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.

KICK ASS!

Supreme Court Rules Death Penalty Is 'Totally Badass'

This Onion Makes My Eyes Water...

Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency

We Didn't Lose!

We played our season-ending double-header last night, and had one rough game and one downright fun one. The first was against 'Your Mom', and I must say, MY mom never shoved me with a flat hand as I was walking away, but I guess people have different experiences growing up. The guys were aggressive but respectful, the girls were downright nasty. We lost, but only gave up a couple the first half, and our defense was a brick wall the second. We've officially decided that not only are we a second-half team, we're a second game team, because it all came together two fields over and 5 minutes after the first game. Our defense was rock-solid, our offense was passing and staying open for each other as if we'd drilled ourselves silly (in reality a weekly practice session never quite gelled). Although we got a goal for the other team (which was a beautiful directional-header straight into our net, oops), we ended in a tie. Had the ref actually known the league rules beforehand, we would have won, but don't get me started.

It was a short, painful, ugly season with a few glorious seconds thrown in, and I can't wait to do it again. If motivated, I have at least 3 chances a week to play el juego bonito, and a team that beat us wants to form a conglomerate to take over the world of super-social league soccer. Watch for us America, the as-of-yet unnamed team is coming straight for your nets!

This Week's Soccer Game:

I don't want to talk about it.

GOOOOOOOOoooaaal!

I actually got to see exactly this up close and personal last night. What a good feeling. We still got pummeled, but I got the only goal for our team, and it was a beauty.

Gold takes it to the outside, pushes up-Red tries to defend but can't get their
feet on it. The goalie, frustrated, comes out of the box for a save
and..MISSES! Mario crosses right in front of the net and it's...TAPPED IN
BY AMANDA!! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOaaall! GOOOOOOOooooaaaal!!!! Beautiful
teamwork.

Looks like I'll be playing forward more often, well, for our last 3 games. I highly doubt we'll make it to the playoffs with our 0-3 record, but I'm starting to actually have fun out there even while losing miserably. I am taking on a Cubbie-like attitude, looking to our future seasons for success.

At one point I was laughing so hard I could hardly see because my teammate (Mario, that got the assist) was teasing a girl on the other team who kept squealing every time she had the ball and anyone got near her. He would yelp, or bark, or something, and from the other end of the field I'd hear "EEeek! Eeek!" It was hilarious. It reminded me of the time in high school on my indoor team that a girl on the other team tried to psych me out on a free kick by doing a little 'ooga-booga' dance in front of me. I just laughed, looked back at her and did the same thing back-even the audience of parents was laughing. I never understood what she thought I would do.

Onward, fellow footy lovers, and hopefully upward.

Ouch

So, our record is now 0-2. BUT, we got twice the goals we had the week before. We're closing the gap, and this week we play another winless team. What that means to me is that next week it won't even be funny anymore, and I'll start taking our suckiness pretty personally. The second half was the best for us this week, we had a good goalie and I got my foot on the ball for a couple of nice clears and we didn't allow any goals that half.
The news for this week's game is that I'm going to try out a forward position. I hopped up there the first game because I thought no one would know what they were doing, so when I realized they really did, I dropped back to my defensive comfort zone for that game and the next. It's becoming ever clearer, however, that we might need to make some goals to have a chance to win, and I cringe at our team's lack of ball control up front. It's great that they can run, but if they can't pass to get out of a sticky situation or get their foot on the ball long enough to shoot, we don't have much of a chance. SO, I'm going to give it a shot, pun intended. I don't think I can totally humiliate myself, and some good might come of it. 'Girl goals' get two points to boy's one, and slide-tackling is illegal, so if it hurts, it probably won't need medical attention. Yeah, the whole double-standard thing could be a whole other post, but don't get me started. One of our goals last week got revoked because a female hadn't touched the ball before it crossed midfield. Yeah. Or...we could be grown-ups.

More 'Bad News' next week, I'm sure. I must admit, it's even fun to play when you're losing.

This was in '06!

'We Like to Kick It'

Yeah, so this was basically us last night. No, not the red guy.

We have 14 people on our team, supposedly, but all of 7 showed last night, which was promptly reduced to 6 when the ref bounced the guy with no shin guards a few seconds in to the game. Amazingly, I ended up playing forward for the first half, as I actually knew what I was doing and wasn't completely out of shape. I did my best as 'captain', which I didn't realize was my title until 5 minutes before the game. I was yelling and running my little behind off, but to no avail. We staved off the offense the first half, but with no subs on our side and constant subbing for the other team, we got worn out and gave up 4 the second. We got on the board with one textbook goal, somehow, and that felt so good.

I sent out an email updating the rest of our 'team' on our loss and sent a little guilt trip to get people to show next week. I figure if the captain has any duties besides calling the coin toss, that should be it, right? I just want to know where my fancy black arm band is.

I forgot how much fun it is to rush people and boot the ball away. "SHUT DOWN!" It's so not my personality to get a kick out of physical confrontation, but it's a passion of mine that I hope to practice for a long time. Maybe one day I could move up from "super social" to just plain "social" division. A girl can dream...

My Poor Baby!

So, I was driving home from running errands last night and was in the left-most lane of a set of two right turn only lanes. The light turned green, and I took off, almost home with my purchases and ready to settle in to a movie when I heard a huge BANG!, felt my head get jerked around, and realized my car had started fish-tailing wildly, nearly spinning into any one of the three other lanes going my direction. I had the presence of mind to correct well enough to stop without hitting anyone, sit still for a minute and get my bearings as I sat at a 45 degree angle in the lane, and slowly move over to the side of the road. I made sure the other car was pulling over, too, and got on the phone to get the police there to make a report-I was sure the damage would be catastrophic. As you can see, somehow it wasn't.
To be completely honest, it sounds prejudiced and probably is; I was a little worried when I saw a huge blonde wig emerging from the other car in the rearview. For some reason, probably due to my extensive experience in the world of drag queens, big wig=big drama. She (it was actually a woman) asked me if I was OK and told me that she had wanted to go straight-to which I observed, a little loudly, perhaps-'it was a RIGHT TURN ONLY LANE!'. I didn't call her any names, even though the pain in my head and tightness in my jaw was making me a little cranky already, not to mention the gazillion hassle-filled steps that will now be necessary to right this situation going through my throbbing head.
We (read:she) made conversation while we waited for the police and I wrote down her insurance information. She is a very VERY strict church-going lady that doesn't like how "homosexual" (she actually said that!) Houston is.
The nice young policeman arrived and was completely bored by our situation. He gave us sheets to fill out and his schpeel about how to fill them out and send them in within 10 days, adding, quite unnecessarily I think, that if you don't send them in to have a record that you were actually there nothing would happen to you. UH, sir--do you need to say that to the lady that just said this was her fault before she goes back to Houston??
Anyways, now I get to deal with insurance companies, body shops, etc. all before I go out of town, of course. In the last three weeks I've gotten minor hail damage, my a/c died in my apartment when it's been 100 degrees every day, and now this. What is the universe trying to tell me, anyway? I'm listening, gosh!

Another reason to drive sensible cars...

more funny fail pictures at FAIL Blog

I got flowers!!

Perfect.

Attack on the Domestic Savannah

This is a home video I took a while back that randomly turned out well. I hoped to edit it as a nature-esque parody, but even with no sound effects or voice-over, you get the idea.

How old am I, you ask? Why, I'm twe--holy crap.

This was my work environment today. You can't quite make out the confetti, birthday leis, miniature toys, chocolate eggs and jelly beans, but believe me when I tell you I was surrounded by mirth and junk-edible and otherwise. Surprisingly, I actually got all of my work done, but it was broken up with well-wishers, lunch at a fancy place a couple of blocks away on my coworkers, and rich, delicious cake. So, now that my bootcamp work has been tossed out the window all in one day, I'm sure I'll have a weekend of alternating moments of celebration and complete shock that I'm no longer in my twenties.

And you were there-and you, and you!

So, Wednesday night I went to bed about 11, as usual. It had been rainy and stormy all day, but I remember reading somewhere right before I went to bed that the unsettled, stormy weather had passed Austin that afternoon, so I didn't think about what the weather would be like overnight.

I woke up at 12:30 to drunks screaming in the street. This is not unusual even for a Wednesday when you live across the street from an old neglected co-op with a sign in the window that reads "House of Nuts", especially when you have to think twice about what they mean by Nuts-the delicious and nutritious pecans that litter the neighborhood and their cousins? Is it a play on the street name, which translated from Spanish means nuts? Or, is it because the people inside are...interesting, and have littered-I mean decorated- their porch and yard (I don't want to imagine the inside) with old, stained furniture, multi-colored christmas lights, newspaper dispensers (pointed toward the house), children's toys and odd, disheveled 'landscaping'? The unusual part about the screaming in the street was that it was that panicky people-won't-know-I'm-scared-if-I-make-a-joke kind of screaming. What kept me awake was the huge gust of wind and constant flashes of lightening. This was followed quickly by pure chaos. I jumped out of bed to look out the window, fascinated by the quick change of events, and soon became confused as to what to do, frightened and just a little excited. I like storms. They finally grew on me, thanks to Dad, but this one was just past the verge of being no fun at all. The rain was horizontal, and was soon followed by at least golf-ball-sized hail, which set off my car alarm and made the 'nuts' stop running around in the street. I heard a couple of "OW!"s over the din, and heard no more from them for the duration. It only lasted about 20 minutes, but felt like forever. I tried to open my door and watch out the screen door but the wind and changes in pressure were so severe that the door would get sucked closed right out of my hands. I've learned since that this was a textbook supercell storm.

I was one of the lucky ones in my apt. complex-walking through to get my mail the next day I felt shattered glass crunch under my feet and looked up to see nearly all of the windows on one side of the building cracked or broken, and the screens had hail-shaped holes in them like swiss cheese.

The walk to work the next day took half-again as long as usual, what with weaving around and jumping over limbs and debris. It's always a shame when the big old shade trees are victims of such quick, violent weather. The photos are typical of what downtown Austin will probably look like for a week or two while landscapers, auto body shops and window salesmen make a killing. The music accompanying my birthday weekend will be the droning of chainsaws.

Panda Sneezing Fit

Panda Sneeze Attack - Watch more free videos

This has to be one of the cutest things I've ever seen.

Words to live by...

I read an interesting sign today. It said: " In the Spring, at the end of the day you should smell like dirt." After boot camp I wouldn't say I smell like dirt although I'm covered with it, but I like the reminder to get outside and play, find your 'inner child' and say to hell with fashion and pride. You'll live your moments more fully and make memories rather than watching your life fly by as it inevitably does.

Awareness Test

Well, I did it. I survived my first day of boot camp, and as the instructor, um, instructed-I didn't walk.

There was quite a range of people there, it seemed like at least half were returnees, and were talking about how their butts had changed, and such. Even still, I was in at least the middle of the pack, and I think I did better than a lot of them. The tall, thin guy that looked like a natural runner was walking after 3 or 4 minutes, the 'big-boned' fella with a beer gut found every excuse to get up from the exercise and talk to the trainer about something-his shoes hurting, or form, or whatever he could think of not to just do it, and the frat-boy-with-too-much-product looked like this was just his warm-up, doing the harder versions of all of the upper-body work and smirking. Punk. He'll get his, I'm sure. I'm of the school that if you blend in, you won't get picked on, and thus made to be even more sore than you would be anyway. And you would.

We ran, sprinted, dipped, pushed and ran some more, and finished with some decent stretching. We only did the upper-body workouts, which I'm not good at. I'm scared because I think today will be lower-body and abs. Ouch. I went straight home to a glass of chocolate soy milk (studies say it's best for muscle recovery), advil and an ice bath. My heartbeat was at least as high getting into the less than 40 degree water as when I was sprinting on the track an hour earlier. It was pretty bad getting my legs in, and then realized that I had to keep going, to get my arms and shoulders (bound to be the most painful, as they're the most wimpy) under the water. I kept thinking of the Titanic, for some reason...maybe it was the ice cube or two floating by, threatening to make me crack.

I wasn't as blotto as I thought I would be. I actually had a decent dinner, did a few things around the house that didn't require lifting my arms above my head (I've adapted well to that today, also), and got my stuff ready to go back. Today. Wait-I'm paying for this...??

Boo...

Yesterday on my walk home all I found was a chewed quarter.

That's twenty-five times better than finding a chewed penny, though, I guess!

Huh...

So, today was a weird day. Good, busy-but weird.

The last few days at work have been too slow. By the time I get a fairly decent amount of work, it's time to go home, and the day feels long and dull. Today, though, there was a steady stream of work-too much, really- plus projects, issues and follow ups to do. Why is it that those things never hit your desk when you're looking for things to do?
Anyway, there was also a retirement party for a lady who's been with the firm for 22+ years. Wow. I can't imagine living in one town for that long as an adult, let alone working at the same place. I can't fathom it. She was a character-Norma was her name. I'd heard her speaking to others in the breakroom and wondered at her accent-I honestly thought she must be joking. It was one of those slow Southern drawls that people use when they're impersonating a really ignorant person, but she was witty and bright, so it seemed like she was faking it, or something. One of her former bosses was telling a story about how a group of very proper Englishmen were visiting our office and Norma offered them a drink. They accepted her offer for a glass of water so she followed up by asking if they'd like some ice. Sounds perfectly normal, but say 'ice' with a strong drawl, and you'll understand why the guest was perplexed as to what she was asking, and wondered if he should be a little offended. Keep in mind the typical accent around here goes something like this: if you live in Kyle, Tx. you'd say "Ah live in Kahl." You get the picture.
Then, when I was walking home, I found a whole robin's egg, a Japanese 10 yen piece, and two black vultures in my way on the sidewalk.
See why I love to walk?

Awww...

I'm taking a moment for some nostalgia for STL.

Wooo...WOOOooooo!

This is actually a chunk of water chestnut with a few pieces of broccoli stuck to it, but it came out of my bag of mixed veggies like this. Yes, I am easily amused, but you giggled, didn't you? I'm not the only one . Not as clever as these guys, I'll grant you that.

Sicko

I just bought myself my first big birthday present ever, and it's a little masochistic. It's a four-week, 12-session fitness boot camp to get in shape for the soccer club I plan on joining this summer. The sickest part about it is that I live in Texas. My first summer here and I'll be sweating away the evenings doing things I HATE, namely pushups, crunches and sprints. I wanted to sign up for the morning class, but I knew I'd be rushed to get to work and it would be much easier to roll over and turn off the alarm than it would be to go home after work rather than to Town Lake (which is 6 blocks from there). The inconvenience of exercise rears its ugly head once again as I try to put together the logistics of the thing-when do I eat so I'm not nauseous at the class from eating too soon before, but I'm not so shaky when I get home that I go straight to Mickey D's instead? So far I think the Jamba Juice in the lobby of my building is the answer. Another tough question-how to get home the first couple of nights when I feel like lying down and crying from the pain. I'll probably suck it up and ride my bike to work those days, so at least I'll get home faster, if more painfully.
Hey-no pain, no gain, right? ...Right?

Lonely Only

Bryan just left. He was able to visit for a month or so, and we had fun and I got to know even more of my city, doing things easier or more enjoyably done as a pair. We ate out (what a luxury!), and went on walks until late into the night, went for bike rides and watched the bats. We got things done and made the most of our time. We were weekend and weeknight warriors, living every moment rather than thinking about it. I'm glad he came and was able to stay so long, although I know I kept him here and less productive selfishly. As he drives away to his new, more productive reality, I look around thinking about the life I had before he got here, before I knew how nice it was to share this place with someone I love. I'll get back there - to the independent, selfish place that is beautifully beholden to no one - but in the meantime I'll be lonely, and a little lost. My routines will be in upheaval, and the void will be evident.
I have plans to keep myself busy, to get in shape and feel strong, and for that I'm grateful for the extra time. There will always be the empty space now though. It used to be a clean, sparse apartment with only the things I need. For now I only see surfaces where his things belong, bare and raw.
The cats don't understand. He is a friend of animals in the purist sense, knowing before they do what they need and heaping love on them from the bottomless well of his heart.
We are a family, as strange as it may seem to those on the outside, and like a loving family we'll keep each other close, even as the miles pile up between us and the climb seems too steep to bear.

Look what I got!

A screen door! My sweetie helped me put it up. This should help with the crazy Texas summer, and the few smoke signals I've inadvertently sent out while cooking.

Dr. Brule Binge

Today's blog is brought to you by Dr. Steve Brule, correspondent on 'Channel 5' news from The Tim and Eric Awesome Show on Cartoon Network. This is one of the jewels passed on to me by Laura during her visit last weekend. Needless to say we spent our time away from Dr. Steve quoting him randomly and cracking up, getting sideways glances from strangers and coworkers who have yet to bask in the glow of Steve. This random, irreverent comedy is what keeps people like Laura and I going, and without this passion of ours, it's entirely possible that Laura and I wouldn't have been any more than classmates and casual acquaintances, but we bonded over Nick Swardson and have been passing tidbits back and forth ever since.

Her visit was great; the premise was her cousin's wedding here in Austin, and she extended her stay to hang out with me and Bryan and get to know the city she'd heard so much about. We 'experienced' 6th street and had our fill about 10 minutes into the night, and found a great coffeeshop/lounge, music venues and hangouts that had much less to do with 'hooking up' than 6th st. She got to see a lot of the city and some great neighborhoods nearby, and we did our best to sell her on the place. Mostly we laughed. My cheeks kept cramping all weekend.
Here's a true story-the first time I visited, on my own on a day trip from a visit to Ft. Worth, I felt a connection to the city straight away, like I've never had with another place. As I walked around and got a feel for how music-centric it is, with event venues, posters and musicians-in-disguise (read: waitstaff) everywhere, I kept thinking I didn't understand why Laura wasn't living here already. I knew it was a place I would fit in, and I've found so many things to love about it, but the music scene is so much a part of her life, and there are shows literally every day here that she would enjoy. A lot of the weekend as she looked through papers for shows, she was having to choose between a few she'd like to see.
I am so used to meeting strangers here everyday, it would be strange but great to have someone here that I actually have a history with, that I know I can trust and rely on. If she had her way, she'd be moving here by the end of the summer (sounds exactly like me two years ago), and bringing two of her closest friends with her. Most of all, of course I hope she finds a job in a place that can make her happy and keep her loving what she's doing, but selfishly I hope she high-tails it down here!
Now, for your health, here's a lesson in non-moderation: binge on our new favorite character, Dr. Steve Brule.

Dr. Steve Brule...For Your Wine!

More Wine and Sandwiches! With Dr. Brule

How to make living alone not SO AWFUL...By Dr. Brule

Last resort Fighting

So There. Blppthpthhp.

Well, Michael, I like THIS one.

Rain, rain, stay off my toes...

I have noticed that walking to work, while a dream come true, can be overrated when the clouds fill to bursting and the wind plays tricks with your umbrella-or should I say parachute/rain-catching bowl-type apparatus. That inspired my latest attire purchase--wellies. I looked online and found Target had the best prices by half, and a bevy of color and pattern choices, so I headed out to the store. Apparently, I did so just after hundreds of like-minded Austinites. I found two pairs. Total. Luckily, one was my size, and polka-dots seem fitting.

Sprout

Although the relief isn't quite as noticeable here, where the harshest temperature I saw was 32 degrees at dawn warming to at least 40, it's still nice to see little sprouts popping up, and the pale, barely opaque baby leaves uncurling yet again on huge old gnarly trees. The birds have been chirping all along, but they seem more harmonious, less dutiful and more celebratory, somehow. I'm pretty glad that I started familiarizing myself with this new place when there was less foliage, so now I can feel my way around and recognize areas, rather than searching for street signs and peering through shrubbery for markings.  Could look a little suspicious, no?

Star struck?

'K, this is weird. I just went for a run and ended up downtown, a few blocks west on 6th street from where all the bars and shows are (fellow runners will know all about avoiding those areas on Saturday mornings), and passed a guy on the sidewalk going the other direction. I just glanced up, I was trying to lose myself in a Muse song instead of thinking about how dead my legs were from my ride last night, but for some reason I really noticed a lot about this guy. He was really tall and thin, and he was in a plain but nice black suit with a colorful (salmon, I think?) collared shirt underneath, with a black, 80's rocker mullet haircut and carrying a bottle of beer or something in a paper bag. The last bit makes it sound like he was a homeless guy, or a business man out with the boys too late, but you'd have to see him to believe what I'm about to write.
I swear it was the lead singer of The Cars.

Ahhhhhh....

I just got back from the best bike ride of my life. The day was beautiful-hot, about 94 degrees, but not humid. I wanted to get out and enjoy it, so after dinner I saddled up my Trek and headed north. I'm still finding new spots here, and I'd driven past a neat area on my way home last weekend that was too far to walk but too close to justify driving-this was my goal. I trucked up Guadalupe, past the UT campus and the buzz of South-by-Southwest, past my laundromat and a quaint, authentic-looking neighborhood pizza joint I'll have to try, and past a sports complex with stadium lights glowing in the twilight. The area I noticed was a cute, modern condo neighborhood with all sorts of new retail outlets and restaurants each with a unique, mouth-watering smell wafting out. The temperature was perfect for the diners on the patios, and the breeze carried the sounds of laughter, silverware tinkling and dogs barking as I rode slowly around in the brick-paved streets. I took the long way back, down Lamar, and finally visually confirmed where our Central Market store is, in another tempting shopping area, a few famous Austin restaurants including the first Taco Shack, and into the part of Lamar with no stoplights,and a wide, smooth bike-friendly sidewalk with a stream alongside. It was dark by then, and as I rode I passed through a depression so cool I got goosebumps. I looked up and saw Orion shining above me and was overwhelmed with peace and contentment. I realized that for the first time in my life I am EXACTLY where I'm supposed to be. I worked hard to get here and now I know it was worth every tear, and every sacrifice. I know it all sounds cheesy but I just wanted to shout "I'm HOME"! I rode back to my cute little house to my happy cats for a weekend away from a great job to await the arrival of my best friend and relax, knowing this is it. I could get hit by a bus tomorrow, but to have felt so un-restless for one moment seems enough.

Working Girl...Finally

So, I started my new job today. The building is the pale pink high-rise with dark red horizontal stripes where the different patios are, to the left of the dark one with the triangle-shaped top. I'm on the 19th floor. I liked my old job, and I knew it would be a good jumping-off point, but I already think I'll like this one better. The atmosphere in this office is totally different than K&M, for one thing. My first day at K&M people rarely even looked up, I felt like I was intruding, and there was no set training. At F&J, though, they had a training room and I had a one-on-one session with one of the women from IT on the basic computer software I would be using and a once-over on their document storage and intranet systems. Then they took me out for a fancy lunch to say welcome and get to know me! At K&M I probably sat in the lunch room by myself with my microwave meal. I met Christina, our admin, Becky, who is a double-checker of mine and my co-workers docketing and other functions, and our manager Deborah. There was only one person in the office that didn't go out of their way to say hi and welcome and converse a little bit. I don't know yet if she's the office grump or she is just REALLY busy (like so busy she doesn't have time to smile). We'll see.
My cubicle at the moment is awful. That's the downside of the whole thing so far. Me and the other newbies are in a room with counters divided into desks that seem very temporary, but I've been told already that when I graduate through the training program in 3-6 months I'll move up to one of the fancy cubicles with a great view, or one just across the aisle from one with a great view, anyway. You can see part of the southern edge of downtown and bits of Town Lake poking through the buildings.
After work I walked home in beautiful Austin weather, about 70 degrees and sunny, with cavorting birds and jealous driving commuters everywhere. So everyday I'll have a nice 20 minute period to rev up for the day, my walk is only about a mile, and every night 20 minutes to wind down and get ready to relax. Everything's going swimmingly so far. I'm kind of waiting for the bottom to drop out.

Just call me Tex

Well, it's official. After almost two months here I'm finally starting to feel less like a visitor and more like a resident. Up to now I've had a lousy-paying job looking for employment. I don't recommend it to the light-hearted. It's a more-than-full-time intensive position with strict deadlines, huge responsibility, very little feedback and much disappointment. In that time, though, I have taken advantage of the flexible schedule to get out and see my new town. I know my way around the major thoroughfares, found the shopping, laundry, etc., and have running and biking trails sussed out for best times and distances. I've gotten out to a couple of local events, namely the Bill Clinton and the Obama rallies. At the Clinton rally I saw two other celebrities up close-Sean Astin of Encino Man, Lord of the Rings and Meerkat Manor acclaim, and Tom Brokaw. I actually walked about three feet from the latter and glanced up, realized who it was and kept walking as if I didn't notice (but my stomach did a little flip).
The highlight, though, was my interviews for a Patent and Trademark Administrator position with a big law firm downtown. I had an initial interview with the recruiting office for the firm, where I was given spelling, proofreading and software tests (I aced the spelling test, I guess that's rare). I had a meeting with the recruiter and was sent on to the HR manager for the firm. I was nervous and did all the homework I could stand on the firm, and wrote out scripts for the interview and practiced with help from mom. I walked to the interview relatively calm (repeat stomach flips), and rode the elevator up the 23rd floor having no idea what awaited me as the doors slid open. The lobby was small but inviting, and the receptionist was dear. She made me feel comfortable with easy conversation. After filling out an application and a short wait I was greeted by the HR manager, Joan. I was afraid of facing a firing squad with a gruff, suspicious captain, but Joan was friendly, accommodating and even joked with me. The interview started with the usual get-to-know-you questions and she quickly seemed to change course into selling the position and the firm to me. She called the department manager and we talked more about my specific duties with my last job, and the expectations of the position I was interviewing for. I walked out with Joan assuring me that it seemed that I would fit in the position well, and that she would call the recruiter that afternoon to let her know what she thought. I was ecstatic as I left, running through the possibilities that I could be working in such a big, beautiful building right downtown, a mile from my apartment (I can see it from my walkway). Of course I spent the rest of the day waiting for the recruiter to call me and tell me that it was lies-they hated me and the next person that interviewed was much better. But she didn't. I got it. I really live here and I can even afford to eat and clothe myself!

My New Baby Sister

Ruby came home yesterday. Mom's the proud new momma of a big, senior boxer from boxer rescue. From what I've heard from a very biased source she's the perfect puppy for mom-calm, quiet, self-assured, and house-trained (and obviously not camera-shy; look at that grin). I'm jealous that she gets to discover the quirks and tricks of this new being, and the only thing I've ever been disappointed with cats about is that you can't take them with you. Ruby will get to know U City and every square inch of the house and yard. I told mom months ago I gave her two weeks after I moved out before she got a dog-and Ruby came home two weeks to the day after mom got home from helping me drive down and set up my place. I expect daily updates and can't wait to be able to meet her and see mom truly in her element.

Yes We Can

Temporary Soapbox

I've taken it upon myself to research the candidates and their platforms for the upcoming election. I always mean to do that, and am always frustrated when watching the news and feeling lost, but the noise of life interferes, and there is seemingly always something more pressing, or frankly more fun to do. I'm truly torn so far, however. I noticed today that Edwards is dropping out, and it made me think about being in the voting booth that day-what names would be on the ticket? Obama/Edwards? I could certainly get behind that one. Clinton/Edwards? Definitely better than McCain/Romney, etc! But how do they differ? In a rough list of issues, they seem pretty well matched, except of course that Hillary tends to be more active about women and children's rights and development. Obama seems to be more on the fence about issues, but that's not entirely bad, and perhaps more realistic in a bipartisan leader. Maybe that's just the part of my brain speaking that doesn't want to vote for someone based on promise of action, and be disappointed when she ultimately and inevitably gets distracted. I found this quote by Hillary, though and I think it really sums up the national apathy in my generation; "The economy creates consumers but cannot create citizens". For my generation, the top priority is acquisition, not action. One needs only to watch television for a moment to realize that we are a nation of consumers, not citizens. What if Bush had been president in 1939? Would he have let Hitler continue with his crusade unless he threatened our Bavarian Hops supply? I don't presume to have an answer to the widespread apathy in my generation, and I'm not innocent of staying in a bubble so as to not have to think about the depressing state of affairs, but I do see a need for one, and I really think I, and a lot of other people around my age, would be more than willing to work toward that change. I think we just can't picture national pride without blind faith-no propaganda, just a real reason to take pride in and support the nation that lets us be who we are, even if that is a generation of epicures.

Hey! It's Me!

This is the inside joke-fuel (see below). This went around our group at K & M and you could tell when people were reading it because you could hear them gasp and laugh from your cubicle. It's like a great sketch-comedy bit, I hope the guy that wrote it ( it was a random personals ad in Craigslist) is on to big things. Hey...maybe it was Kyle Dunnigan or Nick Swardson?! Or my next favorite comedian, whichever.

Knock knock

Oh hi, how's it going? It's me! Every girl ever. I'm really looking forward to this date. I'm not nearly as attractive as you remember me being because when we met the bar was dark and you were drunk. Come on in.

Let's start off with the unavoidable tour of my incredibly typical post-college-girl apartment.

You'll notice that I went ahead and purchased everything that Ikea and Pier 1 have ever produced. There's my decorative birdcage over there even though I don't have a bird, and there's my ridiculous wicker basket with bamboo poles in it. I don't know what the hell that thing's all about, but I bought it.

Hey check it out, I have more candles in here than a Roman Catholic Church. Doesn't it smell like Hazelnut!? If I were to light all of my candles at once you could see my apartment from space! I fucking love candles!

Come on into the living room.

Oh, I see you met my cat there. That's "Freddy Paws Jr." Why don't you pet him and act like you like cats even though you hate cats? There you go. Oh, he took a little swing at your eye there huh? Yeah, he'll do that. Hey, let's check out the kitchen.

Hey look at my refrigerator. There are pictures all over it! Look at all these pictures of me and my equally vacuous friends from college! We were so crazy! You can tell we're really good friends because our faces are all pressed up against each other like that.

And check it out, we're holding up alcoholic beverages to the camera in every single picture. That's to prove that we were partying. College was so fun! But of course I don't talk to any of these girls anymore because now they're all bitches.

Let's go back into the hallway!

Hey, before we leave I'm going to go in the bathroom for ten minutes for some mysterious reason. Why don't you sit awkwardly in my big, stupid, round papasan chair over there while you wait for me. It's like you're sitting in a hug! Be right back...

Sorry that took a half an hour, I don't know what the hell I was doing in there. Let's go!

Wow! Thanks for opening my car door for me! I'm totally going to blow that meaningless gesture out of proportion and delude myself into thinking that you're a really good guy because that's what I want to believe.

Well, here we are at the restaurant. No thanks waiter, I don't need to see a menu, just bring me some expensive things. Hey I know, while we wait, I'll tell you all about my unspeakably boring job. I hate my boss. He's a jerk! I might get another job. Maybe something in pharmaceutical sales.

Now let's talk about my family. I love my family. I want you to love my family. I want my family to love you. I want you to make love to my family! I want you to go golfing with my semi-retarded brother Travis. That would be so God damned cute!

Wow! I can't believe I ordered all this food! I have no intention of eating any of it. No thanks waiter, we don't need a box. Just throw it out.

Hey, I've got an idea, let's go to a bar and have an after dinner drink! It'll be great, it will be just like how we're drinking here, only it will be louder and we'll have to stand up. Come on!

See, isn't this better? Oh hey, what a coincidence. Look over there! It's a group of my friends that I knew was going to be here. Let's go over there so that they can judge you!

Hey, I have to go to the bathroom for a half an hour again for some reason. You can stay here and talk to my unbelievably hideous friend Christine! Christine's so ugly she scares kids! Talk to her! She has a job and a family that she wants to talk to you about too. Be right back.

I'm back! Sorry I was gone for three hours, there was a line. I want to go home now.

Well here we are at my door again. This was really fun for me and not you. You should pretend like we're going to do it again sometime! Maybe I'll see you at Target a few months from now and we can avoid eye contact because you never called me. Here, have this awkward goodnight kiss that's as empty as my soul. Good night!

My Team

This is my now former team at K & M. If you were ever wondering who these people were that I was locked in a large, stuffy room with for longer than I want to think about; here they are. They are from left: Brett, Shannon (dark, party hair), Janna, myself, Leah, Michelle, Montrice and Kala. Matt and Julie aren't in this picture, I guess they had better things to do than hang out with co-workers while not getting paid. Weird. They were a good group-amazingly functional, actually. The drama was kept to a minimum, at least with these members of the team. Some people just can't get enough, it seems. See the beer in Leah's hand? That shows we were PARTYING! (A bit of an inside joke, more later).

Co-Favorite Comedian...

This is Kyle Dunnigan. He was on "Reno: 911",playing one of my favorite characters (besides Terry, of course), Craig, the S & M-fun-loving Serial Killer (like Jeffrey Daumer, only funny, and with a speech impediment). The video above is Kyle Dunnigan, the genius behind Craig, doing pretty much the cutest bit I've ever seen. I figured out his name by watching a Comedy Central special he did, and he's on my list to see live with Nick Swardson (AKA Terry). Having seen him on Reno, it would never have occurred to me that he's just a normal guy. I was sort of hoping Craig was real. Not the serial-killer part, of course.

Time flies...

Esther's come and gone already. We spent the beautiful day yesterday walking around a big, fancy outdoor mall looking at pretty things we didn't feel like paying for. I did, however, score an insane bargain for a pair of classy work shoes. Esther's as green as the shoes because they didn't fit her. After a yummy dinner of shared entrees at CPK, we came back to my place and relaxed until it was time to walk all the way (2 blocks) to the indie movie theater to see Juno. So cute. Very funny, and no, no 16 year old in the world is that bright, witty and quick. I laughed, I cried, I still don't want a baby. Our choices were that, 27 dresses, or P.S. I love you. I didn't have much of an opinion, although I knew I would like Juno, but the proximity of the theater sold us. I'm getting so spoiled-if I can't walk there, I seriously think twice about what I need there. I should just get a little red wagon and hook it to my bike. Groceries? No problem. Laundry? Toss it in the back and we're off!
This morning we dragged ourselves out of bed and went for a nice long walk in the city. After, we had brunch with her lovely in-laws and stuffed ourselves silly on classic breakfast grub. Good weekend, but then we all know a weekend involving new shoes for me can't go wrong.
I know you don't need to know this, but I wore shorts and a light sweater to walk up to the shops to get my new ethernet cable (I troubleshooted [-shot?] by myself and narrowed it down to the cable-and I was right!), and I broke a sweat. Almost took the sweater off. Oh, and I had to have the A/C on in the car yesterday because the sun was beating down. Sorry-too much?

Beautiful Weekend

It's supposed to be 70 degrees today, and I'm supposed to believe it's January?! Yesterday and the day before were miserable, cold and dreary, light rain and wind, but not like any January I've experienced (except Sydney, summer). March, maybe. But I guess I have to get used to this, and I don't think I'll have much trouble with it. When I was sedentary, years ago, the cold never bothered me, in fact I liked being able to wear thick, snuggly clothes and have an excuse to stay in and get cozy. But now that I'm active, it really puts a damper on my life to not be able to walk to where I want to go, or run without freezing my nose off. And bike riding? Forget it. I hope to be one of those intrepid road riders that is out there in all their expensive cold-weather gear someday, but for now I don't have the funds and I don't have the motivation.
My first apartment visitor is coming today! Esther is driving down from Ft. Worth and we get to have a girl's weekend. I'm looking through my tourist-y book for things to do, but somehow I think we'll find a way to fill up the weekend nicely.
I figured out one really cool thing about living in an area that's multicultural and strongly bilingual-Fox Soccer Channel comes with basic cable!!! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoal!