July 31, 2009
July 29, 2009
Houston Mayoral Race
I know this won't be of interest to everyone, but it is a good article about our Mayoral race.
White Elephant: Texas Monthly August 2009
White Elephant: Texas Monthly August 2009
July 28, 2009
Shuttle and the ISS
We saw the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station pass over Houston this evening about 9:15. They had recently undocked, and were visible as very distinct bright stars, moving very quickly in the sky.
We have seen the ISS in the past I think that this is the first time we have seen teh Shuttle.
It was very nice!
We have seen the ISS in the past I think that this is the first time we have seen teh Shuttle.
It was very nice!
July 27, 2009
July 24, 2009
Dinner at RDG
Tonight we ate at Robert Del Grande's new restaurant named (guess from where?) RDG. It is in a brand new, purpose built space on Post Oak Blvd, right close up to Las Americas, beside the Hermes boutique.
The valet was prompt in attending to the car, but if it was not a Rolls, a Bentley, an AMG Mercedes, an Aston Martin, or a Ferrari, don't expect to see you car parked out front.
The space is fantastic - you enter downstairs where there are several tables where you can wait to be seated while you have a drink. Or you can ascend the very wide staircase to get into the Bar Annie space at the top - which has a large communal table, several bar tables, and an outside seating area as well.
Now THIS is the scene to be seen in Houston. I mean, there were more Prada bags and Manolo Blaniks than you will see anywhere on this side of the Mississippi before you reach California. The "Blond" hair was flowing and the perfume was overwhelming. As this is an expensive place, there was also a ton of what we might call "recreational" relationships.
But we were lead directly to out table (Not such a good one, but we were there to eat, not to be seen) and the service was truly impeccable.
We had a bottle on 2002 Alexe Corton Burgundy at a reasonable price, and all the food (from fried oysters to octopus with sausage, to quail and guinea hen.) was just tremendous (I will do a real food posting later. Sorry about that!)
But the best part was really the people watching. A table behind us started off with two couples and grew throughout the evening as additional chairs and women were added.
The bar, by the time we left was overflowing and looked like quite the place to be.
I recommend the place heartily.
The valet was prompt in attending to the car, but if it was not a Rolls, a Bentley, an AMG Mercedes, an Aston Martin, or a Ferrari, don't expect to see you car parked out front.
The space is fantastic - you enter downstairs where there are several tables where you can wait to be seated while you have a drink. Or you can ascend the very wide staircase to get into the Bar Annie space at the top - which has a large communal table, several bar tables, and an outside seating area as well.
Now THIS is the scene to be seen in Houston. I mean, there were more Prada bags and Manolo Blaniks than you will see anywhere on this side of the Mississippi before you reach California. The "Blond" hair was flowing and the perfume was overwhelming. As this is an expensive place, there was also a ton of what we might call "recreational" relationships.
But we were lead directly to out table (Not such a good one, but we were there to eat, not to be seen) and the service was truly impeccable.
We had a bottle on 2002 Alexe Corton Burgundy at a reasonable price, and all the food (from fried oysters to octopus with sausage, to quail and guinea hen.) was just tremendous (I will do a real food posting later. Sorry about that!)
But the best part was really the people watching. A table behind us started off with two couples and grew throughout the evening as additional chairs and women were added.
The bar, by the time we left was overflowing and looked like quite the place to be.
I recommend the place heartily.
July 23, 2009
I know things
I think that my sweet ever lovin' sometimes thinks of me as a dilettante. The truth is far from that, though I will admit that given the choice between manual labor, and looking at a Picasso, I will take the Picasso (even his later, throw away art) 99 times out of 100.
So when events conspired to have me fix my sweet ever lovin's car this afternoon, I think that she was surprised that I could do so.
It all started because of some tremendous thunderstorms in Houston. It started raining about 3:30 this afternoon, and the storms continued through the rush hour. Now, I only live about 15 miles from work, but the Transtar website was telling me that it would be at least an hour and a half drive home if I when my usual route.
So I plotted my alternate route, which takes me up US 90 through the Medical Center, past my sister Ree's neighborhood, and right past Hermann Park where MSEL works.
So imagine my surprise when I get a call from her as I am about 2 miles from her park. Her car won't start. She describes the circumstances to me, and I immediately diagnose a dead battery. Well, we'll see, she says.
I get to the park after more terrible traffic (2 miles? 20 minutes) and pull up next to her car. I turn the crank and get some juking noises. Bummer.
So, I just happen to have jumper cables in my trunk (Oddly enough, I was going to pull them out this weekend. Fate! Twice!). We connected the cars (both cars have their batteries in the trunks. So you have to find the little + terminals under the hoods) and still nothing.
Going back to my ill spent youth, I wanted to make sure we had spark. Touch the jumper cables together and what? Nothing. Re-attache the jumpers and touch them again.
Spark!
We got juice, and guess what? The car starts right up.
I know things.
So when events conspired to have me fix my sweet ever lovin's car this afternoon, I think that she was surprised that I could do so.
It all started because of some tremendous thunderstorms in Houston. It started raining about 3:30 this afternoon, and the storms continued through the rush hour. Now, I only live about 15 miles from work, but the Transtar website was telling me that it would be at least an hour and a half drive home if I when my usual route.
So I plotted my alternate route, which takes me up US 90 through the Medical Center, past my sister Ree's neighborhood, and right past Hermann Park where MSEL works.
So imagine my surprise when I get a call from her as I am about 2 miles from her park. Her car won't start. She describes the circumstances to me, and I immediately diagnose a dead battery. Well, we'll see, she says.
I get to the park after more terrible traffic (2 miles? 20 minutes) and pull up next to her car. I turn the crank and get some juking noises. Bummer.
So, I just happen to have jumper cables in my trunk (Oddly enough, I was going to pull them out this weekend. Fate! Twice!). We connected the cars (both cars have their batteries in the trunks. So you have to find the little + terminals under the hoods) and still nothing.
Going back to my ill spent youth, I wanted to make sure we had spark. Touch the jumper cables together and what? Nothing. Re-attache the jumpers and touch them again.
Spark!
We got juice, and guess what? The car starts right up.
I know things.
July 19, 2009
The Art of Manliness
You probably want to turn of your speakers (I can't figure out why some websites insist on having sound turned on by default) but this site:
The Art of Manliness
Has some good tips.
The Art of Manliness
Has some good tips.
July 18, 2009
Reunions, Rainbows, and Thunderstorms
Doreen went to her High School reunion this evening. (Houston Memorial High School)
She was very gracious, and asked if I would like to go, but was very clear that she would not be upset if I said "no".
Which I did.
Sadly for her, but good for the rest of us, we had some tremendous thunderstorms here this evening. She had to drive over to the reunion, but I was here eating peanuts and potato chips for supper. But as the thunder became nigh on continuous, I went outside with Blaze to see what the heck was going on.
I was rewarded with a spectacular double rainbow and a delightful light show from the sky. The lightning was just non-stop. You could not even count the seconds (five to the mile) to see how far away the strikes were. The other interesting thing is that most of the lightning was "cloud to cloud" lightning. As you can see below (I think it is about 26 seconds into the video) the lightning never touches the ground.
What a great thing to see.
She was very gracious, and asked if I would like to go, but was very clear that she would not be upset if I said "no".
Which I did.
Sadly for her, but good for the rest of us, we had some tremendous thunderstorms here this evening. She had to drive over to the reunion, but I was here eating peanuts and potato chips for supper. But as the thunder became nigh on continuous, I went outside with Blaze to see what the heck was going on.
I was rewarded with a spectacular double rainbow and a delightful light show from the sky. The lightning was just non-stop. You could not even count the seconds (five to the mile) to see how far away the strikes were. The other interesting thing is that most of the lightning was "cloud to cloud" lightning. As you can see below (I think it is about 26 seconds into the video) the lightning never touches the ground.
What a great thing to see.
July 17, 2009
Flying to Denver
But here I am. Looking out at that other plane going somewhere else.
Is the photo good enough to see that old CO logo on the tail of the plane behind that plane?
On to thw Queen City of the Plains,
July 13, 2009
July 12, 2009
Grand Torino
Doreen and I watched Grand Torino this afternoon. We have had it in house for a while (netflix) but have not been in the mood for it.
The movie is very, very good. Hard to watch on a number of different levels (racial, social, religious) but it draws you into a world that you (or we, at least) have no familiarity with.
One quibble - Construction work in Detroit? Not now.
I recommend it highly.
(and you need to listen to the end to hear Clint singing the title song. I think the last time he sang was in Paint Your Wagon)
The movie is very, very good. Hard to watch on a number of different levels (racial, social, religious) but it draws you into a world that you (or we, at least) have no familiarity with.
One quibble - Construction work in Detroit? Not now.
I recommend it highly.
(and you need to listen to the end to hear Clint singing the title song. I think the last time he sang was in Paint Your Wagon)
July 11, 2009
Golden Gate Jumpers
398 – Bridge to Nowhere: a Map of Golden Gate Jumpers « Strange Maps
Brother Chas lived in San Francisco a while back. He always said that more people jump off the bay side than the ocean side because "They all want to catch a glimpse of heaven before they die"
Brother Chas lived in San Francisco a while back. He always said that more people jump off the bay side than the ocean side because "They all want to catch a glimpse of heaven before they die"
42nd Street
Doreen mentioned this morning that she would sure like to see 42nd Street, a musical that was playing at Miller Theatre in Hermann Park.
I told her I would love to as well, and it was too bad that the tickets were sold out.
But is is a free outdoor show, so of course the tickets weren't sold out. So sad to be me.
Doreen works with the guy who runs the guy who runs the facility at Miller, and they do each other favors. So she called him up, and we had covered seat tickets (All tickets to Miller Theatre are free. Sometimes they are easy to get, sometimes not so easy) waiting for us when we showed up.
I saw two people that I knew at the show, amazingly enough, Doreen saw nobody!
It was really a lot of fun. You have not lived until you have seen 20 people tap dancing to We're in the Money on stage!
Oh, and Loretta Swit played the lead! She looks good, but she is 71 years old! Holy Mackerel!
I told her I would love to as well, and it was too bad that the tickets were sold out.
But is is a free outdoor show, so of course the tickets weren't sold out. So sad to be me.
Doreen works with the guy who runs the guy who runs the facility at Miller, and they do each other favors. So she called him up, and we had covered seat tickets (All tickets to Miller Theatre are free. Sometimes they are easy to get, sometimes not so easy) waiting for us when we showed up.
I saw two people that I knew at the show, amazingly enough, Doreen saw nobody!
It was really a lot of fun. You have not lived until you have seen 20 people tap dancing to We're in the Money on stage!
Oh, and Loretta Swit played the lead! She looks good, but she is 71 years old! Holy Mackerel!
July 6, 2009
July 5, 2009
Matt and Ducks
As I mention below, my old Geocities website is being shut down. I am moving some files to my Harold Stanford domain.
Harold Standford was a Texan famous during the Texas War of Independence. I will write more about him later.
In the meantime, I submit this for your entertainment.
Harold Standford was a Texan famous during the Texas War of Independence. I will write more about him later.
In the meantime, I submit this for your entertainment.
July 4, 2009
The Grand Tour
IN 2000, Doreen and I ran away from home for almost four months.
We blogged about it before we knew what blogging was.
The website I used (Geocities) is shutting down, so I have to move all the stories and photos. I will be using Blogger to link to the new site. You can click here and I will eventually have everything there.
You can also click here to see the original site, until it shuts down in September sometime.
We blogged about it before we knew what blogging was.
The website I used (Geocities) is shutting down, so I have to move all the stories and photos. I will be using Blogger to link to the new site. You can click here and I will eventually have everything there.
You can also click here to see the original site, until it shuts down in September sometime.
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