Escape from the ROCC!

When I left work on Tuesday, I found that my car had been side-swiped in the church parking lot. The guilty woman left a nice note on my windshield. Now, there is a scrape/dent along the passenger side doors -- and my side mirror is hanging on by a wire. When I drive down the road, the mirror just dangles there knocking up against the door -- bump, bump, bump.

The timing wasn't so great for this to happen. For starters, I was planning on taking it in to CarMax soon and unloading the thing. (I'm just a few hundred miles from flipping it to 200,000 miles.) This is sure to take a few bucks off the offer price.

But the worst part for me? I had to drive it to the River Oaks Country Club.

I was attending the Distinguished Leader Award Luncheon honoring former Harris County Judge Robert Eckels. The crowd consisted of a "who's who" of city and county officials, business and community leaders, and so on. Most of them are people I've never met, but there were a few folks I knew from various places and experiences over my career.

As I entered the grounds, I asked the security guard if self-parking were available. Nope. So, I wouldn't be able to avoid the valet parking scene. Dropping off the car wasn't the problem -- not as many people standing around. It was the picking up that I dreaded.

When the last speaker approached the podium to deliver the closing remarks, I made an early escape out the service entrance, down some stairs, out a door, past the pool, back inside the clubhouse, down a hall, up some stairs, through the lobby, and out the front door to the valet stand. A few people were already gathered -- including two or three I knew. (Drats!)

I handed my valet ticket to a guy and he ran off to find my car. I've often wondered what valet drivers think when different cars pull up. Do they get excited when a really great car comes their way? Are they disappointed when they have to park a junker? Have they grown indifferent to it all? Why must they adjust the seat for a drive that lasts less than 60 seconds?

Waiting for my car to come around the corner, I observed the cars behind mine. Volvo. Mercedes. Land Cruiser. Jaguar. Thankfully, a small Toyota was thrown in to the mix. In part, it may have softened the blow when my dirty, dented, domestic car pulled up with the dangling mirror -- bump, bump, bump.

My sunglasses were in place to avoid accidental eye contact with members of the growing crowd waiting for their rides. When the car came to a stop, I dashed around to the driver's side, slipped the valet a tip, hopped in and drove away. Call me vain, but that's how it all went down.

Fortunately, as I drove away from the ROCC down River Oaks Boulevard past multi-million dollar estates, something fantastic occurred to me: maybe the onlookers assumed the valet damaged my car, and I was being ever-so-gracious by not complaining about it!

Eating a 646-pound catfish

I know who Don Imus is, but I've never heard his talk show. Similarly, I know what catfish is, but I've never tasted it.

This morning, the Today show practically tied me down and shoved a 646-pound Mekong giant catfish down my throat -- without the decency of giving me fries on the side.

Matt Lauer (whose job I still want) grilled Imus on his comment about the Rutgers women's basketball team. Then, my future predecessor questioned Rev. Al Sharpton about the incident.

After a break for the local news (where, thankfully, Imus was not mentioned), the Today show returned with Meredith Vieira interviewing the "Reverend" Jesse Jackson, Jim Carville, somebody from the Urban League and somebody else who had something to chime in about.

All in all, it was almost 30 minutes of non-stop coverage of Imus' comments and how they were inappropriate, racist, insensitive and grounds for firing him.

I do not have a strong opinion on what should (or should not) happen to Imus. My gut says that he should take his suspension then go back on the air. To be honest with you, I really could not care any less about that than I already do.

What irritated me about this morning was:

1. the inexplicable and unjustifiable amount of time given to this incident on prime morning broadcast television (given all the other more newsworthy stories to choose from), and
   
2. the fact that the objectionable phrase was quoted over and over (and over and over and over and ...) again by the very people who were calling for a man's career to be ended because he said it one time.

Thanks to these offended folks, the offensive phrase was spread wide and far -- far beyond the audience who would've heard it if it had been limited to Imus' show.

If a disparaging comment were made against a friend of yours, would you go around telling everyone within earshot the comment that was made -- or would you keep it to yourself? Would you throw kerosene on the campfire or a bucket of water?

It's been a long time since I've gotten all worked up over a current event like this. To be honest, they just aren't my passions anymore. But for the love ... this was (and is) ridiculous.

I lost 20 pounds!

Three things I keep reminding myself to get through the initial buyer's remorse:

(1) It'll grow back.
(2) At least I have hair to cut.

(3) Amanda says she does not love me for my hair. (*)

(*) She said that before I got it cut. She did not say that after I got it cut, as in "I love you despite your hair." Just wanted to go on record with that, thank you very much.

Way to go, Mom!

For a girl born and raised in Iowa, Mom pulls off the whole Texas thing pretty well, huh?