The West University Buzz - March 2015

Chris Merkl and Susan C.

Rodeo Wine Garden by Michelle Casas Groogan

Dinner Parties Safe Teen Travels Mom Wars Spring Break Buddies Houston, TX Permit No. 2047 PAID US Postage PRSRT STD

Rodeo Memories

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE In 1996, we were living in Portland, Oregon, and debating whether or not to leave the beautiful Pacific Northwest and move to Houston, where Joni grew up. I came to Houston on business and couldn’t believe what I saw. When I got to the hotel I immediately called Joni back in Portland and said, “Oh my God, there’s no way I’m moving here. There are bales of hay in the hotel lobby, everyone looks like a cowboy, and people are even riding horses down the street.” After a very long pause, she said “Michael, it’s Go Texan Day.” Fast forward 19 years and I’m on a beautiful ranch in Fulshear, Texas, coordinating a photo shoot for our March rodeo-themed issue. Everyone is wearing cowboy boots and hats. Horses and even a few donkeys are roaming around the place, in a much more natural environment than a hotel lobby or a city street. The funny thing is, it all feels pretty natural to me too. Guess I’m officially a Texan. It was bound to happen. See y’all at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. michael@thebuzzmagazines.com

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Joni Hoffman Michael Hoffman Cheryl Laird Jordan Magaziner John Duboise Tracy L. Barnett Sharon Albert Brier Andria Frankfort Angie Frederickson Todd Freed Michelle Casas Groogan Dai Huynh Annie Blaylock McQueen Dave Schafer Cheryl Ursin Lori Coulter Rania Mankarious Russell Weil Jay Janecek Andrea Blitzer Leslie Little Kim Montgomery Darsey Swaim Helen Hamilton, Michele Luke

On our cover: Chris Merkl, a third-year committee member, and Susan C., a second-year committee member, say they have sampled and learned a lot about wine while serving on the Wine Garden Committee. Cover photo by Michael Hart Photography, www.hartphoto.com The Buzz Magazines has made all reasonable attempts to verify the accuracy of all information contained within. Advertising claims are solely the responsibility of the advertiser. Copyright © 2015 Hoffman Marketing & Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any portion of this magazine by any means without written permission is strictly prohibited. Printed on recycled paper. Please remember to recycle.

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MAILBAG

Your letters, thoughts, opinions Fuzzy baby memories I really enjoyed reading your Buzz Baby column in January’s Buzz Magazine [Buzz Baby – Chapter One: Pregnancy, by Annie Blaylock McQueen]. The article brought back fond (if fuzzy) memories of my own three kids as babies! I know how important it was for me to connect with other young moms during that time to share tips, funny stories, and occasionally just vent. I think your column will provide that connection with so many moms in the area. And congratulations on your new bundles of joy! Molly Holub, attorney, mom and Memorial resident

Community [Brookwood Community: Where there’s opportunity for all, November 2014], and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I have visited the Brookwood Community several times; I have eaten in the cafe, shopped in the store, and been on a tour of the facility. Brookwood is truly a wonderful example of what great things can be accomplished when people come together with a vision and determination; they really have made a community, where all of the “citizens” are treated with such caring and compassion, and they know that they really belong and that they have important contributions to make. Thank you for publishing your article so that more people may get the opportunity to experience the wonderful place that is Brookwood. Tracy Harder

Diane’s family is happy We will miss you, Jane I want to give a shout out to [Bellaire parks and recreation director] Jane Dembski on her retirement: Jane, you’ve been synonymous with Bellaire parks for so long and have done so much for our parks and residents, it’s difficult to imagine Bellaire without you. I’m going to miss the positive attitude and tireless energy you brought to making our parks and recreation activities better every year! Mandy Nathan

West U fantasy football, anyone? I’ve enjoyed the Buzz stories in the last few months on the women’s fantasy-football league [Drafting Divas: Gal pals find fun in fantasy football, by Cathy Gordon, October 2014] and The Bachelor fantasy league [Bachelor Fantasy Football: Reality-TV romance turns happy-hour sport, by Chelsea Hanson, January 2015]. The Buzz articles helped provoke a thought about a different kind of fantasy league. Our tri-coastal family was here for Thanksgiving. One grandchild is a baseball fan of major proportions – a Yankee fan in a Red Sox household and the only player in his Little League still swinging a wooden bat. With the Astros now in the American League, and having played a quarter century of fantasy baseball at the Houston Chronicle, I thought that 8-year-old Charlie and I could make a good team if we found the right fantasy league. I thought it might be fun to find a group of West U area grandparents who want to stay mentally sharp while sharing a passion for our national pastime with their grandchildren. Anyone interested in forming an American League-only “Grandkids Fantasy League” can contact me at cphoward303@gmail.com. Craig Howard

Delightful place to visit I read your article (by Cheryl Ursin) about the Brookwood WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ MARCH 2015 6

The article [Brookwood Community: Where there’s opportunity for all, November 2014] is just terrific. And the cover photo ain’t too shabby either! You did a beautiful job. Our family thanks you. Hugh Phillips (father of Brookwood’s Diane Phillips) Send letters to info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Please include your name, address, phone number and email address for verification purposes. Letters are subject to editing for clarity and space. Views expressed in letters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Buzz Magazines, and The Buzz takes no responsibility for the content and opinions expressed in them.

What’s your story? We are looking for residents for upcoming articles who: • Have high school seniors heading to college (for our popular, annual Where Are They Headed story). • Have kids of any age to respond to this prompt: “My mom is hilarious because….” • Have favorite local jogging and biking trails. • Celebrated Mother’s Day as a mom for the first time last year. • Recently got married. If this sounds like you or someone you know, please contact us at info@thebuzzmagazines.com or 713.668.4157, ext 12.

Your smile can last forever Anna Maria Salas, D.D.S., M.S. Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics

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FOOD by Andria Frankfort, staff writer

Dinner Parties “Put on your aprons and adjust your pearls.”

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or Janis Jarosz, a dinner party isn’t just about dinner. Growing up, says the director of marketing for Service Corporation International, “our home was always open. My mother loved to take care of people, and she did it through cooking.” Now that Janis’ mother, Ines Lino, is no longer around to cook for her Italian family, Janis says she likes to “keep that open house and bring people together. It’s about keeping her spirit alive.” That spirit couldn’t have been more alive than when Janis hosted a pasta-making dinner party for four couples using her mom’s recipes, pasta maker and pasta-drying rack. “It’s a process. [The pasta] has to go through the machine about eight times before it’s ready to be cut. Then it’s hung on a drying rack, which is basically like a wooden clothes-drying rack, and you put your pasta on it. Someone would put it through the machine, and someone with good fine motor skills would separate it on the drying rack. It takes time, so we ate a little later. I kept the hors d’oeuvres going.” Janis is not the cook in the family – she leaves that part to her speech pathologist-husband Paul, who makes the pasta dough and Janis’ mother’s Bolognese sauce before the party. But she loves setting a table and “doing little party favors that tie into the evening.” That night she gave all the women silver musical-heart paperweights “because the night was about love and passion and friendship.” She also set the scene with Italian music – “Frank Sinatra, Andrea Bocelli, old-fashioned accordion music that came from my mom” – and Italian wines. Women were given aprons from Italy to wear for the night. “Deep down, I don’t think I want to be a party planner. But I love getting together to celebrate the everyday. That night, between the wine flowing and the pasta going and people getting involved, it was so much fun. And it brought back family traditions.” Janis’ mom would have been right at home at B.J. Kilbride’s recent 1950s-inspired dinner party. When each of her 19 guests arrived at B.J.’s doorstep, the women found a chair full of WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ MARCH 2015 8

aprons to don. “My mother and aunt had given them to me, and they were genuinely from the ’50s and ’40s. If you were a hostess then, you just put an apron on.” A sign gave instruction: “Ladies, put on your aprons and adjust your pearls.” Inside, it was all ’50s comfort food. “I circulated a signup list via email telling people the theme, so it was like a pot luck, but everybody had an assigned category of what to bring. So we had macaHALFWAY THERE Paul Jarosz (at left) and Stephen Little inspect the pasta they've roni and cheese, made before cooking it. Frito pies, potato not elegant or complicated; it’s just lively and chips with onion dip, chocolate pie for dessert. fun,” Solace says. Invitations instruct guests to Calories were not an issue.” “bring anyone you want,” including kids. “It’s B.J., a part-time mediator, also instructed amazing how much sushi people eat. Some 6 guests to bring photos of themselves from the year olds eat more than you can imagine.” ’50s, which she displayed “on top of the TV, The glass-cased sushi bar, hired through because that’s where all the pictures went then.” Sushic, “looks like a sushi bar you’d see in a A few guests dressed the part in poodle skirts and restaurant,” Solace says. “We set it up in our fluffy sweaters. backyard, and it becomes the focal point of the To get new friends talking, B.J. made binders party and takes the pressure off.” Inside, Solace, for each table filled with ’50s trivia questions who loves to cook, sets tables full of more classic and answers. “We came up with questions about holiday fare. Think tenderloin, holiday ham, TV shows, politics, music and actors and actresscheese trays and desserts. es. We weren’t intimate friends, so it was nice “It’s so easy,” Solace says. “I hire the sushi bar, to have a segue into talking about something buy the wine, hire help and address invitations. besides the weather and our aches and pains!” Nothing fiddly or formal.” While Janis’ and B.J.’s parties celebrated traWhether formal or casual, traditional or new, dition, Solace and Jim Southwick’s annual dinners with friends, in their homes, are always “Traditional Yuletide Sushi Bar” party flies in its something special. face. Even absent the traditional part, says Janis says, “It’s a gift when someone cooks for Solace, “it’s very merry.” me. And it’s important to my husband and me Solace and Jim, both lawyers, host close to to do that and to bring people together who are 200 friends every year just before Christmas. “It’s

HOMEMADE Brenda Waun Little (at left) and Janis Jarosz arrange their freshly cut pasta on Janis' mother's pasta-drying rack.

interesting and dynamic and who like to have a good time.”

Genovese Bolognese Sauce: a.k.a. Nonna’s Bolognese ½ stick butter ½ cup olive oil 2 bay leaves Crushed dried rosemary 1 carrot, chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped Handful of curly parsley, stems removed, chopped 2 medium onions, chopped 1 pound lean chopped pork 3 pounds lean chopped beef ¼ pound prosciutto, chopped Salt to taste 8 ounces white wine 8 14-ounce cans Del Monte tomato sauce 1 pint heavy cream Speck of black pepper Heat butter and olive oil over medium heat in a 10- or 12-quart heavy pot. Add a touch of the bay leaves and rosemary. Add the carrot, celery, parsley and onions. Cook until the vegetables have softened. Add the chopped pork and sauté until it begins to brown. Add the chopped beef and sauté until the meat appears cooked, stirring occasionally. (I drain as much fat as possible

from the pot as the meat cooks.) Add the prosciutto. Add a touch of salt and the wine, and continue to cook. When the wine evaporates, add the tomato sauce. Rinse the tomato cans with a bit of hot water and add to the sauce. Add the heavy cream and a touch of black pepper. Stir to combine. Cook on a high flame without cover for 10 minutes. Lower heat, cover the pot and simmer for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Enjoy with your favorite pasta. Makes approximately 10 quarts of sauce. The sauce can be stored in plastic containers and frozen for future use.

Nonna’s Pasta and Ravioli Dough You will need a pasta machine for this recipe. 3 cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour 2 extra large eggs 2 tablespoons olive oil Approximately 1⁄3 cup lukewarm water ½-1 teaspoon salt Put all ingredients in a food processor. Mix until the dough forms a ball. You may add additional water by ½ teaspoons, as necessary. Let the dough rest for a few minutes. Divide the dough into four pieces. Flatten each with your hands and flour them well. For each piece of dough: Begin with setting No. 1 on a pasta machine. Run the dough through that setting two or three

times. Then run the dough through the No. 2, No. 4 and No. 6 settings. Run it through the No. 6 setting two or three times. Run it through the No. 8 setting. Then run it through the pastacutting blades on the pasta machine. For ravioli, skip the pasta-cutting blade step and spread the flattened pasta out on a floured board. Fold the dough in half to get a center line; then unfold. Spread your choice of filling thinly on half of dough. Fold the other half of dough over the filling. Press out any air bubbles and even out the pasta. Roll with a ravioli rolling pin and cut with a ravioli cutter. Reserve the scraps to cook separately. Place the ravioli on aluminum trays lined with floured wax paper. Flash freeze until the ravioli is no longer sticky. Loosely pack the ravioli in plastic baggies. Can freeze up to four months. You do not need to dry the pasta before cooking it. Cook it in boiling salted water for a few minutes; it is ready when the pasta starts to float to the surface of the water. Note from Janis: “The pasta recipe makes enough for about a family of four; we usually double it, at least, and that would serve four adults and four children. For the dinner party, where we made pasta for eight adults, we tripled it, and I feel like we didn’t have quite enough but my husband remembers that we had plenty, plus leftovers. The Italian in me feels like there’s never enough food.” WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ MARCH 2015 9

by Rania Mankarious, contributing writer

istockphoto.com/apomares

TRAVEL

Safe Travels Staying out of harm’s way The Buzz is partnering with Crime Stoppers to help keep our residents safe. Writer Rania Mankarious is executive director of Crime Stoppers of Houston. See City Corner at thebuzzmagazines.com for more safety tips from Crime Stoppers.

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his time of year is when parents often find themselves having conversations about whether to allow teenagers to go on a Spring Break trip sans parents. I remember my senior trip like it was yester-

Family travel • By car: Establish a route; determine stops; have spare parts. Have maps to back up online navigation. • Traveling by air: Have copies of passports, licenses and tickets; see if identification of minor children is required. • Read up on the destination. Learn crime trends (pick-pockets?), areas of concern and travel warnings. If abroad, know location of the U.S. Embassy. • Have proper currency prior to arriving. • Rent car seats in advance. • Ask your hotel to arrange a car service to come to the airport. Work with concierge to arrange car travel. • Be familiar with your travel destination. Study the map; call ahead and make arrangements in advance. • Talk to your kids about where you are going; make sure they learn the name of the hotel; put a piece of paper with your name, cell, hotel name and phone number in their pocket. • Tell kids that, if they get lost, they should go to a police officer (this means showing them what one looks like in the destination city) and give the officer that piece of paper. • Discuss the importance of staying together and never drifting off; kids should take responsibility for their own safety too.

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day. My parents asked only: Who is going? Who is meeting you there? Where are you staying? How are you going and coming? That was 20-plus years ago. Since that time, the world has been hit with stories ADVENTURE AWAITS Teens have more opportunities than ever to travel, often without parents, during Spring Break and the summer. Before any traveling takes place, of young people frank discussion about safety needs to happen first. who have gone (Google “Michigan State University student missing; human trafficking has become a major Cabo San Lucas Nightmare, Kidnapping and concern; and violence has erupted in common goRape, Spring Break 2014”); this means if you’re to destinations like Mexico and Europe. about to enter a nightclub or overly populated At the same time, in today’s global society, area, create a meeting space and designate a teens have many opportunities to explore the time that is understood and agreed to by all globe. The responsibility to talk about travel before you walk into the event. safety is more important than ever. • Going off with strangers you meet while Here are some issues we hope parents will conon vacation should never be done (Google sider before their young travelers hit the road. “Natalee Holloway”). For the teens/young adults • Travel in a group. Everybody in that group who might “fall in love” over their four-day getmust be known to you and your family. away, establish an agreement beforehand to pur• Ask: Is anyone meeting the group at the chase a ticket for the love of their life to come destination? In my line of work, “friends-ofvisit them in Houston in exchange for your friends” is synonymous with “terrible trouble.” child’s promise not to go off alone together. When your teen/young adult is far from you – in Chances are, two weeks after getting back home, another state or country – it’s not time to leave this love will have deflated and you’ll never them in the hands of someone unknown. have to worry about that ticket. • Nail down the basics and gather as much • Travel destinations may have different information as possible. Where are they staying drinking laws. Even if it’s legal for your child to – hotel, youth hostel, private home? Do your drink in the destination city, the discussion children know how to navigate the currency? Do about drinking responsibly must still be had. they know where the local U.S. Embassy is locatAccording to a survey by the Journal of American ed? Do they know whom to call in case of an College of Health, during the Spring Break week, emergency? How will they be traveling while the average male consumes 18 alcoholic drinks away – renting a car (is that safe?), Uber, taxi, a day and the average female consumes 10. hotel car service? With each of these topics, parAbout 50 percent of those surveyed drank until ents should do the research with their children. they either got sick or passed out, and 25 percent Times have changed – hopping into a cab or had sexual experiences while intoxicated that Uber here may be second nature; in a foreign were later labelled “regretful.” country it could be dangerous. Similarly, con• Medical needs: In addition to everything verting money between currencies here may be else, make sure your child is healthy enough to easy and safe; in the travel destination at hand, travel and knows what health clinic to go to in it could create targets for robbery and theft. the event of a medical emergency. • Going off alone should never be done

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Find a great internship With spring here, the hunt for summer internships by college students is already on. If you’re a parent, relative or mentor, and you’d like to help your young person find a meaningful and rewarding position, we have a triedand-true method to share. Our CEO, Jim Waters, CFP®, came up with this as a way to help his own daughter, Ashley, find a good internship. He put his considerable list of business contacts to work, offering an internship at PartnersInWealth in exchange for one for his daughter at another place of business. Response to Jim’s offer was so positive that Ashley worked three different internships that summer. And the experience resulted in a feature article in the May 24, 2013 Wall Street Journal titled “The Great Internship Swap.” Here is how you can create an “internship swap” of your own: Draw on your network of clients, friends, places where you do business, etc. Write a letter or email presenting the concept of a swap and asking who is interested in participating. We have a template for this and would be happy to share it with you. Set up a conference call among all the participants (include the students, if possible) to match students to internships and also to arrange the work schedules. Be sure those involved have the authority to hire interns at their organization. Designate someone to manage and stay on top of the schedule as it is implemented. To maximize the internship’s value to the students, make sure you find out what they are interested in learning (customer service, event planning,

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financial analysis, etc.). Try to create experiences that are part observation and part hands-on and task-focused. Take advantage of the intern’s youthful point of view, which often includes skills, such as social media savvy, that others in an organization may lack. Give the intern opportunities to provide feedback on their experiences and to share what they gained from it. With this plan, the summer should turn into a win-win-win for everyone involved. Students gain valuable exposure and experience in the business world. Employers gain access to new perspectives and new skill sets. Parents gain a child who is being equipped for adult life. There’s even an additional value-add: The process of reaching out to your network can cultivate and strengthen your own business relationships. And who says internship swapping has to be confined to college students? This is a great model for high school students and recent college grads to find work as well. In fact, internship or work place swapping might even be a great idea for adults looking for a next-stage career! James Waters, CFP®, PartnersInWealth, 3400 Bissonnet, Suite 145, Houston, Texas 77005, 713.964.4028, jrw@partnersinwealth.com, www.partnersinwealth.com

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TRAVEL by Tracy L. Barnett, staff writer

Travel Buzz Spring Break buddies

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haron and Mark Chetty have been traveling with their son Rushil for nearly a decade, since he was just 3 months old. Mark travels frequently in his work as an IT professional, and his family often comes along. So Rushil likes traveling, and he’s accustomed to the rigors of the road. There was always something missing, though. “Being an only child, he gets really lonely,” Sharon said. “Mom and Dad get really boring after a while.” So they decided to invite the Puigs, with their two boys, on a Spring Break adventure last year. Between the activities they’d planned and a California earthquake thrown in for good measure, Spring Break 2014 was definitely not boring. Spring Break can be an ideal time to join with another family on a group vacation. Several Buzz-area families had a chance recently to explore the pros and cons of teaming up with travel buddies – more fun for kids as well as parents, while still creating space for family time. Key to a good group travel experience, all agreed, is making sure your family is compatible with that of your proposed travel partners. The Chettys had met the Puigs through Little League, when Rushil was in the first grade. “We found that we were on the same level with the way we bring up our kids,” says Sharon, “and we got to be really good friends.” The Chettys had a Hilton timeshare in San Diego with space for the three of them and the Puigs – Jorge and Esther and their two boys, Nicholas, 9, and Lucas, 4. They knew they’d be good travel companions, after all the time they’d spent together on shorter outings around Houston. “What I enjoy about this family, is I call them up at 9 and say let’s go somewhere, and they’ll say sure,” Sharon said. “I’m not particular about bedtime for the children and neither are they, so if we’re going out we can go to midnight. So that was a huge deciding factor to go with them, was that they are easy-going with regard to the kids.” So they booked the trip together, and to make things more interesting, they added a bit of Hollywood stargazing to the itinerary. The Chettys arrived first at the Hilton right across WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ MARCH 2015 14

CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE Mark Chetty, Rushil Chetty, Sharon Chetty, Esther Puig, Lucas Puig, Nicolas Puig and Jorge Puig (from left) enjoy a photo break amid their rounds at Disney's California Adventure Park.

from Universal Studios. “We saw Charlize Theron getting into her car in the driveway – and then we saw Jack Nicholson in his yard, cleaning his pool,” she enthused. “I said, ‘No it can’t be’ – but I suppose stars’ pools need to be cleaned sometimes, too.” That night the Puigs joined them – just in time to share the unsettling experience of a magnitude 4.4 earthquake the following morning. “It was extremely scary,” Sharon recalled. “We were on the 24th floor – thankfully it was nothing severe.” After the earthquake, the excitement was more pedestrian; the families rented a minivan so they could travel together, and the kids played games in the car. They stayed in La Jolla, with a spectacular beach and seawall, where the kids had a great time playing with the seals. They went to Legoland and Disney’s California Adventure theme park. In San Diego, they took a boat cruise on Tuna Harbor and toured the Midway Museum, a World War II aircraft carrier-turned-war museum, stopping to marvel at the 25-foot-tall “Unconditional Surrender,” a statue based on a famous photograph of a sailor just home from the war, seizing an unknown woman in a passionate kiss. They also had a memorable taste of the Chettys’ homeland at a South African restaurant called Cape Town Pub. The boys were delighted with a regional favorite called bunny chow, which consisted of a loaf of bread with

the insides pulled out and filled with curry. For the Mattas and the Nassers, the whole of their two families ended up being more than the sum of its parts, as the old equation goes. Kids were able to go off and do kid things while moms went running or relaxed around the pool and dads went dune-buggy riding, taking elder daughter Julia along for some special father-daughter time. “I think it’s more fun; it makes it more interesting, especially with people that you have things in common with,” said Gisselle Matta. Gisselle and her husband Eduardo have teamed up for several trips with Dean and Alana Kennedy Nasser, whom they know from their work in the medical field. Elena Matta, 7, is good friends with Alexis Nasser, who is also 7, and big sister Julia Nasser, 14, gets along with everybody. It all began during Spring Break 2013, when the Nassers were going to Costa Rica and invited the Mattas along. “Basically we tagged along and had a great time in Costa Rica. The following year we took a trip to Cabo San Lucas,” Gisselle said. That time, a couple more friends joined them – Claudia Rivera, from Houston, and Dr. Chrystal Louis, who now lives in Boston. “We’d traveled together before, so we already knew likes and dislikes.” In Costa Rica, first they went to the Arenal Volcano area for a few days, staying at the Lost Iguana Resort, hanging out in the jungle, soaring through the cloud-forest canopy on a zipline tour, bathing in the volcano-heated waters

BRAVING THE WATERS Whitewater rafting in Costa Rica’s Manuel Antonio National Park. From left: Gisselle Matta, Dr. Eduardo Matta, Dr. Dean Nasser, Dr. Alana Kennedy-Nasser and Julia Nasser.

of Tabacón Hot Springs. Then they took a bus trip to the coast, where they stayed at the Hotel Parador near Manuel Antonio National Park. In Cabo San Lucas, they rented a house with a pool, and hanging out was more of a priority than going out and keeping a busy schedule. They still managed to go fishing, go dune buggy riding, and enjoy the beach and wave runners. Having the house opened a lot of possibilities; there was plenty of space to have quiet time or a nap, or get together and play games – of which there were many. This group is looking forward to their next Spring Break adventure in 2015 in a Western Caribbean cruise. “We’ve done family travel with other groups before,” said Gisselle. “When we’re traveling alone we fill the agenda with everything we can see – but part of the reason we wanted to do this trip was to have time to go have fun but also time to sit in a chair and do nothing.” Last year Jessy and Shea Morgenroth joined in a rather more intense group Spring Break getaway – a ski trip at Beaver Creek Resort in Colorado with their college friends from Texas A&M. Three families teamed up for a total of six adults and seven kids, ranging in age from 3 to 12. “It was a bit much to juggle between experienced

skiers vs. new skiers, experienced snowboarders and new snowboarders,” said Jessy. “We had an amazing experience, but it was a little hectic.” The Morgenroths’ two girls, Quinn and Reese, were 6 and 3 at the time. They’ve been getting together regularly with these friends, over the years, and they’ve become almost like family. So they thought they were ready for a group ski trip, but this time they almost bit off more than they could chew. The logistics were “mass chaos,” said Jessy. They narrowly escaped being snowed out on their way to the resort; there were ski classes and snowboarding classes at all different times and different levels, all of which different kids needed to be driven to. Little Reese got the flu; Jessy broke her wrist; and three of the kids got upset when one of them had a runaway skiing incident during ski class. The first few days were the hardest – especially for the Morgenroths, whose children were the youngest. On the first day, “the little tiny ones liked the skiing, but the other ones were just crying at the bottom of the bunny slope – they were beet red, all upset,” Jessy recalls. The learning curve was steep. Halfway into the trip they decided to hire a teacher for private

lessons. Things went more smoothly after that. By Day 3, 6-year-old Quinn finally learned how to stop. “She really took to it and was having a blast, flying off places. But my 3 year old was tired of it – she was saying, ‘I want my Mommy, I want my Daddy, I want to play in the hot tub.’” It wasn’t until the trip was nearly over that Jessy discovered there was a daycare service. The last day was when she caught an angle on an icy slope and broke her wrist – although the first-aid crew assured her she was fine because she could move it, and it wasn’t until she got home and went to the doctor that she learned it was broken. “All in all, we had a blast,” Jessy says. Although she’s glad the little girls learned to ski at a young age, if she’d had it to do over again, maybe she’d have waited until they were a little older. She’s pretty sure that the Texas A&M trio will try another ski trip at some point. Their next trip will probably be someplace warm – they’re currently considering a beach trip. But this year for Spring Break, they’re taking a break from each other, going their separate ways – and little Reese is going to be mutton bustin’ in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, so the Morgenroths are going to enjoy a nice, quiet WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ MARCH 2015 15

NEIGHBORS

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by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer

Buzz Baby

Traveling with the little one

Buzz Baby is a column about life with babies from the perspective of a first-time mother. If you have baby stories to share, leave a comment under this article at thebuzzmagazines.com or email info@thebuzzmagazines.com.

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raveling with a baby or young child is a crapshoot. I experienced initiation by fire to the “I’ve-traveled-with-baby club” when my husband and I flew for the first time with our 4-month-old (at the time) twins. We headed up north to visit my family. Two hours before the original flight was supposed to depart, an email arrived on my phone from the airline. “Your flight has been cancelled.” And from there, the fun began. We encountered one flight cancellation, two airports, two delays and one long flight home. Luckily, we had enough formula and diapers for the endless hours at the airport. A low moment I recall was washing their bottles in the tiny airport bathroom sink with the sensor faucets that seem to never work. I would wash quickly using the sprinkle of water for 15 seconds and repeat. We finally landed in Houston a little after 1 a.m. We immediately put the babies in a warm bath to wash the day at the airport off of them. The trip wasn’t so funny at the time, but it is now. Katie Zorich, a nurse and now stay-at-home mom, and her husband Robby, who works in commercial real estate, frequently travel to Santa Barbara and Colorado Springs for family vacations and also to Georgia, Florida and Louisiana to visit family. On a flight home from California, their son, Whit, 9 months at the time, was exposed to peanuts for the first time and broke out into hives. Naturally, Katie panicked. “They started passing the peanuts around. He didn’t even eat them. I guess they got on my hands,” said Katie. “He started screaming.” She followed her mommy intuition. “I knew it was topical and not anaphylactic. He has sensitive skin. I knew it was a skin thing, not an airway issue. I didn’t have any Benadryl, so I walked around to the other moms asking them, ‘Do you have any Benadryl?’” The young mom walking down the aisle with her screaming child caught the attention of the WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ MARCH 2015 16

flight attendants, and they intervened. “They keep medicine on planes but they have to go through this protocol first,” said Katie. “They had never had to go through [the protocol] before so no one really knew what to do.” The flight attendants first got on the loud speakers to ask if there was a doctor on board. Luckily, there was. “This man, a psychiatrist, stepped forward and he just said, ‘Yes, I think he needs medicine,’ and then they had to call someone on the ground,” said Katie. “It took an hour for [Whit] to get his medicine. Then, 15 minutes later, he was fine.” Katie says she approaches her packing list differently now. “I EARNING HER WINGS Mae Zorich (pictured at 6 months) is already a seaused to just take the soned traveler, along with her older brother, Whit. Parents Katie and Robby take bare essentials on trips. them on family trips to California, Colorado, Louisiana and Georgia. Now I take a medicine ized when they landed. “The flight attendant pouch just in case,” said Katie. had to ask me to move to another seat.” Mary Ellis, a financial analyst, was on a smallMary said people were giving her dirty looks, er commercial plane flying from her hometown but luckily, the couple sitting in front of her of Monroe, Louisiana, back to Houston with her found it humorous. “They were cracking up, baby, West, when he had a blowout diaper to laughing,” she said. rival all blowout diapers. Unfortunately for her, she did not have a “It covered him completely and me from ‘knees change of clothes for herself. “I had to get off the to neck’ as I like to say,” said Mary, laughing. flight and walk through the airport completely She took him into the airplane bathroom to covered in poop,” said Mary. “Lesson learned. I change it. “There wasn’t a changing table. I laid always travel with a spare change of clothes for him on the floor in the tiny bathroom. I literally baby and mommy.” had to use paper towel and water to clean it up,” Mary and her husband James, a director of said Mary. “The flight attendant gave me a bag finance, are now expecting a baby girl in late to put it in.” April. When asked if she’ll fly again when the She returned to her seat to find it had been new baby arrives, she said, laughing, “Maybe.” quarantined by the flight attendant to be steril-

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When bad hives happen to good people Hives (or urticaria, in medical lingo) are red, itchy, raised areas of the skin with clear borders. They are an inflammation of the skin triggered when the immune system releases histamine, causing blood vessels to leak, leading to swelling and itching. They can appear anywhere on the body and for most people last a few days to weeks, earning the title “acute urticaria.” In some cases, a trigger can be identified, like a viral or bacterial infection, food, drug or insect sting reactions, or even a physical factor, like cold, heat, sun, exercise or pressure. If you are lucky enough to find a trigger, avoidance of that trigger will typically result in resolution of the hives. In the case of acute urticaria, oral antihistamines are typically helpful to relieve the itching and shorten the duration of the flare. Some people, however, suffer from “chronic urticaria,” which can last months to years. These hives can become particularly cumbersome. They are especially itchy and large, cover large surface areas of the skin, and are frequently resistant to traditional treatment regimens. They have a large impact on a person’s quality of life and can cause sleepless nights and missed days of work. Frequently patients will be given steroids, which may help temporarily, but rarely lead to resolution of the hives. With this type of hive, we have to break out the big guns. Zyrtec and Allegra are the two best antihistamines available over the counter, and the prescription versions really are not better. In some cases, we have to use above the normal “24-hour” dose of one pill to see relief. Sometimes it takes two, three, or even four in a 24-hour period. If this does not offer significant benefit, there are other drugs such as dapsone and tacrolimus that may be tried. These actually affect

the way the immune system works, and routine blood work while on these meds may be required. A promising biotech drug called Xolair has been shown to be effective in people battling chronic hives. Xolair has been available in the United States to treat asthma for 10 years, but sometime in 2014 the FDA will approve it for chronic urticaria that doesn’t respond to antihistamines. For chronic hives, blood work may be done, looking for an internal reason for the problem, like thyroid disease, autoimmune issues, high IgE (allergy antibody), etc. Skin testing to environmental allergens or drug testing to suspected drug culprits may also be warranted. Regardless of whether a trigger is found or not, a board-certified allergist can help make sure the hives don’t become a constant burden in your life, and give you the tools needed to help prevent and better control flares of your hives. Talk with your allergist today, and be on the way to better control of your hives! No one nose allergies like we do.™ Note: Information contained in this article should not be considered a substitute for consultation with a board-certified allergist to address individual medical needs. Alnoor A. Malick, M.D., The Allergy Clinic, 7707 Fannin, Suite 100, Houston, Texas 77054, 713.797.0993, *1200 Binz, Suite 180, Houston, Texas 77004, 713.522.9911, www.allergyclinic.com,

Interior decorating, color coordinating, custom window treatments. Large selection of fabrics and hardware. First in home consultation free. Since 2004 Tatiana Bozic (832) 279-9191 attitude.d09@gmail.com

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Passing the torch If you live long enough, one day you’ll discover the kids are in charge. If you don’t make it that far, you died, and the kids are in charge anyway. Either way, estate planning lightens their load and reduces the legal fees. Make a will, sign powers of attorney, update beneficiaries, list your assets, discuss with family. Visit www.rwhpc.com/order_your_affairs for suggestions and worksheets. These are difficult, thankless tasks. “Discuss with family” is in a category by itself. Otherwise rational people prefer death or natural childbirth to discussing money. If you can’t or shouldn’t talk money with family, ask your financial advisor. Many offer resources for talking with loved ones, and alternatives when they can’t handle the responsibility. If you are an adult child, visit www.davidsolie.com/ about starting the conversation. The “When the Bottom Falls Out Mind Map” is priceless. In a perfect world, you never lose your mind, and the kids are grateful to help. As age robs you of endurance, but before a crisis, the kids start reading your leftover mail. Once a week is enough. You’re still in charge, and they’re not doing anything, just reading. But they start posting your assets to a balance sheet, and your income and expenses to a cash flow statement. It’s slow going. Some statements are quarterly. Others, like insurance summaries, come just once a year. It’s a couple of years before they can get through the mail without surprises. At some point you send your powers of attorney to each bank and broker, and confirm they work. Account by account, the kids are confirmed as agents. You’re still in charge, but when you have questions now, you ask

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the kids first. They set up a password manager for you. The kids can see your utilities, your prescription drugs, even your bank accounts. Did that insurance check clear? The kids know before you do. You stop preparing your own taxes and get a CPA. The kids scanned your 1099s, and compile your tax information. You still review and sign your return, but it’s nice having help. You have a couple of financial advisors, but they don’t talk. The kids organize long overdue meetings with each one. You go to the hospital one day. You survive, but go to skilled nursing instead of home. When the first bill arrives, the kids pay it with your money rather than theirs. You weren’t prepared for this day, but they were. Congratulations, you passed the torch. We write wills and go to probate court. We offer no-obligation initial interviews for estate planning and administration, so it costs nothing to hear specific recommendations that suit your needs. Foreign nationals and international families welcome. Russell W. Hall, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Board Certified–Estate Planning and Probate Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 6750 West Loop So. Ste. 920, Bellaire, Texas 77401, 713.662.3853, www.rwhpc.com

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NEIGHBORS

Rodeo Memories Then and now at Houston’s big show

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ne of my fondest childhood memories is attending the rodeo in Houston. Originally known as the Houston Fat Stock Show, the name was officially changed to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in 1961. I loved dressing up on Go Texan Day and even the smell of the cattle in the Astrohall. The rodeo lured us back each year. My own personal memories of the rodeo started me wondering about its beginnings. After all, the event has been around my entire life. While my first rodeo experience was not until the mid1960s, there was a lot of history that came before, and so much that has occurred since. I have always been amazed at the fascination created as the rodeo approaches each year. I thought it might be fun to look at some highlights from the past, as well as some from the present. The Houston Fat Stock Show and Livestock Exposition was established in 1931 after seven men met for lunch at the Texas State Hotel on Fannin Street in downtown Houston. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo moved to the Astrodome complex in 1966. The first performance in the new “domed stadium” attracted over 25,000 spectators. The show’s concert finale in the Astrodome featured George Strait on March 3, 2002. His performance broke the all-time paid attendance record for any event ever held in the Astrodome, with nearly 70,000 spectators. The rodeo has provided entertainment for decades. Once the winner of the barbecue cookoff (started in 1974) is announced, the livestock show, auctions and bronc-busting festivities begin, and money flows in for scholarships. While some people like the competitive events, for me, the main attraction is the singers. I loved going to the rodeo concerts as a kid, but what I didn’t like was waiting for all the rodeo events of the evening to finish before the music began. Many legendary performers have played at our rodeo throughout the years. During the ’60s, country and western singers ruled. I remember my excitement as Roy Rogers and Dale Evans rode out on their white horses as all the kids, including me, were yelling and screaming. As they sang their final song, Happy Trails to You, I was leaning on the rail waving my red and white WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ MARCH 2015 20

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

by Russell Weil, contributing writer

cowboy hat from side to side. My parents were huge rodeo fans, and I hated being left behind each year as they went to see some of their favorite performers from this decade, including Jerry Reed, Marty Robbins, Roy Rogers, Michael L a n d o n , Tennessee Ernie Ford, Brenda Lee and Jim Nabors. For weeks after each rodeo, my dad would subject our family to hours of country and western music marathons. However, the 1970s brought a shift in the enter- RETRO RODEO This Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo official souvenir program from 1973 features some big-name stars, including Merle Haggard, Charley Pride, tainment climate. The Jackson 5, and Sonny & Cher. Rock and pop performance of his 1969 hit Galveston. The crowd formers joined the classic-country artists. This in the stadium went wild as he belted out the era began with none other than the King of first verse of his ballad about our beloved Rock and Roll himself, Elvis Presley, whose Houston-area beachfront community. Feb. 27, 1970, performance set an all-time Several of my former Bellaire High School attendance record at the time with 43,614 classmates (and current Buzz-area residents) spectators in the Astrodome. Country superrecently shared some of their favorite rodeo-perstars from this era – Lynn Anderson, Glen formance memories. Local musician Steve Campbell, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton and Gilbert remembers seeing his childhood Johnny Cash – were joined by popular artists favorite, Glen Campbell, in 1972. Later, he of the 1970s, including David Cassidy, Leif loved seeing his idol, Bob Dylan. “I do rememGarrett, Helen Reddy, Sonny & Cher, The ber the sight of seeing him sing Rainy Day Fifth Dimension, The Jackson 5 and KC & Women #12 & 35 to an HLSR crowd, and seeing The Sunshine Band. The rodeo had become the crowd sing along was definitely worth the as much a concert event as a livestock show. price of admission.” I attended Glen Campbell’s 1971 performNative Houstonians Lynn Schulse Plummer ance, and his sparkly, maroon, polyester, belland Brenda Brooks Bartley both remember seeing bottom slacks and silk mini-tie scarf remain Elvis in the Astrodome. Brenda remembers being vivid in my memory, as does his dynamic per-

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

EASY AS 1-2-3 The Jackson Five take the rodeo stage in 1973.

the calories were still there.” I tried one myself, and found that Jeanne’s description was accurate. However, another friend found one from another vendor, and his was that deep-fried round Oreo cookie. Last year, I tried a sampling of fried treats at the rodeo. Since I have a huge sweet tooth I sampled the Fried Red Velvet Cake, which was three layers of spongy red cake and tangy cream cheese icing enrobed in a fried shell and drizzled with chocolate syrup. It was nothing more than a big

Editor’s note: We’d love to hear and share your memories of Houston rodeos gone by. Email us at info@thebuzzmagazines.com or comment under this story at thebuzzmagazines.com.

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

in the front row and waiting for him to come out of the tunnel into the Astrodome. “The lights were dimmed, the music would start, and then he appeared in the back of a Cadillac convertible. The crowd went wild! After the concert he rode around the arena very close to the railing.” Lynn remembers how star struck she was seeing “The King” perform. “He was hot! I mean good looking. Even at such a young age I knew that much.” Fellow native Houstonian Lynda Jensen Carnegie remembers, “My dad took me to see David Cassidy in 1971. I sang along to every song as did all the other teenage girls attending his concert.” In 2003, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo celebrated its first year in its new homes: NRG Stadium and NRG Center, where everyone still flocks to the musical concerts and performances. While the music, livestock, rodeo events and carnival remain as main crowd pleasers, feeding our hunger with the outlandish and inventive foods is also a chief rodeo attraction. Burgers, barbecue, hot dogs, pretzels, turkey legs, cotton candy, peanuts, corn cobs on sticks and popcorn served in souvenir megaphones displaying the Astrodome logo were once the reigning kings of the rodeo food tradition, but somehow the demand for all things fried, on a stick, and bacon-wrapped has taken over. Going to the rodeo always meant eating lots of food. I’d ask for popcorn, and when I was done, I’d use the souvenir megaphone to scream at the rodeo contestants or to bug my older brother. Next, my eyes would focus on another kid enjoying his peanuts, so I’d have to ask for some myself. Then I’d see someone else eating a huge turkey leg, and ask for one of those. By the end of the evening, my dad would be carrying me out of the Astrodome as I laid my head on his shoulders, worn out from all the food. Buzz-area resident and barber Jeanne Mar tried a “fried Oreo” at a recent rodeo. “It was nothing more than a chocolate-stuffed doughnut hole. I thought it was going to be a round Oreo cookie that was deep fried. But I’m sure all

blob of gooey sugar and butter. However, I really enjoyed the Fried Bananas Foster – bananas coated in homemade funnel-cake batter. But my favorite was the tequila-infused pickle popper – a big juicy pickle, infused with tequila and filled with a creole jalapeño cream cheese stuffing, breaded and deep fried. Taking my first bite, I could see the spicy flakes of jalapeño mixed with creole seasoning, wrapped around a green, crunchy and tart dill pickle. Sweet, sour and spicy were combined in a perfect combination. Before all the music, food and competition begin, the rodeo starts off with the arrival of trail rides in the city. The trail riders come in from all over Texas and gather at Memorial Park to camp, rest and party before the big annual downtown parade. From there, it’s on to NRG Park, where, by the time this article appears, I will have just enjoyed the World Championship Bar-B-Que Contest and witnessed the crowning of this year’s champion. I am looking forward to the musical performances, rodeo competition, and sinking my teeth into some enticing food – fried and otherwise. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo runs March 3-22. See rodeohouston.com for details.

HEARTS SKIPPED Elvis rides around the Astrodome in a convertible waving to fans following his 1974 rodeo concert. Buzz residents Lynn Schulse Plummer and Brenda Brooks Bartley will never forget being in the audience. WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ MARCH 2015 21

NEIGHBORS by Michelle Casas Groogan, staff writer

Wine Garden Bordeaux with your bulls and barbecue

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has now branched out into four different committees: W i n e Competition, Winery Relations, Wine Sales and Events, and Wine Garden. The Wine Garden came along just eight years ago with a single 400-squarefoot tent and a dozen small tables. There were evenings where no more than a dozen bottles of wine were sold. But like a good Cabernet that matures with age, so has the Wine Garden. Now it encompasses 60,000 square feet, with five tents and bars, a sponsor tent and more than 175 tables. Last year, the Wine Garden sold more than 20,000 bottles of wine in the three weeks it SIT A SPELL The Champion Wine Garden is open every day of the rodeo, with live was open. entertainment 6-11 p.m., plus an early-afternoon show on weekends. This year, the Rombauer Vineyards, which will sell for $80 a Champion Wine Garden will feature 67 of the bottle. The Top Texas Wine, Driftwood Estate award-winning wines from the Rodeo Winery Longhorn Red, will also be for sale in Uncorked! International Wine Competition limited supply for $70 a bottle. Other wines on held in November. There were more than the list – sparkling, whites, reds and dessert – 2,500 entries, including wines from 43 Texas will cost $18-100 per bottle, tax included. wineries and 16 different countries. A repre“I do try to keep the pricing reasonable,” sentation of those wines are selected and sold said Wine Garden Committee chair J.W. at the garden, including the Grand Champion Daubert, an accountant by day who devotes Best of Show, a Napa Valley Cabernet unlimited hours of his (continued on page 24) Sauvignon called Diamond Selection from Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

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he Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is known for its rogue broncs, side-winding bulls, cold brew, carnival and barbecue – it would seem more than a hair far-fetched to also stumble onto a sublime Pinot or a monster Merlot. But those boot-wearing guests craving a blowout Bordeaux can go ahead and pinch themselves. Because sandwiched between NRG Stadium and the Astrodome in the sculpture garden of Carruth Plaza, among bronzes depicting Western heritage, is the Champion Wine Garden. A surprise to some of those who stumble across it, this quaint outdoor seating area with live music is home to divine vintages from across the globe. “Most people have the wrong impression about it. They think it’s only going to be Texas wines,” said Wine Garden Committee member Chris Merkl, a neuropsychiatrist who discovered the Wine Garden as a customer. He was sold and joined the volunteer committee, starting out as a greeter. “Their eyes just light up because they just didn’t expect that kind of thing at the rodeo.” The Wine Garden is open every day of the rodeo, 4-11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4midnight on Friday, 11 a.m.-midnight on Saturday and noon-10 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free to anyone who already has a park admission or a rodeo ticket. Wine is purchased with $2 tickets. The wine doesn’t have to be consumed in the Garden; you can walk around the rodeo grounds with it, but chances are you might want to just sit and relax. “The setting is so pretty. We have fountains and the horse statues and really incredible live entertainment every day,” said John McAleer, the owner of Buffalo Grille who joined the committee in its infancy and is now vice chairman of shifts. “A lot of people just end up staying out there. Once the rodeo show starts you would expect the place to clear out. We announce to them (customers) that the show is starting. And they say you know, we’re pretty happy right here.” It was just 11 years ago the Houston rodeo embraced the vintner’s craft as an event. What started out as a single wine committee back then

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A GOOD DAY John McAleer, Joe Van Matre and J.W. Daubert (from left, with John’s dog, Newt) enjoy a glass of red wine at Pecan Acres, the Frost/McAleer family ranch outside of Houston.

VOLUNTEER BUDS Joe Van Matre, Susan C., Robyn Hoban, J.W. Daubert, Chris Merkl, Tracy Glesby and John McAleer (from left) are on the Rodeo Uncorked! Wine Garde (continued from page 22) numbers-sense to making

sure the Wine Garden is a fruitful experience for guests. “It’s really easy to put high-end wines on the list that are popular. But we also need to be cognizant of the folks who are going to equally enjoy an $18 bottle of Prosecco.” And make no mistake about those reasonably priced bottles. All the wine here has been carefully sampled and selected. Joe Van Matre is the vice president and officer in charge of Rodeo Uncorked! He is an oil man, realestate investor and one of the original wine committee members. He knows a thing or two about wine, with thousands of bottles in his own personal cellars. “To really appreciate the wine garden it helps to know where it came from. It is part of a long process and the work of all the other wine committees, from the wine competition to wine sales to the wine events,” said Van Matre. “Hundreds of volunteers who serve on these other wine committees assist with an elaborate process of registering entries, judging, coordinating and then buying and selling.” It all leads to the Wine Garden, where trained volunteers focus both on the patrons WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ MARCH 2015 24

who know what they want, an award-winning Pinot or buttery Chardonnay perhaps, to those who want to try something new. Buzz-area resident Robyn Hoban sells software for a technology company. It’s a demanding job but she clears her schedule in March so she is available for multiple shifts as in the Wine Garden as a table server and bartender. Her job requires a lot of travel to California; so she thought she was familiar with wine until she started her education at Rodeo Uncorked! “This has been an opportunity for me to learn a lot more about wine. We take classes, and once we get the list of the wines we will be serving, we have wine tastings. We had one recently at our team captain’s house. Everybody brought a bottle that’s on the list so when we’re in the Wine Garden we can actually tell people about the wines we are featuring. A lot of the people know what they want and they are very wine educated, but other people are there to learn and try something new.” The Wine Garden committee is made up of 375 volunteers, mostly young professionals. There are bigger committees like the Corral Club, which runs all the bars at the rodeo and

boasts a whopping 2,600 members. But Wine Garden was No. 1 first choice for more than 250 volunteers who were wait listed. And that’s out of 108 committees available. Rookie Tracy Glesby, who works in real estate, was lucky enough to be one of those granted a badge and can’t wait to serve. “Inside of me is a tiny little Jewish woman who loves to cook for 20 people at once and host dinner parties and entertain. The Wine Garden Committee is that on steroids. I cannot wait to serve people and entertain. I love wine, so this is my kind of crowd,” said Glesby. Wine Committee volunteers, like other volunteers, contribute to the rodeo’s charitable efforts to raise money for scholarships. “I do love wine, and volunteering on the committee satisfies my social needs. But mainly I get a spiritual boost from helping the kids in need and helping to fulfill their dreams,” said Buzz-area resident Susan C., who volunteers on the Wine Garden, Scholarship Judging, and Wine Sales and Events committees. “When you get an opportunity to meet someone who has received a rodeo scholarship and they tell you that it made a difference between

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en Committee of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

them getting a higher education or not and they have no reason to lie to you about it,” said Daubert, “that’s what makes those nights standing out in the cold and rain worth it.” Not all rodeo-goers tromping past cow patties and cotton candy will bypass a Bud to enjoy a stemless glass of wine. But plenty will. And who would have thought school artwork would have generated the millions it does for rodeo scholar-

Vernon Frost, was a lifetime rodeo vice president who rode on the early Salt Grass Trail Ride and proposed changing the name of the then-Fat Stock Show.

ships either? Wine and art at the rodeo – perhaps rookie Glesby said it best. “I think our Houston rodeo is a classier version of any rodeo. Everything about it is first class.”

MORE ONLINE

Editor’s note: The Buzz Magazines would like to thank the McAleer family for letting us take photos at the beautiful Frost/McAleer Pecan Acres Ranch. Buffalo Grille owner John McAleer’s grandfather,

See this story at thebuzzmagazines.com for a link to the 2015 International Wine Judging Competition’s winning wines.

Wine Garden Entertainment Bands play 6-11 p.m. every night and, on weekends, also 1-4 p.m. March 3 March 4 March 5 March 6 March 7 March 8 March 9 March 10 March 11 March 12

Matt Caldwell Band Wade Andrew Smith & Driftwood Rita Hardt & The Rhinestones The Grateful Geezers Morgan McKay, Acoustical, Gary Kyle Band The Stringbenders, Libby Koch 100 Miles Gone The Emotions Band Chad Ware The Drugstore Gypsies

March 13 March 14 March 15 March 16 March 17 March 18 March 19 March 20 March 21 March 22

Yelba The Rankin Twins, Matt Caldwell Band Tejano Day (multiple bands) Jody Booth Band Morgan McKay & The Double Barrel Band Yelba Libby Koch The Steve Helms Band The Steve Helms Band, Wade Andrew Smith & Driftwood The Cadillac Band, Kim Carson

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FOOD

by Lori Coulter, contributing writer

Cooking Buzz

Taking the rodeo home with you The Junior League of Houston, Inc.

Cooking Buzz is produced in partnership with the Junior League of Houston, a women’s charitable and education organization founded in 1925.

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t’s March in Houston, and that can only mean one thing – rodeo season. As a native Houstonian, I look forward to March with as much anticipation as a child before Christmas. A full three weeks of cowboys, carnivals and concerts. And, of course, the chow. Some smells at the rodeo are better than others. A favorite aroma comes from the spiced pecans that fill me with an instant need for cinnamon, sugar, nuts and pure deliciousness. After the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has left town, I often break out the Junior League of Houston cookbook Stop and Smell the Rosemary and whip up the fabulous Sweet and Spicy Pecans that make my house smell like the vendor’s cart at any time of the year. When recreating rodeo recipes, I often wonder what the true-cowboy favorites are. There has to be chicken fried steak involved, and if there isn’t … well, there should be. One of my favorite Chicken Fried Sirloin recipes comes out of Stop and Smell the Rosemary. With its buttermilk-based coating and peppered cream gravy, it is guaranteed to please your pickiest cowboy. Now in my 11th year as a rodeo committee member (currently the Calf Scramble Donors committee), I’ve met many volunteers who make sure the scholarship program is a success. As a member of the Junior League, which supports 36 programs in the Houston area, this act of volunteerism is especially dear to my heart. One of the best ways to thank volunteers is, of course, a tasty treat. I highly recommend the Pecan Puffs found in the Houston Junior League Cookbook. This very simple recipe needs only a few common ingredients, and they take only about 30 minutes from start to finish. Sadly, rodeo season does not last forever, so when you are hosting friends you have met through your committee or with whom you love going to the rodeo, you can bring back that most wonderful time of year with a themed dinnerparty menu. First, serve up Fried Cauliflower WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ MARCH 2015 26

BIG AS TEXAS BRANDY APPLE PIE For dessert, you can’t beat the home-baked freshness of a fruit pie. See recipe below.

from the Houston Junior League Cookbook. It’s just enough grease, and the presentation of the bite-sized flowerets adds a gourmet flair that’s sure to impress your guests. Follow that with Chocolate Chili from Stop and Smell the Rosemary. The unique recipe adds just a few ounces of semi-sweet chocolate to a mixture of traditional chili ingredients and spices, making it the perfect combination of sweet and savory, and with the hour simmer time, you can get this dish going before your guests arrive. For dessert, you can’t beat the home-baked freshness of a fruit pie, Big as Texas Brandy Apple Pie, from Peace Meals. And don’t forget to wet your whistle with a batch of the Houston

Junior League Cookbook rodeo staple Freezer Milk Punch, guaranteed to inspire you to kick up your boots in the kitchen.

Big as Texas Brandy Apple Pie From Peace Meals Crust: 3¼ cups all-purpose flour ½ cup whole wheat flour ¼ cup sugar ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon baking powder 1 pinch mace 1¼ cups (2½ sticks) butter ½ cup shortening

The Junior League of Houston, Inc.

FREEZER MILK PUNCH For good cheer with down-home style, you could try this Houston Junior League Cookbook drink concoction, complete with bourbon, rum and crème de cacao. See the recipe at thebuzzmagazines.com.

¼ cup brandy, chilled 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 1 egg Filling: ¾ cup sugar ½ cup dark brown sugar ¼ cup all-purpose flour 1½ tablespoons cornstarch 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground cloves ¼ teaspoon allspice 4 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced ¼ cup brandy 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces 1 egg yolk, whisked Crust: In a large bowl, sift together the flours, sugar, salt, baking powder and mace. Cut in the butter and shortening with a pastry blender until pea-size clumps form. In a small bowl, whisk together the brandy, vanilla and egg. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and blend together with a fork until the mixture is moist

and holds together. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide into two halves. Sprinkle the dough with just enough flour and sugar to coat. Place each half on a sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten the dough to form two discs. Wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour before baking. Filling: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter and flour a 12-inch pie plate; set aside. In a large bowl, sift together the sugars, flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice; set aside. Place the apple slices in another bowl. In a small bowl, mix together the brandy and vanilla; pour the brandy mixture over the apples. Add three-fourths of the flour mixture to the apples, tossing to combine. Place two large sheets of plastic wrap on top of one another on a work surface. Sprinkle with enough flour and sugar to coat lightly. Place 1 disc of dough on the plastic wrap and lightly sprinkle the dough with flour and sugar. Cover the dough with 2 large pieces of plastic wrap. Roll out the dough between the plastic wrap to form a 14-inch circle. Peel off the top layer of plastic wrap and flip the dough over into the prepared pie plate. Carefully peel off the remaining layer of plastic wrap. Using scissors or a sharp paring knife, trim the edges of the pie-

crust dough to 1 inch; reserve the trimmings. Sprinkle the remaining flour mixture into the pastry-lined pie plate. Fill the pie crust with the apple mixture, mounding the apples in the center; dot the apples with butter. Roll out the second disc of dough between plastic wrap, following the same process as above. Lay the dough over the apples and cut 3 to 4 vents. Trim the edges to 1 inch and seal by crimping the edges. Brush the top of the pie with the reserved egg yolk and, if desired, attach decorative shapes made with the crust trimmings. Sprinkle the top of the crust with sugar. Place the pie on a baking sheet to catch any juices that may overflow during baking. Loosely cover the pie with aluminum foil. Bake for about 1 hour. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and continue baking for 1 more hour. During the last 10 minutes of baking, remove the foil so the pie turns golden. Serve warm. Serves 8. Editor’s note: To buy a cookbook, see www.jlh.org or call 713-871-6608.

MORE ONLINE For recipes mentioned here, see this story online at thebuzzmagazines.com WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ MARCH 2015 27

SPORTS

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by Todd Freed, staff writer

SportzBuzz T

he Lamar Texans will be well represented at the collegiate-football level, with a dozen Lamar players making their college choices official on National Signing Day. A trio of those Texans will play at the highest level of college football, with prize defensive back recruit Holton Hill signing with Texas, running back Tyreik Gray going to Houston and quarterback J.W. Ketchum signing with Baylor. Hill’s signing was considered a big feather in the cap of first-year University of Texas head coach Charlie Strong. “I really like what Coach Strong brings to the table,” said Hill. “He’s real big on discipline and doing the right thing, which is going to make be a better person. I really took that into consideration. Plus, Texas has a very defensive-minded coaching staff, which is perfect for my position.” With Ketchum also bound for the Big 12 Conference, the two Lamar teammates will soon be opponents on the football field. “I can’t wait to play against Holton,” said Ketchum. “Going through this whole recruiting process and now celebrating with all my teammates is a great feeling.” The signing of Gray by the University of Houston Cougars was quite noteworthy considering that the Lamar senior is rated among the top 25 running-back prospects nationwide. “I had some great schools recruit me, but I really wanted to stay close to home,” said Gray. The Bellaire Cardinals are sending a foursome of players to college football, including Division 1 signee Xzaviar Campbell. Campbell, a standout running back for Bellaire, will attend University of Nevada, Las Vegas this fall. “It’s an unbelievable feeling,” said Campbell. “The moment I visited UNLV it felt like home. It’s a dream come true, and I’m proud to represent Bellaire at the next level.” With the St. Thomas High School student body in attendance, Eagles senior Campbell Clarkson took center stage, and the TAPPS 5A All-State offensive lineman proudly signed his National Letter of Intent with the Air Force Academy. “What stands out more than anything else is the commitment to serve the country,” said Clarkson. “That’s what means the WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ MARCH 2015 28

most.” “When you watch Air Force play, it’s similar to St. Thomas,” said Carson’s father and St. Thomas assistant football coach Tim Clarkson. “They may not always be the biggest, strongest and the fastest, but they are players of great determination and resiliency. That was one of the biggest things that appealed to ACADEMY AWARD St. Thomas Eagles senior Campbell Clarkson signed a National Letter of Intent to play football for the Air Force Academy. Campbell was a TAPPS-5A Campbell.” All-State offensive tackle selection this past season. Also pictured are Campbell’s parOver at St. ents, Tim and Penny Clarkson, as well as his sister Emma Kate. Pius, a foursome of ented football players in recent seasons.” Panthers signed to play college football, includIn soccer, the Memorial Mustangs girls ing wide receiver Jalen Smith, who is heading kicked off the season by winning the Spring to Fresno State. “It’s an honor and a privilege to Branch ISD Tournament for the second conplay at the top level of football at such a great secutive season. “There was a lot of really strong program,” said Smith. “I’m ready for the chalcompetition,” said Mustangs head coach lenge.” Lindley Amarantos. “It was also one of our The Kinkaid Falcons are sending an impresgoals to repeat as tournament champions. We sive trio of players to play major college football, defeated a real good North Shore team in the including quarterback J.T. Granato (Rice opener, and that’s kind of set the tone for the University), wide receiver Sam Mays (Illinois) rest of the season.” and offensive tackle Tyler Higby (Michigan Among the players setting an excellent tone State). “We’re definitely going to miss those for the Mustangs is junior forward Amy guys,” said Kinkaid football coach Nathan Nguyen, who leads the team in scoring and has Larned. “They were huge pieces to our team already committed to play collegiate soccer at over the last four years. We won two champiOklahoma State. In addition, Amarantos had onships and were in four championship games high praise for junior Sarika Legge and senior during that time.” captains Rebekah Koehn and Riley Shivitz. The signings also mark the second straight “Sarika anchors our defense while Rebekah is year that Kinkaid has sent three players to the kind of the heart and soul of our team.” highest level of college football, which is remarkably impressive for a small private school. Editor’s Note: Todd Freed is the Emmy Award“The coaches out there know that we have winning co-host and producer of the KUBE high-character kids who are academically sound SportsZone, which airs Saturday and Sunday at 6 and ready for college,” added Larned. “Needless p.m. on Channel 57-KUBE. To submit high school to say, we’ve also produced some extremely tal-

Point. Click. Win. Enter The Buzz 2015 Photo Contest DEADLINE MAY 15TH The Buzz Magazines is pleased to announce our tenth annual Photo Contest. Winning photos will be published in our July issue and on our website beginning July 1. Our grand prize winner will receive a Canon PowerShot digital camera. To submit photos, and for contest rules, visit thebuzzmagazines.com and click on the banner at the top of the home page. You can also view our 2014 winners online.

Grand Prize, Canon PowerShot ELPH 100 HS digital camera (or camera of equal value) WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ MARCH 2015 29

SPORTS

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by Angie Frederickson, staff writer

SportzBuzz, Jr. W

Tournament champs The Emery/Weiner School basketball team won a recent tournament championship. During the tournament weekend, the Jaguars defeated teams from Clear Lake Christian, Pasadena First Baptist, Bay Area Christian and Faith Christian Academy to earn the first-place trophy. Coached by Jason Reimers, the eighth-grade champions are (top photo, top row, from left) Moises Camhi, Will Ahlstrom, Ryan Folloder, Jake Jennings, Aaron Newar, Coach Reimers, (bottom row, from left) Blake Myers, Ben Levy, Luca Rubenstein, Clay Cohen and Cameron Roth. Aaron was named tournament MVP, and Blake was selected to the all-tournament team.

Bruce Schwartz

elcome to SportzBuzz, Jr., a column spotlighting neighborhood athletes in elementary and middle school.

Gliding to victory Presbyterian School third grader Annika Hensel (middle photo) competed in the breaststroke event at a recent swim meet. Hensel swims, year-round, with Rice Aquatics and also with the West University Piranhas summer league. She competes in all four strokes (butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle), but breaststroke is her favorite. She works hard to improve her speed in each event and strives to meet the National Age Group Motivational times. Hensel’s love of swimming comes naturally, as her parents were both collegiate swimmers. She set goals for her future in swimming, and hopes to compete in high school and maybe even follow in her parents’ footsteps at the college level. Beyond that, Annika says it would be fun to represent the U.S., like her favorite Olympic swimmer, Missy Franklin.

Nothing but net The St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School girls varsity basketball team (bottom photo) was on a roll after wins over St. Francis de Sales Catholic School and St. Thomas More Catholic School. These eighth-grade girls have played together since the third grade, and they all played for St. Vincent de Paul last year at the junior varsity and varsity levels. The Tigers compete within the Greater Houston Catholic Athletic Association and are coached by Charles Jackson and Israel Chandler. Pictured after a game are (top row, from left) Coach Chandler, Hannah Streitmann, Caroline Kherkher, Kathleen Leyendecker, Coach Jackson, Chloe Alff, Allison Clark, (bottom row, from left) Katya Smith, Delaney Kelly, Samantha Steely and Kate Williford.

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Editor’s note: Send your best high-resolution photos and behind-the-scenes stories about young local athletes, in both team and individual sports, to SportsBuzz, Jr. at info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Include all contact info, names, ages, grades and schools. Featured athletes must live in Buzz-circulation neighborhoods. Items will be published on a space-available basis. Keep your New Year’s resolutions with the light & K healthy menu. SIX new subs and FOUR new salads. he

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thebuzzmagazines.com • More stories, blogs and multimedia • Share photos, videos, recipes and community events with your neighbors • Use our People Finder to see stories, photos and videos of friends, neighbors, even yourself • Search local restaurants by area, cuisine, and price • Comment on and easily share articles

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NEIGHBORS

.

by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer

Buzz About Town Silly poems shared

world. That’s why, he says, he wrote a book of funny kids’ poems called Silly Shoes: Poems to Make You Smile. His fans gathered at the Blue Willow Bookshop to listen to him read the poems. After, he signed copies for everyone. Lawson works as a private equity analyst for KPMG Capital. See sillyshoespoetry.com.

Gala honors late founder West University resident and recent Rice University grad Lawson Gow (pictured with Valerie Koehler) urges kids to be silly in a serious

The Cristo Ray Jesuit Gala attracted more than 1,200, including (pictured, from left) Y. Ping Sunto and David Leebron, to the Hilton Americas hotel to raise money for the school and honor founding president Father TJ

Martinez, who passed away in November from stomach cancer. The ballroom was transformed into a colorful nightclub where guests danced for four hours to the never-tiring Hector Tirado band, which made 10 costume changes. Earlier in the evening gala guests were inspired by a video tribute to Father Martinez and comments by his brother, Trey Martinez. Surrounded by the Cristo Rey Jesuit class of 2015, Trey talked about the legacy of his brother. He said, “We began searching for the miracle that would keep

Buzz Cutest Couple Contest Winners

Congratulations to Bonnie and Neil Suchart, winners of last month’s Buzz Cutest Couple Contest! This photo of them celebrating their anniversary at Walt Disney World received the most votes from Buzz readers online. Their prize package included dinner at Patagonia Grill and Café plus a gift card to Regal Cinema.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ MARCH 2015 32

TJ here. The miracle is Cristo Rey Jesuit. The miracle are these children. The miracle is you. TJ was, is and always will be a part of that miracle.” In addition, Houston’s philanthropists learned that this class of seniors has already earned $4 million in college scholarships.

Lamar grads wed

Chris Bailey Photography

Lamar High School graduates Maggi Dunwoody and Eric Cummings tied the knot at St. Anne's Catholic Church in January. Friends and family danced to the band Professor D alongside twinkle lights hidden in the floral arrangements that adorned the ballroom at the

Dunwoody. The best man was Richie Heiser, Eric's cousin. The couple honeymooned in the British Virgin islands.

The wild is calling

Houston Country Club. The night before, the weekend kicked off with a rehearsal dinner at Cadillac Bar. Matrons of honor for the bride were Kathleen Dunwoody Graf, Lauren Dunwoody Collins and Mariann Hablinski

For West University Little League players, including (pictured, from left) Reed Altsuler, Zach Berlin, Chase Altsuler and Brandon Grewal, the 2014 season was a smash hit. The league celebrated 60 years, and to top it off, the WULL Seniors won the Senior World Series in Bangor, Maine. The Little League auction will

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be April 17 at the Houston Zoo, with the theme “Wild for WULL.” Co-chairs are Jodi Altsuler, Aly Berlin, Jennifer Grewal and Courtney Tardy. The Spazmatics are sure to get the crowd going wild. See westull.org.

Puppy? Private ski lodge? West U’s social event of the year, the Park Lovers' Ball, sold out early. Nearly 700 attended the February event at the Omni Riverside. The 24th annual event delivered an evening of cocktails, dinner, dancing and (continued on page 34)

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Pete Baatz

Bellville, Jamie earned enough points to win first in both Limit Equitation and Limit Hunter on her chestnut mare, Sweater Weather. In the equitation ring, riders are judged on their form, both “on the flat” and also over fences. In the

auctions. The ball honored Sue and Gary Hanna of the Friends of West University Place Parks Fund. Live-auction highlights included dinner with Megan and Brian Cushing, a week’s stay at a Vail ski home, an African photo safari and a Labrador retriever puppy. Pictured (from left) are Donna LaMond, executive director of the fund; Michelle Nickerson, ball auction chair; Mark Prescott, chair of the board; Michele Marvin, ball underwriting chair; William and Adrienne Banderbloemen, ball co-chairs; Gary and Sue

(continued from page 33)

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ MARCH 2015 34

Hanna, ball honorary chairs; Charles and Michele Still, ball co-chairs; and John and Christi Young, ball co-chairs.

Double win for horse and rider Jamie Hassell, a freshman at Carnegie Vanguard High School, took home two yearend championships at the Greater Houston Hunter Jumper Association awards banquet held at the Sam Houston Race Park. After a year of showing at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy and Pine Hill farm in

hunter ring, the horses are the ones who are judged – although the riders must make sure the horses jump from the proper spot, with correct pace and form. See ghhja.org to learn more about the GHHJA and find trainers who show on this competitive regional circuit.

Around the world in a day The 2015 West University Elementary School International Festival was a successful event thanks to volunteers eager to share their cultural heritage

Short Film Festival.” Grab your friends and neighbors and head over to the park for an evening of fun and funky short films from the local and international community.

with students, families and community members. The theme this year was leaders and leadership in arts, literature, science, sports and the humanities, and the boards on display illustrated this well. Parents delivered 76 presentations over two days to the classes at West University. Performances included a martial-arts demonstration followed by a parade of all countries as the grand finale. Pictured (from left) are Michael Dinius (Asiacontinent leader), John Threet (WUES school principal), Natesha Tema-Madison and her son Azkar, who is in fourth grade.

Short movies in the park Everyone is invited to Colonial Park on March 6, 7:30-9:30 p.m., for a special event. Aurora Picture Show, a non-profit media arts center that presents artist-made, non-commercial film and video, will present a screening of short family-friendly films selected from its “Extremely

Michael Martinez

How sweet it is

5,200 volunteers, including (pictured, from left) Whitney Walsh, Susan Barnes and Mitra Woody, who help throughout the community. The big-milestone 90th anniversary was celebrated in the Junior League Ballroom. At the event, the League awarded more than $250,000

Fifty-five senior citizens, including Jo Lukens, Mary Ryerson, Ruth Ann Wissel, Ross Mary Dalrimple, Edda Jimenez, Charmaign Sherril and Joe Mitchell, attended the annual Sweetheart Luncheon at the West University Senior Center. Entertainment was provided by Cindy St. Cyr as neighbors munched on lasagna, salad and buttery garlic bread. The meal ended with a cake from BrightStar Care. The next meal is scheduled for March 31, with a theme of some samplings of Spain. Call the Community Building at 713-662-5895.

League celebrates 90 years The Junior League of Houston recently celebrated its 90th year. The league has a corps of almost

in honor of the anniversary, including a gift to help a Community Health Worker component for Texas Children’s Hospital’s SuperKids Mobile Pediatric Clinic. The League helped the program get off the ground with a $1 million grant in 2000. For more information, call 713622-4191 or see juniorleaguehouston.org. Be seen in Buzz About Town. Send your high-res photos and community news to info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Items are published on a space-available basis. Also share your photos and videos, plus upcoming-event listings, on

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ MARCH 2015 35

CHANGING THE WORLD Tyler King, a sixth grader at St. John’s School, volunteers on the Kids’ Committee at the Children’s Museum of Houston and is passionate about helping others.

KIDS by Tyler King, age 11

Buzz Kidz

Making a difference

W

hen I was younger, I loved spending time with my parents at the Children’s Museum of Houston. One day, about three years ago, my friend invited me to check out the Kids’ Committee. I thought it was the coolest thing. I went through the interview process and have been hooked ever since. The committee is composed of kids of varying ages, genders and backgrounds dedicated to helping the museum to be a better place for children in Houston and across the world. The Kids’ Committee meets once a month during the school year. We act as a “think-tank” to provide a kid’s perspective on everything from exhibit development to programming. We test and provide feedback on the new exhibits before each opening. We also plan and participate in

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ MARCH 2015 36

various celebrations at the museum, for example, the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration. We are not just helping ourselves by enjoying the new exhibits first, but rather expressing our ideas to improve the exhibits in order to benefit the children in our community. Community service is defined as an act of selflessness, pushing outward from oneself to others, and not drawing inward and focusing on only you. I have spent a lot of time trying to help others in my community and to improve the society that we live in. When you give to the community, the community gives back to you. It might not be in money or possessions but, in return, your life is enriched knowing you have helped better the lives of others. I have experienced such reward through the chaos of opening a new

exhibit and then seeing a child loving that exhibit for the first time. Every day, community-service opportunities happen all around us, and everyone can pitch in, no matter your age or how much money you earn. Anyone can make a difference in the lives of others, no matter how small or big it is. Making a difference in people’s lives can also change you, for the better, I think! So go out and make a difference. Want to be a Buzz Kid? Email approximately 350 words, a high-resolution photo and caption to info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Or mail it to The Buzz Magazines, 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401.

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DINING GUIDE

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by Dai Huynh, staff writer

Steak night at the pub

Alec Lasar

This Month in Dining

HEARSAY GASTRO LOUNGE For $18 on Monday nights, you can fork into a 10-ounce ribeye with fingerling potatoes or a 6-ounce filet with two bacon-wrapped shrimp and mashed potatoes at Hearsay's "Steakout."

I

t’s no bull. Beef is what’s for dinner at many bars and taverns, where you can get a decent steak for less than $20 – compared to $30-40 at formal steakhouses. For these drinking establishments, steak nights rope in the crowds, especially on slow-poke nights. The most popular steak night is Thursday, when the aroma of sizzling beef whets the appetite, extending happy hour into a down-home carnivores’ feast, says Cottonwood chef Daniel Ajtail. Beef reigns in Texas, the nation’s largest cattle producer, and in honor of the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, we’ve rounded up a schedule of tasty cuts at bars and pubs. Monday • Hearsay Gastro Lounge (218 Travis) $18 for a 10-ounce ribeye or a 6-ounce filet with two bacon-wrapped shrimp; includes potatoes, veggies and a salad. 4 p.m.-midnight. • Under the Volcano (2349 Bissonnet) $17 for a 16-ounce ribeye or New York strip with WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ MARCH 2015 38

chimichurri sauce, salad and mashed potatoes. 6-10 p.m. Tuesday • The Derrick Tavern (1127 Eldridge Parkway) $16.99 for a 16- to 18-ounce ribeye with baked potato and endless salads. 6-10 p.m. • MKT Bar at Phoenicia Specialty Foods (1001 Austin) $12.99 for chef’s choice steak cuts with chimichurri sauce, salad and twicebaked potato or za’atar-seasoned fries. 2-10 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. • Front Porch Pub (217 Gray Street) $15 for 16-ounce ribeye and baked potato. 6-10 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Wednesday Night • Oporto (3833 Richmond) $19 for a 7- to 9-ounce hanger steak with a side and a glass of Portuguese wine. 5:30-11 p.m. Thursday Night • Cottonwood (3422 N. Shepherd) $18 for a 10- to 14-ounce steak (chef’s choice of ribeye or New York strip), Mexican rice, shrimp-andcheese enchiladas and salad. 4 p.m.-midnight. • Hunter’s Pub (10549 S. Post Oak Road) $13 dine-in and $13.50 to go for a 13 -16-ounce New York strip or two pork chops with baked potato and salad. 6-9 p.m. • Little Woodrow’s (720 Shepherd Drive) $16 for a 16-ounce ribeye, baked potato and salad. 6 p.m. until supply lasts. • Little Woodrow’s (4235 Bellaire Blvd.) $15-18, depending on size of cuts from a freelance chef and her outdoor grill; includes a baked potato or salad. 6-9:30 p.m. • Red Lion British Pub (2316 S. Shepherd) $24 for an 8-ounce filet mignon with two sides, such as sautéed spinach, brussels sprouts, baked beans and mashed potatoes. 3 p.m.-kitchen closes. • PJ’s Sports Bar (614 W. Gray) $31 for two 16-ounce cuts of chef’s choice of ribeye, T-bone or New York strip. Serve with two baked potatoes and two salads, plus a pitcher of beer. 6-10 p.m. Saturday • Hideaway On Dunvale (3122 Dunvale Road) $12 for a 16-ounce ribeye, baked potato and salad. All day long Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Restaurant Listings $ (under $10) $$ ($11-$30) $$$ ($31-$60) $$$$ (over $60) Prices include drink, tax and tip per person Dai Huynh is a James Beard food-journalism award winner and longtime restaurant writer. Her visits to restaurants in our Buzz Dining Guide were anonymous, and she paid for her meals to maintain objectivity. We’d love your thoughts too. Write to info@thebuzzmagazines.com with your own dining opinions and suggestions. Also, you can contribute in the Comments section under the online version of this story at thebuzzmagazines.com.

Antica Osteria Regional Italian Neighborhood: Southhampton Antica Osteria, in a vintage brick house, attracts an eclectic mix with its warm, old-fashioned feel. There are Turkish movie stars, socialites, ingénues, young lovers, media types and, even, parents with well-behaved children. The attractions are the well-prepared pastas; spaghetti carbonara lush with cream and pancetta makes the strongest impression, along with abun-

dantly friendly service and a homey vibe. Every meal begins with complimentary bruschetta and ends with a gracious smile. In between, there are simple, satisfying antipasti. Many customers order pastas as their entrées, but for those who must have meat, consider the deftly prepared osso buco – an occasional special – or the grilled angus fillet. Dinner Mon.-Sat. 2311 Bissonnet, 713-521-1155. anticarestaurant.com. $$$

meal – brunch. The austere space with blond furniture bubbles with conversations as Claire Smith’s reliable kitchen sends out babyspinach salads with pulled chicken that is peppy with a dessert-wine vinaigrette, apples and roasted red grapes. Try, too, eggs benedict on sweet potato English muffins and an earthy four-mushroom pot pie. Breakfast, lunch & dinner Mon.-Sun. 3939 Montrose, 713-5286848. canopyhouston.com. $$

Bombay Sweets Indian vegetarian Neighborhood: Sharpstown The all-you-can-eat buffet steams with aromatic basmati, vegetable curries and sautés that are constantly being replenished, keeping the selections fresh and tasty. Families and college students also come for chaats, such as samosas, idly rice cakes, lentil doughnuts and pani puri, a crispy hollow pastry filled with chili-spiked potatoes. A salty, sweet and tart explosion detonates when you pour the accompanied spicefueled tamarind water into the shell. The chaser? Soothing masala chai. Lunch & dinner Mon.Sun. 5827 Hillcroft St., 713-780-4453. $

Coppa Osteria Artisanal pastas and pizzas Neighborhood: Rice Village Like Coppa Ristorante Italiano, this casual rendition applies the principles of Italian cooking by allowing ingredients to speak with minimum interference. Chef Brandi Key’s clarifies ingredients and judges flavors finely. Pizzas shine. Creamy burrata shimmers with peppery extra-virgin olive oil. Spaghetti carbonara crackles with black pepper and the creaminess of raw eggs and Parmesan cheese. Calabria chili and Meyer lemon brighten shrimp linguine with parmesan cream. Lunch & dinner Mon.-Sun. 5210 Morningside, 713-5223535. coppaosteriahouston.com. $$

Canopy Creative Gulf-Coast cuisine Neighborhood: Montrose When the weekend arrives, Houston’s motor shifts into idle, and Canopy greets its favorite

Costa Brava Bistro French-and-Spanish cuisine Neighborhood: Bellaire Working backward at (continued on page 40)

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ MARCH 2015 39

Lunch & dinner Tues-Sun. 500 Westheimer, 713-520-8222. dolcevitahouston.com. $$

Étoile Authentic French Neighborhood: Galleria area When several talented French chefs urge you to try the food at Étoile, it’s hard to dispute their keen taste for the food of their homeland. Just as they said, the flavors here are true, and owner-chef Philippe Verpiand and wife Monica Bui have created an alluringly warm showcase for a hearty coq au vin and tender sole meunière with lemon caper sauce, fingerling potatoes and roasted cauliflower – both brunch items. Briny mussels flavored with tomatoes and onions are served with homemade pomme frites and garlic aioli. The beauty of this place is almost everything is made from scratch, including the crusty baguettes. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sun. 1101 Uptown Park Blvd., 832-668-5808. etoilecuisine.com. $$ TEPPAY JAPANESE RESTAURANT The faultlessly fried agedashi tofu in a warm dashi-based broth is topped with shaved bonito flakes. (continued from page 39) this

Spanish-inspired restaurant, the refined desserts include crema Catalan with a miraculous crunchy sugar glaze and an apple tart that smartly blends smoky caramel with buttery pastry. The flavorful seafood paella from owner Angeles Duenas’ grandfather sports perfectly al dente rice. Moist roasted duck and shrimp piquant with garlic make this upscale spot pleasing. Lunch & dinner Mon.-Fri. and dinner Sat. 5115 Bellaire Blvd., 713-839-1005. costabravabistro.com. $$$ NEW LISTING!

Carmelita’s Mexican Restaurant Tex-Mex Neighborhood: Bellaire It was two years before we stepped into Carmelita’s, even though we lived only a few blocks away. Too bad for us because this little gem grills up some of the best beef and chicken fajitas in town – as good as our other favorite fajita spot, El Tiempo Cantina. Carmelita’s serves the same juicy, premium beef tenderloin filet, but at nearly half the price. For $29 per pound, it’s an affordable treat for two or three people. A tip: Request that the Mexican rice and refried beans be served on a hot griddle to keep them tasty. There are other similarities to El Tiempo and the original Ninfa’s on Navigation, so it wasn’t a surprise to learn that Carmelita’s owner Carmen Arellano worked for Ninfa’s founder Ninfa Laurenzo, whose son and grandson opened El Tiempo. Arellano’s smooth four-alarm green chile avocado and chunky tomato red salsas are consistently good, along with the prized, fresh off-the-griddle corn tortillas and soft, yeasty flour tortillas. Either make a perfect companion to the aromatic chicken a la Mexicana, topped with caramelized onions, jalapeños and tomatoes. The homemade tortillas also come with the bargain all-day breakfast menu. The chilaquiles and huevos con choriWEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ MARCH 2015 40

zo rarely disappoint at $6.99 each. Lunch & dinner Mon-Sun. 5423 Bellaire Boulevard, Bellaire, 713432-0003. carmelitasmexicanrestaurant.com. $$

Del Frisco’s Grille Casual American classics Neighborhood: Upper Kirby This casual offshoot of the high-end steakhouse features sandwiches and salads, along with a patio for al fresco dining or energetic tykes. At brunch, over chicken-fried steak and eggs, sip a carafe of build-your-own Bloody Marys with Tito’s Vodka and a plate of fixings that includes pickled green beans, olives and lime wedges. Lunch & dinner Mon.-Sun. 2800 Kirby Drive, Suite A-132, 832-623-6168. delfriscogrille.com. $$$ NEW LISTING!

Dolce Vita Pizzeria Enoteca Italian Neighborhood: Montrose The two-story Dolce Vita, with its pleasant patio, helped to set the standard for artisanal wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas paired with an excellent, all-Italian wine list. Granted, since opening in 2005, Dolce occasionally stumbles, but when it’s in top form, diners can anticipate beautifully crisped, lightly charred thin-crust pizzas along with suavely prepared appetizers and antipasti choices, such as fried artichokes, a parsley salad tossed with pancetta, egg toast with black truffle and shaved brussels sprouts showered with sharp pecorino cheese. And hats off to chef-owner Marco Wiles for introducing countless Houston diners to such unique creations as the Zucca, a pizza topped with butternut squash, pancetta, red onion and smoked buffalo mozzarella, not to mention the addictively pungent Taleggio cheese pizza crowned with spicy arugula, sweet pears and truffle oil.

Green Vegetarian Cuisine Kosher vegetarian Neighborhood: Bellaire-Gulfton area Enchiladas, spaghetti and quinoa are on the menu of this San Antonio-based vegetarian kosher chain that is fast attracting a loyal following among green devotees and non-vegetarians hooked on the kitchen’s clean, simple flavors. The dishes are largely straightforward – from a portabella burger with A.1. steak sauce and caramelized onions to fried eggplant parmesan over marinara-tossed spaghetti. The key is ultra-fresh salads and ingredients brought to life by zippy sauces, which are always available for the asking. The green poblano ranch dressing doesn’t come with the satisfying Frisbee-sized Mediterranean Bowl. But try it to add another dimension to the quinoa tabouli, black olives, falafel patties, dolmas, carrots and tomatoes. Chipotle mayo pairs nicely with the artichoke and portabella quesadilla. Such well-prepared and affordable grub draws a constant stream of regulars to this friendly nook with an earthy-crunchy vibe. Don’t leave without trying a vegan brownie or a hostess cupcake. Lunch & dinner Sun.-Fri. 6720 Chimney Rock, Suite Y. 832-649-4184. eatatgreen.com. $$

Hugo’s Regional Mexican Neighborhood: Montrose Tex-Mex was the game in town until risk takers such as Hugo’s owner-chef Hugo Ortega set out to educate Houstonians about the food of his motherland. Many traditional Mexican establishments have failed, but not the highceiling, palatial Hugo’s, with such comida tipica as a soulful off-the-menu oxtail soup, earthy moles and snapper tamales fragrant in banana leaves. Perennial favorites are the wood-grilled rib-eye steak and baby pig roasted in banana leaves, not to mention pan-fried grasshoppers, which taste like popcorn and are delicious when paired with a blanco tequila. The crown jewel is Hugo’s Sunday brunch – a majestic cornucopi-

an spread, worth every peso. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sun. 1600 Westheimer Road, 713-524-7744. hugosrestaurant.net. $$$

Mamak Malaysian Neighborhood: Bellaire Chinatown Mamak is directly across from another favorite, the original Banana Leaf, which introduced many Houstonians to something more adventurous than Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai. Mamak manages to hold its own and even excel in some areas, such as the Indian pancakes, roti canai. They arrive hot and tender, perfect when doused in a rich curry sauce bobbing with bits of potatoes and chicken. Bring friends, as the menu is made for sampling. Perusing the expansive menu, you'll discover two major influences, Chinese and Indian. But Malaysia’s food culture is also lightly touched by Thai, Dutch and Portuguese, making it complex and diverse. Entrée standouts include the stir-fried beef chow fung noodles and pangan ikan, grilled fish swaddled in banana leaf and anointed with a highly addictive, savory, sweet sauce made with fermented shrimp. Lunch & dinner Mon.-Sun. 9889 Bellaire Blvd., 713-776-2388. $$ NEW LISTING!

Peru Cafe Express

Peruvian Neighborhood: West University With only a handful of tiny tables, this ultra-casual takeout joint in a Greenway Plaza strip mall, next to a clothes consignment store, is packed at lunchtime. But reasonable prices and consistently good food help regulars to overlook this. If you’re not familiar with the simplicity of Peruvian cooking, just refer to the menu pictures. Anticuchos, skewers of marinated grilled beef heart, date back hundreds of years. Served with oversized cooked Peruvian corn, it remains popular with Peruvian patrons, along with the chicken or beef empanadas, hefty chicken or pork tamales served with red onions and the papas rellenas, fried potatoes stuffed with ground beef, raisins and sautéed onions. Peru also is noted for its well-crafted seafood ceviches, and Peru Cafe Express easily whips up several satisfying combinations that make ideal light lunches or dinner appetizers. Lunch & dinner Mon-Sun. 3833 Southwest Freeway Service Road, 713-622-7012. $

Post Oak Grill Gulf Coast classics Neighborhood: Tanglewood Happiness exists in a bread basket at this popular outpost for business lunches. The basket usually cradles oven-fresh biscuits fragrant with green onions, bacon and cheddar cheese. One really isn’t enough; nor is two or three. Slow down, though, or you’ll fill up before the perfectly grilled rainbow trout arrives, glistening lightly with butter-caper sauce. Polo Becerra is a classic chef with a timeless approach of keeping ingredients simple and clean, with just a sheath of sauce to elevate the flavors of beef and seafood. Lunch & dinner, Mon.-Sat., 1415 S. Post Oak Lane, 713-993-9966. postoakgrill.com. $$$ NEW LISTING!

Teppay Japanese Restaurant

Japanese Neighborhood: Galleria If the yardstick for Japanese food is sushi and sashimi, then Teppay is serenely fresh, with clean, briny flavors. This intimate nook offers grade-A seafood at reasonable prices, made even more enjoyable by the lack of pretense even when packed with well-heeled diners. Meanwhile, the kitchen in back is plenty busy, churning out a home-kitchen menu that has sustained Japanese families and fans of lacy tempura shrimp and crispy pork katsu for more than a decade. The chawan mushi egg custard with seafood is ethereal, fragrant with real yuzu citrus from the chef’s garden. Come early for dinner; this spot, with its nourishing, opaque, miso-rich broth, fills up quickly. Lunch & dinner Mon-Sun. 6516 Westheimer Road A2, 713-789-4506. $$

MORE ONLINE Use our restaurant finder at thebuzzmagazines.com to search local restaurants by area, cuisine and price. WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ MARCH 2015 41

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Benefits for mom and baby Blessing of the Animals Breastfeeding has health benefits for both mom and baby. For the healthy mom and vigorous baby at delivery, immediate skin-to-skin contact helps the new “couple” get to know each other so that baby can start feeding within the first hour after birth. A newborn infant has a small stomach capacity, which gradually increases as Mom’s immunity-rich colostrum increases into a more full-milk supply. Normal newborns breastfeed 8 to 12 times a day. Making sure your baby is positioned well and has a good latch on the breast will minimize discomfort and trauma while you and your baby are learning. Look for early signs and cues that your baby is ready to feed. If your baby can’t breastfeed, it is important to empty your breasts by manual expression or pumping at a similar frequency so your supply will be there when your baby can breastfeed. Breastfeeding comes easily for many new mothers, but it may take time and assistance for others. Some moms are at increased risk for difficulty, such as those who have had prior breast surgery, twins or difficulty with a previous infant. Having the assistance of a specialist in lactation can help you meet your breastfeeding goals. Pamela D. Berens, MD, FACOG, is a board-certified Ob/Gyn and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at UTHealth Medical School. Call 832325-7131 for appointments and information. Dr. Berens, UT Physicians Women’s Center at Bellaire, 6700 W. Loop South, Suite 450, Bellaire, Texas 77401, and UT Physicians Women’s Center at Texas Medical Center, 6410 Fannin, Suite 250, Houston, Texas 77030. www.UTPhysicians.com

Let’s face it. Our pets are beloved members of the family. So they deserve to be showered with blessings! Bellaire United Methodist Church at Bellaire Boulevard and Newcastle invites the community to bring their pets to the church’s “Blessing of the Animals” on Saturday, March 28, from 2 to 4 p.m. This traditional celebration honors St. Francis of Assisi, who was declared Patron Saint of the Ecology because of his special devotion to the animal kingdom. The event will take place on the front lawn of the church, where each of your pets can receive a personal blessing from Pastors Jim Flagg, Jim Love and Diane McGehee. Plus, a professional photographer will provide a free commemorative photo of your pet to take home. Bellaire residents can come and go during the two-hour event, and pet-care professionals and trainers will be present to answer questions and provide samples of nutritious, holistic dog and cat food. In addition, several pet-adoption groups will bring some adorable, lovable canines who are looking for forever homes! Please remember that all pets should be friendly and either on a leash (dogs), in protective carriers (cats), cages (birds, small mammals), fish bowls or terrariums (amphibians, reptiles). For more information, contact Becki Flores at 713-666-2167 or bflores@bellaireumc.org. Bellaire United Methodist Church, 4417 Bellaire Blvd., Bellaire, Texas 77401, 713.666.2167, www.bellaireumc.org

Enter our Buzz Rodeo Roundup Contest Win a night out for four at the 2015 Houston Rodeo and Livestock Show Round up your favorite rodeo photo and share it at thebuzzmagazines.com. The photo with the most votes will win a night out for four at the 2015 Houston Rodeo and Livestock Show! Photos can be from past or present Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo event: the carnival, cookoff, Go Texan Day, trail ride, parade, livestock show, horse show, concerts and more. The winner will receive a four-pack of tickets to the Saturday, March 14 (Billy Currington) rodeo, plus two $10 carnival half-price ticket books. This online contest opens February 26, at noon and closes March 9 at noon. It takes just a moment to upload your photo.

Enter now for a chance to win!

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ MARCH 2015 42

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PETS

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A minute with Maisie 713.662.2119 www.roveroaks.com

Neighborhood Tails

Honey, age 8, Akbash, Jarrad Street My name is Honey. My fur is blonde, but it turns darker when I swim. I have a brother named Marley who’s a 3-year-old Spaniel. I love playing monkey-in-the-middle with the kids in my family and their neighbors. We have a trampoline in the backyard that I sometimes try to climb up, but so far I’ve been unsuccessful. My family is sweet; they always leave treats out for me and take me on walks. Every year on my birthday, they make me a peanut butter cake. It’s my favorite food, but I don’t get to have it often. Even though I’m getting older, I have a ton of energy, except sometimes I get annoyed when the kids on the street sit on me. After a busy day, I love to curl up in my doggy bed and relax. Got a cute critter? Email a picture of your pet with approximately 150 words to info@thebuzzmagazines.com or mail it to The Buzz Magazines, 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401. Featured pets receive two passes to Rover Oaks Pet Resort. Each pass can be redeemed for one day of lodging in a Bunk House Suite, 25 percent off your next grooming appointment or 25 percent off one obedience training class.

Many clients ask me, “What happens to Fido, the family dog, in a divorce?” Surprisingly, the law classifies pets as personal property. In a divorce, the family court’s duty is to divide personal property in a just and right manner. Therefore, Fido must be awarded to one party. Many clients choose to avoid this harsh result and enter into an agreement regarding Fido, providing for periods of possession, division of veterinary bills, etc. This agreement should be in writing and can be enforceable under contract law. While the personal property designation for pets may seem insensitive, the Texas Family Code does provide some protection to the family pet if family violence has occurred. If you or someone you know is a victim of family violence, please reach out to someone immediately and ask for help. Maisie A. Barringer is a partner at Jenkins & Kamin, L.L.P., a full-service boutique family law firm specializing in divorce, child custody modifications, grandparent access, paternity, adoption, premarital and postmarital agreements. Maisie A. Barringer has been recognized as a Texas Rising Star by Texas Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters service printed in Texas Monthly magazine for 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013. Jenkins & Kamin, L.L.P., Maisie A. Barringer, Partner, Board Certified in Family Law, Two Greenway Plaza, Ste. 600, Houston, Texas 77046, 713.600.5500, www.jenkinskamin.com

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Furniture Consignment 2314 Bissonnet Street | Houston, Texas 77005 | 713.533.9030 Email consignment photos: info@cuatrohouston.com

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“What should I do with my stock options?” If you’re holding stock options from your employer, you’re probably asking yourself the following questions: • Should I exercise my options now or risk holding out for a higher price in the future? • What are the tax consequences of exercising my options? • How do I get the financial advice I need regarding when to exercise my stock options? These questions have far-reaching consequences, and there are often no easy answers. When addressing these challenges, the best approach is to seek the advice from both a fee-only registered investment advisor and a certified public accountant (CPA). Because exercising stock options is an investment issue as well as a tax issue, these types of advisors can help you get the maximum value from your options. The role of your investment advisor is to help you manage your stock options in relation to your other investments. For example, if you work for an energy company and you have a large number of stock options, your advisor should help you diversify into other non-energy related holdings so that you are not taking on too much risk. Your CPA’s role is to work with your investment advisor on minimizing your tax burden and avoiding any unexpected tax issues when exercising your stock options. The decision to exercise stock options is difficult because no one blows a whistle at the top of the market, and stock options expire, thus losing all of their value if left unexercised. Based on our experience over the last 20 years working for executives on these issues, we have found that the best approach

is to develop a disciplined strategy for exercising options over time. This strategy should include deciding upon specific stock prices in which the options would be exercised. By making these investment decisions well in advance of the options’ expiration date, there is less of a temptation to hold out for a higher price, which may never occur. To eliminate potential conflicts of interest, both your investment advisor and CPA should be compensated only by you on a fee-only basis. Preferably, the advisors shouldn’t be employed by the same company or by a bank, a broker, a mutual fund or an insurance company. Most importantly, their fees should not be contingent upon exercising your options. There should also be no financial incentives to recommend financial products, such as mutual funds or annuities. Stock options can be very complex; however, by having trusted advisors on your side with your best interests at heart, you are more likely to get the best possible results. For a complimentary review of your stock options and other investment matters, call me at 713-850-8900. We manage investment portfolios and provide financial planning on a fee-only basis. There is no charge for the initial appointment. Matt Goff, President & Chief Investment Officer, The Goff Financial Group, 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1425, Houston, TX 77046, GoffFinancial.com, Email: mgoff@GoffFinancial.com

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ MARCH 2015 45

NEIGHBORS

by Andria Frankfort, staff writer

Back Porch

behance.net/runamokstudios

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Mom wars

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s parents, we expect to be continually wowed by our offspring. We expect to learn a few things about human psychology, primal urges and behavior incarnated a million ways. But did we count on seeing all that up close via other parents? So what in the world came over the English woman who recently sent an invoice to the family of the 5 year old who ditched her son’s birthday party? The family had responded “yes” – the little boy would attend the party. But at the last minute they chose to spend the time with grandparents and no-showed. So the host mom drew up a no-kidding, homemade invoice, complete with bank details, billing the truant 5 year old’s family for around $20, the cost the host was out for the boy’s spot at the party. But it didn’t stop there. The billed family, in their own reactionary display, then spread the story through the media, traditional and social, creating something of an international tirade of onlookers falling on both sides of the argument. The host mom was pegged “tacky,” “petty” and “stingy,” and the folks who reneged on their commitment to attend “rude,” “impolite” and “disappointing.” Please tell me how a 5 year old’s birthday party escalates into minor international mayhem. Having been a parent for 15 years now, I’ve personally witnessed (should I admit to having experienced?) the mom angst that somehow seems inevitable. Chalk it up to competition, strung-out nerves, whatever: So many things about being a parent bring us to our emotional knees. When someone slights our child, they slight us. Our kids may not even catch on to what’s happening in their world, but we’re the parents, and we see it all and get so ruffled that we revert, all we’ve supposedly learned while becoming mature grownups be damned. “Let me tell you about that kid. And you know it all comes from the parents…” At times the stories grow so big that they become legendary. Take Cookiegate. Several years ago, a mom brought a cookie cake to my daughter’s class lunch for her daughter’s birthday. There wasn’t quite enough for everyone, so several kids in the class didn’t get served. As you would imagine, children jumped into cars after WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ MARCH 2015 46

YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT SHE DID In hindsight, there are so many parenting moments that would make hilarious Seinfeld skits (even if they didn't seem so at the time).

school and complained to their waiting moms, who were already at the brink just trying to make it through the afternoon. The complaining must have gotten pretty loud in a few cars – phones started ringing and moms started talking. The next day, one of those moms, upset that her daughter got snubbed during the distribution of the original birthday cookie, brought enough big-as-your-face cookies only for the children who were passed over the day before. Again, kids complained, stories circulated, moms took sides. Next thing we knew, everyone was talking about Cookiegate. Years later it still surfaces every once in a while, knowing glances exchanged, meaning what, I’m not sure. (To my friends involved: Forgive me. I love you all and take no sides.) Then there’s the mom across town who keeps a spreadsheet – as in Excel, on the computer – of her kids’ playdates. It’s all there, a quantified, tidy chart of who she’s hosted for playdates, on what days, and when, if ever, the invited guests reciprocated. After a while, if you haven’t invited her kids back, or if you get too many marks against your name (what does that even mean?), you’re off the spread-

sheet forever, never to be invited back. “She was truly serious about it,” a mom whose child thankfully made the spreadsheet cut tells us. “We did not joke with her about it. But we all did behind her back.” We don’t even have to be intimately involved. Juicy stories inevitably make the rounds, jumping from school to school, even across oceans, inciting lusty opinions on all sides, eyes rolling in their wakes. By nature, even though we’re the grown-ups, we’re going to talk. If you say you can resist talking just a little bit when someone spreadsheets your kids’ behavior (and your own), I’ll forever call you a saint. But we’re all parents, and we’re all chunking rocks from glass Pack ’n Plays. The confidence in our eye-rolls is what will get us into trouble. Because as parents, we’re always going to be wowed, good and bad, by our kids – and each other – no getting around it. Editor’s note: If you have a Parent War story to share, email us at info@thebuzzmagazines.com. No names, we promise.