More turbo-tourism!

I ventured to the downtown farmer's market today, and it ran the gamut from charcuterie sandwiches to vegan baked goods. Also, you can compost things there! And it turns out that my gas station coffee cup (I really need to bite the bullet and just buy a new coffeemaker already) was recyclable! Way to reduce your carbon footprint, the gas station! Acquired:

Tomatoes

Basil

Garlic

Whole wheat fettuccine

And while I realize this blog is taking on a decidedly alcoholic bent, is it my fault that I found parking right next to the Austin Wine Merchants? New haunt! I even picked up a job application, although that would likely be Lucille Ball in a chocolate factory all over again....

Tonight: going to see Dale Watson at the Broken Spoke!

I believe that Shutter Island will also be in attendance, although until I have home internet (this Friday at the earliest), his findings will have to wait to be posted. Meanwhile:

Celebratory new apartment dinner. Note the classy dishes!

Sparty experiencing domestic bliss.

This is my new reality.

Greetings from Resident Happy Hour at The Villages at Turtle Rock (where, believe it or not, I like, live) where upon requesting a strawberry margarita I was administered a stern lecture about getting a Texas ID and summarily informed that purveyors of liquor are not required to honor my Idaho ID. The old “I’ve-been-here-for-a-week” defense didn’t hold water, but I was begrudgingly given a margarita nevertheless.

Snappy retorts about eating Idaho’s famous potatoes sprung to mind but I judiciously elected not to share them.

Life in the trenches!

Retroactive blogging, III!

7-27-11:

Oh, but of course things are never that simple! Which is to say, I am still sans internet, egads, and at the mercy of a very nice girl who probably dots the “i” in her name with a heart, most likely has tasteful if unsubtle highlights, and who I have the paper trail to prove spells “through” as “thru” and fetishizes the exclamation mark with the zeal that Imelda Marcos fetishized shoes. God help me.

I realize that worse things have happened (to me, even!), even though I’m not acting like it, but boy, oh boy, is this making life unnecessarily complicated. I went to the Spider House Café with the aim of using their wireless, which bore no fruit, although the Thirsty Goat beer I drank there helped to take the edge off a bit. Yes, I’ve resorted to day-drinking; this and being a snide grammarian are evidently what I have a snowball’s chance in hell of accomplishing at the moment.

Back at the apartment complex, I availed myself of the internet available in the Business Center (yes, my apartment complex has a Business Center), where the absurdity of trying to accomplish anything today and being defeated at every turn finally caught up with me and resulted in several inappropriate laughing jags, which culminated in a platinum-haired woman who looked as if she’d been freshly starched and ironed removing her shall-we-say-exuberant child from the Business Center whilst shooting me a look as if I were a pervert. Little did she know that my outburst was not a response to his running  (and well-projected!) monologue about zombies and skinned knees but a product of being at approximately the same maturity level as him despite the twenty-five year difference in our respective ages. Sorry, the Business Center; if I could get the ever-loving internet in my apartment, you would not be subjected to my little manic fits. Actually, that’s not a bad strategy, as incentive plans go, since apparently the apartment complex powers-that-be have the ability to hasten these sorts of processes….

In other news , I am sleeping on the floor and am seriously contemplating not bothering to obtain furniture. I like the idea of walking around this empty, fancy apartment, prolonging and savoring its newness, its not-lived-in look indefinitely, the potential inherent in that, these sorts of ascetic privations perhaps a way to grapple with my insane privilege, made all the more pronounced in contrast to my recent experience of farm life and accommodations. Of course, it is easy to idealize the latter, now that I am not in the thick of dealing with the day-to-day of it. I will say that this is certainly an interesting environment in which to grapple with questions of what constitutes an authentic existence. Meanwhile, a cloud-soft sea green bath rug and two vanilla-scented tea lights in cerulean tea light holders are the sole indulgence with which I have outfitted this apartment (unless you are inclined to count two pillows—necessary after the Great Olive Oil Debacle of Twin Falls—cleaning supplies, and the five books I brought with me as indulgences).

What does this have to do with traveling? Uh, I went to the Spider House Café. Yes, so there you have it.

Addendum: I succumbed to the lure of the cheerful red paper menus of a local Chinese place dispersed throughout the mail room (deep-fried tofu tastes remarkably like…tofu) and, man, did my fortune hit the nail on the head:

Modify your thinking to handle new situations.

Duly noted, fortune cookie!

Retroactive blogging, II!

7/26/11:

Today was a good day. I found out this morning that I will have home internet as of tomorrow morning, which formed the necessary permission for an idyllic day that included breakfast at Bouldin Creek Café and an excursion to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Note to self: although the latter was lovely, mid-summer in Austin, Texas is perhaps not the best time to engage in this sort of outdoor activity. Unfortunately, as the trip was somewhat spontaneous, I did not have Shutter Island with me, but the website has pretty pictures. Amazing what can thrive in the desert. Oh, let’s wax metaphorical about that. This would be perhaps time better spent than falling prey to the gnawing restlessness that accompanies the mounting question: what do I do  here? It would seem that even the temp pools are full of piranhas. Which is to say, don’t get a paper cut in this job market, kids.

Let’s check the score, shall we?

This week’s daytime touristy activity: check!

This week’s night-lifey activity: to follow!

The day-to-day of it (and it's all in the day-to-day).

Today I got too caught up in trying to iron out the sundry details that come with moving; and we all know where the devil is. So here, in writing, is a reminder to breathe, stay focused, and not careen into catastrophe mode. After all, we all know when Rome wasn't built. Not everything has to be resolved right this minute. For better or worse, this is my life for the next year: I can choose to live in a gilt-caged hell, or I can make the best of it. I have business to attend to here, things to do.

It occurs to me that this is going to be rather a sedentary travel blog from here on out, but I do intend to approach Austin (and Texas!) in the spirit of a traveler, and I do hope to make some other journeys soon. Meanwhile lingering doubts about the wisdom of this choice and whether I'm doing anyone any favors here (the mooshies are still spending the bulk of the day burrowed in various unlikely places, but then it is only day three) persist. By the same token, I realize that if I weren't sitting in 106-degree weather wondering what the hell I am doing in Austin, Texas, and whether there is any place for me in the world, I'd be doing it (minus the 106 degrees part, but every realm has its meteorological drawbacks) in Busan or Madrid. Faith isn't something that comes naturally to me by a long shot, but for lack of a better word, faith is what I am trying to have right now.

And that's enough handwringing! The primary thrust of this blog from here on out will be to chronicle Austin and Texas adventures, and of course all intervening adventures elsewhere. This is to be embarked on in the spirit of exploration and discovery! To this end, I have solemnly resolved to engage in one touristy daytime activity and one night-lifey activity per week. This should get the heck-I-live-in-Texas-so-I-might-as-well-LIVE-in-Texas ball rolling without breaking the bank. Provided, of course I can ever find anything, EVER, EVER, OH PLEASE.

One distant day (you might know it as August 5) I will have internet at home again, and the ability to supplement this blog with pictures again. Until such time the written word shall have to suffice.

Retroactive blogging!

Addendum: Bouldin Creek is not where one lingers with their wireless connection during Sunday brunch. But at least my caffeine needs have been met for the next two days. Now, more life chores and most likely Tar-jay!

7/23/11

New apartment, day one.

I moved in early this afternoon after, I must admit, a few profanity-laden detours due to my utter lack of navigational confidence (if I had just kept going straight, I would have been fine!). In spite of my best efforts, however, I finally managed to find the place. Moving was fairly easy, even though I am on the third and top floor, on account of I only took what could fit in my car, which on account of the mooshies and their accoutrements, was not very much. I will be looking into getting the rest (and there’s not much of it) moved over here. Later on I went to Sanctimonious-R-Us (you might know them as Whole Foods) and spent too much money on celebratory groceries. The groceries were celebratory on account that 1.) they commemorate day one in the new apartment and 2.) I stared down my navigational ineptitude and didn’t skulk back home, even though it took more than one try to successfully drive to Whole Foods. I predict a lethal gas bill over the next month or two. My Welcome to the New Apartment, Self dinner consisted of: lemon and herb-roasted salmon; mashed potatoes with too much butter; grilled corn with chile and lime; sauvignon blanc from Africa bought mainly because it had a twist top and the bottle opener I have on hand at the moment is only suited to beer. I also bought the sort of brownie that inspires those obnoxious superlatives that chocolate desserts always seem to get saddled with (you know, Sinful, Decadent, Extreme, Supreme, Diabolical, Faustian, et al.) but I’ve yet to make a dent in that on account that my dinner was quite rich.

Tomorrow Operation Do Not Live in the Biosphere but Merely Maintain a Mailing Address in Same commences in full effect. I will (try to) head out to Bouldin Creek Café for coffee (as I have no means to produce any in my apartment at the moment) and hopefully wireless internet, as the soonest I can get it here is August 5—the horror. I might also spring for a soyrizo taco, which is El Parasol crave-worthy in its scope. Understand: before I crossed over to the dark side (you might know it as vegetarianism), I was never the sort (at least as an adult) to crave sausage or ground meat products. These were always a take-it-or-leave-it proposition to me. Then Li and I went to Bouldin Creek Café on our first full day here and I was introduced to their soyrizo and now I will spend the rest of my days dreaming of it. Truthfully, it has a bit to do with why I moved here. It would not surprise me in the slightest to learn that the folks at El Parasol and Bouldin Creek Café are in cahoots, conspiring to steadily administer their deadly deliciousness to droves of patrons induced to delirium by their ostensibly simple food.

More to follow!

And so the dice are rolled and so the die is cast.

So, I signed a year-lease on an apartment today, an apartment that is frankly much nicer than I need or need to be paying for, but I think it will be a good home base, and good for the mooshies (all those surfaces to climb and leap from!). I'd be lying to say I didn't have the sense that I was decisively signing away a number of other life prospects involving endless travel and being a gypsy, or that visions of what the rent I will be paying at this place (steeper than Boise standards, but what you can get here for that amount would be unthinkable in the Bay Area, by a lot) could have funded in terms of travel didn’t pummel my head, but my decision had clearly already been made—signing a lease just made it feel awfully official.

Amy, I think I moved into The Villages, Austin style. The place has a pool, a fitness center, tanning beds (uck), a business center, and resident-oriented events such as happy hours and pizza parties. Basically it seems like a tidy little biosphere where one could safely sequester oneself without having to mingle amongst them or ever put one's finger on the pulse of the reality of this city or its distinct character, and yes, problems. To the end of avoiding this, I intend to be hyper-vigilant, which will be a challenge in its own right, as I tend to bunker down for sure.

In summation: while a nagging part of me suspects that perhaps I have sold my over-privileged soul, the mooshies and I now have a (ridiculously opulent, I will post pictures when I have the internet capacity to) home base, and now mommy needs to get a job. Hopefully I can generate a source of income that allows me the flexibility to embark on some of the other adventures I hope to. Hopefully I'm not paving the way to fall into the same ruts. Hopefully I can manage to balance this single parent act with the fearless life of exploration and intrigue that I covet.

Hopefully, hopefully, this isn’t all a terrible mistake.

Stay tuned!

Or what, Texas?

....is what I can't help but wonder when I hear I shouldn't mess with it. But—in this town at least—what with traffic, what I find to be a highly confusing interstate system (although to be fair, I have yet to encounter an interstate system I do not find highly confusing, especially this summer, when every interstate in this God-blessed country seems to be under massive construction), and the blistering heat (actually, skip blistering and head straight to skin falling right off your sun-baked bones), it would seem that Texas certainly does have some weapons at its disposal.

I am situated at the midtown Studio 6 for the week, which is nice enough, except that if I want to be able to use the internet here, I will need to use it at times like right now, which is to say about a quarter to four in the morning. Thanks, raging insomnia! Always pulling through for me. Nevertheless, this is highly unfortunate as I need to devote the bulk of my time right now to finding a place to live and employment. It would seem that many people in extended stay hotels are in this boat, and as these undertakings tend to be highly internet-based in our modern era, this property's woefully inadequate server makes rather poor business sense, yes?

Ah, well, the cats like it here, I usually am awake in the wee hours, and I am looking at apartments this afternoon with an apartment locating service. The idea is to set up a home base from which to attempt to execute a few adventures I have in the works and of course find a source (hopefully flexible till after this fall, when I will seek something steadier) of income.

In other news, I ventured to some sort of bargain grocery store tonight, didn't get too hopelessly lost on the way back to the hotel, and gave five dollars to a man in a gas station parking lot who told me he was looking to obtain something to drink, like some wine maybe, because it was rush hour and the heat was punishing and the doubts and uncertainties about this whole little experiment were pummeling me like the pugilistic sun, and I thought, man do I hear that, it's my first day in Austin and someone's day is going to be better for it, and sometimes that means recourse to one's chosen poisons. In this spirit, there was a Corona (or two) with lime on my nightstand as I desperately attempted to avail myself of the internet—in vain.

Things to keep in mind: transitions are always difficult, but often (almost always) necessary; I knew when I moved here I would be living in more of a City city, and that was kind of the point, and that this would confer advantages and disadvantages, and just because on day one I experienced more of the latter than the former is no reason to despair yet; I wanted to have this experience of starting over in a region of the country to which I am unaccustomed, and I'm doing it, so good for me—if it doesn't work out, the decision is not irrevocable. This is an experiment.

Things observed while driving through Texas: a window into why Cormac McCarthy's worldview is so bleak (Hint: it's the heat! And the scenery!); many Baptist churches (how can they all be the first?); many Texas flags in addition to the American ones adorning homes, which struck me as distinct, since I haven't seen the same zeal for the state flag anywhere else I've been in the U.S.; some folks really do "drive friendly, the Texas way". Others recall the Hank III song "All Messed Up in Texas".

More Santuario (I know!!!) pictures to follow when internet permits.

Bwahaha!

Okay, I am seriously over-posting today, but I was flipping through the tourist brochure in my room here in Lubbock and it features suggested itineraries for Girls' and Guys' Days Out. Your task: guess which of the following transcribed excerpts belongs in which category. Don't strain yourself/selves now:

Shopping

Start your day off right by shopping! Lubbock is full of one-of-a-kind boutiques. From home decor to jewelry, you'll find pieces that make Lubbock's shopping unique. Check out our shopping section on page 18 to find a shopping lover's paradise.

Fox and Hound English Pub and Grille

Following an afternoon of sightseeing, relax at Fox and Hound Pub with a cold beer. Show off your skills at pool, darts or shuffleboard. You can even enjoy a cigar. Don't have one? Purchase one there, or for more variety, walk to Heroes and Legacies nearby and pick one up.

Spa Treatment

Relax and rejuvenate your body, mind and soul at one of our day spas listed on page 24. Treat yourself to a soothing facial and therapeutic massage, or pamper your hands and feet after all that shopping with a manicure and pedicure!

Caprock Cafe

Now that you've worked up an appetite, head over to Caprock Cafe for the "coldest beer in Lubbock," as noted by Sports Illustrated. Known for its famous half-pound charbroiled hamburgers, stay awhile and catch a game on Caprock Cafe's twin-bulb High Definition projection TV screen [apparently the screen is famous for its half-pound charbroiled hamburgers].

All right, that is enough blogging for one day.

Way too many pictures of El Santuario (the third and final installment).

Actually, j/k! There are even more pictures of this place I want to post, because I think it's amazing, but I am losing steam right now, so they shall have to wait! Meanwhile, I think you kind of get the idea....

Way too many pictures of El Santuario (the second installment).

Way too many pictures of El Santuario (the first installment).

Earth ships in Taos!

Finally, a decent internet connection, and pictures (prepare to be inundated)!

These are pictures from the cabin I stayed in and the hills behind it.