Memorial Day Weekend in Austin

Okay, my pants are tight today. I think I ate my weight in chips and salsa in Austin over the weekend, but it was so much fun I just couldn't stop. Our hotel (Hotel San Jose) was right down the street from Guero's Taco Bar, so it was our own darn fault for putting ourselves within walking distance of the temptation. But I refused to drape on the overalls and wallow in my own bloated pity today. I stuffed myself into my regular jeans and I forced myself to stay on the treadmill seven minutes longer than usual. Hopefully I'll begin to deflate soon.

Angela and I frequented Guero's when we lived in Austin and we never bothered to look twice at the touristy t-shirts back then, but we both bought sassy ringer tee's when we were there on Saturday evening. We also bought sassy ringer tee's from Shady Grove on Barton Springs, which turned out to be our third chips-and-salsa outing in three days. It was cloudy and cool there Sunday afternoon and the patio was packed, and we felt obligated to try to bring a piece of the relaxed atmosphere back to Dallas. We'll just have to wear those t-shirts on the patio in our own backyard and try to revive the great conversation over a bag of Tostitos. Oh, and I bought a t-shirt with a screen-printed image of Ghandi on it at Waterloo Records while we were there buying Alison Krauss and Patrice Pike CDs. I love the uniqueness of an orange, tan, and brown Ghandi on a brown tee. But I'm worried that this t-shirt buying frenzy makes us uncool. Even though the tee's are sassy in that carefree Austin kind of way, they mark the moment that we became touristy outsiders in a city that used to be home. But then Austin doesn't care, so neither will we.

We didn't see much live music. We did walk up and down 6th Street and we heard a ton of music billowing out of all of the open club doors, but we were never stationary long enough to take in more than a couple of minutes of any one song. We did sit and watch a cover band at Guero's outdoor cantina stage on Sunday afternoon, but cover bands aren't really the Austin sound and the crowd was made up of too many middle-aged men in khaki shorts to have been considered hip to the Austin music scene. But the margaritas were good.

We got a cup of coffee from Jo's on the way out of town yesterday. It's a a coffee shop in an avacado green trailer that sits in the corner of the Hotel San Jose parking lot, and it props open its windows every morning to draw the crunchy, relaxed Austin crowd that seeks bagels, poppyseed muffins, and big lattes for three bucks. We mostly sought the lattes, but the carbs were good too. And the friendly plain jane at the window actually recommended drinks for both of us, which was a refreshing change from the usual coffee shop cattle call that requires you to string together a series of short phrases that you would never dream of assembling on your own, and then causes you to feel like a loser when the barrista has to put your jumbled up mess in the proper order. (I love Starbucks too! The cultures are just different.) This coffee gal was funny and friendly, and just one of those people that you couldn't help but feel an instant friendship with--although she had me pegged as a mocha gal and I'm partial to vanilla lattes. But that's what's cool about Austin - it asks questions and doesn't act surprised when it finds out it has made the wrong assumption. It's just curious.

I told Angela on the way home, "You know, Austin is cool because it seems to scream thank God you're not like everybody else, when a lot of other places just want you to blend in." Austin truly embraces individuality. Perhaps that is what we should have bagged and brought home with us--the celebrate uniqueness vibe. Well, until I learn to step outside my own comfort zone and develop an even deeper appreciation for differences, the ringer tees will have to do.

Road Trip

Angela and I are driving to Austin for Memorial Day weekend. We love that city. We met there in 1998 and lived there until 2001 when I got the job on Kidd's show, and now if we go too long without revisiting our old hangouts we have major withdrawls. Austin is like one of those big comfy, overstuffed chairs that you just sink into and all of the material rises up and envelopes you and gives you a big chair hug. It 's really difficult to get up out of those chairs. And it's even harder to stay out of them. But why would you want to? And so it is with Austin.

This whole trip is going to center around food. I'm already strategizing about my carb intake, wondering how many carbs I can stuff into my body over the holiday weekend and still get into my Levis 515's on Tuesday. I'm in a constant state of awareness about this, but I will be more so on a weekend where restaurants like Shady Grove, Magnolia Cafe, Hula Hut, and Chuy's are all within easy reach. (Chuy's in Dallas on McKinney Avenue is great too. We've been there many times and always order the creamy jalapeno dressing to go with the chips and salsa. Extra calories, but extra fun too.) Anyway, we girls know how our pants are supposed to fit, and when that fit becomes more of a squeze it ruins your whole day. Maybe I'll just wear overalls for a week after we return and make myself deal with it.

The last time we were in Austin Angela got her ears pierced at a body piercing place on 6th street--little silver hoops with white balls. I waited until we got back to Dallas and got mine pierced at Obscurities at Cedar Springs and Throckmorton--little silver hoops with sea green balls. Now I want more hoops in my ears. But Angela is afraid another ear piercing will make me addicted, and then there will be no end to the piercing madness. No worries. I'm content with the navel and ears. But perhaps just one more in my ears.

We're staying at Hotel San Jose. It's crisp, clean, and modern. And instead of business suits and briefcases, it's flip flops and beat-up leather bags. And the owners' dogs are usually running around in the courtyard. It so Austin--comfy and creative. And it's right on South Congress a block away from Guero's and across the street from the Continental Club. Maybe Toni Price or Trish Murphy will be playing. And if Patty Griffin is playing anywhere in Austin while we're there, we must go see her and buy new t-shirts or CD's or any other merch which happens to be graced by her presence and influence. No other artist hits me at the core like she does. I know Dallas has discovered the greatness that is Patty Griffin too. We went to one of her shows at the Granada Theater awhile back and the place was packed. It makes me happy that Dallas gets the Austin vibe.

So whatever it is for you--road trip, graduation, hot date, the new Star Wars, or whatever--happy Memorial Day! Have a great weekend ya all. Be safe.

Tivo Wishlist

...So we typed in a couple of key words for our Tivo Wishlist--you know, things that are of interest to us--and now it's recording everything that Marcia Gay Harden and Lisa Gay Hamilton have ever done. I enjoyed the movie The Gaudi Afternoon, but enough with The Practice already!

I suppose I could edit my Wishlist. Nah...

Britney and Wild Boars

Kidd asked me on the air today if I happened to watch Chaotic last night, the new Britney reality show. Of course I didn't, because the Rangers game was on. And if the Rangers hadn't been playing then I'm sure I would have discovered some dust on the wine rack or a dog-paw-shaped spot on the carpet that needed tending to instead. It's not that I don't like Britney, she's fine. I just don't particularly enjoy watching a train wreck, especially when it is filmed with a hand-held camera and the visual makes me feel like I'm riding in the bumpy caboose.

Does everyone in the world love reality TV? Am I all alone in this bubble that is void of cash prizes and strategic alliances? I've never seen American Idol. I watched the first two seasons of Survivor, but I haven't been into reality TV since. Unless you count Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals as reality TV. That seems pretty real, and she rocks. And I'll watch an occasional Newlyweds episode because I like to look at Nick and Jessica's granite countertops. But the minute they killed the wild boar on Survivor a few years ago I was done with reality TV on the whole. Perhaps I have too large a soft spot for animals who just happen to be minding their own business and who don't expect to be stabbed for ratings. I have emotional issues with squashing bugs after all. I knew the wild boar scene on Survivor was coming (we were in Austin at the time and my radio collegues and I had talked about it that day), so when the scene started with the unsuspecting boar rustling around in the bushes I had to run outside into the backyard with my fingers in my ears singing la-la's loudly to myself so I wouldn't hear one millisecond of a squeal. Okay, that just makes me a wimp. But there are no pig murders on Comedy Central or ESPN or during a Mavs game. Much more agreeable for the sensitive types. And you get to laugh and cheer and stuff.

You know what it is for me...so much of reality TV is about tearing people (and pigs) down. I just don't need to see that. I would rather be part of the building up process. I don't want to allow another person's loss or folly, or casting off from a reality show, to become the avenue that I use to make myself feel good. Anyone?

All of this was much too difficult to squeeze in during a ten second transition to the traffic report on Kidd's show today. Blogs are fun like that. Best of luck to Britney and Kevin and the upcoming bundle of joy. Now that's a reality show.

The L Word

I'm having major withdrawls today. I've never loved a show more than I love The L Word, and last night was the dreaded season finale. I'm empty today I tell you! I understand that Showtime has a budget to think about, and that they can't just put a show on willy nilly every Sunday night until the end of time, but why the big gap between seasons? Season 2 ended last night and Season 3 hasn't even begun filming yet. Sigh. It's May...I think it would be much better to let us loyal fans go play for the summer, and then have a fresh season ready to go when we settle in again for the fall. Besides, by that time we will have watched every episode from seasons one and two approximately three hundred and twenty times. We'll be ready for something new.

I have two likely reasons for my L Word obsession. The first, is the fact that this is the only show on television with characters that I absolutely identify with. I don't think most people understand what it's like to go through the week and flip through the tv guide channel and see maybe only one or two shows with characters that you just get, on the most basic level. I guess there's always Ellen, but even she has all but abandoned her gay audience and exchanged it for the soccer moms. Not that there aren't a few gay soccer moms out there, but you know what I mean. Ellen doesn't laugh at her gay self anymore, just her owl-hooting self. Which is funny too, but it's like she never becomes completely transparent anymore. She has been burned before so I can see why she remains mum about her private life, but sometimes I wish she would talk about Portia and their life together, or the weekend game night with Melissa and Tammy or whatever. Just be real, ya know? But I digress.

Everyone wants to see a bit of him or herself in television and movies, so it's only natural to gravitate toward the shows you relate to. I don't know why I can't identify with reality shows. I can't stand the majority of them. But give me a good, intelligently written storyline with deep characters and relationships that don't find roots in a big cash prize any day. The L Word is intelligent and real. (Funny that a show like The L Word is more real to me than the "reality" shows.) I see a lot of myself in the characters in The L Word. Well, not Jenny. She's a loon. Each time a circus scene flashes on the screen in an attempt to show us what is going on in Jenny's head, I want to fast forward. Can't get enough of Bette and Tina though! I guess I relate because I've been in a relationship for almost 7 years, and we went through a breakup that was similar to theirs. We're back together and happy now. No babies though. Oh, I am so Bette-like. Type A personality, career-driven, determined, and just needs to chill out and let things come to her sometimes. Bette and I are both learning.

So, for the next several months the reruns and the two L Word soundtracks will have to do. I'm watching the episode from season two right now when Alice makes her debut as a radio dj. Maybe I can get some pointers. Then I'll watch Alice and Dana re-enact scenes from the Love Boat, and perhaps gain more valuable insight. Love that feathered hair, Alice!

Much love to you all,
Jen Austin

Greetings

Hello all -

Hope you had a great weekend. Welcome to the new blog.

I'll try to post random thoughts, ponderings, and various ramblings every few days.

Please feel free to leave questions and comments. And thanks for listening!

Jen Austin