Day: 442
High Temp: 84F
I try to keep things pretty apolitical here at DMWL, but I wanted to let you all know that Friday afternoon I exercised my right to vote for the first time as a citizen of the (large, confusing and sometimes great) state of Texas. As a person who generally leans towards the liberal spectrum, I feel like my vote is even more important here than it was in Illinois, and I have to say that it felt really good to NOT vote for Rick Perry-I have had enough of wacky governors with full heads of dark hair, thankyouverymuch!
Despite having my heart broken early on in my voting life (I am sure you all remember Gore, then Kerry...) I always get a little thrill when I vote. Call me old fashioned, but I believe it is a really important thing to do.
So, do your community a favor and go out and VOTE on Tuesday! And if you aren't sure who to vote for, or who might be on your ballot, do a little research before you head to the polls. There are so many amazing resources for modern voters to take advantage of on the internet, there is no excuse for people nowadays to be uniformed.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
There's no basement at the Alamo!
Day: 442
High Temp: 84F
I mentioned in the garden blog that my parents came down to Austin just after our wedding to visit Tom and I, and bring us the load of wedding presents we had received in St Louis. We had a great time showing them some of our new favorite food spots (Hoover's and Juan in a Million were big hits), and they loved getting a chance to see Homer now that he is all grown up.
My parents were planning to stay until Tuesday morning, and as the weekend drew to a close, I started getting pressure from them to take a vacation day on Monday. The big plan was to drive down to San Antonio for the day. Bowing to the pressure, and at the mercy of my extremely flexible boss at UT, I was able to make Monday happen.
San Antonio really surprised me. I had always heard how amazing the River Walk was, and how disappointing the Alamo was. Truth is, both were very different from what I expected.
I know this is a silly thing to say, but for some reason, I expected the River Walk to be like the Arno in Florence. I expected a large, dominant river, lined on each side by wide side walks lined with old buildings houseing cafes, shops and the like. Lots of space and airy, all anchored by a large, wild river. The truth is, the River Walk is more reminiscent of Venice (are you rolling your eyes yet?) It is small, the river is fairly shallow and it is extremely engineered with perfect concrete walls along each bank. Seriously, it's not more than 12 feet across, and the sidewalks are very narrow. The overall affect was more man-made, more like Disneyland, than I had expected. Don't get me wrong, it is a very charming place, and walking below street level next to the water in the shade of the big cypress and oak trees is certainly a nice break from the heat, but it just wasn't what I expected. That said, I am excited to take Tom back to San Antonio around Christmas time, when the abundant trees, bridges and walkways are reportedly covered in lights. Sounds like the perfect setting for an evening river cruise with my sweetie and a thermos of spiked hot cocoa!
While in San Antone we also saw the Alamo, which was kind of awesome. I had been told that it wasn't as cool, or as big as you might expect, and so with my expectations sufficiently lowered, I thought it was great. It doesn't really look like it did in Pee Wee's big Adventure, at least not on the inside, but that did not stop me from proclaiming, many times, "There's no basement at the Alamo!" Thankfully, this was very amusing to my parents. But seriously, it's a big old building, with gorgeous gardens behind the barrack walls. There are also some cool artifacts, like Davey Crockett's rifle.
I also want to note that I actually heard someone call this fair city "San Antone"in all seriousness while we were there. We took a trolley tour to see a few of the old missions and some of the neighborhoods around the city, and this boisterous and entertaining pair of old ladies was on the bus with us. When one of them rudely answered her cellphone during the narrated tour, she proceeded to shout to her caller, "No, we are in San Antone!" Thankfully, our tour guide shamed her by saying he had learned it was rude to talk while others were talking. She got the point and hung up pretty quickly.
PS- I do have some pictures from this trip, but they are stuck on the throw away cameras we were trying to use up post-wedding... May come back and update the post if any turned out once I get them developed.
High Temp: 84F
I mentioned in the garden blog that my parents came down to Austin just after our wedding to visit Tom and I, and bring us the load of wedding presents we had received in St Louis. We had a great time showing them some of our new favorite food spots (Hoover's and Juan in a Million were big hits), and they loved getting a chance to see Homer now that he is all grown up.
My parents were planning to stay until Tuesday morning, and as the weekend drew to a close, I started getting pressure from them to take a vacation day on Monday. The big plan was to drive down to San Antonio for the day. Bowing to the pressure, and at the mercy of my extremely flexible boss at UT, I was able to make Monday happen.
San Antonio really surprised me. I had always heard how amazing the River Walk was, and how disappointing the Alamo was. Truth is, both were very different from what I expected.
I know this is a silly thing to say, but for some reason, I expected the River Walk to be like the Arno in Florence. I expected a large, dominant river, lined on each side by wide side walks lined with old buildings houseing cafes, shops and the like. Lots of space and airy, all anchored by a large, wild river. The truth is, the River Walk is more reminiscent of Venice (are you rolling your eyes yet?) It is small, the river is fairly shallow and it is extremely engineered with perfect concrete walls along each bank. Seriously, it's not more than 12 feet across, and the sidewalks are very narrow. The overall affect was more man-made, more like Disneyland, than I had expected. Don't get me wrong, it is a very charming place, and walking below street level next to the water in the shade of the big cypress and oak trees is certainly a nice break from the heat, but it just wasn't what I expected. That said, I am excited to take Tom back to San Antonio around Christmas time, when the abundant trees, bridges and walkways are reportedly covered in lights. Sounds like the perfect setting for an evening river cruise with my sweetie and a thermos of spiked hot cocoa!
While in San Antone we also saw the Alamo, which was kind of awesome. I had been told that it wasn't as cool, or as big as you might expect, and so with my expectations sufficiently lowered, I thought it was great. It doesn't really look like it did in Pee Wee's big Adventure, at least not on the inside, but that did not stop me from proclaiming, many times, "There's no basement at the Alamo!" Thankfully, this was very amusing to my parents. But seriously, it's a big old building, with gorgeous gardens behind the barrack walls. There are also some cool artifacts, like Davey Crockett's rifle.
I also want to note that I actually heard someone call this fair city "San Antone"in all seriousness while we were there. We took a trolley tour to see a few of the old missions and some of the neighborhoods around the city, and this boisterous and entertaining pair of old ladies was on the bus with us. When one of them rudely answered her cellphone during the narrated tour, she proceeded to shout to her caller, "No, we are in San Antone!" Thankfully, our tour guide shamed her by saying he had learned it was rude to talk while others were talking. She got the point and hung up pretty quickly.
PS- I do have some pictures from this trip, but they are stuck on the throw away cameras we were trying to use up post-wedding... May come back and update the post if any turned out once I get them developed.
Friday, October 22, 2010
How Does Your Garden Grow?
Day: 433
High Temp: 86F
My garden grows quite well, thank you very much!
On our second weekend at the Mint House, Tom and I planted a garden. There were already some raised beds in our side yard, so we went out and bought plants, seeds and lots of tools, and proceeded to break up the ground, fill the beds with compost and soil, and start planting. There were still boxes that needed unpacking, and pictures that needed hanging, but we were playing in the dirt.
That was 12 weeks ago, and now our garden is really starting to produce (hee hee)! From the very beginning, the serrano chili plant was producing (it was literally filled with serranos within two weeks). But it was just last weekend that some of our first plants in the ground started to bear veggies.
On Sunday, I harvested a big pile of green beans, and one large, beautiful yellow summer squash. These were veggies we grew from seeds, with absolutely no fertilizer except compost, and they are delicious. The green beans went into a shepard's pie for dinner, and my mom (who, along with my dad, was visiting us last weekend) sliced and fried up the squash for an appetizer.
Last night, we pulled two more monster squash out of the garden, and another large bunch of green beans. Tom also had a surprise for me... our cucumbers have started to come in! They have been wild, viney looking plants for weeks now, with pretty yellow cucumber flowers constantly blooming and withering by the dozens. I was convinced that, since we hadn't even seen the start of a cucumber, perhaps it was too hot, or too late or whatever to actually get cucumbers this year. To my utter delight, I was wrong. There are dozens of little cucumberlings out there now! I see homemade pickles and dilly beans in my future!
We were careful to follow the many charts that suggest what can be planted in August in Austin, and held back some cooler weather seeds which Tom has planted when appropriate in September and October. Mixed lettuces, winter squash, beets and carrots have all gone in the ground in the past few weeks, and are already starting to look good. I am not sure anyone can imagine how excited I am to make a roasted beet salad and serve it over my homegrown mixed baby greens!
Though I have been pulling my weight with watering, and harvesting, I have to give Tom a huge amount of credit for most of the planting, weeding and general TLC. He absolutely loves being in the garden, and I have to say, the only thing that makes me happier than our home grown veggies is the peace and joy he has been getting from that little plot of land.
High Temp: 86F
My garden grows quite well, thank you very much!
On our second weekend at the Mint House, Tom and I planted a garden. There were already some raised beds in our side yard, so we went out and bought plants, seeds and lots of tools, and proceeded to break up the ground, fill the beds with compost and soil, and start planting. There were still boxes that needed unpacking, and pictures that needed hanging, but we were playing in the dirt.
That was 12 weeks ago, and now our garden is really starting to produce (hee hee)! From the very beginning, the serrano chili plant was producing (it was literally filled with serranos within two weeks). But it was just last weekend that some of our first plants in the ground started to bear veggies.
 |
| Serranos ripening on the vine! |
On Sunday, I harvested a big pile of green beans, and one large, beautiful yellow summer squash. These were veggies we grew from seeds, with absolutely no fertilizer except compost, and they are delicious. The green beans went into a shepard's pie for dinner, and my mom (who, along with my dad, was visiting us last weekend) sliced and fried up the squash for an appetizer.
 |
| Our first big harvest. Summer squash and green beans displayed on our pretty new china. |
Last night, we pulled two more monster squash out of the garden, and another large bunch of green beans. Tom also had a surprise for me... our cucumbers have started to come in! They have been wild, viney looking plants for weeks now, with pretty yellow cucumber flowers constantly blooming and withering by the dozens. I was convinced that, since we hadn't even seen the start of a cucumber, perhaps it was too hot, or too late or whatever to actually get cucumbers this year. To my utter delight, I was wrong. There are dozens of little cucumberlings out there now! I see homemade pickles and dilly beans in my future!
 |
| One of many cucumberlings. |
We were careful to follow the many charts that suggest what can be planted in August in Austin, and held back some cooler weather seeds which Tom has planted when appropriate in September and October. Mixed lettuces, winter squash, beets and carrots have all gone in the ground in the past few weeks, and are already starting to look good. I am not sure anyone can imagine how excited I am to make a roasted beet salad and serve it over my homegrown mixed baby greens!
 |
| Many varieties of lettuce and greens coming in! |
Though I have been pulling my weight with watering, and harvesting, I have to give Tom a huge amount of credit for most of the planting, weeding and general TLC. He absolutely loves being in the garden, and I have to say, the only thing that makes me happier than our home grown veggies is the peace and joy he has been getting from that little plot of land.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Fall Envy
Day: 431
High Temp: 86F
For weeks I have felt it building: Fall Envy! It started with friends commenting on Facebook about the crisp, cool mornings in the Midwest and North East. Then suddenly on TV, in the stores, everywhere really, there were mentions of the upcoming Halloween holiday. And although it has started to cool down a lot at night (like in the 50s and 60s!) we are still regularly reaching the mid-80's each day. Don't get me wrong, mid-80's is lovely, but it certainly does not satiate my need for Autumn. Not to mention the abundant live oaks won't loose their leaves until spring when the new crop comes in!
The trip back to St Louis for the wedding was a nice opportunity to get a little Fall fix. The leaves had started to change, the air was unarguably crisp and cool enough to contemplate warm drinks and pumpkins. But it just wasn't enough. Now that I have been back for over a week, I am missing Fall just as much as I was a month ago.
It is really making me miss my old neighborhood in Chicago, Lincoln Square. Fall was made for that neighborhood! The maples would sport bright yellow leaves that looked positively magical at night backlit by street lamps. All the little kids running around the square would have traded their crocks and shorts for tiny little hoodies, and cute beanie hats. On a Sunday morning, I would convince myself it was still warm enough to eat brunch outside at Cafe Selmarie, so long as I had a hot chai latte in my hands. Each yard would be filled with fallen leaves spilling onto the sidewalk, and they would crunch so satisfyingly underfoot on my way to the train. By that evening, on my way home, those same leaves would have been crushed mostly to dust, leaving space for the new leaves that would surely continue to fall over night.
I truly miss it so much, but there is a revelation in this missing. This missing does not feel bitter, and it is not angry. It is a sweet longing, a memory, and not at the expense of what Austin is. It's liberating to look back on my memories of so many Autumn in Chicago, and not hate Austin for keeping that from me. And while I cant say that I don't want to be back there some day, I am awfully happy to be enjoying Austin so much more fully than I was this time last year.
High Temp: 86F
For weeks I have felt it building: Fall Envy! It started with friends commenting on Facebook about the crisp, cool mornings in the Midwest and North East. Then suddenly on TV, in the stores, everywhere really, there were mentions of the upcoming Halloween holiday. And although it has started to cool down a lot at night (like in the 50s and 60s!) we are still regularly reaching the mid-80's each day. Don't get me wrong, mid-80's is lovely, but it certainly does not satiate my need for Autumn. Not to mention the abundant live oaks won't loose their leaves until spring when the new crop comes in!
The trip back to St Louis for the wedding was a nice opportunity to get a little Fall fix. The leaves had started to change, the air was unarguably crisp and cool enough to contemplate warm drinks and pumpkins. But it just wasn't enough. Now that I have been back for over a week, I am missing Fall just as much as I was a month ago.
It is really making me miss my old neighborhood in Chicago, Lincoln Square. Fall was made for that neighborhood! The maples would sport bright yellow leaves that looked positively magical at night backlit by street lamps. All the little kids running around the square would have traded their crocks and shorts for tiny little hoodies, and cute beanie hats. On a Sunday morning, I would convince myself it was still warm enough to eat brunch outside at Cafe Selmarie, so long as I had a hot chai latte in my hands. Each yard would be filled with fallen leaves spilling onto the sidewalk, and they would crunch so satisfyingly underfoot on my way to the train. By that evening, on my way home, those same leaves would have been crushed mostly to dust, leaving space for the new leaves that would surely continue to fall over night.
I truly miss it so much, but there is a revelation in this missing. This missing does not feel bitter, and it is not angry. It is a sweet longing, a memory, and not at the expense of what Austin is. It's liberating to look back on my memories of so many Autumn in Chicago, and not hate Austin for keeping that from me. And while I cant say that I don't want to be back there some day, I am awfully happy to be enjoying Austin so much more fully than I was this time last year.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
So Much Has Happened
Day: 425
High Temp: 82F
Y'all! So much exciting stuff has happened since I last blogged! The highlights:
-Tom and I made home-made ginger ale
-I went to my first Cards game at the new Busch Stadium
-We got our first squash and green beans in the garden
Oh, yeah, and I TOTALLY GOT HITCHED!
It was a truly wonderful and amazing day filled with the love and support of our families and friends. There was plenty to drink, good food to eat, and so much dancing. And it was worth all the planning and hard work.
I promise to write more in the upcoming days, but for now I wanted to get that little bit of excitement off my chest.
~Mrs. Horan
High Temp: 82F
Y'all! So much exciting stuff has happened since I last blogged! The highlights:
-Tom and I made home-made ginger ale
-I went to my first Cards game at the new Busch Stadium
-We got our first squash and green beans in the garden
Oh, yeah, and I TOTALLY GOT HITCHED!
It was a truly wonderful and amazing day filled with the love and support of our families and friends. There was plenty to drink, good food to eat, and so much dancing. And it was worth all the planning and hard work.
I promise to write more in the upcoming days, but for now I wanted to get that little bit of excitement off my chest.
~Mrs. Horan
Friday, October 1, 2010
I love my Esthetician
Day: 412
High Temp: 88F
Her name is Casey, and boy did she earn her love from me on Wednesday. You see, I am getting married in eight days. The planning has been a lot of fun, but I am 800 miles away from where I am getting married, and so that has been challenging. And there is a lot of stuff to do if you are hosting a wedding with 150 guests, and you are making all the programs, centerpieces all other decor yourself (with help from your amazing mother). Add on top of this that Tom has been in tech and performances for a play all week (I literally have not seen him while I was awake since Tuesday night.) Oh, and there is the small matter of the gunman who terrorized campus on Tuesday morning. Yeah, you could say I have been stressed out.
Enter Casey. Casey is one of the talented Estheticians who works at Ann Webb Wellness Clinic located in North Austin. Thanks to a recommendation from my excellent boss here at UT Nursing, I have been going to AW for 4 months now for facials to get my skin into top condition for the wedding. It sounds indulgent, doesn't it? Well, would you believe that I have done this for the same price as just ONE facial at the Four Seasons Spa?
AW does new client facials for just $65, and after that, they are $45 for existing clients. AND you get a FREE facial during the month of your birthday. And this is no skimpy facial. I have had a facial at the above mentioned Four Season Spa, and the AW facial rivals it easily, plus, all the products they use are paraben and cruelty free, and they smell amazing.
Along with the cleansing, scrubbing, masking, oxygen treating and peeling I am treated to during my monthly facial, Casey also gives a first rate head, neck and arm massage while the products are working. And because I have been suffering from allergies the past few weeks, this week she also did this nifty face/pressure point massage thing to my face that all but relieved my sinus pressure. And I walked out of there with a free tea-tree blemish buster stick just incase I have any last minute, stress induced, wedding day breakouts!
I left feeling so incredibly relaxed with my skin glowing. A real triumph in a hectic week. True, the blissed out feeling only lasted for a few hours until I remembered all the stuff I need to get done. But, it was an island of calm that probably saved my sanity this week.
The good news for those who don't live in Austin is that Whole Foods carries her skin care line. So if you are looking for a good anti-aging moisturizer that doesn't cost as much as your car payment each month, check it out. I also love the peppermint milk cleanser which doubles as a hydrating face mask.
This little bit of love may be the last blog until the wedding. Unless I have loads of unanticipated down time while in the Lou, I will see you all when I am a Mrs!
High Temp: 88F
Her name is Casey, and boy did she earn her love from me on Wednesday. You see, I am getting married in eight days. The planning has been a lot of fun, but I am 800 miles away from where I am getting married, and so that has been challenging. And there is a lot of stuff to do if you are hosting a wedding with 150 guests, and you are making all the programs, centerpieces all other decor yourself (with help from your amazing mother). Add on top of this that Tom has been in tech and performances for a play all week (I literally have not seen him while I was awake since Tuesday night.) Oh, and there is the small matter of the gunman who terrorized campus on Tuesday morning. Yeah, you could say I have been stressed out.
Enter Casey. Casey is one of the talented Estheticians who works at Ann Webb Wellness Clinic located in North Austin. Thanks to a recommendation from my excellent boss here at UT Nursing, I have been going to AW for 4 months now for facials to get my skin into top condition for the wedding. It sounds indulgent, doesn't it? Well, would you believe that I have done this for the same price as just ONE facial at the Four Seasons Spa?
AW does new client facials for just $65, and after that, they are $45 for existing clients. AND you get a FREE facial during the month of your birthday. And this is no skimpy facial. I have had a facial at the above mentioned Four Season Spa, and the AW facial rivals it easily, plus, all the products they use are paraben and cruelty free, and they smell amazing.
Along with the cleansing, scrubbing, masking, oxygen treating and peeling I am treated to during my monthly facial, Casey also gives a first rate head, neck and arm massage while the products are working. And because I have been suffering from allergies the past few weeks, this week she also did this nifty face/pressure point massage thing to my face that all but relieved my sinus pressure. And I walked out of there with a free tea-tree blemish buster stick just incase I have any last minute, stress induced, wedding day breakouts!
I left feeling so incredibly relaxed with my skin glowing. A real triumph in a hectic week. True, the blissed out feeling only lasted for a few hours until I remembered all the stuff I need to get done. But, it was an island of calm that probably saved my sanity this week.
The good news for those who don't live in Austin is that Whole Foods carries her skin care line. So if you are looking for a good anti-aging moisturizer that doesn't cost as much as your car payment each month, check it out. I also love the peppermint milk cleanser which doubles as a hydrating face mask.
This little bit of love may be the last blog until the wedding. Unless I have loads of unanticipated down time while in the Lou, I will see you all when I am a Mrs!
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