The Russian Team Room

Last Saturday, August 31, 2013, I flew to New York to celebrate Tall Todd's birthday. The dinner celebration The Russian Tea Room.

Dinner was fun.  It's always the people that make the experience fun.  It was a combination of family and friends from Houston, New York and Arkansas.

After dinner, the birthday boy asked the manager if we could go upstairs.  I had no idea the restaurant had an events space and when we got up there I was amazed.

Enjoy the photos!

UPDATE: Some new photos that I received after this was posted.

Happy National Dog Day!

It was late in the afternoon when I realized that August 26 is National Dog Day.  A big WOOF to all of the dog lovers and dog caregivers out there.  And a double-big WOOF to all of the canines who provide companionship to us humans.

Readers of this blog know that The Calvinator holds a very special place in my heart.  Through an odd series of circumstances, I took ownership of him in Spring of 2004.  At the time, I didn't have time to be a dog owner.  You see...

I had a job that required me to travel during the week and sometimes on the weekends.  I was presented with the options of him going to a shelter, going to live with my parents in Ft. Worth, or him becoming my pet.  At this point in Calvin's life, he had already had two owners which did not include his foster parents.

This dog is so full of love I couldn't have him start all over again.  Plus, his second owner had changed his name from Eddie to Calvin.  So...there I was with a new companion.  He had major separation anxiety issues but I soon learned the value of a Kong, Cheez Whiz and peanut butter.  And just for good measure, throw in Frosty Paws.

The first time I left him with my parents for an extended period of time, I was told he sat my the front door waiting for me to return.  He soon attached himself to my dad because this was the person who would feed him, take him for walks and let him hang out outside.  Calvin isn't dumb.

When my dad died in November of 2011, there was one night that I couldn't find him in my parent's house.  It's not a big house and I know where Calvin likes to hang out.  He was asleep by my dad's closet.  I still tear up and get a lump in my throat when I think of that night.

The previous year in November, my mom's sugar level had dropped to a dangerous level during the night.  I was awakened by my dad trying to figure out what was wrong.  When I realized the severity of the situation and that we would have to call an ambulance, I picked up Calvin and put him a room with Frex and shut the door.  They knew something was wrong but never barked or whimpered while their was chaos in the house. 

One of my biggest regrets was bringing him back to Houston in September of 2005.  He had been with my parents in Fort Worth while I was traveling.  I returned from the trip and immediately drove to pick him up.  While I was en route, I received information that a major hurricane was heading toward the upper Gulf Coast of Texas.  I should have left him in Fort Worth because a few days later he and I became a part of history.  We participated in the evacuation of  Houston.  It was the first time so many people tried to leave at the same time and it created major gridlock.  What is normally a 5 hour drive took 27 hours.  Calvin was a trooper.  So...

Three years later when Hurricane Ike started heading toward us, I decided to stay in Houston and hunker down.  When the hurricane made landfall we were housebound.  He wasn't able to go outside for about 17 hours.  I stayed awake through most of the storm and had carved out a bunker in one of the closets.  I kept him by my side the entire time and he actually slept through most of it. 

We were fortunate that we were only without power for about 6 days.  It was long enough and an inconvenience but once again, he was a trooper.

Compared to humans, dogs have a short lifespan.  I thought I was going to lose him last Fall when he became very ill.  I'll never be ready for the day when I have to say goodbye to him but I know that he knows I love him and will always look out for him.  I hope in the afterlife we end up together because it's hard to imagine an eternal afterlife without my closest companion.

Today on Facebook I asked, "Have you hugged a dog today?"  Guess what I'm doing when I get home tonight?

Not All Superheroes Wear Capes

On Tuesday, August 27, a gunman walked into an Atlanta area elementary and barricaded himself in the front office.  Unbelievably, no one was harmed.  800 children were evacuated and taken out of harm's way.  For the full story, visit CNN.

Antoinette Tuff was in the office and was confronted by the gunman.  She placed a call to 911 and spoke with Kendra McCray.  I'm not sure how either women kept their cool but because of them, no was injured.

I watched Anderson Cooper's interview last night and it brought tears to my eyes because these women are heroes AND I don't know what I would have done if I had been put in a similar situation.  I can only hope that God would speak to me like He spoke to Antoinette.  And I would hope that if I was on the receiving end of the phone call, He would grant me the patience, knowledge and calmness that was exhibited by Kendra McCray.

As I See It

I snapped this photo at St. Anne's waiting for the 5:00PM Mass to start.  I was in the side chapel and the lights had not yet been turned on.

R.I.P. Kidd Kraddick

This morning while I was trolling on Facebook to see what I missed from the night before...I fell asleep early for a Saturday night...one of Facebook friends who happens to be a real friend posted that Kidd Craddick had died on Saturday.  Stunned isn't strong enough of a word to describe how I feel.

I remember when Kidd came to the DFW market.  It was in the early '80s and he was KEGL which was known as the The Eagle.  He was always entertaining and made me laugh.  At some point he left KEGL and after a hiatus he was picked up in 1992 by 106.1 Kiss-FM.

I moved to Houston in 1992 but continued to travel back and forth the DFW area and always listened to his morning show.  He continued to make me laugh.  I was thrilled when Mix 96.5 in Houston picked up his syndicated show a couple of years ago.  I stopped listening to Roula & Ryan on KRBE 104.1.  I guess there weren't many of us in Houston who listened to him because they ended up dropping his show.

 

One of the things that I will always remember about him is his devotion to Kidd's Kids.  He really made a difference in the lives of so many kids.  When he talked about it on the show, you could tell he was very passionate about this cause.

I also will remember him making the holidays brighter for many families.  His phone conversations with the recipients of the holiday cheer would put a lump in my throat and almost bring me to tears.

I admire people who use their celebrity to make a difference in the world and Kidd is one of those people.  Yes, his show could be a bit crass at times but the bigger picture is that he made a difference in the world.

Below is a photo that I picked up from the Twitter feed from WFAA.  It is believed to be the last photo of Kidd.  And guess what he was doing?  He was in New Orleans at a charity golf tournament raising money for Kidd's Kids.

Rest In Peace Kidd and thank you for making a difference in the lives of so many people.

It's (almost) A Wrap

The holiday weekend is coming to an end. There are a few things that have been making the rounds and I think two of them highlight how the United States is changing. NPR and several other news sources reported on the future diversity of the United States. The future is here now and it is here in Houston. You can read the story here.

The United States has been called a melting pot. I'm not sure if that is what our founders had in mind but that is how we evolved and it's a good thing.

Another thing that has been making the rounds is the song All-American Boy by Steve Grand. How do you define the All-American Boy or the All-American Girl. This is what Steve has to say about it.

"What goes on in your house?"

So...the other night I was channel surfing and started watching America's Got Talent and there was a teaser about a little boy and girl who were going to perform.  My curiosity was piqued so I delayed walking The Calvinator.  And THIS is what I waited for:

OMG! I couldn't stop laughing while at the same time being a little freaked out by this little girl.  If anyone ever wants to remake The Shining and have a little girl replace the little boy, I think I have found the person.

I think the reaction from the judges is priceless.  And I'm with Heidi Klum...after Zombie Skin I can't wait for Lullaby Crash!