Bass credits the inuence of creative wom- en in her life as the reason behind her bold personal style, and even the name of the store. Jessica’s No. 1 inuence was her grandmother, Jeanette Fitzgerald, who passed away 4 years ago of cancer. Bass pointed to a beautiful por- trait on the wall and said with conviction, “I love her. She was very artistic. She made a lot of pieces and loved a lot of fun, funky antiques. She had a really relaxe d but rened style, and that carried on to my mother as well. So I was just kinda blessed to be around really good, artistic women.” Bass got one other thing from her grand- mother. “That’s where I got my love for Buddhas. She collected Buddhas.” As for the name, Splash of Karma, she said, “My mother and family always taught me what goes around comes around, and treat everyone as you would want to be treated. And so, karma was just always there.” From the artistic décor to the chic collection of boho-inspired, fashion forward yet timeless apparel and accessories, it’s apparent that this store is owned and operated by someone who puts her soul into it. “It all came from my love of antiques and fashion,” Bass explained. “You can tell a story with your clothes, and that’s what I wanted to do with my store. With my displays from the oor to the ceiling, I just wanted to tell a little story – old and new.” Splash of Karma tells a tasteful, eclectic story that is centered around color, texture KARMA ofJewelry pieces, bottom center , are by Vanessa Mooney and range from $30-$105. Left, Mooney’s Buddha amulet necklace, $40. >> theVIPmag.com | Fe bruary 201 2 27
Bass credits the inuence of creative wom-en in her life as the reason behind her boldpersonal style, and even the name of the store. Jessica’s No. 1 inuence was her grandmother, Jeanette Fitzgerald, who passed away 4 yearsago of cancer. Bass pointed to a beautiful por-trait on the wall and said with conviction, “Ilove her. She was very artistic. She made a lotof pieces and loved a lot of fun, funky antiques.She had a really relaxed but rened style, and
that carried on to my mother as well. So I was
just kinda blessed to be around really good,artistic women.”
Bass got one other thing from her grand-mother. “That’s where I got my love forBuddhas. She collected Buddhas.” As for thename, Splash of Karma, she said, “My motherand family always taught me what goes aroundcomes around, and treat everyone as youwould want to be treated. And so, karma wasjust always there.”
From the artistic décor to the chic collection
of boho-inspired, fashion forward yet timelessapparel and accessories, it’s apparent that thisstore is owned and operated by someone whoputs her soul into it. “It all came from my loveof antiques and fashion,” Bass explained. “Youcan tell a story with your clothes, and that’swhat I wanted to do with my store. With mydisplays from the oor to the ceiling, I justwanted to tell a little story – old and new.”
Splash of Karma tells a tasteful, eclectic
story that is centered around color, texture
KARMA
of Jewelry pieces, bottom center, are by Vanessa Mooney and range from $30-$105. Left, Mooney’s Buddha amulet necklace, $40.
Left: Crochet sleeveless sequin dress, $70; layered over cotton tank dress in brick, $44.Middle:chunky knit sweater, $50; layered over black cotton dress, $65; black leather and velvet fower belt,$11. Right: Turquoise blouse with black details and button down back, $58; layered over sheer polkadot blouse, $39.
and one-of-a-kind pieces. From a bookof bounded 1942 Beaumont Enterprisenewspapers used to display jewelry toclothing items with vintage and mod-ern elements to the boldly femininefootwear, this is a great place for nd-ing statement-making pieces. “I wantpeople to come in here and nd some-thing unique, and have a pretty butcomfortable surrounding where theycan just sit and relax on my chaise.”Bass even has a playroom for the kids.
Bass believes that everyone’s ownstyle is what makes them comfort-able, not necessarily what’s in style atthe moment. In fact, she encouragescustomers to bring in their own piecesso they can nd something in the store
that will work with what they alreadyhave. “Bring your pieces in and we canhelp build your wardrobe. You don’thave to start brand new,” Bass said. “Ibelieve you take what means a lot toyou and your favorite pieces and justbuild on that.”
On your visit, be sure to check out
the Vanessa Mooney jewelry line, oneof Jessica’s favorites. “It’s a handcraft-ed line out of Los Angeles. Mooney’sactually a younger girl as well, kind of from Hollywood royalty and doing herown thing. It’s a real boho, rock androll inspired line. Most of her piecesfrom her spring resort line have genu-ine turquoise in them – just real funlayering pieces.”
Another handmade jewelry line isfrom local designer Courtney Adcockfrom Groves. “[Courtney] makes funand funky handcrafted jewelry,” Basssaid. “A lot of them have vintage mate-rial. I like to support people who dostu handmade. That’s how I started.”
For the future, Bass has plans to
sell unique home accessory items, dueto the overwhelming positive responseshe’s received about the interior of thestore, which she designed herself. Andshe’s excited about the spring and sum-mer. “I’m all about linen, sundressesand turquoise. I can’t get enoughturquoise.” VIP
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All that glitters is not gold.Diamonds, rubies, emeralds,sapphires and silver glittertoo. Born into the business
of precious gems andexpensive jewelry, Brian
Alter knows this well.Is it exciting being in the high-end jew-
elry business? Is it glamorous? Or is it justhard work like running any other venture?To all these questions, the managing ownerof Alter’s Gem Jewelry answers, “Yes.” Hetypically works 70 hours a week, but henoted, “I wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t fun.”
As the head buyer for the store, he goesto markets around the country, and some-times in other countries such as Switzerland,looking for new trends and styles in jewelry.The largest market for his industry in theUnited States is in Las Vegas, with 3,000to 5,000 vendors. However, it’s not all glitzand glamour, even in Vegas. “Every time you
travel, you work,” Brian said. “I’m not going to say it’s not fun because, every time, yousee something that makes your jaw drop. Butit’s work.”
Several specialty shows are by invitationonly. “We are very privileged to be invitedto these shows,” the jeweler said. That’sthe glamour part — meeting famous jewelrydesigners such as David Yurman and seeing multi-million-dollar pieces including thoseset with rare red diamonds. Once he was at ashow and saw a natural blue diamond valuedat $4.7 million. (Diamonds come in manycolors with white being the most common.)
Southeast Texas roots
The family jewelry business was foundedin Port Arthur in 1915 by Brian’s grandfatherMorris Jacobs, and it expanded to Beaumont
in 1929. Brian is a third-generation jewelerand a graduate of the Gemological Insti-tute of America. He also graduated with anaccounting degree from the University of Texas and a law degree from the Universityof Houston. He worked as an attorney for arm in Houston for three years before com-ing home to Beaumont in 1983 to work in the
family business.He had reached acrossroads withhis law rm,he explained,and decidedhe had betteropportuni-ties. “Luckily,I had options,”he said.
So it wasn’ta given that he
would step rightinto the store aftergraduating from college.His parents, Shirley andNelson Alter, had told him to go toschool, get an education, get a careerand see if he liked it. His father toldhim not to rely on the family business— he might retire and sell it.
Brian tells his four children they arealways welcome to come back homeand go into the family business. “But ithas to be by choice and not by default,”he said.
Family and communityAs most business owners will tell
you, long hours are just part of theplan. “I live my life between the store
and my family,” Brian said. He has ashop full of valuable gems, but his mostprecious jewels are his wife, Lori, andhis four children, Daniel, Devon, Carlyand Arianna. “My family is my pas-sion,” he said, adding that his favoritejob is being a dad. “It’s the best job inthe world.”
Community involvement is impor-tant to Brian too. He’s a former Beau-mont city councilman who also ran formayor but lost. He’s currently on theboard of the Julie Rogers “Gift of Life”Program and is on several committeesat Temple Emanuel.
Travel and leisureAnd in those rare times when he
can take a vacation, one of his favoriteplaces to go is a mountain resort to skiwith his family. He loves visiting newplaces too. “The best is traveling with
my children andseeing the looks
on their faceswhen they seenew sights,”he said.
The familyjourneyed to
Jerusalem lastAugust to visit
his son Daniel,who is there
studying to be-
come a rabbi. Brianwould like to visitAustralia, New Zealand,
India and China someday.And Lori has the Galapagos Islands
on her to-do list. “There is a lot of theworld for us to see,” she noted. Thecouple plans to travel extensively whenBrian nally retires, but that’s not onthe agenda any time soon.
A do-unto-others kind of guyIn his no-frills oce, framed family
photos adorn the walls and sill of thetwo-way mirror window looking outonto the elegantly appointed sales oorglittering with gems. Sitting behindhis cluttered desk, Brian explained hispersonality. “I’m a do-unto-others kind
of guy,” he said. He’s also sentimental,noting, “I like sappy Hallmark moviesand happy endings.”
Lori describes him as “honest asthe day is long.” “He’s solid,” she said.“He’s the family’s rock. Everybodyleans on him.”
His favorite gem? “Diamonds — noteven a second thought,” he replied.“Gem-quality diamonds have a magicto them.”
As a kid, Brian wanted to have $40million in the bank by 40. He wantedto be Warren Buett. Now all he wantsis his wife and kids to be happy and totake care of his elderly father since hismother passed away.
Well, there is one dream he hasn’t
let go of yet. “I’d like to be president,”Brian said with a grin, his blue eyestwinkling. “But Santa Claus would becooler.”
photography by scott eslinger
Above: Designer Charles Krypell’s “Precious Pastel Ring” features a 1.5 carat pear-shaped certied fancy yellow diamond center in a custom ring with a completelydetailed gallery featuring 64 round ne white diamonds and 53 round fancy yellow diamonds that together weigh 1.52 carats. Right center: The Beverly Hills Collection18 Karat White Gold Circle Pendant contains 51 round white diamonds weighing .75 carats, plus 268 round black diamonds weighing 5.83 carats.
ursting withbonhomie, thedistinguishedHonorable Rob-ert J. Worthamdoesn’t meettoo manystrangers.Gregarious and
energetic, Bobis balanced by his gentle and graciouswife, Karen Wortham. Together, thecouple has raised a family, excelled atan intensive career and always foundtime to actively participate in volun-teer leadership.
“The Lord has blessed us and wefeel that you should share your bless-ings,” Bob said. “Karen and I try toshare with others what God has givento us.”
All to the GoodBoth natives of the area, Bob from
Beaumont and Karen from Nederland,the couple has worked to create a bet-ter quality of life for the community.
They have provided nancial sup-port (in part through their charitablefoundation) and volunteer supportto a long list of nonprot organiza-tions. Bob has served on a variety of local boards. An organization he feelsstrongly for is the one he co-founded,the 100 Club of Hardin and JeersonCounties, which supports the families
of law enforcement ocers killed inthe line of duty.
Fellow community leader ReginaRogers said she feels privileged tocount the Worthams as friends. “Boband Karen are two of the kindest, mostcaring, loving and generous people Iknow,” Rogers said. “They have gigan-tic hearts and support all causes in avery signicant way both with theirresources and time.”
All in the FamilyWhen he was only 32 years old, Bob
was appointed by President RonaldReagan as the U.S. attorney for theEastern District of Texas. Bob served12 years in this oce, an unusuallylong term for a political appointment.During his years as U.S. attorney,Bob is credited with many successes
through invigorating the federal agen-cy, creating models and precedents thatbecame national standards and by ag-gressively pursuing cases that becamefront-page news and legal history.
While throwing all his kineticenergy at these work tasks, he alsohad a new marriage and small childrenwaiting patiently at home. “One of thehardest periods of our lives was when,as a U.S. attorney, I spent more nights
in hotel rooms than in my own bed,”Bob remembered. “To be productiveyou had to be mobile, had to go to theproblem. It was a hardship on my wifebecause she had to raise the children.”
Karen was working as a courtcoordinator and legal assistant whenthe late Judge Tom Mulvaney actedas their matchmaker, she said. Inaddition to two young sons fromBob’s previous marriage, the couplehad two children together, with theyoungest now at Baylor University.Karen describes her children and vegrandchildren (ranging in age fromnewborn to 13 years) as their hobby.Bob loves that all four of his children– R.J., Baylor, Brittney and Zach – live
within a mile of their parents’ home.When they are all together, there is alot of laughter, Karen said.
All in a Day’s Work
Work ethic, enthusiasm and theability to inspire others has made Boba leader in the law and the community.“As a child, my family really didn’t
W o r t h a m s
vipersonality
rom the heart Beievers in te Gden Rue, Bb and Karen Wrtams’ passins bear fruit arss SE Texas
have much,” he said. “When Karen and I gotmarried, we had nothing, didn’t even haveany furniture. We had to really work foreverything so we understand work ethic andhave tried to instill that into our children asmuch as we can.”
Bob’s father was a seaman who workedhis way up to a Sabine pilot, working 30days on and two weeks o. “I admire my
father, because he was such a hard working man,” Bob said.He followed that example when he
shipped out for several months of hard laboron a Mobil Oil tanker immediately following his graduation from Lamar State College of Technology in order to earn the money forlaw school at Baylor University.
Bob also admires his childhood friendand one-time law partner, Wayne Reaud.When Bob worked at the law rm Reaud,Morgan and Quinn, the team worked long hours, including weekends, to be thoroughlyprepared as trial lawyers. “I don’t like tolose,” Bob said. “You just have to have thedrive and the willingness to work.”
Judge John Stevens, a colleague for manyyears who also worked as an assistant U.S.
attorney for Bob, described Wortham’s styleas “a bull in a china shop.”“If he believes in something, he will
press forward to reach that goal,” Stevenssaid. Remembering those days in the U.S. at-torney’s oce, Stevens said Bob, though theboss, would roll up his sleeves and try cases,which inspired his employees.
All Well and Good
To rejuvenate their energies, theWorthams retreat to their Crystal Beachhome. “We don’t have a phone there andoh, it’s just relaxing, just peace and quiet,”Karen said. “At home, our phone never stopsringing. At the beach house, we just sit onthe porch and sometimes ride the golf cartup and down the beach.”
For Bob, it’s an opportunity to relax hispublic role as the judge of the 58th districtcourt and act like a local instead. “At the
beach, my shorts and shirts don’t evenmatch,” he said. “It’s like going to a dier-ent world. I’ve always been kind of a hyperperson — always doing something. When wego to the beach, I really turn into kind of acouch potato.”
Hurricane Ike rocked their beach houseas it did so many others in 2008. Bob’s
leadership in the Crystal Beach communityhelped rally, inform and educate propertyowners and citizens to cope with the crisis.
All You Need is Love
Though many nights they are busy at-tending community events, Karen said theyare both night owls who confess to watching “Dancing with the Stars” and “DesperateHousewives.” Being together and with theirfamily is their most prized time. Stevens,who attended their wedding, described theWorthams as “deeply in love.”
“Bob is my inspiration,” Karen said. “Hethinks of things that need doing and it’s con-tagious – I see it with other people – sharing that enthusiasm.”
For his part, Bob said that his wife of 26years is his foundation. “I couldn’t ask for abetter partner.”
Where the Heart isBob Wortham’s professional achievements have garnered him a long list of awards. Bob and
Karen’s community involvement has also been honored by a host of community organizations,
including the Shorkey Center, the Triangle Aids Network, The Julie Rogers “Gift of Life” Program and
the American Cancer Society. Later this month, the American Heart Association will recognize the
couple at the annual Golden Triangle Heart Ball with the J.C. Crager Award alongside fellow recipient
and cardiologist Dr. Tom Lombardo.Golden Triangle Heart Ball, February 11, 2012, Holiday Inn & Suites at Beaumont Plaza, 6:30
For pure if decadent simplicity, nothing beats a platter of oysters preening on theirhalf shells. Have plenty of lemon wedges,shakers of Louisiana hot sauce and bottles of iced sparkling wine within easy reach. Butdon’t stop with raw oysters, no matter howdelicious. New Orleans is also home to suchfamous cooked dishes as oysters Rockefeller,
oysters Bienville and the ubiquitous po’boy, often called “the peacemaker” becauseerrant husbands would bring one home tosoothe an irritated wife.
Elizabeth Williams, president of theSouthern Food and Beverage Museum inNew Orleans, said the region’s historic oys-ter bounty prompted cooks to come up witha variety of ways to cook them.
“They were tired of raw,” she said.“Because we had a lot of French inuences,oysters were often used in recipes wheresnails were not available. They were looking at escargot recipes and using oysters.
“If you could cook snails with breadcrumbs, butter and parsley, you could cookoysters that way.”
Judy Walker, newspaper food editor and
co-author of “Cooking Up a Storm: RecipesLost and Found from the Times-Picayuneof New Orleans,” agrees the availability andabundance of oysters led New Orleans cooksto experiment with recipes. She said anotherspur to innovation is the fact that SoutheastTexas and Louisiana oysters are particularlydelicious cooked.
“It’s the texture, I think, and you could
get really big ones and they’d just cook beau-tifully,” she said.
Oysters work well at Mardi Gras timebecause the weather is relatively cold, evenin Southeast Texas.
“The cooler the water, the sweeter theoysters,” Williams said. “Our oysters tend tobe more tender, a bit salty and sweet at thesame time.”
Ingredients4 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled,2 tablespoons fat reserved 2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled, diced 1 can smoked oysters, nely chopped,with juice 6 tablespoons mayonnaise 1/4 cup each: diced red onions, diced celery, diced yellow bell pepper Juice of 1 lemon 1/8 teaspoon salt Freshly ground pepper, granulated garlic,hot sauce
Directions1. Stir bacon, reserved fat, eggs, oysters,mayonnaise, onions, celery, pepper andlemon juice together in a bowl.2. Add salt, pepper, granulated garlic andhot sauce to taste.3. Transfer dip to a serving dish, spreadso the top is even.4. Cover, refrigerate 24 hours. Servechilled with crackers or garlic croutons.
Nutrition information: Per 1 tablespoonserving: 25 calories, 85% of calories fromfat, 2 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 11 mg cho-lesterol, 0 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein,33 mg sodium, 0 g ber
From “Hooks, Lies & Alibis,” written by John D. Folse and Michaela D. York
Smoked oyster dip
Margie’s oyster soupThe late chef Warren Leruth privately printed arecipe booklet in 1983 to mark the 20th anniver-sary of his restaurant, LeRuth’s. This soup fromhis mother-in-law, Marie Margarite Huet Rizzuto,was included. Judy Walker, food editor of the NewOrleans Times-Picayune, published the recipe in
“Cooking Up a Storm: Recipes Lost and Foundfrom the Times-Picayune of New Orleans.”
Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 20 minutes Makes:
10 servings
Ingredients4 dozen freshly shucked oysters, with their liquor
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter 2 bunches green onions, white and green parts, chopped 3 ribs celery heart, nely chopped 1 each, chopped: yellow onion, clove garlic
3/4 cup our 1 cup whipping cream 1/2 bunch at-leaf parsley, chopped 1/2 teaspoon salt
White pepper, ground red pepper
Directions
1. Poach oysters gently in their own liquor until plumped, 5-10 minutes. Drain, reserv-
ing liquor.Add enough water to the liquor to measure 2 quarts.2. Heat butter in a large soup pot over medium heat; add celery, onion and garlic. Cook,stirring, until tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in our to make a smooth paste. Slowly whisk in oyster liquor and cream. Heat until just boiling. Add parsley and oysters.Add salt andpeppers to taste. Serve hot.
Nutrition information: Per serving: 253 calories, 68% of calories from fat, 19 gfat, 12 g saturated fat, 74 mg cholesterol, 15 g carbohydrates, 6 g protein, 270 mgsodium, 1 g ber MCT
40 February 2012 | the VIPmag.com
Mouthwatering Seafood or Steaksound tempting?
Floyd’s is all about food anyseafood or steak lover would enjoy.
Offering additional entrees to satisfy the most discerning palette.
Happy Hour4PM-7PM
2290 10 South at Washington Blvd. • (409) 842-0886
inner reservations and owers are de rigueur on Valentine’s Day, but how can you provide something
beyond the expected to surprise your sweetheart? Our Valentine’s gift list covers all the acceptable op-
tions (you will note no vacuum cleaners or other reminders of domestic responsibilities) with a little air.
10 tat t pamp mn pcia
f or her
Lollia Bath & Body A little luxury for your lady! She’ll lovethe elegant packaging and vintage styleof these cremes, gels, salts, candles andfragrances. Scents include romantic titlessuch as In Love, Breathe and Wish.Thegraceful bottle of Breathe Tranquil BubbleBath made Oprah’s magazine’s “O List”favorites earlier this year. Budget-friendlyprices for individual pieces or assemble acollection for the full layered effect. Findthese gorgeous products at the FlagshipMailrooms in Beaumont and Nederland.
Skinnygirl WhiteCranberry CosmoThe candy industrymay advertise hard atValentine’s Day, butreally guys, most of usgirls are counting thosecalories. Skinnygirlcocktails appreciate agirl’s dilemma and haveproduced several deli-cious bottled alcoholicdrinks, including sangriaand margarita, in lo-cal.White Cranberry Cosmocomes in at under 100calories per 4 ounceserving. Mixed withvodka, Triple Sec, whitecranberry juice, citrusand lime, your sweetiewill say “yum!” Pick upa bottle at Debb’s Liquorin Beaumont.
Hanky Panky ThongsSometimes buying lingerie for your honey istricky business for men because of the delicatequestion of correct size. Not so with Hanky
Panky! These truly comfortable and sexy thongscome in one-size ts all from 4-14. Go with lacyoriginal rise and all you have to pick is the color!(If your babe has less than a 4 or more than a14 booty, there are simple sizes for you, too!)Check out the whole collection at Dillard’s.
Latin Dancing LessonsSo sexy! She will be surprised and thrilled when you sign up for a four-week beginners’ session at City Dance Center in Beaumont. Learn thebasics of salsa dancing together and within a month, you will be comfort-able showing your new moves off at a salsa club. For $100 for two, youcan ensure many fun date nights ahead.
f or herJewelryLadies do love a little bling for any occasion, but especially Valentine’sDay. Share your heart with hugely popular James Avery sterling silverpieces. Individualized charm bracelets and necklaces are all the rage.James Avery makes sterling silver charms and handmade art glassbeads. If you are looking for something new and unique, visit PurseStrings in Beaumont, the exclusive location for the Love Heals line of
jewelry.Assemble a personalized piece from the selection of charms,chains and earring hoops. Love Heals plants ten trees throughGreener Ethiopia for every piece sold. They also make a donation toautism research for every piece sold from their “Hope” design line.
What I Love About YouThis sweet book by David andKate Marshall is like “Mad Libs”for adults. Perfect for any stageof the relationship, but greatfor long-term couples lookingto remember all the reasonsthey picked each other. Thisll-in-the-blank book gets youthinking with evocative open-
ended statements such as “Imissed you when…” or “One ofyour most irresistible physicalfeatures is…” It’s an inexpen-sive gift that will refresh yourmemories and your romance ina fun way. Find it at Barnes & Noble in Beaumont.
f or h imMasculine ScentsThe sense of smell has been proven to be themost emotionally evocative of the ve senses.Smells can invoke memories, affect mood and
cause sexual arousal. Selecting a men’s fra-grance is a gift as much for you as it is for him.Help him nd a signature scent that appealsto both of you by sampling thecologne options together. Finda large selection of top-of-the-line men’s products at Dillard’s. Acqua Di Gio by Giorgio ArmaniFor Men remains one of the topfragrance picks again this year.
Getaway at the Elegante A vacation getaway is high on your man’s list of how to relax and enjoytime with you – alone, no kids! There is an ideal overnight option right intown with the MCM Elegante’s Valentine’s Getaway Package for the nightof Feb. 11, the Saturday before Valentine’s Day. Begin the evening with acomplimentary drink at the Tradewinds Tavern, and then retire to your luxuryroom staged for romance. (A limited number of rooms also have whirlpool
tubs). Find rose petals artfully scattered, chocolate-dipped strawberries inthe fridge along with two half bottles of Verdi spumante, and two champagneutes lled with chocolate kisses. Sleep late with the advantage of latecheckout, and then hop down to Starbucks for two complimentary pick-me-ups. A breakfast buffet for two at Hemingway’s Café is included in the pack-age, with two free champagne mimosas after 11 a.m. Separate from thepackage but a nice option to consider is booking your dinner at TradewindsTavern, which will have a special Valentine’s menu offered.
Bico Australia PendantsCharm him with masculineand handsome Bico Australia pendants thatnot only look good butsymbolize various mean-ings. The line was createdby two Aussie surfers whowanted “cool” jewelry formen. Their inspiration forthe designs comes fromthe tribal tattoos of theMaoris of New Zealand.
For example, the “mnugni”pendant’s meaning is“fatherly, protective.” Thependants are sold exclu-sively by Kizmet Studios inGroves.
Raos Bakery BonanzaWhat’s that old saying about thekey to a man’s heart? Somethingyummy for his tummy will make yourman sigh with pleasure. Rao’s hassome delicious Valentine’s treatsthat include a gorgeous Chocolate
Lovers “Cake for Two” — layers ofmoist chocolate cake and fudge icingtopped with strawberries in a size(and price) designed for a couple’streat. For a lighter avor experience,consider the Napoleon heart, a heart-shaped puff pastry lled with Bavar-ian cream topped with strawberriesand a drizzle of white chocolate.
nd
photography courtesy of busi-nesses and by silvia c. mcclain
Taste of the TriangleFebruary21 A must for area food-lovers,featuring tastes from arearestaurant and beveragecompanies. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at
Ford Park. Tickets are $20 generaladmission, available at fordpark.com or by calling (409) 951-5400. VIP tickets (enter at 5 p.m.) $150for two people, available by calling(409) 892-2752
Boomtown Film andMusic FestivalFebruary24-25 Annual showcase of someof the hottest independent
lms and local musical acts,held at multiple locations
around Beaumont. For the latestinformation on venues and events
website at http://boomtownfestival.com/category/lms
great dates in february
Golden TriangleHeart BallFebruary11Dining, dancing, live andsilent auctions andannouncement ofthe Dr. J.C. Crager Award winners. 7p.m. to midnight at the HolidayInn and Suites, Beaumont. Forreservations, call (409) 550-1753or go to www.americanheart.org/ goldentriangleheartball
Mr. Habitat 2012February25 Annual fundraiser for Habitatof Humanity of JeffersonCounty, where 10 leadingmen of Beaumont vie for theprestigious gold hammer andhard hat during three gruellingrounds of competition. Think
of it as a beauty pageant forsome of the area’s hottest men.Individual tickets, $45. 6:30to 10:30 p.m., Holiday Inn,Beaumont.
Mardi Gras of Southeast TexasFebruary16-19Downtown Port Arthur. Parades,concerts, children’s activities, carnival
rides and games, food and more.(409) 721-8717 or www.mardigras.portarthur.com.
Event SubmissionsDo you have an event you would like to promote? Do it with VIP for FREE! Please send us details—dates, times, location, contact phone, web address
and a brief description—to [email protected] should arrive at least 60 days in advance of the event.
Thursday Feb. 16
Festival grounds open 5 to 10 p.m.
4:45 p.m.: Courir du Mardi Gras Parade6 p.m.: Longneck Road in concert8 p.m.: Joel Martin Project in concert
Friday, Feb. 17
6 p.m. to midnight
7 p.m.: Valero Krewe of Krewes Parade7 p.m.: Geno Delafose and FrenchRockin Boogie in concert10 p.m.: Kevin Fowler in concert
Saturday, Feb. 18
Noon to midnight
1 p.m.: Krewes Royalty March3 p.m.: Jivin’ Gene Bourgeois and theKen Marvel Band in concert5:30 p.m.: Motorcycle Showcase Parade5:30 p.m.: Leroy Thomas & the ZydecoRoadrunners in concert6 p.m.: Total Krewe of Aurora Parade8:30 p.m.: Champagne Room in concert10 p.m.: Stoney Larue in concert
Sunday, Feb. 19
Noon to 8 p.m.
2 p.m.: Munchkin Parade3 p.m.: Ryan Foret and Foret Traditionconcert4 p.m.: Richard Industrial Group Motor
As the Academy Awardsapproach, I amreminded of the firstmovie I saw in a theater– the movie I hate morethan any other.
It was the summer of 1975 in Jackson, Mis-
sissippi, and my mother took me to see “TheApple Dumpling Gang”. Oh, you rememberthis classic starring Don Knotts, Tim Conway,
Bill Bixby (pre-The Incredible Hulk) and SlimPickens.
“A simple tale of three orphaned siblingsforced upon conrmed bachelor Donovanin a 19th century boom town of Quake City,CA. After an earthquake shakes the area, thechildren nd a large gold nugget worth tens of thousands of dollars. As you can guess, theirnewfound wealth caused more problems than itwas solving, so they agree to ‘give’ the gold totwo bumbling outlaws. Unfortunately, the onlyway they can get the gold is to steal it fromthe bank vault where it’s being held for safekeeping.”
Really, who hasn’t gone through this.But rst, let’s start by reminiscing on the
good ol’ days of movie watching: You know,where you sat on seats of red, itchy fabric that
was somewhere between terry cloth and sand-paper, and more than likely, carried ringworm.
Do you remember the design of these the-aters? The seats were more or less one in frontof the other, but the oors had a wave-likepattern where the oor would slightly slopedownward. I thought this was an attempt tocreate better sight lines for the patrons, but afriend, who worked in a movie theater during this time, said the main reason for the slopewas to push trash and spilled drinks to thefront for cleaning.
Of course, I disputed his position becauseI don’t remember the theaters ever being clean. My trips through the aisles were similarto walking to my house the rst time afterHurricane Rita and asking myself what andwhere did all of the strange debris come from.
Incidentally, the theaters were cleaned withthe same excitement and passion of FEMA.Someone would eventually clean, but you don’tknow when.
Back to the summer of 1975, I am 5 yearsold and venturing to this cinematic potpourriof entertainment with my mother, paternalgrandmother and a cousin whose name may
have been Lou Ellen. (Really, in Jackson inthe early 1970s, you would expect my femalecousin to have two rst names. )
After buying our tickets, we proceededto the concession stand to purchase a vat of popcorn and a soda. To this day, I rememberthe butter on my popcorn. Why do I rememberit? It was actual butter, not the strange orange-hued liquid made from benzene and milk that
they put on your popcorn today. It was butter.How do I know this? There was a gigantic drippan with a slab of butter slowly melting into apitcher. Yes, a pitcher of butter.
Now, I am not sure if this was part of a co-vert plan to actually kill the children of Missis-sippi, but that was how it was done. Of course,we got butter, and I remember the concessionworker pouring it in the same manner peoplepour syrup on pancakes in the Aunt Jemimacommercials. Afterwards, she licked her n-gers. Even in my early childhood development,I knew this was wrong.
Now, we ventured into the theater for the2 p.m. showing. This was the second or thirdshowing of the day, and the theater now re-sembled downtown Beirut in the early 1980s.
After climbing over piles of discarded
popcorn buckets, empty soda cups and candywrappers, we found a seat that my mother andgrandmother found acceptable. I remembermy grandmother carefully putting napkinsdown on the seat for me to sit. She was obvi-ously concerned about my wellbeing – or so Ithought. Soon the theater was packed and myrst theater experience began.
About 30 minutes into the movie, mymother asked if I needed to use the restroom,I said “no”, so my mother and Lou Ellen wentwithout me. A few minutes later, I realized thatI did need to use the facilities, so I asked mygrandmother to take me or I as I like to refer toit – I made the greatest mistake of my life.
My grandmother refused and had me uri-nate in an empty soda cup in a sold out movietheater.
Before you judge me, remember, I am veyears old. I assumed this was acceptable prac-tice. I nished without any protest or groans of
shock from the other theater patrons. (Theseidiots would actually leave the theater to usethe restroom. Not me. Necessity is the motherof invention, and my grandmother was not go-ing to miss a second of this cinematic master-piece. She just placed the lid on the cup, andwe continued watching the movie as if nothing out of the norm had occurred. Soon my motherand cousin returned, and they were no wiser.
Some time later, during the movie, mygrandmother, quite audibly, yelled an expletive.Now, my grandmother was not one to swearunless the situation truly called for it. Herswear words of choice usually ran in the PGvariety. But, at this moment, she had deviatedand gone full PG-13. Why? My grandmotherkicked over the cup of urine, and it was begin-ning its slow descent to the front of the theater.
Alarmed by her mother-in-law’s outburst, mymother said, “I can get you another drink.” Towhich my grandmother replied, “That’s notSprite.”
For years, I would use this expressionto describe something very disturbing. Forexample, statement: “I don’t have a date forprom.” Response: “That’s not Sprite.” State-ment: “My car won’t start.” Response: “That’snot Sprite.” This might have been some type of coping mechanism on my part.
Later, once my parents realized what hadhappened, I was informed that it wasn’t ap-propriate to urinate in an empty soda cup ina movie theater even if Slim Pickens is on thesilver screen. My parents made me promisethat I would never do this again. I am proud tosay, surprisingly, I have kept this promise to
my parents.My grandmother and I never discussed that
day.So as you are watching the Academy
Awards this year, you can argue over what thebest picture is, but, remember, the worst movieever made is “The Apple Dumpling Gang.” It’snot Sprite.
