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livingdebIn a book I'm reading, one character says she doesn't really like Paris. Then the other character says to let him show her his Paris.
That got me thinking. If I were to show someone my Austin, what would I show?
Some of my favorite things don't really exist anymore, though they still color my view:
* Jester dorm second floor as it was in 1985-1986
* Bill and Dave parties
* ballroom dance classes taught by Richard Fowler
However, I can think of a few things I could still show people:
The UT Austin library
This is especially good for anything you want from before 1988 (back when it was the second biggest academic library). Basically it has 99% of everything (besides popular fiction and cookbooks). After that year, it has only 50% of everything. That's still a pretty nice place to go.
They also used to have all the best books in the Undergraduate Library, but they have since moved those books back to their respective parent libraries (such as the Biological Sciences Library). Still, great books are available.
UT Austin classes
You can audit classes for almost nothing, something like $25/course. I haven't done this lately, but I will again soon. They have so many amazing courses. If I'm wrong about a course being awesome, it's no big loss. And the great thing about auditing is that if a text is no good, instead of reading it anyway and remembering as much as I can for a test, I can just read a better book instead.
The Ladybird Johnson Wildlife Center
I don't actually go there very often, but wildflowers and Tex-Mex were the two things I missed when I lived in Boston. And now I also love the Center's philosophy that if you plant native plants, then you have plants that actually like your soil and your weather, so they're easier to take care of. Plus the native birds, butterflies, etc., also like them.
Alamo Drafthouse Theatres
I'm not actually a fan of wait staff asking you questions during a movie, but I absolutely love that their pre-shows are silly, interesting things that are somehow related to the movie you're seeing. I also sometimes enjoy their notifications that talking is not allowed, and that "Texting totally counts as talking." Like the one where Ann Richards throws someone out on the sidewalk (using totally cheap special effects) for talking.
If only normal theatres were available with their loud, obnoxious, repetitious pre-show ads, I'd probably never go to movie theatres again. The sound is better at home, plus you can have subtitles and pause to use the restroom.
Interesting yards
There's a yard with at least a fifteen-foot tall Gumby in my neighborhood. Also a yard with the different parts edged in bowling balls. Near a friend's house there is a Loch Ness Monster. And many, many yards are loaded with wildflowers of many, many kinds.
Hiking Spots
I also don't go here much, but it's good to take people to Enchanted Rock. Big magma bubbles peaking through the surface of the soil. And plants growing out of rock. Amazing.
And Inks Lake State Park. It has a bright blue lake. And it will teach you to notice lichens. They come not only in army green and gray, but also in yellow green, burnt orange, and bright yellow. On pink granite. Occasionally you get to see a roadrunner.
And McKinney Falls, where there's some bare limestone that sort of feels like you're on a cratered moon. (With as much gravity as a planet.)
The Town Lake Hike and Bike Trail is nice and long and pretty scenic. There's also a trail near my house at the old airport.
Tex-Mex
I've always liked crispy tacos, burritos, and enchilada plates. ("Plate" means "with beans and rice.") Now I also like breakfast tacos, especially migas breakfast tacos. And tortilla chips, with or without queso.
There are other good restaurants of all kinds as well. I love the fried rice at Tan My's, for example. And soup and salad at La Madeleine. And we have many good barbecue places, Indian food places, soul/comfort food places, etc.
Good grocery stores
My favorite grocery store was my first grocery store, in Waltham, Massachusetts. They had a huge selection. For example, I used to check graham crackers to see if they had lard. There were six or nine choices of plain graham crackers, two of which did not have lard. Most grocery stores have only one or two kinds, and they might both have lard.
But I sure like HEB as having a pretty good combination of selection, quality, and price. I could live with just that store if I had to, especially the new branch near me.
But I also like how super nice and competent everyone is at Wheatsville Coop, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's, plus they each have things I like that are available only there.
Non-summer weather
Sunny. Pretty. It stays dark too long in the winter, but not like in the north. No shoveling. Cars don't rust. It snows occasionally, just so we don't feel left out.
Costume parties
My friends often have costume parties. But they're not the only ones.
The Capitol 10K used to be full of people running in costume. I have run in costume myself before. I've been one of the Secret Service staff accompanying President Clinton. (I actually wore a black blazer, tie, and dark sunglasses, but also wore black shorts and sneakers.) I've been spring fairy (my friend and I wore bridesmaid-type dresses, flowers in our hair, and sneakers).
Ultimate frisbee pick-Up games
The great thing about ultimate frisbee is that you can play with people of multiple abilities on each team. You just have people guarding the people on the other team at a similar level, and so long as you have a rule that you always throw to whoever's open even if you're pretty sure they can't catch it (good motivation for perfecting your aim), then everyone gets to play. On co-ed teams, even.
Actually any games with Dave (and Bill) are good. For example there's also round-robin ping pong; people go out quickly, then you start a new game. And there's disc golf--whoever is furthest throws next--if you're bad, you get to throw more often!
I even became adequate at volleyball because of various groups around town.
That got me thinking. If I were to show someone my Austin, what would I show?
Some of my favorite things don't really exist anymore, though they still color my view:
* Jester dorm second floor as it was in 1985-1986
* Bill and Dave parties
* ballroom dance classes taught by Richard Fowler
However, I can think of a few things I could still show people:
The UT Austin library
This is especially good for anything you want from before 1988 (back when it was the second biggest academic library). Basically it has 99% of everything (besides popular fiction and cookbooks). After that year, it has only 50% of everything. That's still a pretty nice place to go.
They also used to have all the best books in the Undergraduate Library, but they have since moved those books back to their respective parent libraries (such as the Biological Sciences Library). Still, great books are available.
UT Austin classes
You can audit classes for almost nothing, something like $25/course. I haven't done this lately, but I will again soon. They have so many amazing courses. If I'm wrong about a course being awesome, it's no big loss. And the great thing about auditing is that if a text is no good, instead of reading it anyway and remembering as much as I can for a test, I can just read a better book instead.
The Ladybird Johnson Wildlife Center
I don't actually go there very often, but wildflowers and Tex-Mex were the two things I missed when I lived in Boston. And now I also love the Center's philosophy that if you plant native plants, then you have plants that actually like your soil and your weather, so they're easier to take care of. Plus the native birds, butterflies, etc., also like them.
Alamo Drafthouse Theatres
I'm not actually a fan of wait staff asking you questions during a movie, but I absolutely love that their pre-shows are silly, interesting things that are somehow related to the movie you're seeing. I also sometimes enjoy their notifications that talking is not allowed, and that "Texting totally counts as talking." Like the one where Ann Richards throws someone out on the sidewalk (using totally cheap special effects) for talking.
If only normal theatres were available with their loud, obnoxious, repetitious pre-show ads, I'd probably never go to movie theatres again. The sound is better at home, plus you can have subtitles and pause to use the restroom.
Interesting yards
There's a yard with at least a fifteen-foot tall Gumby in my neighborhood. Also a yard with the different parts edged in bowling balls. Near a friend's house there is a Loch Ness Monster. And many, many yards are loaded with wildflowers of many, many kinds.
Hiking Spots
I also don't go here much, but it's good to take people to Enchanted Rock. Big magma bubbles peaking through the surface of the soil. And plants growing out of rock. Amazing.
And Inks Lake State Park. It has a bright blue lake. And it will teach you to notice lichens. They come not only in army green and gray, but also in yellow green, burnt orange, and bright yellow. On pink granite. Occasionally you get to see a roadrunner.
And McKinney Falls, where there's some bare limestone that sort of feels like you're on a cratered moon. (With as much gravity as a planet.)
The Town Lake Hike and Bike Trail is nice and long and pretty scenic. There's also a trail near my house at the old airport.
Tex-Mex
I've always liked crispy tacos, burritos, and enchilada plates. ("Plate" means "with beans and rice.") Now I also like breakfast tacos, especially migas breakfast tacos. And tortilla chips, with or without queso.
There are other good restaurants of all kinds as well. I love the fried rice at Tan My's, for example. And soup and salad at La Madeleine. And we have many good barbecue places, Indian food places, soul/comfort food places, etc.
Good grocery stores
My favorite grocery store was my first grocery store, in Waltham, Massachusetts. They had a huge selection. For example, I used to check graham crackers to see if they had lard. There were six or nine choices of plain graham crackers, two of which did not have lard. Most grocery stores have only one or two kinds, and they might both have lard.
But I sure like HEB as having a pretty good combination of selection, quality, and price. I could live with just that store if I had to, especially the new branch near me.
But I also like how super nice and competent everyone is at Wheatsville Coop, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's, plus they each have things I like that are available only there.
Non-summer weather
Sunny. Pretty. It stays dark too long in the winter, but not like in the north. No shoveling. Cars don't rust. It snows occasionally, just so we don't feel left out.
Costume parties
My friends often have costume parties. But they're not the only ones.
The Capitol 10K used to be full of people running in costume. I have run in costume myself before. I've been one of the Secret Service staff accompanying President Clinton. (I actually wore a black blazer, tie, and dark sunglasses, but also wore black shorts and sneakers.) I've been spring fairy (my friend and I wore bridesmaid-type dresses, flowers in our hair, and sneakers).
Ultimate frisbee pick-Up games
The great thing about ultimate frisbee is that you can play with people of multiple abilities on each team. You just have people guarding the people on the other team at a similar level, and so long as you have a rule that you always throw to whoever's open even if you're pretty sure they can't catch it (good motivation for perfecting your aim), then everyone gets to play. On co-ed teams, even.
Actually any games with Dave (and Bill) are good. For example there's also round-robin ping pong; people go out quickly, then you start a new game. And there's disc golf--whoever is furthest throws next--if you're bad, you get to throw more often!
I even became adequate at volleyball because of various groups around town.
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no subject
on 2014-10-22 04:24 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2014-10-22 05:48 pm (UTC)I also really loved the LBJ library and I was amused by the Bullock Texas State Museum. I loved the reasonable drive to San Antonio and the whole Alamo area with the river walk and whatever. But that's San Antonio! Doesn't count.
I did not like the humidity or the hail that wrecked my rental car. But everything else was nifty.
I would have to think long and hard about what I'd show someone in this area. It doesn't come up much, as most of my friends are from here. I'd probably stick to the typical stuff.
no subject
on 2014-10-22 05:49 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2014-10-23 03:58 am (UTC)I've taken a bus to San Antonio! And stayed at a cheap hotel near the river walk instead of the official convention hotel. Victory!
Hmm, what's in my Boston? I really liked some ice cream places. I specifically remember an ice cream bar where it's like a salad bar of ice cream toppings after you get your ice cream. Yum. And I think Steve's was there.
And the Freedom Trail. Red bricks downtown!
And the dandelions. Y'all have the kind that are my favorite shade of yellow rather than the more yellow-green ones that some other places have. We now have good yellow ones too, and they stay close to the ground until the last second before they turn white and shoot up. I like to think they have evolved in response to lawnmowers.
And also the Harvard Coop, which is not in Boston. but it's an easy train ride from there (and from Waltham).
And that grocery store at the corner of Moody and Main (I think) in Waltham. I just looked around online. Maybe it's on Main between Brandeis and Moody. In which case, apparently it's now Hannaford, previously Victory, previously Waltham Market. Well, it used to be amazingly big. Don't know how I'd see it now or if it's even similar anymore.
All of my Boston is from the early eighties, so it might all be different now.
no subject
on 2014-10-23 04:20 am (UTC)