Maker Faire

This weekend was Maker Faire. Don't worry, I'd never heard of it either. It was basically a fair highlighting and celebrating the artistic expression of scientists and engineers. Long story short, so many geeks, so little time. The attractions were many and diverse, like art cars, including one literally covered with in-sync 'Billy the Large-mouth Bass' dancing fish and lobsters, one of which was the conductor on a raised, telescoping platform keeping the beat for such hits as "Age of Aquarius" and "Bohemian Rhapsody". Taste in motion, let me tell you. There was a farmers market section, an indoor section full of books and do-it yourself science and craft projects, a barn full of sculpture and crafts exhibits, and an arena with a cage for robot combat and a Tesla coil show. There were giant kites and sculpture bikes, as well, by Austin Bike Zoo. Some were seemingly, if not really straight from Burning Man, with one holding 6 riders in the shape of a snake skeleton.

Oh, and it's Texas, so I couldn't neglect to mention the meat-on-a-stick pavilion with sausage, corn dogs, and turkey legs. It's not a fair without food that would otherwise be considered completely disgusting and certainly not finger-food.

My favorite part, for purely nostalgic reasons, was the life-sized Mousetrap game. A group from San Francisco brought in the elements that made up the game in one 53' semi-trailer and set up for 4 or 5 shows a day. The only part that didn't stay true to the game was the trap itself. Myself and my friends distinctly remember the 'trap' being a cage that fell over the mouse (thus mousetrap, not cheese-crush), but for what I can only assume were actual scientific reasons, this contraption included a real 600-lb safe. We weren't sure it was real at first, there was a part of the show which included Lucky, 'the strongest boy in the world', a 3-yr old in a red muscle suit that lifted a '2-ton' barbell, heaved over to his platform by four grown men. The barbell looked a whole lot like a few plastic toy tractor tires on a dowel, but that's no fun. When the bowling ball got through to the end of the obstacle course and tripped the lever to let the 'trap' come crashing down on the cardboard box painted to look like cheese, though, the ground shook.

It was not something I ever would have heard about on my own, and probably wouldn't have been inclined to go if I had, but it was a great, intellectually stimulating way to spend a day. All that was screaming to be tempered however, so we came to our own equilibrium by spending the evening drinking beer and avoiding all things smarty-pants. Mission accomplished!

Nutty

This little one was very interested in me on my walk home the other day, which made me take notice. In the meantime I realized s/he was wearing a little leaf-skirt. Didn't seem to mind, either. Maybe s/he was analyzing my outfit choice? Although it may be a long-distance relationship (12 blocks), I may have found a deserving mate for Gus, my inquisitive gutter squirrel friend.

Speaking of nutty, life's been a whirlwind lately. No exciting, out-of-the-ordinary going's on, just minutes turning in to weeks and making my head spin. Every time I look up from my pile of work it's another Friday. I've been filling the time with lots of work and lots of play, tennis is now a weekly ritual, as soccer has been. With the Texas summer slowly but surely surrendering I'm enjoying running and being outside just that much more. Lately every time I finish a run I get a little nudge from Lance Armstrong or Paula Radcliffe thanks so my iPod telling me I've just recorded a new personal best or had my longest workout yet. I also went on my second pub-cycle, met almost all new people and had a great time.
I'm still in love with my little city, and keep finding new corners of it to hoard and savor. Each time my wonder and gratitude for being where I am overwhelm me I simultaneously wish everyone on Earth could feel this too, at some point in their lives, however fleeting. My heart still does a little dance when I hear a radio announcement for Austin, and I smile.

Out and About

I've been trying to widen my social circle lately, actively pursuing situations, places and people I wouldn't usually come in contact with. I like the friends I have, but I don't want to waste an opportunity in this place to feel like I'm a part of the community, not just living here but being of the place. Walking down the street or going to the park and seeing someone I recognize is so gratifying. My natural inertia and need for my own space and time is absolutely necessary to my sanity, but I won't allow it to keep me from doing new things. My mantra right now is that I probably won't regret doing ____, but chances are I'll regret not doing it. That's been true for everything I've tried so far here. I've pushed myself out of my element, surprised myself a number of times by doing things completely unnatural to me, but I wouldn't have changed or traded those times for anything. I guess it started with bootcamp, then the soccer team full of people I didn't meet until 5 minutes before the first game; the pick-up games at Zilker that I hope to keep up indefinitely; random social events I've tripped into and then last night with the 'Drinkstrong' pub-crawl on bikes. My friend J. Danger sent me a link to a guy's posting on Craigslist, opening his and his friends' monthly tradition to the public, and I couldn't NOT reply. It was a bit of a dare, a 'hell, why not' moment, but as the date neared I wondered at the reality of the plan-I would ride my bike to a pub to meet up with people I've never met, never spoken to, never seen, to sit around and drink beer, then ride with them to another place to do the same, 5 times total. What are they about? I wondered. Are they hard-core road riders, intent on pushing themselves and competing wherever possible? Or are they more the 'stick it to the man' types, defying automobile convention and sticking their noses up at anything square? Something in between? I didn't even know which bike to ride. But, screw it, I thought. The first bar's not far away, I can scope them out, sit with them awhile, and make an excuse or just shade between bar 1 and 2 if it came to it. Be brave, little one! Go out in the world and be part of a story! So I did. I hopped on my bike with my new, gnarly lock slung over the bars and took off the three whole blocks to the meeting place. I was nervous, didn't know how I'd find anyone, and the bar staff hadn't heard of it (thought it was a great idea, though-I may have gotten my first recruit before I even met the group). I found them eventually and they were pretty much as the posting described: 20-30 somethings, musicians for the most part with supplemental jobs that were looking to widen their social circle and spread the joy of hanging out and riding. The musician thing was intimidating-I think they were a little too cool for me there, but they invited me back and I really think they meant it. A couple of the guys kept mentioning that I must think they were so lame, and were imagining what horrible things I would say to my friends when I got out of there. I didn't understand that, and told them as much-wondering why they thought I was a huge snob, and asked if I had a completely bored, snotty look on my face. Sure, I didn't know the people, but hanging out is hanging out-it's universally casual, no? I hope they got the message that it was a new, good experience-because it was.

So...Austin

I had the perfect Austin night last night-a local radio station put on a show called "Blues on the Green" (I mean, come on, it's Austin-you know live music was involved) at Zilker Park, and it was an ideal night for it. The day started with a threat of rain but cleared as it wore on, with a slight cool breeze and just a few puffy clouds. By the time we got there it was high 80's or so-beautiful! The stars came out and so did the best of Austin. Families, preppies, hippies, women with too much plastic surgery and kids with too much weed and angst. It's sad that it's so unique in my experience to go to events in a city where there is such diversity involved. It lends a sense of community and peace to this place, though, which I relish.

The music was great, of course-I forgot to find out what band was playing but they did funky, toe-tapping blues, Little Richard covers and everything in between, seemingly flawlessly. I always forget, as a white girl, how relateable and great Blues can be. Everybody's got the Blues once in a while...

TIme Flies

I've been in Austin for over six months, now. It's become pretty familiar, I don't have to google everything before leaving the house for addresses and directions, and I've hit almost every place that are 'must-dos' for visitors and residents thanks to some great tour guides (you know who you are *wink*). No Duck Tour yet, but I'll take some tourists the next time I have visitors (ahem). I've never doubted moving down here-not for a moment. Through the job-search, the moments of loneliness, some crazy weather, a car wreck, and an almost-stolen bicycle I've always known this is the place I'm supposed to be right now.
I've had a pretty eventful 6 mos, really-not only negatives, but good things, as well-I've got a good-paying job that isn't retail, isn't awful and allows for weekends and pays for my great little apartment right downtown; I've made some great friends and continue to do so while keeping in touch with great old ones; I've done a month of boot camp, 6 weeks of soccer, 3 weeks of Spinning so far and countless runs and rides all around the city with many including a nice moment of sitting in a local park or on a bench in the city, absorbing the beautiful, unique scenery. Last weekend I rode down a new (to me) trail just off Town Lake and stumbled upon the public pool I've heard so much about which is actually just an enclosed section of the stream, with people in- and outside the fence sunbathing, playing, wading and generally enjoying a hot Austin day. It was a very Austin scene, actually-dozens of kids in underwear, preppies sunbathing and flirting, hippies getting stoned-all in a 100-foot length of stream.

One thing that's been interesting to me is navigating in this new place. I've always had a great sense of direction, but it's hard to understand what cues even your own brain is using to get you around. Sometimes it's landmarks-going back to NYC in 2002 was disorienting because there were no twin towers to lead you South from all points in Manhattan. Sometimes it's just a feeling-your brain has tracked the turns you've made, or from which direction you've come, and you just feel your orientation to certain things whether you're inside or out. What I've noticed here, though, that I didn't expect, is how much general weather patterns have to do with it. In the Midwest weather moved from NW to SE. Period. Here, though, clouds run due North from the Gulf, and my brain specifically tagged that as strange. Just after moving everything was foreign, like being on vacation. My territory was only a mile or so in diameter, and I knew not to try to absorb much outside of that for a while, or I'd forget things. As that became mundane, I've spread out and now know how to get to nearly every area of town by major thoroughfares, and basically what they'll look like when I get there. The weather systems were just one of those categories of things that I had to systematically get used to. It's still so strange to hear that the city is preparing for Edouard, the tropical storm/hurricane coming in from the Gulf. Oh, and all you folks up there living in the mugginess that is the Midwest-you're right-it's NOT the heat, it is the humidity. I never adapted to summer up there, but here I'm out at all times of the day slightly sweaty, but not miserable. You can actually feel the breeze when the air's not saturated with 95-degree water!

My New Arsenal

I've been walking all week since the attempted bike theft incident. Every time I set out I wish it were on my bike-I wish I were the type that could let things like that roll off my back without taking it the least bit personally. It's not like the slimeball that tried to take it was thinking about how I'd feel, and how will he feel when I've distanced myself from it enough to ride it again? Will he chuckle at the situation, shrug and keep going, or will it be a challenge for him to get it back, to think about my face as I walk out and realize it's worked this time? Or, am I giving even that too much thought? Reality is he probably cased it for a while, built up his nerve and has since forgotten the bike itself, if not the crazy story. I won't be using the same racks, and I'll probably lock it up in different spots everyday now, but I think I'll always hold my breath as I turn the corner in anticipation of seeing it.
I rode down to Lance's shop today and had a look at their selection, and picked out a gnarly combo of 'bike cuffs' and a cable that should be extremely difficult if not impossible to cut through, and even if it were freed from the post, would make it unrideable. All I can hope for is for the guy to think it's too much of a pain in the ass, I guess. I've also saved my serial number and checked with the insurance company to make sure it's covered in the meantime.
Of course I keep thinking 'why?'. Was he desperate for transpo, or cash from the pawn shop? Was it a junkie or a family man? Should I feel the pity I do, the guilt for having nice things that other people want to take?
My active hatred for retail employment had dulled until this incident. Watching people steal or return things they had obviously stolen shook me to the core while working retail, and made me angrier than anything I've encountered. The entitlement of the individual, and yet the flaws in the society that made them was stupefying. The fact that they all looked different than myself and I could see them coming, profiling them, made me feel guilty, angry and bitter towards the world, and I never wanted to feel that way again. Austin's not utopia, I knew that, but it just seems like the friendliness you encounter everyday, the sense of community, would prevent some of the mundane ugliness you see in other cities. I don't want to doubt, I don't want to have to think like a criminal to prevent suffering in my life. Reality sucks.

Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Happy

So I keep thinking of things in my simple, quiet life that bring me so much joy, but they're things you have to really pay attention in order to notice. I'll call them miniature joys. I've decided to try adding one a week on this page, so hold me to it. I'm a pretty observant person, so I could post one everyday, but I think we all know that's an unrealistic goal.
One thing I really like about myself is that I have always noticed little things around me and gotten a great deal of peace from those things. I need that time to be quiet, inside my head, and without it I feel myself falling into a sort of mania brought on by over-stimulation and manifested in a very grumpy, lazy attitude. Cartoons used to do it-my parents will tell you.
I like to hear the little things others notice that I may not have ever thought about, so I guess this is my way of opening a little advent-calendar window on my thought processes that might make someone else notice a miniature joy in their life. Enjoy.