"Here's Your One Chance...

...Fancy don't let me down."  And she didn't let me down.

On Thursday (03.06.14) I received a last minute invitation to go to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.  Now, this may seem like a big deal to you but it was to me because Reba McEntire was performing AND I the ticket allowed me access to a private suite on Level 4.

It was a sweet deal because it was open bar, food and a bathroom.  Throw Reba into the mix and it was a fun night!  This wasn't the first time I had seen her perform at the rodeo so I knew that I would be entertained.  In fact, Reba has performed 19 times at the rodeo and to honor her, they named a scholarship after her.

I have several favorite songs recorded by Reba: The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia; Sunday Kind Of Love; Does He Love You; and Fancy.  Of the three, Sunday Kind Of Love is probably not high up on the most requested songs so I didn't expect her to sing it at the show and she didn't so I wasn't disappointed.

She closed out the show with Fancy and I'm glad she didn't do an encore because there is no way to top that song!

Calf Scramble

Reba

Photo Journal: March 6, 2010

It's Rodeo Houston time in H-town. I was given two tickets to Saturday's rodeo. Couldn't find anybody to go with me so after making my way down to Pearland for a birthday party, I went to the rodeo. I also strolled around the fair grounds and snapped some pics. To see more pics, click here.

Photo Journal: March 5, 2010

Cowboy up! It's Rodeo Houston time. Bunches of extra cowpokes in town. Tight Wrangler jeans everywhere. And every restaurant in town welcomes the business!

Support my efforts to raise money for AIDS Walk Houston 2010!

Cowboy Up!

It's rodeo time in Houston. Cowboys, cowgirls and cowpokes of all sorts are roaming the streets of The Bayou City.

Today was the parade which was preceded by Conoco Rodeo Run 10k and 5k. I have not done this run since 2006 and I the last time I ran 6.2 miles, W was the President.

A group of decided to dress for the occasion. Many thanx to John Cox for documenting the pre-race hoopla.

As I stated on Facebook, in the photos we look like we're having fun. However, the 10k course takes you up and down the Elysian Viaduct going out and coming back and I sure wasn't enjoying running at that point.

More photos later of the horses that traveled through NoRO. Oh...and yes, I wore that hat for the entire run.

Selena - The Day The Music Died

On this day in 1995, Selena Quintanilla-Perez died. She was murdered by a business associate who she had considered a close friend. Selena was only 23.

My parents, brother and sister were big fans of Selena. I was familiar with her music but since I've never been a big fan of Tejano music I was always on the perimeter of the family's adoration for Selena.

Selena was on the verge of being the first big Tejano music star to do a crossover. It was at this point that I started paying attention to her music. I've always wondered what her career would be like today if she were still alive.

If I remember correctly, her last concert at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo held the attendance record when it was in the Astrodome. I believe it was somewhere around 65,000 people who were there that day to see her perform. It would be her last performance in Houston.

Selena (the movie) was released in 1997 and I remember the controversy over the casting of the leading lady. It was someone by the name of Jennifer Lopez, yes, JLo. Many people were upset that someone of Puerto Rican descent had been cast to play a person of Mexican descent.

My thought is that JLo did a great job portraying Selena and it was a tribute to her. The fact that a Tejano musician could have a major movie made about them was an honor in itself.

There have been several famous people who have died that I can remember what I was doing when I heard the news. On that list are Princess Di, Elvis Presley, John Lennon and Selena.

I was working for Texas Commerce Bank (now Chase) at the time and I was in the office that day. In the Hedwig Village building was a friend/colleague named Celinda.

Word started spreading through the building that Selena had been shot. A maintenance man (who was one taco short of a combination plate) goes running through the building looking for Celinda to make sure she was safe because well, Selena and Celinda must have sounded the same to him and never mind that Selena was in Corpus Christi and Celinda was in Houston. I still chuckle when I think of that story...and no offense to Selena but uh, Celinda looked NOTHING like her.

I called my mom that day because I knew she was a big fan. Like many of her fans, my mom was very upset.

If you're ever in Corpus Christi, there is a statue of Selena right there on Shoreline Drive. It's a very nice memorial to her.

Here is a montage that is a tribute to her. You will see her in the famous purple outfit at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo.

Ramblings Of A Caffeinated Mind 10.0

WTF Saturday

I'm in a mood and I know, I know, I know...I shouldn't let things bother me but they do. Come on. The Cal Mobile has less than 17,000 miles on it and the transmission goes out? UGH. This morning I barely made it up the Shepherd bridge leaving RO on my way back to NoRO and then I had to coast down it, make a quick left, run a stop sign crossing Durham and get into NoRO. If I stepped on the gas it wouldn't go forward but I could put it in reverse and go 90m.p.h.

So being the creative thinker that I am, I backed into a parking lot, got the vehicle turned around and drove home in reverse...and didn't run over anybody. The dealership was open today so it got towed to the dealership.

I know. In the big scheme of things world peace doesn't depend upon my vehicle running. And other people are dealing with bigger issues but I really didn't need this to happen. So all I can say is WTF?

Trail Rides

As I mentioned yesterday, the Trail Ride came to town. Here are some photos of some them arriving in NoRO yesterday on their way to Memorial Park.

They spent the night there and then made their way to downtown for the parade this morning. Then they turned around and came back to Memorial Park and NoRO.

I went running this morning and all I could see up and down Memorial Drive was horse sh_t. And it smelled like horse sh_t.

When you see horse sh_t up and down Memorial Dr. and when you smell it in your 'hood...well, it must be rodeo time in Houston! Cowboy Up!

March 4

I'm getting anxious. The Republican and Democrat primaries are on Tuesday. My personal opinion is that it's too close to call for Hillary and Obama.

I'm hearing things about Obama that I don't like but I can't confirm all of what I'm hearing so I'm not going to put it out here yet! Although, Kenneth In The 212 was able to confirm something that I had long suspected.

This morning before my Cal Mobile problems, Ugly Betty (aka America Ferrera) spoke to me twice through the radio. She was reminding us Texas Latinos of our strong ties to the Clintons and to get out and vote.

Not only that, we have to vote twice on Tuesday. As Bill Clinton said the other day, "Texas is the only place that you can vote twice and not get in trouble." You see...we have this odd primary/caucus system where 1/3 of the delegates are awarded starting in the precinct caucus. So if you want to have a say in how the delegates are awarded you have to go back around 700p (and if you support Obama you can go back at 1000p LOL). Then you sign in and caucus with the Hillary supporters and I'm not sure what happens after that because I have never done this.

This is the first time that I can remember (and no I'm not going to say something like Michelle Obama about this is the first time I'm proud to be an American because well, that got HER in hot water) that I actually care about the caucus part of the voting. I think it is because it really matters this time and it matters enough to me to go back at 700p and sit there and see what this is all about.

Who knows, maybe by some strange fluke I'll end up at the big convention this summer? I'm sure I could come up with some outlandish costume that could get me on the national telly. Stranger things have happened. The reality is that the delegates that get to go and get drunk are long-time party die hards and all I have to say is you geaux! I'll be happy doing the precinct caucus thingy.

Back to Ugly Betty...

It's going to be VERY interesting to see what happens with the latino-hispanic-mexican-Bill or Billy or Mack or Buddy-vote because the youngsters are getting out and voting this time around and they're leaning toward Obama. So if you're a young latino-hispanic-mexican-Bill or Billy or Mack or Buddy, who gets your vote? I'm sure sus padres, y older hermanos y hermanas and sus abuelos will vote for Hillary. Will you divide la familia? Ay Dios mio!

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)