Day: 305
High Temp: 93F
You all may have noticed that the day counter is ticking slowly up towards the magical 365 day mark. Our one year anniversary in Texas is nearing, and beyond being a sentimental anniversary, it also means that Tom and I will soon, blessedly, be released from our current apartment lease!
We are early in our search (having seen only 3 places so far) but last night, we had an experience that took my confidence in finding a nice, affordable place down several notches. Most of you who read this blog have gone through the dual excitement/headache of finding a new place to live, but what Tom and I went through last night should win top honors for the worst apartment hunting experience ever...
We responded to a Craigslist ad for a small bungalow situated in the heart of one of Austin's best urban neighborhoods, Hyde Park. This little place had a great price, and while it didn't promise a lot of room, it was just two blocks from a locally owned grocery store, a great bakery, and several popular restaurants. We got there, and it was surprisingly run down. Huge holes in most of the window screens were apparent before we even stepped foot inside. Once inside, we saw it was vacant, but the previous renter's trash and other unwanted items were still in the house. It certainly had not been cleaned, and generally it did not appear to have been "made ready" to go back on the rental market. Given the fact that it was vacant, this seemed like a red flag warning me of poor management.
It certainly was not the charming, cozy bungalow the Craigslist ad had been promised, but matters got worse when after just a few minutes of looking around the rental agent said "oh my god!" and started slapping at his ankles. It was right around this time that I felt a sharp sting on my own leg, and looked down to see dozens of FLEAS swarming my ankles. I ran to the kitchen sink (which was filled with cleaning supplies and trash) and turned on the water which I proceeded to splash on my legs and feet, trying to rinse the little devils away. Grabbing a stray roll of paper towels, we quickly exited the place to continue our frantic slapping outside. I was horrified.
The rental agent could not have been more apologetic or embarrassed, but I was incredibly angry that they had agreed to show the property without first confirming that it was in livable condition. Not only did it waste our time, but I walked away with no less than a dozen red, swollen welts from the bites.
Horrible right? I am just hoping that this awful experience gains us a little positive house-hunting karma, and that we will soon find the perfect house at just the right price.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Austin Myth #1: It's Dry
Day: 299
High Temp: 89F
I feel like I should address a myth that is running rampant in our country. People think Texas is hot and dry. That is only half true, at least here in Austin. It is certainly hot. We have already experienced triple digit highs, and for the past few weeks it has consistently been hitting ninety degrees or higher each day. However, in my experience the fall, winter and spring are every bit as wet as they were in St. Louis (and more so than in Chicago). And in the fall and spring, it is also pretty damn humid.
The hill country may be an anomaly in Texas, but it is quite green, with huge live oaks, palm trees and lots of lush lawns mixed in with the expected prickly pears, cacti and succulents. And I am not just referring to the well-kept lawns of the middle and upper class. The wild landscape all around Austin is genuinely green. It is, indeed, the last bastion of flora before you hit the desolate and barely living landscape of West Texas, the part of the state which seems to have lent the rest of us it reputation for dry, dessert-like conditions.
It is true that by the time we get to the end of the summer we will get very little rain, and likely experience a drought. It will continue to be hot, and with the lack of rain, water bans will undoubtedly be put in place. Car washes will close their doors, business that fail to turn off and drain their fountains will be ticketed in violation of the water ban, and homeowners will only be able to water their lawns once a week (and by that point, it's not enough, so you might as well just give it up and let your lawn die.) It will be hot, and it will be dry, and we will pray for rain. This happened last summer, and when it finally did rain, there was a great celebration (see pics of that first blessed rain storm here). But this hot and dry weather really only seems to last for 2-3 months maximum. Slowly, as we inch towards October, and temperatures drop back into the eighties, it will become rainy and humid once more.
Of course, I am not sure any weather is ever typical here in Austin. I have been told that the spring was much more temperate than it normally is, that normally it would be genuinely and consistently HOT as early as April. I guess my point is that, in my short experience here, the majority of the weather in Austin is marked by rain and humidity. It just doesn't seem fair for all of you to think, "Sure, it's hot in Austin, but at least it's not as humid as it is here."
High Temp: 89F
I feel like I should address a myth that is running rampant in our country. People think Texas is hot and dry. That is only half true, at least here in Austin. It is certainly hot. We have already experienced triple digit highs, and for the past few weeks it has consistently been hitting ninety degrees or higher each day. However, in my experience the fall, winter and spring are every bit as wet as they were in St. Louis (and more so than in Chicago). And in the fall and spring, it is also pretty damn humid.
The hill country may be an anomaly in Texas, but it is quite green, with huge live oaks, palm trees and lots of lush lawns mixed in with the expected prickly pears, cacti and succulents. And I am not just referring to the well-kept lawns of the middle and upper class. The wild landscape all around Austin is genuinely green. It is, indeed, the last bastion of flora before you hit the desolate and barely living landscape of West Texas, the part of the state which seems to have lent the rest of us it reputation for dry, dessert-like conditions.
It is true that by the time we get to the end of the summer we will get very little rain, and likely experience a drought. It will continue to be hot, and with the lack of rain, water bans will undoubtedly be put in place. Car washes will close their doors, business that fail to turn off and drain their fountains will be ticketed in violation of the water ban, and homeowners will only be able to water their lawns once a week (and by that point, it's not enough, so you might as well just give it up and let your lawn die.) It will be hot, and it will be dry, and we will pray for rain. This happened last summer, and when it finally did rain, there was a great celebration (see pics of that first blessed rain storm here). But this hot and dry weather really only seems to last for 2-3 months maximum. Slowly, as we inch towards October, and temperatures drop back into the eighties, it will become rainy and humid once more.
Of course, I am not sure any weather is ever typical here in Austin. I have been told that the spring was much more temperate than it normally is, that normally it would be genuinely and consistently HOT as early as April. I guess my point is that, in my short experience here, the majority of the weather in Austin is marked by rain and humidity. It just doesn't seem fair for all of you to think, "Sure, it's hot in Austin, but at least it's not as humid as it is here."
Monday, June 7, 2010
Toobin'
Day: 296
High Temp: 88F (with heat index of 96F)
This past weekend Tom and I were visited by one of our favorite people, Libby Ford, and her very funny beau Josef. The pair stayed with us all weekend, and despite me having to work all day Thursday and Friday we packed in many fun activities, many of which were designed to beat the heat. Libby and Josef even enjoyed their first Alamo Draft house experience (read more about my love affair with the Alamo here). We saw Exit Through the Gift Shop, a truly funny and interesting "street art disaster film" created by the extremely elusive artist Banksy. (Try not to spend all day admiring his work). Libby swears the Alamo has some of the best pizza she has ever eaten.
On Saturday, our only real day to hang out all together, we decided to head south and try what the locals call Toobin'. Toobin' is basically just "Tubing" to those living in less southern locales. You know, floating down the river in an inner-tube. It should be relaxing, fun and a great way to soak in the local scenery while leisurely floating down a pretty river. Not so on the Guadalupe River (pronounced Gwahd-ah-loop).
Now, a warning before I proceed. What I am about to write here nearly amounts to sacrilege to most Austinites, but I don't care. It's my blog and I'll say what I want to.
This was kind of a terrible experience. There were literally thousands of "toobers" on the river, outfitted by the dozens of ramshackle businesses that dot Farm-to-Market 306 in Central Texas. Oh, and most of them were totally shit-faced, and acting like assholes, despite the presence of other people, and more to the point, families with children. There was a dude launching water balloons from a huge catapult bolted to his deck, and there were many drunk douchebags who brought along water cannons and water guns, which they gleefully used to squirt those passing by.
Granted, floating down an ice-cold river was probably the only way I could have spent 4 straight hours in the hot Texas sun, but this whole experience just wasn't worth it to me. As opposed to being a way to relax and enjoy being outside, most of our cohorts on the river just seem to treat the experience as a novel way to get wasted. Lame.
Perhaps my own expectations were too high. I grew up "floating" most many weekends in Missouri. My family owns a bit of land in the Mark Twain National Forest off a small river in central Missouri, and my grandparents retired there, in the gorgeous little log cabin on the property. The setting is nothing less than idyllic, and even on the busiest weekends (the summer holidays, etc) there was never the crush of humanity that we experienced this weekend. You could sit on the bluff on one of the busiest weekend, and still only see one group pass by every 5 minutes or so. And sure, people get shit-faced on the rivers in Missouri, but from what I remember, there seemed to be equal emphasis on respecting your fellow floaters, and the river you are enjoying, as there was on getting drunk.
Thankfully, Libby and Josef, and even Tom, were able to put the ass-holes aside and enjoy the experience a lot. But me, I just couldn't see passed all those red-neck hicks, to really enjoy the gorgeous bluffs overlooking the Guadalupe.
High Temp: 88F (with heat index of 96F)
This past weekend Tom and I were visited by one of our favorite people, Libby Ford, and her very funny beau Josef. The pair stayed with us all weekend, and despite me having to work all day Thursday and Friday we packed in many fun activities, many of which were designed to beat the heat. Libby and Josef even enjoyed their first Alamo Draft house experience (read more about my love affair with the Alamo here). We saw Exit Through the Gift Shop, a truly funny and interesting "street art disaster film" created by the extremely elusive artist Banksy. (Try not to spend all day admiring his work). Libby swears the Alamo has some of the best pizza she has ever eaten.
On Saturday, our only real day to hang out all together, we decided to head south and try what the locals call Toobin'. Toobin' is basically just "Tubing" to those living in less southern locales. You know, floating down the river in an inner-tube. It should be relaxing, fun and a great way to soak in the local scenery while leisurely floating down a pretty river. Not so on the Guadalupe River (pronounced Gwahd-ah-loop).
Now, a warning before I proceed. What I am about to write here nearly amounts to sacrilege to most Austinites, but I don't care. It's my blog and I'll say what I want to.
This was kind of a terrible experience. There were literally thousands of "toobers" on the river, outfitted by the dozens of ramshackle businesses that dot Farm-to-Market 306 in Central Texas. Oh, and most of them were totally shit-faced, and acting like assholes, despite the presence of other people, and more to the point, families with children. There was a dude launching water balloons from a huge catapult bolted to his deck, and there were many drunk douchebags who brought along water cannons and water guns, which they gleefully used to squirt those passing by.
Granted, floating down an ice-cold river was probably the only way I could have spent 4 straight hours in the hot Texas sun, but this whole experience just wasn't worth it to me. As opposed to being a way to relax and enjoy being outside, most of our cohorts on the river just seem to treat the experience as a novel way to get wasted. Lame.
Perhaps my own expectations were too high. I grew up "floating" most many weekends in Missouri. My family owns a bit of land in the Mark Twain National Forest off a small river in central Missouri, and my grandparents retired there, in the gorgeous little log cabin on the property. The setting is nothing less than idyllic, and even on the busiest weekends (the summer holidays, etc) there was never the crush of humanity that we experienced this weekend. You could sit on the bluff on one of the busiest weekend, and still only see one group pass by every 5 minutes or so. And sure, people get shit-faced on the rivers in Missouri, but from what I remember, there seemed to be equal emphasis on respecting your fellow floaters, and the river you are enjoying, as there was on getting drunk.
Thankfully, Libby and Josef, and even Tom, were able to put the ass-holes aside and enjoy the experience a lot. But me, I just couldn't see passed all those red-neck hicks, to really enjoy the gorgeous bluffs overlooking the Guadalupe.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Home-Doggy Turns One
Day: 290
High Temp: 95F
Today is Homer's first birthday. It is a momentous occasion for Tom and I, who have reaped untold joy from his short time on earth thus far. Tonight we celebrate with Frosty Paws!
Although, we have really been celebrating all weekend. On Saturday we took Homer over to Barton Creek to play fetch in the water, and last night we took a long walk down to and along Town Lake here in Austin, where Homer encountered his very first goose (not a fan).
Happy birthday Homer!
High Temp: 95F
Today is Homer's first birthday. It is a momentous occasion for Tom and I, who have reaped untold joy from his short time on earth thus far. Tonight we celebrate with Frosty Paws!
Although, we have really been celebrating all weekend. On Saturday we took Homer over to Barton Creek to play fetch in the water, and last night we took a long walk down to and along Town Lake here in Austin, where Homer encountered his very first goose (not a fan).
Happy birthday Homer!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Pledging Allegiance to the Texas Flag
Day: 278
High Temp: 91F
Last friday morning at 7:45am, I found myself in a large room inside a temporary building, surrounded by a few hundred children all under the age of 10 pledging my allegiance to the Texas State flag. It was my first experience pledging my allegiance to Texas, and with all the ridiculousness going on right now in the debate on what text books in Texas should contain I was thinking to myself, "Maybe not allegiance to Texas, but Austin... okay, I feel good about pledging my allegiance to Austin."
In a state where you spend the entirety of your 4th grade social studies class learning Texas state history, it should be no surprise this is a rudimentary part of the morning at UT Elementary School, but I was a bit caught off guard, nonetheless.
This all came about as I was invited to a monthly breakfast and tour that UT Elementary School hosts for University staff, faculty and any other interested community members. It's a chance to hear from the principal about what the school is doing right, meet the crazy-smart, well behaved and articulate students, and get a peek at how UTES is working with other urban schools to improve education for the underserved. It was really cool.
The scene of my allegiance pledging was the morning school-wide assembly. It's just 5-10 minutes each morning where the school comes together as a community to pledge allegiance in English and in Spanish, (and not just to Texas, but to the US flag as well), sing their school song (with UTES appropriate lyrics set to "The Eyes of Texas"), recite their "peace code" and hear any school announcements. If it's your birthday, the whole school will sing to you at assembly (as happened for little Francisco the morning I visited). And if it's Friday you also get to hear a joke from one or two of the kids as a part of what they call "Friday Funnies".
The school is truly a model of how amazing urban education can be, if you just have a little money, and the luxury of small classroom sizes. Of course, so few urban schools have those luxuries, so it was good to see how dedicated this school is to working with teachers and administrators from other Austin public schools, and how they supplement the teaching degree programs here at UT with unparalleled hands-on opportunities in the classrooms.
With their emphasis on early interventions (physical, behavioral, psychological, etc) and a thing they call "Social and Emotional Learning", this school is doing so much right. You can see the proof in the respect the kids have for themselves, their teachers and their school. I was mightily impressed by these "Little Longhorns."
High Temp: 91F
Last friday morning at 7:45am, I found myself in a large room inside a temporary building, surrounded by a few hundred children all under the age of 10 pledging my allegiance to the Texas State flag. It was my first experience pledging my allegiance to Texas, and with all the ridiculousness going on right now in the debate on what text books in Texas should contain I was thinking to myself, "Maybe not allegiance to Texas, but Austin... okay, I feel good about pledging my allegiance to Austin."
In a state where you spend the entirety of your 4th grade social studies class learning Texas state history, it should be no surprise this is a rudimentary part of the morning at UT Elementary School, but I was a bit caught off guard, nonetheless.
This all came about as I was invited to a monthly breakfast and tour that UT Elementary School hosts for University staff, faculty and any other interested community members. It's a chance to hear from the principal about what the school is doing right, meet the crazy-smart, well behaved and articulate students, and get a peek at how UTES is working with other urban schools to improve education for the underserved. It was really cool.
The scene of my allegiance pledging was the morning school-wide assembly. It's just 5-10 minutes each morning where the school comes together as a community to pledge allegiance in English and in Spanish, (and not just to Texas, but to the US flag as well), sing their school song (with UTES appropriate lyrics set to "The Eyes of Texas"), recite their "peace code" and hear any school announcements. If it's your birthday, the whole school will sing to you at assembly (as happened for little Francisco the morning I visited). And if it's Friday you also get to hear a joke from one or two of the kids as a part of what they call "Friday Funnies".
The school is truly a model of how amazing urban education can be, if you just have a little money, and the luxury of small classroom sizes. Of course, so few urban schools have those luxuries, so it was good to see how dedicated this school is to working with teachers and administrators from other Austin public schools, and how they supplement the teaching degree programs here at UT with unparalleled hands-on opportunities in the classrooms.
With their emphasis on early interventions (physical, behavioral, psychological, etc) and a thing they call "Social and Emotional Learning", this school is doing so much right. You can see the proof in the respect the kids have for themselves, their teachers and their school. I was mightily impressed by these "Little Longhorns."
Friday, May 14, 2010
Poker Walk
Day: 272
High Temp: They say 86F, but it's past noon and only 67 right now
On Wednesday I participated in the UT Poker Walk, which is a fitness initiative that encourages faculty and staff to exercise. It's an odd event, but the basic premise is that you form a team (we were Healin' and Dealin'- get it? Nurses + Poker!) walk a 1 mile course, and along the way pick up poker chips from 5 stations. When you get to the end of the course, you turn in your chips, and the volunteer dealers deal you 5 cards. There is no discarding, and the top three best hands win prizes. I got a heart flush with a queen high. It may have been the best poker hand I have ever been dealt, including games when discarding was allowed. And it turns out that was enough to score me 3rd best hand out of 1100 participants. I won a new ipod shuffle. Sweet.
The event also pushed my UT free t-shirt total up to 4 (in as many months of employment.) This place loves to give away t-shirts. I've added it to my longhorn water bottle, tip card, multiple pens and pencils, notepads, leather portfolio, refrigerator magnet and lapel pin.
High Temp: They say 86F, but it's past noon and only 67 right now
On Wednesday I participated in the UT Poker Walk, which is a fitness initiative that encourages faculty and staff to exercise. It's an odd event, but the basic premise is that you form a team (we were Healin' and Dealin'- get it? Nurses + Poker!) walk a 1 mile course, and along the way pick up poker chips from 5 stations. When you get to the end of the course, you turn in your chips, and the volunteer dealers deal you 5 cards. There is no discarding, and the top three best hands win prizes. I got a heart flush with a queen high. It may have been the best poker hand I have ever been dealt, including games when discarding was allowed. And it turns out that was enough to score me 3rd best hand out of 1100 participants. I won a new ipod shuffle. Sweet.
The event also pushed my UT free t-shirt total up to 4 (in as many months of employment.) This place loves to give away t-shirts. I've added it to my longhorn water bottle, tip card, multiple pens and pencils, notepads, leather portfolio, refrigerator magnet and lapel pin.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
So Much Catching Up...
Day: 264
High Temp: 94F
Hello friends. I have been terribly delinquent in my blogging recently, and I can blame that mostly on the kicking into gear of my wedding planning efforts. This Sunday will mark the anniversary of our engagement, and each day we get a little bit closer to the big party on October 9. We are under the 6 month mark until the wedding, which means I am spending my lunch hours trying to stay ahead of the curve as far as booking vendors, planning decor, and creating schedules. It's crazy, and so much fun. But it hasn't left me time to blog! And so much has happened. Here is a brief run down of what you missed in the past few weeks:
FRIENDS
Good friends Adam Simon and Mackenzie Kyle visited for a few days at the end of April. They were driving cross country from Florida to LA, and made some time for us (and queso). They surprised me by picking up my BFF Camilla in New Orleans, and bringing her along for the ride. We were also luck to play foster home to Adam and Mack's adorable doggy Hannah while they were in town, as the hotel they booked was not dog-friendly. The highlight for me was the first night they were all in town, when we took both the dogs and ourselves to the unique Lustre Pearl (revisit my first visit to this esteemed and unique Austin local here) to drink beer and eat some of the best taco truck food in Austin. It was so wonderful to see them all, and the amazing high I was on being with old friends was only matched by the sadness of saying goodbye to them. Good thing there was a....
WEDDING
Tom's little sister Erin got married the last weekend of April. It was a whirl-wind trip for us to the Bay Area, with no time for wine tastings, or leisurely strolls through San Fran. We did, however, get to hug many of our favorite people, dance till we dropped, and celebrate a beautiful day with two people we love very much. Oh, and did I mention the Pyramid beer? That is one Horan wedding down, and two to go in 2010...
NEW TEXANS
The weekend we were camping we got word that the amazing Zach Gonzalez-Landis has decided to come to UT next year for grad school. Even better news that that, he is bring his fabulous and hilarious lady Adrienne Dellinger with him. YES! More friend reinforcements are on their way!
BABIES
No, not me. If you are an avid reader of DMWL (which I am sure you all are) you should know from this post that Andy and my SIL Megan are expecting twins. Megan is due in early July, but was told, because they are multiples, to expect to deliver early. Unfortunately, after a very long drive to their new home in Springfield, Mo over the weekend, Megan went into pre-term labor. She has been in and out of hospital for the past few days, and now it looks as though she may be there to stay. The boys are at 31 weeks, which gives them an excellent chance of survival and a very low risk of complications, but we are all really hoping they stay put for at least another 4-5 weeks. Please send all of your positive thoughts (and cards, emails, cookie trays, etc) their way!
In other news, Tom and I are planning to go "tubin" this weekend. A very hill-country past time, "tubin" is simply floating, but in inner-tubes. Each person gets their own tube, and you also get an extra tube, with a bottom, to fill with ice and put your beer in. Then you lash all your tubes together and float en-masse at a snails pace while drinking beer down a river somewhere in the middle of Texas.
High Temp: 94F
Hello friends. I have been terribly delinquent in my blogging recently, and I can blame that mostly on the kicking into gear of my wedding planning efforts. This Sunday will mark the anniversary of our engagement, and each day we get a little bit closer to the big party on October 9. We are under the 6 month mark until the wedding, which means I am spending my lunch hours trying to stay ahead of the curve as far as booking vendors, planning decor, and creating schedules. It's crazy, and so much fun. But it hasn't left me time to blog! And so much has happened. Here is a brief run down of what you missed in the past few weeks:
FRIENDS
Good friends Adam Simon and Mackenzie Kyle visited for a few days at the end of April. They were driving cross country from Florida to LA, and made some time for us (and queso). They surprised me by picking up my BFF Camilla in New Orleans, and bringing her along for the ride. We were also luck to play foster home to Adam and Mack's adorable doggy Hannah while they were in town, as the hotel they booked was not dog-friendly. The highlight for me was the first night they were all in town, when we took both the dogs and ourselves to the unique Lustre Pearl (revisit my first visit to this esteemed and unique Austin local here) to drink beer and eat some of the best taco truck food in Austin. It was so wonderful to see them all, and the amazing high I was on being with old friends was only matched by the sadness of saying goodbye to them. Good thing there was a....
WEDDING
Tom's little sister Erin got married the last weekend of April. It was a whirl-wind trip for us to the Bay Area, with no time for wine tastings, or leisurely strolls through San Fran. We did, however, get to hug many of our favorite people, dance till we dropped, and celebrate a beautiful day with two people we love very much. Oh, and did I mention the Pyramid beer? That is one Horan wedding down, and two to go in 2010...
NEW TEXANS
The weekend we were camping we got word that the amazing Zach Gonzalez-Landis has decided to come to UT next year for grad school. Even better news that that, he is bring his fabulous and hilarious lady Adrienne Dellinger with him. YES! More friend reinforcements are on their way!
BABIES
No, not me. If you are an avid reader of DMWL (which I am sure you all are) you should know from this post that Andy and my SIL Megan are expecting twins. Megan is due in early July, but was told, because they are multiples, to expect to deliver early. Unfortunately, after a very long drive to their new home in Springfield, Mo over the weekend, Megan went into pre-term labor. She has been in and out of hospital for the past few days, and now it looks as though she may be there to stay. The boys are at 31 weeks, which gives them an excellent chance of survival and a very low risk of complications, but we are all really hoping they stay put for at least another 4-5 weeks. Please send all of your positive thoughts (and cards, emails, cookie trays, etc) their way!
In other news, Tom and I are planning to go "tubin" this weekend. A very hill-country past time, "tubin" is simply floating, but in inner-tubes. Each person gets their own tube, and you also get an extra tube, with a bottom, to fill with ice and put your beer in. Then you lash all your tubes together and float en-masse at a snails pace while drinking beer down a river somewhere in the middle of Texas.
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