Houston Rodeo

We're in our seats for the rodeo and subsequent Clint Black concert! Our feet are dead. Next year it's sneakers.

This is a pretty good show, and the staff bend over backwards to be both helpful AND curteous. It rubs off; the crowds become much more polite and forgiving.

This our 1st year at the rodeo finals. It promises to be a great show!

Another Trip To David's Bridal

We started by going to a different shop. PajamaGal had tried finding it yesterday, but didn't locate the right strip mall. I need to have the car detailed, so I figured I'd drop her off, get the car done, then pick her up. One hour max!
Wrong, you stupid dreamer.
Driving by the car wash made me realize that noon Saturday was NOT a "slack" time- there were 22 cars in line, and the detailing area was stacked 2-deep.
I figured, "What the hell, I'll get it done 1st thing tomorrow morning!"
We were immediately attacked by a 75 year old, blue-haired, wicked witch of the south. This place was NOT like David's! The dresses looked cheap (not inexpensive, cheap) and not much to choose from.
Southwitch informed us they had no "Mother-of-the-Bride" dresses per se, but had a small selection of strapless and spaghetti-strapped dresses. (What in hell did that mean?)
They never have PajamaGal's size (12) in stock; the racks are full of 16+ and are for trying-on, then you order the size you want. She found one that was OK, then Ms. Southwitch informed us it would take 3 months to order one.
.... and the broom you rode I on, too!
So that's how come I'm here at David's again.
Still no sports TV, still no scotch. At least I'm scoring points!
------------
PajamaGuy (b²)

... at the car wash...

1st in line @ 8:45 for a 9 am opening! So what if no other customers showed up until 9:15. I was here if they'd had. $26 for the Special #1.

It's a tad cool @ 69 degrees and there's a breeze.
PajamaGuy (b²)

Democracy Train Gathering Steam

Mickey Kaus observes:
But it certainly does seem like the Arab world is blowing through the dialectic of history with impressive speed. The shift from feudalism to capitalism used to take three centuries; now it takes a week and a half! ... OK, that's a wild exaggeration, but you get the point....
The War in Iraq set two trains running. One was the increasing-anger-against-us and more-people-who-will-try-to-kill-us Terrorist Blowback train. The second was the bellicose idealists' Democracy Domino Effect train.
It seemed last year as if the first train would pose a threat to the U.S. for decades before the second, rescuing train could catch up with it. Now it looks as if there's at least a chance the second train will catch up sooner than could have been reasonably hoped. ...

(Ask it again.... "All those who think train #2 would even exist under Kerry - raise your hands!")

Opinion?

From INDC - "Ask yourself: would we hear the rumblings of Democracy in the Middle East if John Kerry had been elected President?

Would the Iraqi election have even taken place?"