March 21, 2006
The Outdoor School
Tomorrow morning at 4:45 am, I and Leo embark on a three day camping trip to The Outdoor School in Marbles Falls, TX (about an hour west of Austin). I'll be about thirty minutes from the Fiala's and my company's offices in Cedar Park, TX, but about 100 years back in time.
That's right. No cellphones. No laptops. No Internet. Like a modern-day Crusoe, it's primitive as can be.
No really. No electricity (well, we'll see -- I brought some hacks to get my Juice™ -- if it works, I'll be very popular). No Barqs root beer. No IP packets. No middle-of-the-night text messages from my VoIP server ... no ... uh, that's starting to sound kinda cool.
This trip is with Leo's 5th grade class from Bennett Elementary. The whole class is going ... and I'll be wrangling a cabin of twelve 10 yr. old boys (including Leo). Oh boy. I'm not sure I can summon The Voice™ like Anne can. We'll see who's in charge by the second night.
I'm taking a bunch of gear and supplies. I'll be the battery and Sweet N' Low man. I'm sure I can fence some of this stuff! Too bad the adults are being encouraged to not bring money.
On a serious note, I'll have my work cell phone with me, and I expect it will function most of tomorrow morning and also on the drive back on Friday afternoon. Once at Marble Falls, I'm told to not expect much in the way of coverage. If it does connection I'll try to stay on AIM through the Treo. I won't be able to blog until I get home so until late Friday night, don't expect to hear from me.
Posted by Steven at 05:00 PM | Comments (3)
March 18, 2006
One of the Reasons to Live in Austin
Never been ... would love to spend a week immersed in it.
Posted by Steven at 11:09 PM | Comments (0)
January 12, 2006
Whole Foods to use Wind Power
Whole Foods Market, Inc. has purchased 458 GW of wind generated electricity to power its stores, making it the largest corporation to commit to wind power in America.
The Austin-based company said it is purchasing 458,000 megawatt-hours of wind energy credits a year — enough to power 44,000 homes annually — from Renewable Choice Energy of Boulder, Colo.The decision follows the publicly traded company's mission of environmental stewardship without losing sight of the bottom line, Whole Foods regional president Michael Besancon said.
"It's a sales driver rather than a cost," he said. "All of those things we do related to our core values: help drive sales, help convince a customer to drive past three or four other supermarkets on the way to Whole Foods."
Nice to see them (at least pay lip service) to their ethical and community goals.
Posted by Steven at 09:54 AM | Comments (1)
December 18, 2005
Whole Foods to Sell Exclusive Icelandic Foods
I work with guys from Iceland and Norway, and they've tried to educate the U.S. team members about their cultures and food. Now Whole Foods is going to short-circuit that cultural exchange by offering Icelander foodstuffs in their chain:
"Haute cuisine" and "Icelandic food" are terms not often heard together on these shores, but our perception may be on the verge of change: Whole Foods has been granted exclusive rights to sell Icelandic delicacies including lamb and high-fat butter, and Americans will be able to truly appreciate what the chilly island has to offer. Essayist Bonnie Wolf recently sampled Icelandic treats at a luncheon in Washington, D.C.
Take a listen to the radio segment, it was amazing to me how much of the Icelander cuisine I already knew about.
Posted by Steven at 09:35 AM | Comments (1)
November 24, 2005
Thanksgiving In Austin
Alanna and I were in Austin during Thanksgiving, visitng the Fiala's with my sister Susan.
Susan, Leigh Anne and Richi (left) and Todd and Alanna watching MNHS Marching Band (right).
We didn't stay for dinner, as we needed to be heading to Dallas by the afternoon. This was something of a surprise to Leigh Anne, but I had assumed that we were eating in the early afternoon. I should have said something before the night before, but I really didn't expect our timing to be so bad for everyone else.
We ended up eating at Snuffer's for Thanksgiving dinner, watching the Cowboys lose in OT in the very same stadium we had performed in the week before. We know what losing there feels like, too.
On the way home, we stopped in Italy, TX to fill up. I caught this view of the burnt orange sunset, from the opposite side of the highway that the Starship Pegssus rests upon. We were at a Stuckey's, and they had the namesake peanut brittle on sale. I managed to not buy any.
Anne pointed out that I forgot to listen to Alice's Restaurant on Thanksgiving. That's true, but I did watch the movie earlier this year, which should count for five or siz settings of the audio.
Yeah, it's that bad.
Posted by Steven at 08:05 PM | Comments (0)
October 26, 2005
Austin By Day
I'm driving down late Tues. night on the 2nd. of Nov., and returning in the late afternoon on Wed. the next day. I have to be at Maskina for a developer meeting, and probably won't have time to visit with anyone or even do lunch -- it's a bad week for me to travel as band and school are taking up every evening that week (Anne will have to find a sitter for Leo on the 3rd. -- any volunteers?).
Update
I'm going to get up really early Wed. morning and drive straight down for the day instead. I hate doing it this way, but it confines the "damage" to one day.
Posted by Steven at 01:48 PM | Comments (0)
July 04, 2005
So Glad I Didn't Move to Circle C Ranch
Back in 1995, I tried to move to "South" Austin. A property on Zyle Rd. was advertised on the Internet, but at the time, I just couldn't put the deal together.
The Red State cast of Welcome to the Neighborhood.
Ten years later, a "reality TV show" filmed in Circle C Ranch, which is where my kids would be in school, has been dumped by the ABC network but is being carried by CTV (Canada). Read the synopsis to find out just how evil Circle C is ... oh wait, that is my neighborhood in Stonebridge Ranch! Oh well.
Read the NY Times anti-review for an alternative perspective.
Update
Here is the original CTV blurb for the show, which has mysteriously been yanked:
When the neighbors living in a quiet, picturesque suburban community get to choose the family who'll move in next door to them, their belief systems gets rocked as they try to get past their own pre-conceived notions and prejudices, and the idea that a neighbor should look and think just like them. Their choice doesn't get any easier when they meet the seven very diverse families, including a family covered in tattoos, a homosexual couple with an adopted child and a family who practice Wiccan, a pagan religion. Will the resident neighbors be able to see past their own ideals and accept all of the families as people instead of stereotypes? Eventually some eyes and hearts open up, opinions change and a community is transformed, in the six original, unscripted one-hour episodes of "Welcome to the Neighborhood," premiering SUNDAY, JULY 10 (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET), on the CTV Television Network.At the same time that the neighbors are trying to adjust, the competing families also begin an emotional journey that puts their physical and psychological limits to the test, as they all vie for a beautiful dream home on the perfect suburban cul-de-sac. But to determine who will win the luxuriously furnished and opulently appointed house, they first have to win over the very people who will be most affected by that ultimate decision -- the next-door neighbors.
In the premiere, "Episode 101," the seven families arrive at the dream home - a 3300-square-foot house with four bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms located on a prime piece of real estate in the recent development of Circle C Ranch, near Austin, Texas. The competing families, each in its own unique way, enthusiastically meet and greet the three opinionated resident families who have a vested interest in who'll move into the house.
Each week, the competing families participate in a challenge made up by the judging neighbors that will show just how well they might fit into the close-knit community. In the first challenge, the families must build their own Circle C Ranch booth -- complete with a theme, prizes and a lot of creativity -- for a carnival that will be attended by the whole neighborhood. The winning family will be determined by whose booth earns the most money. That family will receive an all-important "free pass," thereby escaping -- for that episode -- being sent packing. By episode's end, one of the remaining families will be eliminated by the ever-watchful neighbors.
The seven house-hungry families who will be trying to impress their potential neighbors are:
* The Crenshaws -- A religious, African American family
* The Eckharts - A Caucasian, pagan family that worships several gods
* The Gonzalezes - A loud, boisterous Hispanic family
* The Lees -- An Asian family that runs a sushi restaurant
* The Morgans -- A Caucasian family that looks picture-perfect, except Mrs. Morgan has a little secret
* The Sheets - Defying all stereotypes, this Caucasian family is covered in tattoos and are staunch Republicans
* The Wrights - A Caucasian homosexual couple who have adopted an African American boyThe three families who have the once-in-a-lifetime chance to choose their new neighbors are:
-- The Stewarts -- The super-opinionated Mr. Stewart, who is considered the "governor" of the cul-de-sac, is very protective of his community and will be looking at the competing families through a microscope
-- The Bellamys - Mr. Bellamy is a staunch Republican and would challenge any potential neighbors with politically different views. But the three Bellamy kids would welcome new neighbors who are different
-- The Daniels - A devoted Christian family, they would like their new neighbors to have a similar focus and direction in their lives
"Welcome to the Neighborhood" is from MGM, New Screen Concepts and the Jay and Tony Show Productions, with Rob Lee, Chuck Bangert, Lou Gorfai, Jay Blumenfield and Tony Marsh serving as executive producers.
Posted by Steven at 08:19 PM | Comments (0)
July 02, 2005
Fiala's New Place
On our way out, we stopped in Leander to see Todd and Leigh Anne's new spread. They were on their way out to buy some furniture, so our visit was short. The place looked great and was a fantastic deal for them.
Posted by Steven at 02:01 PM | Comments (0)
June 28, 2005
Holiday Inn Express
I'm staying at the Holiday Inn Express at SH 620 and US 183 in Austin for two nights. It's next to the Lakeline Mall, very near the Cedar Park offices of Maskina. On the whole, it's not too bad. The room has a micro-kitchen (microwave, fridgette, and even a sink with the coffee maker). I miss the cool decor and layout of the Fairfield king suite, but this room is right down the street and the same price as Marriott, so WTF.
Posted by Steven at 08:30 PM | Comments (0)
June 10, 2005
Friday Night at Fujiyama's
I congregated several friends together Friday night at Fujiyama's, a Japanese teppinaki restaurant in the Arboretum in Austin. Along with Alanna, Cynthia Amaya and her daughter Erica Reis joined us. Also there were the Werth's (Chris, Holly and Chloe) and Chloe's friend Sofia (who was with us at A-Kon, too). My LHHS friend Mary Haskett joined us as well. She is travelling to Iraq on business in the coming weeks and wanted to visit before going.
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| Chris, Holly, Chloe, Sofia, Alanna. | Erica, Cynthia, me, Mary. |
Everyone seemed to have a good time and our chef was very entertaining. The photos are of the chef flipping shrimp into Chloe's mouth, and also mine. It's pretty embarrassing sitting there with your mouth open like a flytrap, waiting for this cooked bug to be tossed in. The catch phrase of the night was his, "I'm from San Antokyo."
Posted by Steven at 09:06 PM | Comments (0)
Fairfield, No More
So I'm back in Austin, and I'm back at the Fairfield Inn (Marriott) on MOPAC. And it's one screwup after another.
I arrived around 11:30pm, and my reservation was waiting for me. Alas, the room number on the key didn't work, so I called the front desk. They said to try a different room on a different floor. That didn't work. I called again, and on the third call, I gave up and came back downstairs to get the key reprogrammed. I told the desk clerk that if the key didn't open my door, I was going elsewhere that night.
Room 335 opened with the key.
Things were ok ... for a while. Around 1am (notice the time of this post) I got into bed. After a few seconds, it felt -- damp. Then wetter still. I lept off the bed, and removed the covers and sheets. Fully half the mattress was soaked with some fluid. I couldn't smell it, so I have no idea what it was. I called the front desk (and got the same guy who gave me the wrong key and room numbers) and told him I had a wet bed.
He and I removed the sheets and turned the mattress over. Fortunately, it wasn't soaked on the back side, and he's remaking the bed, sort of. I'll finish the night here but this is it for staying at the Arboretum Fairfield Inn.
I'll post photos tomorrow.
Posted by Steven at 01:26 AM | Comments (0)
May 28, 2005
Austin Bound
Coming down to Austin on the 9th, and staying into the weekend. I have to take Alanna home that Saturday or Sunday, but look for us in town.
Posted by Steven at 12:39 AM | Comments (0)
April 26, 2005
Day Trip to Austin
Expect me on Thurs., 4/28. I can do dinner after 6pm (Tom, Cynthia are you interested?). I'd like to stay at the north end of town ... that is all.
Posted by Steven at 03:40 PM | Comments (0)
March 28, 2005
One Day Trip to Austin
Coming down on Thursday morning, and returning that afternoon. Gotta make one more visit to Austin this month ..!
Posted by Steven at 06:15 PM | Comments (0)
March 07, 2005
In Austin
I'm here until Thursday evening.
Posted by Steven at 04:14 PM | Comments (0)
March 02, 2005
Happy Birthday Cynthia!
I have no idea what the number is ... and I don't wanna know!.
;-)
Posted by Steven at 09:08 AM | Comments (0)
February 20, 2005
Working the Week
Supposedly, I'll be coming down on Mon. and going home on Thurs. through March. Of course, my mileage has, and will, vary. Expect me this week, however, for certain.
Posted by Steven at 04:27 PM | Comments (0)
February 14, 2005
Speaking of the Wave Function
I have no idea when I'll be back in Austin.
Either I am coming back Wed. through Thurs., or I'll be down Mon. through Thurs. Either way, I am going to be travelling a lot. I anticipate coming down this Wed. (16th) but who really knows?
Posted by Steven at 05:22 PM | Comments (0)
January 23, 2005
Ushicon 2005
This weekend Alanna and I went to Ushicon 2005 in Austin, Texas. The convention was held in the snooty Austin Renaissance Hotel in the Arboretum. We stayed at Chloe's home across 360 from the Arboretum, so we were within easy strike range of the con.
This was the first anime convention that Alanna and I both dressed up in character. This is called "CosPlay" (short for "costume play") and is very, very popular at Japanese themed conventions.
Over a year ago at a previous A-Kon, we decided that dressing as characters from Porco Rosso would be fun, and would work well as a father-daughter team. Alanna and Anne spent the last couple of weeks making the girl character's (Fio) outfit. I waited until Friday of the day we drove down to Austin to go hunting for a costume. Fortunately, I found all I was looking for at the Richardson Army Navy Store.
Saturday morning we got suited up, and hit the trail. I'm used to swallowing my dignity whole, so going out in public dressed as this was just second nature.
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We were approached for photos for most of the day, despite the relative obscurity of the movie (it's never been released in the U.S.). Alanna was frustrated that I was more recognizable as Porco (I mean, look at the costume ... it's a lot easier to spot Porco versus Fio), but I made a point of bringing her into any photo a fan was taking. We were in this together.
The big event was the CosPlay starting at 7pm. I realize that the conventions are entirely volunteer events, but the fellow (in a dress) who MC'd the event was incredibly inefficient at organizing the participants. As a result, we were seated in the wrong order, and he mispronounced Alanna's name (despite prompting), but we had our moment on the stage and we'll just get better at this as time goes by.
The Real Marco "Porco" Rosso
Fio and Porco
My Porco Rosso costume in all it's horror
Alanna and I on the stage during Saturday night's CosPlay (we were #52)
All the photos that Alanna and I took at Ushicon are here.
The movie will be released by Buena Vista on February 22th. Midnight Eye offers a touching review of the film.
Posted by Steven at 08:05 PM | Comments (9)
December 08, 2004
Not So Dazed and Confused Anymore
This is rich. In the movie Dazed and Confused, Richard Linklater inserted three older acquantances from his stoner days in Huntsville into the film. Years later, they feel that the file paints them in a bad light and like all good Americans, they're suing to change the facts.
When we last saw them, Wooderson and Slater and "Pink" Floyd were stoned out of their gourds, driving into the East Texas sunrise in Wooderson's souped-up Chevy Chevelle, off on a sacred quest for Aerosmith tickets and smoking a breakfast joint as the Foghat song "Slow Ride" played and the end credits of "Dazed and Confused" began to roll.But that was a long time ago, man, and it was just a movie anyway -- a made-up story with actors playing Wooderson, Slater and Floyd. Right now -- 11 years after the movie came out -- the real Wooderson, Slater and Floyd are here, sitting at this long, shiny conference table in a Huntsville law office, looking older and less hairy and a bit peeved. They're explaining why they recently filed suit against their old high school acquaintance Richard Linklater, who made "Dazed and Confused" back in 1993, for "defamation" and "negligent infliction of emotional distress."
What a world.
Posted by Steven at 01:12 PM | Comments (3)
December 06, 2004
Austin, Out of Control
Imagine my surprise, driving down TX 620 from the dreaded Interstate 35 in Round Rock to far, far north Austin. The little two lane country road is becoming an eight-lane behometh, complete with a monster flyover interchange at US 183.
Insane. Madness. This isn't my sister's Austin, let me tell you.
Photos when the sun comes back out.
Posted by Steven at 05:17 PM | Comments (0)