Oh, the exciting life of a writer. It just never ends. After I woke up Tuesday, I had coffee in this cup:
That’s a cup that the fabulous davidpnyc brought all the way from London–with a side trip to NYC–to New Orleans to give to me. How cool is that? Do you know, by the way, how I know David in the first place?
David and Tim both had short stories in Best Gay Love Stories 2005. David’s was called “Me Too,” and Tim and I both liked it a lot. David also liked Tim’s story, “End of the Show,” so he e-mailed Tim. I’m not sure if they exchanged more e-mails after complimenting each other’s work, but when Tim and I got the green light to put together an anthology of romantic short stories, David was one of the first writers both of us thought of. Turns out he had one to submit, we loved it, and “Thai Angel” will be the first story in MOONLIGHT AND ROSES: MEN ROMANCING MEN.
In the meantime, David wandered into Tim’s LiveJournal comments one day, and eventually created his own LJ. It’s always great when such a good writer turns out to be a funny, thoughtful, interesting person. And of course, I have to admire his ability to match Famous Author Rob Byrnes drink for drink. That takes guts. Or at least an iron stomach. As we’ve made other LJ friends, they’ve become friends with David, too. Which is really a good thing since seahorsemystic and David could be each other’s enablers during their debauchery in New Orleans. It meant the rest of us could keep our purity and talk about highminded things like literature and art and mice. 😉
You’ll also notice Brian Kinney Gale Harold Brian Kinney peeking out from behind the cup. Oh, that wonderful dogrl. Some random remark or two dozen of them that I made about hot QAF character Brian Kinney prompted her to GIVE ME her set of DVDs of the first season. She said she’d probably never watch them again and knew I’d give them a good home, but really? She’s just about one of the most thoughtful, generous people in the world. I will always, always be grateful for the first letter that ever came from her to the TJB mailbox because she’s become such a lovely friend even WITHOUT indulging my Brian Kinney fixation. (And, oh, man, even though I’m supposed to be writing and not watching anything, I haven’t been able to resist occasionally playing an episode on my computer. Unbeknownst to me, I needed freaking glasses for all the years the show was on, and now that I can see every scene close up and personal? EVEN HOTTER THAN I REALIZED.)
But, in fact, I did write for a few hours Tuesday morning. Then I had to take care of some business for That Old Woman™ (that’s a Tim-trademarked phrase for Old Mother Becky™, which is another Tim trademarked phrase). Since that errand took me toward Bellaire, one of the older and prettier Houston bedroom communities–and home, incidentally, of the fictitious school where Aaron teaches in The Deal), I decided to follow the advice of the Fiesta grocery store butcher and go to Chinatown (or what some people call New Chinatown, since the remnants of Old Chinatown, settled in the early 1900s, still exist in downtown Houston).
First wonderful thing I’d never seen before: Between the Loop and Rice Bouelvard, Bellaire Boulevard is divided by an island of greenery and trees and a tiny park with this:
How pretty is that? For more information on the Bellaire streetcar, here’s a link to Bellaire.
I would have loved to have hung out there, but I was on a mission: to find the Hong Kong Food Market. Which I did after driving. And driving. And driving. Here are some photos I took of the center where the market is located.
HELLO? Their parking lot kicks Disco Kroger parking lot’s butt. But I have to tell you? When I walked inside the door, even though I admired this display of bamboo:
and wanted to take lots of pictures, the smell? It was troublesome. It smelled a little like the rich fertilizer that we’ve gotten from Home Depot to help our grass grow. Natural fertilizer, if you know what I mean. It kind of put me off taking photos.
After I made my purchases, I had to go exploring a little more, because I’d spotted something interesting just down the road at another shopping center. I haven’t been able to find any substantive information on these two sets of statues yet, but the Viet Nam War Memorial was HUGE, and the other set of statues kept me spellbound for quite a while. That’s unusual, as I don’t normally spend a lot of time admiring statues or sculptures. I do want to learn more about these, however.
The plaque reads: To the eternal memory of the freedom loving people of South Viet Nam, our valiant service men, political cadres, and civilian employees who fought relentlessly against the communist aggressors, and our courageous American comrades-in-arms who sacrificed themselves for freedom and democracy. Houston, Texas, USA. June 11th, 2005
I finally got home with my purchases. This is what I actually went to Hong Kong Food Market for:
A good cleaver and a new cutting board to make Tim’s job of hacking up chicken and turkey necks for the dogs a little easier.
I could have bought a cleaver at Williams Sonoma or Sur La Table, but that wouldn’t have been an adventuuuuuuure and probably would have cost three times as much.
And the bonus? The dogs SNAPPED these up like puppies guppies smelt. Tim said we could actually batter smelt and fry them up for human consumption. Which goes to show that while I was out making discoveries, Tim was holed up with a hookah in some opium den.
that wouldn’t have been an adventuuuuuuure and probably would have cost three times as much.
Oh my god, you are channeling my sister. We used to go down a random road that neither of us had been on before, on what she called an “adweeenture” (yes that is a W not a v)
That is one of the ways that she sparked my creative muse. I miss her so much sometimes. Goodbye Sweet Sister
I’m very sorry for your loss. When a sister is a friend–that’s a wonderful thing, as I’ve been similarly blessed.
WoW. What a nice way to wake up. I have my mug as well, from David, with lots of wonderful wake up juice in it. QAF is one of my obsessions, actually. I think you know that already, but it is. If I ever come to visit, we will have to watch some shows, eat real cornbread, and walk your neighborhood, or sit outside in your garden area with the dogs.
I love it when you find things like you do, in your area, or near your area, that you end up saying, “Why didn’t I know this was here?” We do that a lot here. But never a Hong Kong Supermarket! Wild.
As for the fish, well, I don’t know about those things. What about bones? Do the dogs eat all the bones in the chicken necks and such, too? Is it safe, is what I mean.
I can so see Tim smoking that opium from a hookah. Isn’t that Cheshire? lol He is magical and all that, so it fits well.
Like a cool used bookstore? lol
😛 YES! Just like that!
The bones were the hardest concept for me to deal with, too. But as long as the bones ARE NOT COOKED, the dogs have no problem with them. Chicken bones, fish bones, turkey, pork, and beef bones–none of them have presented a problem, because uncooked, they’re very soft, chewable, and digestible. I’m less fond of rib bones for them, and I don’t give large chicken bones, just the ones from necks, wing tips, and backs.
It’s a lot of fun to watch Guinness and Margot crunching bones and looking at me with “this-is-the-best-thing-ever-for-always” expressions.
Tim says Rex eats his meals in an orderly fashion, saving his big bones for last. We’ve found that we often have to let them have organs/veggie cubes/meat first, then let them have the bones. Otherwise, they just want to crunch bones.
When something is small–like the smelt or the chicken feet–it’s gone in a few seconds.
Eating the bones not only cleans their teeth and gives them tons of good nutrients, but it helps develop their natural jaw muscles, which is something that doesn’t happen with manufactured dog food, and forces them to slow down a LITTLE instead of just inhaling food, which is better for their digestive systems.
Nice to hear Shannon and I weren’t the only ones who had a wonderful afternoon. =0)
It’s fun to explore. And like Shannon said, finding new things in your own little part of the world is the best.
When I lived in Lexington, I used to go out and just drive around with no particular destination. I loved all the stuff I might run into. Once when I was going to dinner with one of my friends from work, who had lived there for years, i took a turn and he said, “How did you know to go this way?” I said, I just go out and drive, and never know where I’ll end up.” He said he would be to scared to do that.
““
Maybe I should get you a big magnifier for christmas so you can see even better! (And aren’t you nice for saying those things about me. There are people who wouldn’t agree with you.)
When I saw the picture of the cleaver, I immediately envisioned you or Tim chasing after mice with one in hand.
“
When I saw the picture of the cleaver, I immediately envisioned you or Tim chasing after mice with one in hand.”
hahaha!
Yeah, I’ll bet those rats never come back now!
That wonderful David and Dogrl, indeed. And that first photo of the streetcar, where the sun is hitting the grass? That color sends me. : )
I’ll have to start looking for that color more often in nature so I can make a gift of it in photos to you.
Would ‘that color’ be CHARTREUSE, Mark? 🙂
Oh yeah. : )
Obsession?
Who has an obsession?
It really seems perfectly NORMAL to me to be so intrigued by Brian Kinney, and I know YOU understand. 😉
I would think anything breathing would understand!
But that’s just me.
My in-laws had a tea towel with the exact same map! (they’re English).