Graduation Day

 

In the midst of getting ready (both mentally and musically) for Blue Lake this last weekend I completely forgot to post about my singing at the commencement ceremonies for the Houston campus of Texas Woman’s University last Sunday.  The event was held at the George R. Brown Convention Center and, though I’m sure I must have gone at some point in my childhood, I can’t actually recall doing anything but driving past the behemoth building since moving to Houston.

Get it, George!

 

One of the perks of being part of the podium posse is that you don’t have to gather with all of the riff raff commoners before the procession (aka the graduates).  I didn’t really take many pictures at the event but managed to snap one of the faculty ready room.

 

For those of you interested in the musical selections for the event, I sang the National Anthem (duh), the TWU Alma Mater (set to the tune of the Russian National Anthem), and a little ditty called “To The Texas Woman’s University.”  Whenever I first told Catherine I got the gig she immediately went: PUH-LEEAAAAASE tell me you’re going to be singing “Climb Every Mountain”?!?!?!?!?!?!?  Though the answer was obviously no, amazingly enough as I was driving home from the commencement I turned on the radio and I kid. you. not—it was playing on NPR.  What syzygy! So, because apparently Catherine needs a bit of a Rogers and Hammerstein II fix… I must oblige.

CLIMB IT, SHIRLEY!!!!!

 

I never particularly get over to this area of the city and it was nice to get a different vantage point of the downtown area from the convention center.

I LOVE THIS CITY!!!!

 

It really is hard to believe I’ve been out of school for a year already, and in the spirit of the day (and because I know I haven’t put one of these pictures up on the blog yet) here are some snapshots from my own college graduations!

Baylor University 2006     

 

     

  U of M 2008 (confession: I didn’t go to the ceremony)                                     U of M 2010  

 

Artist: Kanye West/ Album: The College Dropout

Ballad of a Well Known Gun

 

Last week I was thrilled to get a pleasant surprise of a text message from friend-of-the-blog, Jan:

Jan: What are you doing to night.

Me: (thinking maybe she knew someone in Houston who had an extra ticket to a show or something) Oh nothing!

Jan: I am in town and if I can swing it I’d love to see you if I can.  If you get an offer to go out take it, but I’ll do my best to see you!

What a treat!!! I have been accustomed to getting to see her during the holiday season, but it was certainly delightful to meet up so unexpectedly.  I also love that she assumed I’d rather see people who live in the same city as I as opposed to seeing her—buh-crazy!

The reason for their visit to Houston was that it served as the port of origin for their family cruise and it was decided it would be easier for me  to come to her father-in-law’s house for our visit.  I had been there once before when she and Jason were first married (I sang in the wedding).  Needless to say from the photos below, it’s not a house I quickly forgot.

There’s your giraffe, Jennifer!!!

 

Jason’s father (as well as Jason and the boys) are avid hunters and has a fantastic trophy room to prove it.  Kyle helped provide some dramatic re-enactments… at least I’m pretty sure it was Kyle and not Reed, his twin.  

Who’s laughing NOW, Mr. Hyena in the background?!?

 

And you know it wouldn’t be an animal post without a photo of our favorite animal, the cougar!:

 NOT AGAIN!!!!

 

 

Plus some good ol’ Jan action and a silly shot to boot!

 

There I am, “lookin’ all Kanye”

Artist: Elton John/ Album: Tumbleweed Connection

(Check out her post to see another picture of us!)

A Snowglobe Christmas

 

Last night I went to yet another fabulous gallery row opening event at the John Cleary Gallery! It’s probably my favorite place in Houston and Catherine and the gang were just voted the best art gallery in the city.  I honestly could spend hours in there just going from photo to photo.

 

The gallery: (there actually were a lot of people there throughout the evening, I just took these after closing)

 

 

 

This time I actually remembered to get a picture of me and the hostess-with-the-mostest:

Catherine: (upon seeing me) “Well hello there Mr. Roberts, lookin’ all Kanye West on a Saturday night!”

Me: “Oh you know me and Kanye, we’re reeeeaaaaal close.  There’s nothing we like better than sittin’ around on a Tuesday evening listening to Stephen Sondheim and discussing Pottery Barn’s newest duvet covers. He loves a good pickstitch!!!”

Catherine: “Oh please, all he would do is talk about himself the whole time anyway.”

Me (lookin’ all Kanye) and Catherine (lookin’ all fabulous)

 

This new exhibit, aptly named “Deck the Walls” consists not of a singular photographer’s works, but of whatever the hell Catherine wants to put up. Following are my fav's of her fav’s (and please forgive the glare in the pictures… unlike the artists represented in the gallery, I am definitely not a pro!)

The Tree Show:

Jerry Ueslmann Untitled, 1969

Mitch Dobrowner Wind Swept Tree, 2006 (Archival pigment ink print)

 

Charles Grogg Bonzai 5 (platinum/palladium on Japanese gampi)

 

Not trees:

Jeff Charbonneau and Elliza French Dividing Suns (chromogenic print)

 

Elliott Erwitt France, Paris, 1898 (gelatin silver print)

 

Because of the John Cleary Gallery I have come to know—and fall in love with—the works of Maggie Taylor. For those of you who weren’t able to snatch up one of those twelve watches I begged asked for the other day, you can rectify this gift giving situation by buying me one of her prints!  K… glad we got that taken care of.

Girl in a bee dress

 

Just as you can’t get the whole experience by watching an opera on DVD as opposed to going to the theater, these snapshots are only a partial representation of the actual works themselves.  So as Hamlet so aptly puts it—GET THEE TO A GALLERY!! (or something like that)  Oh, and join their blog while at it to be kept up to date on when the next exhibition will be!

 

Artist: Pink Martini/ Album: Joy to the World