Spring Forward with the Ratliffs 2019
Happy Easter!
Well it’s been another year since our last letter and video. We hope it has been a good one – we know for many of you that it has because we’ve been in touch with you. Tricia continues her work as an assistant principal at Chinquapin Preparatory School (8 years now; and Alan is the current school board chairman) and Alan keeps doing expert witness work in big business litigations for StoneTurn (14 years now).
This year’s video is in 4 distinct segments (for those who are more interested in shorter segments) plus a master video. Our annual letter below is organized along those segments.
Rockin & Rollin
It was a good year for us and live music. Just enjoy the music and the photo and video clips! Clips include hip hop artist CardiB (but at the Houston Rodeo where it is usually country music, and she set an attendance record!), rapper Drake, Beyonce & Jay-Z, Elton John’s final tour (including photos of us posing at his piano on stage before the show; Alan saw him perform live for the 1st of 15 times back in 1981), the Chris Robinson Band (the brothers from the Black Crowes), and some heavy rocking with a light show from Seether.
Fun in the Sun, Sports & More
We had a good year for travel though no big international trips and mostly to places we’d been (and you’ve seen phots of) before. Photos from Lake Tahoe, St. Helena (in Napa Wine Country) where we enjoyed the wine train with a 4 course dinner and stops at wineries for tastings between each course (before attending the wedding of one of Alan’s colleagues nearby), dinner riverside in Sedona, goofing round in Daytona and, a first for us, Astros Spring Training in Palm Beach.
Following Spring Training are photos of the Astros’ 2017 World Series’ rings on the owner’s wife’s, team president’s, and Alan’s hand (thanks to their head of HR, Vivian Mora), and Alan “backing up” Astros hurler Lance McCullers at the BARC Foundation rescue dog walk. From there, onto our Baylor Bears football head coach Matt Rhule and Alan with Texan JJ Watt. Finally, as we start the 2019 NBA playoffs, we reflect back on the Rockets 2018 playoff series against the eventual champion Warriors…sooooo close…but no ring. The rematch is imminent! Up close photos from our seats of Warriors Kevin Durant, Stef Curry, Klay Thompson and coach Steve Kerr. Also some photos from a recent fundraiser for single parent children hosted by Rocket center Clint Capella and friends including teammate PJ Tucker.
The Stars Come Out at Night
We had a chance to go to New York a couple times for some TV shows and Broadway plays. The coolest seats we had were at a table on stage at the play Network (based on a 1970’s-era movie) starring Bryan Cranston where we dined and were part of the “set” which included a restaurant that some the characters frequented during the show. The video shows the stage and audience from our vantage point. We also saw the musical The Band’s Visit, a great story about different cultures finding common ground after an Egyptian marching band, scheduled to play at the grand opening of a new Arab center in the town of Petah Tikvah, shows up instead at a Jewish Israeli town Bet Hatikva based on a miscommunication at the train ticket counter. It was 2018’s leading Tony award winner including Best Musical. We got to go on stage with one of the cast after the show because some of the executive producers were from Houston.
Other photos include Alan with ex-Daily Show host Jon Stewart (and Dave Chappelle whom Stewart toured with) as well as pictures of us backstage with Samantha Bee at her show Full Frontal, and of Stephen Colbert’s Late Show marquis (both Bee and Colbert are former Daily Show cast members). On the Late Show, the guests were actress Laura Linney and newsman Jake Tapper, and the musical guest was British pop star Dua Lipa; but no pictures in the theatre! We also saw the play A Man for All Seasons about Sir Thomas More and we saw actor Jeff Daniels in To Kill a Mockingbird where, to our surprise, the Clintons showed up (and created quite a stir).
Back in Houston we got to see former Miss America and movie, recording and theater star Vanessa Williams twice at local benefits and Frozen soundtrack (and Wicked and Rent) star Idina Menzel. Those events raised well over a $1 million for youth theater education.
Friends & Family
Last but not least, photos of some friends and family, including nephew Jack in theater and sports poses, as well as with Uncle Al at Halloween dressed as Napoleon Dynamite to Uncle Al’s Uncle Rico, niece Vivian having fun with an entertainer, with her Granny and Papa (Tricia’s parents Carolyn and Larry), at a Saints game with Aunt T and Granny, and doing really good swimming!, Alan’s brother David with Jon Stewart and Dave Chappelle, photos from the wedding of life-long friends Kelley and Lyle Nicholson’s son Jordan to Kathleen, Baylor friends at the annual football dinner, Texans game, and a local musical, Tricia’s sister Amy and brother-in-law Dan at a Saints game we all went to right before Christmas (before they got robbed of going to the Super Bowl!), good friends Randy and Dawn Wilson (5 year cancer survivor and still going strong!), and our house decorated for Christmas!
We hope to see you in Houston and will let you know if we come your way. We are blessed to be able to do all these fun things, many of which are connected to charities we support through events, scholarships and silent auction purchases, and most of which are focused on education. Keep in touch and come see us!
Alan & Tricia
Spring into 2019 with the Ratliffs!
