Houston -- no problem

Just getting back to the West Coast following the SND conference and a few days driving for around East and Central Jesus, Texas.

Was very busy during the conference and didn't get to nearly as many sessions as I had hoped to. But a couple of highlights for me:

• President's Night at the Continental Club. I probably should have hosted something a little more high class, but I can't pull that off. This was a beer joint with a loud, live band of Chronicle folks serving up some native Texas music. A lot of fun. Most people headed out to dinner when our part ended at 8 p.m. Those who stayed got to see Matt Erickson and Kevin Wendt do live karaoke with Molly and the Ringwalds and totally rock the house with Sweet Child of Mine.

• Stan Tiner's presentation at the luncheon about the Biloxi's paper heroic efforts to publish after Katrina was heartfelt (and, at times, heartbreaking) and inspiring.

• The view from the bar on the 24th floor of the Hilton, which was spectacular. Good thing since we were up there so much. My bar bill on the last night was $800 -- no food, just drinks. That was solid. Guess it's good for the Tribune company that I left before I could try and slip that through.

• The whole Saturday night shindig... the group hug with my former LATimes teammates Joe Hutchinson and Michael Whitley... Matt Mansfield and Denise Reagan were great anchors for the SND News Desk, the Stephanie Grace Lim dancers were huge fun and I was incredibly honored to be able to hand out SND Lifetime Achievement Awards to George Rorick and Nanette Bisher. Jonathan Berlin, Whitley, Bryan Volk, Pai and T-Shirt Carter made a lot of it happen as well; and, of course, Sir Grimwade and the Cajun Critiquer.

• There are lots of photos floating around out there. I'll try and link you to some soon (as soon as I can figure out which set contains the fewest of them with me looking like I'm completely "in my cups"). My thanks to the Houston Chronicle and all the Texas and Oklahoma journalists who pitched in (Chris Morris and Bill Bootz, a tip of the 10-gallon hat to you). But mostly to Susan Bischoff and Kellye Sanford who did more to make this happen than any two humans should have to...

• And the city of Houston, of course. A few years ago when the conference was announced for Houston a few folks got to witness a rather characteristically obsenity-laced rant over a pint or two (one even has a video burst, which is appropriately named). But that's because I hadn't been to Houston since 1977 -- a trip that fairly convinced me there was no reason to ever come back. I mean the highlight was the bar band at the Holiday Inn: Bev and the Bevettes. But I took a quick trip back to make peace with the city and found someplace totally different and way more interesting and vibrant that I'd imagined it could have become. And now, like several of the great cities of the world, at least two of my favorite top 25 bars/joints are right there -- La Carafe and the Alabama Ice House with Continental Club right on their boot heels.