White Rob | Red State

Before I get to the ACL Fest of yesteryear, I want to remind you that San Antonio sucks. Moving on…

As you know, Austin City Limits is the long running PBS show that features musical acts from Austin. That’s pretty much a guess as I’m not sure I’ve ever seen the show. (But it seems believable, yeah?) ACL Fest is a 3-day outdoor music festival that takes place in Zilker Park near downtown Austin every fall. Though ACL Fest has only been around since 2002, it’s already achieved a level of renown and awareness that makes my preceding explanation of what ACL Fest is to be a complete waste of your time. Sorry.

As recent transplants to the blue isle, Tania and I figured we should check out the festival. And to help us pass the time, Burnsie from the old country flew out. Or maybe he flew down. I forget where he flew from. Point being, he came out here. And we decided to take photos for posterity’s sake…

When Davie got into town Thursday night, we dined at Hula Hut. We pretty much take all of our visitors here. Its combination of waterfront/top location, people-watching, and margaritas makes it an excellent place to kick off the weekend. I normally wouldn’t let a guy with sketchy facial hair paw Tania like this, but I made an exception this time:


Next day, it’s Friday! Day of the festival! Awesome! Let’s get to the festival!! In order to avoid mass traffic hysteria near the park, we’re advised to go downtown and catch a shuttle to the park a couple miles away. No biggie. Wait, what? We have to wait in this long-ass line to catch a shuttle bus to the park? Oh…


We’re getting close to the front. (Who’s this Chuck?)


We’re inside! Yay!! (And we brought water cuz it’s hotter than hell! Yay!!) As I mentioned before, the site of the festival is close to downtown, affording one a nice view of the skyline as one enters the park:


On second thought, downtown is not as close as I thought:


The festival has 6 different stages with up to 4 acts playing at any one time. So, we obviously heard a ton of musical acts at the fest. But photos of bands on stage are all the same. So here’s a photo of Gomez. Soak it in. It’s the only band/stage photo you’re gonna get:


Dude. It was f*cking hot at the Fest. During a break in our intended schedule of acts, we all pined for a nice cold body of water to jump in. Luckily, Barton Springs, a spring-fed 68 degree swimming hole was (and still is!) really close to the festival site. So we wandered over to the free portion of the springs and cooled off.


Wow. Dave used to be in shape. And I used to be “in shape for me”. Seems so long ago… :


Went back to the fest and caught more tunes. Over the Friday and Saturday, we heard Gomez, the Raconteurs, Ben Harper, Van Morrison, The Shins, Thievery Corporation, Gnarls Barkley (who they?), Explosions in the Sky, Guster, and Massive Attack. Massive Attack was the closing performance on Saturday Night and they were tremendous. (Not as tremendous as the sight of the 50+ year old drunk guy throwing up next to us during Van Morrison the previous night, but still tremendous.) Good times all around.

They were so good we should do it again this year. Lemme just head over to the website and buy some tix… What the? 3-day passes are sold-out? Single-day Saturday tix are gone, too? Bitches.

In closing, a photo of the sun behind the clouds for which I could not think of a caption. (And know, I really wish I had.)

Labels: pics, SF visitors

Greets, long-lost reader. Due to the overwhelming demand (from 2 people) I received over the break, I'm writing again. We'll see how long this lasts.

So, if I saw you over the break, you more than likely asked, "How's Texas?" I would usually sidestep the issue of Texas as a whole and offer responses including "Austin's great", "cheap Mexican food", "plenty of outdoor activities", and "it was 80 degrees two weeks ago." Man, I really hyped that 80 degree thing, too. Couldn't tell that to people fast enough. Sadly, that feels like a loooong time ago. Like, last year.

The cold front that caused havoc in Oklahoma and other plains states a few days ago also hit Texas, but the affected portions of Texas were mainly north of us. We had a crazy thunderstorm Friday night, but there was no ice storm in these parts. However, a "reinforcing cold front" arrived from the north yesterday. The result has been a combination of ice, snow, "wintry mix", and the paralysis of Austin. (Oh no, it's 30 degrees! Don't go outside or YOU WILL DIE!!!)

Apparently, it's the biggest ice storm in Austin since 1998. The newscasts ahead of and during the cold have been kinda hilarious, issuing endless warnings: "Beware of ice on roads, especially on bridges. Do not drive unless absolutely necessary. In fact, don't leave your house if you don't need to. And if you didn't already stock up on water, canned goods, and candles, well, there's a good chance you're gonna die." Newscasters are big on hyperbole here.

All of the schools are closed, including UT. (Shucks.) Most offices and businesses are closed as well. With an unexpected day off, Tania and I took a walk around the neighboorhood...

Hail/snow on the back porch:


El Toro Verde es mucho frio:


Icicles on the back of our house:


Snow sticking to the bridge over Waller Creek, a block from our house:


More icicles in the neighborhood:


Central Park. A pseudo-park that's really just a trail around a water detention pond. Awesome!:


Picnic table near Central Market:


A lock encased in ice:


Toby's paws could handle the icy blades of glass for a while, but his paws eventually got a little raw. After the paws became raw, we mainly stuck to sidewalks. But at one point, Tania mistakenly led Toby down a path that offered no alternative to stepping on more sharp grass. Here, Tania atones for her sin:


Note the icicles hanging from Toby's belly:


The fountain at the Triangle, a forward-looking mixed use development a few blocks from our house:


Toby and a new friend:

Labels: pics

Ladies, please take a seat. Oh, good. You’re already sitting. I have something to share with you and you’re going to find it unpleasant. Let me first say that this isn’t about you. You’re great and I wouldn’t change a thing about you. Some guy (or gal!) out there is going to luck into a fantastic life with you. And you and that person are going to make each other happy for the rest of your lives. I am sure of it. But unfortunately, that person will not be me.

No, this living embodiment of the modern masculine ideal has chosen to spend his life with someone else. Her name is Tania, she’s a cool chick, and I hope you won’t stay mad at her. It’s not her fault that she’s funny, intelligent, easygoing, and she puts up with my shit. (Ok, it’s sorta her fault that she puts up with my shit, but I actually appreciate that, so I hope you’ll give her a pass on that one.)

What’s that? How did I propose? Damn, you girls are all the same. Here I am trying to let you down easy, and all you wanna hear is how I proposed?! You wanna see the ring, too??!! Jesus.

Fine, fuck it. I was trying to be sensitive to your surely fragile mental state upon learning that I am no longer available, but if you want to pretend everything is great while ignoring the pile of rubble that was your life plan with me, so be it. I can only lead you to the water. I can’t make you drink it. Here you go…

Tania had been studying pretty conscientiously for a month prior to an engineer certification exam on Saturday, October 28th. The test was an all-day affair, starting around 8am and going until 5pm. A day or two before the exam, I suggested we go out to dinner that night to celebrate her completion of the exam. Nothing more, nothing less.

So she got home from the test after 6pm. I asked her how it went, demonstrating my interest in her life, blah, blah, blah, etc, etc. I then suggested she get dressed up because we’re gonna go somewhere nice. I think this got her a little excited because we’re poor college kids and we don’t dress up to dine very often. But I didn’t tell her where we were going to eat. And it was obvious she wanted to ask, and she finally did ask when we were in the car, but I didn’t tell her. We headed downtown and I parked a little deviously to increase the chance she doesn’t figure out where we were going. We walked a block, I deked her into thinking we were going to Roaring Fork, we kept walking, turned a corner, and ambled up to the entrance of the Driskill Grill. The Driskill Grill is a rather nice restaurant located in the Driskill Hotel, a historic hotel built in 1886. It’s kind of the shit:



Tania and I had previously discussed dining at the Driskill Grill for some future occasion, maybe my birthday. I think she believed that her completion of the exam was a big enough reason to eat there, so she didn’t suspect there was more to the evening. We got to the Grill a little early, so we had a drink under the longhorn in the lounge:



Tania mentioned we should check out the hotel a little after dinner. (Perfect.)

Soon, our table was ready. We were led to a small table corner table. Two moneyed middle-age couples sat at the table next to us, yammering on about stupid rich people problems involving their kids’ therapist. Tania and I gazed into each other's eyes and silently hoped/agreed we too would have stupid rich people problems someday.



The food was delicious, the wine got us buzzed, and the restaurant employed a diminutive gentlemen whose sole responsibility appeared to be to replenish our bread supply. So this is how the other side lives. Not bad.

After the bill was paid, we began our aforementioned tour of the hotel. We checked out the lobby, bar, etc. and then I led us into an elevator. We got out on the 5th floor and took in the “very Texan” artwork on the walls. I then noticed there were slips of paper wedged in the doors to the guestrooms. I pulled the paper from the door of room 537, unfolded it, and began to read it. It was a reminder to set your clock back one hour that night. Tania was mildly distressed that I was reading something meant for the guest of the room, so she walked a few steps ahead in the hallway. I then pulled a key out, opened the door, and walked in. This caused Tania some serious consternation as she did not notice that I had a key. She stood in the hall ten feet from the room, imploring me to leave the room.

“Come on, Rob. Let’s go.”

“I think this is our room,” I respond.

She doesn’t even entertain the idea and quickly tells me to get out.

“No, seriously. This is our room,” I reiterate in that annoying tone I use in which the person to which I’m speaking has no idea if I’m serious or not. You know, my everyday voice?

"No, that’s not. Let’s go," Tania pleads.

"Then why are your clothes in the drawer?"

"Wait. What?"

Now I had her attention. I opened the drawer and showed Tania her clothes. At this time, she also spied the champagne on the corner desk, and started putting things together. Of course, the first thing on her mind was Tobias. Before she could even ask, I assured her a classmate would drop by our house the next morning to feed him and let him out. And with that news, Tania could relax.

We had some champagne, I proposed we stop living in sin, she accepted, and we began to envision getting old and fat together.

Labels: pics

I've been a little mum the past couple weeks because, honestly, there hasn't been a whole lot going on. It's been deathly slow around here. Occasionally, a tumbleweed rolls through.

Oh, I guess I should mention that Ryan from the old town dropped by for a visit a few weeks ago. We hung out for a weekend, ate and imbibed, watched a little NFL on opening weekend. Standard September fare. Wait. We did something else, though. What was it? Hmm... Oh, I remember.

We watched the local college football team take on some large out-of-state school’s football team. (American football, not “footie”.) You probably didn’t hear about it, but it was kind of a big deal down here. Your University of Texas Longhorns hosted the top-ranked and morally repugnant Ohio State Buckeye football team. It was the first meeting of the #1 and #2 college football teams during the regular season in 10 years. Many thought it was the biggest game ever played in Austin. And 30,000 buck-toothed-, err, Buckeye fans came to Austin from all over the country to support their team of future felons.

It’s weird, though. Thinking about the game now, it feels like it took place a really long time ago. Wait, what? It feels that way only because I slacked a few weeks before writing about it? Oh. That makes sense.

Crap. I took some pictures. Do you even care to see them? It's been awhile. You wanna? Yeah? Cool. Let your eyes eat it up...



A few of the 30,000 Ohio State fans preparing for the game at their weekend compound, Stubb's, a downtown BBQ joint that doubles as a music venue:

Ryan and Tania at the business school tailgate:


Damn, there are a lotta people here. 89,000+. How they all fit into a stadium that seats 85,000, I don't know.




Ohmigod, ohmigod, OHMIGOD!! Matthew McConaughey and Jake Gyllenhaal! Matthew McConnahey and Jake Gyllenhaul! Matthew McKonaughay and Jake Gillenhall! They're here! At the game!!

Wait... are they even friends? Who the hell are those people?


Oh yeah. That's totally them. This is now officially the dreamiest game in Austin's history.


Damn. My Hook 'em was cut off:


So, I sold my extra game ticket to this crazed Ohio State fan pictured here for a few bones before the game. She, uh... she was really into the game. I mean really into the game. I began to worry a little about her sanity as the game wore on, even suggesting that Tania not get so close to her for this pict-...

Holy shit. Rusti? Rusti, is that you? How the hell you been? Is Martin here with you? How's the casa in Alameda? I didn't recognize you when I sold you the ticket. Umm, one question. Why, uhh... why have you been making that face for the last two hours?


It's later in the game and the 'Horns are beginning to suck. Let's gaze at the landmark UT Tower.


The largest high-definition screen in the world. It was originally called Godzillatron. A splinter group has begun calling it Adzillatron. That might be more appropriate. FYI: a stadium somewhere in Asia will soon have an even larger hi-def screen, dropping UT's screen to 2nd largest in the world. Weak.


Ohio State 24, Texas 7. Why did you leave us, Vince? Why?


Ryan, Tania, and I headed downtown after the game for a beverage. We ended up at Speakeasy, which has a pretty tight roofdeck with cushy space for lounging.


Much to Tania's consternation, a good portion of Sunday morning and afternoon resembled this:


We finally left the house in the mid-afternoon to get Ryan some authentic Texas barbecue at County Line. The three of us ate at the original location which has a nice view of the severely overhyped Texas Hill Country. (Though, to be fair, I could not see the entire hill country from the restaurant.)



We consumed mass quantities of ribs, brisket, and sausage until we there was no room left in our tummies. Then they offered us some dessert. So we made some room. (I won't say how.)

Labels: bars, bbq, football, good locations from which to shoot a whole mess of people, pics, SF visitors

I’m just now coming out of the food coma induced by Friday night’s BBQ dinner at The Salt Lick. A socially go-getting classmate organized a party bus that transported us to and from The Salt Lick 45 minutes away from central Austin. Since the bus originated 10 blocks from my house and allowed us to consume beverages to and fro, Tania and I gladly signed up for $10 a piece. The BBQ was all you can eat and, of course, the school provided plenty of beer and wine. (I like these guys. They’re alright.) The BBQ sauce was amazing, inducing me to consume ribs, sausage, and brisket to the point of physical discomfort. (Oh, man. Eating to the point of discomfort. Does that ever take me back to childhood!) Anyway, I poo’d for two days.

But Rob, what’s up with the politically questionable title of this post? Do these Mexicans not have a home? (And, damn! Why so many?) Actually, their permanent residence is in Mexico. They come up to Austin each summer and spend their days sleeping under the Congress Avenue Bridge. They usually wake up a little before dusk and spend the night eating mosquitoes.

Oh, shit. Have I mentioned they’re bats? I should do that. Yeah, they’re Mexican Free-Tailed Bats. At 1.5 million strong, they form the largest urban bat population in North America. Because of their fondness for eating mosquitoes, Tania, a.k.a. “Mosquito Bait”, thinks they’re awesome. Even if they cause the bridge to smell like rat excrement.

Here are some pics of the bats flying from their bat cave, err... bridge, at dusk.

Labels: austin, bars, bbq, pics

Last Sunday (8/13), Tania and I took Toby on a run around Town Lake in the morning. Town Lake is the running spot in Austin. There is a loop trail around Town Lake and a number of connecting trails radiating from the lake along various tributaries. RunTex, a local shoe store chain, provides coolers of water at two ends of the trail, which makes running in 90+ weather bearable. There are also a few spots along the trail where dogs can cool off in the lake.

Prior to the run, Tobes swam around and Tania chatted up a fellow pooch owner who just moved here a couple weeks ago from LA. She seemed personable (in a suspicious movie industry kind of way) and mentioned that someone else had told her of an event later that day at a local bar. She didn't know which bar, but the event was "chicken shit bingo".

Obviously, I didn't care where it was taking place, I had to check out how the locals release a little steam. (And how local poultry releases a previous meal.) We googled it and learned the festivites took place at Ginny's Little Longhorn, just 2 miles from our casa. Awesome!

We walk in the door of Ginny's and learn they are celebrating Ginny's 25th year at the Longhorn. What does that mean? A kick-ass spread, on the house: hot dogs, chili cheese nachos, cookies, crappy little sandwiches, veggies and dip (hippies!), and cake. Frickin' awesome! And $1.50 Lone Stars. YES!!

We caught two rounds of chicken shit bingo and it works like this. There are 50 or so numbered squares on a piece of plywood covering the pool table, with a chicken wire cage covering the squares. Chicken feed is spread liberally around the squares and a chicken is brought inside the bar and placed under the cage. Whichever square the bird poops on is the winning square. Bar patrons can purchase a maximum of one square for $2. The "winner" takes the whole pot.





The first bird must have been fed mass quantities of caffeine just before it entered the cage because it pooped within 15 seconds. Gary, an easygoing local (and aren't they all?), assured me he had never seen such a quick drop of the deuce. He claimed the contests can last up to an hour. Thank God we didn't have to wait that long. I don't know if my ticker could have handled the tension. In the second contest, the bird took a more common 10 minutes to poo. For the record, both poos were much larger than I expected. But then again, everything is bigger in Texas.

Labels: austin, bars, pics