..is not nearly so exciting or well thought out as yours. But here goes...
Julia Roberts - walked by her exiting the law school (filming Pelican Brief) while I entered the library to study for finals.
Lenny Kravitz - sat on curb beside him outside Tipatina's inhaling his second hand "smoke"...nice!
Tom and Nicole - jogging in Audubon park (I was walking) while he was filming Interview with a Vampire.
Quentin Tarantino --was sitting just down from...
Lionel Richie at the Ivy in LA. (seriously lame sightings considering it was the weekend of the Golden Globes)
Tia Carrere - of Wayne's World fame (schwing) walking down the street in London.
Don Henley - might not count since we only talked on the phone a couple times a month. He was a client when I was a florist...in a former life.
George W. -- did we shake his hand at graduation? Anyway, he was the commencement speaker for HPHS class of '90...before he was gov or pres.
That's all for now. Have to check with Liza 'cause I think we saw someone else in London.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Ames' Top 11 Celebrity Sightings
Everyone has had their little brushes with fame, and I suppose we all have our own criteria about who is famous and what constitutes an actual celebrity sighting. I don't think it's quite fair to include people you went to school with (Hi Harrison! Hi Angie!) especially as they weren't really celebrities back in school. (Well, Angie became one while we were still in school, but...) Likewise for the local rock star (Hi Ken!) or former work colleague rocker ('Sup, Andrew?).
In any event, these become interesting cocktail party chatter or get-to-know-you type conversations.
Knowing that I'm probably leaving someone off, here is my personal Top 11 list of celebrity sightings, Letterman-style:
11. Oliver Stone. See number 1 below.
10. Lionel Ritchie. Cathy and I were eating at the Ivy in Los Angeles several years ago and saw the singer dining several tables away. No, he wasn't dancing on the ceiling, just eating. (Cathy claims that Quentin Tarantino was at the restaurant too, but I don't remember that. Maybe he'll make Cathy's list.)
9. Col. (Ret.) Oliver North. Not too long after his trial over the Iran Contra affair, I met Col. North at a W&L football game, where he was watching his son play for the Generals. I sat behind him at the game and spoke with him a little.
8. Coach Don Nelson. My most recent sighting; I saw the Coach at the Ritz Carlton in New Orleans last month when the GS Warriors were checking in and I was getting ready to leave. He walked right by me and I couldn't hold back: "Hello, Coach, we miss you in Dallas!" After he finally realized I was talking to him, he said "Oh...thanks. Thanks a lot." and continued into the courtyard, where he fired up his stogie and read the newspaper.
7. Roger Staubach. Ordinarily, I'd put this much higher toward the top of this list. However, I don't remember it actually happening, even though Dad tells me that it did, and I've got an autographed picture of Roger Dodger from Culwell & Sons that I got when I met him. I'd like to meet him again so I can put the sighting closer to the top of my list.
6. Harvey Martin. Another great Cowboy of the 70's, I got his autograph when I ran into him at a park in Dallas. He wrote something next to his name and number that I've always remembered: "Nothing worthwhile comes easy."
5. Morgan Fairchild. This one is a bit of a stretch, but she made an impression at the time. Back in the 70's, my dad's business partner had a cousin (Bee Spears) in Willie Nelson's Family band. So the first concert I ever attended--2nd row, center stage at Reunion Arena as I recall--was opened by BB King and headlined by Willie Nelson. With Dad's connections, we got backstage passes and met much of the Family. We also got to visit one of the tour buses, and I was looking out the window at the other tour bus where I saw Morgan Fairchild! Hubba hubba. A thrill, even though I didn't get to meet her (or Willie Nelson, for that matter).
4. Jerry Jeff Walker. As long as we're on country singers, I've met JJW twice. Both in Lexington, VA; the first was when I helped "tear down" his set up for a concert at Zollman's and also helped recover his hat from my fool of a fraternity brother who had stolen it (hi Chad). A year or so later, I got to meet him again (much more sober this time) and recorded some promos from him for the campus radio station, WLUR.
3. Colt McCoy. I walked into a UT basketball game at the Drum with him last season (2008). He was very unassuming and polite; held the door for a lady in front of us and didn't attempt to draw attention to himself. Just a good ol' boy. (Honorable mention: I saw Ricky Williams several times on campus when I was in law school at UT but never had the nerve to speak to him.)
2. Ross Perot. When I was just a little guy, my dad used to take me to the barber shop on Saturday mornings, and I'd pick out a magazine from the rack and sit at Dad's feet, picking out words I could read for Dad and the barber. One morning when I was about 4 or 5, the man in the chair next to Dad commented on my age and reading, and then said to me: "Son, I've got a little software company. Come and see me when you need a job." Unfortunately--and probably unwisely--I have never attempted to take up Mr. Perot on his offer.
1. Tom Cruise: Back when I was a junior in high school, the movie Born on the Fourth of July was filmed, in large part, in Dallas. One of the opening scenes was a wrestling match involving Tom Cruise's character. As a high school wrestler of roughly his build, I was invited to try out for the part of his opponent (and, failing that, one of the other wrestlers in the scene). So one Saturday afternoon I headed over to Richland College to try out. After working out for about 30 minutes, I headed out in the hall to the water fountain. In the hall I ran into this short gentleman with a hat pulled down over his eyes walking into the wrestling room with a taller, more heavyset man with a scruffy beard. Yep, Tom Cruise and Oliver Stone. They were both polite if reserved. When I got back in the room, I was paired up with Tom Cruise and wrestled with him for a while. He was significantly shorter than I was at the time--I'd guess probably 5'7'' to my then 5'9''--and (I was told by the casting folks) I was too much bigger than him for the film. I was invited, however, to be in the crowd during the scene, but my football coach at the time did not see the potential upside to me missing (from the bench) a Friday night varsity high school football game to be in a movie!
So what celebrities have y'all sighted?
In any event, these become interesting cocktail party chatter or get-to-know-you type conversations.
Knowing that I'm probably leaving someone off, here is my personal Top 11 list of celebrity sightings, Letterman-style:
11. Oliver Stone. See number 1 below.
10. Lionel Ritchie. Cathy and I were eating at the Ivy in Los Angeles several years ago and saw the singer dining several tables away. No, he wasn't dancing on the ceiling, just eating. (Cathy claims that Quentin Tarantino was at the restaurant too, but I don't remember that. Maybe he'll make Cathy's list.)
9. Col. (Ret.) Oliver North. Not too long after his trial over the Iran Contra affair, I met Col. North at a W&L football game, where he was watching his son play for the Generals. I sat behind him at the game and spoke with him a little.
8. Coach Don Nelson. My most recent sighting; I saw the Coach at the Ritz Carlton in New Orleans last month when the GS Warriors were checking in and I was getting ready to leave. He walked right by me and I couldn't hold back: "Hello, Coach, we miss you in Dallas!" After he finally realized I was talking to him, he said "Oh...thanks. Thanks a lot." and continued into the courtyard, where he fired up his stogie and read the newspaper.
7. Roger Staubach. Ordinarily, I'd put this much higher toward the top of this list. However, I don't remember it actually happening, even though Dad tells me that it did, and I've got an autographed picture of Roger Dodger from Culwell & Sons that I got when I met him. I'd like to meet him again so I can put the sighting closer to the top of my list.
6. Harvey Martin. Another great Cowboy of the 70's, I got his autograph when I ran into him at a park in Dallas. He wrote something next to his name and number that I've always remembered: "Nothing worthwhile comes easy."
5. Morgan Fairchild. This one is a bit of a stretch, but she made an impression at the time. Back in the 70's, my dad's business partner had a cousin (Bee Spears) in Willie Nelson's Family band. So the first concert I ever attended--2nd row, center stage at Reunion Arena as I recall--was opened by BB King and headlined by Willie Nelson. With Dad's connections, we got backstage passes and met much of the Family. We also got to visit one of the tour buses, and I was looking out the window at the other tour bus where I saw Morgan Fairchild! Hubba hubba. A thrill, even though I didn't get to meet her (or Willie Nelson, for that matter).
4. Jerry Jeff Walker. As long as we're on country singers, I've met JJW twice. Both in Lexington, VA; the first was when I helped "tear down" his set up for a concert at Zollman's and also helped recover his hat from my fool of a fraternity brother who had stolen it (hi Chad). A year or so later, I got to meet him again (much more sober this time) and recorded some promos from him for the campus radio station, WLUR.
3. Colt McCoy. I walked into a UT basketball game at the Drum with him last season (2008). He was very unassuming and polite; held the door for a lady in front of us and didn't attempt to draw attention to himself. Just a good ol' boy. (Honorable mention: I saw Ricky Williams several times on campus when I was in law school at UT but never had the nerve to speak to him.)
2. Ross Perot. When I was just a little guy, my dad used to take me to the barber shop on Saturday mornings, and I'd pick out a magazine from the rack and sit at Dad's feet, picking out words I could read for Dad and the barber. One morning when I was about 4 or 5, the man in the chair next to Dad commented on my age and reading, and then said to me: "Son, I've got a little software company. Come and see me when you need a job." Unfortunately--and probably unwisely--I have never attempted to take up Mr. Perot on his offer.
1. Tom Cruise: Back when I was a junior in high school, the movie Born on the Fourth of July was filmed, in large part, in Dallas. One of the opening scenes was a wrestling match involving Tom Cruise's character. As a high school wrestler of roughly his build, I was invited to try out for the part of his opponent (and, failing that, one of the other wrestlers in the scene). So one Saturday afternoon I headed over to Richland College to try out. After working out for about 30 minutes, I headed out in the hall to the water fountain. In the hall I ran into this short gentleman with a hat pulled down over his eyes walking into the wrestling room with a taller, more heavyset man with a scruffy beard. Yep, Tom Cruise and Oliver Stone. They were both polite if reserved. When I got back in the room, I was paired up with Tom Cruise and wrestled with him for a while. He was significantly shorter than I was at the time--I'd guess probably 5'7'' to my then 5'9''--and (I was told by the casting folks) I was too much bigger than him for the film. I was invited, however, to be in the crowd during the scene, but my football coach at the time did not see the potential upside to me missing (from the bench) a Friday night varsity high school football game to be in a movie!
So what celebrities have y'all sighted?
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Just when you think...
...that you are going to lose your mind. Two of your children are so tired, so beyond tired, that they can't even speak coherently...all they can do is cry and whine and scream and cry again. You cook a healthy, wonderful meal...but you your husband's fish is underdone and nobody likes your vegetables. You realize the slow, dull headache that has been creeping up the back of your skull is now a full blown, eye-crossing pain that leaves you unable to focus, be patient or even really care. That is when you need a little comic relief. That is when your oldest son, wise beyond his years, after eating his dinner without a word of complaint, disappears into another room and comes back ...like this...
Ladies and Gentlemen....Elvis has entered the kitchen. Two things I know to be true....laughter is the best medicine...and timing is everything! Thanks Elvis!
Ladies and Gentlemen....Elvis has entered the kitchen. Two things I know to be true....laughter is the best medicine...and timing is everything! Thanks Elvis!
God Bless Texas...
It was just another typical day here. The sun was shining in a cloudless blue sky. It was very warm,about 85 degrees, with just enough breeze to keep you cool but also quite enough to stir up the dry, dead grass and grey-black sand. The kids were all barefoot outside, striated with red, orange and purple lines on their arms and legs from delectable, sticky popsicles, long-ago devoured. Sarah and I sat under the quiet whirring of the ceiling fan enjoying an ice-cold glass of Pinot Grigio and listening to the rhythmic sound of the back door...banging open, slamming shut, banging open, slamming shut. We watched through the paned glass windows the endless parade of princesses, football stars, army men, superheroes, vikings, knights and villains as our children came in again and again for necessary costume changes emanating from the progressive dramatic storyline taking place outdoors. There were breaks for drinks, snacks, tattling, resolutions, apologies and the potty and then the action would resume. The filthy finger and toenails were a testament to the potions and concoctions being invented by the thespians and to the bare feet of all 8 kids. Yes, this was just another typical day among great friends...except for one tiny minute detail....it is FEBRUARY!!
God Bless Texas!
God Bless Texas!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Wine always pairs nicely with whine....
I love to cook. Always have. Before we had kids (ah, back in the day), I used to read Bon Appetit regularly and flag pages with recipes I wanted to try. Needless to say, Ames loved this phase in our lives, and I feel sure, he has missed those wonderful meals that have been replaced with chicken, french fries, frozen peas and pizza. Now that our kids are getting older and things are a bit more manageable (did I say that out loud???), I find it easier to cook again. I'm also always in the market for quick, healthy recipes to try. I have been daunted by the idea of hours in the kitchen when all I really have is a good twenty minutes to spare at best. I also get pretty sick and tired of cooking for little urchins who begin complaining about dinner before it is even on the table....case in point tonight. Will walks into the kitchen post-bath and sees roasted tomatoes with homemade pesto waiting on a cookie sheet. In one long whining breath he says "ohmomyuckidon'tlikethatdowehavetoeatit?" Nice. Nothing like a little positive reinforcement in the workplace to make the worker bees feel like they are doing a good job. I must say, however, that once we sat down to eat our meal (Parmesan crusted pork tenderloin, almond rice pilaf and the aforementioned tomatoes), the kids did a pretty good job. There was actually a moment there where I thought to myself "I can do this...they are going to eat what I make!" Ames and I even reminisced about our days in Europe eating fresh pesto from Pesto, Italy and wonderful goat cheeses from the south of France....ah the good ol days! Tomorrow's meal of tilapia piccata and orzo with spinach and pine nuts should tell the tale. I will relish in my moment of glory tonight before the whining, refusing, cajoling, complaining begins anew. One of these days my kids are gonna thank me for exposing them to more than chicken and french fries...yea right. And we wonder, how is it we finish a bottle of wine each night at dinner....hmmmm!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Tragedy!!
I know, I haven't blogged in like, decades, but I'll fill you in on all that later. First I must tell you I'm in mourning. A tragedy occurred in the Hutton kitchen last night...a tragedy of gargantuan proportions. Now, I know all mother's think their children are beautiful, and rightly so! But, my children were blessed by the Almighty with the most beautiful hair on the planet! Especially the boys (isn't it always funny how He gives boys those things that women long for...long, thick eyelashes, beautiful natural curl in the hair, but I digress). I have always had a wee bit too much hubris over the boys' hair. It is different colors, textures, styles, but they all have this thick, gorgeous hair that just makes you want to run your fingers through it.....until this week. This week we were exposed to that infamous elementary school villain..the louse. Yes, lice invaded first grade at WRE and ultimately found its way into the fabulous locks of my Jack. We tried to treat by conventional methods..lice shampoo, combing, etc, but still, in all that thick, wonderful hair, it was just too hard. So, that brings us back to the tragedy of last night. Now, I must inform you that Ames has been lobbying to buzz the boys' heads for years. In fact, he has taken immense, perverse pleasure in brainwashing them into thinking that they actually wanted to have their heads shaved and look like little paramilitary street urchins. And last night, Ames got his way. I couldn't watch, couldn't see all those golden curls lying there, massacred on the floor of our kitchen, couldn't see the moment of regret in my children's eyes as they realized there was no going back. But, I did. I did go in the kitchen, and I did try to be supportive. Funny thing though, there was no glimmer of regret. Only laughter and joy. And Ames, instead of having to encourage the boys or calm their fears while they lost their hair instead, sat there saying to them "Isn't Mommy being brave?" To which they all sweetly replied, "Yes." I was brave. When the tears sprang into my eyes, I looked away. I stood there and smiled and told them all how handsome they are. And truly, they are. Oh yea, by the way, only Jack had to have the buzz, but because the boys want to do all things big brother does, the little ones waited patiently in line for their buzz too. So, here they are, the befores and the afters. I will be ok. Life will go on. I will look at this as a lesson in pride and try to remember not to put too much emphasis on those things that ultimately don't matter. And I will look forward to the day when that beautiful hair grows back in...of course by then it will be summer and the massacre will take place again.
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