Barry Day

Tonight is the Barry Manilow concert in downtown Houston. I was going to write in here tonight, but who knows if I'll be able to sit still for that after the concert. As it is, my mind is racing ahead of me as I type. I have a few errands to run this morning, then I need to look in my closets and decide what to wear. Do I pick something casual from the every-day closet, or do I take something dressy from the fancy closet? Decisions... decisions...

My friend A has asked me three times what I plan to wear tonight. I couldn't tell her because I honestly didn't know. First, we had to see what today's weather would be. Last week, the temperatures here were close to a hundred. This week, after the weekend rainstorms, the daytime temperature hasn't gone past 75 and the overnight temperature is about 55. (Needless to say, the air-conditioning has been turned off and the heat is on in this house. Brrrr.....)

We've never been to The Toyota Center, so I don't know if they keep the temperature of that arena on the comfortable side or on the Alaska-frigid zone. Which in my mind calls for something with three-quarter sleeves. Too cold outside today for sleeveless, and with all the dancing and jumping up and down that we all do at these concerts, a heavy long-sleeve sweater just wouldn't do. (By "we all," I mean the Manilow fans, not the husbands of those fans.)

A and I (along with our husbands) have been to Manilow concerts before, and so has our friend J. But this is the first time that J will be driving with us and sitting with us. Where will he sit? In the middle of A and I would be the best choice, since he's as big a Manilow fan as we are. If we sit him with my husband and A's husband, they might throttle him before the show starts.

J has already called me four times to tell me that he will be at our house two hours before we have to leave. He is known for being late... and there have been times when he's been expected at our house for a party and he just never showed up. Didn't even call. So when we asked him if he wanted to come see Manilow with us, I told him if he didn't get to our house on time, we would leave without him and I'd put his ticket under the front door mat.

My husband wanted me to give J his own ticket so he could hold onto it--- just in case he is late and we have to leave without him. J didn't want to hold the ticket... he was afraid he'd either lose it or leave it at home, or leave it at his antique shop. "Give him the ticket-- he paid for it, let him be responsible for it," said my husband. On the other side, from J, I heard: "Please don't give me that ticket till we're ready to walk in the door of Toyota Center. If I lose that ticket, I'll have to kill myself."

Men. Such babies. I'm pretty positive he'll be on time. Probably even early. I think he'd walk to the Toyota Center if he had to, just to see Manilow. Speaking of "Men..." -- As my husband was reading The Chronicle this morning, he looked at me and said: "Did you read this? Barry Manilow was taken to a mental institution." "What????" said I. -- "He couldn't copa." said my husband. I told him if he tells that joke to our friends tonight at the concert, he'd better be whispering or he'll be carried out of the Toyota Center by thousands of Manilow fans.

So here I sit with the five tickets. Which reminds me.... I also have to change purses for tonight. Can't be using my every-day purse for tonight. The tickets are sitting on my desk here, on top of my copy of Manilow's book (Sweet Life), my Barry Manilow watch, my Manilow bracelet, and the optic-light-up wand that will be held in the air during Manilow's last song. I had found these light-wands last year. I bought one for me, one for A----- we put them away, saving them for the next time Manilow came to Houston. (Tonight!!!!)

I bought just two of the wands. Which means I don't have one for J. He will be disappointed. I can hear him now: "Where's mine? Can I use yours for a minute?"

It's a beautiful day out there... a little on the cool side, but warmer than yesterday. The sun is out and it will be warmer still by this afternoon. The best part-- not a drop of humidity left today, so it's a great-hair day. It's a Barry-good day!