Pic(s) Of The Day - 12.28.14 - On The Road Again

The Calvinator and I departed Fort Worth to head back to Houston. Prior to our departure and after the poop incident at the park but before going to Starbucks we stopped to gas up The Cal Mobile.

It has been a long time since I have seen gas prices this low. It has some of us worried because Houston is the energy capital of the U.S. and we love the high gas prices because it drives the economy.

There's something going on with Saudi Arabia and the U.S. and all of the other oil producing nations but I can't quite figure it out and well, right around Christmas it is nice to be paying lower gas prices.

This is another photo I snapped on Sunday at the end of the trip.

Beauty In Nature

The air in H-Town has been full of pollen.  The Cal Mobile had a yellow tint to its gray color.  A storm blew through town the other day and washed the pollen off of everything and some of the neighborhood pollen collected in front of The Calvinator's Crib.

We were finishing our walk and with the Instagram app, I snapped this photo.  I posted it on Facebook and received several compliments.

Photo Journal: January 20, 2010

Well The Cal Mobile is dirty and needs to be washed but it is NOTHING like this vehicle.

Jukebox Wednesday

Hey bois & girls...it's your long lost blogger. Yes. I am still around. I've been busy with the new job and doing things out and about. To top it off, I've been having laptop issues!

Anywho, Trash Disco was fun. Ginger Grant did a nice recap here. Thank you to everyone who attended.

Now...onto music for today.

Kevin clued me on this song a few weeks ago and I cannot get it out of my head! I play in The Cal Mobile. I play it when I'm running. I hum it for no reason. It's one of those songs that I think Kaye Sedilla should consider for her comeback in July 2010. Enjoy!

Did somebody say "Arby's"?

Anybody who reads David Dust knows that he really loves Arby's. He even took a train to eat at Arby's. I haven't had the heart to tell him that I have one less than 1.5 miles from my residence in NoRO.

So anywho, the other day The Calvinator were returning from our road trip and what do I see in the middle of nowhere? (Well actually it was in Waller, TX where Hwy 290 intersects with Hwy 2920...so I guess that is the middle of nowhere.) An Arby's! I pulled The Cal Mobile over to take these two pics JUST for David Dust.

I didn't stop because I had already stopped at Sonic in Hearne, TX for a large Cherry Limeade.

Let It Snow

It was very cold today and it was very wet. I could feel the temperature dropping and around 5:00p.m. I was outside taking care of a task at work and it started to sleet; nothing major I tell ya.

Then as I was leaving around 6:00p.m. there were actually big snow flakes. The snow continued to fall until around 9:00p.m. or so. The Calvinator was loving being out in the chilly weather. I on the other looked like Nanook Of The North. You see...

I think I'm coming down with a cold.

Tonight I heard someone say, "I moved to Houston to get away from the snow. The only crystals I want to see are salt crystals around the rim of my Margarita glass."

So here are some photos of the shotgun houses at Project Row Houses. I tried to do some artsy photos from inside The Cal Mobile. Also, when I was out with The Calvinator I took some photos of some big snow flake decorations.

I have lived in Houston for 16 years and have only seen it snow a few times. However, I have never seen it snow before the Winter Solstice.

Sign of the times?

On Friday night while I was driving home from work and chatting with Friend G, I saw this sign. I abruptly ended the conversation, pulled into the gasoline station filled up The Cal Mobile for less than $26.00!!!! THAT hasn't happened in a LONG time.

When it rains it pours

OMG! I made it home and had to change my underwear because I think I pooped in them when I was driving through high water. You see...

This morning I heard that there was going to be some rain today. OK. No big deal. I rode out a hurricane a few weeks ago.

Well...during a meeting this evening I could see that it was getting a bit clouding. There was rumblings of thunder and THEN it started to rain. And rain. And rain. And rain.

The meeting was over and I had a committee meeting. It rained. And rained. And rained. And rained. The lights went out. I immediately started to sweat and told the group that I needed a bottle of Cakebread or Silver Oak and I needed to start eating. I had immediately slipped into post-Ike mode. Does this mean I have Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome? Just askin'.

The streets were flooding but I was in The Cal Mobile. However, even The Cal Mobile was having difficulty. I noticed that people were standing in flood waters and trying to clear the gutters. I'm thinkin' that some Ike debris is still in the streets and that plus the amount of rain was causing the streets to flood.

Cars were stalled. Water was above the curbs. Buses were causing tidal waves and these buses had water coming into them.

I sat in a parking lot for a bit and received advice from AttyHou about some streets that could be possible evacuation routes out of Montrose. I'll be honest with you, I was scared. In a matter of seconds I had already resigned myself to spending the night in The Cal Mobile in a parking lot in Montrose.

I made it back to NoRO but I was so traumatized I had to stop at McDonalds for a Quarter Pounder with cheese and fries.

The rain started around 645p CDT. It is now 930p CDT and it is STILL raining. At least this time the is falling vertically and not horizontally like it did when Ike came to town.

The temperature is rising and so is the price of gasoline

A brief prologue covers the events preceding the original Mad Max (no backstory was offered in that movie). After uprisings and an extended war due to energy shortages proved to destabilize the country, marauding biker gangs began to terrorize the townspeople in the Australian desert. The crumbling remnants of the government created a tiny, underfunded group of special highway patrol officers to attempt a restoration of order in the outback. By contrast, Mad Max 2 features a much more pronounced breakdown of civilization. In the prologue, a narrator informs us that the world has "crumbled and...the cities have exploded"; life has become a "whirlwind of looting and a firestorm of fear, in which 'men began to feed on men.'" -from Wikipedia about Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior

I'm beginning to think we are just a few steps away from this becoming a reality. I mean really.

The price of gasoline is the highest it has ever been. I remember when I was a kid and gas stations would have price wars to see who could sell a gallon of gas for the lowest price. I remember competing stations getting it down to $00.28. And then I remember the day it went up to $00.33 and it never went down. It has only gone up.

I also remember the year of the fuel shortage. Long lines at the gas stations. Also, there was a system for how often you could get gas. You just couldn't pull up and get some. You were only allowed to get gas on certain days of the week unless your vehicle was for commercial purposes.

Then there was the fuel shortage along the Gulf Coast during the Hurricane Rita evacuation. I think that was the most frightened I have ever been about running out of gas. And not only gas but drinking water.

Everytime The Calvinator does something to upset me, I have to remember that he was a real trooper for staying in the car (well, he did try to jump out once) with me for 27 hours. I'm not sure who was more relieved when I accidentally found the vending machine outside of a closed convenience store in the middle of nowhere. It was ice cold and water never tasted better.

It was pure luck that I found gasoline when I did. Just about the time I would start to panic about the gauge getting low, I'd find a station that had fuel.

I've been taking people to the airport for their extended Memorial Day getaways. In the olden days I would never have accepted money for doing that. Now I'm accepting Euros (LOL) to put gas back into The Cal Mobile for the jaunts back and forth to the airport. Speaking of Euros...

The other night at Todd, Marc & Gordon's cocktail party, somebody dropped something into the pool. We couldn't figure out what it was but a person was being very dilligent about trying to retrieve it. Nobody in my circle of partygoers could figure it out so I started a rumor that it was a Euro. LOL I wanted to see if people would jump into the pool. (I crack myself up sometimes.)

OK. So why did I even discuss this? While I was watching the 10:00 evening news on Wednesday night, Neighbor Ryan Korsgard at KPRC Channel 2 did a story about how much it is costing the City of Houston to gas up vehicles and ambulances and fire trucks, etc. Then there was another story someone who stole about 500 gallons (edit: 1000 gallons) of diesel fuel.

Hey. I need to stop this rambling and get going. I think I just saw Mel Gibson walking through NoRO.

Party Animals

The Houston Arboretum is hosting a party on Saturday, April 5 from 3p-5p. The Calvinator and I didn't make the last party because that is the day the transmission went out on the The Cal Mobile and I was in a foul mood. Hopefully, we'll be able to make it this Saturday.

For more information, click here or on the link under Upcoming Events. There is RSVP information in the link.

Friday Rant

How many phone calls should a customer have to initiate to get the status on a repair? If you've been following this blog, you will remember that the transmission on The Cal Mobile went out last Saturday.

I had it towed to Freeway Ford on Saturday. Didn't hear anything on Monday so I called. Didn't get much information. Didn't hear anything on Tuesday. Didn't hear anything on Wednesday so I called. Was told the part had been ordered and the car would be ready on Friday.

Well, here it is Friday and still no Cal Mobile. I figured they were waiting until it was ready to call me. A bit after 4 (after not hearing anything since I called on Wednesday) today, I called and was told I would get a call back. Over an hour went by and still no return phone call. So I called only to be told they still didn't have the part and it will be Monday. Uh huh...sure...and let me sell you some beachfront property in Tempe, Arizona.

I guess what gets me about all of this is that I had to initiate all communication with them. Hmmm....whatever happened to customer service?

As I told the guy when I last spoke to him, good news or bad news it would have been nice to have received a phone call from them rather than leave me sitting here wondering what's going on.

And so, I'll continue to wonder if The Cal Mobile will really be ready on Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday...

It's always easier to look back and think woulda, coulda, shoulda. I shoulda and coulda spent the money to get the Corolla fixed up instead of buying The Cal Mobile. It may have been an old car but it was still running...and I saw it going down through the neighborhood the other day while I sat here without a vehicle.

You know....you watch the news about someone snapping and doing something violent and you wonder what caused it? I'm willing to bet that dealing with a car repair is the reason some times.

Story at 10p on the news.

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!

The Calvinator

I'm trying to get caught up on some of photos from the past few weeks.

I was trying to get The Cal Mobile loaded and packed for our trip to Cowtown. He got impatient and when I went back to The Cal Mobile he was sitting in the driver's seat and was ready to head out. I swear I heard him singing Rihanna's Shut Up and Drive.

Here he is with Frex. They were waiting for me to give them some Cheez Whiz.

Here he is taking a break from opening presents with la familia Martinez.
Frex had too much excitement for the day and fell asleep when we finished opening presents.

So one of the new cds that I purchased is Disco 4. It is a Pet Shop Boys cd. They have taken some of their songs and songs of other artists and remixed them.

I'm hooked on Sorry [Pet Shop Boys Maxi-Mix]. It is a remix of Madonna's song. OK. Look at the equation. Pet Shop Boys + Madonna = gay orgasm. I play it really loud in The Cal Mobile when he's not traveling with me.

And speaking of Pet Shop Boys. Yesterday when I was working out I decided to have a Pet Shop Boys kind of morning. The one song that always makes me laugh and is rather appropriate for tonight's festivities is You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk.

I'm trying to decide if I should do a year end post: a recap is what I'm thinking. If I do, I'm not sure what to include. Hmmm...

Catchin' Up

Editor's note: I actually started writing this on Sunday evening but got distracted and then passed out...uh, I mean fell asleep watching Desperate Housewives. I just ain't as young and energetic as I used to be!

So remember, when you're reading this I wrote it on Sunday.

It's been a busy few days. AttyHou, Everyday Italian and I have just returned from an afternoon party but before I give you the details about that I'll digress to Friday.

Friday

I'm not really sure where the day went to! Let me think. I overslept so I didn't make it to spin class at LeFittes. In fact, I haven't been making it to LeFittes like I should. I need to get back on track with that. NOTE TO SELF: Go to the gym.

I spent most of the morning doing stuff (i.e. buying soft drinks, mixers, working on the alcohol order) for Fais Do Do. I met up with Blaine and dropped off some ice chests and helped him move some stuff. Before I knew it, it was well after 200p and I hadn't eaten lunch which probably explains the headache.

Legacy was the beneficiary of an event at Design Within Each which was done in conjunction with Salon On Kirby. It was a fun party!

Cool stuff in the store. Take some champagne, wine and beer, add a few nibbly things, add a silent auction of some cool artwork and throw in some pretty people and well it was just a ton of fun!

A big thanx to Alden for doing that!

Saturday

I woke up at 504A and was congested and had a headache and just couldn't bear the thought of going running. I walked The Calvinator and then fell asleep in a fetal position on the couch. Eventually I woke up, brushed myself off and started all over again.

I had to be at Spec's at 1000A to pick up booze, beer and wine. I THOUGHT my order would be ready but they waited until I got there to pull the stuff. And then part of the order was wrong and part of it was missing. So at 1055A I was finally in The Cal Mobile making my way to Winter Street Studios. The Cal Mobile was loaded down.

Some Krewe members helped me unload the goods. After I left there I had some odds and ends to do before heading back to Winter Street Studios. Met up with Blaine and DJ Dan Meador. We got him situated and I had enough time to do a couple of things and get back. The ice man cometh on time. If you're in the Houston area and you need to order large amounts of ice, I highly recommend Ice Express. They called to confirm time and place and were right on time.

The Fais Do Do was fun. Winter Street Studios had ample space for the event. A special thank you to my bar bois who worked the shifts last night. And an extra special thank you to George Garcia and Tony Contreras for their extra effort yesterday!

I've posted some photos from last night. One of the guests was James Getzlaff from Boy Meets Boy. He was in town for an event sponsored by Pride Houston and he stopped by for some Jambalaya. James is the first reality TV star that I have met. Very nice guy.



While I was hovering over the bar, I spoke with AttyFrank. He is always fun to talk to. AttyFrank told me that he reads Str8UpWithATwist. It is always cool to find out who is reading Str8UpWithATwist. AttyFrank has been a long time supporter of the Krewe. A special thank you to AttyFrank and our other underwriters for helping us make things happen!



Part of the party was a raffle for a 40" flat screen tv and a silent auction. Artists Sands Stiefer and John Palmer displayed some of their work and guests could purchase the art work.

Some of the silent auction items.

I got home and had to unload The Liquor Mobile...uh, I mean The Cal Mobile. I didn't want to drive around the Bayou City looking like I was a drunk. (No comments please!)

Right now my dining room, kitchen and living room look like I'm gonna set up a liquor store. Hmmm. My next career choice? And I keep humming Amy Winehouse's Rehab.

Sunday

I slept in. No church. No gym. Just some time with The Calvinator and I made time to read the Sunday paper. While I was at the office, Montrose/Midtown David stopped by. He had just finished running and was going to the Texans game later.


Montrose/Midtown David is a good egg. He is intrigued by Kaye Sedilla. He missed her last performance because he was afraid Kaye Sedilla would serenade him.

And back to the no gym thing. I think I've hauled enough sh_t around the past few days and sweated more than I ever would lifting weights so in my mind I'm ahead.

This party that we went to makes me want to become bulimic. I hate pretty people. I have to ask myself: Are they really happy? How hard do they have to work to be pretty?

Well considering that I absolutely hate to vomit, I guess bulemia is out of the question. And since I love to eat, anorexia is also out of the question. Well sh_t. I guess I have to keep running and spinning.

Many of the usual suspects were at the BCBC event. And I wish that I had taken my camera. You would not believe this house. And it wasn't so much the house as it was the pool area. OMG. I had no idea that something like that was in Montrose. I almost felt like I was in South Beach or Beverly Hills.

Unfortunately I have a new vice now. UV Vodka/Lemonade. At first I couldn't figure out why so many bois were drinking pink drinks. Then I saw a vodka bottle at one of the bar stations and I thought, "Hmmm. I'll try that with some tonic." Next thing I know, AttyHou, Everyday Italian and I are slamming them down.




It really is a Summer drink but considering that Houston only has two seasons, it was OK to drink it. (Remember, those two seasons are Summer and August so according to my calendar we are back into Summer.)

So that catches me up, sorta. I'll try not to stay away for so long.

I have quite a bit on my mind (i.e. Marion Jones, Chicago Marathon) but I'll save that for another day.

I'm Still Here (Oct. 1)

Did you miss me?

I've been on the go for the past few days and haven't had time to hit the keyboard. I'll give you some highlights of the past few days.

Friday I found out that the reason I got the text mssg calling me a wh_re is because the person was watching Ugly Betty and it had something to do with the storyline. I haven't had the opportunity to watch the season premiere so I'm still a bit in the dark.

Also on Friday, I went with RunnerOne and his wife and daughter to see Mamma Mia! This was the fourth time that I have seen it and it still makes me laugh because it is so silly the way that the ABBA songs were woven together to make a musical. Believe it or not, there were parts of it that I had forgotten about.

I think the silliest part of the show is when Donna's best friends start singing Chiquitita. The show is one of those things that just leaves a big smile on your face!

Saturday didn't go as planned. I was going to get up real early and go for a run, then go home, clean up, grab The Calvinator and go to Ft. Worth.

Well...I overslept and we didn't leave H-town until a bit after 900A. I should have been better prepared because in addition to having to find a different way to get on Hwy. 290 due to the I-10 closure near the house, I was also dealing with Longhorns and Aggies going out 290 to get to Austin and College Station for football games.

The Calvinator and I made it to Ft. Worth in good time and surprised Joe & Helen. Earlier in the week they celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary so mi hermana y mi hermano planned on a little get together for lunch on Sunday

There was something blowing in the air in DFW Metroplex because as soon as I got there I started sneezing and it continued until this morning.

It was a short, last minute trip so I didn't let anybody (other than my sister and brother) know that we were coming into town.

Cal loves his Cal Mobile. He slept most of the way coming back to H-town. I guess all of the dance music I played on the way back doesn't bother him.

One of the cds that I played was Probe 20th Anniversary Party. There are some good songs on there: That's Where The Happy People Go; Stormy Weather; Do You Want To Funk; Together In Electric Dreams; and Pandora's Box (just to name a few).

I've listened to Pandora's Box many, many times but I never really knew what it was about. So, I found this video.

This is one of those songs that makes me want to dance around the living room by myself.

So as you can tell, I haven't done much running. Margo and Jake are getting ready to run the Chicago Marathon this coming weekend. They should have really nice weather...at least compared to what we've been having.

Ugh. Just the thought of running 26.2 miles makes me tired!

I found out that Houston's marathon & 1/2 marathon have already sold out. This has never happened this early. I did register a few weeks ago for the 1/2 marathon.

The difference between running a marathon and a half marathon is similar to the difference between commitment and involvement. A chicken is involved in breakfast and the pig is committed.

To run a marathon you have to commit to doing it. It is like a part-time job and to properly train you need to be willing to give up quite a few things. I've done marathons before and I'm just not willing to commit to it again. Maybe if I pick a foreign destination or if I go back to Big Sur I'll do another one. It really would have been nice to have been selected for ING NYC!

Anywho...I was feeling guilty about not running since Thursday (even though I did some weights on Friday) so around noontime I went to the park and did a 3 mile jaunt. Everything was fine until about mile 2 when the sweat started stinging my eyes. You'd think I'd remember to rinse my hair before I go running and make sure that all of the product is out of it. Ouch!

So that about catches me up with some of the things that have been going on. I'll have some additional posts for you.

And Margo, if you're reading this, here is the answer: Last night I dreamt of San Pedro (from La Isla Bonita).

A Dog's Life

I ran with RunnerOne this afternoon. He didn't try to de-wimp today. We did a 1/2 mile warm-up and then did 10 x 200m sprints. Finished it up with a 1/2 mile walk-run back to The Cal Mobile. It was a good workout but right now I can feel my calves having spasms. I've already had 2 bottle of Gatorade. And I'm tired.

Earlier today, I walked into the living room to check on The Calvinator. This is what I found:

Sometimes you need something like this to put a smile on your face.

Good night!

"Better have you naked by the end of this song"

So things didn't go as planned this morning with my Saturday run. The plan was to go to Memorial Park and do 7 miles or so.

I got up this morning and walked The Calvinator then got ready to go to Memorial Park. I had put on a pair of shorts that I hadn't worn in awhile and me and my happy @ss were off to the park. And just in case you're wondering, I was wearing my Crocs.

So I get to the park, put on the running shoes, slather on some Body Glide on the thighs, put on the iPod nano and tried to determine if it was shirtless running weather 'cause the humidity was feeling really high. Figuring that I'd prolly have to lose the shirt (which running shirtless has nothing to do with being vain and trying to show off...it's more about scaring people...I mean being hot and uncomfortable) at some point, I decided to just say "f__ it" and if people go blind, well so be it.

I do my ritual pee, take a swig of H2O and off I go. Everything is fine until about the 1 1/2 mile marker. (I won't comment on the people who decided to use ME as their pacer and wouldn't get off my @ss.)

Right around 1 1/2 miles the shorts start to slip. It is then that I remember why I haven't worn these shorts in a long time. When they get wet (from sweat or rain or both), they start to slip down. So here I am running and wondering what kind of a show I'm giving to the people behind me. If you read in the headlines today that there is a crack problem at Memorial Park, you'll know that they're talking about ME!

Now I'm regretting not wearing a shirt 'cause at least the shirt would give me some coverage. I'm trying to figure out what to do 'cause I could only run for about 30 seconds before I'd have to pull the shorts up. I get to the 2 mile marker, grab some water and think, "This ain't so bad. I can do this."

Rather than do 1 more mile, I decide to do 2 more. Big mistake. The slippage only gets worse...and you see it only happens when I run not when I walk. I just wanted this to be over with so I kept running and pulling up the shorts.

I guess at one point I must have pulled them up too high or they were too low 'cause I noticed people running toward were staring at me and they weren't looking at my face; they were looking around the waist line.

Now I'm thinking, "What do I have in The Cal Mobile that will keep the shorts up?'' Nothing. So, now I'm just trying to finish and for some odd reason I think of Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake singing Rock Your Body at Reliant Stadium during the Super Bowl and her wardrobe malfunction.

See how my mind works? You should all be afraid of me!!!!

Anywho, I finished 4 miles, cooled down and went home. The shorts are now in the trash can.

Speaking of running, I haven't been doing weights very much or spinning and I'm feeling really guilty and fat. These guilt trips are from 12 years of Catholic school. ;-)

Gully Washer

I heard him say it, "This shower will be out of here by the 6:00 news." W-R-O-N-G!

That "storm" hooked up with another storm right over NoRo before the 6:00 news and it rained hard. Before I realized what was happening the heavens opened up and I hadn't closed the window on The Cal Mobile. UGH!

So I put on my Cal Walking Slicker and ran outside.

This is a picture of my shorts when I got back inside. If you look close enough, you can see the raindrops on the hair on my legs.

This is a closeup.

So HE comes back on at the top of the 6:00 news and says we're going to have flooding. It was coming down at about 2.5" an hour. Then I hear something about SUVs floating and if you live near Memorial Park, Downtown, Galleria, Med Center, etc. stay put.

OK...here's the deal. I bought The Cal Mobile so that I COULD drive through high water. I was tired of the Corolla floating around.

It finally let up a bit around 7:00 and The Calvinator wanted out. It was still raining...but not as hard...so I put on the Cal Walking Slicker and took him out. He must have known we needed to hurry (you could see the lightning and hear the thunder moving away from NoRo) because he peed and pooped really fast and was ready to get back home.

I have often been "teased" about The Cal Walking Slicker. I've had this slicker long before there was a Calvinator. I got it for about $15.00 at a Gap Outlet and it has served me well.

Here's the Cal Walking Slicker drying off (front)

(back)

We've been through hell and high water (get it) together. Earlier this year I thought it was time to retire it because the zipper was stuck. I was looking to replace it and before I hit the "purchase" button on the Lands End website I tugged on the zipper one more time and voila! We were back in business.

HE says to expect another gully washer tomorrow around the same time. I'll be sure to get to LeFittes well before the storm hits.

Stay dry everybody!

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?