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.