Those of you that know me, know that I love the drag races. LOVE them. Jay and I have been going for about seven or eight years every Spring to the race track in Baytown on the Friday of the O'Reilly Spring Nationals. It's tons of fun. Those guys are crazy.
So imagine our excitement when we first heard about the Clear Lake Shores drag races. Jay thought that everyone got together on their golf carts and raced. That would be fun. Probably a little dangerous, but fun. Well, we were sorely mistaken.
It just so happens that the Clear Lake Shores drag races happen every Memorial Day weekend. And for every Memorial Day weekend that we've lived here, we've been out of town, so we've never been able to attend. Until this year. And this is like no other drag race I've ever seen. Take a look for yourself:
Sexy?
"She" is my favorite
Those heels make even my feet hurt!
I really don't know what to say about this
Right before the race
The one on the left is "Crystal Meth." He's one of the ones responsible for this debacle.
Don't ask, because I really am not sure myself
As you can see, there are no golf carts involved, except for those of us watching this spectacle unfold before our very eyes. I about peed my pants on several occasions laughing so hard at some of these "ladies," who, by the way, all have stage names. It was certainly a sight to see. I would say about 200 people showed up to watch. The "ladies" race around Sundial park (yes, in high heels), and then they get to do a sashay / prance / walk / dance in front of the judges. There's a crown, sash, and trophy for the winner. No, I'm not kidding. And speaking of the winner, here he... er, I mean she... is:
"Sunshine" took home this year's drag race trophy... yes, that's what that random leg sticking out on the left is. The trophy.
Yes, this may be a bit whacky and crazy and out there, but it's part of what makes living in Clear Lake Shores so damned fun. I can't wait to see what they do next year! Nice job, ladies!
While it's great that we all get the day off of work, please, please, PLEASE don't forget what today is about. It's not really about barbecues and hanging out at the pool. It's about our military members and their families, past and current, who have sacrificed so much for us to be able to barbecue and lounge by the pool.
So while you are celebrating, please thank a solider and their family. Because that's what today is really all about.
I deal with this kind of stuff every day. Everyone, and I mean everyone, expects that because you are in PR and communications you will never, ever, ever, EVER make a mistake. And my response is always, "that's an expectation that I cannot meet, so you are automatically setting me up to fail." It's true. We're all human. We make mistakes. No matter how many times I look at a brochure, news release, email, catalog, etc., along with three or four people in my office, it sometimes happens. Plain and simple. We're all human.
I'm not gonna lie. It's embarrassing when it happens. But it just goes to show that it happens. And all you can do is apologize, fix the problem, and move on. After all, it's really not the end of the world. I promise.
The official start of the 2012 hurricane season is still weeks away, but the Atlantic has its first named storm - Alberto - off the coast of the Carolinas. While it doesn't appear to pose a threat to the U.S., it's still a reminder that those of us who live along the coast need to start preparing.
I went to a pre-hurricane season meeting earlier this week, and the folks from NOAA are predicting not as many named storms as we had last year, which is good, but Texas needs to take heed. Because of the weather pattern and the warm Gulf of Mexico (remember that mild winter we had? yea, not so good for hurricane season) there is the potential for rapidly developing storms in the Gulf. That means we may only get 48 hours notice, rather than 96 or more. Remember Humberto a few years ago?
So, get your water supply ready (I will be picking up several cases tomorrow at the grocery store), get those batteries handy, and have a plan in place. Having been through Ike, and through a couple other tropical storms, it's serious, so please be ready!
In case you're wondering, here are the 2012 hurricane names.
Alberto
Beryl
Chris
Debby
Ernesto
Florence
Gordon
Helene
Isaac
Joyce
Kirk
Leslie
Michael
Nadine
Oscar
Patty
Rafael
Sandy
Tony
Valerie
William
I don't know about you, but I had a really great weekend! It was rather EGG-cellent, if I do say so myself. Get it? Egg-cellent... as in it was Easter weekend, and Easter is all about the eggs. Ha! I crack myself up sometimes.
So Friday I was off work (yay!), and the weather was beautiful. It was beautiful all weekend, as a matter of fact, which made it all that much better. Jay helped a friend with the bilge pump on his boat, and he in turn treated us to lunch at Bakkus in Kemah. O.M.G. If you've never eaten there, YOU MUST! I've been there before, but it's been awhile, and Friday reminded me of why we should go more often. It was amazing. They have this fire feta cheese appetizer that is to.die.for. We sat outside (did I mention that the weather was beautiful all weekend?), and had a really great time. Thanks, Dave!!
Saturday we got up early and went to the Farmer's Market. One of our new friends on the island owns a flower business, so I ordered some stargazer lilies from her for Easter. Can I just say GORGEOUS!! Wow. They are amazing. And they smell SO GOOD! We had breakfast at our favorite weekend breakfast place, Skipper's, and spent the rest of the day riding around in the golf cart doing a little campaigning (yes, I'm running for City Council in Clear Lake Shores).
Easter Sunday we got up early and went to sunrise service at the park across the street. Yes, you heard correctly... Jay and I went to sunrise service. We've lived on this island for nearly seven years now, and never gone, so we figured it was about time. And we're glad we did. It was gorgeous to watch the sun come up over the channel and to be with our neighbors. After that,we headed to La Brisa for breakfast with Dave and Adelia, and then it was time to get ready for the deviled EGG-stravaganza. The Civic Club was hosting a crawfish boil and fish fry for Easter Sunday, and it kicked off with a deviled egg contest. There were prizes for best tasting and presentation. I was FLOORED! The amount of creative talent on this island is amazing! I took so many pictures that I didn't want to post them in a big long post, so I made a slideshow and posted it below. Check it out. Wow, wow, WOW! Needless to say, I did not win. But that's OK. Grandma's deviled egg recipe is still the best to me! The rest of the afternoon was so nice. About 200 people showed up to the party, and we had a great time, complete with a horseshoe contest that was one by the mayor's wife. No, it was not rigged... she's just that good! With all of the crap that has been going on recently in our little slice of paradise, it was nice that neighbors came together to be neighbors, and put the BS aside. One more reason I LOVE living in Clear Lake Shores, Texas!
What can I say? Those who know me don't need to read this. You already know me. But for the rest of you... I love sports (football is my fav), I'm a workaholic, and I've learned that life is too short. I love my family and friends. They are my life. I love sunsets and July 4th, parades and rainbows, the beach and the boat. It doesn't take much to make me happy. I'm not from Texas, but I can't imagine living anywhere else. I love my flip flops. I'd wear them every day if I could. I love, love, LOVE the water. It's so much better going to dinner by boat. I'm a news junkie, thanks in large part to the internet (what did we do without it when we were in school?), and because that's my job.
