Going to Luckenbach, Texas

Last Sunday, I celebrated my birthday in Luckenbach, Texas with my husband and sweet baby girl. We enjoyed good ole pork bbq sandwiches, pickles on a stick, fried potatoes (thin crispy potato chip style) and of course a shiner. We lunched at the picnic tables under the big oak trees just off center stage where the picker circle was going on -- three singer songwriters taking turns singing and playing. They were really good. It was such a relaxing day and perfect with all the things I love about Texas, including sunshine in February. One of the funny things about the day was listening to the roosters that were perched on the roof of the bar and were clucking and crowing away.

Lustre Pearl and Highball

Last night was a great time in Austin. We celebrated my husband's 35th birthday with drinks at Lustre Pearl followed by a Magnifico show at The Highball. Magnifico is a Queen tribute band. The front man wears a purple spandez bodysuit and is quite a performer and singer. We had a great time rocking to Queen's hits. The Highball was also a great venue - bowling lanes, red leather, gold leather, private karoake rooms, stage and dancefloor. Best part - FREE cover.

Corn Dogs, Fried Snickers, and yes, Joan Jett

It's rodeo time in Austin! A couple of my friends and I headed to the Rodeo last night specifically to see Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. Joan brings back such sweet and angry memories of me listening to her records from elementary school on. And, I was not disappointed. She can still rock it out and her vocals still sound like her records. She doesn't scream as much but wow, what a performer!

Of course, it was a rodeo so we had a good time watching the bull riding, roping and barrel racing and cruising around eating all the fried food we could find. I highly recommend the fried snickers. Warm and gooey chocolate. They also had fried twinkies, fried oreos and fried milky ways.

My little Chickadee

I spotted a couple of Carolina Chickadees just outside my window. Now off to listen to some great bands at SXSW. Have a wonderful weekend.

The Grand Finale

It was hard to see ACL come to a close but wow what a grand finale. We arrived just in time to see the B-52s - always a treat - at the AMD stage. Up next was White Lies at Xbox 360 followed by Artic Monkeys and Ben Harper. All amazing performances. After Ben Harper, we along with thousands of others, made the trek through the sticky mud to Livestrong for the Pearl Jam show. I was really excited to see Pearl Jam and willing to stand on my sore muddy feet for 3 hours if I had to. We got a great spot fairly close to the stage. The mood was electric - you could just feel the excitement and anticipation coursing through the crowd. Eddie! Eddie! Eddie! They came out and just killed it. Everyone around us was singing along - every word to every song. One of the best moments of the night is when Ben Harper joined them on stage and just rocked the dobro. And then Perry Farrell came out! Unbelievable. It was one helluva weekend of great music, mud, and rain. Good times. Can't wait til next year. Are you gonna be there?

Austin City Limits, Day 1

I got to the festival just as Asleep at the Wheel was finishing up their set with Cotton-Eyed Joe, a diddy and dance that is a sure fire way of getting Texans fired up. I was happy to see that there were a couple of Nashville acts in the lineup – bluegrass singer Sara Watkins and blues singer/songwriter Jonell Mosser. Watkins played first at Austin Ventures and had a great turnout. The music was excellent. Afterwards, we listed to Blitzen Trapper for a bit before settling in to hear Jonell at the BMI stage. BMI is my favorite stage because of all the shade and it’s also never crowded. Great place to cool off. I was really excited about seeing Jonell again. I lived in Nashville for several years and often when to see her when she played at a Third & Lindsley, a small blues club. There wasn’t that many people there for her show. Unfortunately she doesn’t do a lot of shows or festivals so she has a really low profile. But man does she have a voice! After the show, she came out to talk with fans a bit and of course I couldn’t resist saying hello. She was very personable and happy to hear that I had been to several of her shows in Nashville. I told her that she needs to make the trip to Austin more often!

After Jonell’s show we meandered around to hear Todd Snider, Knux, Dr. Dog, before settling in at Walter “Wolfman” Washington’s show at the Wildflower stage. What an awesome show that was – lots of blues, horns, and funk. Wolfman is a great front man and he was snazzily dressed in head to toe RED with a matching guitar. Afterwards, we headed up to AMD/XBOX 360 stage to prepare so that we would have a great spot to see John Legend, Them Crooked Vultures (with John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin) and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Great shows! The Yeah Yeah Yeahs had the best performance hands down. There was a huge eyeball suspended on the stage and big eyeballs floating around the crowd. And KO as usual kept it interesting with her costumes, dancing, and overall performance. She’s incredible. I especially loved her introduction – the music began with a spotlight on her in a hooded robe with tribal markings. I’m a little bummed that I missed Eddie Vedder singing with Kings of Leon but just couldn’t pull away from KO to make the long trek through the crowd. I’ll be see him Sunday night with Pearl Jam.

Overall, it was a great day at ACL. I didn't have to wait long in line for food or beer. However, the bathrooms were a different story. Also, despite the increased number of ticket sales and the City's aggressive marketing campaign encouraging attendees to "bike" to ACL - there wasn't more bike parking. Same number of racks (and trees) as last year. And, all of the ACL jumbotrons were prompting folks to tweet about the festival and post pics but it was nearly impossible to do so - most of my "texts" and attempted tweets failed or were delayed.

Stopping to Smell the "Tyler" Roses

Yesterday I was at the Capitol and couldn't resist stopping to smell the Tyler roses after spotting them in the Tyler Rose Garden just outside the State Law Library. The Tyler rose is native to and is grown primarily in east Texas but especially in the town I was born in, Tyler, the Rose Capital! They were planted by Cherokee Indians to mark tribal trails in the early 1800s. If you're from Texas, you know all about these roses - how fragrant they are and all the beautiful colors you can imagine. Pink, white, orange, red, and of course, yellow.

The roses at the Capital are in full bloom now and their fragrance took me back to a special time in my childhood. My younger brother and I used to play in the rose fields near our house and would run barefoot on the hot blacktop road to get there. I also fondly remember buying dozens of them in all colors from roadside "honor" stands on any given day. Drop a dollar in the bucket in exchange for a dozen roses wrapped in paper.

Now I'm headed to Austin City Limits festival. There's a full lineup this afternoon that I just can't miss.

One year and counting

It's official. I am now an Austinite. Although I have proudly touted that I've been one for much longer. I just celebrated my one year anniversary of living in Austin on Labor Day weekend. I still can't believe how much has happened in a year and how much I have really fallen in love with this city.

The people are sooo friendly and laid back. Although I grew up in Texas, I've spent most of my adulthood living in another state, the most recent being Massachusetts. The difference in attitudes and disposition is night and day. Upon first moving to Boston from Nashville, TN, I suffered a bit of culture shock because Bostonians are a bit stand-offish at first and everyone just "blends" into the crowd on street, the T, etc. Here, people are very approachable - you can't go anywhere without someone striking up a conversation with you or assisting you with whatever you need whether it's directions, opening a door or providing a jump if your car won't start. I like that. And after a year, I still haven't quite gotten used to it which is weird because I only lived in Boston for three years.

The riding here is amazing. A handful of trails within the city limits. I can mountain bike from my parking lot. Austin is by far the most bike-friendly and "fittest" city I have ever lived in. It's pretty amazing how many bike advocates there are in Austin as well as how committed the city is expanding bicycle facilities. And there are so many people training for something here - marathons, half-marathons, triathlons, cycling, you name it. Athletes are the norm here, not the exception.

And the food. oh the food! You can't beat a city that puts jalapenos or chiles in just about everything. Even Indian food!

And the music - the best festivals, venues, artists. Speaking of, Austin City Limits begins NEXT weekend. Do you have your 3-day passes? I've got mine!

Yoga for the price of a cup of coffee

Ruta Maya Coffee House on Congress Avenue offers yoga (and tai chi classes) during the day or after work for the purchase of an item from the Coffee Shop. So basically, if you're a coffee shop-aholic, you get to practice yoga for free. But that's not all, there's always something going on whether it's live music, open mics, art exhibits, Cuban night, there's something for everyone. Sound like an ad? Sadly I haven't visited Ruta Maya yet as I only recently heard about it from a couple of coworkers. I will be checking it out for myself in the next week or so and will post my review. But still, what a unique concept not to mention fabulous marketing! That's what I call creative thinking.

We don't need no stinkin badges!

Yesterday I was on a mission to prove that you don't need high dollar badges or expensive wrist bands to enjoy the SXSW experience. I hopped on my bike and headed toward South 1st and Congress. On South 1st there were bands playing clubs, restaurants, coffee houses, and yes people's yards. It was fun listening to bands play as I pedaled over to Congress where there was more of the same. I joined up with the gang at the Yard Dog Art Gallery to see the Waco Brothers, Rosie Flores and Jon Langford. And, there was lots of free beer. Gotta love a place that offers free beer, great music and art. The Waco Brothers and Jon Langford were awesome - sort of rockabilly meets swing with a little punk thrown in. I especially love the suits and hats. And it really got rockin when Rosie Flores walked on and joined in. She's very well known in Austin and is a sweet guitar player and singer.





I stumbled my into the gallery on my way out and was amazed by the works of Jon Langford. What a talented artist! He has several pieces portraying country legends like Johnny Cash all priced very reasonably. If only I had $375...

I spotted some of the gang over at the Mighty Cone Trailer across the street and stepped up to order a Shrimp and Avocado cone. They deep fry the shrimp and avocado, roll it up in a wrap with cole slaw and a really spicy sauce. It is GUUUUDDDDD. A little pricey at $8.75 but worth it. I declined having a funnel cake instead opting for a red velvet cupcake with cream cheese icing at hey cupcake, just a couple trailers over.

After completely engorging myself, I walked down to Jo's Coffee for another FREE show, this time it's Fastball.



Just goes to show you can have a good time for a little cash.
Parking $0
Beer $2.50 (one lone star at Joe's, several at Yard Dog)
Dinner $8.75
Dessert $2.50
Admission $0
Total $13.75

I like it here....

Today the Sunset Valley Farmer's Market officially welcomed Spring with the arrival of tomatoes and flowers. I practically jumped up and down with glee when I spotted Blue House Flower Farm's table filled with fresh cut flowers. YES! I waited somewhat patiently for a couple of bouquets which only cost $11 total. I didn't catch the name of the lovely flowers - ??-dendrons? If you recognize them, please comment! I also picked up oyster mushrooms, brussels sprouts, tomatoes, fresh pasta, and Bibb Lettuce that is so beautiful it really could stand on its own as a centerpiece for the table. There were so many people that it was difficult to get great shots of the produce but I managed to capture a farmer restocking the greens, the crowd listening to live music, and of course, the colorful freesias. I couldn't help but smile and agree when I overheard a young boy tell his mom "I like it here." Have a wonderful day - I'm headed out to enjoy a SXSW venue crawl via bicycle.

On the Hunt for Bluebonnets

This weekend is going to be a fun one with the start of SXSW and impromptu bluebonnet hunts sprinkled throughout. This will be my first spring in Texas since the 90’s so I’m anxiously and gleefully anticipating my first bluebonnet sighting. A friend of mine spotted a few bluebonnets on the lawn of his office yesterday shortly before a herd of deer gobbled them up. So it's official. Daylight savings + Bluebonnets = Spring.

And what better way to celebrate spring in Austin than touring the city via bicycle, live music, schwag, and bbq? Tomorrow, I’ll be hanging out at Bike Hugger and Mellow Johnny’s Mobile Social Urban Bike Tour, BBQ and After Party. Check it out and sign up at www.bikehugger.com. Although I can't afford the pricey SXSW wristband that will get you into all the premiere hot ticket events, I’m still hoping to catch a few bands at side parties over the next week. At the very least, I can enjoy the street experience and people watching.

Know of an event or party that I might be interested in at SXSW? Have you already spotted a bluebonnet this year? Send me the event info and also bluebonnet sightings and pics to mtblawgirl@gmail.com.

Genius is Genius

A little while ago, I posted a blog about how time consuming it is to select songs and managed playlists for running. I mean, you can only listen to the same playlist for so long before getting annoyed or bored. Well, I'm happy to report that I discovered a wonderful new tool in iTunes that actually creates playlists based on a song that you select. It's the "Genius" function available on iTunes version 8.0.

Genius automatically suggests songs based on your selection of a baseline and has two parts: the Genius sidebar and the Genius Playlist tool. You will need to turn on Genius before using it and usually it takes a few minutes for it to collect information on your iTunes library. Then it submits the info to Apple and begins shooting you results. Once you activate Genius, iTunes will compare your songs, playlists, and iTunes purchase history against what Apple offers on iTunes as well as library info from other users to give you the most relevant recommendations.

So once you've activated it, all you have to do to create a new playlist (in less than a minute) is select one of your favorite songs and then click on the Genius button in the lower-right corner of the iTunes window (an atom icon). iTunes will then generate a playlist containing 25 songs in your library similar to the song you selected. 25 Songs is the default however, you can create Genius playlists up to 100 songs.

I can't tell you how excited I am by this feature. So far, I have been very pleased with the songs that Genius has selected for me. I was able to create about 10 lists of 25 songs in less than 10 minutes. Before Genius, it would have taken me hours to sort through all my songs to make that many lists. Yay!

Handlebars by the Flobots

Love love love this song by the Flobots . Check out the lyrics below, or have a listen/watch the video here..

Lyrics for Handlebars by the Flobots
I can ride my bike with no handlebars
No handlebars
No handlebars

I can ride my bike with no handlebars
No handlebars
No handlebars

Look at me, look at me
hands in the air like it's good to be
ALIVE
and I'm a famous rapper
even when the paths're all crookedy
I can show you how to do-si-do
I can show you how to scratch a record
I can take apart the remote control
And I can almost put it back together
I can tie a knot in a cherry stem
I can tell you about Leif Ericson
I know all the words to "De Colores"
And "I'm Proud to be an American"
Me and my friend saw a platypus
Me and my friend made a comic book
And guess how long it took
I can do anything that I want cuz, look:

I can keep rhythm with no metronome
No metronome
No metronome

And I can see your face on the telephone
On the telephone
On the telephone

Look at me
Look at me
Just called to say that it's good to be
ALIVE
In such a small world
I'm all curled up with a book to read
I can make money open up a thrift store
I can make a living off a magazine
I can design an engine
Sixty four miles to a gallon of gasoline
I can make new antibiotics
I can make computers survive aquatic conditions
I know how to run a business
I can make you wanna buy a product
Movers shakers and producers
Me and my friends understand the future
I see the strings that control the systems
I can do anything with no assistance
Cuz I can lead a nation with a microphone
With a microphone
With a microphone
And I can split the atoms of a molecule
Of a molecule
Of a molecule

Look at me
Look at me
Driving and I won't stop
And it feels so good to be
Alive and on top
My reach is global
My tower secure
My cause is noble
My power is pure
I can hand out a million vaccinations
Or let'em all die from exasperation
Have'em all healed from their lacerations
Have'em all killed by assassination
I can make anybody go to prison
Just because I don't like'em and
I can do anything with no permission
I have it all under my command
Because I can guide a missile by satellite
By satellite
By satellite
And I can hit a target through a telescope
Through a telescope
Through a telescope
And I can end the planet in a holocaust
In a holocaust
In a holocaust
In a holocaust
In a holocaust
In a holocaust

I can ride my bike with no handlebars
No handlebars
No handlebars

I can ride my bike with no handlebars
No handlebars
No handlebars