What I did this weekend (alert heavy bragging here!)

This was quite a weekend!  Here in Houston, the "social event" of the year is kicking off.  The huge Livestock Show and Rodeo has been kicked off.

It began last week with the trail rides.  There were some unfortunate things that happened on those rides.  Here is a couple that I know of - a horse on a ride that originates around here wasn't properly conditioned and died, and a woman on her horse was run over by a runaway wagon.  She broke her jaw and shoulder. The weather cooperated with the trail rides (for the most part).  Usually is it cold and rainy.  This year they only had a day and a half of rain and high winds.

Between the end of the rides and the parade, was the Bar-be-que cookoff that lasts from Thursday to Saturday.  My son and his band have played this event for ten years.  We don't usually go because it is a mad house.  Parking is difficult, and if you just do the general admission, it isn't much fun and is expensive.  It is $5 to get in, and then if you want food, you pay for that.  To be fun, you need to be associated with a cookoff tent.  Those who are competing for the best food.

They have sponsors who cover the huge costs to participate.  It also is a very expensive outing for their cooking team.  All the monies go to the education fund.  But in those tents, the food and alcohol flow freely.  And all of these tents have bands.

We got home on Thursday, and when talking to my daughter-in-law, she mentioned me (us, but knowing G wouldn't) to go with them.  Well, I did!  It was quite an experience.  We ate at a different tent because Brian knows the cookers so well.  We returned to his tent for him to entertain.  And what a great job he did.  I haven't been able to see his band in a long time.  They have really jelled into a great band.

While I was sitting there, I noticed this guy (sooooo drunk) hitting on DIL's friend/boss.  DIL saved her only for this idiot to move to her.  Toward the end of the night, he decided to move on to me!  I was stone cold sober, so I got highly amused.  His lame pick-up line was:"so who are you with here?"  I told him "my son - the singer."  When he told me his age (48), he asked how old I was.  I thought how this would send him on his happy way, and responded 70.  NO!  He stayed.  His chair was trapping my shoe, so I couldn't leave.  Finally, his wife came up to get her inappropriate husband to leave, but decided to hit on the sound man's husband (yes, gay).  That really made me laugh!

Brian is the singer, with him in this picture are just two of the band members.

After the show, we went back to the other tent.  Mainly because I really did need a cart to get back to the shuttle buses to the parking lot.  It was a good mile hike, and my back/knees had failed!  When we got there, my son pointed out a black little person.  He apparently was a well-known rapper back in the 80's.  Guess who ended up with this little man and his friend giving me all the attention.  I became the magnificent matron queen.  This lasted about thirty minutes.

I am glad this wasn't the picture with me, but this is my son, his friend and the "little rapper!"  My son is fortunately kneeling - he's 6'8".  The rapper is standing!'

This was quite an evening.  But I really did enjoy it because my son was SO good!  And we laughed a lot about it at family dinner last night.  Katie was amazed  appalled by the evening.


Saturday I was going to attend two of her high school water polo games.  After getting in at 1:30 that morning, I skipped the 9:00 game.  I knew she would understand.  I think the early game was probably was more exciting.  The competition was a little better, but our girls are magnificent.  The team I watched them play has always been very strong, but our girls beat them 12-2.  Katie was her strong self.  How I have missed water polo.  It was such fun.

And Katie is her usual go getting self!  She is going to take that ball away.  But if you notice, she is probably going to take a smack to the chin!