Archives for April, 2008
Two tee-shirts at Lowe’s
It’s midday on a Sunday. I live in west Houston and I had just driven over to the local Lowe’s hardware store to buy a new mailbox. Someone had decided to slam their car into my old one late Friday night and the mailman complained to me on Saturday.
I’m thinking that my whole investment at Lowe’s should be less than ten bucks for a plastic mailbox and the small piece of wood I need to mount it on my old mail post.
I walk into the store and ask the first employee I see: “Mailboxes?” A model of efficiency: short and to the point don’t you think?
She gives me a funny look and rolls her eyes back inside her head like she’s looking for the answer. It takes maybe thirty seconds until she finally says, “Aisle seventeen.”
Great, I’m at aisle one. I was hoping to do this whole shopping spree in less time than it took for her to answer and now I gotta walk all the way across the store.
I’m a fast walker but it still takes more than a minute to get to aisle seventeen. I turn and walk quickly to where the mailboxes are when behind me I hear, “Oh, sir, can you come here a second? I want to show you what my husband is wearing.”
Now there’s something I didn’t expect to hear when I entered this store.
I’m confused, a little, but I walk back toward the attractive 30-something brunette. She’s at the end of the aisle pointing towards her husband who’s two aisles down. When I reach the end of the aisle she says, “look at his tee-shirt. It’s the same as yours.”
Well, I look at his and then I have to look at mine. I’m a guy; I haven’t a clue what shirt I picked out this morning.
Turns out I’m wearing a Portsmouth Brewery souvenir tee-shirt I picked up last December when I was visiting my son in New Hampshire. That guy two aisles down, the husband of the lady standing next to me, is wearing the same souvenir shirt in the same color.
“It’s his favorite shirt,” says the wife. “He won’t let me throw it away even though it’s old and faded. He just loves their beer and that shirt!”
I wave to him. We both seem a little bit embarrassed by the whole matter.
“Hmm. I was just there a few months ago. My son lives up there.”
I walk back to the mailboxes wondering if there’s any cosmic significance to it all.
The Portsmouth Brewery
56 Market Street
Portsmouth NH 03801
(603) 431-1115
www.portsmouthbrewery.com
Houston Wine Geeks at Sonoma Wine Bar
| April 9, 2008 | ||
Scared of WineSpeak?
Embarrassed when you have to read and order from a wine list? Want to know more about wine and how to enjoy it?
Houston Wine Geeks is an informal group of wine enthusiasts focused on the ins-and-outs of wine appreciation and wine education.
I’m taking a $1,500 wine appreciation course from the International Sommeliers Guild. My ultimate goal: achieving certification as a sommelier. Every Monday I attend wine class from 4pm to 11pm at the University of Houston. Every Wednesday I share what I’ve learned.
The Houston Wine Geeks weekly meetings are my study group. I’m sharing what I learn and I’m there to learn from you, all in a fun and relaxed atmosphere.
- There’s no fee!
- Each attendee pays for their own wine and food.
- Meetings start at 6:30pm in a wine bar somewhere in the Houston area and last about an hour.
- Some people stay around after the meeting to enjoy the venue and the company.
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Interested? Sign up and RSVP for our next meeting. Come every week or come when you can!
FYI: We use www.meetup.com as our RSVP/Membership tracking tool. It’s free for you! |
Our Meeting
Join us at Sonoma (Richmond Avenue near Kirby). We’ll be at this location for week or two as we check out everything they have to offer.
Sonoma Wine Bar and Retail Boutique
2720 Richmond Avenue
Houston, TX 77098
(713) 526-9463
www.sonomahouston.com
Sonoma Wine Bar and Retail Boutique
Sonoma Wine Bar and Retail Boutique is Houston’s first late-night wine bar. What does that mean? It means while all the other wine bars are closing down at midnight, the party is just warming up at Somoma. We serve over 100 wines and beers in every price range with taste varietals for every palate. For those of you looking for a small bite to eat, we also serve everything from gourmet panini’s and pizza’s to meat and cheese plates.
Dining Out Club at Brennan’s of Houston
| April 26, 2008 | ||
Love eating out? Looking for new places to try and new people to share the experience?
I’m the organizer for Dining Out Club/Houston! We’re a growing bunch of dedicated foodies, all wanting to find exciting places to meet and eat. Once or more each month we go to different restaurants somewhere in (or near) Houston. I’m anxious for you to join in the fun!
- There are no club fees!
- Each attendee pays their own food bill.
- Meetings start at 7:00pm in a restaurant somewhere in the Houston area and last an hour or two.
- Some people stay around after the meal to enjoy the venue and the company.
|
Interested? Sign up and RSVP for our next meeting. Come every meeting or come when you can!
FYI: We use www.meetup.com as our RSVP/Membership tracking tool. It’s free for you! |
This Meeting
People just love to watch chefs work.
Which is one of the reasons for the immense popularity of the Brennan’s Kitchen Table, situated right in the heart of the kitchen.
The Kitchen Table is a private dining room that seats up to ten and offers a ringside seat of the kitchen action. Brennan’s chefs will prepare tastes from their menu custom for “Dining Out” guests.
$75/person fixed price tasting menu
Brennan’s of Houston
3300 Smith Street
Houston TX 77006
(713) 522-9711
www.brennanshouston.com
Dining Out Club at Cafe Red Onion
| April 15, 2008 | ||
Love eating out? Looking for new places to try and new people to share the experience?
I’m the organizer for Dining Out Club/Houston! We’re a growing bunch of dedicated foodies, all wanting to find exciting places to meet and eat. Once or more each month we go to different restaurants somewhere in (or near) Houston. I’m anxious for you to join in the fun!
- There are no club fees!
- Each attendee pays their own food bill.
- Meetings start at 7:00pm in a restaurant somewhere in the Houston area and last an hour or two.
- Some people stay around after the meal to enjoy the venue and the company.
|
Interested? Sign up and RSVP for our next meeting. Come every meeting or come when you can!
FYI: We use www.meetup.com as our RSVP/Membership tracking tool. It’s free for you! |
This Meeting
Café Red Onion has one of Houston’s unique culinary concepts with its “LATIN FUSION” of flavors. Offering you a non-smoking environment, Caribbean decor, rave reviews, top ten chefs and professional staff, it’s a perfect setting for a memorable culinary experience.
Our creations are a fusion of flavors from the blue waters of the Caribbean to the rich fruits of Latin America. Inspiration of the Chef to bring exotic dishes to our guest. Skilled cooks and professional staff will be be here to show you why our guest say “WOW” when dining at Cafe Red Onion.
Bar: Full
Credit Cards: Visa, MC, AmEx
Moderately priced, entrees range from $17 to $31.
Cafe Red Onion
3910 Kirby Drive
Houston TX 77002
(713) 807-1122
www.caferedonion.com
