Two years in Texas

October 3rd, 2009 was the day I crossed the state line.

I never thought I'd move to Texas, but I’m sure glad I did. This place has surprised me in many wonderful ways. So, here are just a few of the things I’ve learned about this great state since I relocated from the west coast:

Disclaimer: A good chunk of this list is specific to my Austin experience, but feel free to extrapolate to the rest of the state (with caution).

1. Say howdy. Boy, Texans are friendly. I’ve been ma’am-ed and miss-ed to death since I got here. People hold doors, say, “pardon me," "thank you," and "good morning,” and smile at you on the street. When I went back home for the Christmas holidays, Californians seemed downright rude. (They’re not, but Texans are some of the most blatantly nice, welcoming, and hospitable folks I’ve even met.)



2. Everything is bigger in Texas, especially the bugs. There are also many MORE bugs here than on the west coast. Worse, they come INTO YOUR HOME. Here’s a quick rundown of the ones I’ve seen in my house: roaches (several kinds, even if your kitchen is immaculate), earwigs, silverfish, centipedes, beetles, flies, mosquitoes, ants (three kinds), pillbugs, and spiders. Outside, we’ve got cicadas, giant wasps, fire ants…


3. Some of the stereotypes are true. Yes, Texas is all about cowboy boots, cacti, barbeque, high school football, pickup trucks, and the Texas drawl (among other things). I still have moments when I feel like I’m in a Hollywood backlot, surrounded by actors dressed up for a Western. But not all the stereotypes are fair. The biggest misconception? That Texas is a wasteland—a sandy, flat desert full of Republicans and oil wells. We have those things, sure, but we’ve got so much more! The Texas hill country is a gorgeous expanse of oak trees, craggy cliffs, caves, rivers and creeks, wildflowers, and wineries. East Texas is known for its piney woods. The Gulf Coast is home to bayous and beaches. Big Bend Park, in west Texas, is a stunning national park with mountains, desert, and the Rio Grande. (And we’re not ALL Republicans. Really.) Other things that are true, though unfortunate: everyone drives. The summers are very hot. The public transportation sucks. Meh. It’s a trade-off.


4. A quick note on the word “y’all.” If you move to Texas, you will start saying this word. A lot. Embrace it.


5. Austin is a bubble… but we’re still part of Texas. Austin is a great place to live, but it drives me nuts when people speak about this city as if it’s a completely isolated from the rest of the state. Really? Some of the things that best about this city just scream Texas! First off, Austin wouldn’t be Austin without two great things: the State Capitol and the University of Texas (hook ‘em). We’ve got 50,000 students (plus professors and staff), hundreds of lobbyists, lawyers, consultants, and legislative staffers… much of life in Austin revolves around these two institutions. The rest of the city’s culture is rooted in the Texas way of life, as well. Good food, enjoying life, being outside (and active), and embracing great music. People gravitate to this city because it brings together the best of Texas culture, and then we give it an Austin spin. Southern-texmex-Asian fusion? Why not. Two-stepping? Yes. Tons and tons of BBQ? Of course. Live Music Capital of the World? Heck yeah. Life is good here.


6. Grocery stores a plenty. I swear there are more grocery stores here than anywhere I’ve ever lived. Whole Foods is the obvious one. But we’ve also got HEB, Central Marker, Savers, Randalls, Sun Harvest, Wheatsville, Sprouts, Royal Blue, Farm-to-Market... I know Austin is a city of 800,000, but do we NEED this many grocery stores? (Sadly, we don’t have Trader Joe’s. Breaks my heart.)


7. Three major food groups: BBQ, texmex, and beer. These are the essential elements of the Texas diet. People have fierce loyalties to their favorite BBQ and texmex restaurants. I try to be an equal-opportunity consumer of texmex and barbeque, but I will admit that I have my favorites. (For the record… favorite texmex = Maudie’s. Favorite tacos = Taco Deli and Torchy’s. Favorite BBQ = Salt Lick, Rudy’s, and Pok-e-jo’s.) Beer goes with all of the above.


8. Hotter than hell. Well, not always, but damn, it gets hot in the summer. The joke is that we have three seasons: hot, hotter, pretty damn hot. There are three things I’ve noticed that make life waaaaaay easier during Texas summers, which last from May through September: air conditioning, swimming, and (I never thought I’d say this): styrofoam. My born-in-California self cringes at the idea of using Styrofoam, but wow, it keeps things cooler. Recycle, y'all.


9. Be prepared: the Texas essentials. Being outside is a way of life in Texas. Whether you’re on the lake, hiking in the greenbelt, at the pool, enjoying a concert in Zilker—it doesn’t matter. You need a few things to make the most of your experience. And it can’t hurt to keep a few of these in the trunk of my car.
   -- Koozie. It’s not a “kozy,” it’s a KOO-zee. In case you hadn’t heard, it gets warm here. Want your drink to stay cold? Bring a koozie. Add a cooler to the equation if you can.
   -- Camp chair. Essential for shows, picnicking, and staying comfy.
   -- Sundresses, sunscreen, and sunglasses. A given.
   -- Bug spray. See item on bugs, above.
   -- Towel. You never know when you might be going for a swim.
   -- A dog. Everyone in Austin has one.
   


10. Texas pride. Love it or get outta town. The love people feel for Texas is contagious. I find it difficult to believe that you could live in Austin and not think it’s one of the best cities in the world. I, for one, have only minimal patience for people who gripe and complain about Austin. Really? Then leave. Another sign that Texans are in love with their state? Texas-shaped everything. Cheese, cakes, buildings, pools, chips, belt buckles, earrings, ash trays, clocks… is there any product that can’t be improved by making it in the shape of Texas? We also LOVE our Texas beer (Shiner Bock, Lone Star, Live Oak, Independence, Saint Arnold, (512).

In short, this place is awesome. Don't move here! I want it all for myself.

Be.

From wide open spaces

In case you're keeping score...

Two things I can get behind.

Friendly Workplace Linked to Longer Life

How Chocolate Can Help Your Workout

Thanks, New York Times.

Texas Summer

Simple.

A. B. Prints.

Better than fireworks...

June in Texas

Professor Ramblings #3

"Whoa, am I good or what? Well, I think I'm good. Put up with me."

"Imagine my surprise when the somewhat anti-intellectual, former navy pilot started talking about asymptotes. You know what an asymptote is, right?"

"What do you call it? Those little balls of crack? A kernel?"

[In a problem where we calculate the number of centenarians in the U.S.] "What does 'RO' stand for? REALLY OLD."

"This is why consultants get paid so much money! They have the patience to knock this stuff out!"

And my favorite this week...

[Phone rings.] "Oooh, it's a reporter. I'll talk to them later--you're much more important than a reporter."

And so begins another week...

Yeah, pretty much.

Professor Ramblings #2

Oh, math class. If I can get through a three-hour lecture without feeling like I'm going to a) cry, b) barf, or c) scream, then we're in good shape. (This week? Hanging in there, but barely.) This stuff is brutal.

My professor like to joke that he writes the "problems sets from hell." He is correct. So, while I battle it out with some logarithms and missing variables, enjoy this week's professor ramblings.

"Rate of change is something you'll see a lot in economics, but I wanted you to find out about it at home, you know, not out there on the streets."

"You never quite get logarithms, but you do get used to them."

"In the beginning, God created heaven and earth. On the second day, she couldn't do anything else until she created linear equations."

Amen.

Professor Ramblings #1

I'm taking a summer class on "quantitative methods" and despite my reservations about anything math-related, I think this class is going to be good. The professor is AWESOME. Smart as a whip, funny, confident, and he knows how to teach. He strikes the perfect balance of being invested in our success, holding us to high standards, and presenting us with a reasonably challenging regimen. Score.

He also cracks me up about five times per class. So, I present Professor Ramblings #1:

"You'll need to write a one page memo at the end of each problem set that would explain to someone with no particular mathematical faculties what you discovered. Like your grandma... or Joe Biden. Ask yourself: 'If I were Joe Biden, could I understand this?'"

"You grew up thinking that asking for help was cheating. Well, get that out of your system. You're not longer 'cheating' by asking for help, you're 'consulting.'"

"It's a good lesson to learn: if it makes you feel smart, you're probably on the wrong track."

On the quadratic formula: "Fairly often my intellectual powers fail me and you need to use something that will always, always work. It's not elegant, but it's easier."

"Okay, that's a BIG ASS number. Let's see if this works."

Boots.

Happy Birthday, NPR

40 years!

RT @npr: Which NPR person would you like to have cake with? #happybdayNPR

Ira Glass, of course. But this is Texas... so let's get some birthday tacos, yes?

50 Ways to Cope

(via stayfancyfree)

This week in Austin...

Road ride from Mellow Johnny's.

HB 1 Budget Battle in the Texas House. Legislators filed over 300 amendments and were in session well past midnight.

Texas Capitol dome in the late afternoon...

A little Sunday afternoon dirt worship in the greenbelt.

Bluebonnets in Austin

SXSW Weekend Round-Up

Other Lives at Maggie Mae's

Bike parking on Sixth Street

Haircut from the future, anyone?

Bike parking on the East Side

Big Freedia @ the East Side Drive In

Scars on 45 at Maggie Mae's

Hanna Turi on the roof

View of Sixth Street from Maggie Mae's

Partying with the Swedes

First trip of the season to Barton Springs

Weekend Round-Up

I just got back from Washington, D.C. If you're there, I'd highly recommend:

Taking a tour of the Capitol. I've been to D.C. four or five times, but never had the opportunity to step inside that majestic building. The rotunda was stunning! I also met my Congressman in person and he gave our group some gallery passes so we could check out the action in the House and Senate chambers. (You should have seen my excitement... I was giggling like a five-year-old.)

MatchBox -- great pizza and other munchies in a three-story brick Chinatown building.

The Spy Museum was okay, not great.

A few other things that caught my eye this week:

Beautiful confetti garlands on Etsy.

Mmm... potato & rosemary pizza.

I think my favorite show on television is CBS Sunday Morning. It's part of my weekend ritual.

Look for some more blog postings soon; I just got over a crazy work-life hump and things should settle down every so slightly...

Here's to a good week!

Well?

Via Slice of Pink.

Weekend Round-Up

Goodness, things are REALLY BUSY around here. Usually I squeeze in a little (okay, a lot) of time on the internet, reading my favorite bloggers, catching up on the news, and exploring. Alas, this week I was chained to my desk. Hello, 12-hour days. Is this what session is always like in Texas? Whew.

Fear not, I still found some fun things this week:

I could buy everything from this store. And I mean everything!

Ever loved a film so much you wished you could live in it? Design Sponge gets pretty close with a few of my favorite movies. Oh, and this one, too.

Cold outside? Make this dish. Instant comfort, and it's got veggies in it, too!

Speaking of cold... a history of snow in two places that almost never get snow: San Francisco and Austin, TX.

I find this amusing, delightful, and, for some reason, a little bit creepy.

Hope your weekend is wonderful.

(Credit: picture borrowed from Dinner: A Love Story.)

Weekend Round-Up... again!

Amazing -- two weeks in a row! I'm on a blogging roll.

Egpyt's been on my brain. What an amazing victory for the Egyptian people. My favorite source is Mona Eltahawy, whose tweets and interviews provide an excellent perspective on the revolution. Yalla!

This is an amazingly fantastic idea. Movie marathon, anyone?

One of the best things about being in love? Going on adventures.

I wish I still babysat, because then I could take advantage of some of these delightful craft ideas.

Eek! I love these fruit valentine's stickers!

Of course, I'm opting for sweets of the baked variety this Feb. 14th. The photo above features my friend's heart-shaped red velvet whoopie pies... I ordered two dozen for my office. Yum.

Happy Valentine's!

Yalla, Egypt!

"Thanks to the people of Egypt for being an example to the world

of the power of peaceful reform.

May their journey into democracy breathe new life into ours!"

--My aunt

Protestors in Cairo's Tahrir Square reacted to the announcement on Friday.

"In the end, it seemed that the most useful thing that I could do was simply try to echo the demands that have emanated, so clearly, so articulately, and so bravely, from the protesters on the streets themselves. Perhaps this is the most worthwhile solidarity that can be carried out from here right now: in addition to following events in cyberspace and signing petitions, it seems crucial, while this story manages to maintain some staying power in the American mind, to help the demands of the protesters to be heard in all their eloquence and all their necessity. They need to be understood for what they are: the only meaningful version of democratic reform in Egypt. In all their non-negotiability, these demands refuse to be silenced. In whatever way we can, we owe it to the people in the streets to help their voices to be heard." --Samer Shehata (Photo: Jadaliyya)

"Christians protecting Muslims during their prayers in Tahrir yesterday. Their turn to repay the favor after Muslims turned up to protect Coptic churches on their Christmas Mass after the Alexandria bombing. In the darkness, we find the meaning of light..." --Maryam Ishani

Weekend Round-Up

The round up. Something commonly done by regular bloggers (which I'm not). But I need to share a collection of really awesome things I saw this week:

A new read? Apparently this book is worth a look.

Valentine's Day is around the corner. This looks like the perfect project.

I've got tickets to see Lissie when she's here in Austin. Amazing voice.

I love this picture of the First Lady and her hubby.

My new favorite polish.

I miss my cat.

The snow has melted and the sun's out! Enjoy!

Happy weekend.

Snow in Austin?