Top 10 forgettables

It’s that time of year when we take a glance in life’s rear-view mirror, think “I still need to lose weight,” and reflect on the top stories of the year. This year, however, many are lumping together 2000-2009 and eyeing the top stories of the decade.

What is Christmas?

Originally published Dec. 24, 2003

What is Christmas to you?

Roscoe: Hmm. Good question. I guess it's a nice break from routine. That includes parties and fun times with friends like all of us here. I mean, would we all be here tonight if it wasn't for Christmas?

Techno rap

Technological advances over the past 35 years can be a bit dizzying.

Christmas monster

There’s a monster in our house ... and we put it there.

What were we thinking?

But once a year

(c) 2009 by Steve Martaindale

With thanks given and Black Friday behind us, we now ease into that most wonderful time of the year.

Given all the commercial hoopla that now surrounds Christmas, all the pressure to have the best decorations and correct gifts, it might be easy to forget why we look forward to the yuletide season.

It’s frying time again

(c) 2009 by Steve Martaindale

You remember the fantastic public service announcement from the Advertising Council that depicted an egg as “your brain.” They then cracked the egg into a hot, greasy skillet: “This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?”

That came to mind today as I shuffled through a collection of recent news stories that became stories because someone got carried away with one form of drug or another.

A good egg

(c) 2009 by Steve Martaindale

A visit with the in-laws last weekend also gave us a chance to check up on Henny, Penny and Wanda.

As two-thirds of the names suggest, they are, in fact, chickens.

Texas dining

Bruce Buschel, a blogger with www.nytimes.com in the small business section, is apparently opening a new restaurant in New York next year. Preparing for such, he posted on the blog his list of 100 things restaurant staffers should never do.

It was a laundry list of things that often annoy diners (find links to his two-part series here and here), but it also contained references that might seem foreign to many of us Texans. For instance, No. 4 says, “If a table is not ready within a reasonable length of time, offer a free drink and/or amuse-bouche.”

Amuse them with what?

With the help of a few friends and readers, here is a glance at tips for restaurant staffers in Texas:

1. Greet all customers with a hearty “Howdy” or “How are y’all?”

Sounds of comfort

The following A Texas Voice column was originally released for publication Aug. 5, 2009.
(c) 2009 by Steve Martaindale
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With hearing that’s not as sharp as it once was, it is surprising at times what sounds I do pick up.

A couple of weeks ago, Leah said she would like fish for dinner if I could catch a mess. It looked promising as a couple of small bass found my hook.

Maybe bigger is better

This A Texas Voice column was first released for publication on May 9, 2007. Note that was well before people starting fretting over a failing housing market. Prophetic? No. Observant? Maybe.

(c) 2007 by Steve Martaindale

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I met a man the other day, a former Texan who now lives in Florida, and he was talking about visiting someone in a Houston suburb: “I couldn’t believe how huge the houses are. I mean, what do those people do to make that kind of money?”

That’s an old song with us. Leah has joked for years that she wanted to knock on a few doors and ask that very question of the occupants of incredibly large houses. I would also like to know, “Why do you need a home so big?”