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

Ramblings Of A Caffeinated Mind 2.5

In case you didn't notice, I didn't do any running this weekend. I hate to run when the allergies are acting up 'cause I can't inhale/exhale.

Anywho...here's a quick recap of my comings and goings.

I did make it to LeFittes yesterday for a light weight workout. Skedaddled home and walked The Calvinator and then headed out to Ft. Bend County for a surprise Welcome To Houston Stan Sikorski! Party. It was also an afternoon to memorialize Audrey Sikorski. It was a wonderful afternoon filled with great conversation.

I arrived at the house and had no idea where I was. LOL Good thing I packed a lunch and First Aid supplies for my nosebleed. (Just kidding.)

For those of you who don't live in Houston and don't know the joke, there is a segment of the population that never traverses "outside the loop" (OTL) The loop is I-610. Keep in mind, The Galleria is OTL but it is attached to the loop so it is sorta annexed. So if you ever go OTL you might get a nosebleed and you might get lost and need a snack.

I did get up this morning and run 3 miles. The legs were rested and I had new shoes and shorts so it was a good run. It was VERY humid.

The Mirror and The Mask

Portraiture in the Age of Picasso

Harlequin With A Mirror by Pablo Picasso

When The Calvinator and I did our road trip a couple of weeks ago, I left him with his grandparents one afternoon and went to the Kimbell Art Museum. They have an exhibit that will be there until September 16, 2007 and it is really interesting. So if you're in the city Where The West Begins I highly recommend that you check it out.

Quappi in a Pink Sweater by Max Beckmann

Bust of a Woman with Hat by Pablo Picasso

Franzi in Front of a Carved Chair by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

Many of my readers may not know this but I have taken a few art history classes and some actual hands-on art classes. So it is always cool to see some the paintings that I studied. Here are a few of my favorite paintings in the exhibit.

Mlle Yvonne Landsberg by Henri Matisse

Self-Portrait With Monkey by Frida Kahlo

Andre Derain by Maurice de Vlaminck

La fille aux yeux verts by Henri Matisse

Man With A Pipe by Pablo Picasso

Self-Portrait by Vincent van Gogh

I know there is some correlation between the wild dreams I've been having and taking Claritin once a day. In the past it happened with Claritin-D. My allergies have been getting the best of me.

You'd think that after two huge @ss Margaritas (frozen swirled with Raspberry) and helping G move and doing a pickup and delivery for Legacy's Resale Store that I'd sleep the whole night through. Au contraire!

Granted...I passed out on the couch watching America's Got Talent but my wild dreams didn't let me get a good slumber so I was awake at 400A. I stayed in bed until about 500A. Finally got out of bed around 530A and took The Calvinator for a pre-dawn stroll. (He is asleep right now.)

The Sunday paper just arrived so I guess I'll go to the office and catch up on the news.

Did someboday say showtunes?

I found out yesterday that Broadway Across America/Houston is adding two shows this year. They're considered extras.

Mamma Mia! will be in Houston September 25-30. This musical was put together around the songs of ABBA. Str8UpWithATwist first saw this musical in 2002 while on holiday in Sydney. And saw it twice in the same week in 2003. (Can we say addiction?)

The other show that has been added is RENT. Str8UpWithATwist has seen this show 4 times. Twice on Broadway and twice in Houston...as well as the movie. (Can we say addiction?) RENT will be here in the Bayou City Nov. 16-18.

For more information: Broadway Across America

Earlier this week, Towleroad reported that Priscilla, Queen of the Desert may be making its way to Broadway or London's West End.

from Towleroad: "Local critics praised this lavish, $6.5 million spectacle when it opened here last fall. Since then, it's caught on with disco-loving straight women, ages 20-40. They're repeat customers whose enjoyment of the musical increases in direct proportion to the number of 'Priscilla-tails' (cosmopolitans in glow-in-the-dark martini glasses) they consume before, during and after the show. They have one hell of a time. 'Priscilla' is aimed squarely at the 'Mamma Mia!' market, which is about as lucrative as it gets. The ABBA musical has grossed $2 billion around the world. 'Priscilla' ain't in that league yet, but its Australian producers have begun laying the groundwork for London and Broadway. With 23 tons of scenery, 514 costumes and enough glitter to entomb Liberace, a Broadway production could cost as much as $15 million, industry sources estimate."

Riedel notes that the musical, whose Australian production has been troubled by a poor script, would most likely need to be re-written for American audiences.

Ramblings Of A Caffeinated Mind 2.4

Lots of tidbits for you this morning and sorta in a hurry so I'll type as fast as I can.

"There is no crying in baseball."...

...unless you're Craig Biggio and then it is OK.

Photo: Melissa Phillip: Chronicle
Tears flowed as Craig Biggio announced Tuesday afternoon that his 20th season with the Astros will be his last.

The other day I was minding my own business and flipping channels while I was working on something. Happened to stop on ESPN to watch a triathlon and they were doing live coverage from Minute Maid Park.

A news conference was about to start and B-G-O was about to announce his retirement. After 20 years with the Astros he will call it quits on his own terms at the end of this season.

Biggio will definitely be missed. He has only played for the Astros and was on of the Killer B's. With all of the non-role model athletes that we have, it's nice to know that some good guys still exist.

Later that night, he hits a grand slam. It doesn't get much better than that.

Photo: Melissa Phillip: Chronicle
Craig Biggio feasts on a high pitch from the Dodgers' Rudy Seanez, smashing it into the Crawford Boxes for a grand slam in the sixth inning that broke a 3-3 tie and propelled the Astros to a 7-4 win.

See You Later Alligator. After Awhile Crocodile.

Last night a small group of us gathered at Mo Mong to bid adieu to G. G and Gidget will be moving to St. Louis. A fun time was had by all. :-) I'll post photos at a later date.

Gidget prepares for the move.

Too Funny

While I was at Gaylynn's party, one of the guests realized that we had previously met. Turns out that Jai was the guy who bought my coffee at the office one morning? Somehow a conversation about my blog had been going on and he made the connection. It was one of those moments that makes you realize it is a small world...but I wouldn't want to paint it. (Posting on June 12, 2007: The early bird gets the...)

Hurricane Forecast

OK folks. This is serious news. Next week a new forecast for the 2007 hurricane season will be released.

Historically, the Gulf Coast gets hit hurricanes starting in August. Also, the height of hurricane season is on Sept. 10 (which happens to be my birthday). AND there is an indirect correlation between a really wet June and really wet July that leads to destructive hurricanes.


Right now, Houston is having the 7th wettest July on record. I'm just saying, be prepared.

Running

I went running on Thursday morning and prolly shouldn't have done so. My allergies are really bothering me and it took everything I had in me to do three miles. Friday is my non-running day so we'll see what happens tomorrow (weather permitting). Also, I think I'm about do for visit to the chiropractor.

RunnerOne

Tim was interviewed by the Houston Chronicle about his run in Death Valley. Click here to read the interview.

The Return Of Kaye Sedilla

photo: David Wallace

Kaye Sedilla waits backstage to perform her first number.

It took me awhile to get this posted because of the numerous photos that I had to sort through and edit.

The Houston Press once said that the most dangerous place in Houston was between a camera and Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee. Well I can assure that the real camera hog on July 15 at Rich's during Mr. & Miss Mint Julep was the one and only Kaye Sedilla. Sheila Jackson-Lee didn't stand a chance that day.

As expected, Kaye was fab-u-lous! Her first number was Robin S.'s Midnight and her second number was Tina Turner's Addicted To Love (Live).

And yes, there were other performers. These included ShyAnne, Selena, Ginger Grant, Krewe of Olympus, and many others.

The event brought in approximately $32,000. A big thank you to Sonna Alton, Chree Boydstun and the rest of the Development Staff at Legacy for making this happen.

Str8UpWithATwist sends out a personal thank you to everyone who attended and/or purchased a table and/or donated food for the event.

Thank you to those people who volunteered to be auctioned off as personal waiters for the day. As you can see Garden Oaks Michael (and his friends) had a fun time with some of the auctioned waiters. Here are a few photos from the event. For more photos, click here.

Garden Oaks Michael with Brian and Brian.

Kaye Sedilla performs Midnight. You can see that she is distraught because she did her man wrong.

Kaye Sedilla performs Tina Turner's Addicted To Love (Live) and pays tribute to The Robert Palmer Girls.

RunnerOne Update

Just checked the website and RunnerOne finished the trek in 39 hours, 8 minutes and 40 seconds. That wears me out! He placed 29th.

I sure hope he'll still be tired when he gets back and won't want to run next week. :-)

Good job you nut!

I have come to the conclusion...

Last night I went to Connie's 530p spin class at LeFittes. To my surprise the Spin Doctor walked in to teach the 630P class. I thought he had already left for America's Finest City. Turns out, last night was going to be his last class. Good luck to you Spin Doctor!

I woke up this morning feeling like a truck had run over me and then backed up and ran over me again.

There are several things that could be making me feel this way:

1. I need a new mattress
2. I think my allergies are acting up
3. I went running yesterday morning
4. I did an hour of weights and situps yesterday afternoon
5. I did 60 minutes of spinning
6. I just ain't as young as I used to be

Needless to say, I didn't go running this morning.

I think it is definitely a combo of 3 + 4 + 5 + 6. Hmmm. That equals 18 and I haven't seen 18 in years! That is my conclusion...I'm getting old. :-)

The Calvinator is at doggy daycare today which is why I scheduled the delivery of the mattress for today. Now I get to wait around for the delivery within a 6 hour window...that part is annoying.

PS RunnerOne is still out there running. I just checked the website and he is almost finished.

Ramblings Of A Caffeinated Mind 2.3

I've been meaning to tell you about this. You'll prolly just shake your head.

I've referred to RunnerOne in several of my postings. He is in California right now running. No big deal you think. UH....he is running 135 miles through Death Valley. He is one of 84 people who are doing this run. This is a non-stop run that started yesterday and will end tomorrow.

They're having cool temperatures in Death Valley. Right now it is only 100 degrees. Sometimes it gets above 120 degrees.

He wanted me to go and be part of his crew. I told him I'd be in charge of the beer. LOL

Anywho...more power to you RunnerOne! I ran 3 miles this morning and 4 yesterday. That's about 5% of what RunnerOne is running. BTW...it didn't rain yesterday, prolly won't rain today and the humidity is way low. Right now it is only 85 degrees and the humidity is only at 46%. :-)

In Other News

This is the bed I didn't buy.

I bought a new mattress and box springs today. I really wanted the Heavenly Bed from Westin Hotels. I wasn't willing to pay the price, pay the shipping and then wait 4-6 weeks. I had a feeling that Mattress Mac would have a knock-off...and he did but it wasn't quite a knock-off price. Maybe I'll be able to sleep better at night. I'll have my first slumber on the new mattress tomorrow night. Anyone up for a slumber party?

The Office

People at the office are beginning to bug me. Today there was a girl sitting in the corner with a male friend and she cried the entire time I was there. Yesterday, some middle-age white men decided to discuss politics. They were a bit loud with their discussion and I didn't agree with their point of view. I started giving them dirty looks and long stares...then they started to whisper. The other day this girl with a LOUD VOICE came in. She was so loud you could hear her above the music and other chatter. I think I'll do what the judge does and take my iPod with me.

Yoga Boi

Yoga Boi is missing from the park. Wherefore art thou Yoga Boi?

Pics

And yes, I owe you photos from Kaye Sedilla's visit to Houston and from my road trip.

525,600 minutes

The other day I was somewhere ('cause no matter where you go there you are) and I saw a guy wearing a t-shirt that had this phrase on it: Time is an invention.

Who came up with the idea of 60 seconds in a minute; 60 minutes in an hour; 24 hours in a day; 30some odd days in a month; 12 months in a year?

I filed that away and today around 630P I got to thinking, "Where did the day go?" Let's see...hmmm.

• Walked The Calvinator


• Went to the office and read the Sunday edition of the Houston Chronicle


• Went to the gym and did lots of weights and situps and caught up with someone that I hadn't seen in awhile


• Took The Calvinator to Memorial Park. Ran into a couple of folks that I hadn't seen in awhile


• Ate lunch


• Did chores and ran errands


• Went to 500p Mass at St. Anne's


• Ran more errands


• Walked The Calvinator


• Ate dinner


• Watched Big Brother 8


• and tried to catch up on some computer stuff

I'm spent. I need a massage.

Sabotage & Karma

Have you ever sabotaged yourself? That question goes to everyone but more specific to runners.

I planned on running 6 miles this morning but I started putting some thoughts into my head as I was making my way to the park. My right knee will prolly hurt. I didn't eat right yesterday. It's too humid. I didn't drink enough water. I only ran on Tuesday and didn't get in any other runs. I feel fat. Blah, blah, blah.

Well needless to say, my 6 mile run didn't happen this morning. I only ran 4 and part of that was a few walking breaks in there.

I know. Running isn't only a physical thing, it is a mental thing also. Fiddle dee dee. There's always tomorrow or Monday to get back into mental shape.

I dropped The Calvinator off to get groomed. He didn't want to stay and tried to make a run for it. He's quick.

Anywho. I made my way over to the dog show at Reliant Park. I was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of exhibits, dogs, people, etc. Who knew that there was so much dog stuff to sell???

So now we get to the karma portion of this posting...

I had just made my way through all of the exhibits and was going to go look at the dogs and the judging. (I had already watched some Frisbee catching and some dog + human dancing...don't get me started on that subject!) So it's a bit crowded in the walkway and there is a man pushing a stroller and his wife is saying "Watch out. Watch out." He says, "I am!" And I'm thinking, "What a b!tch." And then it happened. I stepped in big pile of dog poo. THAT'S what she was telling him to watch out for. UGH! Some dog pooped in the middle of an aisle on cement no less.

I was so sure everyone could smell me coming. I went to the bathroom and got into a stall and did my best to clean my shoe. Then I didn't care and went to the sink and used wet paper towels with soap. I WAS hungry but this incident made me lose my appetite.

Once I was sure no one could smell me, I made my way back out to the show and stumbled across Bob Kennedy and Chris Lewis showing their Pomeranians. I'm not a big Pom fan 'cause they yap. Anywho...both of their dogs won! 1st AND 2nd.

So...I guess I should go buy The Secret and read it. And I guess I shouldn't think bad things about people.

You Can't Stop The Beat

Due to our roadtrip this week, The Calvinator's day at doggy daycare was moved to today. This is definitely daddy's day out.

I went to the 1055A showing of Hairspray. I missed opening day of Dreamgirls so there was no way I was going to miss opening day of Hairspray.

The original John Waters Hairspray was released in 1988. I remember renting the VHS and was immediately hooked. Then the Broadway musical Hairspray was created. I saw a touring company show when it came through Houston a few years ago and I was hooked. Now I have seen the movie version of the Broadway musical and I'm hooked. In case you can't follow this...this is movie musical of a Broadway musical of a movie.

Although a bit different from the movie, the Broadway musical stayed true to the story and the movie musical is a bit different from the stage production but still stays true to the story. And guess what? John Waters makes a cameo appearance.

I'm not sure who has the outstanding performance in the movie because everyone gives it their A+ effort. The casting director did a great job on this movie.

Queen Laftifah continues to amaze me. In my opinion she was born to play Motormouth Maybelle And there were a bunch of giggles when John Travolta makes his screen appearance as Edna Turnblad...she/he can dance in a dress! I was a bit skeptical of Michelle Pfeiffer but she immediately won me over as Velma Von Tussle. I never would have imagined Christopher Walken in a movie musical but he was perfect as Wilbur Turnblad.

Bottom line: A good, fun movie with a good message. I'm still humming You Can't Stop The Beat.

Riddle Me This

29n46, 95w22 T

32n48, 97w16 T, W, Th

29n46, 95w22 Th

I'm Still Here

Do you remember that song from Follies? I *heart* that song.

Anywho...I've been extremely busy the past few days and the rest of the week I might be a bit incommunicado. No worries. All is OK. Just quite a bit going on.

Saturday night was the Krewe party at Bering & James and yesterday I was with Kaye Sedilla all day. Today I'm cleaning up the aftermath of both and trying to pay attention to The Calvinator.

I'll be back in touch (hopefully with some pics of the weekend events) later.

TTFN

Bastille Day

Today is Bastille Day in France. Greetings to Aleksander & Stephane at Oh La La. These two guys are two of favorite bloggers. This photo was taken was taken by Steph.

Photo of the fireworks over looking the Vincennes Park in Paris by Steph

For those of us who aren't quite sure what Bastille Day is, this is from Wikepedia: Bastille Day is the French national holiday, celebrated on 14 July each year. In France, it is called "Fête Nationale" ("National Holiday"), in official parlance, or more commonly "quatorze juillet" ("14th of July"). It commemorates the 1790 Fête de la Fédération, held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789; the storming of the Bastille was seen as a symbol of the uprising of the modern French "nation", and of the reconciliation of all the French inside the constitutional monarchy which preceded the First Republic, during the French Revolution.

In Other News...

I went for a 6 mile run this morning and saw something rather disturbing. While I was in the jungle gym area doing my post-run stretch I thought I saw a man wearing a diaper. I looked again and well let's just say he shouldn't have been wearing those white shorts...they were a bit too small, too wet and did not complement his body at all. And I was the only one doing a double take!

I schleped wine around yesterday in preparation for tonight's Krewe Party. Hope y'all can make it. In addition to this, I was running more errands for Kaye Sedilla. She puts the "I" in dIva! I got a steal at Macy's Red Apple Sale today. I went looking for a white shirt and ended up buying a black shirt. LOL (I crack myself up.) Here's the deal.

The sign on the rack for the black shirt said 50% off blah, blah, blah. However, the white white shirt (exact same style) wasn't on that rack. So I thought, "hmmm. I can always use another black shirt." Turns out it was 50% off the marked price. The shirt had already been marked down 50% and it was 50% off of that! At that price, who needs a white shirt???? :-)

Interview With A Diva

I was very pleased to get this interview. The legendary Kaye Sedilla tries to avoid the press and paparazzi. Barbara Walters, Katie Couric and Matt Lauer all wanted an exclusive interview with Kaye. I was fortunate to be selected.

Str8 Up With A Twist (SUWAT): First of all, may I call you Kaye or do you prefer Ms. Sedilla?
Kaye Sedilla (KS): Let’s start with you making eye contact with me and not looking down at your notes. If you break eye contact, the interview is over. Got it?

SUWAT: Yes I do, Ms. Sedilla.
KS: Good. And you can call me Kaye.

SUWAT: Everyone in Houston is looking forward to your performance on Sunday at Mr. & Miss Mint Julep. What can your fans expect?
KS: As a premiere performance artist, they can expect to be knocked off their feet. I’ll be doing a new song…new for me. If they demand it, I will come back later in the show and do a number from one of my previous shows. I hear that Beyonce’ is in The Bayou City this weekend. Everything she knows she learned from me. You might see us at Starbucks during the weekend trying to catch up on things. It's been awhile since we've had a good chat.

SUWAT: Why do you only perform once a year in Houston?
KS: Legacy Community Health Services is very near and dear to my heart. When they call it isn’t a matter of “will I perform”? It is a matter of “when and where do you need me?”

SUWAT: I noticed you have a launched a page on myspace.com. There seems to be a question about your age.
KS: Would you like to end the interview? Someone once said that a lady who will tell you her true age will tell you everything.

SUWAT: Uh. I’m sorry. Can I ask you about Matt Lauer?
KS: You can ask. Not sure that I have anything to say.

SUWAT: First of all, I know that he called you and wanted to do an interview and you said no. Is there some bad blood between you two?
KS: There isn’t bad blood. What’s between us is a woman named Annette. You know…his wife. Can we change the subject?

SUWAT: How are things between you and Madonna? She performed at Live Earth and you didn't.
KS: LOL Madge. Her and her fake British accent. What was up with her black outfit at the show? Tryin' to play it conservative in your old age Mo? I'm VERY selective about where I perform. I was there sitting in the Royal Box right behind William and Harry. You didn't see me?
I remember being a child and watching her (Madonna) perform in Detroit at various clubs (I'd sneak in) around town. She really upset me when she told Dick Clark on American Bandstand that she was 'going to rule the world.' New topic please.

SUWAT: Anything you’d like to say to your fans?
KS: Get there early! I’m second on the program and I “might be” talked into doing a 2nd number later in the show. And bring your dollar bills…5’s, 10’s and 20’s are always welcome.

SUWAT: Well Kaye. Thank you for your time.
KS: You're quite welcome.

See you this weekend?

One of the advantages to living in a big city (4th largest in the U.S. to be exact) is that there is quite a bit to do and this weekend is going to be a busy one.

There are two events that I would like Houstonians to take note of and hope that you will attend.

First on the list is Saturday

Art of the Costume A Close-up look at Olympus finery

The event is from 700P - 900P at Bering & James Gallery located @ 805 Rhode Place #500. Costumes from previous balls will be on display. Wine & little nibbly things will be served. This is for supporters and underwriters of Krewe of Olympus. Hope you can make it!

2nd on the list is Sunday

Mr. & Miss Mint Julep Contest

This event is at Rich's @ 2401 San Jacinto. The doors open at 230P and the show starts at 300P. Kaye Sedilla makes her once a year appearance in Houston at this event. I confirmed with her people that she will be 2nd on the program...right after the opening act and right before the auction of waiters. Kaye "might be" coerced into doing an encore number later in the show. There is no cover charge and all tips earned by the performers will be donated to Legacy Community Health Services. Don't miss Kaye!

Ramblings Of A Caffeinated Mind 2.2

Lady Bird Johnson

Last night during the 1000P news on Your Education Station, neighbor Ryan Korsgard did a live report from Austin about the death of Lady Bird Johnson. Lady Bird passed away at the age of 94. In my opinion, Lady Bird's legacy will be the beautification of Texas highways by having wildflowers planted. This photo of Blue Bonnets is from Janie Richter's photo gallery.

Yoga Boi

Not sure what's up with Yoga Boi. I've been getting my morning runs in but not on a regular schedule. I see him running but not doing yoga. Maybe the ground is too wet? Anywho, he was out there this morning running in the humidity.

iPod

OK. Now I have something new to worry about. Two people have been struck by lightning while wearing their iPod. What isn't clear to me is if they had a protective covering on their iPod. More information, you can read the story in the Houston Chronicle.

A Lasting Legacy Resale Store

Thank you Shop Girl for the blurb about the store. As a reminder to my readers, the store accepts donations Tuesday-Saturday.

TUTS Bob

I had a pleasant surprise this morning at the office. TUTS Bob stopped by. He and I are on the Board for Legacy. I was actually at my desk when he stopped by.

One ringy dingy. Two ringy dingy.

Today was a full day of running errands and being on the phone. And then at some point I got bit by another tsetse fly and had to take nap. OR...it could be that I went running yesterday and then spinning and then running again this morning...oh and throw in some weights in there. Speaking of spinning...there's talk on the street that The Spin Doctor is leaving The Bayou City and heading to America's Finest City.

The Calvinator went to doggy daycare. When he is away, I try to get as much done so that I don't have to keep running back and forth to walk him.

After my 3 mile run this morning and on my way to the office, JLo from the RDU called. We had not talked in awhile. She works at my former place of employment and we love to dish about the Gayken. (Have you noticed that he looks like Reba McIntire? Sorta like that Michael Jackson-Diana Ross thing.)

Later on I talked with Eric from Barefoot Wine . They're donating wine for the Krewe's event on Saturday evening. Which then prompted some followup phone calls to Blaine in the 008.

Got a phone call from Cowtown Robb but the call dropped so that was the end of the conversation. :-( That was followed by Sugar Land Stuart calling me asking if I had watched Singing Bee (which I'm watching right now)? I think I received a backhanded compliment when he said that if was showtunes, I would win. Hmmmm.
In between all of this I was helping Kaye Sedilla get things together for Sunday's Miss Mint Julep which is a benefit for Legacy Community Health Services. I'm sure glad she only comes to town once a year.

Madge! Madge! Madge!

Mo. Madge. Madonna. (Bill or Billy or Mack or Buddy) She's done it again. First the fake British accent and now this. Don't most stars not want you to make eye contact? The Calvinator and I get into staring contests when he misbehaves. And contrary to popular opinion, I win.

Eyes have it: Madonna demands eye contact

By Jeannette Walls
MSNBC
Updated: 1:41 a.m. CT July 10, 2007

Madonna had an unusual backstage demand at the Live Earth concert: make eye contact.

While some stars issue edicts demanding that minions not look them in the eye, the Material Girl startled organizers of the global warming awareness concert by reportedly insisting that anyone who interviewed her backstage at Wembley Stadium was not allowed to look away.

“Eye contact must be maintained at all times,” interviewers were told, according to the London Mirror. “Never look down to check notes — all questions must be memorized or the interview will be terminated.”

“We thought her people were just joking,” a source told the paper. “But it soon became apparent that they were deadly serious.”

Interviewers were also given a list of questions they were not allowed to ask: no inquiries about the state of her marriage to director Guy Ritchie, about their adoption of a Malawian child, or about her religion, Kabbalah.

“She did not want to do any interviews, which I told the Live Earth folks from the start,” Madonna’s rep told The Scoop, adding that she didn’t know about any backstage demands.

Photo: Anthony Harvey/AP

The Weekend in review (Part III)

7/8/07

If you look at my post for Sunday, you can sorta figure out that I went to Starbucks, LeFittes, Memorial Park with The Calvinator and then to South Beach for Christmas in July.

Tequila Lane made her final appearance (so she says). She performed a Celia Cruz number and had the joint shaking their hips like they don’t lie. Buffy Bayou also performed a cute little Christmas ditty. St. Louis Lynne (SLL) showed up. It was good to see her.

Daniel, Stuart, G & Lynne enjoying Christmas In July

And if you read Monday’s posting you know the rest of the story.

OK. So that should bring us up to date. :-)

The Weekend in review (Part II)

7/7/07

My post for 7/7/07 pretty much tells you what I did during the day. Let me tell you what happened in the evening and it may “esplain” why I’m muy cansado.


Sikorski gave me a ticket to the Astros game. He was going to sing the National Anthem. He also invited AttyHou and Everyday Italian. Well…we had to get there around 530P to get our tickets and get seated. Just as we were loading up The Cal Mobile, the heavens opened up. High winds. Torrential downpour. Sheets of rain coming sideways.


We’re not that far from Minute Maid Park but the traffic signals were messed up downtown and the lightrail was slowing things down. And while the typhoon was swirling around us, Rihanna’s Umbrella (Rafael Lelis Radio Mix) started playing. Too funny. We found street parking about five blocks away and ran with our umbrellas. They didn’t do much good. We were soaked! Not sure if you can tell how wet I got from this photo. Look at my shoulder.

Can you see how wet I am????

The game went into extra innings. We left at the top of the 11th. The Mets won in the 17th…yes, as in 8 extra innings.

Here is Sikorski singing before the game.

Brad Ausmus at bat.

Sikorski, Everyday Italian, AttyHou & Steve

We went home and did costume changes (changed out of our wet clothes) before heading over to Quadra-3. Trevan, Dan, Gary and Ray throw a joint b’day party. It was fun to catch up with people that I haven’t seen in awhile. There was some buzz going around the party about Kaye Sedilla returning to town on July 15 at Miss Mint Julep. I sure hope she knows to expect a crowd!

So I had every intention of calling it an early evening but I was hungry and so were AttyHou and Everday Italian. We load up The Cal Mobile again and head over to House of Pies (aka House of Guys). Can you believe they were almost out of pie? Granted it was close to midnight but still! Puhleeeze. I wanted Bayou Goo Pie and all I got was Italian Dream Cake…oh and a chicken fried steak sandwich.

I didn't take this photo. THIS photo has pies in it.