Jukebox Wednesday

I actually had another song selected for today's Jukebox Wednesday. However, since this is Pride month I thought I would select one of the anthems. There are several recordings of this song that I like. Gloria Gaynor does a "get off your feet and dance to beat" version of the song. The Original Cast recording from La Cage Aux Folles is good too. However, my favorite recording that I couldn't find on YouTube is by Linda Eder. That lady belts it out like it was meant to be sung.

I chose this song today because the other day at Miss Ginger's Roundup, someone decided to perform and wanted this song. I was outside and someone came running up to me asking if I had this on a cd in my car? Believe it or not, the answer was, "No." And then I looked at Kevin in wonderment as to why I don't have it in my car on a cd? I have several versions on the iPod.

So for your listening (and viewing pleasure), here is John Barrowman singing, I Am What I Am. Enjoy!

Day After Tomorrow

When I last left you, I had posted photo of a pot of Jambalaya and I promised more info tomorrow. Well, tomorrow (which was Saturday) is done and gone so here it is Sunday which is the day after tomorrow. (And now I'm humming Tomorrow from Annie.)

Quite a bit has transpired in the past few days; all of it good. And rather than give you a recap of the past few days and bore you, I'll do it in snippets so that you will come back to find out what happens next and still be bored.

In anticipation of Humberto showing up on Thursday, I did all of my grocery shopping for Tropical Depression #46 on Wednesday. So Thursday, I went ahead and started some of the prep work for making Jambalaya.

Thursday night Everyday Italian, AttyHou and I went to Eastman Gallery for a gallery opening. Legacy received a portion of the proceeds from the evening. Ran into some art aficionados that I had not seen in awhile. Of course with this group, all you had to say was open bar and they're there! It has nothing to do with viewing and/or purchasing art.

I REALLY wanted to go workout on Friday but cooking the Jambalaya took most of the morning. I had errands to run and things to do and before I knew it I had to start getting ready to see Linda Eder. The performance started at 700P so that also meant not eating dinner since I didn't eat lunch until 200P.

Everyday Italian, AttyHou and I trotted our happy asses down to the Wortham Center. Living in NoRO makes it VERY convenient to the Theatre District. We live about 3 miles from the district and I really should take advantage of the proximity.

Anywho, Bret and Karl from the 006 met us there. Many familiar faces were in the audience including Realtor Ben and Realtor Alan who were 2 rows behind us.

Prior to Linda coming onstage Scott Brogan from Brilliant Lectures spoke about upcoming shows. He said that Julie Andrews will be in Houston in December. Then he said Diana Ross will be here in February '08. When he said that, there was a collective gay gasp and we started laughing. We weren't laughing at Diana Ross. We were laughing because there was no response from the audience when he mentioned Julie Andrew's name but Diana Ross gets a collective gay gasp!

Linda Eder put on a wonderful show! She was backed by a small group of musicians so it was just them and her on the stage. I'd like to say that she sang ALL of my favorites but well...she left out I Am What I Am and Something To Believe In.

And she really is a true professional. During a ballad there was an audio problem (too many details) and she stopped the song and made a couple of jokes and said she would come back to the song later. Later in the evening when she was doing a different song there was a tacet in the music and someone's cell phone starts to ring. She just smiled, sort of chuckled and kept on with the song. Of course, once the piece was finished she had a comment. In both instances she could have had a diva moment and thrown a tantrum but she dealt with the situation at hand.

I'm really glad that we made the time to see her. If you ever have the opportunity to see her perform, make the effort.

Oh...and of course I had to buy the limited edition or Barnes & Noble exclusive of her new cd. Well actually, I was going to pay but AttyHou threw his money in front of mine and paid and wished me a happy birthday.

So that gets us through Friday night. I'll be back with more weekend stuff!

Mark Your Calendars

OK. Everyone who got caught in the rain this morning while you were running, raise your hand.

Believe it or not I did 7 1/2 miles. I did stop after 3 1/2 because there was some thunder and lightning and you know I have this fear of getting struck my lightning...especially with an iPod in my hand! I waited out that part of the storm and then started up again. At one point, I looked down and I could see water oozing out of my shoes.

I was having a good run prior to the lightning and thunder and I wasn't gonna let anything rain on my parade (note to self: put Funny Girl Soundtrack on the iPod.)

Running in the downpour reminded me of the New Balance ad from a view years ago. It was a picture of a lone runner on a road heading toward a thunder cloud. The headline was: When does a jogger become a runner? On days like today.

Just want to pass a few things along to you that I think you might be interested in...so mark your calendar.

Saturday, September 8

"Despite the ruin still prevalent in New Orleans, digital artist anddesigner, James Clawson dreams the city reborn in collages ofmourning, hope, and fantasy. All I can say is, "Stunning!" His eye fordesign, art and photography will mesmerize you on 36" x 36" works of aPost-Katrina New Orleans. This show is as breathtaking as it isproactive. One of the Crescent City's finest designers and artists,Mr. Clawson's works will debut in Houston here at Galerie Blu onSeptember 8, 2007 7PM to 10PM."

411: Galerie Blu

September 9-22

Whistle Down The Wind

"Direct from London, discover what critics have proclaimed "Andrew Lloyd Webber's best show since Phantom of the Opera." Whistle Down the Wind is an uplifting musical about a young Louisiana girl who finds a mysterious stranger hiding in her barn. While the townspeople are determined to find the escaped felon, she vows to protect him from the outside world. The American premiere production partners renowned top rock lyricist Jim Steinman (Meatloaf's classic album "Bat Out of Hell) and Andrew Lloyd Webber (Cats, Evita and Joseph.) to create a score inspired by the indigenous sounds of the American South - blues, gospel, country and rock 'n' roll. Directed and produced by Bill Kenwright, Whistle Down the Wind combines award-winning songs including the Boyzone smash hit "No Matter What," and epic storytelling for an extraordinary tale about the transformative power of love."

411: Theater Under The Stars

Monday, September 10

Neiman Marcus turns 100 years old. Stop by Neiman's and get a free cookie. It's the stuff that urban legends are made of...and they'll give you the recipe on the website!

411: Neiman Marcus

Friday, September 14

Linda Eder performs for one night only presented by Brilliant Lectures.

411: Brilliant Lectures

Sunday, September 23

Dust off your tambourine! Polish your whistle! Prepare to shake your groove thing and get down tonight!

Krewe of Olympus-Texas, Inc. presents Trash Disco. From 400P-700P you can relive your youth and dance the afternoon away. Relive your memories and bring your friends. A $5 donation gets you past the velvet rope.

411: Krewe of Olympus

Tuesday, September 25 - Sunday, September 30

Mamma Mia! returns to Houston for a 6 day engagement.

411: Broadway Across America

Coming up in October:

• Thursday-Sunday, October 4-7: Greek Festival


• Saturday, October 6: Fais Do Do presented by Krewe of Olympus-Texas, Inc.


• Saturday & Sunday, October 13 & 14: Bayou City Arts Festival

Something I Forgot...

...to tell you.

Ken Hoffman is a columnist for the paper that I read on a daily basis. In his Sunday column he answers questions from readers and replies to readers' comments. He has a quirky sense of humor; hence my affection for his column.

So, he has been printing restaurant stories from readers. And this past Sunday he printed my story! It's not the first time I've seen my name in print in the paper but it is still kinda fun to see your name in print.

Here's the excerpt from his column:
Ken Hoffman
Aug. 24, 2007, 12:00PM
Special Sunday mail delivery

I have a restaurant story for you. I was taking a defensive driving course at a buffet-type restaurant a few years ago, and we were in a room off the main dining room. Next to us was the dessert stand. I was watching a little boy serving himself pudding, it must have been a boring part of the class. The young boy would serve himself a dollop of pudding and then carefully lick off the serving spoon, then right back into the pudding for another dollop and another few licks. I guess he was maximizing the amount of pudding he was having. I decided not to eat there after the class.

Manny Hernandez, Houston

A few years ago I was having dinner with a friend at a restaurant that's since closed. A few booths over, a little girl picked up a ketchup bottle, unscrewed the top and licked the top. She then put the lid back on the bottle and never once did either of the adults do anything to stop her.

When they departed I told our waiter what happened. He just kind of looked at me like I was a freak but my friend confirmed it. The waiter removed the bottle from the table and I can only hope that he threw it away.

Tim Martinez, Houston

The only thing I drink straight from the bottle in my house is Hershey's syrup. -Ken Hoffman

SIDEBAR: OK...he sorta edited my story 'cause even though the restaurant has since closed they are part of a national chain and reopened a new property a few miles down the road. As Realtor Alan said, "I'm sure he was thinking of losing advertising dollars." And every time I pick up a bottle of ketchup, I think of that little girl. I'm scarred for life!

...to do

So after yesterday's run with RunnerOne my shoes were a bit dirty and they were getting wet from the rain so I took them off before I got in The Cal Mobile and left them in the back of The Cal Mobile. And that is where the story ends until this morning.

I got in The Cal Mobile this morning and could "smell" something. Yuck. The smell was familiar. You got it. Sweaty, wet running shoes that sat there all night and dried out. I'm letting The Cal Mobile air out right now but have to keep my eye on the sky 'cause it will prolly rain this afternoon; it's Houston ya know.

...tell you. (Part II)

I did get a ticket to see Linda Eder on Sept. 14! A small gaggle of us will be going together to see her: Everyday Italian, AttyHou, Bret & Karl from the 006. No one wanted to spend the extra money for the post-concert party so I guess Linda will just have to do without meeting me.

I'll prolly have to wear a muzzle so that I don't sing along with her and they'll prolly have to restrain me in my seat so that I don't jump up and clap every time she starts and finishes a song.

I've seen her perform twice in concert and once in Civil War and I must say that she is a great performer. My favorite songs by Linda are: Someone Like You; Big Time; Something To Believe In; The Bells Of St. Paul.

If you need information about the concert, you can get it here .

...to scratch off my list of things to do.

I bought a ticket to see Whistle Down The Wind. I have several reasons for wanting to see this show. I *heart* No Matter What by Boyzone. And, it is my understanding that this show has had a few reincarnations. It'll be a few weeks before I get to see the show so look for a review later on.

I still can't decide if I want to see Mamma Mia! again. :-) The first time I saw it was in Sydney and then a tour came through Houston and I saw it twice in the same week but with different groups of people. I don't know. It's one of those shows that is kinda silly but it makes ya feel good. The jury is still out on this one. Tickets are still available but it is only here for about a week so I need to decide soon. A road trip might conflict with the run of the show. Guess I need to make some decisions huh?

I'm Still Here (Aug. 4)

OK. So here's the deal. If you don't hear from me for a day or two that can mean several things:

1. I'm in a bad mood
2. I'm busy
3. I don't have anything to say
4. I don't have anything nice to say

Friday, Aug. 3 was 1+4. However, by the end of the day I was in a good mood. Sometimes it does me good to just be left alone for awhile and work things out in my head.

Today I've been busy as a bee. Did a 6 mile run and came home and did some chores (one of them unexpected). I will say that by 1200 noon I had sweated every ounce of fluid out of my body. Totally had the wrong time for a party so that kinda rushed me but I did make it to the gym for a quick workout.

Had a WONDERFUL time at a friend's surprise 40th Birthday Party. It was supposed to be a pool party but there was a torrential downpour 1/2way through it. A good time was had by all and I really liked the crowd.

SO...there is a walking tour of The Heights this evening and I need to get my happy arse up there 'cause I have some leads about stores that might sell my cards.

So I hope that everyone is doing well.

And yes I had another odd dream last night. Me, a young Lady Bird Johnson and a young George H. Bush spending time at Liz Carpenter's house after I was accused of stealing at a Target store. AND I didn't take any Claritin yesterday. Could it be my new bed?

PS Linda Eder will be in Houston on September 14!!!!! People who pay the extra price get to meet her at a reception afterwards!!!!!