News You May Have Missed

I heard two stories today that are rather disturbing. The first one involves a mother who set her children on fire. This took place in Haltom City, TX, which happens to be the suburb of Ft. Worth where I grew up.

I sent Helen an e-mail today to find out what she knew about it and it turns out it happened two blocks from Joe & Helen! Joe & Helen heard the sirens, etc. but didn't go to investigate what was happening down the street. (I wonder where I got my Gladys Kravitz gene?)

If you want to read more about the story, here is the link to Houston Chronicle.

The second story is something that I have witnessed. A study was done about hand washing. It concludes that 1/3 of men do not wash their hands after going to the bathroom.

I have noticed this at LeFittes. I've seen guys go to the urinal, shake it and then leave without ever going to wash their hands and THEN they go back to the gym floor!

Now, I will admit there have been times that I haven't washed my hands but it only happens when I'm running and have to use a Port-O-Potty and there isn't any place to wash your hands or there isn't any hand sanitizer available. In an instance like that it is what it is because there is no choice.

In fact, I think I've become a bit obsessive/compulsive about washing my hands ever since I took possession of Calvin a few years ago. I feel like I am constantly washing my hands and I go through rolls of paper towels like there's no tomorrow.

And speaking of paper towels....I went to buy some today and there was a double pack of Brawny Paper Towels with the Brawny Man on the packaging. However, the double pack had Mary Engelbreit designs on them. Isn't this sort of a contradiction?

Here's the Brawny Man:

And here's the Mary Engelbreit design:

As it turns out, it was cheaper to buy two single rolls with no design than it was to buy the contradictory double pack.

Now this third story is actually kind of funny because I know how frustrated the guy must have been. I ran across this from Kenneth In The 212.

I can totally relate to the attacker's frustration! In fact, I haven't been to spin class in awhile and the last time I was there a guy in front of me was grunting and swearing and shaking his head and stopping when it got too difficult. Dude. You control the tension on the bike! Adjust it!!!

(from NYPost.com):

GYM VICTIM IS WHEELY ANGRY
'SPIN ATTACKER' DODGES FELONY

By LAURA ITALIANO

September 18, 2007 -- He's not doing much "whooping" now.

A Manhattan hedge-fund manager whose loud grunting and cheering during an Upper East Side spin class allegedly led a fed-up broker on the bike nearby to nearly break his neck is furious that prosecutors aren't treating the assault as a felony.

"This wasn't just a playground fall where Stewy fell down and went boo hoo," angry victim Stuart Sugarman said when told that his alleged attacker was charged yesterday with a mere misdemeanor.

"The reality is I spent two weeks in Lenox Hill [Hospital], including a week in ICU and six hours in surgery," Sugarman complained. "My life has been altered, possibly permanently. This is not a misdemeanor."

Sugarman, 48, a fund manager and investment banker at Sunrise Financial Group, admits that he noisily war-whooped, groaned and shouted, "You go, girl!" during his last spin workout Aug. 15 at an Equinox gym on East 85th Street. That, he says, didn't give broker Christopher Carter, who was three bikes over, the right to repeatedly yell, "Shut the f- - - up!" and then leap off his Schwinn and come charging at him.

The grunting Sugarman is accusing the allegedly berserk broker - both men top 200 pounds - of tilting Sugarman's stationary bike's front wheel up a yard off the floor and flipping the bike and Sugarman into a wall.

Sugarman suffered a concussion from the bike's falling on top of him, along with damage to six discs in the vertebrae of his neck. His surgeon, he said, tells him he was "one click away from a wheelchair."

"The guy had a spinal-cord contusion with major surgery to his neck involving the use of cadaver tissue and multiple metal plates and screws," said Sugarman's lawyer, Samuel Davis.

The criminal complaint lodged yesterday against Carter, 44, of Maxim Investments Group, only accuses him of causing "sustained lower-back pain" and "substantial pain" but makes no mention of the serious physical injury needed to characterize an assault as a felony.

Prosecutors declined to comment on the case. Carter's lawyer, Michael Farkas, said only that his client "did not commit any criminal acts."

"Mr. Sugarman is clearly taking advantage of the criminal-justice system to build some civil lawsuit," he said. Sugarman has yet to file a suit.

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I haven't heard anything else about the break in yesterday. I will tell you that I didn't sleep well last night. Before I went to bed I told The Calvinator that he was on duty. He was asleep by 1030p.

He woke up at 545A when I did. We both heard a noise in the backyard and it frightened the sh_t out of me. He started barking and I was up turning on lights and looking out windows. It may have been one of my critters making their last run before the sun came up.

Since I was awake, I took him for his morning stroll. Including myself, I counted 7 people walking their dogs and five people going to work between 610A and 630A. Once again, why would anyone attempt a burglary at that hour of the morning?

After we finished our stroll, I went to Memorial Park for a 4 mile run.

Ramblings Of A Caffeinated Mind 4.2

I was actually going to title this post Ramblings Of A Constipated Mind but then I went to eat at JAX Grille and ate a HUGE Chicken Caesar Salad and now I think things might flow like they should.

You've prolly noticed that I haven't been putting much out here. A big part of that is because I was getting ready for Tropical Depression #46. Another part of it is because I feel like I'm having a bit of writer's block and since I can't take a laxative for that I'm not sure what to do. Maybe a Martini or two? And something is really bothering me today so maybe if I write about it and get it off of my mind, that will help.

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After a wonderful Friday evening with Linda Eder, I overslept on Saturday morning. I didn't on the alarm clock and just happened to wake up. I took The Calvinator for his morning stroll and then went over to Memorial Park. I only had time for a 5 mile run which I guess is better than nothing at all. If I had more time, I could have done an additional 2 or 3 miles but I had things to do and people to see.

The good thing about Saturday's run is that I didn't have a case of droopy drawers. The humidity was high but not as high as the previous Saturday so I wasn't sweating as much.

The rest of the day was spent getting ready for Tropical Depression #46. I was up to my eyeballs in Jambalaya. When Jim and I lived together I remember he told me one time, "Nobody makes Jambalaya like you do." Over the years I have received several additional compliments. So when it came time to decide about catering vs. cooking, I opted for cooking.

I couldn't have done the party without Ben's help and Michael's creative eye. Ben made dozens of mini-Po' Boys. We used the Antone's concept of putting Chow-Chow with mayo for the dressing and they were yummy! Ben also created a recipe for Cajun Vegetable Dip. It had a secret ingredient that I won't reveal. And we also served Zapp's Chips and Praline Brownies from Acadian Bakers.

I didn't do a full bar. Guests had the choice of Barefoot Cellars Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay, beer (Bud Light, Abita and O'Doul's), soft drinks (Coke, Diet Coke and Sprite) and a special Tropical Depression #46 frozen drink (Hurricane mix with orange vodka, an umbrella and a cherry). I didn't think I was going to like the TD #46 drink but that sucker was good!

The party was at Legacy's Resale Store. In lieu of a birthday present I asked the guests to consider making a monetary donation to Legacy or to bring an item for the store. Also, some of my guests have been longtime supporters of Legacy and this party was also serving as a thank you for all that you have done type event.

I'm not trying to sound egotistical but it was a fun time. Kenny In Montrose (KIM) wrote this about the party:

In theory the party benefited Legacy Resale Shop but in reality it was just flat out fun. The guests all enjoyed each other so much fun that they stayed until the bitter end.

I'm not sure if you have ever made Jambalaya but it's all about getting the right ingredients in the right proportions. That's sort of how I view the party. It wasn't all about the food and drinks. It was about having a good mix of friends for a good cause and making sure everyone had a good time.

And all of this couldn't have been done without the help of some of Legacy's staff: Alaina, Martha, Phil and Chris.

I haven't had a chance to work on the photos but I'll be getting those on here soon.

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So this is what's bothering me.

This morning I woke up a bit later than usual and didn't get out with The Calvinator until around 645A. We were on our usual morning route and a block away I saw 2 HPD cars and there were cops walking the perimeter of a fenced yard.

When we came back around on the other side of the block there were 3 HPD K-9 units which is never a good sign. Of course, the dogs could see The Calvinator but he couldn't see them and he could hear them in their SUVs so he is going nuts in the middle of the street.

I left Calvin at the house and then went for a 3 mile run at Memorial Park. There was no way I wasn't going to enjoy the low humidity morning!!!

Later in the day when we went for our mid-day stroll I saw a lady near one of the houses on Dickson where the cops had been. Turns out she is the mother of the guy that lives in one of the houses.

This morning around 600A while he was asleep upstairs 2 men broke into his house. When he realized what was happening he called 911. The cops told him that there has been a rash of burglaries in the 'hood and they're happening between 500A-700A. What the f___? People are still home at that hour! Somebody is either cracked out or has a big set of cajones.

If I had awakened at my normal time, we would have been near the house around the time that the break in happened. Awhile back I stopped carrying my cell phone and mace with me on our walks but I guess it's time I start doing it again.

So let's see...leash, poop bag, keys, cell phone, mace...I guess I'll just put Calvin in a wagon and haul him along with everything else. :-) Actually, I normally wear a pair of running shorts or gym shorts so I guess I'll wear cargo shorts instead. I'll designate one pair for Calvin walking.

I thought when I left Montrose and moved to NoRO life would be quiet. Oh well.

Day After Tomorrow

When I last left you, I had posted photo of a pot of Jambalaya and I promised more info tomorrow. Well, tomorrow (which was Saturday) is done and gone so here it is Sunday which is the day after tomorrow. (And now I'm humming Tomorrow from Annie.)

Quite a bit has transpired in the past few days; all of it good. And rather than give you a recap of the past few days and bore you, I'll do it in snippets so that you will come back to find out what happens next and still be bored.

In anticipation of Humberto showing up on Thursday, I did all of my grocery shopping for Tropical Depression #46 on Wednesday. So Thursday, I went ahead and started some of the prep work for making Jambalaya.

Thursday night Everyday Italian, AttyHou and I went to Eastman Gallery for a gallery opening. Legacy received a portion of the proceeds from the evening. Ran into some art aficionados that I had not seen in awhile. Of course with this group, all you had to say was open bar and they're there! It has nothing to do with viewing and/or purchasing art.

I REALLY wanted to go workout on Friday but cooking the Jambalaya took most of the morning. I had errands to run and things to do and before I knew it I had to start getting ready to see Linda Eder. The performance started at 700P so that also meant not eating dinner since I didn't eat lunch until 200P.

Everyday Italian, AttyHou and I trotted our happy asses down to the Wortham Center. Living in NoRO makes it VERY convenient to the Theatre District. We live about 3 miles from the district and I really should take advantage of the proximity.

Anywho, Bret and Karl from the 006 met us there. Many familiar faces were in the audience including Realtor Ben and Realtor Alan who were 2 rows behind us.

Prior to Linda coming onstage Scott Brogan from Brilliant Lectures spoke about upcoming shows. He said that Julie Andrews will be in Houston in December. Then he said Diana Ross will be here in February '08. When he said that, there was a collective gay gasp and we started laughing. We weren't laughing at Diana Ross. We were laughing because there was no response from the audience when he mentioned Julie Andrew's name but Diana Ross gets a collective gay gasp!

Linda Eder put on a wonderful show! She was backed by a small group of musicians so it was just them and her on the stage. I'd like to say that she sang ALL of my favorites but well...she left out I Am What I Am and Something To Believe In.

And she really is a true professional. During a ballad there was an audio problem (too many details) and she stopped the song and made a couple of jokes and said she would come back to the song later. Later in the evening when she was doing a different song there was a tacet in the music and someone's cell phone starts to ring. She just smiled, sort of chuckled and kept on with the song. Of course, once the piece was finished she had a comment. In both instances she could have had a diva moment and thrown a tantrum but she dealt with the situation at hand.

I'm really glad that we made the time to see her. If you ever have the opportunity to see her perform, make the effort.

Oh...and of course I had to buy the limited edition or Barnes & Noble exclusive of her new cd. Well actually, I was going to pay but AttyHou threw his money in front of mine and paid and wished me a happy birthday.

So that gets us through Friday night. I'll be back with more weekend stuff!

Son of gun we'll have big fun on the bayou

Jambalaya, a crawfish pie, and file gumbo...

More info tomorrow.

The Good Thing About The Good Side

Well TS Humberto upgraded himself to a hurricane and then decided not to visit Houston. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Not sure how I lost track of what was happening but I read that around 1100P last night the warning was lifted for Harris County.

Humberto decided to go east and made landfall on High Island. Because it went east and NoRO is west of the hurricane, we didn't get any rain. We're on the good side of the storm. In fact, it was pleasant this morning when The Calvinator and I went for our morning stroll.

I was a bit late getting to Memorial Park 'cause I figured it would be pouring down rain this morning and set the alarm for later than usual. Instead of dripping with sweat by the 1/2 mile mark, I didn't start sweating until the 1 mile mark. THAT'S how I know the humidity level was lower than usual.

Humberto should be a reminder to all of us on the Gulf Coast. He popped up out of nowhere and within 24 hours went from being a low pressure system to a hurricane. There was a run on the grocery stores yesterday afternoon. I think many people were concerned about getting stuck at home due to flooding. Why didn't they already have their supplies?

I'll say it again: "Don't let your guard down. It's still hurricane season."

Strange coincidence...I'm doing a Tropical Depression Party (#46) on Saturday at Legacy's Resale Store. If Humberto had formed a few days later, I might have had an unexpected guest. Guess my timing was a bit off.

Waiting For Godot...uh, I mean Humberto

OK. So I sorta missed the last weather forecast and I've been looking at satellite images and someone is getting quite a bit of rain right now but it isn't raining in NoRO...yet. I did hear that if you live east of I-45 you had a high probability of getting hit hard. Well, I live about 3 miles west of I-45 so I don't nuthin' 'bout birthin' babies...I mean about storm tracking.

It has been odd today 'cause clouds are swirling all around us. Coming at us from different directions. That how it is with tropical storms. Ya just never know which way the rain is gonna come from.

It did rain for a bit while I was at LeFittes but by the time I finished there was some sun peeking through the clouds.

With all of these clouds swirling around me, I found myself humming Judy Collins' Both Sides Now.

Bows and flows of angel hair and ice cream castles in the air

And feather canyons everywhere,

I've looked at clouds that way

But now they only block the sun they rain and snow on everyone

So many things I would have done, but clouds got in my way

I've looked at clouds from both sides now

From up and down and still somehow

It's cloud's illusions I recall

I really don't know clouds at all

545P CDT 091207 Looking South from NoRO

555P CDT 091207 Looking south at from the NoRO/RO border

740P CDT 091207 Looking west from NoRO

Tropical Storm Humberto (12:52P CDT)

I was right! :-)

(from Click2Houston.com)GALVESTON, Texas -- A tropical storm formed off the coast of southeast Texas on Wednesday and is expected to move into the Houston area soon, KPRC Local 2 reported.

A tropical storm warning was issued from Port O'Connor, Texas to Cameron, La. A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected within the next 24 hours.

A flash flood watch was also issued for part of southeast Texas until 7 p.m. Thursday.

The center of Tropical Storm Humberto was about 55 miles south-southwest of Galveston at latitude 28.3 N and longitude 95.1 W. The storm was moving toward the north-northwest at 6 mph and had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph.

"Basically we're looking at a 10-hour landfall at about 9 p.m. or a little after that," KPRC Local 2 meteorologist Anthony Yanez said.

The forecast models indicate the system will make landfall near Galveston.

"It would make landfall just east of Galveston Island," Yanez said. "If it flows a little bit more to the west or off to the east, it almost doesn't matter because no matter where this goes it's grabbing moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and moving it into southeast Texas."

The storm is expected to be directly on top of Houston on Thursday morning.

"It's moving slow and that is bad with a tropical storm," Yanez said. "You do not want a tropical storm moving slow because it is going to dump a tremendous amount of rain."

Wind speeds in Houston and Galveston were moving out of the north, and Yanez said that could cause trouble as the storm nears.

"What's going to happen is the storm is going to slow down because you have these competing winds that are moving against each other," Yanez said. "It's not the southerly wind where it can hit and race on out of here. Whenever you have that collision, it's going to slow this storm down.

Obviously, with a storm like this that could bring in some incredibly heavy amounts of rain."

Yanez said 5 to 10 inches of rain is likely over the next two days and some spots could see up to 15 inches.

"If we see that, we're not going to be able to handle that," Yanez said. "We just can't handle that much rain. It's moving at 6 mph. The formula is you divide that by 100. You could see 16 inches of rain. That would be the huge danger for us in Houston. That's not meant to scare anybody, that's just meant as a reality."

The system is expected to continue to affect the area through Friday."

This is something that we are going to be dealing with for quite a while," Yanez said.