Just saw parents allow a toddler to 'play' on the escalator for fun. Luckily for the child he was not wearing those God-awfully ugly croc shoes.

Maui countdown: 25 more days!!!

Lost in Room Service Land

I am hanging out in Austin this week as Hubby has work-stuff to do, and I decided to tag along like 'Lost in Translation' -- except that everyone speaks English here. Okay, so maybe it's not quite the same experience but I'm spending time at a big hotel in a strange city....vaguely familiar. So far I've managed to keep myself away from the bar, but I could not escape the siren-call of the spa. This morning I splurged and got a facial. To be honest, I am not one to spend much time getting facials, manicures, or pedicures. In my view they are an extravagance (probably a by-product of my Calvinist background) that I only allow myself a couple of times a year. More frequently I treat myself to store-bought clay masks, and attempt to do my own manicures and pedicures...although I have yet to master the french manicure. The European Facial was amazing. I love how they pipe in the new-age music and it was such a treat to be pampered with the hand and foot massage. Came close to falling asleep as I felt like my body had transformed itself into jello. Hmmm...perhaps it is good to pamper yourself sometimes. Here I am, lost in Room-Service Land.

Maui Countdown: 28 more days!

Lipstick Mafia

There was a great article in last Sunday's NY Times regarding the chilly relationship between Candace Bushnell and Darren Star. She is the author of 'Sex and the City', 'Trading Up', and 'Lipstick Jungle' and he is the television producer that brought 'Sex and the City' to HBO. Since the mid 90s they have been the best of friends, even taking holidays together. Star's bid for the rights to bring 'Lipstick Jungle' to television was outbid by NBC a couple of years ago, and the show will finally make its appearance sometime in January 2008 (here's hoping). But, surprisingly, he is producing a new ABC show 'Cashmere Mafia' that will premiere late November 2007, which apparently also centers around the friendship of several strong forty-something ladies. So sad that business comes between friends, but it's a boon for women everywhere that we get two new tv series focussed on successful women of a certain age.

Maui countdown: 30 more days!!! Yikes! Better start that crash diet so I am bathing-suit-worthy.

Tragically Not Hip

Last Friday evening Hubby and I ventured out to see a band at House of Blues. The band was Tragically Hip, a hugely popular Canadian band that has been around for more than 20 years. Tragically, the band's popularity has failed to resonate beyond Canada's borders, but Friday's concert highlighted the possible reasons for the band remaining in cult status in the US. Those in attendance at House of Blues that night appeared to either be a) Canadians who had flown into Dallas just for the concert, or b) Canadian expats living in Dallas/Northern Texas. The opening band was from Halifax with such a banal name that I cannot remember it -- some emergency band. They were...quirky. The Tragically Hip bandmembers are starting to show their ages much as many of their fans are. Gord Downie, lead singer, wasted valuable stage time playing with the microphone stand. That's part of my life (that I'll never get back) wasted watching his feeble ploy at theatrics. By the end of the show I was seriously thinking about asking for part of our ticket price back for the time spent viewing him dancing around the stage with a hanky and his silly microphone theatrics. Either he doesn't really give a damn anymore or more seriously, he's losing his voice and this is his attempt at filling up the allotted stage time by f***ing around onstage. I would be more forgiving if they had played more popular songs instead of pulling out b-sides. To top it off, for the encore they played 'New Orleans is Sinking' and then two obscure songs I didn't recognize. Isn't an encore a time to give the audience what they want, namely your biggest and most popular songs. After this concert I finally realized why the Canadian band Nickelback is so popular in the US: because they play short, catchy, radio-friendly tunes with generic lyrics that anyone can relate to. Maybe they are not the most eloquent but they did play a stadium here in August and get a great deal of radio time (whether we like it or not), while the Tragically Hip could not sell out House of Blues. Perhaps Gord and the boys are happy and settled in their place as a cult Canadian band. But, if you want to tour the US, at least advertise, set up some media interviews, and try to get on a radio station. Make an effort.

Maui countdown: 34 more days!

Rise of the Plastic Woman

Recently I have noticed women of a certain age not really looking their age. Actually they don't really look 'normal'. It looks like they've escaped from the wax museum, or have had their faces frozen in a wind tunnel. This 'plastic woman' has been seen recently in the US, I have spotted varieties in California and Texas, but I am sure they are scattered throughout North America -- predominantly in areas of concentrated wealth. They are out there and if you haven't seen one yet, be patient you'll seen one soon enough. The scary part is when you look at the 'plastic woman's' face and then look at her bony, vein-popping hands. I'm all for looking as good as you can for as long as possible, but the plastic surgery phenomenon in the US is out of control. The advertisements bombard you everywhere you turn. Perfection available for a price, and the 'plastic woman' has the money to provide a lifetime without wrinkles. We must stop the 'plastic woman' phenomenon before she becomes the basis for what we think of as normal and beautiful. We should embrace wrinkles and normal aging, and advocate that aging and wrinkles are not only acceptable, they are beautiful.

Patio Season is Here!

Patio season is here! That's right, folks. Only in Texas would patio season start in October. A couple of weeks ago I received an email announcing the commencement of patio season from Sambuca Restaurant. It's crazy but true that October rocks in Texas. Love it.

Maui countdown: 36 more days! Guess I should dig out the Maui travel books and start making plans.

Champagne + Shopping = Dangerous

After lunch last Sunday Hubby and I ventured to downton Dallas to visit the flagship Neiman Marcus. To celebrate its 100th anniversary, Neiman's is opening its flagship on Sunday afternoons in October. The 1913 building was decorated in bright lime green, very festive and modern. Inside there was a small bar set up where champagne cocktails were served. Let's just say that shopping while sipping a champagne cocktail can be dangerous on one's wallet. Loved the displays of current art, the historical fashions on display, and the creative decorations for each level of elevators. My favorite were the elevators covered in Neiman Marcus dress labels -- it must have taken someone hours to do that. Also on display were gowns that Neiman's commissioned from top designers to reflect the fashion of tomorrow. The displays were outstanding. Hubby especially loved the 'tv room' on the men's floor which was turned to Sunday football. Of course, even this 'tv room' couldn't stop the mass exodus prior to the 3pm Cowboys game!

Maui countdown: 38 more days!

Do Not See 'Heartbreak Kid'

Hubby and I went to the drive in Saturday night and saw the first feature 'Heartbreak Kid'. What a terrible movie. It was a huge disappoinment. So, do yourself a favor and do not pay money to see this movie. Check it out when it comes on cable tv. If we were at a movie theater I think Hubby and I would have walked out -- but, you can't do that at a drive-in without ruining everyone else's experience.

Last year I really did not care for NFL football, probably because of how the Dallas Cowboys played. But this year the Cowboys have magic on the field. I truly believe that they are at the threshold of becoming a championship team if not this year, then next. They just need to clean up a few problem areas like fouls/penalties. Yesterday's game against the New England Patriots was painful to watch at times. Thank God for Tivo. The Patriots blasted through the Cowboys defense. Hopefully the Cowboys will use Sunday's crushing defeat as a learning lesson. I have to tell you that Hubby is totally freaked out by my current football fanaticism.

Hubby and I are going to the Galaxy Drive-In tonight. It's South of Dallas outside the small town of Ennis. I love going to movies at the drive-in so I am excited. It's got quite the retro look and feel about it, especially with the old window speakers and the 1950s and early 1960s music piped through them prior to the show. Great to get out of the city and breathe clean air and see all the stars sparke in the big sky. Gotta love that moon-roof.

Maui countdown: 40 days!

Morton's Still Has My Heart

Hubby and I had a lovely wedding anniversary dinner at Del Frisco's last night. The filet was tender and cooked to perfection, but I was not impressed by the sides: the mashed potatoes had too much pepper and the the mushrooms were bland. The service was attentive, but it was unnerving how Hubby's water glass was refilled at least 20 times last night -- every time the person passed with the water pitcher they filled his glass!! I still prefer Morton's. Before I forget, I have to mention how amazed I was at the wide selection of hand creams, lotions, moisturizers, perfume, hairspray in the ladies' restroom at Del Frisco's. They even had packs of Marlboro cigarettes....but, Morton's still has my heart.

Maui countdown: 41 more days!

Today is my fifth wedding anniversary. I still can't believe that it has been five years since Hubby and I tied the knot. The time has flown by since the whole white dress, church ceremony, dinner, reception. I truly love Hubby, but thank God we never have to do the "wedding" thing again. So much stress was created for months preceding the wedding, and then the day zoomed by. I have suggested to Hubby that for our tenth or 15th wedding anniversary that we could perhaps renew our vows in an intimate ceremony on some tropical island. But, for now it is dinner tonight at the upscale steak house Del Frisco's. This is Texas so it is almost state law that one goes to a fancy steak restaurant for a special occasion.

Maui countdown: 42 more days!!

Damn those crickets outside!! They're driving me nutty. Hubby can't hear them, or he hears them and he just doesn't notice them. If I wanted to listen to crickets I would be living in the forest not in a huge American city. Ughhhh!

It's finally cooled down to the 80s on the thermometer. Now I can enjoy the great outdoors without fear of melting onto the sidewalk....and the hair no longer looks like a big ball of wool.

Maui countdown: 44 more days!

Cowboys' Folk Hero

Oh, my God! After watching the Cowboys vs. Bills game last night I thought I was going to have a coronary. I have no idea how Tony Romo and his team mates (especially Nick Folk) stay calm and cool on the field. After throwing five interceptions, they earned 9 points in the last 20 seconds of play to win by one point. At 20 seconds I was packing it in and heading to bed when Hubby asked where I was going because the game wasn't over yet. I had given up. My faith was gone. But, I headed back down to the living room and was astounded by what the Cowboys proceeded to accomplish. Just amazing how rookie Nick Folk kicked not one, but two 53 yard field goals after the Bills' coach called a time-out just as he was kicking the first. I was amazed. In fact, I'm still amazed by it. How do they stay so cool, calm, and collected? As for myself, I had a difficult time settling down to go to sleep after that game.

Maui Countdown: 45 more days!!

I have no idea how it happened, but I became addicted to VH1's 'Rock of Love with Bret Michaels' about a month ago. We happened upon it one Saturday morning after watching the VH1 Top 20 Countdown (Hubby is determined to stay on top of current music). Watching those women claw at each other while also partying like there's no tomorrow was entertaining. You'd never see these ladies on ABC's 'The Bachelor' (which I'm actually watching because the current bachelor is from Texas). When 'Rock of Love' ended just over a week ago Bret had chosen Jes, which surprised me since I thought he and Heather got along better -- although Jes is a class-act. The 'Reunion Show' was on last night and it was quite frosty between Bret and Jes. They hadn't seen each other in six months and they greeted each other with a peck on the cheek. Jes is a strong woman and stood her ground regarding her feelings about the show and Bret. She actually said that she thought that Heather was a better choice for him. Soooooo, it looks like Bret did not find true love...My crystal ball shows another 'Rock of Love with Bret Michaels' on the horizon. More trashy goodness!

Maui countdown: 49 more days!!

Monster Strollers

A couple of days ago Hubby and I had a lunch date at North Park, and then he went back to work and I spent the afternoon shopping. North Park is the shopping mall mecca of the United States. What a gorgeous mall full of high-end and mid-priced shops, not to mention the incredible works of art that the Nasher family graciously have on display for the public to enjoy. My favourite area is the 'green square' the mall encloses, which is landscaped with trees, shrubs, and flowers. It's a great escape for reading as it blocks all sounds of traffic and you almost feel like you're not in the city anymore. The area is also a great short-cut through the mall -- as long as it isn't 100F outside. But, what I really noticed the other day at North Park is how large baby-strollers have become lately. It's like they have morphed into all-terrain vehicles. Guess it's good to have a sturdy stroller if you're into walking through parks while encountering inclement weather, but why bring these monster strollers into a MALL. I think designers should create a sleek design for a lightweight but chic stroller that women can haul in and out of their cars with ease while going shopping. It would be lighter and easier to push while also taking up less space in shops. Keep the monster strollers for sidewalks and the park.

Looking for Wentworth

Apparently they are shooting a scene for 'Prison Break' in the 'hood today. Not sure if Wentworth Miller will be there, but according to the Dallas Morning News the scene involves a helicopter with guns pointed out of it. Oh, Wentie...apparently he frequents our neighborhood Blockbuster. Just makes me want to rent more.

Last Sunday Hubby and I paid for the US Thanksgiving trip to Maui. Only 50 more days! Can't wait...must start thinking about dieting.

It's October 3rd and I've started Christmas shopping. Still can't believe I'm this organized. My Mother wants costume jewelry (specifically a broach) and I found a sparkly rhinestone encrusted pin at Macy's. Should brighten up a lapel or sweater. Not sure what else to get her, although I know I won't be buying any sweaters for her since she finally told me last month that the mock-turtleneck I gave her last Christmas is "too tight" around the neck, and so she can't wear it. My Dad's Christmas gifts are almost done thanks to the free-shipping from LL Bean (until Dec. 21st)and no sales tax since we're out-of-state. They've got some great 'wrinkle-free' shirts for men. Thank God for catalog shopping since I've vowed not to enter a shopping mall during the month of December. Now if I could only figure out what latest video game my lovely niece and nephew would like.

State Fair of Texas

Bright and early Sunday morning (okay, well 10am), Hubby and I made our way though a Fair Park entrance in Dallas to attend the 171st State Fair of Texas. Wow, that is one gigantic fair. We spent three hours just walking through and we didn't see all of the exhibits. Loved the air conditioned buildings. My favourite was the handi-craft building with the butter sculpture, and the prize-winning quilts hanging on the walls are works of art. Love the contest kitchen where contestants compete live and the public can sit and watch. They also had a 'celebrity' kitchen where local celebrity chefs from restaurants around the area would cook. We didn't make it to the car show, but I did try a Fletcher corny dog -- this is where they invented the corn dog. My favourite food was the fried cookie dough. Very yummy. Hubby preferred the fried latte...of course that was from Desperado's stand and the guy working there recognized Hubby from our many visits to the restaurant on Greenville. The art-deco buildings and sculptures are magnificent (built in 1936 to celebrate the fair's centennial). We agreed that we must return when the fair is finished to visit several of the museums. The midway is massive and hot as it is sheltered from the wind. We were tempted by the ferris wheel (the largest in the US) but weren't sure if our stomachs were strong enough. The State Fair of Texas is the biggest and best!