Last night I had an impromptu happy hour with one of my new gal pals at Cantina Laredo (the tour de tacos continues as I chalked up yet another visit to a Mexican restaurant!) It was "ladies night," which conjures cheesy piano bars with burly bouncers and lots of shiny shirt guys, but Cantina Laredo is actually really nice and upscale. And, anyway, who am I to argue with 1/2 off adult beverages?? So we enjoyed ourselves some margs, table-side guac, and a huge appetizer platter with marinated pork tacos, chicken quesadillas, grilled meat skewers, and probably some other things I'm forgetting. It was really good-- kind of swankified Mexican. (I realize this is quickly turning into a Mexican restaurant review blog, but I promise to come up with some new content soon!) I've felt pretty isolated here the past few months-- other than work, my life has consisted of a lot of DVR-ed TV, the occasional workout, and that's about it. But it's really nice to feel like I'm finally starting to make friends, and, as she is also the wife of a b-school student, it was nice to have someone to talk to about the whole experience who is also going through the same things and totally gets it. I love my hubs, but sometimes you just need some girl time to relax and refresh your perspective.
And we've got more fun in store for us this weekend! Kristin and Dan are coming to visit from NYC, and so we're going to show them the best that Austin has to offer. They have a few other friends down here in the lone star state (a couple in Dallas and another friend here), so everyone is converging in Austin for the weekend. I expect that there will be more Mexican food, some delicious BBQ (we can't let any visitor escape without a trip to the Salt Lick), line dancing, live music, maybe a trip to the Alamo Drafthouse, and some crazy shenanigans that I can't even predict. I'm heading out of work a bit early and to pick them up at the airport. Can't wait!
Happy Halloween!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Date Night
I think we're starting a little tradition around here. The past few Tuesdays we've been out to eat-- to celebrate J finishing his first quarter finals, to celebrate when we got his (great) grades back, and last night just because we need some quality time. Since we moved here, we've been really diligent about limiting our meals out to once, maybe twice, a week and cooking regularly, but it's a fun treat to have a little mid-week date night. We went to Curra's Grill, which is quickly rising up the ranks as our favorite local Mexican joint (and we should know... we have sampled the menu at no less than 5 other Mexican restaurants within about a 1-2 mile radius of our apartment... and there could be others I'm forgetting!)
I've gotten pretty picky about my Mexican of late, and I keep tabs on who has the best chips, salsa, enchiladas, tacos, guac, margaritas, you name it. Curra's stands out for the excellent salsa, good margs, and AMAZING grilled meats. You have to try the carnitas, which are marinated in Coca-Cola, OJ, and milk. It sounds strange, but the result is so tender, flavorful, and mouth-wateringly good. They also have an avocado margarita that I've heard is delicious, so I'll have to try that out one of these days. And, as we learned last night, happy hour goes all night on Tuesdays, so yet another reason to make it a regular Tuesday date night.
Afterward, J had to do some homework (as per usual), so I hit up the DVR for some entertainment (also a usual occurrence.) Strange confession: I totally love the Duggars. As in the Duggars of "18 Kids and Counting" fame. Their lifestyle isn't for me, but something about them is fascinating. Plus they seem so genuinely nice and friendly. And the kids all seem totally down to earth, out-going, and well adjusted (despite what the home school stereotypes might lead you to believe.) So I DVR every episode and it's something I secretly look forward to every Tuesday night. Like, just as much as I look forward to Glee (my new obsession), 30 Rock, or Mad Men. I know. I told you... strange.
And how 'bout last night's episode of Biggest Loser?? Do any of you watch it? What a tearjerker. I love Abby and was sad to see her go, but I have no doubt she will be incredibly successful on her own. What an inspiration!
I've gotten pretty picky about my Mexican of late, and I keep tabs on who has the best chips, salsa, enchiladas, tacos, guac, margaritas, you name it. Curra's stands out for the excellent salsa, good margs, and AMAZING grilled meats. You have to try the carnitas, which are marinated in Coca-Cola, OJ, and milk. It sounds strange, but the result is so tender, flavorful, and mouth-wateringly good. They also have an avocado margarita that I've heard is delicious, so I'll have to try that out one of these days. And, as we learned last night, happy hour goes all night on Tuesdays, so yet another reason to make it a regular Tuesday date night.
Afterward, J had to do some homework (as per usual), so I hit up the DVR for some entertainment (also a usual occurrence.) Strange confession: I totally love the Duggars. As in the Duggars of "18 Kids and Counting" fame. Their lifestyle isn't for me, but something about them is fascinating. Plus they seem so genuinely nice and friendly. And the kids all seem totally down to earth, out-going, and well adjusted (despite what the home school stereotypes might lead you to believe.) So I DVR every episode and it's something I secretly look forward to every Tuesday night. Like, just as much as I look forward to Glee (my new obsession), 30 Rock, or Mad Men. I know. I told you... strange.
And how 'bout last night's episode of Biggest Loser?? Do any of you watch it? What a tearjerker. I love Abby and was sad to see her go, but I have no doubt she will be incredibly successful on her own. What an inspiration!
Friday, October 23, 2009
10 Things I've Learned About Texas
In honor of my three month anniversary of living here:
1. Wear mosquito repellent after dusk. Or else.
2. "Y'all" is an incredibly useful phrase. I still feel like a total poser saying it, but really the only alternative is "you guys" and suddenly I feel all awkward and manly like I'm Sloth from "Goonies" shouting "Heeeeeey yoooouuu gu-uys" while swinging from a giant boom on an ancient pirate ship when I could be all dainty and cute and just say "y'all."
3. I don't like queso. I know, gasp. But, let's be honest. It's basically melted Velveeta with chunks of canned chili or cheap sausage. It's only marginally tastier or more sophisticated than stadium nacho pump-a-cheez. It might be perfectly suitable as a little pick-me-up at 2 a.m. after a long night of binge drinking, but, since those days are long behind me, I don't see many other uses for it.
4. But, I do like margaritas. I know, I'm a weirdo. I'm just discovering this now? Yes, well, after an unfortunate tequila-related incident sophomore year, even the faintest scent of it has been enough to steer me clear of margaritas for the past decade. Like, literally. I hadn't ever had a single margarita until I moved here. And then on one of our many trips out for Mexican food I decided to just try one (assuming I'd hate it) and you know what? They're pretty darn tasty! Tequila shots... now that's another story.
5. There are a lot of chain restaurants in the United States. And I have never heard of 2/3 of them.
6. Everything really is bigger here-- all the expected stuff: houses, cars, the beef section in the grocery store's butcher case-- but also flags. There are ginormous, huge American and Texas State flags all over the place that are like 2 stories tall, and most are ridiculously disproportionate to the flag poles and buildings they adorn.
7. "Tex Mex" really just means greasy, cheesy American-style Mexican food. (As opposed to "Fresh Mex" which is more of your SoCal/Baja/West Coast style.) And don't get me wrong-- I am definitely not knocking greasy, cheesy American-style Mexican food. It's actually done exceptionally well in Texas and I have acquired quite an appreciation for it.
8. Fall is everyone's favorite season. But fall doesn't mean changing leaves, scarves, boots, and toasty beverages. Fall means temperatures below 90 and, more importantly, football. That is all.
9. Cowboy boots are appropriate footwear in any instance when you would normally wear tall, heeled boots-- with skinny jeans tucked in, with longer dresses and flowy skirts, and with your classic bootcut jeans. Judging from the attire of women at UT football games, they are also apparently appropriate with mini skirts, short strapless dresses, and incredibly tiny Daisy Duke jean cut-offs. However, I still question why you would want to cover your legs up to the knee with heavy leather boots when the 90+ degree temps and high humidity make the Daisy Dukes (kinda but not really) an acceptable fashion choice? I chalk it up to the Uggs with mini skirt phenomenon.
10. Texas is an incredibly diverse state-- from ethnicity, culture, and politics, to geography, to style and attitude, it spans the spectrum. We've all heard the big-haired-gun-toting-red-state stereotypes, and there is a grain of truth to these assessments, but there are so many other facets of Texas (and Texans) that don't fit the stereotype at all. 21sth century Texas is really a dynamic, interesting place, and definitely not as much of a foreign country as the stereotypes would lead you to believe. Of course, I say this as someone who has not ventured very far outside of Austin. But so far, Austin has been a great city to explore, and I really don't feel like I'm 5 hours away from home by plane. Minus the aforementioned "y'alls," copious amounts of Tex Mex, and searing summer heat, this really doesn't feel much different than home. And that is a great feeling.
1. Wear mosquito repellent after dusk. Or else.
2. "Y'all" is an incredibly useful phrase. I still feel like a total poser saying it, but really the only alternative is "you guys" and suddenly I feel all awkward and manly like I'm Sloth from "Goonies" shouting "Heeeeeey yoooouuu gu-uys" while swinging from a giant boom on an ancient pirate ship when I could be all dainty and cute and just say "y'all."
3. I don't like queso. I know, gasp. But, let's be honest. It's basically melted Velveeta with chunks of canned chili or cheap sausage. It's only marginally tastier or more sophisticated than stadium nacho pump-a-cheez. It might be perfectly suitable as a little pick-me-up at 2 a.m. after a long night of binge drinking, but, since those days are long behind me, I don't see many other uses for it.
4. But, I do like margaritas. I know, I'm a weirdo. I'm just discovering this now? Yes, well, after an unfortunate tequila-related incident sophomore year, even the faintest scent of it has been enough to steer me clear of margaritas for the past decade. Like, literally. I hadn't ever had a single margarita until I moved here. And then on one of our many trips out for Mexican food I decided to just try one (assuming I'd hate it) and you know what? They're pretty darn tasty! Tequila shots... now that's another story.
5. There are a lot of chain restaurants in the United States. And I have never heard of 2/3 of them.
6. Everything really is bigger here-- all the expected stuff: houses, cars, the beef section in the grocery store's butcher case-- but also flags. There are ginormous, huge American and Texas State flags all over the place that are like 2 stories tall, and most are ridiculously disproportionate to the flag poles and buildings they adorn.
7. "Tex Mex" really just means greasy, cheesy American-style Mexican food. (As opposed to "Fresh Mex" which is more of your SoCal/Baja/West Coast style.) And don't get me wrong-- I am definitely not knocking greasy, cheesy American-style Mexican food. It's actually done exceptionally well in Texas and I have acquired quite an appreciation for it.
8. Fall is everyone's favorite season. But fall doesn't mean changing leaves, scarves, boots, and toasty beverages. Fall means temperatures below 90 and, more importantly, football. That is all.
9. Cowboy boots are appropriate footwear in any instance when you would normally wear tall, heeled boots-- with skinny jeans tucked in, with longer dresses and flowy skirts, and with your classic bootcut jeans. Judging from the attire of women at UT football games, they are also apparently appropriate with mini skirts, short strapless dresses, and incredibly tiny Daisy Duke jean cut-offs. However, I still question why you would want to cover your legs up to the knee with heavy leather boots when the 90+ degree temps and high humidity make the Daisy Dukes (kinda but not really) an acceptable fashion choice? I chalk it up to the Uggs with mini skirt phenomenon.
10. Texas is an incredibly diverse state-- from ethnicity, culture, and politics, to geography, to style and attitude, it spans the spectrum. We've all heard the big-haired-gun-toting-red-state stereotypes, and there is a grain of truth to these assessments, but there are so many other facets of Texas (and Texans) that don't fit the stereotype at all. 21sth century Texas is really a dynamic, interesting place, and definitely not as much of a foreign country as the stereotypes would lead you to believe. Of course, I say this as someone who has not ventured very far outside of Austin. But so far, Austin has been a great city to explore, and I really don't feel like I'm 5 hours away from home by plane. Minus the aforementioned "y'alls," copious amounts of Tex Mex, and searing summer heat, this really doesn't feel much different than home. And that is a great feeling.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Givin' it a Tri
In my on-going (and lately unsuccessful) quest to make fitness a regular part of my life, I've finally decided that I need to bite the bullet and just join a gym. I held out on this for a while because we have a little mini gym in our apartment complex, and "free" is a better fit with our much-chronicled grad school budget than a paid gym membership. But after a few months, I've think I've maxed out our free gym's usefulness. There are only two treadmills (one of which is always broken), one recumbent bike, and two elliptical machines. There are some free weights, but one of the two 10 lb. weights went missing about 3 weeks ago, and 10 lbs. is the weight I use for pretty much all of my exercises, so it makes it tough to do much lifting. And everything is about 15 years old. For fear of boring you any further, I'll skip to the point: our little apartment gym is not the kind of place I can get even a teensy bit excited about visiting. And when going to the gym sounds less appealing than scrubbing my toilet, nice facilities, a cool view, or an interesting class make it just a little bit easier to put down my DVR remote and get my butt up off the couch.
Enter Pure Austin. It's kind of the swanky gym in town, but what really attracted me to it is the tagline: "an indoor gym for outdoor people." And it actually lives up to this promise. It has an indoor climbing wall, all kinds of classes, a pool, and-- the coolest feature-- a huge outdoor quarry lake filled with fresh water where you can kayak or swim specific length courses marked off by buoys.
The lake also has a gravel track around it for jogging or walking. So, basically, it's a gym that offers a bunch of sporty activities that are way more interesting and engaging than 30 or 40 minutes on the ol' elliptical machine.
I am particularly excited because I swam competitively for 4 years in high school, but it's been years since I've been in pool for any other purpose than cooling off on a hot day. My knees aren't great, so while I enjoy running, it's not a good idea for me to pound the pavement more than about once a week. I've been wanting to get back into lap swimming, so this is perfect. And, because every couple years I get the itch to indulge my competitive streak, I am thinking that this will be the perfect opportunity to start training for a triathlon. It's something I've wanted to do for a while and since I find myself with plenty of time on my hands here in Austin (my social calendar isn't exactly overflowing-- possibly why I get so excited about grocery shopping as seen here and here), I figure now is the perfect time to start training. I own a bike, I'm already comfortable with running, and this weekend I'm joining a gym with not only a pool, but a place to practice open water swims. It's pretty much ideal.
I haven't figured out exactly which triathlon I'm going to do, but there are at least 3 in Austin in May or June. I'm leaning towards the Danskin women's tri, but in any case, I'll be doing a sprint distance: about a 750m swim, a 10-12 mile bike ride,and a 5K run. (I like a little challenge to motivate me; I don't like intense physical pain and mental anguish.) So there you have it. I'm giving it the old college tri! ; )
Enter Pure Austin. It's kind of the swanky gym in town, but what really attracted me to it is the tagline: "an indoor gym for outdoor people." And it actually lives up to this promise. It has an indoor climbing wall, all kinds of classes, a pool, and-- the coolest feature-- a huge outdoor quarry lake filled with fresh water where you can kayak or swim specific length courses marked off by buoys.
The lake also has a gravel track around it for jogging or walking. So, basically, it's a gym that offers a bunch of sporty activities that are way more interesting and engaging than 30 or 40 minutes on the ol' elliptical machine.
I am particularly excited because I swam competitively for 4 years in high school, but it's been years since I've been in pool for any other purpose than cooling off on a hot day. My knees aren't great, so while I enjoy running, it's not a good idea for me to pound the pavement more than about once a week. I've been wanting to get back into lap swimming, so this is perfect. And, because every couple years I get the itch to indulge my competitive streak, I am thinking that this will be the perfect opportunity to start training for a triathlon. It's something I've wanted to do for a while and since I find myself with plenty of time on my hands here in Austin (my social calendar isn't exactly overflowing-- possibly why I get so excited about grocery shopping as seen here and here), I figure now is the perfect time to start training. I own a bike, I'm already comfortable with running, and this weekend I'm joining a gym with not only a pool, but a place to practice open water swims. It's pretty much ideal.
I haven't figured out exactly which triathlon I'm going to do, but there are at least 3 in Austin in May or June. I'm leaning towards the Danskin women's tri, but in any case, I'll be doing a sprint distance: about a 750m swim, a 10-12 mile bike ride,and a 5K run. (I like a little challenge to motivate me; I don't like intense physical pain and mental anguish.) So there you have it. I'm giving it the old college tri! ; )
Monday, October 19, 2009
Weekend update
Our weekend started early with J's gall bladder surgery last Thursday. It was an out-patient procedure, so we were only at the hospital for about 6 hours, but I took the day off to chauffeur my hubby and play nurse. The surgery went off without a hitch, and we made it home around 1pm. After several anesthesia-induced hours of loopiness, he was almost back to normal by that evening. I went back to work on Friday, and he spent the day recuperating.
The weather here has turned a corner and it's suddenly gorgeous-- sunny, no humidity, and in the mid-70s. Like Seattle in the summer-- only it's verging on late October. Ha! For the first time since we arrived here, I had the feeling of wanting to spend as much time outdoors as possible this weekend. So on Friday night, we kicked off the weekend with dinner, drinks, and live music on Botticelli's back patio. I've had happy hour there before and it was so-so, but I was pleasantly surprised with my prosciutto and sage stuffed chicken breast on a bed of mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts. (Is it weird that I love Brussels sprouts? I really do... ) Plus the patio is gorgeous. I love the huge like oaks strung with globe lights arching over every patio down here.
On Saturday morning, I went for a long walk around Town Lake. Then I met up with J and one of his buddies at Doc's, an outdoor bar next to our apartment complex, to watch the UT-OU game. I don't know if it was the beautiful weather, the fact that the place was jam packed with 'Horns fans, or the prospect of a UT National Championship this year, but somewhere along the line, I have become a legit fan-- yelling, screaming, and pumping my fists with the best of them. The first half was rough for both the Longhorns and the Sooners, but we prevailed and are now 6-0 for the season.
Later on Saturday evening, Jason and I had a super romantic date night, er, I mean grocery shopping trip. But, really, grocery shopping can be exciting! (Possibly a cue that I need to get out more, but that's a whole 'nother blog post...) Anyway, I am obviously huge fan of Central Market, but the whole paying-for-grad-school-and-trying-to-live-on-one-income thing makes those trips to Central Market few and far between. Enter my new fave, Sprouts. This place is awesome! It's the next best thing to Trader Joe's opening up here in the Lone Star state. Essentially, Sprouts is Central Market-quality on more of a TJ's budget, but with a much bigger produce section. Tons of fresh fruits and veggies, many of them organic, and lots of organic dairy and natural, hormone- and antibiotic-free meats. I still miss my TJs, but in the meantime, Sprouts will definitely do.
On Sunday, we took another walk around our neighborhood, ran some errands, and then stopped in for an impromptu coffee and cupcake break at this cute coffee shop, Mozart's, which is right on Lake Austin. It was such a nice day that we wound up just killing a couple hours driving around and exploring some of the posh neighborhoods around Lake Austin, and then hiking up to check out the view from Mt. Bonnell. Then we came home, raided our freshly stocked fridge and whipped up some roasted salmon and asparagus. Mmmm. Perfect way to end the weekend!
The weather here has turned a corner and it's suddenly gorgeous-- sunny, no humidity, and in the mid-70s. Like Seattle in the summer-- only it's verging on late October. Ha! For the first time since we arrived here, I had the feeling of wanting to spend as much time outdoors as possible this weekend. So on Friday night, we kicked off the weekend with dinner, drinks, and live music on Botticelli's back patio. I've had happy hour there before and it was so-so, but I was pleasantly surprised with my prosciutto and sage stuffed chicken breast on a bed of mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts. (Is it weird that I love Brussels sprouts? I really do... ) Plus the patio is gorgeous. I love the huge like oaks strung with globe lights arching over every patio down here.
On Saturday morning, I went for a long walk around Town Lake. Then I met up with J and one of his buddies at Doc's, an outdoor bar next to our apartment complex, to watch the UT-OU game. I don't know if it was the beautiful weather, the fact that the place was jam packed with 'Horns fans, or the prospect of a UT National Championship this year, but somewhere along the line, I have become a legit fan-- yelling, screaming, and pumping my fists with the best of them. The first half was rough for both the Longhorns and the Sooners, but we prevailed and are now 6-0 for the season.
Later on Saturday evening, Jason and I had a super romantic date night, er, I mean grocery shopping trip. But, really, grocery shopping can be exciting! (Possibly a cue that I need to get out more, but that's a whole 'nother blog post...) Anyway, I am obviously huge fan of Central Market, but the whole paying-for-grad-school-and-trying-to-live-on-one-income thing makes those trips to Central Market few and far between. Enter my new fave, Sprouts. This place is awesome! It's the next best thing to Trader Joe's opening up here in the Lone Star state. Essentially, Sprouts is Central Market-quality on more of a TJ's budget, but with a much bigger produce section. Tons of fresh fruits and veggies, many of them organic, and lots of organic dairy and natural, hormone- and antibiotic-free meats. I still miss my TJs, but in the meantime, Sprouts will definitely do.
On Sunday, we took another walk around our neighborhood, ran some errands, and then stopped in for an impromptu coffee and cupcake break at this cute coffee shop, Mozart's, which is right on Lake Austin. It was such a nice day that we wound up just killing a couple hours driving around and exploring some of the posh neighborhoods around Lake Austin, and then hiking up to check out the view from Mt. Bonnell. Then we came home, raided our freshly stocked fridge and whipped up some roasted salmon and asparagus. Mmmm. Perfect way to end the weekend!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Motivation
Having kind of a blah day here. It's raining, which normally I wouldn't complain about since we get far too little of it and it reminds me of home, but it's also about 82 out, so it's this gross steamy rain. Windows literally steam up because of it. Yuck. I also have literally nothing to do at work currently, so the minutes are just dragging by. I've been trying to use my free time to get myself organized and make lists.
List-making is one of my favorite activities-- I keep all kinds of on-going lists: groceries, stuff I need from Target, other items I'd like to purchase for my home, tasks I need to accomplish today, this week, and over the long term. However, the lists are just that-- lists. Sometimes I find it hard to figure out how to transfer my zest for making lists into actually doing the stuff on the lists. Housekeeping is my biggest challenge. I am a strange version of neat freak-- I LOVE to have a clean, pristine house with everything in its place, but I go through these binge and purge phases where I'll just be too exhausted and overwhelmed with everything that I feel needs to get done so I'll just do nothing. The result is a mess-- dishes in the sink, clothes strewn all over the bedroom floor, and little piles of paper on every flat surface throughout my home. Inevitably, I will get a burst of motivation and finally be able to face the to-do list, and then I'll feverishly clean every nook and cranny until my entire apartment is gleaming. However, this is not a good system. It's exhausting, and it always consumes most of a weekend whenever I go on one of my cleaning sprees.
What I need is a system that inspires me to do a little bit each day so that I can keep on top of the clutter without needing to spend my precious weekends devoted to cleaning up the mess we made all week. It's just so hard to find the motivation! I can stick with it for a few days, but then it just begins to feel like I'm a little hamster running around on a wheel and that the cleaning, tidying, and organizing is never going to end. (Which I suppose is true... we are human after all.) Does anyone have any great systems you use for keeping your houses tidy on a regular basis? Or motivational secrets to tackle the clutter and those other little projects around the house that just nag at you? Please share!
List-making is one of my favorite activities-- I keep all kinds of on-going lists: groceries, stuff I need from Target, other items I'd like to purchase for my home, tasks I need to accomplish today, this week, and over the long term. However, the lists are just that-- lists. Sometimes I find it hard to figure out how to transfer my zest for making lists into actually doing the stuff on the lists. Housekeeping is my biggest challenge. I am a strange version of neat freak-- I LOVE to have a clean, pristine house with everything in its place, but I go through these binge and purge phases where I'll just be too exhausted and overwhelmed with everything that I feel needs to get done so I'll just do nothing. The result is a mess-- dishes in the sink, clothes strewn all over the bedroom floor, and little piles of paper on every flat surface throughout my home. Inevitably, I will get a burst of motivation and finally be able to face the to-do list, and then I'll feverishly clean every nook and cranny until my entire apartment is gleaming. However, this is not a good system. It's exhausting, and it always consumes most of a weekend whenever I go on one of my cleaning sprees.
What I need is a system that inspires me to do a little bit each day so that I can keep on top of the clutter without needing to spend my precious weekends devoted to cleaning up the mess we made all week. It's just so hard to find the motivation! I can stick with it for a few days, but then it just begins to feel like I'm a little hamster running around on a wheel and that the cleaning, tidying, and organizing is never going to end. (Which I suppose is true... we are human after all.) Does anyone have any great systems you use for keeping your houses tidy on a regular basis? Or motivational secrets to tackle the clutter and those other little projects around the house that just nag at you? Please share!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Weekend update
Exciting weekend around these parts! After much scheming and secretive discussions with several family members on both sides (moi included), my sister's boyfriend proposed! We all love Mike, so we're super excited to have him join the family as a new bro/son-in-law. And hats off to him... Mike managed to totally surprise my sister with an incredibly elaborate proposal that included a walk to a park where he feigned setting up the camera timer to take a "scenic fall picture" of the two of them under a canopy of fall foliage, followed by a surprise stay at a nice hotel downtown, which he had spent the morning decorating with rose petals and supplying with cheese, homemade chocolate covered strawberries, and champagne-- and then, as though that wasn't enough, dinner at Seattle's fanciest restaurant, Canlis. Laura is a lucky girl and we can't wait to toast them in person when we head home for the holidays!
Meanwhile, J happened to be in Seattle for one of his good friend's (and groomsman's) wedding, so I took the opportunity to travel down to San Antonio to visit my good friend Anne. We only live about an hour and 15 minutes apart, but don't manage to see each other enough, so it was fun to head down there and indulge in 24 hours of girl time. We visited a huge outdoor shopping center called The Shops at La Cantera, where I managed to walk away with two necklaces and a purse for only $35 (courtesy of Forever 21... love that place.) Later we had dinner at a delicious French bistro called La Frite. I truly think that Saturday night might have been only the second or third time in the two and a half months that I've been here that a meal out hasn't been Mexican food. Don't get me wrong-- I love me some Tex Mex-- but with Mexican restaurants on every street corner here, it's easy to forget that there is a whole wide world of different cuisines out there. I had a delicious tomato crab bisque, followed by moules frites (big pot of steamed muscles basted in a tasty white wine, garlic broth and lots of Belgian style fries for dipping.) Mmmmm....
Sunday we slept in and chatted a bit over a breakfast of coffee and scones before I headed home. I spent much of the rest of the day on the phone chatting again with my sis about the proposal and then discussing it in depth with half of my family. We're all very excited! Good thing I kept all my wedding planning materials and vendor info-- I have a feeling it will come in handy!
Meanwhile, J happened to be in Seattle for one of his good friend's (and groomsman's) wedding, so I took the opportunity to travel down to San Antonio to visit my good friend Anne. We only live about an hour and 15 minutes apart, but don't manage to see each other enough, so it was fun to head down there and indulge in 24 hours of girl time. We visited a huge outdoor shopping center called The Shops at La Cantera, where I managed to walk away with two necklaces and a purse for only $35 (courtesy of Forever 21... love that place.) Later we had dinner at a delicious French bistro called La Frite. I truly think that Saturday night might have been only the second or third time in the two and a half months that I've been here that a meal out hasn't been Mexican food. Don't get me wrong-- I love me some Tex Mex-- but with Mexican restaurants on every street corner here, it's easy to forget that there is a whole wide world of different cuisines out there. I had a delicious tomato crab bisque, followed by moules frites (big pot of steamed muscles basted in a tasty white wine, garlic broth and lots of Belgian style fries for dipping.) Mmmmm....
Sunday we slept in and chatted a bit over a breakfast of coffee and scones before I headed home. I spent much of the rest of the day on the phone chatting again with my sis about the proposal and then discussing it in depth with half of my family. We're all very excited! Good thing I kept all my wedding planning materials and vendor info-- I have a feeling it will come in handy!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Fall Decor
Lately I've seen a lot of posts out in blogland about fall decor. I am not one to get too seasonally snazzy with my decor, but in our current apartment we have a mantle-- and it has been begging for a little embellishment for a few months now. When we first moved in, I had a mish mash of framed photos and some glass candlesticks on display, but it just wasn't doing anything for me. With such a huge blank wall above the mantle, I knew I needed something with a little height, and, unfortunately, a grad school budget does not permit much in the way of art purchases.
But, on my maiden voyage to Hobby Lobby (another fabulous store we're lacking out west-- kind of like Michael's meets the Marshall's home wares section meets discount furniture store), I found the mirror in the photos below. It was 50% off (can't beat that!) and stained a nice dark wood color that compliments our other furniture and will be in style for years to come. So I was able to justify the purchase. I also found matching dark wood pillar candlesticks from Pottery Barn (again with a 10% coupon for having recently moved), so the look was complete.
Both of these items will be permanent-- not just for fall-- but now that I had my nice mantle decor in place, I couldn't resist adding a little autumnal flare. Enter Central Market. I scooped up some miniature pumpkins and gourds, grabbed a few large branches of bittersweet vine, and voila! I feel like it's quite inspired for about 5 minutes of work!
The whole "mantlescape" (yes, this is a word I recently read in a Ballard Designs catalogue) from a distance. I'm particularly proud of the proportions-- I think the mirror fills up the wall space nicely. 
And a closer look at my mini gourds and bittersweet vine.
Happy Fall!
(And, yes, I know this is hard to read without any paragraph breaks. I keep trying to fix it, but Blogger is not cooperating. Any tips on this?)
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Rough Week
Well, I'm already not doing so well at my goal of posting more frequently in October, but it's been a long week. J has been dealing with increasing gallstone pain that starting flaring up about two weeks ago. It was a gradual thing at first, but the only real treatment is to get your gall bladder removed, so he was hoping to be able to make it to winter break before having to deal with a surgery. Not to mention, this week was his finals week for his first quarter of school. As the pain got worse and worse last week, he was popping pain medication and studying and hoping just to get through this week. That was not to be.
On Monday night, we spent 6+ hours in the ER, and discovered that he had some additional (although not too serious) abdominal issues. The doctor in the ER was able to treat him for that, but it was clear that his gall bladder would need to come out sooner rather than later. After several sleepless nights, lots of intense pain-- and some intense anxiety about school too-- J had to reschedule two of his finals, but managed to take the other two. He met with a surgeon, and the faulty gall bladder will be coming out next Thursday. So we're very happy to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it's been a long, tiring week nonetheless.
However, on a more positive note, I thought I'd leave you with some photos from the Austin City Limits (ACL) music festival last weekend. We went on Friday and it was a gorgeous afternoon/evening. We saw Thievery Coroporation, who were amazing. After their set, we thought we'd wander around a little, grab some food, and maybe check out another band before Kings of Leon (the headliners) came on. The evening took a little bit of a wrong turn, however, when we spent a full hour in line for a port-o-potty that was a few inches short of overflowing. Mmmmm. I knew there was a reason I generally avoid huge festivals. Overall, though, it was fun to check out such a famous Austin event and the music that we did hear was great.
Me as we entered the festival. The park setting was super nice. It was amazingly clean considering how many tens of thousands of people were there. (Although this was Friday... it might not have looked so nice on Sunday.)
The entrance to the park as we were leaving that night-- all lit up!
Friday, October 2, 2009
Ode to Central Market
I'm really beginning to enjoy this blogging thing, so I've decided that for the month of October, my only goal will be to post more frequently. Inspired by my favorite place to spend money in Austin, I give you:
Ode to Central Market
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways
You sell things like Organic Hatch Green Chili Corn Chips
Cheese that smells like dirty gym socks
But tastes delicious
And wild salmon from the Pacific-- never farmed
Because I care about things like that
You lure me in with your artful displays
Of heirloom tomatoes and ten kinds of potatoes
And, oh! The free samples
Yet you do not judge
When I throw Diet Coke
Or non-organic toilet paper
into my cart
Central Market, you complete me
You make grocery shopping fun
You even have those tiny two-tiered shopping carts
That maneuver so easily around corners
I am forever yours
(For my friends back home, Central Market is the perfect hybrid of Whole Foods and Metropolitan Market-- all the gourmet deliciousness, but less pretentious. Plus they actually carry some normal products [e.g., Diet Coke] and have sales that make the prices reasonable. If only they would expand to the west coast!)
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