Should we be concerned with scary weather and a plague of snails?

If you have children enrolled at Preston Center Dance, you know parking can be tricky and the simple drop-off totally insane. Two reasons for the chaos:

1. Moms totally halt traffic flow by coming to a stop in the street for drop off, making it almost impossible to get around them without heading into oncoming traffic. This also puts the super self-centered driver behind cars parked legally, blocking them from backing out. Some of those moms even linger while they visit with friends.
2. It is common practice to use the curve along curb in the lot next to the studio for drop off becuase there is direct access to the sidewalk leading to the front door. Cars generally line up to let kids out there, it’s kind of an unofficial queue lane. However, lately a few moms have turned that area into a parking space, taking away the only safe place for a quick drop off.

But the other day I was in luck because with only one car in front of me, I saw two spots side by side. Cha. Ching. All those suckas behind me wish they were 30 seconds earlier to this good fortune. The car ahead gets one, I get the other, right? Well, it would have worked that way if she hadn’t used both spaces. I don’t make this stuff up, people. She parked over the white line, got out of her car, and went inside. True. Story.

1. If your birthday is April 25, you’re not alone. Also celebrating today: Al Pacino (71) and Renee Zellweger (42). Are you sitting down? Because this will make you feel old: Babies born on April 25, 1990 can get liquored up today. Legally.

2. WARNING: buy lunch meat today. Tomorrow is TAKS time again and HPMS VP (as in Vice Principal) Richard Bohac is serious this time. Between us- I think he reads this blog. If you forget to send your kid with a lunch, he’ll send some icky cafeteria tray to the classroom. No deliveries.

3. How about a little Van Gogh to brighten your morning? Crème de la Cookie doesn’t miss the opportunity to accessorize- now your coffee comes wrapped in a famous work of art. Part drink, part museum.

1. Apparently, Ke$ha is coming to SMU April 28. Tickets are already sold out, but if you see a bus leaking glitter and Jack Daniels on Hillcrest, now you know why.

2. Parents looking for a good deal (and an opportunity to help HPISD) should head to A-List Dallas, one of the newest Groupon/Living Social clones to clog inboxes around the country. Between April 15 and 25, A-List will donate 33 percent of purchased Park Cities-area gift certificates to HPISD. Visitors will have the chance to select a specific school or HPISD as a whole.

Businesses include: Mattito’s, Al Biernat’s, La Fiorentina, Coastal Dive Cuisine, Dr. Delphinium, City Cafe, Facelogic, Kathleen’s Sky Diner, Rex’s Seafood, Acodoro Pomodoro, dentist Sarah Tevis Poteet, and St. Bernard’s Sports.

3. The town of Highland Park’s Public Safety Committee will meet Wednesday to discuss, among other things, the purchase of three external defibrillators. The $7,435 expenditure means three of the machines, scattered at different town facilities.

At my last paper we wrote a story about how an external defibrillator saved a dude’s life after he collapsed while balling at the local Y. Seems like a worthwhile investment.

Prior to the University Park Preschool Association’s Spring Market earlier this month, the following e-mail (forwarded by a reader) went out to committee members. It sounds fun. In a super twisted kind of way. I wonder, is this a typical thing or a Parkie phenomenon?

Please join the Spring Market Committee & Panther Cub team for a fun night of wine, work, massage and beauty!

Enjoy a glass of wine while we assemble candy and shopping bags – your sneak peek at some of the goodies coming your way! We have 800 Spring Market shopping bags and lots of candy cups to stuff, so we really need all hands on deck (like anyone needs another reason to party). Please come by — even if you can only stay a bit!

 Chair massages will be available by the “Amazing Clarissa”, who can get all those knots out of your neck and shoulders.

 UPPA’s own Dr. Louba Laurie will be on hand to do Dysport the longer lasting alternative to Botox.

Pricing:

Frown area (between eyebrows): $175-$225

Forehead area: $100-$150

Eye area: $175-$225 includes both eyes

These prices are discounted. The price depends on the amount used. I use Dysport which, unofficially, works faster and lasts longer than Botox, and I have found the patients are usually more satisfied.

Dr. Laurie will need a head count as well as the areas you desire to be injected.

If you want to have Dr. Laurie work on you please email [e-mail address].

A little boy wears his father’s motorcycle helmet and jacket as they walk hand in hand to the parking lot outside Wilkerson-Sanders Memorial Stadium in Rockwall after watching the District 10-4A track and field meet.

The 11^th annual Rise and Shine 5K Walk and Run will be held Sunday, April 17^th at Reverchon Park.  The event will include a 5K walk and run, The Johnny Stallings 1K Fun Run, a petting zoo, free food and drinks, and many more family friendly activities for anyone participating.  The festivities begin at noon, and the Post-Race Party kicks off at 1:45pm.  All proceeds from the run will directly benefit the children who attend The Rise School of Dallas.  For more information, and to sign up, click here.

It seems funny when it’s not your year but when you have a 4th grader in HPISD, your spring is dedicated to mom skit prep. A few years ago I experienced my first skit and now it’s that time again. My group is working hard, it’s cute. And I was feeling pretty good until a rumor started to circulate.

I heard my group is gonna get crushed by a princess and her peeps. Word around is town is that they have a choreographer and practice in a dance studio. In leotards.

Game. On. Sistas.

So I went to the same pharmacy last night to pick up a prescription. The employee couldn’t find the order at first and went through the bin marked by first letter of last name. On his second time through, he read the names-out loud-of each patient with medication waiting in the bin. But that, and the fact that confidential information is still inches from every customer approaching the counter, seems only a very minor privacy violation compared to what happened next.

I asked a question and, as part of the answer, the pharmacist printed something for me and told me to send it to my doctor’s office to show what the pharmacy records indicate. When I got home I noticed he had given me a list of 9 orders currently in queue, including names of patients, the medication prescribed and how much the individual would pay. Seriously. I redacted the patient names, but if you want to see how the HIPAA thing is going down at the CVS in Snider Plaza, click here.

UPDATE: From Mike DeAngelis, public relations director for CVS.

Hi Merritt, we will look into this immediately.  The behavior you describe is not in keeping with our policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance to HIPAA regulations.  Is this store in Dallas or a nearby town? Can you provide me the street name (or the store number if you have your receipt) so that we can identify the store and address this matter asap, thanks.

I gave him the information he asked for. Now, I still have a prescription to pick up. Anyone want to do that for me?

Ha! I can go to Northpark Mall and Dez Bryant can’t.  Finally, a tangible reward for keeping my pants up.