Thursday Night At Saks

Hello bois and gurls. I'm feeling a bit spent today. Thursday, Friday and Saturday have been a whirlwind of activity and it all caught up with me last night. I fell asleep on the couch around 930p after watching 54. I saw the movie when it was released several years ago and I *heart* If You Could Read My Mind being sung by Ultra Nate', Amber & Jocelyn Enriquez.

While watching the movie, I became very confused and had to call AttyHou and Everyday Italian to see if they could unconfuse me. You see...

I thought Penelope Cruz played Anita in the movie. In fact I was 100% sure it was Penelope Cruz but I couldn't remember the other actress who is Spanish or Mexican and it was driving me nuts. They told me it was Salma Hayek. OK...so I was no longer confused until the end of the movie when I was watching the credits only to find out that it WAS Salma Hayek who played Anita. OY!

Penelope Cruz

Salma Hayek

OK. So back to Thursday night...

HERA (Houston Equal Rights Alliance) recently merged with Equality Texas. To promote this new venture a launch party was held on the 3rd floor of Saks 5th Avenue in The Galleria. Music, food and alcohol in a store. That's better than a trifecta! Several Str8 Up With A Twist readers were seen in the crowd, including Kenny In Montrose and AttyFrank. Between the mingling, chatting and listening to speeches I did see a few shirts that I would look wonderful wearing but I don't need to be spending money at Saks, or Neimans or Nordstrom or...

One of the people that I met on Thursday night is Phillip Hudson. Phillip and Keith Collins are launching a new magazine in Houston, fave. I perused a copy of the publication and it is a very nice magazine.

If you're looking for something to do on May 8th, they're having a launch party for the magazine at Kuhl-Linscomb (2424 West Alabama from 700p-1000p). You will need to RSVP to houston@faveonline.com if you're planning on attending.

Some of the sponsors for the Equality Texas party will also be a part of the fave party (Mak Chin's, salud! winery and Stockholm Krystal Vodka).

It should be a fun evening so I hope that you will plan on attending.

I need to scoot and fold some laundry and then get to Mass later in the afternoon. I have a funny story to tell you about yesterday's garage sale. Details to follow.

Ramblings Of A Caffeinated Mind 9.6

Last Night
I went to a party last night for supporters of Equality Texas. It was at a hacienda in River Oaks and it was a very nice evening. This event was competing with a Hillary rally but it was still a good turnout.

Many familiar faces and friends in the crowd including Str8 Up With A Twist readers: Kenny In Montrose, AttyFrank, Steve In Montrose, & Timbergrove Shane. The Mesteller-Reeves entourage was en masse which is always fun. Fellow Legacy Board members were there as well as a couple of politicos (Ellen Cohen & Garnet Coleman). And of course The Most Handsome Man In Houston was there (a title that was bestowed upon him by me and AttyHou a few years ago).

The wine flowed freely and the more freely it poured the more lively the conversations. At some point, most of my (scott) Mesteller conversations get around to Pet Shop Boys (PSB)...and it happened again last night. It had actually started in the car with Upper Kirby Steven when we were listening to Losing My Mind and once again I brought up the Liza version. We agreed it is a bit creepy.

So as I'm reliving the pre-defensive driving Screwdriver cocktails story with (scott) Mesteller it turns out that Upper Kirby Steven is a big PSB fan too! We're everywhere I tell ya. I'm willing to bet we're 10% of the population. It was a very fun evening.

February 29
from Time and Date
A leap year is a year in which one extra day has been inserted, or intercalated, at the end of February. A leap year consists of 366 days, whereas other years, called common years, have 365 days.

Trail Rides
Today, my little corner of NoRO will have horses and chuck wagons coming through it. I'm not kidding ya folks. It will start around 12 noon.

Of the 12 trail rides, 3 will almost be at my doorstep and as much as I enjoy seeing the contrast of the Old West to Modern Houston, it messes up traffic. At least I'll be prepared for it this year and won't try to be out and about.

The Calvinator doesn't like horses so I won't be taking him to watch. Listed below is information about the history of the trail rides. The three in blue are the three that will almost be at my doorstep. And when you look at the distance that some of these people have traveled, well, I'm just thinking sore butts.

And then tomorrow morning, all of them will leave Memorial Park and go to downtown for the parade. We're talking LOTS of horses.

from Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo
Nothing brings to mind the Old West like a modern-day trail ride. Pioneers created trails as they moved west in search of a dream and cowboys created trails to take cattle to major market centers. While these routes are no longer a necessity in daily life, more than 4,000 riders saddle up each February to relive the Old West as part of 13 trail rides leading to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™.

In January of 1952, several men formed the very first trail ride as a way to increase awareness of the Show. Though only four men made the first journey from Brenham, Texas, the attention they raised attracted more publicity than ever expected, as more than 80 men signed up the next year. The trail rides are a signature tradition of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo today.

Today’s riders hit the trail in an attempt to recreate the Old West, and in doing so, find a common ground that links us all to the Show. A sense of history and pride resides in each rider; igniting envy and intrigue in each child as they watch the trail riders and hope to one day join them.

• Los Vaqueros Rio Grande from Reynosa, Mexico (386 miles)


• The Mission Trail from San Antonio (235)


• Northeastern from Beaumont (108 miles)


• Old Spanish Trail from Logans Port, Louisiana (216 miles)


• Prairie View from Sunnyside (107 miles)


• Salt Grass from Cat Springs (90 miles)


• Sam Houston from Montgomery (70 miles)


• Southwest from Sargent (102 miles)


• Spanish Trail from Coldsprings (126 miles)


• Texas Cattlemans from Anderson (85 miles)


• Texas Independence from Brazoria (98 miles)


• Valley Lodge from Brookshire (71 miles)