn't know what is going on. I told her what happened and she said that she was sure nobody noticed because they were all singing and looking in their hymnals.

As we are leaving the church, an elderly gentleman walks up to me and says, "Good catch there!" I burst into tears.

A few months later we were at a restaurant and a lady walks up to us and is talking and then she looks at me and says, "Aren't you the boy who fell off of the altar?"

Hence my fear of falling down yesterday. It CAN happen.

In case you missed Amy Winehouse punching a fan

You know I love me some Amy Winehouse.



A man who was reportedly attacked by Amy Winehouse at legendary English music festival Glastonbury states he is "disappointed" by the star's actions - because it was a case of mistaken identity.

The 24-year-old was singing her hit track Rehab to 75,000 fans on the Pyramid Stage on Saturday when she jumped down into the security pit.

The star - who has been receiving medical attention for the lung disease emphysema - then appeared to turn on a member of the crowd, striking a fan with her fist.

Festival organiser Michael Eavis and a spokesperson for Winehouse quickly defended her actions, insisting she only lost her temper because someone tried to manhandle her and pull her hair.

But James Gostelow, the fan who felt the brunt of the star's fiery display at the event, insists he was the wrong person to get hit - because it was a reveller behind him who had upset the singer.

He said: "I saw a hat being thrown from behind me and it hit Amy's beehive. She looked down, saw me looking up, and her elbow went for me."

However Gostelow, who states he has no intention of taking the issue further by making an official complaint, claims he is pleased with Winehouse's outburst - because it got him close to the star.

He says: "At the end of the day it is all part of being at the front and being pushed by thousands of people. It is all part of the Glastonbury experience.

"I'm just pleased I got to see her. She did a great act. Not everyone can say they have been hit by Amy Winehouse. I just want to shake (the hand of) the person who threw the hat."

Happy VD everyone!

Some random thoughts about Valentines Day

I'll drink to that! (and one for Mahler)

Celebrating Valentines Day in Bulgaria is a rather new tradition. According to Radio Bulgaria, if you are single you celebrate Wine Day. February 14 is the Feast of St. Trifon Zarezan who is the patron saint of wine makers and grape growers.

iPod
Taking a cue from The Guy Who..* I thought I would take a look at what the iPod nano played this morning. You see... runnerOne and I met up at 500a. Like two old men we complained about aches, pains, hayfever, etc. Then he tells me that he is having some intestinal problems. rut-ro! Any runner knows that is not good news because the more that you run the worse it gets. We didn't get very far into the run before he had to stop.

So I went to The Cal Mobile got the iPod nano and did the run by myself. Thought it would be fun to see what it played on VD. Not sure what this says about me but here ya go:

Fashionista (Original Radio)

Cha Cha

Spiritual High (Part 1)

Spiritual High (State of Independence) (Part 2)

Spiritual High (Part 3)Missing (Album Mix)

Whispering Your Name (Single Mix)

Love Is In The Air

Desafinado

Make Your Own Kind Of Music (Dance Mix)

Pavement CracksDefying Gravity (Tracy Young’s Flying Monkey’s Radio Edit)

One more thing about the Grammys

Did anyone else notice that right after Amy Winehouse performed Natalie Cole appeared with Tony Bennett? I'm just asking...

In case you missed Amy Winehouse last night

Catchin' Up

Editor's note: I actually started writing this on Sunday evening but got distracted and then passed out...uh, I mean fell asleep watching Desperate Housewives. I just ain't as young and energetic as I used to be!

So remember, when you're reading this I wrote it on Sunday.

It's been a busy few days. AttyHou, Everyday Italian and I have just returned from an afternoon party but before I give you the details about that I'll digress to Friday.

Friday

I'm not really sure where the day went to! Let me think. I overslept so I didn't make it to spin class at LeFittes. In fact, I haven't been making it to LeFittes like I should. I need to get back on track with that. NOTE TO SELF: Go to the gym.

I spent most of the morning doing stuff (i.e. buying soft drinks, mixers, working on the alcohol order) for Fais Do Do. I met up with Blaine and dropped off some ice chests and helped him move some stuff. Before I knew it, it was well after 200p and I hadn't eaten lunch which probably explains the headache.

Legacy was the beneficiary of an event at Design Within Each which was done in conjunction with Salon On Kirby. It was a fun party!

Cool stuff in the store. Take some champagne, wine and beer, add a few nibbly things, add a silent auction of some cool artwork and throw in some pretty people and well it was just a ton of fun!

A big thanx to Alden for doing that!

Saturday

I woke up at 504A and was congested and had a headache and just couldn't bear the thought of going running. I walked The Calvinator and then fell asleep in a fetal position on the couch. Eventually I woke up, brushed myself off and started all over again.

I had to be at Spec's at 1000A to pick up booze, beer and wine. I THOUGHT my order would be ready but they waited until I got there to pull the stuff. And then part of the order was wrong and part of it was missing. So at 1055A I was finally in The Cal Mobile making my way to Winter Street Studios. The Cal Mobile was loaded down.

Some Krewe members helped me unload the goods. After I left there I had some odds and ends to do before heading back to Winter Street Studios. Met up with Blaine and DJ Dan Meador. We got him situated and I had enough time to do a couple of things and get back. The ice man cometh on time. If you're in the Houston area and you need to order large amounts of ice, I highly recommend Ice Express. They called to confirm time and place and were right on time.

The Fais Do Do was fun. Winter Street Studios had ample space for the event. A special thank you to my bar bois who worked the shifts last night. And an extra special thank you to George Garcia and Tony Contreras for their extra effort yesterday!

I've posted some photos from last night. One of the guests was James Getzlaff from Boy Meets Boy. He was in town for an event sponsored by Pride Houston and he stopped by for some Jambalaya. James is the first reality TV star that I have met. Very nice guy.



While I was hovering over the bar, I spoke with AttyFrank. He is always fun to talk to. AttyFrank told me that he reads Str8UpWithATwist. It is always cool to find out who is reading Str8UpWithATwist. AttyFrank has been a long time supporter of the Krewe. A special thank you to AttyFrank and our other underwriters for helping us make things happen!



Part of the party was a raffle for a 40" flat screen tv and a silent auction. Artists Sands Stiefer and John Palmer displayed some of their work and guests could purchase the art work.

Some of the silent auction items.

I got home and had to unload The Liquor Mobile...uh, I mean The Cal Mobile. I didn't want to drive around the Bayou City looking like I was a drunk. (No comments please!)

Right now my dining room, kitchen and living room look like I'm gonna set up a liquor store. Hmmm. My next career choice? And I keep humming Amy Winehouse's Rehab.

Sunday

I slept in. No church. No gym. Just some time with The Calvinator and I made time to read the Sunday paper. While I was at the office, Montrose/Midtown David stopped by. He had just finished running and was going to the Texans game later.


Montrose/Midtown David is a good egg. He is intrigued by Kaye Sedilla. He missed her last performance because he was afraid Kaye Sedilla would serenade him.

And back to the no gym thing. I think I've hauled enough sh_t around the past few days and sweated more than I ever would lifting weights so in my mind I'm ahead.

This party that we went to makes me want to become bulimic. I hate pretty people. I have to ask myself: Are they really happy? How hard do they have to work to be pretty?

Well considering that I absolutely hate to vomit, I guess bulemia is out of the question. And since I love to eat, anorexia is also out of the question. Well sh_t. I guess I have to keep running and spinning.

Many of the usual suspects were at the BCBC event. And I wish that I had taken my camera. You would not believe this house. And it wasn't so much the house as it was the pool area. OMG. I had no idea that something like that was in Montrose. I almost felt like I was in South Beach or Beverly Hills.

Unfortunately I have a new vice now. UV Vodka/Lemonade. At first I couldn't figure out why so many bois were drinking pink drinks. Then I saw a vodka bottle at one of the bar stations and I thought, "Hmmm. I'll try that with some tonic." Next thing I know, AttyHou, Everyday Italian and I are slamming them down.




It really is a Summer drink but considering that Houston only has two seasons, it was OK to drink it. (Remember, those two seasons are Summer and August so according to my calendar we are back into Summer.)

So that catches me up, sorta. I'll try not to stay away for so long.

I have quite a bit on my mind (i.e. Marion Jones, Chicago Marathon) but I'll save that for another day.

The Office

Things have been a bit quiet at the office so I thought I would give you an update about a couple of things that have happened.

I'm not sure what they put in the Kool-Aid at the office but it makes people want to come back and stay. Surfer Dude/former volleyball player, The Judge, Loud Lady and her man, the cops, the conservative white man group...they're all still there Sunday - Saturday. However, we have a new cult member...uh I mean a new employee at the office. His name is Mr. Porsche.

It all started very innocently. He'd come in on an erratic basis but he wouldn't stay. Then he started staying. Then he started coming in on a regular basis and staying. He has now progressed to not only being there Monday-Friday but now he also works on the weekends. I just love it when we get a new employee! Yes, we still have some temporary employees and of course the ones who just run in and out but it is always nice when we get a full-time employee. I even let him use my desk one day. :-)

So this morning was a bit odd. After I did a 3 mile run with RunnerOne, I went directly to the office. Normally I shower and clean up because I always want to look good when I am at the office. Plus they keep it so cold in there it can be quite uncomfortable when you're wet, not to mention the shrinkage. So today, I decided to just go to the office even though I didn't look my best and figured I would sit outside.

I walked in and was thrown for a loop. Neighbor Ryan was there. I only see him in front of his house or inside my television talking about the news. He didn't recognize me either 'cause I didn't have The Calvinator by my side.

So I get my Iced Grande Sugar-free Vanilla non-fat Latte and newspaper and sit outside by the door.

A new group of people showed up and I couldn't help but stare at one of them. OK...here it is around 740A on a Monday and one of them is wearing a tiara. It got me to thinking, "Is there a start time for wearing your tiara?"

I have a baseball cap with a Martini glass that on the back is embroidered with: It's 5:00 p.m. somewhere. Maybe that's what she was thinking?

In other news:

She said, "No. No. No!"

Perez Hilton is reporting that Amy Winehouse is not in rehab.

Amy Winehouse is talking about the scary drug overdose that landed her in an London emergency room this past week.

The singer, who refuses to go to rehab, spoke exclusively to the New Of The World.
Says Wino:

“It was one of the most terrifying moments of my life. It was just crazy—one of the most terrifying moments of my life. I don’t know how to explain what happened. I don’t really know myself. I can’t remember what I looked like. I couldn't recognise myself. It was terrifying—I was terrified. I was so out of control. It just happened. It shocked me. I’m sorry—I just don’t know what got into me. I never want to feel that way again.I’ve scared myself this time. I was all over the place. I know things have got to change. I have to sort myself out. I’m fine. I’ll be back at work on Monday. I’m fine, honest.”

Life imitating art or....?

Conflicting reports about Amy Winehouse are circulating about whether or not she is in rehab. Did she overdose? Why has she been cancelling concert appearances? Is she in rehab? Is she locked up in a hotel room? Is she just weird?

I must say that her song Rehab is one of my favorite songs of 2007. Included in this group: Rihanna's Umbrella and Shut Up And Drive; and Pink's U+UR Hand.

They tried to make me go to rehab but I said 'no, no, no'

Yes I've been black but when I come back you'll know know know

I ain't got the time and if my daddy thinks I'm fine

He's tried to make me go to rehab but I won't go go go