Hello, my name is

Dear B-Reader,

Please allow me a moment to vent to you, as you are such a good listener/reader.

As you know, Jeff and I try to do our part to support our local community. I am on our neighborhood's civic club board. Jeff is on our South Braeswood community's social committee. We both attend neighborhood get-togethers, town hall meetings, etc. We are not hard to miss in our little part of Houston. If you have ever been to our house around the holidays, then you know that we are the ones with the over-the-top decorations for the holidays (Halloween, Christmas, etc.). You can spot the Chalkley's from outer space! OK, you get it.

Yesterday afternoon, Jeff and I attended our community's first Party in the Park in support the renewal of Linkwood Park, our community's public park. A woman, let's call her Britney to protect her Not That Innocent-cence, approached us during this function. What follows is our conversation:

B: "Hello, I'm Britney Spears. And you are?"
[Jeff and Katherine shoot each other confused looks. Jeff brings his right hand up to his chest, double-pats to make certain that his name tag had not fallen onto the playground's sand floor.]
J: "Jeff and Katherine Chalkley."
B: "Oh, nice to meet you both. Do you live in the area?"
[Jeff and Katherine do a double-take. Katherine grits her teeth, thinking to herself, "Does Britney Spears have paparazzi-induced amnesia again?!"]
K: "Yes, we live in Linkwood at 123 Main Street."
B [In the Valley Girl tone of voice]: "Oh, so yours is the house with all the...decorations?"
K [Hesitantly]: "Yyyes."
B [Blandly]: "Oh. OK. Thanks for coming to the party."

Jeff and I have formally met Britney three times in the past six-months at three other community events. She never remembers us. We socialize with the same neighbors. We live one block away from the McMansion she shares with Kevin Federline. Even her children have trick-or-treated at our house (and loved our decor, by the way). And she doesn't remember us at all? Not even a hint of facial recognition?

In my book, this is all-around, rude party behavior. Britney is one of the leaders of the group that organized the Party in the Park. A good leader/hostess makes all guests feel welcomed. Jeff and I should have felt like we were on the set of the Mickey Mouse Club, cheerfully greeted by fresh faces and promised a great time for the next thirty minutes.

Yes, Britney started off on the right foot by coming up to us and beginning conversation. However, her faux pas was in not reading our name tags or trying to use her memory and think whether she recognized the couple whom she was greeting at her party. And to use the phrase, "And you are?" is the ultimate in off-putting statements. It says, "I don't know you, and I am pretty sure that I know everyone, and if I don't know you, then what are you doing at my party?" Such a good-will destroyer.

B-Reader, although you are already a world-class, proper party host/hostess, some of us need gentle reminders of etiquette. Yesterday's experience will make a better host of Jeff and hostess of me the next time that we throw a Chalkley Partey. For sure!

I Heart Concrete!

Dear B-Reader,

You might not know this about me, but I love improving my local community, especially my neighborhood, Linkwood. Currently, I sit on the board of our neighborhood civic club, and am the liaison between the board and the beautification committee. Lots of work. Lots of rewards.

If you, B-Reader, live or work in Houston, you are going to be delighted with the news that I share below from the town hall meeting I attended this week. Please read on to be totally thrilled!

South Braeswood Boulevard from Stella Link to Kirby Drive is going to be completely reconstructed! Finally! This is a well-traveled road by many Houstonians and visitors to the Medical Center, Reliant Stadium, and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. It is also the major street that forms the northern border of my neighborhood.

The project will begin in just a few days, on September 7, 2010, and is scheduled to end by January 15, 2012. It is a $5.5million dollar undertaking by the City of Houston. Long overdue...it has been over 50 years since South Braeswood has been completely repaired!

A few fun facts about the project:

• 1,000 truck loads of supplies


• 1,300 truck loads of concrete


• 171 trees to replanted (150 gallon size, 15 feet in height)


• 500 day project divided into seven phases

I am so excited that I can barely type straight...or maybe I'm reliving the bumps on the street from my drive home...