The temperature is rising in Houston and so is the dumb factor. Seriously. And the dumb bug has bitten me. Here's what happened...

I was invited to a party last night and the start time was 700p. It was in Midtown but on the opposite side of Midtown so that meant I needed to either go through Downtown or skirt around Downtown. Without thinking, I went through Downtown. OY!

There were performances at The Wortham Center, Jones Hall and Verizon Wireless Theater and I got caught in the scramble of cars trying to get a parking spot. People were blocking intersections with their cars trying to get into parking garages. People were cutting across three lanes of traffic trying to nab a meter spot.

So cutting through the Theater District last night was not a smart move on my part and it only gets worse.

I couldn't scoot over to make a right on Smith or Milam so I had to go toward Minute Maid Park and then I did another dumb thing. I turned right on La Branch which took me right into the traffic mess for Toyota Center and everyone trying to get to the Rockets' game.

There were people cutting across lanes of traffic trying to nab parking spots (just like on the other side of downtown) but there were also people running out into oncoming traffic...tickets in hand. I almost hit a guy that ran in front of me. That would have been real pretty.

I figure the Rockets' fans had been drinking ahead of time so their sense of judgement was a bit off.

THEN this morning on my way to Memorial Park I see a lady run in front of three lanes of oncoming traffic because she didn't want to wait for the light to change. Ya know...I'm not big on seeing carnage on the grill of the car. Not a good way to start the day.

Speaking of the party last night. It was one of those parties where I wasn't sure if I would know anybody other than the host and that's sort of what happened.

When I first got there, I introduced myself to a couple of guests and I thought one of them was repeating my name. So I guess I had a puzzled look on my face because he then said, "My name is also Timmy."

Andrew asked me how I was feeling and I told him that I had worried about a weight gain but that I had actually lost two pounds. I told him that he hadn't seen me at the gym because I didn't have the energy level. He then says, "I'm one stomach flu away from reaching my goal weight." I looked at him and he says, "Remember? From The Devil Wears Prada?" LOL

So I'm flitting around the party and I hear two women talking about one of their friends with a full figure who wears the wrong clothes. So the conversation goes from that to:

• Tim Gunn's Guide To Style with Veronica Webb to




• Carson Kressley's How To Look Good Naked to



• me asking them are they wearing the correct bra (because I saw something on Oprah one day about that) to



• would they let anyone look in their underwear drawer to


• how men have it lucky because the only thing we have to worry about is wearing boxers that bunch.

Erich showed up and like me he really didn't know anyone else at the party. It was fun to hang out with him because I had never really had a one-on-one conversation with him. We met another guest named Victor who cracked us up.

Victor was so sure that raves were the predecessor to circuit parties and he was convinced that he was older than me. Well, I have news for him about the circuit parties. LOL

I think I stunned him when I told him that for my 17th birthday I received a portable 8-track player with a shoulder strap. I can't remember if it held 6 or 8 of the big batteries but it was bit heavy and I thought I was cool. I then remembered that when I was about 5, my Aunt Annie gave me and my sister a quasi-portable record player (it didn't run on batteries). It looked like a little suitcase but it could play an album. Erich and I then realized how portable devices have progressed from my little record player to my iPod nano. What's next?

OK...so I've rambled enough. I will leave you with these three things:
1) The Rockets won last night and now have a 21-game winning streak.
2) I found this underwear for men...men who have a flat butt.

3) I'm getting a vaccination for the dumb bug.

I had a dream

Before I go into details about a dream last night (or was it two dreams), I need to tell you what I did last night which might explain part of my dream.

Last night The Empire of the Royal Sovereign, and Imperial Court of the Single Star Incorporated (E.R.S.I.C.S.S.) held Investures at E.J.'s. I had never been to this event so I might incorrectly describe it. The new Emperor & Empress were introduced and they presented their court. The outgoing Emperor & Empress and Board of Directors presented a check to Legacy in the amount of $41,000. This is money they had raised over the past year. THAT folks is a BUNCH of money to be raised in one year...and we're talking one dollar at a time. And a BIG THANK YOU goes out E.R.S.I.C.S.S.!

So...there were many former monarchs in attendance and visiting monarchs from out of town and out of state. As well as Board members and staff members from Legacy. I didn't read the invitation in detail so I was dressed on the casual side while many in attendance were in black-tie, formal attire or cocktail attire. And with all of the royalty in attendance there were crowns, tiaras, jewels, rhinestones, etc.

Here's the dream:

I'm at Mood in New York City. (Until Project Runway I had NEVER heard of Mood.) Tim Gunn is there. Katy Caldwell (Exec. Director of Legacy) is there and she needs a dress to wear because she is getting married. She doesn't want to wear a traditional wedding dress so the challenge is to design something that Katy likes. I am pulling bolts of material (blues, reds, browns, black) and draping (thanx Rami) material before it is cut. Katy was a tough client to please and I don't know that we ever decided on anything. We were also pulling out rhinestones and bracelets and necklaces trying to make it work.

I finally had to take a break and when I do I realize that Mood is actually part of a store that I shopped at (for real) in Sydney. (So am I in NYC or SYD?)

I go for a walk and next thing I know I am at a trade conference with former business associates. My responsibility is to take photos of them while they are riding in hot air balloons. To do this and to get the closeups, I have to be at the same level. So I am in a gigantic cherry picker that is moving as the same speed as the hot air balloons and I'm getting some good pics.

Well...we are on ground level on a Houston freeway and I realize that the balloon is going to run into an overpass. They're having too good of a time to hear me yelling at them and...

...they slam into an overpass and the balloon deflates. This in turn halts all traffic and brings the conference to an end. No one was hurt.

***end of dream***

I think I have commented before that I have always had vivid dreams. I was often ridiculed by my own blood relatives (i.e. immediate family) because I could remember in detail my dreams. Oh...and I do dream in color.

So if you're wondering what that clip is about, it is Everything's Coming Up Roses from Gypsy. Mama Rose sings, "I had a dream..."

What A Croc!

Let me first state these facts:

1) I *heart* Tim Gunn

2) I *heart* LoneStarSteve

One of the good things about *hearting* people is that you can agree to disagree and not be offended when comments are made about your attire; just so long as they are willing to accept criticism about their attire.

Tim became popular during the first season of Project Runway. Along with super model Heidi Klum, designer Michael Kors and Nina Garcia Fashion Editor for ELLE Magazine (you have say Nina's name and title all in one breath and with a German accent like Heidi Klum otherwise it doesn't work), Tim offered their opinions about the designers' creations. "Make it work." and "Carry on." are Tim's signature phrases. He is quite eloquent when he speaks and I would love to have dinner and cocktails with him one night and watch him cut loose.

The other day, the Houston Chronicle published a Q & A with Tim Gunn. There were two things that I had to read twice because I just don't agree with Tim:

Q.: What fashion trend should never come back?
A.: Crocs. They're just appalling.

Q.: What's the least fashionable item in your closet?
A.: A pair of cargo shorts.

WHAT????!!!!

I *heart* my Crocs! They are so comfortable. They're great for walking The Calvinator in the rain. They're great for slipping on to run some errands. They're great for slipping on before and after a run so that I don't have to wear dirty running shoes in the car. They're great for wearing to the Spin Room so that I don't have to walk (and sound like I'm tap dancing on the gym floor and who knows WHAT would happen if I was heard tapping in the locker room...thanx Larry Craig) in the cycling shoes.

So I send LoneStarSteve (another Tim Gunn aficionado) an e-mail about how I disagree with Tim Gunn's opinion of the Crocs. In part, this is what HE says...

...all i can remember thinking was: they need to collect up all of those 'alleged' shoes and burn them in a big pile. and then they need to destroy the original molds so that no more can be produced.

You win some and you lose some.

Here are my Crocs.

And I don't know how many pairs of cargo shorts I have but they're quite handy when you have to carry around different gadgets. They're much more accepted than a man purse.

nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

Weekend Plans

I was supposed to go on a road trip this weekend but that has been delayed until later in the month. Nothing wrong with being flexible with your plans, right?

Will definitely get up tomorrow morning and do a 7 or 8 mile run. Putz around during the day and then do dinner with some friends.

Sunday will probably consist of my normal Sunday morning routine and then I'll catch the matinee performance of Whistle Down The Wind and then attend an evening Mass at St. Anne's, St. Theresa's or St. Michael's.

CORRECTION on 9/9/07: I found out this morning that the show starts it previews today and actually opens on 9/13/07.

SIDEBAR: When I purchased my ticket for Whistle Down The Wind, I didn't realize that the national tour is starting here in Houston and the 200P performance will be their first performance. Not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing.

When Whatever Happened To Baby Jane? The Musical premiered here in Houston, I was there on opening night and it was uh...hmmm...pretty bad. A stage hand got caught on stage and stayed there through the scene. Some of the props didn't work. Cues were missed. And we were laughing at parts that I later found out weren't supposed to be funny. Plus parts of the story didn't make any sense.

I thought it was a campy musical...the director, the producer, the lyricist and everyone else associated with the production had other thoughts. If memory serves me well, it never made it to Broadway.