Showing posts with label exploring texas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exploring texas. Show all posts
Monday, August 1, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Holiday eats and other fun...
The parents visited last weekend and we packed in the fun!
On the list...
Caroling at the Capitol & strolling down Congress Ave.
Ira Glass at the Paramount
Lessons & Carols advent concert at church (twice)
Yummy lunch at an Austin classic, Kerby Lane
Exploring the wonderful Walter Cronkite exhibit at the LBJ Library
Shopping local at the Blue Genie Art Bazaar and not-so-local at Nordstrom Rack (new guilty pleasure!)
Texas-style Dinner at Rudy's BBQ! (Above.)
Awesome.
On the list...
Awesome.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
One Year
Looking back at my time in Texas over the last year (plus travels to California, Washington, D.C. and Chicago).
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Saturday 50-miler
Austin Cycle Camp had the hook-up this weekend with a great ride out of Blanco. For a small fee, about 20 of us got shuttled out to the start, treated to solid ride support (SAG, snacks, ice cold water, the works!), lunch at Riley's BBQ, and a swim in the Blanco River afterward.
Heaven on earth.
It's been too long since I went on a long ride -- nice to spend some time in the saddle with friends.
Bonus! It was a delightfully cool 65 degrees when we rolled out this morning. Very unusual for Texas in August, but I'll take it!
Bikes & gear packed -- ready to depart Austin at 7am.
Open road in the beautiful hill country.
BBQ at Riley's. Delish.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Galveston: Rebuilding
The Gulf has not had it easy lately: Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Ike wreaked havoc on coastal communities -- and they are still recovering.
UMCOR (the United Methodist Committee on Relief) has been in the Gulf coordinating relief efforts since the storm hit. Driving through town, you might not even realize that two years ago, Hurricane Ike dropped enough rain to flood and destroy countless homes.
It was the third worst storm in U.S. history.
You have to look closely to realize that piles of debris and trash are remnants of the ongoing clean-up efforts. From the outside, houses may appear to be structurally sound, but inside the walls are broken and the floors have rotted. Paint is peeling. Roofs need to be replaced.
I think one of our group leaders mentioned that thirty to forty percent of people displaced by Hurricane Ike have still not returned to Galveston. It's easy to forget that it takes years for an area to recover from a disaster like Ike, long after the media has moved on to other stories.
Enter Sandy Langston, UMCOR, and Crockett Place United Methodist Church in Galveston -- a church that has been transformed into a headquarters for disaster relief. The pews in the sanctuary are stacked with hardhats and water coolers. The yard is strung with clothesline and houses an 8-shower mobile trailer built by volunteer Texas A&M students. The dining room area can seat at least 30; people rest in one of the two bunkrooms or five bedrooms.
Crockett is ready and waiting for volunteer groups, like mine, to arrive for the weekend. So a few weeks ago, 12 volunteers from Austin took on the recovery task for the weekend. We arranged for our own transportation and food, and UMCOR did the rest.
Here are five lessons learned...
1. Prepare to get dirty. And sweaty.
Even though I was a mission trip rookie, I expected to get dirty. Sanding. Mudding. Hauling trash. Painting. I packed shirts I didn't care about, and ended up covered in dust, dirt, grass, mosquito bites, and splattered with paint.
2. Bonding is the easiest part.
And possibly one of the best. After signing up for the trip, I wondered what I had gotten myself into. Loading in the van to drive to Galveston, my worries quickly faded. These are "my people" -- friendly, hilarious and goofy, curious, politically savvy... others who are committed to social justice and willing to take time out of their lives to serve others. When you spend three days working, eating, and sharing an experience together, it's easy for strangers to become close friends. The trip was not just a great opportunity to help others, but to build meaningful relationships and a community.
3. Expect anything -- the ordinary and extraordinary.
Flocks of pelicans gliding overhead as we crossed the bridge into Galveston.
Evening laugh sessions over ice cream at Sonic.
Jumping around in the waves of the Gulf Coast. (No tar balls... yet.)
Finding out that our UMCOR relief coordinator, Sandy, used to work in Hollywood -- and designed the giant boulder in Indiana Jones!
4. It's about the work. It's about the people.
It's both. Each house and project we worked on that weekend provided a new experience, a new skill, a new conversation, and a new connection to Galveston.
A few stories...
Pastor Bill shared a story during our evening group devotional. He said that he loves volunteer work, but finds that the rewards are often complex – why do we do it? How do we show God's love and spirit in the work that we do? He recalled a mission team trip to Kentucky with a group of college students from our church. The work was much-needed, but the recipients were not at all what they expected. One was a welfare cheat. The other was a racist. It put a new spin on their work, and yet, they were still able to bring their labor and gifts to that community. Pretty admirable.
Most of the time, a connection to the family benefiting from the repairs is special and gratifying for both sides. This was the case in Galveston.
One house where we worked, mostly hauling debris to be disposed of, was the home of a retired pastor named June, her husband, and her son and daughter-in-law. When Ike struck, the lower floor of their house, including their septic tank, were totally ruined. We asked her how high the water was at her home. June, who is at least my height (5’ 6"), reached her hand above her head and tapped the edge of the door frame. It was amazing to see how far they’d had to come on their path to recovery, and how determined they were to remain in a community they love.
At another house, a multi-generational family made us lunch. While we worked to paint their house and their front porch, they were cooking a feast – BBQ, potato salad, fresh green beans and bacon (said the grandma, “I can’t stand the canned ones”), and white bread. One of the best meals I’ve had all year, and it was served with a lot of love. We got to eat with Miracle, the youngest family member. She gave us a hand painting the porch, rode around on her red tricycle, and then headed in for a nap.
We sure weren’t the most expert painters, but the transformation was dramatic. The owners of the home were delighted and I was happy that our work was worth it.
5. It's addicting.
I want to do more. I'd go back in a heartbeat.
P.S. Borrowed the pictures from Emily. Thanks!
UMCOR (the United Methodist Committee on Relief) has been in the Gulf coordinating relief efforts since the storm hit. Driving through town, you might not even realize that two years ago, Hurricane Ike dropped enough rain to flood and destroy countless homes.
It was the third worst storm in U.S. history.
You have to look closely to realize that piles of debris and trash are remnants of the ongoing clean-up efforts. From the outside, houses may appear to be structurally sound, but inside the walls are broken and the floors have rotted. Paint is peeling. Roofs need to be replaced.I think one of our group leaders mentioned that thirty to forty percent of people displaced by Hurricane Ike have still not returned to Galveston. It's easy to forget that it takes years for an area to recover from a disaster like Ike, long after the media has moved on to other stories.
Enter Sandy Langston, UMCOR, and Crockett Place United Methodist Church in Galveston -- a church that has been transformed into a headquarters for disaster relief. The pews in the sanctuary are stacked with hardhats and water coolers. The yard is strung with clothesline and houses an 8-shower mobile trailer built by volunteer Texas A&M students. The dining room area can seat at least 30; people rest in one of the two bunkrooms or five bedrooms.
Crockett is ready and waiting for volunteer groups, like mine, to arrive for the weekend. So a few weeks ago, 12 volunteers from Austin took on the recovery task for the weekend. We arranged for our own transportation and food, and UMCOR did the rest.
Here are five lessons learned...
1. Prepare to get dirty. And sweaty.
Even though I was a mission trip rookie, I expected to get dirty. Sanding. Mudding. Hauling trash. Painting. I packed shirts I didn't care about, and ended up covered in dust, dirt, grass, mosquito bites, and splattered with paint.
2. Bonding is the easiest part.And possibly one of the best. After signing up for the trip, I wondered what I had gotten myself into. Loading in the van to drive to Galveston, my worries quickly faded. These are "my people" -- friendly, hilarious and goofy, curious, politically savvy... others who are committed to social justice and willing to take time out of their lives to serve others. When you spend three days working, eating, and sharing an experience together, it's easy for strangers to become close friends. The trip was not just a great opportunity to help others, but to build meaningful relationships and a community.
3. Expect anything -- the ordinary and extraordinary.
Flocks of pelicans gliding overhead as we crossed the bridge into Galveston.
Evening laugh sessions over ice cream at Sonic.
Jumping around in the waves of the Gulf Coast. (No tar balls... yet.)
Finding out that our UMCOR relief coordinator, Sandy, used to work in Hollywood -- and designed the giant boulder in Indiana Jones!
4. It's about the work. It's about the people.
It's both. Each house and project we worked on that weekend provided a new experience, a new skill, a new conversation, and a new connection to Galveston.
A few stories...Pastor Bill shared a story during our evening group devotional. He said that he loves volunteer work, but finds that the rewards are often complex – why do we do it? How do we show God's love and spirit in the work that we do? He recalled a mission team trip to Kentucky with a group of college students from our church. The work was much-needed, but the recipients were not at all what they expected. One was a welfare cheat. The other was a racist. It put a new spin on their work, and yet, they were still able to bring their labor and gifts to that community. Pretty admirable.
Most of the time, a connection to the family benefiting from the repairs is special and gratifying for both sides. This was the case in Galveston.
One house where we worked, mostly hauling debris to be disposed of, was the home of a retired pastor named June, her husband, and her son and daughter-in-law. When Ike struck, the lower floor of their house, including their septic tank, were totally ruined. We asked her how high the water was at her home. June, who is at least my height (5’ 6"), reached her hand above her head and tapped the edge of the door frame. It was amazing to see how far they’d had to come on their path to recovery, and how determined they were to remain in a community they love.
At another house, a multi-generational family made us lunch. While we worked to paint their house and their front porch, they were cooking a feast – BBQ, potato salad, fresh green beans and bacon (said the grandma, “I can’t stand the canned ones”), and white bread. One of the best meals I’ve had all year, and it was served with a lot of love. We got to eat with Miracle, the youngest family member. She gave us a hand painting the porch, rode around on her red tricycle, and then headed in for a nap.We sure weren’t the most expert painters, but the transformation was dramatic. The owners of the home were delighted and I was happy that our work was worth it.
5. It's addicting.
I want to do more. I'd go back in a heartbeat.
P.S. Borrowed the pictures from Emily. Thanks!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Dirt worship weekend
I'm a roadie, but I love riding on dirt. So, I snagged one of these this weekend...
...and headed north to the Bicycle Sport Shop store on Parmer Lane for their MTB skills clinic. I pedaled all over the lawn with 35 other cyclists, playing bicycle limbo (how low can you go while riding your bike?), navigating an obstacle course (cones, logs, rocks, teeter-totters), and racing "slow" (last person to cross the finish line--without getting off your bike or touching the ground--wins). Then we rode behind the store into a park where we got to practice descending and plunge into and ride across a GIANT sand pit. Talk about skills -- that is a great one to master!
Afterward, with a couple that I met at the clinic, I headed over to Walnut Creek, an amazing gem of a park in North Austin. Over 13 miles of looping, twisting trails with sweet drops and descents, and short quick climbs. Lots of shade, a beautiful creek, and plenty of technical spots to practice skills (or walk your bike).
The aftermath:
Very dirty and very sweaty. In the best of ways.
P.S. I'm wearing my RoadID. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to have ID on them at any time.
P.P.S. The bike fun never stops: Bicycle Sport Shop and Alamo Drafthouse are hosting a screening of Bicycle Dreams (featuring the Race Across America event) on Tuesday night. Awesome.
...and headed north to the Bicycle Sport Shop store on Parmer Lane for their MTB skills clinic. I pedaled all over the lawn with 35 other cyclists, playing bicycle limbo (how low can you go while riding your bike?), navigating an obstacle course (cones, logs, rocks, teeter-totters), and racing "slow" (last person to cross the finish line--without getting off your bike or touching the ground--wins). Then we rode behind the store into a park where we got to practice descending and plunge into and ride across a GIANT sand pit. Talk about skills -- that is a great one to master!
Afterward, with a couple that I met at the clinic, I headed over to Walnut Creek, an amazing gem of a park in North Austin. Over 13 miles of looping, twisting trails with sweet drops and descents, and short quick climbs. Lots of shade, a beautiful creek, and plenty of technical spots to practice skills (or walk your bike).
The aftermath:
Very dirty and very sweaty. In the best of ways.
P.S. I'm wearing my RoadID. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to have ID on them at any time.
P.P.S. The bike fun never stops: Bicycle Sport Shop and Alamo Drafthouse are hosting a screening of Bicycle Dreams (featuring the Race Across America event) on Tuesday night. Awesome.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Best deals in Austin
Zilker Park Boat Rentals: $10 for two hours in a kayak or canoe (with coupon). I'm partial to the ocean kayak myself. My friend's lab, CJ, would agree.
Barton Springs Pool: $3 for all-day admission to the fountain of youth (and the best people-watching in Austin).
Jim Jim's Water Ice: $1.50 for a "tiny" size cup.
Black Swan Yoga: $10-15 donation for amazing classes.
Bicycle Sport Shop: $30 for a half-day on a Specialized Stumpjumper 29er mountain bike.
I love the weekend.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
To Market, To Market
Where: Austin Farmer's Market (Austin)When: Saturday, 11am
Purchased:
Wish list (next week, maybe?):
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Cycling Central
My four-day weekend will be full of cycling, and rightly so.
I spent this morning at Lance Armstrong's place (Juan Pelota Ranch) in Dripping Springs, TX (just outside of Austin).
I keep having wonderful moments when I realize that Texas, this new state of mine, is just gorgeous! The Texas hill country's rolling hills are an amazing backdrop for this race, with its rugged and rocky limestone hills, scrubby trees and brush, and huge blue skies.
I've been learning very quickly why people adore Austin; I am beginning to appreciate more and more why these same folks also love the hill country.
Lance is one of those folks -- he's got a huge ranch and it's an amazing venue for the Mellow Classic. Two full days of racing, with two UCI Pro races, a bike expo, local vendors, beer (very important), and good times with Central Texas cyclists.
(No Lance sightings today, by the way. I'm pretty sure he's in France getting ready for TdF. But he's around... my friend got the "cycling nod" from him the other day when he saw him out on a ride.)
I should mention that it was hot today. A scorcher. I visiting the Nuun vendor booth about ten times to refill my bottle (and I wasn't even racing!).
If you look in the slideshow above, you'll see a shot of a bunch of spectators on the big hill, all sitting in the only logical place: the shade.
I skipped the pro men's race to go get cool and get home. I reserved some sweet equipment for Monday's CapTexTri: a wetsuit, Specialized TT helmet, and Zipp 404s. Oh sweet cycling gods... I love those Zipps.
Isn't she gorgeous?
I spent this morning at Lance Armstrong's place (Juan Pelota Ranch) in Dripping Springs, TX (just outside of Austin).
I keep having wonderful moments when I realize that Texas, this new state of mine, is just gorgeous! The Texas hill country's rolling hills are an amazing backdrop for this race, with its rugged and rocky limestone hills, scrubby trees and brush, and huge blue skies.
I've been learning very quickly why people adore Austin; I am beginning to appreciate more and more why these same folks also love the hill country.
Lance is one of those folks -- he's got a huge ranch and it's an amazing venue for the Mellow Classic. Two full days of racing, with two UCI Pro races, a bike expo, local vendors, beer (very important), and good times with Central Texas cyclists.
(No Lance sightings today, by the way. I'm pretty sure he's in France getting ready for TdF. But he's around... my friend got the "cycling nod" from him the other day when he saw him out on a ride.)
I should mention that it was hot today. A scorcher. I visiting the Nuun vendor booth about ten times to refill my bottle (and I wasn't even racing!).
If you look in the slideshow above, you'll see a shot of a bunch of spectators on the big hill, all sitting in the only logical place: the shade.
I skipped the pro men's race to go get cool and get home. I reserved some sweet equipment for Monday's CapTexTri: a wetsuit, Specialized TT helmet, and Zipp 404s. Oh sweet cycling gods... I love those Zipps.
Isn't she gorgeous?
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Tour de Gruene and Halloween!
Gruene. Sounds like "green." (Not "groo-een.") A little town nestled next to New Braunfels, it's got a lot of the same historic character and charm as Fredericksburg.
My friend "B" (like me, a cyclist and a recent California transplant) and I, along with 1800+ other cyclists, took over Gruene for the day to participate in the Tour de Gruene.
The tour gained fame last year, when Lance Armstrong (a Texas native and Austin resident, for those of you not in the know) entered and won the individual time trial. Neighboring New Braunfels also plays host to Wurst Fest, a sausage festival, a big draw to foodies and athletes alike.
With the choice of an individual time trial, two-person time trial, or a leisurely 15, 30, or 50-mile ride, they was plenty to choose from. As we drove into town, bicycle-toting cars were backed up all the way out to the Farm-to-Market road (that's a county road, in California-speak).
We missed the roll out because we were among the many who had chosen to register on the day-of. No worries... just out for a fun ride. (More so for "B" than for me -- I hadn't ridden my bike in two months!)
The route was mostly flat (with some good rollers), low-traffic (the cars we did see were very friendly!), and well-supported. "Relaxation stations" were located every 10 miles or so, stocked with snacks, drinks, and the requisite port-o-potty or two. "B" graciously rode at my pace and I can feel those 50 miles today, I tell ya.
Lunch at the Gruene River Grill with some of "B's" cycling buddies from the Texas gulf coast rounded out the day nicely!
Back in Austin...
I don't think a year has gone by when I didn't carve a pumpkin -- really! Doesn't matter where I am, it really makes the Halloween holiday special for me.
Here's my spooky bowl of candy for trick-or-treaters...
Unfortunately, none came. Still, gotta be prepared!
Here's my pumpkin:
Here's my costume:
I got dressed up but the costume business, like the candy, was kind of a bust. I'd tried to arrange a people-watching trip to downtown with my Central Market "friends," but they never got back to me.
I decided to drive down to 6th Street on my own. 6th Street is the epicenter of Austin's Halloween celebration. The city closes down an area of downtown that's six blocks long and two blocks wide to traffic, and 30,000 to 40,000 roam the streets and pack into bars and clubs. Pretty crazy really. It was not something I'd recommend doing solo.
Lots of interesting and creative costumes, but not very much fun when you're by yourself. Next year, I'll go with a group!
Here are some shots of the 6th Street action (some my own, some courtesy of the Austin Chronicle). I loved the balloon boy, super tall grim reaper, and Where the Wild Things Are costumes.
Happy Halloween.
My friend "B" (like me, a cyclist and a recent California transplant) and I, along with 1800+ other cyclists, took over Gruene for the day to participate in the Tour de Gruene.
The tour gained fame last year, when Lance Armstrong (a Texas native and Austin resident, for those of you not in the know) entered and won the individual time trial. Neighboring New Braunfels also plays host to Wurst Fest, a sausage festival, a big draw to foodies and athletes alike.
With the choice of an individual time trial, two-person time trial, or a leisurely 15, 30, or 50-mile ride, they was plenty to choose from. As we drove into town, bicycle-toting cars were backed up all the way out to the Farm-to-Market road (that's a county road, in California-speak).
We missed the roll out because we were among the many who had chosen to register on the day-of. No worries... just out for a fun ride. (More so for "B" than for me -- I hadn't ridden my bike in two months!)
The route was mostly flat (with some good rollers), low-traffic (the cars we did see were very friendly!), and well-supported. "Relaxation stations" were located every 10 miles or so, stocked with snacks, drinks, and the requisite port-o-potty or two. "B" graciously rode at my pace and I can feel those 50 miles today, I tell ya.
Lunch at the Gruene River Grill with some of "B's" cycling buddies from the Texas gulf coast rounded out the day nicely!
Back in Austin...
I don't think a year has gone by when I didn't carve a pumpkin -- really! Doesn't matter where I am, it really makes the Halloween holiday special for me.
Here's my spooky bowl of candy for trick-or-treaters...
Unfortunately, none came. Still, gotta be prepared!
Here's my pumpkin:
Here's my costume:
I got dressed up but the costume business, like the candy, was kind of a bust. I'd tried to arrange a people-watching trip to downtown with my Central Market "friends," but they never got back to me.
I decided to drive down to 6th Street on my own. 6th Street is the epicenter of Austin's Halloween celebration. The city closes down an area of downtown that's six blocks long and two blocks wide to traffic, and 30,000 to 40,000 roam the streets and pack into bars and clubs. Pretty crazy really. It was not something I'd recommend doing solo.
Lots of interesting and creative costumes, but not very much fun when you're by yourself. Next year, I'll go with a group!
Here are some shots of the 6th Street action (some my own, some courtesy of the Austin Chronicle). I loved the balloon boy, super tall grim reaper, and Where the Wild Things Are costumes.
Happy Halloween.
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