Category: Amuse Me

A fantastic time was had by all at the H-Town Blogs happy hour last night! Ahhh… I realized why I have been able to tolerate Houston a lot more lately – it’s all the great people that are here. It is always so cool to meet other bloggers in person. I know how intimidating it is at first – heck, I managed to miss many gatherings for about 6 months last year – but once I got over that, it put a completely different spin on blogging for me. Thank you to everyone for coming out and making it the fun evening that it was – it was great to finally put faces to names and blogs I have been reading for awhile (I have read Michelle’s site for probably at least a year, and just recently discovered Emily’s). What I always find interesting to see is how much the “real world” personality complements the blog. Mad props for Cabo for putting us in the private room – it was great to have the place to ourselves!

In attendance last night:
:: Kathy & her husband Tom, Jish (our excuse for the event) :: Syd & Liz, her roommate :: J-Mo Jen :: Mike :: Chuck (who keeps me in the political loop) :: Elaine and her husband Kenny :: EJ :: Angela :: Matt :: James :: Emily :: Michelle and her non-blogging boyfriend Jim.

Fortunately no stalkers showed up, but Emily did touch the tequila. If you want to hear what we sound like, Emily did an Audblog post for posterity. There is also a lot of photographic evidence showing up at the blogs of those who attended, including a few Moblog posts that I made.

The people that couldn’t make it were definitely missed, and I hope they can come out and join us next month! I’m trying to think of some “weekend” activities that would be good for a large group – where kids can attend, or people that just can’t make it during the week would be able to come out. Anyone have suggestions? (I don’t care if you live in Houston or not – you still might have good ideas to toss out there!)

Ahhh… the memories of things like “Squish Jish!” and Hypnoboobies will last for some time… and now I’m really looking forward to going to the Ren Fest in October and hanging out with some fantastic people!

Mike and I decided to go out to dinner tonight, even after getting the news that his friend wasn’t going to be in town. So far, it’s only 10pm and yet still it has been a very eventful evening!

:: I stopped Kathy from buying shoes. I was able to remind her about the three pairs she has bought recently, and remind her that she really did not need another pair. However, I have approved spending that same money on a PenCam. PenCams *rock*!

:: Mike and I tried to go to the Crazy Horse Cantina. Yeah, the same place that I am supposed to be hosting a Happy Hour at next Wednesday. Only there as one problem. There is a sign on the door that the place has been SEIZED by the state for failure to pay taxes! Seized! (Photo taken, to be posted later.)

:: We went to Cabo’s, and Kathy joined us. You’ll never believe what she brought for me! Yes, yes, a bottle of Exclamation! Ah, the memories. (Photo taken, to be posted later.)

:: I still think that Georgio was the worst smelling perfume ever. There are many others that come in a close second.

:: While at Cabo’s, the computer system that runs the registers locked up. Note to asshole in the suit: being a dickhead won’t change the fact that the computers are frozen, and the computer has your credit card for your tab locked up in the drawer. They can’t get it out until they get the computer fixed. Now sit down and stop complaining about it. Next time, pay with cash.

:: Chicks: dreadlocks and pierced noses that are pierced in that little piece of skin between your nostrils, with a hoop with the ball on the bottom looks GROSS. Gross, and there is no excuse. I don’t know why you would pierce your nose there, but it looks like crap. Just thought I would share. (I am not brave enough to take her photo to post later.)

:: I have become a total lightweight. I had two puny little margaritas at Cabos, ate dinner, and I’m still feeling a might bit tipsy. Thank goodness Mike is driving me home.

:: Kaveh Kanes is rocking on a Friday night. Free WiFi and good company … what more could a girl ask for?

The other morning, I was listening to the radio while coming in to work. They started talking about the first perfumes and colognes they owned. Maria kept going on about how her first was Exclamation! Their tagline was something like, “Make a statement without saying a word…” It was all hysterically funny – and even more amusing was the fact that out of all the calls they got, only one man decided to call in!

My first perfume was Love’s Baby Soft. I think I even had the body powder too, probably a gift set from Walgreens. Later, I wore Gloria Vanderbilt. My Dad (who is a Walgreens manager) joked about how they got in gift sets that included Gloria Vanderbilt deoderant. What kind of gift is that? “I don’t like how you smell, so here is some perfume and some deoderant too!” In my recent cleaning binges, I threw away the last lingering bottle of Gloria Vanderbilt that I had. Eventually, I moved on to Poison, Passion, and Eternity. All three give me migraines now. These days I wear the Vanilla perfume from the Body Shop. Nice and simple.

Someday, I would love to get my hands on a bottle of Love’s Baby Soft just so I can smell it again. If I remember correctly – it was a nice, light scent. I’m probably wrong though, and it probably smells horrid! Really, who could smell it anyways over the Bonnie Bell Lip Smackers giant lip gloss that we were all wearing? Remember all the wacky flavors?

So … what was your first fragrance? Your initial signature scent? Where did you get it? Was it a gift? Did you do the same thing as one caller the other day and steal it? What’s the story? Tell us all about it…

In case you missed the clips of the stupid newscasters being tossed around in the winds of Isabel, here is a clip of NBC’s Brian Williams out in the storm. At about the 3 minute mark, you can hear him say, “I can just hear the people at home saying they got what they deserved” after he goes flying in the wind. Damn skippy right we are saying that – what the hell are you doing out there? [via J-Mo]

Stu’s comment on my earlier post is very true – you don’t see these guys swimming with the sharks or standing in the middle of the road during a high speed chase – why do they insist on tempting fate when it comes to severe weather conditions?

Meanwhile, today is Talk like a Pirate Day! Lets hope those newscasters don’t find themselves talking with the sharks soon, if you know what I mean! Argh!

To All Media Types on the East Coast:

Please. There is a hurricane outside. WHAT do you think you are doing, going out side? Do you think that anyone can understand the broadcast that is full of “bprrreeekkkk” sounds constantly due to the wind? And you’re telling people to stay indoors – why don’t you listen to your own advice?

The goofy newscasters here in Houston do that all the time too – standing knee deep in storm water as they tell us all about the flash floods and things like that. We laugh at them. I thought that people on the East coast would be smarter, for some reason. Really, how many times do we need to be told the same things over and over? “It’s flooding here.” 3 minutes later, “Yes Frank, it’s flooding here.” No kidding! Stop saying it over and over!

So my message to those of you on the East Coast is: get back inside the building! Or evacuate! Either way, keep yourself safe, and stop making yourself look stupid!

Thank you for listening.

Christine