When Love Came To Town

I woke up this morning to the news that The King Of The Blues had died, B.B. King.

I only saw him perform one time and it happened to be on November 24, 1987 in the arena of Tarrant County Convention Center in Fort Worth. TCCC was the place for some of the concerts that would come through the DFW area. Dallas had opened Reunion Arena and competed for concerts. In November of 1987, U2 booked two shows in Fort Worth. On November 23, The Bodeans opened for U2 and on November 24 The Bodeans AND B.B. King opened for U2.

When Love Comes To Town premiered at the concert. They filmed the performance and used it in Rattle and Hum. I am accustomed to saying that I have been in a movie because when they pan the audience, I was there.

Today, many things have been said about B.B. King so I won't reiterate them. I will say that I am glad that I was able to see him perform and share his talents with the masses.

RIP B.B. and thank you for singing the blues.

Pic(s) Of The Day - 01.31.15 - On The Road Again

After a lovely dinner in the Green Room at the Wortham Center, followed by Mozart's The Magic Flute on Friday night, The Calvinator and I were up early on Saturday for a road trip.

Saturday was my mother's 80th birthday so went up there to spend the day with her and help her celebrate. The day consisted of lunch at Mamma Mia in Riverside, Mass at St. George and dinner at Sammie's Bar-B-Q.

There was something in the air that night, the stars were bright Fernando in Fort Worth that set off my nose. Itchy, watery eyes. Congestion. Sneezing. Not pretty.

So...The Calvinator and I left on Sunday morning and my breathing is slowly getting back to normal.

The birthday girl.

Roses that were given to my mom by some of her friends from church.

It's all about the cake. Different flavors at lunch.

Who knew you could get a back tattoo from a vending machine?

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.

Pic Of The Day - 11.26.14 - He's Not Spoiled!

Looking at this photo it would appear that The Calvinator only drinks bottled water.  We were driving from Houston to Ft. Worth and stopped in Riesel, TX.  He was thirsty and I needed to purchase some water.  I love Fiji Water and I knew that he too would enjoy it.

Pic Of The Day - 11.24.14 - Once Upon A Time

...there was a tavern an aerobics studio in Fort Worth named Aerobics To Go. My friend Tracey convinced me to give it a try and I became addicted.  The place is no longer in business but while I was packing, I did come across this artifact.

It's a water bottle and to be quite honest with you, I don't remember it really holding water.  It has probably had more alcohol in it than it has water.

From Bowling Alley to Broadway Legend - One Night Only

I've often been told that I am multifaceted. This isn't to imply that I have multiple personalities it's just that I have varied interests and can fit in almost anywhere.  So I guess maybe I'm a quasi-chameleon?  For example...

Last night was the Legacy employee holiday party at Lucky Strike.  There were multiple reasons we did the party in January but long story short it's always good to try and round up the employees for an evening of fun.

I would have stayed longer at Lucky Strike BUT I had an invitation to meet Betty Buckley at a private party.

Bowling Alley?  Betty Buckley?  Karaoke?  Broadway Legend?  Pool Table?  Cases Of Jewelry?  Guess what I chose.

I left the party early and went to Tenenbaum & Co. for a meet and greet with Betty Buckley.  Tenenbaum & Co. has some beautiful jewelry.  I had never been there so I was thrilled to be able to peruse their collection of jewelry without feeling pressured to buy something like I could afford it.

When I walked in, Betty was the first person I saw and I was star struck but not to the point where I was willing to step into the circle of guests and interrupt the conversation.  I partook in stunning repartee with Lydia from Lydia Baehr Public Relations and other guests.  Eventually, I made my way over to Betty and met her.  She is everything I imagined her to be because Fort Worth like us are good people.

Steve Bland, Betty Buckley & Timmy Martinez

I can't wait to see her perform tonight!  Don't forget...if you need more information about the show, visit Brilliant Lecture Series website.

And So It Goes

On Friday, the legendary Betty Lynn Buckley makes an appearance in Houston at The Wortham Center-Cullen Theatre.  Brilliant Lecture Series is bringing her for a one night appearance.

I had the opportunity to see her in Fort Worth at Bass Hall in 2000.  It was a wonderful evening with just her and a small combo on stage.  It was also great to see her perform on her home turf.

Betty was born in Big Spring, TX, but was raised in Fort Worth, TX.  She is the daughter of Betty Bob & Ernest Lynn Buckley.  (Don’t you just LOVE the Texas names?)  Her Fort Worth roots are deep.  She attended Arlington Heights High School, TCU, was crowned Miss Fort Worth in 1966 and was runner-up in the Miss Texas Pageant.

Betty landed her first role on Broadway her first day in New York.  She was Martha Jefferson in 1776.  She won a Tony Award for her performance as Grizabella in Cats.  She received a Tony nomination for her performance in Triumph of Love.  Betty received an Olivier Award nomination for her role as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard and went on to replace Glenn Close on Broadway.

One of the roles I would love to have seen her perform is Mama Rose in Gypsy at Papermill Playhouse.  However…if you listen to Betty Buckley An Evening At Carnegie Hall you can hear the showstopper Rose’s Turn.  The cd is by far one of my favorites and includes my favorites As If We Never Said Goodbye, With One Look and Seasons of Love.  There are two songs that form a medley on the cd that I always hum when I think of Betty and the songs are And So It Goes and Everything Must Change.  If you expect to hear her haunting, award-winning rendition of Memory, you’ll have to purchase Cats (1982 Original Broadway Cast).

What’s funny (to me) is that when I mention her name, most of my contemporaries remember her as the mom on the television series Eight Is Enough or her role in the movie Carrie.  This just goes to prove she has a wide range of talent and a wide-reaching fan base.

There is still time to purchase tickets to see this native Texan Broadway legend.  Tickets can be purchased through the box office at The Wortham and more information about the performance can  be found on Brilliant Lectures' website.  AND here's a special deal for you...

There's a promo being run through CultureMap.  You can save 50% by using promo code: GIFT2

Don't forget!  She's from Fort Worth...not Dallas.  So Houston, come out on Friday night to get give Betty Buckley a warm Houston welcome.

Does Fort Worth ever cross your mind?

Text message @ 546P (CDT): Large protest tonite at tarrant courthouse as a result of hate raid at new Rainbow Lounge. One person in icu with head injury after being thrown on the floor by police. Ugh FW's own Stonewall.

I was a The Social with BCBC when that text message arrived from a friend and reader of Str8 Up With A Twist. He is now a Fort Worth resident. I read it and thought, "WTF?"

Even though I grew up in Haltom City and call Haltom City home I did do consider Fort Worth home. It's a medium sized that is sometimes big town forward and sometimes small town backwards. Fort Worth has billed itself as Cowboys & Culture and Where The West Begins and Dallas Is Where The East Peters Out.

Many years ago when I was in 6th grade back in the '70s, Fort Worth changed it's City Council to single member districts so that minorities would have a fair chance of winning representation on the council. In that first election, a family friend of ours won a seat and became the first Mexican-American Hispanic on the council.

The city has a very diverse population and in the most recent City Council election, one of the districts elected a gay, white male to the seat. Yes. There was some controversy because of outsider money being funneled in to support his campaign but hey folks, that's politics!

So anyway, I was in Fort Worth on the weekend of the 19th and happened to ask if there were any new bars in town and I was told about the Rainbow Lounge. It just opened. Imagine my surprise when I got the text message. Then I read this from the Fort Worth Startlegram Star-Telegram. Then I read this from Daily Kos.

I feel like this is a situation of 1 step forward, 40 years backwards.

OK Fort Worthians...you were upset about outsiders contributing to a political campaign in your city? Just watch out! This incident is being spread via bloggers and Facebook and now all eyes are you. MAKE THINGS RIGHT! Just sayin'.

Crackberry

At a previous place of employment I was issued a Blackberry. Within a matter of days I was addicted. This addiction lasted for a few years and then one day I had to go cold turkey.

Everything was fine for awhile until last week when I purchased a Blackberry to replace the phone that I lost post-Ike. I couldn't resist!

Once an addict, always an addict. I wonder if there is a 12 step program that I can join? Is there a Crackberry Anonymous group? Should I join Kaye Sedilla at Betty Ford?

What I have discovered is that I think I can blog using the Crackberry. If this post posts, then I know it works! Doubt that I can post pics or videos or use spellcheck. Maybe you will hear from me more often!

Oh! The possibilities.

In other news...
I made a quasi-surprise visit to la familia today. You see...

Pre-Ike they wanted me to come & visit to celebrate my b'day. Made some plans that didn't happen. So this past Thursday was Joe & Helen's 53rd Wedding Anniversary. Yes bois & gurrls, I said 53.

So there was a small luncheon planned today and I showed up in Ft Worth. It was something that I needed to do and I'm glad that I did. I had some other commitments for today but unfortunately they had to be shelved and I hope that I will be forgiven. I'm back in H-town on Sunday.

And guess who eating lunch in the same restaurant as me today? The one & only Bernadette Peters! OMG!

I knew that she was in Ft. Worth to perform this evening but I never expected to see her eating!

I SO wanted to talk to her. However, she was with someone and they had their food so I left her alone. I think I know where she is staying and I could have hung out in the hotel lobby and stalked her...

One last thing. Things are still a bit odd in Houston. Some of my peeps still don't have power.

Catch up with y'all later.

50 Is The New 30 (part II)

Birthday greetings go out to Belinda Carlisle who turns 50 today! Belinda was a part of The Go-Go's which was one of the most fun all girl bands ever.

I remember driving in a car with some college buddies from Ft. Worth to Indy during the summer of '82 and listening for hours on end to Beauty & The Beat. To this day whenever I hear a song from Beauty & The Beat I think of my college days.

I saw The Go-Go's perform live on a couple of occasions. The most unusual venue was Billy Bob's Texas in Ft. Worth. You see...

In 1983, David Bowie was on his Serious Moonlight Tour. So in response to that, The Go-Go's did their Serious Barbecue Tour and only played cities in the southern United States.

That night at Billy Bob's was priceless. It was a mix of those of us who were there to see The Go-Go's and the regulars who were there to ride bulls and do some two-step dancin'. I'm not sure about the cowboys & cowgirls but I can tell you that my group of friends had a blast!

So while I'm stumbling down memory lane and trying not to spill the ice out of my cocktail glass, why don't you enjoy this Go-Go's video.

I'm Still Here (Oct. 1)

Did you miss me?

I've been on the go for the past few days and haven't had time to hit the keyboard. I'll give you some highlights of the past few days.

Friday I found out that the reason I got the text mssg calling me a wh_re is because the person was watching Ugly Betty and it had something to do with the storyline. I haven't had the opportunity to watch the season premiere so I'm still a bit in the dark.

Also on Friday, I went with RunnerOne and his wife and daughter to see Mamma Mia! This was the fourth time that I have seen it and it still makes me laugh because it is so silly the way that the ABBA songs were woven together to make a musical. Believe it or not, there were parts of it that I had forgotten about.

I think the silliest part of the show is when Donna's best friends start singing Chiquitita. The show is one of those things that just leaves a big smile on your face!

Saturday didn't go as planned. I was going to get up real early and go for a run, then go home, clean up, grab The Calvinator and go to Ft. Worth.

Well...I overslept and we didn't leave H-town until a bit after 900A. I should have been better prepared because in addition to having to find a different way to get on Hwy. 290 due to the I-10 closure near the house, I was also dealing with Longhorns and Aggies going out 290 to get to Austin and College Station for football games.

The Calvinator and I made it to Ft. Worth in good time and surprised Joe & Helen. Earlier in the week they celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary so mi hermana y mi hermano planned on a little get together for lunch on Sunday

There was something blowing in the air in DFW Metroplex because as soon as I got there I started sneezing and it continued until this morning.

It was a short, last minute trip so I didn't let anybody (other than my sister and brother) know that we were coming into town.

Cal loves his Cal Mobile. He slept most of the way coming back to H-town. I guess all of the dance music I played on the way back doesn't bother him.

One of the cds that I played was Probe 20th Anniversary Party. There are some good songs on there: That's Where The Happy People Go; Stormy Weather; Do You Want To Funk; Together In Electric Dreams; and Pandora's Box (just to name a few).

I've listened to Pandora's Box many, many times but I never really knew what it was about. So, I found this video.

This is one of those songs that makes me want to dance around the living room by myself.

So as you can tell, I haven't done much running. Margo and Jake are getting ready to run the Chicago Marathon this coming weekend. They should have really nice weather...at least compared to what we've been having.

Ugh. Just the thought of running 26.2 miles makes me tired!

I found out that Houston's marathon & 1/2 marathon have already sold out. This has never happened this early. I did register a few weeks ago for the 1/2 marathon.

The difference between running a marathon and a half marathon is similar to the difference between commitment and involvement. A chicken is involved in breakfast and the pig is committed.

To run a marathon you have to commit to doing it. It is like a part-time job and to properly train you need to be willing to give up quite a few things. I've done marathons before and I'm just not willing to commit to it again. Maybe if I pick a foreign destination or if I go back to Big Sur I'll do another one. It really would have been nice to have been selected for ING NYC!

Anywho...I was feeling guilty about not running since Thursday (even though I did some weights on Friday) so around noontime I went to the park and did a 3 mile jaunt. Everything was fine until about mile 2 when the sweat started stinging my eyes. You'd think I'd remember to rinse my hair before I go running and make sure that all of the product is out of it. Ouch!

So that about catches me up with some of the things that have been going on. I'll have some additional posts for you.

And Margo, if you're reading this, here is the answer: Last night I dreamt of San Pedro (from La Isla Bonita).

Art Of The Costume, Fort Worth & G's Party

I'm REALLY trying to get caught up with my photos, postings, etc. So I spent the better part of this afternoon creating photos, fixing red eyes, resizing photos, adjusting the color, etc. So in the words of Jackie Gleason, "And away we go!"

Art Of The Costume

Krewe of Olympus had a fabulous party on July 14. Art Of The Costume allowed our guests to get an up close look at some of the costumes. We had the party at Bering & James and it was a great location and great people to work with. If you're looking to purchase some art, I suggest that you go see them. Eric from Barefoot Wines provided wine for the event. I favor their Pinot Grigio. (I've always thought that a good, chilled Pinot Grigio is perfect for the hot, humid Houston weather.)

Krewe members serving Barefoot Wines.

Deborah & G admiring some costumes.

Some of our guests (and me).

The King & Queen greeted our guests.

Randy in the 019 with his costume.

Riddle Me This

A few readers attempted to figure out my posting on July 19, 2007. Those were the coordinates for Houston and Haltom City (a suburb of Fort Worth). The Calvinator and I took the Cal Mobile on roadtrip to visit la familia. Roni & Joey were leaving for Cabo San Jose so I wanted to see them before they departed.

I was actually amazed at how green it was up there! Normally during this time of year everything is brown and burned looking but they had been getting more than their share of rain. It was nice to see "...the green, green, grass of home."

While I was there we ate at my Godparents restaurant. I'm telling you...there is no food like the food at Mi Cocinita. Every now and then Texas Monthly will give them a write up about being some of the best Tex-Mex food in Ft. Worth and they'll get a mention every now and then in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. They're difficult to find and keep odd hours so if you're going to Ft. Worth, let me know and I'll give you the details. And be sure to tell them, Timmy sent ya.

G's Party

As mentioned in a previous posting, a small group of us gathered at Mo Mong to bid adieu to G. For more photos, click here.

G saying good-bye.

Jai, G & Katie

There's No Business Like Show Business

OK. That previous post made me feel much better (even though I don't have a new pair of shoes). It's not 900A yet so most stores are still closed although I could shop online (but then I won't get the instant gratification.)

So let's think happy thoughts and take deep breaths and put the bad thoughts into a hot air balloon and float away. Uh huh...sure...right...whatever.

Can someone answer this for me. Why do people embrace Anne Heche? She is absolutely crazy and yet, there she is last night strutting across the stage at the Tony Awards. Why did they even invite her to be live on the telly?

My favorite moments from last night's telecast:

1. The opening number featuring the cast from A Chorus Line.

2. Watching the Underdogs win: David Hyde Pierce for Best Actor In A Musical (Curtains) and Julie White for Best Actress In A Play (The Little Dog Laughed). I haven't seen either production but their reactions were truly heartfelt and I love live television.
3. Seeing Bernadette Peters.
4. All of the production numbers.

Last night's telecast got me to thinking about my introduction to live theatre. There are two moments and I can't remember which came first but they both occurred at Casa Manana in Fort Worth when I was a mere tyke in short legged pants.



Aunt "D" took me to see Aesop's Fallibles (no, not fables) and when Joe & Helen took me to see Ruta Lee in Hello Dolly! There's something about the intimacy between the actors and the audience that I love and of course throw in some showtunes for good measure.


Believe it or not, the only time that I have actually appeared in a stage production was my senior year in high school when I portrayed Linus in You're A Good Man Charlie Brown.

During the awards show last night, my yard boy (aka Everyday Italian) called between commerical breaks. We were both wishing we were there and both wished that we were going to Broadway Bares next week.

I guess it's true what they were saying during last night's show: Everybody has a bit of Broadway in them.

I *heart* Broadway!