The Hotel Abandon

St. Genesius At The Stake

2011-12-05T20:59:00.000-06:00

Saint Genesius at the Stake

Actor or saint, which god did you serve,
When on a clear Roman evening
You declared yourself Christian
And sealed your doom.

The play was over, and your part -- concluded.
Why did it carry on into the Emperor's Court
Where you declared yourself
Moved by your own performance,
A mockery of the baptism.

And what was your motivation
When put to the torture,
When the pyre was lit,
And the heat came in waves
Over your sweat-streaked face?

Were you overcome with the Holy Ghost?
Thus declaring yourself Christian --
Then, no patron of Actors.

Or were you serving Thespis?
Singing the great goat-song of Dionysius --
Then, no Saint.

Or are you merely that twisted actors's fantasy --
A moment on stage, turned Legend?

Don't Be Afraid Of The Shadows, Julia

2010-10-30T21:34:00.000-05:00

Don’t be afraid of the shadows, Julia,

The darkness can be your friend.

You can’t live your life in the sunshine,

Even the brightest day must end.

Night-time comes, candles are lit,

The shadows begin to fall

Casting phantom figures

Which dance upon your wall.

Shapes and forms at your command

Performing as you like –

Giants and dragons, witches and ghosts,

Your dream-wishes bring them to life.

The mantle of darkness, my Julia shall wear

With ne’ery a trace of fright,

At home beneath moon and the wandering stars,

A princess of the night.

I sketched out the preliminary lines for this poem on Halloween, 1991 when Julia was one day old and still in the hospital. I finished it later, of course, but the inspiration was two-fold. First, we had finally decided on her name that day, and I loved the name “Julia” for so many reasons, but partly because there was a “Julia” on Dark Shadows. And the song “Julia” by Annie Lennox was going through my head over and over while I held this tiny brand new life in my hands.

Secondly, Deb and I loved the night, and the shadows, and the mystery, and the danger that was present in all those gothic novels, stories, and movies, from classics like Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, to more popular outlets like Victoria Holt and Anne Rice. And I didn’t want my daughter to be afraid of the nighttime, or the shadows, or the darkness, because those times happen to us in this world, as well as the worlds of literature and imagination.

And finally, all the old poems my mother, and my grandmother used to recite to me, with the older language and the older cadence and rhyme, these were also going through my head as I held her close to me and passed the time until we left the hospital to take her, not home, but to the theatre. From “Little Orphan Annie” to “The Land of Beginning Again” the old sounds were in my thoughts as I held this new life.

So, nineteen years later, I wanted to share this with you, and to re-dedicate it to my beautiful daughter, Julia -- a brave, strong, and formidable woman who is definitely not afraid of the shadows.

The Faery Glamour

2010-10-29T23:48:00.000-05:00

Consciences are luxuries for kingly men,

Not a traveling player taking leave

Of an unholy company

Mirthless actors behind grinning masks

Shape-shifting frantically

Unable to reclaim the original skin

So easily shed

Surrendering your own voices

Believing them ordinary –

Replaced with echoes;

Shadows cast by footlights.

And if you are truly talented, it is the shadow

And not you which they shall remember –

For only the living are liars

Ghosts whistle truth backstage and in the wings

And aren’t afraid to scream “Macbeth”

At the top of their voiceless lungs

For the real show isn’t the show at all

. . . and I do not wish to be here anymore.

-- Quentin Collin Faust

Back to the Blog . . .

2010-10-16T09:06:00.000-05:00

Getting tired of how hectic, and how public Facebook is getting, so I revamped the design and am starting anew.

Today, my day of rest is turning into a day of work, but at least I don't have to put on a tie and drive in to Dallas. Instead, I've got my shoes off, a pot of mint tea on, and instead of coffee breaks, I'll be taking "hot-tub" breaks. And the other great thing is that I can continue to download all of these ShowTunes into my iTunes account. So, I'm looking on the bright side of things this beautiful October morning.

2010-02-06T17:51:00.000-06:00

The Trashcan Man & The Boxcar Child

for Shaun

A black edged, golden gray, tinted with orange dawn

Fills the air with the smell of yellow rain.

The trashcan man and the boxcar child

Embrace the morning with cut-throat smiles

And rise to another day of robbing Peter – and lying to Paul.

And as they search for shelter, their minds race helplessly,

Looking for a reason for the pain and the burden they share

As together they bear the Mark of Cain.

Chalking it all up to a Karmic debt, a cosmic bet, a holy joke.

With no roof – the world’s their dwelling place

. . . but not their home

With no relatives – they have many families

. . . but none their own

With no money – they get drunk

. . . on as much liquor as they can find

While their dark and bloodshot eyes

. . . are filled with bruised wisdom.

A fading blue, ribboned with pink, and dotted with black sky

Falls gently on a cloister of trees which covers the graying grass

Where the boxcar boy and the garbage gent

Lay down their burdens, lay down their heads.

While their spirits wander restlessly

Searching for an emerald dawn

They know will never come.

Sleeping Memories (Christopher)

2009-09-16T19:20:00.003-05:00

Sleeping memories: Drunk Christmases / Black Easters --

Freezing:

The snow falling inside the house through the broken windows . . .

A frozen lake in the bath-tub and the toilet . . .

Frozen socks hung up to "dry" the night before . . .

Refugees huddled in the "heated" room

Hiding out with the enemy,

Powerless, in a house that is silent, dark, and cold

Sleeping memories awaken at a brother's pain

Childhood unresolved, forgiveness denied,

Understanding . . . . withheld --

Frozen.

Lost in the dark timber, where the deer roam wild,

Along with PaPaw's beast, the "GallyWampus" who devours

Hapless children who gaze too long into his single eye . . .

In the black, back forty, where bearings are lost,

And the sun can only be seen

From the top . . . of the tallest tree . . .

When we were young, we climbed that tree, and found our way back,

Found our way "home" . . .

We stayed warm without a fire,

And found ways to pass the time.

Together we managed to eat, when there was no food,

And to be kind, when there was no kindness . . . .

All we have now are memories;

Different memories of the same childhood,

Reminding us we survived, but separating us,

From who we are now, who we were then,

Or who we remember . . . .

We are older.

We have faced the pain and the questions;

Together and separately.

Different pain

Separate questions.

I am not hiding any answers from you . . . .

I don't know what happened.

I don't know why things are so difficult.

Or, it it simply because we know today what we didn't know then?

That every day we face the monster in the dark;

That every day we have to find our way home,

And that every day when we look back . . .

We have to remember . . .

Not to gaze too long . . . .

Summer Break Started Yesterday

2009-06-01T11:13:00.002-05:00

Julia's final performance was Saturday night, then she left for Austin and today's State Solo & Ensemble competition, and then she's done, done, done with her Junior Year. I think I'm more relieved than she is. I'll be posting pictures here and on Facebook from her show in the next couple of days.

- Q

The Memorial Day "Special Gift" . . .

2009-05-09T16:00:00.001-05:00

Oh, Dear, Dear Patrons,

We pride ourselves on being the keepers of "EVERYTHING", particularly keeping those bits of flotsam and jetsam that could prove MOST embarrassing to our friends. Well, all I'll say now is that I have found a precious gem of a memory and will be preparing it for duplication and distribution to the patrons lucky enough to have reserved a spot at this year's Memorial Day BlowOut. Or . . . in the common vernacular . . . I got the goods on one of you !!!!

Be Here or Be Talked About!

- Q

The Song Remembers When . . .

2009-05-04T19:41:00.002-05:00

And so . . . you're standing in line at a deli . . . box of fix-your-own salad from the salad bar . . . and a song comes over the muzak . . . and it's all you can do to pay for your lunch, make it to the elevator, then up to the office, where you shut your door quietly . . . and let yourself cry.

Walpurgis Night . . . 2009

2009-05-01T00:28:00.002-05:00

Tonight is often the night designated as Walpurgis Night, the night before May Day, the Festival of Beltane (whose opposite way festival is Samhain . . . or Halloween).

And tonight is the night that Julia and I went to see Fleetwood Mac, and Julia and I got to see Stevie Nicks perform "Storms" which they are doing on this tour for the first time ever. It is the lyrics from "Storms" that Deb selected for her Memorial Plaque (So, I try to say "Goodbye" my friend, I'd like to leave you with something warm / But never have I been a blue, calm sea / I have always been a storm).

And tonight is the official end of my dark period, although I've been struggling my way back into the light for the past week or two.

But I've learned a lot, and I did manage to avoid any visits, or any major events during April, was able to take care of many minor (and a few major) details along the way, which has certainly contributed to my sleeping a whole lot better than I have been. And I feel like after three years of being "de-constructed" after Debbie died, that I've laid the first few tentative bricks towards the "re-construction" of Quentin Faust, whatever that will finally look like, who knows.

I certainly know what I don't want, and often times in my life knowing that has pointed me in the right direction, and I hope it holds me in good stead at this cross-roads as it has in the past.

May will be a busy month (although maybe not if they keep closing things down in fear of this swine flu, but don't get me started on that tonight).

Julia has many performances, banquets, and activities this month, my nephew Jaedan graduates in two weeks, and I'll have the group down for the Memorial Day Weekend, when The Hotel Abandon officially opens for the Summer Season. But I am hoping that as I "ramp up" again, I don't go full tilt into the craziness that was my life before this "April Darkness" that has been so kind and so instructive to me at the same time.

I wrote these words down right before a very significant turning point in my career, almost ten years ago, and tonight, they seem appropriate, and I hope they are as prophetic for the next ten years as they were for the last . . .

"Now is the beginning of the end of your searching"

"Praise be to all of your ghosts and guardian angels"

- Q

Deb's Probate Hearing . . .

2009-04-22T21:14:00.002-05:00

Things went as planned . . .

The Judge was kind and considerate, especially considering the majority of the testimony involved how I lost the will (I felt like an idiot, but he was so kind) . . .

And today, I have been a complete mess.

The formality of it, the paperwork, the testimony . . .

In some twisted way it felt like I was in court to formally sever ties / divorce Deb, and I've been uncomfortable all day long . . . to the point I haven't eaten all day . . . and am not sure at 9:00 or so in the evening whether I am going to be able to accomplish that even before I go to bed.

Of course, it doesn't help that today was my brother Courtney's 27th birthday . . . except for the fact that he passed away before he reached his 7th. Kind of a double-whammy for me.

In a selfish way, I thought that Courtney and I had more in common, even though he was such a small child, than I did with any of my other foster-siblings, but then, I think that Betsy, Jamie, Julie and Amy might have felt the same way. He had the ability, as a very small child, to make you feel like he was giving you permission to enter his "secret world" and that just the two of you shared it . . .

Maybe it was because he wasn't able to mingle with kids his own age (because of the Leukemia treatments, and the immunity suppressing drugs he was always on). . . . but he was funny, imaginative, clever, and so overly dramatic . . . (If he had lived, he might have even given Rose a run for her money on that account)....

Deb got to meet him only once, and it was hard for both him and her. I don't think he ever really thought I was a grown-up, just an over-sized playmate who played "He-Man & Skeletor" with him and never won when we "bowled" in the living room. (Just so you know, I could have won if I had wanted to . . . ) So when I brought home a wife, I think he was a bit perplexed. And Deb said that getting to know him so near to the time that we lost him was cruel . . . as if t it would be easier for her to lose the "idea" of my brother rather than to have to know what it was we all lost when he died, and at such a heart-breaking young age.

Like I said, it's been a hard day at The Hotel Abandon . . . lots of ghosts in the halls this evening . . .

Coming Out of the Darkness . . . .

2009-04-18T09:27:00.002-05:00

April has been such a tough month, but I've learned a lot of things about myself, that I now need to figure out what to do with. And I've re-discovered things that I have lost somewhere along the way. When I think about the last six years, I have to congratulate myself for still being here, as low a bar as that may be, and then just turn my face toward the horizon and start thinking about the future.

1) There is no such thing as too much music in life, and I have gone back to filling the time with music in the air, while I'm cooking, driving, working, cleaning, whatever. Back in the day when I often didn't even have a phone in the house, let alone a cell phone, I'd spin vinyl until there would be a knock at the door, and Shaun, Betsy, or Dave would pop in, actually it was usually Shanna (with a sack of groceries for my empty pantry). I may not have had bread, but I had the new Grace Slick album, which was my spiritual bread. The music helps me today as much as it did then. And sometimes I think I had it more together back then, with no money, that ridiculous Gran Torino (I can't believe any of you rode with me in that thing!), and a lot of anxiety about what the future would hold.

2) When I am not communicating verbally, I hunger to communicate in writing. Which is why I'm gradually showing up on FaceBook, texts, etc. At night, when I can't sleep, if I try to capture a thought, or piece of a dream that I think would make a good story or poem, if I start trying to write it out (and yes, I see the words on the screen as I think them inside my head), I find I begin to relax and let it all go. Writing is not just something I'd like to get around to someday in my free time. Writing will be the key to my survival, and it is crucial that I find time for it.

Well, that's just the tip of the iceberg, so turn your ship around now if this is boring or TMI, because this is where I'm headed.

I'm spending the rest of today (and probably tomorrow) working on putting all of Julia's performances (in one iteration or another) on DVD discs. The LOOOONG, COMPLETE ones for Julia to have personally (or to make Uncles and Aunts sit through and watch with her when you visit next), and some shorter ones in the works for me, and friends, and family. She is mortally afraid that she's not prepared for College Musical Theatre, but when I look back on the last two years worth of video on my hard drive, she's been super active. However, in addition to the Denton children's theatre production of Alice in Wonderland, AND the Spring Spotlight on Disney, she's auditioned for and is in the final running for a student directed (and student written) play. She is up for the part of the crazy, psycho mother. My guess is she nailed the audition and will end up in rehearsals for three productions at once.

Did that child have a chance in Hell of escaping from a life in the theatre?

Well enough public introspection, I'll sign off.

Many thanks to my wonderful friends for not abandoning me along the journey.

I love you all,

- Q

Julia Sings with the Lake Dallas DrumLine . . .

2009-04-05T10:18:00.002-05:00

The following is a link to the video on YouTube!

"Bring Me To Life"

It's too big to post here.

- Q

Mars / Venus CD Samplers

2009-04-01T18:15:00.002-05:00

Paul has some very kind words on his blog today for the Samplers, and it made me think about how music is different to each of us, but in so many ways is one of the few universal constants.

For me it is a way to make memories, pull people together, provide support when we need strength, and to permit us to fall apart when we need to fall apart. But above all for me music is nothing if not shared, which is why I think I put the Hotel Abandon Samplers together in the first place.

I still think it's telling that neither Deb nor I ever told Julia to "Stop Talking!" as a baby, toddler, tween, etc.

It was always, "Julia, please stop singing!"

The poor child never had a chance!

- The Proprietor

The Witching Hour . . .

2009-04-01T00:23:00.002-05:00

Kendra is asleep already, and Julia just got out of a shower so hot that the steam from the bathroom has warmed me in my chilly office.

The Britney Spears concert was wonderful fun. I think she sang one song "live" but the spectacle was unbelievable. The circus motif certainly was a lot of fun, and some of the really great moments were by the performers/dancers who filled in time between costume changes. And Julia and Kendra had a great time.

We all have busy days tomorrow. Work is wonderfully hectic right now, and more work is more job stability and is good, good, good. But tonight I'm tired. I'm going to hit the hot tub, which I'm committed to getting into at least once daily (if not twice) and then reading some old "Aquaman" comics before going to bed.....

Until tomorrow,

Love, Q!

State of the "Q-nion" Address!!!

2009-03-28T11:55:00.002-05:00

Dear Patrons,

I'm sure you've completely "abandoned" checking this blog by now!!!

It's been a very hectic year so far. I always hope that the first few months of the year will be quiet, but it's never turned out that way so far.

I am resting from my fantastic weekend in Kansas City with John and Don. Between John's salon and those boy's "jet-fuel" social calendar, it was a very busy weekend. I swear, John is on his cell phone handling business more than I am, which is saying a lot. Julia and her BF Kendra had the "ROYAL" treatment at the Skyline Salon (I got "sun-kissed" highlights, myself). I can't thank the boys enough for a wonderful weekend. The only thing that cut it short was my mistake over am and pm that caused us to have to leave early on Sunday and DRIVE all the way back to Texas. All in all, the drive back was fun with the girls.

Tonight, it's the "Heart Ball" Choir FundRaiser, where I serve as "Chief Cook and CameraMan" (these are modern times, after all). I'm getting the camcorder ready as I type this entry, and last night I cooked 18 quarts of spaghetti! And my marinara is homemade . . . this is a No-Prego household.

If I can survive tonight, and get my timesheets done by tomorrow, I am hoping to start a "gloriously routine" week on Monday, although there is the Britney Spears concert on Tuesday night. Oh, Hell, why do I even aspire to a routine week.

One of these days I'll have one, and I'll probably not know what to do with myself!!!

And the CD Samplers for spring shipped yesterday. If you're not on the list, and want to be, please let me know. I'm up to 20 subscribers so far, and with a double disc treat this season (a "Mars" sampler with male vocals only and a "Venus" samplers with exclusively ladies) it took me a few evenings to get it all together.

I love all of you very much, and still intend to go dark in April, as there's not a lot going on and I want to focus on home, introspection, and writing for a while, and work on some self-discipline. I'm hoping that this will be a creative month or me, and I intend to keep you all up to date through this blog, and who knows, maybe I'll even get my video blog up and running if I have the time (or if I can bribe my friend Jonathan to come over and help me figure it all out!!!).

If tomorrow is quiet, I'll be posting several of Julia's recent performances either here or on YouTube!!! - - - or both if I can figure that out.

It looks like The Hotel Abandon Memorial Day Blow-Out may be small in number this year, and I'll be planning an appropriately intimate weekend for those of us able to get together that weekend. To the extent that that weekend does not work for everyone, Julia's spring show is the following weekend, and if moving the date allows more of us to get together, I'm certainly flexible in that regard.

Regards,

The Patron

2009-03-25T10:36:00.000-05:00

Julia's First Dinner Party!

2009-03-25T10:22:00.002-05:00

Julia attends her Pasta, while Kendra chops . . . something???

Schylyer wisely sticks to keeping the "tunes" rolling . . .

God, I love these kids!!!

Spring

2009-03-24T18:30:00.001-05:00

I love my daughter. She told me today she was feeling happy again. I hope it lasts.

- Q

My Beautiful Julia . . .

2009-03-14T20:20:00.003-05:00

This is a photo after Julia's performance with the Lake Dallas DrumLine . . . . she performed Evanesence's "Bring Me To Life" and it was great. The stage was filled with drummer, and guitar players, and xylophones and it was this huge wall of sound, and Julia sang her heart out.

Then tonight, she informed me at 5:00 that she was cooking pasta for some friends this evening. As is typical, this group includes Julia and Kendra and about six or seven boys. She looks so at home in the kitchen. I kept trying to help and she kept giving me that look and telling me she knew what she was doing.

The downstairs is filled with laughter, and the smell of parmesan, garlic bread, and steam. She's growing up, and she's so taking after her mother. . . .

- Q

A Dream Within A Dream . . . March 10th, 2009

2009-03-10T16:58:00.003-05:00

I had the best dream about Debbie last night. Somehow we were back in 1994 and instead of going to Cornell for Law School, we had to choose between Ohio State and Florida State. We had decided to move to Ohio, and we were finishing up moving into a house. I was worried about starting school, whether we should have gone to Florida, and Julia was riding a tricycle in the driveway. It was sweet to see her as a little girl again. Deb was sitting on a big ornamental rock in the flower bed in front of the house, and she sat me down, straddle legged over her lap, pulled me close, and told me there was no way in Hell I was getting her down to Florida! We laughed, she told me that things were alright, and that this is where we supposed to be, and to quit worrying so much. Then she pulled me down and we had a wonderful kiss before I woke up.

And Now For Something Completely Different . . . .

2009-01-30T21:58:00.003-06:00

Captain Jack from "Torchwood" singing "I Know Him So Well" - - Live . . . In Concert . . . And with a John Barrowman "Twist". . . .

A Photo Of Jon Benham's Son, Noah . . . OMG I Thought Julia Looked Like Deb!

2009-01-09T18:09:00.001-06:00

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-26T12:19:00.001-06:00

Proposition 8: The Musical

2008-12-03T21:30:00.003-06:00

With Thanks To Paul Jackson Who Forwarded This To Me!!!

Love Ya' Paul!

My Brother Is The One In The Hood!

2008-11-25T10:40:00.001-06:00

Posing as superheroes Superman, Spiderman and Batman for the Tonganoxie High School Aim for Excellence assembly on Friday at the Tonganoxie Performing Arts Center are assistant principal Brent Smith, industrial arts teacher Don Schaeffer and principal Jamie Carlisle.

---- and I thought I was the colorful member of the family - - - - -

Polar Bear Perils!!!!

2008-11-24T15:30:00.001-06:00

It's Official! My Daughter is TOTALLY Obsessed!

2008-11-23T08:45:00.002-06:00

Dear Patrons of the Hotel,

Julia read Twilight twice (but oddly none of the other books in the series), and then re-read it last week in anticipation of the release of the movie this weekend. Then she saw the movie Friday night, Saturday night, and Saturday evening, making poor Schyler watch this Vampire/Teen/Chick Flick each and every time (poor guy!).

I was asleep before they got home from last night's showing was over, so when I get up around midnight to check on my little pumpkin, make certain the door's locked, etc. . . . . She's awake and reading the second book in the series . . . New Moon . . .

It gets better . . . .

I got up at 8:00 this morning and checked on her, and she'd moved from the downstairs t.v. room to her bedroom, which is progress for those of you who know I've been fighting with her to actually sleep in her bedroom and in her bed! But oh, no, my enthusiasm was remarkably short-lived, for when I tip-toed upstairs to check on my sweet child, she (a) WAS in her room, (b) WAS in her bed, but (C) SHE WAS STILL READING HER BOOK! When I told her to go to bed, she replied "Dad, I only have three pages left, and then I'm going to sleep!" as if this were the most natural thing in the world for her to do.

So like her mother! But I guess I should look on the bright side . . . she's at least reading!

The Proprietor

It's Official . . . The Next Hotel Abandon Extravaganza Will Be a Watchmen Premiere Weekend!!!

2008-11-10T22:07:00.001-06:00

Julia Channels "The Empire House" Melodramas . . .

2008-11-06T23:34:00.003-06:00

Julia looks like a cross between her mom and Susan in "Foiled by an Innocent Maid"

Conjunction Junction, What's Your Function . . . Opening Night Pictures!

2008-11-06T22:42:00.000-06:00

Julia's Glamour Shot!

2008-11-04T12:14:00.000-06:00

My Little Texan . . . Isn't So Little Anymore!

2008-11-04T12:03:00.002-06:00

My Niece Bags Her First Deer . . .

2008-11-03T11:16:00.002-06:00

This is my sister Amy's daughter with her first kill, which is very important in that family. When I go to visit for Thanksgiving it will be proudly displayed on the game-room wall with all the other dear, and for that festive holiday touch, they will all be sporting red and white "Santa" caps.

Not lying here....

The Reviews On Tina - Dallas Morning News

2008-10-27T14:21:00.000-05:00

At American Airlines Center, Tina Turner was fabulous and flaunted it
08:05 AM CDT on Monday, October 27, 2008
By MARIO TARRADELL / Music Critic mtarradell@dallasnews.com

Tina Turner. In a word — fabulous.

The 68-year-old icon performed for more than two hours Sunday night at American Airlines Center during her first tour in eight years. Before what looked like a hair-from-sold-out crowd, Tennessee's Anna Mae Bullock rocked 'n' rolled, turned soulful, got the blues and even summoned the heavens during a bit of Tina-styled gospel.

The woman looked fabulous, easily fitting into mini-dresses that showed off her lithe legs. She's a force of nature, maybe even a freak of nature. Time has been mighty kind to her, both physically and artistically. She offered up a career-spanning set of songs, all of which felt new again in her capable hands.

The opener, "Steamy Windows," and her signature tune, "What's Love Got to Do With It," among others, proved every number for her is an emotional experience. She puts her being into each song.

She also knows how to put on a show that delivered on spectacle without ever using flash to compensate for a lack of artistry. Ms. Turner chews up production. During "We Don't Need Another Hero" from the 1985 film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, she was in the classic costume for her role as Aunty Entity. With dancers in appropriate get-up, she sang under a steel arbor-like contraption.

For "Goldeneye," it was all about Bond, James Bond. She emerged from a lighted ring up high. Her dancers were decked out in gold trench coats.

The eye candy was wonderful. But she doesn't need it. She was fiery during "What You Get Is What You See," sultry during "Private Dancer," explosive during "Undercover Agent for the Blues," electric during the Rolling Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and fearless during "Nutbush City Limits." She sang that one from a crane that stretched out into different areas of the audience.

Watching Tina Turner perform is akin to witnessing entertainment royalty. She remains simply fabulous.

So Julia and I are sitting in her doctor's office. . .

2008-10-21T07:47:00.002-05:00

. . . and I'm looking through the dearth of magazines in the examining room and one of them is all about pregnancy . . . Hey, I was desparate, and I turn the page, and see this advertisment for the "hands free" double-expressing, breast pump.

I couldn't breathe, and just handed the magazine to Julia, who immediately started busting out laughing....and of course, at that time the doctor chose to make an entrance.

Julia was like, "Dad, I'm sure he believes I'm in here for anxiety and depression when we're laughing our heads off!"

Well, can you blame us, the woman's just talking casually on the phone, entering appointments in her calender, and she looks like the Borg are hijacking her colostrum!

Halloween Cartoon!

2008-10-17T14:49:00.001-05:00

Sad . . . but True!

This Cracked Me Up! Watch This Girl Wipe Out . . .

2008-10-07T09:37:00.001-05:00

Performance Schedule - Schoolhouse Rocks! The Musical!

2008-10-05T19:58:00.002-05:00

Thursday, November 6th - 7:30

Saturday, November 8 - 7:30

Friday, November 14th - 7:30

Saturday, November 15th - 2:00

My Dearest Daughter . . .

2008-10-05T19:53:00.002-05:00

For those of you who haven't been emailed . . . . I can't imagine who I might have forgotten . . .

Julia came through this week in spades.

FIRST, she qualified for the Texas All-Region Choir in Soprano 1, even though when she qualified last year it was in Alto 1. She was the first female vocalist to qualify in recent memory last year, and as far as we know the only vocalist from her High School to qualify for two consecutive years.

SECOND, the has all A's but for Algebra 2, which she has been struggling with all six weeks (and never gave up, by the way.

FINALLY, tonight, Julia gave me a birthday card that she told me she found to give me from "Mom" . . . I read it, thinking how sweet for Julia to pick out a card to give me as if Debbie were still here with us. No. When I opened it up, it had Deb's signature. It was a Valentines Day card that Deb had given me God knows how many years ago, and Julia found it a few weeks ago when she was going through her Mom's sheet music. Certainly, Deb had a hand in this "timely revelation" . . . and it brought me to tears.

We See Amos Lee this Saturday Night!

2008-09-18T11:24:00.001-05:00

Laura is driving down on Friday evening, and my sister Betsy is coming Saturday with either my neice or her husband in tow to see Amos at the Granada theatre in Dallas. Gary and Phillip will be joining us for dinner and the concert, so it should be a blast!!!!

My Dad . . . Watching My Mom's Clown Act At The Old Settlers' Picnic . . .

2008-09-16T21:47:00.000-05:00

Tina Tickets Have Been Purchased . . . You Lucky Boys and Girls!!!!

2008-09-15T17:19:00.001-05:00

We have Tickets in Section 219 (yellow, second level) that are so much closer than the other tickets I could have bought (Ground Floor, but Section 114 or 115 . . . WAY much farther away)... So we ARE GOING TO SEE TINA!!!!!! I Can't Wait!!!

Julia and I See The Eagles Tonight!

2008-09-15T01:13:00.002-05:00

I took Julia, Taryn, and Caitlin to see The Eagles at American Airlines Center in Dallas this evening. It might have been the best concert I've ever been to in my life. They started a few minutes after 8:00, and they didn't stop until a quarter to midnight.

We got home around 1:00, and I'm going to bed as soon as I hit "publish" for this post.

They sang a lot of the new stuff from "Long Road Out Of Eden" and all the good old stuff as well. The girls had a ball. They wanted to eat at "Dick's Last Resort" which worked out great, because it was downtown right across from The House of Blues, so we could walk over to the AA Center after dinner.

It was definitely a night for the memory books, and well worth the money for the tickets. It was really nice to do something extra special for Julia, and of course I loved every minute of it.

Although the highlight might have been every time Julia spotted some drunken middle aged man dancing his butt off to the music. She spotted on man on the other side of the arena, who was wearing a bright red shirt and dancing right under a light, so he was very visible, and quite animated. I heard Julia laughing (screaming) and couldn't figure out what it was. The people next to her had to ask what she was laughing at, and once they say the guy, the started laughing too. It was all very funny, and a great night all around.

Oh, well, Anankah is meowing downstairs for me to come to bed. She's obviously feeling neglected with us running out on her all evening long.

I can't wait to get under the covers, but morning is going to come awfully early, I'm afraid.

- Q

Our Houston Office Suffered Hurricane Ike Damage . . .

2008-09-14T11:44:00.002-05:00

Our firm's largest office (with over 150 lawyers) is in Houston, and we received word today that their building suffered severe damage from Ike, and will likely remain closed for most of the coming week. Thank goodness Ike drifted East of the DFW Metroplex.

All we got here was gentle, persistent rain yesterday, and today is sunny. I might even take a quick nap in the pool later on.

We go to see the Eagles this evening. Julia is taking Caitlin and Taryn along as well, so it should be fun, but it is going to be a long drive home this evening, as I don't imagine we'll be home much before midnight!

Betsy has emailed with an update from her area of Houston. Her house suffered minor damage (broken fence . . . downed tree limbs) but her parents' house is reported to be nearly a total loss (more on that when she can get down there to see for herself). Luckily, her parents had moved into an assisted living facility over the summer, so they were not there for Ike.

Julia is Cast in the Fall Musical . . .

2008-09-12T08:56:00.003-05:00

Her character's name is "Dina" and in addition to a bunch of group and girl ensemble numbers, her solo is "Interjection!" and is the penultimate musical number in the show. She is so excited about everything to do with this. She has wanted this since she was a little girl, and turning off her lights last night and tucking her in (it was after midnight before I could calm her down enough to get her in bed), she said "Daddy, I'm just so happy."

Thank God for days like that in your child's life.

Another Day of Drama in Big "D" . . .

2008-09-08T14:15:00.002-05:00

A good friend recently wondered if I ever asked myself why there's so much chaos in my life and whether I attract it or pursue it . It was a good question, and one I'm pondering right now, as a matter of fact. More on that later . . .

In other news, in addition to the Eagles concert next Sunday (9/14), I'm planning on seeing Amos Lee with Laura and whoever else wants to tag along on Saturday (9/20) and we just got word that Tina will be in Big "D" on Sunday, October 26th. And then I've got tickets already to see Sarah Brightman in November. I'm going to go broke buying concert tickets this fall.

A Beautiful Spring-Like Autumn Begins at The Hotel Abandon . . .

2008-09-07T22:32:00.003-05:00

Only at The Hotel Abandon, do the flowers think it's spring on the edge of Autumn. The weather has been mild, the pool a delightful 82 degrees, and life is settling into what will soon be our "Junior Year" mode for Julia and I. We begin week three of this penultimate high school year for her, and already it's beginning to feel less like an experiment and more of a routine. She told me twice today, "Daddy, I love my life." Wow, what a wonderful thing to hear from her lips after all the heartache she has been through the last five years. It made my heart sing to hear it once, let alone twice in the same day. I think she's finding her "stride" and it's a wonderful thing to watch, truly.

We were talking about the final Harry Potter movies over lunch the other day, and I said that with the delay, we'll at least have a movie every year for 2009, 2010, and 2011, and when the word "2011" came out, we both looked at each other with a shock, as we both realized that she'd be in college before Harry Potter finished his run at the multi-plex. That didn't seem right, that my little girl could grow up before I finished taking her to all of the Harry Potter movies. But time and life march on.

And I'm beginning to love my life again, as well. Autumn cleaning is almost done, only two rooms and a garage to go (which will mercifully wait until next weekend) and I'm ready for the year, which is good because the holidays will be here before you know it. Of course, the "holidays" start on October 1 at The Hotel Abandon, as that is the day we always put up the Halloween decorations.

Surely a Sign that the "End of Days" is Coming . . . .

2008-09-05T08:58:00.002-05:00

My daughter got the highest grade in the class on her first physics test yesterday, a 90 that got curved up to a 95. My little princess set the curve! I was so proud! She's really taking Junior Year very seriously.

Something Got Lost In The Translation . . .

2008-09-04T12:32:00.001-05:00

The I-Pod Breaks A New Record

2008-09-03T20:32:00.001-05:00

I've been without a functional desktop to update my I-pod for almost a month, so today I had a lot of work to do getting recently acquired CD's loaded into the I-Library, and I just hit a new benchmark ---- 24,000 Songs and Counting!!!

I know . . . it's a sickness......

Number 11 Hits Close to Home Today!

2008-09-02T10:47:00.001-05:00

As You Slide Down the Banister of Life, Remember

1. Jim Baker and Jimmy Swaggert wrote an impressive book. It's called 'Ministers Do More Than Lay People'

2. Transvestite: A guy who likes to eat, drink and be Mary.

3. The difference between the Pope and Your boss, the Pope only expects you to kiss his ring.

4. My mind works like lightning, One brilliant Flash and it is gone.

5. The only time the world beats a path to your door is if you're in the bathroom.

6. I hate sex in the movies. Tried it once. The seat folded up, the drink spilled and that ice, well, it really chilled the mood.

7. It used to be only death and taxes were inevitable. Now, of course, there's Shipping and handling, too.

8. A husband is someone who, after taking The trash out, gives the impression that he just cleaned the whole house.

9 My next house will have no kitchen - just vending machines and a large trash can.

10. A blonde said, 'I was worried that my Mechanic might try to rip me off. I was relieved when he told me all I needed was turn signal fluid.'

11. Definition of a teenager? God's punishment...for enjoying sex.

12. As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point the wrong way.

Labor Day At The Hotel Abandon Was Festive!!!

2008-09-02T10:23:00.004-05:00

Labor Day At The Hotel Abandon. . . .

2008-09-01T16:52:00.002-05:00

My friends left at noon today after a long, wonderful, relaxing weekend spent mostly by the pool at the newly landscaped "Q-Lagoon" . . . We celebrated 27 years of knowing each other yesterday, August 31, 2008 . . . and what a long strange trip it's been.

Laura made up several new words, shared her thoughts on her work with the Carter Administration during the Metric System push of the late 70's, and of course, moderated over another scintillating session of "Think Like Laura" - which Paul barely won, squeaking out over Shanna and Shaun who were second and third in what a point spread of -1 and -2, respectively. Betsy has what I would deem to be "probable" incriminating photos, most of which were take by the aforementioned "Betsy" although we affectionately refer to her as "Aunt #%^&*#*#(!!" - - - and Paul shared some fascinating information about "Potential Spaces" - - - which definitely has NOTHING to do with home renovations . . . . .

The only thing that was missing this weekend was the presence of our dear friends John and Don, Patrons of The Confused Castilian, who would have made the weekend complete.

I am so blessed to have all of these wonderful people in my life.......

- Q

Tim Otte Featured in The New England Blade!

2008-08-28T10:00:00.001-05:00

William Henderson August 27, 2008
Fab Faces

The Re-Imagination of Legendary Pop Icons

Three years ago, Tim Otte walked into the then-forthcoming Ma-Tini’s Cabaret, introduced himself to the owner, and said, I think you need something on your walls. He had only been sketching and painting portraits for something like six months, he said. It was ballsy, his decision to suggest the owner hire him for the job.

But when the owner told Otte, yes, you’re right. Do you think you can paint a series of gay icons? Otte considered for about half a second and said, yes. Sure, I can do that.

“And then I went home and said, oh my God, I need to figure out how to do these portraits,” recalled Otte during a recent telephone interview.

The resulting eight paintings featured iconic singers such as Judy Garland, Bette Midler, Cher and Liza Minelli, and they proved as popular as the club itself. Soon, Otte was fielding phone calls from patrons who wanted him to paint one for them, and ever since, says Otte, it’s been “a roller coaster,” which has landed him, at least through the end of the summer season at Whaler’s Wharf in Provincetown, where he has available for sale more than 30 paintings of some of our favorite entertainers: Miss Richfield, Varla Jean Merman, Dina Martina, Coco Peru, Margaret Cho, Lea Delaria, Janet Jackson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Mae West, Madonna (circa 2008) and Sandra Bernhard.

His re-imaginations are rendered in bright acrylic paint, enriched with pastels, charcoal, pencil and pigmented glazes, and are quite unlike anything we’ve seen before. Otte frames each painting in a one-of-a-kind industrial-inspired frame which he designs and embellishes with steep spikes, nails, chains, ceramic spheres, and hand-painted metallic highlights in silver, copper, bronze, gold and pewter

"My frames come after, and more importantly, from, the finished pieces they compliment,” says Otte. “I present art and frame together as singular creative expression — inseparable, each incomplete without the other.”

Which could be said of Otte and his paintings. Having come out as a gay man in the early 90s, Otte says that working with imagery of drag queens and gay icons has given him a way in which to express himself, while at the same time introducing into his life a sense of joy and freedom, perhaps even completion.

“I’ve probably got a drag queen in me who is never coming out,” he says. “Until I do, though, I’ll just paint them.”

Otte has a long list of entertainers he’d like to paint. Capturing Madonna, for instance, in each of her incarnations is near the top of his list. There’s just something about her. And then there is Liz Taylor, one of the only people Otte has unsuccessfully painted. There is a finished painting, just don’t ask to see it. He isn’t happy with it, and only when he is happy with a finished painting does he make them available. Otte professes an interest in refining and perfecting his collection of divas and drag queens, he does take requests — sometimes he’s asked to paint an entertainer he had never considered, and there has been the occasional request to paint someone’s relative in his distinctive style.

“Not everything I do are gay icons necessarily, but it’s funny. I never intended to be this portrait person, but I really do enjoy it. I relate to the portraits and I tend to — well, during the time I work on the piece, I’ll get online and look at tons of pictures about people, reading about them, watching Youtube stuff, I become obsessed,” admits Otte. “Sometimes I have dreams about somebody I’m working on, It’s funny how the mind works.”

//Otte’s “Art In the Rear: Divas, Divos and Drag Queens” will be on display at Whaler’s Wharf through the end of the summer season. He will host two meet-the-artist receptions on Thursday, August 28 and Saturday, August 30 from 6-9 p.m. For more information go to www.timottestudios.com.

Back From The 117th Annual Moss Springs Old Settlers' Picnic

2008-08-26T10:12:00.003-05:00

These two photos won the blue ribbon for still life and for black and white photography. Julia won a red ribbon for animal photography, beating out not only my seahorse photo but here Grandma Carlisle's photo of a goat (which was hilarious). They made me pitch horsehoes, which resulted in me getting a blistered thumb and a thrown out shoulder (those things are heavy). I advanced to the second round, only to be soundly defeated by a Septagenarian (who in my defense went on to win the tournament, and besides, they let the over 70 crowd throw from a shorter distance).

OMG!!!

2008-08-20T12:53:00.001-05:00

What Were They Thinking?

2008-08-20T12:48:00.001-05:00

This Must Have Happened in Texas!

2008-08-20T12:47:00.000-05:00

Things That Make You Go Hmmmm?

2008-08-20T11:22:00.003-05:00

Help Me Decide . . . Which Picture to Enter at the Old Settler's Picnic This Weekend?

2008-08-19T13:20:00.003-05:00

The category is "People" . . . .

Pray For the Immortal Soul of my Computer!!

2008-08-12T19:26:00.002-05:00

I have a virus that won't let me boot up into windows at all. It seems someone in my household was not aware that opening email attachments (particularly pornographic attachments) could leave your computer open to an attack. Seriously, pray to the patron saints of the computer world, because all of Julia's Hawaii photos, show choir photos, everything is on that computer and I haven't backed up all summer (I need to do it every month, I know).......

- Q

Photographic Proof the Awful Tower is a Texas Treasure!

2008-08-10T10:01:00.003-05:00

There has been a difference of opinion (as I wouldn't dream of calling it a disagreement) with the Proprietor of The Confused Castilian about the location of The Awful Tower . . . although is it possible that two such treasures exist? Is The Confused Castilian set atop some time/space dimensional rift? Skeptics may scoff, but it would explain a lot of the strange happenings at that most excellent (but confusing) resort.....

My Beautiful Neice Hannah Pendergraft . . .

2008-08-09T19:18:00.001-05:00

One of the "Non-Tarot" photos we took this weekend. She is a remarkably mature and beautiful girl, as those patrons who have had the chance to know her will attest.

Another Addition to my Tarot Card Series!

2008-08-08T07:32:00.000-05:00

The final card in the deck, Le Monde, The World, is represented by my dear sister Betsy and her daughter Hannah. They came down Wednesday evening, and we had a photo shoot last night. Julia did hair and makeup and actually gave the direction for this photo, so it was a family collaboration for certain.

Only have to capture my other sister Amy, Judy Connors, and Julia and the series, begun 20 years ago in 1988, will be complete. Once it's done, all of you kind enough to have posed over the years will receive your very own custom deck of Tarot Cards!

Off to work!

- Q

I Went Bowling Last Night . . .

2008-08-07T09:11:00.003-05:00

. . . and won the trophy for most improvement during the evening. We had our final summer associate event last night, which was the AK Bowling Tourney. It has been at least ten years since I've been bowling, and my first game was terrible . . . I guttered both balls in three of the first four frames, and the two year old son of one of the partners was beating the pants off me in the next lane. How embarrassing! I ended up with a 45 for the first game and then came back and bowled a 158 in the second game (the fourth highest score of the evening, no less). More importantly, I spent an evening with my colleagues and had an absolute blast. Something I really need to do more often.

Trying to Get Happy, Dammit!

2008-08-06T09:19:00.002-05:00

Thanks to all of you who have been so supportive over what has been an unusually tough summer for me emotionally, for some reason. Work pressures have been higher than normal for summer months, but we're finally breaking this triple digit hot streak today, and are not supposed to see temps over 100 degrees until next week. And the time, money, and attention I'm putting in to my backyard is making me very, very happy right now, and I can't wait to show it to you all when next you visit. My sister Betsy and my niece Hannah are coming for a visit this weekend and will be here late tonight, which ALSO makes me very, very happy. They'll be the first to see the recent landscaping. And Julia's friends continue to make The Hotel Abandon one of the happening hot spots on the Lake Dallas social scene, which also makes me very happy. Julia has the best friends, really, and that is going to go a long way to keeping her happy and safe as she enters her final two years in High School (can you believe that?).....

I'm waiting until all of the landscaping is in before I post pictures on the blog, so that is supposed to be done by Thursday so depending on my schedule and the sunlight, it could be as soon as Friday that you'll get your sneak peak at the recently renovated "Q-Lagoon" . . . and while clothing is still required with the screening that the new plants provide, you could actually skinny dip in complete privacy. It looks so good right now, and will only look better in the coming years as these plants mature. Seeing new life in the garden has really been a boost!

My love to you all, and thanks for the many phone calls this summer and encouraging thoughts that you all provided.

- Q

An Excerpt from the Texas Lawyer Article.....

2008-07-25T16:24:00.001-05:00

Big-Tex Firms' Pro Bono Hours Rose By Nearly 15 Percent in '07
By Jeanne Graham and Brenda Sapino Jeffreys
Texas Lawyer
July 28, 2008

........

A Future for Children

For more than a decade, Alexis Hefley ran a nonprofit in Dallas providing financial support for orphans in Uganda. But when she decided to leave Uganda Children's Charity Foundation to form a new charity, Hefley was the one who needed some help.She found that assistance at Andrews Kurth, where lawyers volunteered to help Hefley set up her new Dallas-based charity, Empower African Children, and negotiate an underwriting deal with Macy's Inc. for a photo book about orphans in Uganda. Andrews Kurth Dallas partners Scott Kline and Quentin Faust as well as other lawyers at the firm devoted 200 hours in 2007 to pro bono legal work for Empower African Children. The 200 hours represent 4.3 percent of the 4,636 hours Andrews Kurth's Texas lawyers devoted to pro bono work in 2007. Houston-based Andrews Kurth had 402 attorneys firmwide as of Jan. 1, and 341 in Texas.

"They were just amazing," Hefley, founder and chief executive officer of Empower African Children, says about the Andrews Kurth lawyers. She says the firm provided Empower African Children with free legal work valued at $70,000 to $75,000. "They helped me cross a lot of bridges," she says.

Hefley met Kline through a referral in 2006 from her longtime friend Stephen Malouf, a plaintiffs lawyer in Dallas. Kline says he and Malouf are also friends, and he agreed in the fall of 2006 to help Helfey do the paperwork needed to set up her new nonprofit.

But that work expanded in a big way in 2007, as he and Faust helped Hefley negotiate a deal with Macy's to underwrite the creation of "Transcendent Spirit: The Orphans of Uganda," a book by photojournalist Douglas Menuez that would financially benefit Empower African Children. According to a Macy's press release, the book captures "the story of the children in Uganda, the impact of AIDS and how the transforming power of the arts has provided a message of hope."

Hefley, a native of Amarillo, says she first went to Uganda in 1993 at the invitation of Janet Museveni, the first lady of Uganda, who was active in projects to assist orphans there. Hefley says she met Museveni through her volunteer work at a ministry in Washington, D.C. While in Uganda, Hefley started working with Sister Rose Muzinza, who founded the Daughters of Charity orphanages in Uganda.To raise money for the orphanages, Hefley helped organize a cultural dance troupe called Children of Uganda, which gave a few performances in the United States and England in 1994.

In 1995, she returned to Dallas and founded the Ugandan Children's Charities Foundation to raise money to help support the orphanages and a scholarship program to bring some young people to the United States from Uganda for education, she says. The dance troupe, Children of Uganda, which expanded over the years to about 22 performers, was a major fundraiser for the charity and is the subject of the book "Transcendent Spirit."

Hefley says she decided in 2006 to form a new charity, after seeing dramatic changes in the lives of some of the youth who have participated in the dance troupe or the scholarship program. She says education gives the youth hope for the future - many plan to return to Uganda after their education and do good - and she says the mission of her new charity is making education possible for more youth in the African nation.She says 2.4 million of the 27 million people in Uganda are orphans; many lost their parents to AIDS or civil war.

Hefley says the Andrews Kurth lawyers helped her negotiate her departure from Uganda Children's Charities Foundation. She brought the program overseeing the dance troupe, now called the Spirit of Uganda, and the scholarship program with her to Empower African Children. But her big plan is to build a secondary school in Uganda, where many orphans and other poor youth cannot afford to pay for secondary school. She notes that only elementary school is free, and in a country where more than half of the population lives on $1 a day, secondary education costs about $300 a year.Hefley says she needs to raise about $4.3 million to build the school, and hopes to have it open in 2010.

The work Kline and Faust did for Hefley and Empower African Children isn't typical pro bono work, such as representing a person in a landlord-tenant dispute or representing a convicted murderer in a death-penalty appeal.

Initially, they helped set up the new nonprofit."She became kind of a pro bono corporate client where we were advising her on [nonprofit] structure, establishing a board of directors, setting a goal for the organization, obtaining tax-exempt status, those types of things," says Kline, who does corporate and intellectual property work.

But he says that after he and Faust met some of the Uganda youth who participated in the dance troupe, and they became inspired by the dancers' "amazing spirit," he and Faust agreed to work on the book project. Faust says most of the negotiations were with Macy's business executives, although an in-house lawyer at Macy's participated in some of the talks.

Faust says he briefly served on the board of Empower African Children in early 2007, because the charity needed a certain number of independent directors to obtain 501(c) charitable status, but all of his pro bono hours relate to work he did as a lawyer.

Macy's underwrote the book to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Passport, a Macy's fundraiser for AIDS projects. Actress and AIDS activist Elizabeth Taylor wrote an introduction to the book, which Hefley says documents the lives of the young children on the tour. Many are orphans who lost their parents to AIDS, she says. Macy's also agreed to be the national sponsor for the 2008 Spirit of Uganda dance tour.

Kline says, "Most of the work last year was on three things: the book, the tour, and then helping Alexis with general and administrative and corporate work as she hired people and worked through finalizing tax issues and things like that."

A Macy's West spokeswoman did not respond to questions about the book project or Macy's sponsorship of the 2008 Spirit of Uganda tour.Pamela Brannon, executive director of Hefley's old charity, now called Children of Uganda and based in Charles Town, W.Va., refers questions to Dallas lawyer Michael McCue. Brannon says McCue was chairman of the board of Uganda Children's Charities Foundation at the time of Hefley's departure. McCue, a partner in Meadows, Collier, Reed, Cousins & Blau, did not return two telephone messages.

Faust says his work for Empower African Children has been the most intellectually stimulating pro bono work he has ever done.

"When you do mergers and acquisitions and securities filings, it was very interesting to work on a project where there's an artistic end," Faust says. "I got to hold the book in my hand. I got to see the kids perform. It makes me feel amazing."

He adds, "This is as sexy as pro bono gets."

Texas Lawyer Article . . . Follow The Link . ..

2008-07-25T16:23:00.001-05:00

http://www.law.com/jsp/tx/PubArticleTX.jsp?id=1202423265973

Award Winning Short Story . . . .

2008-07-25T09:46:00.000-05:00

The Mayans . . .

2008-07-20T11:32:00.002-05:00

Some of the Interesting Animal Life at The World Aquarium . . . .

2008-07-20T11:27:00.001-05:00

Mayan Dancers at the World Aquarium!

2008-07-20T11:23:00.001-05:00

One of the Mayan dancers performing in front of the Jaguar cage at The Dallas World Aquarium last weekend.

Self Portrait With Sting-Ray!

2008-07-20T11:22:00.000-05:00

Captured at the Dallas World Aquarium last weekend during John and Don's visit.

The Costilian Proprietors Visit The Hotel Abandon !!!

2008-07-13T18:02:00.003-05:00

And we went downtown to see the Dallas World Aquarium, ate at the West End, and are leaving momentarily to go back downtown to see . . . George Michael!

The Confused Castilian Rocks!

2008-07-07T14:03:00.003-05:00

What a blast! Here is one of Mr. Escalada's famous "Long-Arm Shots" of the gang in the pool. The only thing that could have improved on a fabulous weekend was the presence of Senor Hollis, who was living through a grueling weekend at "Hobby Hell!"

Sometimes . . . You Get Lucky . . .

2008-06-30T21:42:00.002-05:00

Especially if you take over 4,000 photos . . .

You Have To Ask Yourself . . . "Why?"

2008-06-30T13:28:00.002-05:00

Peter Petrie makes separating eggs easy. Crack the egg gently into the top. His big nose blocks the yolk, but allows the whites to flow easily into your bowl. You get the job done-with a giggle! Stoneware is dishwasher, microwave, freezer and oven safe. 6" diam. x 6" high.

Too Close To Home . . . Don't Ya Think?

2008-06-28T11:37:00.000-05:00

Miss Julia Update . . .

2008-06-27T12:02:00.002-05:00

She called me last night from Hawaii. She rehearsed yesterday with the honor choir (said it went fine), shopped with Mrs Hamilton (of course) and had beach time in the late afternoon. I've already had to put more money into her account (no surprise there, but she's still got Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon to go!) The sound of homesickness in her voice on her first day was nowhere to be found last night, which was a huge relief. I'll keep you posted!

Bush - Foreign Policy Skills

2008-06-27T11:49:00.001-05:00

To the Prime Minister of Luxemborg, 2005:

I was going to say he's a piece of work, but that might not translate too well. Is that all right, if I call you a piece of work?

Bush on McCain in 2000

2008-06-26T10:12:00.002-05:00

The senator has got to understand if he's going to have -- he can't have it both ways. He can't take the high horse and then claim the low road.

Pearls of Wisdom from "The Decider" . . .

2008-06-25T09:59:00.001-05:00

"We look forward to analyzing and working with legislation that will make - it would hope - put a free press's mind at ease that you're not being denied information you shouldn't see."

George W. Bush, April 2005

Our Girl Julia's Gone Native!!!!

2008-06-24T22:15:00.001-05:00

She left this afternoon for Hawaii to join the USA Honor Choir week long extravaganza in Honolulu. She is gone for a whole week, and I thought I was going to be okay, until I got the Internet-Confirmation that her flight had left DFW (I had to leave her behind as the Security Checkpoint) . . . and I lost it. And I was so sure that taking her off to College was going to be a piece of cake . . . who am I kidding?

Another Show Choir Shot!!

2008-06-23T20:56:00.001-05:00

She just had so much fun at the Spring Show . . . and it showed on her face in every number!

A Slice of Americana

2008-06-22T10:40:00.005-05:00

The front porch of the Carlisle's farm, Sweethaven. It's like stepping back in time. We have breakfast every summer morning on their screened in back porch. The sound of the birds is amazing at all times of the day or night, and there are twinkling wind chimes and my mom's two turtle doves cooing. Deb said that the only time she ever saw me truly relaxed was when we visited Sweethaven, and I think she may have been right.

The Party's Over ! - By Eliza Gilkyson . . .

2008-06-22T00:12:00.003-05:00

The Party’s Over
Lyrics and Music Eliza Gilkyson

The party’s over, we had us a time
Everybody got loaded, everybody looked fine
We emptied the coffers of water and wine

The party’s over
We had a good time
We danced on the tables midnight til dawn
Til all the time was up and the good stuff gone

The house is a shambles, broken glass in the streets
Guttering candles, blood on the sheets
We burned all the kindling, passed the bottle around
Watched the last coals dwindling
And the ice melting down

We danced on the tables midnight til dawn
Til all the time was up and the good stuff gone

The party’s over, we had a blast
Brought in the lawyers to cover our ass
Left a note for the children to clean up the mess
The party’s over . . . it was a big success!

We danced on the tables midnight til dawn
Til all the time was up and the good stuff gone

Julia Needs An Audition Song!

2008-06-19T16:37:00.003-05:00

Dear Friends of the Hotel,

Julia will be auditioning for the Fall Musical the first week back from Summer Vacation, so she wants to select and practice her audition piece over the Summer.

The show is "Schoolhouse Rock Live!" and there are only three boys and three girls, so the Diva had better be good if she's going to snag a slot! The Friends of the Hotel, being highly insightful and opinionated individuals can surely make some suggestions as to what she should sing for this very important audition.

The Proprietor

Link to Autumn Leaves

2008-06-17T22:29:00.001-05:00

Follow this link to YouTube! . . . where you can view Julia's performance of "Autumn Leaves" from the Lake Dallas Spotlight on Jazz! The clip starts with the tail end of the preceding number, which features Jessica in the front and center!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7ZX4ZFyuB4

Chris King in Iowa Flood Waters!

2008-06-17T08:11:00.002-05:00

Deb's brother Chris lives in Burlington, Iowa, and was voluteering in Des Moines County the day the levee broke in Oakville (which was all over the news). He recieved the "evacuate" message and got out in time, but sent me this photo of the damage, and showing where he was and how close it was for him to get out before this entire section of the town was completely flooded. They have been fortifying the levees in Burlington for days, which need to hold until the river crests some time late tonight or tomorrow. Please say a little prayer.

Father's Day At Sweethaven!

2008-06-15T20:54:00.002-05:00

Julia talked me into gathering the energy to make a trip to Missouri this weekend to surprise my foster parents with a pair of unexpected visitors (at 11:30 PM on Friday evening, no less). Julia rang my folks four (yes, four) times before Grandma answered the phone. "Grandma, it's me Julia" she said. "Is tomorrow's reunion open to the public?" "Well, yes," Grandma answered. To which Julia replied, "Then open the door and let us in!"

It was a wonderful weekend, and I snapped a few pics of Julia around the farm on Saturday morning. The day was beautiful, full of family and food and laughter. It was a perfect way to cap off a week away from the hassle of law firm life. I'll fill you all in on more details of my week off in the next few days, but for now, I wanted you to see my beautiful daughter enjoying the sunshine at Sweethaven, which is what my folks call their farm.

A Priceless Miss Manners!

2008-06-06T10:16:00.000-05:00

Dear Miss Manners:

I am an average 14 year old girl who has a problem. My mom won't let me wear thong underwear and it is the kind I want to wear. My friends make fun of me for not wearing that type. Can you help me convince my mom and tell her it is all right to wear them?

Gentle Reader:

Of all the advice columnists in the world, you chose Miss Manners as the most likely one to support the cause of thong underwear? And you wonder why your mother questions your judgment?

Denoument . . .

2008-05-21T21:47:00.001-05:00

The Big Finish . . .

2008-05-21T21:45:00.000-05:00

The Spitting Image Vol II

2008-05-21T21:26:00.000-05:00

The Spitting Image - Volume I

2008-05-21T21:24:00.000-05:00

Autumn Leaves . . .

2008-05-21T21:22:00.000-05:00

Another Escalada Shot! . . . you're making dad look bad . . .

2008-05-21T21:20:00.000-05:00

Escalada, You Genius, You! You Took this AMAXZING photo of my second daughter, Jessica.

2008-05-21T21:17:00.000-05:00

The Forecast is for Triple Digits Today!

2008-05-19T11:29:00.000-05:00