Pic Of The Day - 08.07.14 - My Obsessive Reality

In case you haven't figured it out, I love reality tv shows and one of them is Big Brother.  I can't imagine living in house with a bunch of strangers knowing that eventually everyone is out to get each other because there can only be one winner.  If I don't watch the show at the original time of airing, I catch it on demand.

One of the more interesting storyline has been Zankie; the relationship between a gay man and a supposedly straight man.  Maybe Zach Rance is in a discovery mode and will later identify as bi or gay.  Or...could it be that a gay man and a straight man can be physically affectionate?

The Tears Of A Clown

I was off from work today. I went to Memorial Park. I bought a birthday present. I napped. I heard the news. I was in the kitchen and had the telly turned on to KPRC-Channel 2 news.

The cadence of the news skipped a beat and I went into the living room to find out what was going on. Dominique Sachse was delivering breaking news. Robin Williams had died at the age of 63. It totally caught me by surprise.

Yesterday when I was in San Antonio, I was gathering things in preparation of leaving Hotel Havana. CBS Sunday Morning was on and they were doing a story about Pierce Brosnan. They showed a clip of him with Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire.  I forgot that Pierce was in the movie and I hadn't really thought of the movie in awhile.

Initial reports are stating that Robin committed suicide.  He had been suffering from depression; I wasn't aware of that.  It just goes to prove that you never what battles someone is fighting.

I had a chance encounter with Robin back in the late '90s.  I had been on a business trip to the Bay Area of California.  The meeting ended on Friday and as was my custom, I extended my stay to Sunday.  Jamie came out to join me.

While waiting for Jamie at SFO, I looked in the phone book for a long lost colleague who was living somewhere in the area.  I called the number, she answered and we made plans to meet up on Saturday.

Mary & David were great hosts for the day, especially on the spur of the moment notice.  We traveled around the city and at one point we went to a park (the name I can't remember).  As we were walking, a man dressed from head-to-toe in a black running outfit came running toward us.  There was something familiar about him and as he passed, it was either Mary or David who said, "That was Robin Williams."  We stopped and turned around and he must of heard the comment because he stopped and turned around and waved and smiled.  He went on his way and we went on ours but I'll never forget that moment in time.

I didn't always get Robin's humor but I did love the roles he played in some of his movies.  RIP Robin and may you find peace in the afterlife.

Pic Of The Day -08.06.14 - I Deserve A Break Today

It was one of those days.  I determined that I deserved a Foot Long Coney from Sonic along with some tater tots and a cherry limeade.  And because it was a really stressful day, I topped off the beverage with some Tito's Handmade Vodka.

#DontJudgeMe

Pic Of The Day - 08.05.14 - I Really Don't Know Clouds

Or maybe I do?  Them are storm clouds.  Somewhere in the northern parts of the Greater Houston area a storm was brewing.  This was the view from the 4th floor of Legacy late in the afternoon.

Pic Of The Day - 08.04.14 - Faux Real

I've never been a big fan of artificial flowers but the sunflowers at Pier 1 are very lifelike.

Pic Of The Day - 08.03.14 - Quote Of The Day

This isn't a pic that I took but it is a screen capture of something I saw on Instagram or Facebook.  I think it is very true.

On the 3rd I was watching Oprah's Masterclass and Vanessa Williams was the teacher.  It was very interesting.

Vanessa talked about her ups and downs.  Because she is public figure, I was familiar with some of them and some of them were new to me.

One story she told was about auditioning for My One and Only.  She had learned all of the songs, auditioned and didn't get the job.  What she found out later was what wasn't said to her.  Basically, it amounted to them not wanting a slut on stage.

She figured out how to take control of her career and that started with going into the recording studio.  She also never gave up.  And, the one thing she said that resonated with me is that no matter what, you have to show up; people are depending on you.

Pic Of The Day - 08.02.14 - White Linen Night (Houston Edition)

From what I understand, White Linen Night started in New Orleans on Magazine Street in the Garden District.  At some point, the idea was imported to Houston a few years ago. The first time I attended the event was in 2007 and 19th Street was not closed off.  It was crowded but a manageable crowd.

Well, as you can see the event has grown over the years and now 19th Street is blocked off.  Some friends live on 18th Street and have been kind enough to host a party.  It makes it nice to have a staging area and air conditioning and access to free cocktails.  And businesses along Studewood, Heights Blvd., and Yale St. also participate.

Not everyone wears white but most people do.  It does sort of look like a large gathering of some sort of cult.