December started off the way November ended: SICK. I was still trying to kick the sniffles, allergies, virus, etc. And with the weather jumping around like a pogo stick, it didn’t make it any easier. Eighty degrees one day, 40 the next. Not my idea of a winter, not even for Houston.
Due to sickness I completely missed Mustaches for Kids this year, and Spacetaker’s WHAM–two events I look forward to each year. However, I made up for it the first weekend I was well, as Andrew and I completed a marathon session as we hopped from a Sean Carroll opening at The Julia (Montrose), to a CD release party for Diane Landry at Tommy’s Steakhouse (OTL), to my sister’s Birthday at Norton’s Bar and Grill (waaaay OTL), finally ending up at Lindsay’s ugly sweater Christmas party (east side), only to find we had just missed the judging by 15 minutes! As we were told, we would have been contenders. Thanks, Matt, for the sweaters. We returned them the way we borrowed them: unwashed and stinky.
Probably the most exciting part of December, besides Baby Jesus’ Birfdae, was SNOW! Yes, it SNOWED in Houston this year. And I’m not talkin’ about no freezing rain, slush, or frost on the grass. It. Freaking. Snowed. Here. Y’all. The night it snowed, Andrew was over to cook some din din and help me decorate the infamous Kick Arse Christmas Tree. It did help to have a six foot plus man put the topper on (albeit, upside down). It was a great night of decorating, singing (him, not me, for Christ’s sake), crepe making (oh hell yeah i made the crap out of some crepes), and of course playing in the snow! | Full crepes, guitars, and snow set here.
Sway, by emmiegrn
December also celebrated the 12th month of Dr. Sketchy Houston. I still can’t believe it’s been a whole year. So many sexy Sketchy memories! Big props to the lovely and immensely talented, beautiful, kind, and wonderful HappyKatie for having the vision to bring Sketchy to Houston, and for doing such a phenomenal job of keeping it up every month all year. Don’t forget to join us Sunday, January 11th at Avant Garden from 2-6pm for the Houston Sketchy Birthday Party! Check out more December Sketchy fun here.
Although December was filled with many fun parties, I have to say, the one I look forward to each year is my Kick Arse Tree Viewing Party, and this year was no different. It was great timing, as the incomparable Gwen Bell was visiting Houston for the Hands On Kirtsy + Mom2Summit party at Caroline that same week, BONUS!
Christmas was extra special this year, as we got to spend it with Baby Kailey. She kept us all entertained, as did my sister’s BF’s boys with Rock Band for Wii. I swear, I have the worst voice in the world, but I totally got 100% on vocal for Beastie Boys “Sabotage” the first time! True story. | View full Christmas set.
These recaps have been an amazing way for me to remember 2008. I stil can’t believe how much I packed into this year. I truly found out the meaning of community this year, and consider myself one of the luckiest girls alive to be surrounded daily with the family and friends I have. This city, this amazing, beautiful, hot, muggy, fantastical city that I call home, My Houston, you are the love of my life, and I wouldn’t be the same person without you.
And to that I say…”PEACE OUT, 2008! and bring on 2009!”
Looking back at all the goings on in October, it’s no wonder November was filled with more sickness, this time it knocked me out for weeks.
Image: Ed Schipul
November kicked off with the Orange Show’s Annual Gala, this year themed Dia de los Muertos. Had a blasty as usual dressing up and volunteering with MagsMac, Jason, Tiff, Shannon, Foofers, Hala, Erin, and Andrew.
Soon after, I got very ill with an upper respiratory infection + strep throat that just won’t go away. Smashed in between was my Lasik surgery, at which I was praying to Jesus, Mary AND Joseph that I didn’t cough when the laser hit my eye. I think the Valium helped. Yes, I’m most certainly it did. And of course, as I should have guessed, things weren’t to go as planned.
The right eye went fine. I won’t get into the details of Lasik for you squemish readers, but everything was cut, peeled and lasered just fine. However, when they got to the left eye, they apparently discovered what I had been claiming for years! My left eye is smaller than my right! After trying about five times to get the Lasik instrument in my eye, they took a break and decided on PRK for the left eye. The eventual result would be the same, but it would take longer to heal. Figures! The result has been great! For someone who has been in glasses or contacts since 2nd grade, it’s an amazing feeling to awake from sleep and see your alarm clock clearly. It’s a dream. But it’s real.
November was also the month we were blessed with little Kailey. As some of you have read (if not you can read the post here), in November my parents were given custody of my 3 month old baby cousin, Kailey. Since then, our lives have transformed as the whole family has pitched in to help give Kailey the best care and safe home as possible. She’s been such a joy to be around. Thanks for all your well wishes and prayers for her! She is doing fantastic! All healed and grow to be quite the chubber! Will update more in the New Year. | View my Baby Kailey set on Flickr.
Even though I was down for the count for most of November, it was still jam packed with events. I had the pleasure of helping Tina Zulu with the DJ Melodic Benefit Raffle at Block 21, spend an awesome evening at HappyKatie’s for the Nintendo Wii Fit Party (where I scored my very own Wii Fit!!), saw my first show at Houston’s new House of Blues, and celebrated the birthday + engagement of my best, dear friend, Taneka. One of SEVEN wedding I’ll be celebrating next year!
As August hit, I hadn’t had the time to stop and think that my birthday was approaching. And not just any birthday, the big 3-0! A large group of my friends from college and high school had been planning a “Dirty Thirty Bash” in Vegas for Labor Day Weekend. So what else to concentrate on August than getting in shape?!
I went all out. Stopped drinking, started eating healthy, started working out again, and kept the social events to a minimum. I was very strict about it. I was determined to look great in front of 30 of my closest friends in a friggin’ bathing suit. Half of my friends have kids, and have better bodies than me. And it’s terrifying! So I worked my ass off. For an entire month. Even during a trip to the Big Easy for Katie’s Bachelorette party I was still good!
So imagine my surprise when after 4 weeks, I saw no results. I was crushed! frustrated. defeated! I went to the doctor nearly in tears. And sure enough, I had my answer! I had, just like my mom and sister, been diagnosed with Hypothyroidism. I was elated! Probably the most happy person to every find out they had a disease. I was just so excited to know that there was a reason for my inability to lose weight. I started on meds immediately and they seem to be working! Whew! Thus continued my year of bad health.
Vegas was a blast! With 30 of my closest friends, we closed out the 3rd decade of our lives together, and welcomed the next! I travel to Vegas quite a bit, but I’ll always remember this as the trip that trip that I learned to win at Blackjack! Thanks to Julia, (and to the casino for putting up with our drunk karaoke at 6am at the blackjack table.) | Full Vegas set here.
September: Stormy Weather
In September we experienced some unusually cool weather a few weekends, which always makes event hoping more bearable. One night in particular, as my first Christina was visiting from Florida, I was excited to show her a night in the life of me. We had not spend time together in years and years, so I dragged her from event to event to let her get a taste of Houston at it’s finest.
The Orange Show Foam Raiser, Image: Ed Schipul
We headed to the Orange Show’s Foam Raiser, sponsored by Saint Arnold where we tasted some yummy Lawnmower, and listened to some great music. Next up was the 80’s Movie Night at Caroline. She has heard me talk so much about Caroline int he past months, she was eager to see what it was all about. After a swing through the 80’s party with Erin, Carissa and the crew, we headed for the Museum of Fine Arts for one of my most favorite events in Houston, Mixed Media. We danced all night on the lawn of the MFAH, and I was so excited to share this night with my great, sweet friend. I’ll never forget it.
We had another visitor in September, who wasn’t quite as welcome. When the news that Ike was rolling in, many didn’t know what to believe. Fantastical news reports in the past, had jaded many of Houston’s citizens from taking refuge. I wasn’t about to risk it, and grabbed Michelle and Fayza and headed for my parents in Jersey Village. Dad had purchased a generator large enough to power the whole house and AC. We ended up with quite a crowd, as my mom’s best friend, my sister and her boyfriend, his 2 kids, their dog, his co-worker, wife, 2-year old, and their dog all piled in with me, mom, dad, Michelle and Fayza. Oh, and my parents’ 2 dogs, Patches and Harley. Thirteen in all, plus 4 dogs–who didn’t get along, so we had to keep them separated. It. was. a. zoo! But we were glad to all be together and safe.
The nervousness and exhaustion soon turned to hilarity, as we began broadcasting live from the eye of the storm, followed by a delirious video of how to wash your hair in a hurricane. Still not sure how we all made it out of there without killing each other. | Full Ike set here.
Image: Mark C. Austin
After the Ike madness calmed down, a few musically-inclined souls headed West for Austin’s Annual Austin City Limits Festival. A great lineup this year, with some excellent sets by Band of Horses and Jenny Lewis, and a chance for me to catch one of my all-time music idols, Robert Plant, during whose set, I called my mom, nearly in tears, “I’m watching Robert Plant!” I think she got a kick out of my freaking out about one of HER favorite bands. | View Mark C. Austin’s ACL full set here.
Whew! I feel like just yesterday we were ringing in 2008 at the Proletariat. RIP Pro!
So much has happened this year, and I was looking for a way to document it all. Over the last few months I’ve been writing a book. Mainly something to document my twenties, seeing as I turned the big 3-0 this year. And so far, 30 has been fabulous. The first step was looking back at the last 10 years and attempting to make a timeline. Things like boys, trips, weddings, boys, New Year’s Eves, Birthdays, boys, and a lot of boys. But we’ll save the boys part for the book.
So with that process, I’m in documenting mode. So here goes. With lots of help from my gCal and Flickr: A year I will never forget, (nor hardly remember).
And I totally didn’t plan this, but this is my 100th post on CosmoPolitician! Woo-hoo!
I’ve decided to split this post up, there is just too much to get in. Here are the first three months, and the rest will follow each day from now until the end of December. Enjoy!
January was also the month of our very first Dr. Sketchy! Still can’t believe it’s been a whole year! Big props to HappyKatie and the crew for an awesome monthly event that just keeps growing and growing! Looking forward to 2009 Sketchies! | Dr. Sketchy Pool on Flickr
One of my favorite memories from January took place on a night that Jeff Balke’s band, Orange Is In, was playing at Rudz. Earlier in the day, Noel was visiting and we all had gathered at the Microcinema house for a party. Following the party, and day long drinking, Matt, Ned and I headed to Rudz to catch the show; proceed to have one (read: five) too many Red Bull and Vodkas, and head to a Rice Archie party. In between resulted in car hurdling and surprising and kidnapping, Brandon, Matt’s transient roomie, and dancing the night away in a way too small grad student apartment with entirely too many people. Oh to be in college again. Well, at least for one night. No picture exist from this night. And that is probably a good thing.
January was also the very first time I laid eyes on Caroline. More about that later.
From KL, it was on to Western Australia! It was to be my first trip down under, and I was stoked. I headed for Perth from KL, and spent an amazing week in the sleepy Oil & Gas city. I went surfing in the Indian Ocean, hung out at the trendy Subi Hotel Bar, hiked to King’s Park, met a local chef who we spent a wild night at a casino with, swimming(?!), experienced Perth’s “Sunday Session” at the Little Creatures Brewey (same day as Heath Ledger’s funeral—it was 5 minutes from where we were) and learned of the ridiculous shopping hours: Everything closes at 5pm! Whaaa?! The night our flight was supposed to leave at 2:55am, so we headed back down to Subiaco, and ran into some US ex-pats, who took us to get MORE wine, beer, and Indian food. Highly intoxicated at this point, Josh and I stumbled into the hotel at about 11:30pm, attempted to throw everything into a suitcase, and head for the airport. Here’s a tip. If you are about to board a plane, from Australia to KL to Tokyo to LA to Houston—do not get wasted, eating Indian food, a mere hours before you get in the plane. Not the best idea we ever had. | Full Perth set here.
On my way to Perth from KL, I also encountered a little WATER problem back home at my place. One of the most terrifying things to ever happen, especially when you are thousands of miles away. Always in debt to Mom, Matt and Maggie for their help with that situation! Maggie even made me feel better with her adorable marker presentation to assure me all was OK. What a doll. Loves her mucho.
From Perth, it was back home for a few days, serendipitously in time for the February Dr. Sketchy! It was great to see all my peeps after traveling for a few weeks, and what a welcome home with boobie cupcakes!
After a few days home, I was back off again. This time to Amsterdam, where I went on the shopping spree of my lifetime, resulting in my new favorite winter coat; had a run-in slash fall out with KLM, spend a dreadfully boring day at the RAI for a trade show, hence resulting in Queen Trivia Post. | Amsterdam full set
Then, on to the Middle East, Manama, Bahrain, where, yes, I rode a camel and smoked the hookah. It was a great month of traveling, but I sure was glad to crawl back into my bed. | Bahrain full set.
March: Music + Medicine
March began my first experience with my bad year of health. But before that, as with every year around SXSW, Houston gets some stellar shows coming to town. We were lucky to get two of my all time favs in a period of 4 days: Wilco and My Morning Jacket. The day after the MMJ show, Michelle and I drove to Austin for the night to attend the SXSW Rock Band party. We had a blast catching up with Gwen + Joel, met both Pete Cashmore and Marianne for the first time, and proceed to try on every single winter item of my cousin’s coat rack. Promise it was MUCH funnier at the time. Hell, maybe it’s funny now. “Let it snow, biatch.” This was probably the first time Michelle and I realized we would be friends forever. “I love animals.” | SXSW Rock Band Party full dr. miggy set.
On Good Friday, i didn’t attend Mass. And maybe I should have. I came down with a horrible pain in my stomach, which turned out to be, wait for it….waaaait for it…APPENDICITIS! Whoo-hoo! Yep, I needed an emergency appendectomy Friday night. I still have a hard time believing it. I mean, how random?
If i learned anything this year, it’s that things never go as planned. My old roommate doesn’t call me Drama-ica for nuthin’. Of course, once they got in to do the surgery, they discovered that my appendix was hiding behind some important organs. So, instead of doing the nice and clean laproscopy, they had to do the old fashioned cut. Brilliant. Huge scar. Perfect.
Big thanks to Matthew who kept me company in the hospital for 3 days, Michelle who came to visit, but I feel asleep while she was there (“nobody likes sticking their finger in their eyeball!”), Stefanie and Paul for bringing by the portable DVD player (which I JUST returned last week), Shekara, Kasey, Jaime, Jill, Matt and the boys, and Mom and Dad. Did I miss anyone? Lesson Leanred: Demerol is AWESOME! (but not awesome for remembering hospital guests.)
before
after
So that’s all for today. The first quarter of 2008. That was exhausting just recapping it! Much more to come. So check back everyday for a new month’s recap.
We’re working on it, Houston. Every day we see more hints of normalcy.
If i haven’t been in touch with you, I hope you and your loved ones fared well during Ike’s smack down on the Gulf Coast. I was one of the very lucky ones to never lose power. Got water back Sunday night. Was never so excited to wash dishes in my life.
I know this may be the last thing on some of your minds, but if you can try and get out this week or weekend, visit a museum, attend an event that’s still scheduled. I promise, it will help. I’ve complied a list here of events that are canceled, postponed, or still going on.
A few thoughts, pictures to share:
My Flickr Photo Set:
I took these while “hunkering down” at mom and dad’s in Jersey Village with a house full of adults, kiddos, and dogs. Thank God for Dad’s last minute generator purchase. Power blew about 6am Saturday.
I would like to commend on outstanding news source that has stood above the rest in this time of information mongering. Our Houston Chronicle online has done an OUTSTANDING job of keeping us informed, up to date with accurate, updated, UNBIASED information before, during, and ongoing through this disaster. From answering readers urgent questions, to letting us know who’s serving cold beer. I’m proud and honored to call this my local paper. People I am honored to call my friends such as Dwight Silverman, David Herrold, and Rob Hays (and many many more) have spent days upon days of doing nothing but consuming and reporting on information that continues to comfort Houston’s citizens. Thanks will never be enough, but know that you have made a difference.
God Bless our fine Mayor Bill White, County Judge Ed Emmett, Centerpoint representative Floyd LeBlanc, the tireless men and women in the Media, our Godsent Police Force (including my father), and thousands of volunteers who have left their homes and families for the greater good of this community, and who, in my opinion, have done an OUTSTANDING job of keeping control, safety, communication, and hope alive in the Coastal communities.
I understand people are still without water, power, food, gas, homes. I continue to think about and pray for these people, for what seems like every second of the day. Tough times push people to the edge, and despite this edge we are hanging on to, I feel these TEXANS have continued to hold steadfast our trust in our city leaders and trust in our neighbors to pull us through this. We’ll get though this. One day at a time.
If you are reading this, I’m assuming you have power or some short term access to it. Please know that my home is open to anyone who needs a warm shower, a cell phone charge, or a blast of AC. Please let me know if you are in need.
I would love to hear from all of you, and how you are doing. Please drop me a commet to let me know you are ok.
Love and big sweaty hugs to all of you! Hang in there!
Posted by Monica Danna on Mar 24, 2008 in health, personal
For the last 3 years for Lent, I’ve given up alcohol. A, ahem, sobering experience, that I’ve actually begun to look forward to, seeing as how much of a change of pace it usually is for my normal life. This year however, due to my extensive travel schedule, I was totally unaware that it was Ash Wednesday, i wanna say i was in KL? Not even sure.
So being the natural guilty Catholic that I am, pretty much assumed my lack of abstenance this year was causing some extreme stomach pains I was having on Good Friday last week. (Ok, i really didn’t make that correlation, but it did cross my mind.)
Michelle came over to bring me some meds, and after that still didn’t subside the pain, Mom & Dad swooped in for DevCon 2: the minor emergency clinic. They pretty much had to drag me there, as I was paranoid that I’d get there, they’d tell me it was gas, and send me embarrassingly on my way. Well, thank God for the ‘rents, because it wasn’t gas, or food poisoning, or Catholic guilt.
Yepper, it was my appendix. That little evolutionary organ that serves us no purpose at all, but to randomly become inflamed and infected. Awesome.
So after a cat scan and confirmation of the diagnosis from the Doc, I was put on an ambulance and admitted into St. Luke’s. It’s pretty much a blur after that. Surgery was first thing in the morning. Mom and dad had gone home to get some sleep, and thankfully Matthew came to stay with me during the night, because when the dr. arrived in the morning, they sent me straight to surgery.
The next 2 days were a fuzzy blend of friends, flowers, story time, banana pudding, jello, and pain meds.
As I was preparing for release on Sunday, we received some more bad news. My Aunt Theresa, my dad’s sister, and my Godmother, passed away Easter morning. She joins my aunt Beverly and my Paw Paw (both who also passed away on Easter) who are all resting peacefully now. thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. The funeral will be later this week. For those of you who didn’t know my Aunt Theresa, her husband was Henry Fry, creator of Fry Surf Boards. They lived in Costa Rica for 5 years where he had a shaping shop. He was somewhat of a star in the surfing world. And she was her happiest there in Costa Rica.
It’s been a rough few days, and all of your love and thoughts have definitely helped me through it.
Big thanks to Mom & Dad for always being there when I need them. To Michelle for continuing to be my partner in crime thoughout this; to Matt for covering the night shift and reading to me, even when I’m not supposed to be laughing; to Lindsay, Misty, Taneka, Shekara, Kasey, Jaime, Stefanie, my sister and Matt and the boys, for the visits, flowers, pudding, magazines, and DVDs! We needed a small truck to unload everything.
And thanks to all the twitterati for all your thoughts and prayers. At one point Matt exclaimed, “your replies cover all of page 2!” (I think he was jealous—but it made me feel great )
I truly am blessed to have a most excellent support system in my life, and I can’t tell you another time that has been more evident than these last few days.
Probably the most exciting part of December, besides Baby Jesus’ Birfdae, was SNOW! Yes, it SNOWED in Houston this year. And I’m not talkin’ about no freezing rain, slush, or frost on the grass. It. Freaking. Snowed. Here. Y’all. The night it snowed, Andrew was over to cook some din din and help me decorate the infamous Kick Arse Christmas Tree. It did help to have a six foot plus man put the topper on (albeit, upside down). It was a great night of decorating, singing (him, not me, for Christ’s sake), crepe making (oh hell yeah i made the crap out of some crepes), and of course playing in the snow! | Full crepes, guitars, and snow set here.
November was also the month we were blessed with little Kailey. As some of you have read (if not you can 
As August hit, I hadn’t had the time to stop and think that my birthday was approaching. And not just any birthday, the big 3-0! A large group of my friends from college and high school had been planning a “Dirty Thirty Bash” in Vegas for Labor Day Weekend. So what else to concentrate on August than getting in shape?!
WHAT A FRIGGIN’ YEAR IT’S BEEN!
Towards the end of 2007, when word was spreading that our beloved neighborhood bar, the 
January was also the month of our very first 
Feb was my 
Everything closes at 5pm! Whaaa?! The night our flight was supposed to leave at 2:55am, so we headed back down to Subiaco, and 
From Perth, it was back home for a few days, serendipitously in time for the 
March began my first experience with my bad year of health. But before that, as with every year around 
