The age of everything

There is something to be said about history.  I lived in Williamsburg, Virginia and the place is just dripping with 300 year old places and buildings.  The Jamestown settlement, Yorktown, and Colonial Williamsburg are all wonderfully fascinating places to live and visit.  Throughout Virginia there are living museums and architectural examples of the colonial era.

Having grown up in Springfield, Illinois, and having the last name of Herndon brought about a wealth of history from the mid-19th century.  Growing up in Abraham Lincoln's "home town" and having my great (x4) grand pappy who was Lincoln's longest serving law partner (and biographer) immeshed me in that era.  Growing up with the history of the Chicago fire, and the Gateway to the West (St. Louis) instilled a sense of place.  For that matter, I grew up in a house that was about 100 years old.

Houston is not that at all.  It is still a
young city.  Granted, it was founded in 1836 but the stories tell that it really did not take off until oil was discovered in 1901 and after the Galveston hurricane of 1900.  Evidently, after the hurricane wiped out most of Galveston people figured it might be better to move inland a bit.

But being in a young city is not a bad thing.  There is a wonderful vibrancy about the place.  There is not the worry of removing a building that is 200 years old.  The folks of this city are still exploring their sense of place and that can give a wonderful sense of energy to the area.

Now do not get me wrong, there is history all around Houston and the folks are rightfully proud of it.  There are also a lot of wonderful areas to visit in the vicinity to learn about Texas.  But, I want to applaud the vibrancy of a major metropolitan city that is still discovering itself and not stuck in the past.

...and a conversation about bats...

Okay... Where to begin... Or for that matter, where to end.

This weekend I witnessed garbage trucks being choreographed, sat on a lawn and watched an outstanding Houston Grand Opera performance, checked out a Greek festival, went to the zoo and even had a wonderful conversation about bats in a central american country (if memory serves, it was Costa Rica)...

Trash Dance at 14 Pews

Started Friday night with a movie called "Trash Dance" at 14 Pews.  This was an absolutely charming and funny movie about a choreographer in Austin that spent time with the city solid waste management folks and then created a performance using the trucks and the employees as the dancers.  After the film, the director of the film and one of the cast members of the film held a fun Q&A session and then there was a reception outside.  I, went off to the Down House for a bite and a drink.  Great evening.  This would have made my weekend, but...

Then on Saturday I spent a good part of the day looking for (now, get this...) a lawn chair so I could see the Houston Grand Opera.  Yeah, I know... I was thinking the same thing.  I texted a friend to say "I just feel weird shopping for a lawn chair to go see the opera".  But that I did even though I never could pull the trigger on the purchase.

As I have discussed before, the Houston arts community really embraces everyone.  The Ballet, the Grand Opera, the Houston Symphony, and the Houston Metropolitan Dance Company all have free performances for the public at the Miller Outdoor Theater.  I am not sure you will find that in every city.  Bravo Houston art folks!

Anyway, the performance of La Boheme was phenomenal.  For folks that are new to the opera, La Boheme is a good one to start out watching.  The story line is wonderful (if you have ever seen Rent, that was based on the opera),  Puccini's music is easy to listen to, and my goodness, can these folks sing.

Miller is a wonderful venue.  You can sit on the lawn and there are ticketed seats.  They do not charge for the tickets, but you do have to get tickets for the seated area.  Then they make two announcements before the show.  At ten minutes before, they warn all of the ticketed patrons that they have to take their seats and then at five minutes they release the empty seats to everyone.  So while I did not make it to get a ticket, I did get a seat once they released the tickets.  A great night.

Then on Sunday was a wonderful trip to the Houston Zoo to visit some family members that live in the primate area...  :-)  What a fantastic weekend.  I do love this city.

The Banana car is a four seater...

Now, before I start down the story of this post you have to understand a few geographical items regarding the Art Car Parade (put on by the wonderfully interesting Orange Show Center for the Visual Arts) on Saturday...


First off, the parade route covers a strip of land about a mile and a half in length.  It runs along side Buffalo Bayou Park on a street called Allen Parkway right next to the downtown/theater district.  The parade starts at one end and then loops around and comes back again.  Got that...?

Okay, so I get my directions and was told that the booth was at the beginning of the parade route.  I park my car at one end on Montrose and start to hoof it to the booth.  On the way, I see a police officer and ask him where the parade route is; I explain that I am going to be volunteering at one of the beer tents.  He laughs and says "Oh, you are on the wrong end of the route" and highly recommends that I park my car on the other end because that is where all of the vendors are going to be.  Well, you can see where all of this is going...

I park on the other end, walk the half-mile to the parade route because that end is touching downtown and parking is at a premium.  Once I get to the parade route, I find out that the 14 Pews booth is located right by where I originally parked ( a mile and a half away)... Oh well.  It was good exercise.

The other half of this story is that after my shift was over (still before the parade started), I had to make the trek back to the car.  Now you may think that I would have been a bit perturbed at having to make the hike, but it gave me a wonderful opportunity.  You see, by walking back through the parade route I got to review up close all of the wonderful cars that took part in the parade and talk to some very interesting people.

These folks are absolutely wonderfully nuts and were having a ball!  Around 250 cars participated in the parade.  There were zombie cars, a car that was covered completely in marshmallow peeps, a pole dancing zebra on top of a car, a car that looked like a cockroach, and so many more.

I think that the two mile walk back to my car may have been the best part of the day (although I met a very interesting poet that I enjoyed talking to at the tent).  I will also admit that I was a bit tired and sore the next day, but it was really worth it.

Here is a link to the 2013 line-up.  Can't wait till next year...

Wow! What a weekend ahead...

This weekend is the Houston Art Car Parade.  As you can tell by the image, local artists turn cars into works of art and they have a parade.  I have been told that this event is one of the best parties in Houston.  I will be working a beer truck (#8) starting at 8:30 in the morning on Saturday.  14 Pews get a portion of the proceeds. Evidently the truck is at the beginning of the parade, so I will get a chance to enjoy the cars as they drive by.

I have also been told (and is verified by the website) that the folks that show up for the event are many times just as decorated.  Gotta love it, but that is just one of the things going on.

I know that i have written before about the Miller Outdoor Auditorium.  Well this Friday night, my butt will be planted in the grass to enjoy the Houston Ballet performing Madam Butterfly.  It is simply amazing and wonderful to me that a major ballet company like the Houston Ballet would do a free performance for the community.  Not only that but next weekend I will be there because the Houston Grand Opera will be performing La Boheme at the auditorium.  I am genuinely excited.

That is one thing that does set Houston apart.  The Houston community embraces the arts here and the arts community embraces right back.

Okay, now in my excitement I forgot to mention that I want to go to a free Drive-in movie on Saturday night and on Sunday there are two competing events - the Galveston Historic Home tour with some really outstanding late 19th Century homes on display.  There is also the Pop Shop Houston which is described as a "twice-a-year indie craft fair, art and music Festival."

This is going to be great!  Come by the beer truck and help raise some funds for 14 Pews.

Flowers, Trees and a show...

Houston, you do have some absolutely wonderful weather.  Yesterday was a day of exploring one of a number of arboretums in the area (camera in hand) and then spending the evening watching a couple of good plays.

Went out shooting at the Mercer Arboretum to start the day.  Kudos to my friend Monique for suggesting the drive.  Now, I am definitely NOT an outdoor type of guy.  I have never been confused with Grizzly Adams (even when I did have a beard), but I do enjoy a walk through the woods.  There is something about the peaceful nature of a walk that has always been soothing.

It did take a long while to find the Botanical Gardens but then again, I am "directionally challenged".  I have absolutely no sense of where I am at any time.  I am hoping to receive some state and federal funds to do research to combat this terrible affliction.  Now ordinarily, this affliction would be a hindrance but when you are just out a wandering it only becomes a problem after dark and when the wolves start closing in...

Anyway, later that evening I went back to 14 Pews to see a couple of new one act plays by the artist in residence.   They were a couple of nice, light stories and I enjoyed the evening.  One of the best parts of the evening was a rather heated discussion with the wonderful 14 Pews founder Cressandra Thibodeaux over the film merits of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show".  It turns out that my argument was based solely on sentimentality rather than any real sense of artistic merit so I crumbled almost immediately.  C'est la vie...

Out there on the cheap...

I was always warned about the expense of big city living.  Houston, Chicago, New York, LA... all of these magical lands where you are supposed to have a salary in the millions in order to enjoy the amenities.

Yeah... not so much...

You see, this month is a very, very tight budget month for the web guy.  Some unforeseen expenses reared their evil head and things got a bit... well, tight.  So, I just have to stay inside and hibernate?  Nope.  This weekend I will be taking pictures at the arboretum, seeing a show (or two) at 14 Pews, and there are two outdoor shows at the Miller Outdoor Amphitheater.

Total to see all of these things - $0.  Yup, nothing out of pocket.

Now that does not include food but that is fine.  I can cook and (if necessary) get a quick bite on the cheap.  The point being is that there is simply SO much to do.  There are events like the Houston Grand Opera, The Houston Symphony, some plays at the Alley Theater and much much more.  So even though right now I have to screw down my spending, that does not mean I have to screw down a bit of my entertainment.

Enjoy!