Stepan informs me that the title of one of my past posts has broken my RSS feed. My apologies to my vast RSS subscription base. I’ll dig in there and fix it this weekend or see if phpNuke fixed it already and I’m just behind on updates.
Nov 182005
Austin Empty Bowl Project Redux
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Nov 182005
The family and I attended last year’s annual Empty Bowl Project. It was a lot of fun. We’ve managed not to break the two bowls that we bought last year.
There was a considerable line, so be prepared to wait a bit to pick out your bowl. It did move pretty quickly though and the live music out front helps to distract from the wait. They let people into the Clayways building on Burnet in groups. They’ve got tables with all of the bowls laid out for you to choose and then pay. I think they allowed credit cards, but it may have been cash only. I can’t remember. You’re then funneled to another room where you choose your soup and you’re then herded out to the back yard area where you can sit and eat. The bowls available for silent auction are also laid out for viewing and bidding.
This year’s is Sunday from 11am-3pm. The proceeds from the bowls go to Capital Area Food Bank. I wonder if any of the soups featured in this week’s XLEnt will be available? Several of the same restaurants are mentioned.
Re-Opening of Mabel Davis and Grand Opening of Skatepark
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Nov 152005
The official invite from PARD to the city council went out today, so this is pretty much a done deal. Mabel Davis park will have its re-opening along with the dedication of the new skatepark facility within it on Saturday, December 3rd at 1:30pm. For those of us in the neighborhood, it’s been a long time coming. I last brought my son there when he was 2. He’s nearly 7 now. My three-year-old daughter has never set foot in the park.
Lest we forget
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Nov 142005
An Austinite who grew up in New Orleans, Ray’s blog was one of the first that I hit during Katrina and I’ve linked some of his posts in the past. He’s in New Orleans now to help his brother who still lives there. He’s posting and taking pictures as he goes. You owe it to yourself to check them out.
New Orleans has pretty much faded from the headlines now, but Ray and those at Metroblogging New Orleans are making sure that the rest of us don’t forget. As Ray points out, there’s some progress; you can get oysters again in some places, but the pictures show there’s a long way to go.
A pre-departure post plugged the oysters at Quality Seafood Market on Airport. I’ve always meant to check that place out. Perhaps now is the time…
Nov 102005
I just came from a lunch trip to Chicago Dog House, where I learned some sad and disturbing news. They’ll be closing for good the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. There are signs on each table informing customers that Bill Zurow, owner, died unexpectedly on September 28th and his wife, Jean, has decided to retire rather than carry on the business without him.
It appears that she’s open to letting someone take it over, so for the love of god, somebody contact her and keep this place going. Where else in North Austin can you get a gen-u-ine Chicago-style hot dog? The place has character, so I’d hope that anyone who does take it over will keep it in the same tradition. Just in case she doesn’t find an interested buyer, you’ve got two weeks to get yer butt out to Spicewood Springs and Mesa to enjoy one of their dogs before it’s too late.
Nov 092005
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UT Sports blows up – Men's Football and Basketball #2 rankings
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Nov 082005
USC and UT hold the top two spots in the BCS poll for the fourth week in a row. Apparently, this is the first time that’s happened in the eight year history of the BCS.
To add fuel to UT Sports mania, the Longhorn men’s basketball team is ranked second behind Duke in the AP preseason poll. That matches the highest ranking in school history for the Runnin’ Horns. Congratulations to both teams!
Salute to Sausage
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Nov 082005
For me, there are two annual Austin/Central Texas events that usher in the seasons: Eeyore’s is a sure sign that spring has sprung and summer is on its way and Wurstfest is the signal that fall is here and will soon give way to winter (well, somewhat colder temperatures that might be passed off as winter anyway).
New Braunfels’ “10-Day Salute to Sausage” began this past Friday and continues through this Sunday. I plugged Jimmy Sturr’s traditional Saturday night / Sunday afternoon shows in a post last year. He returns again this year for more of the same. So put on your lederhosen and grab some fried pickles, it’s time for the chicken dance!
Voting Day Thoughts
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Nov 052005
I voted last weekend when I stopped by Ruiz Library to return some books. It was there and there wasn’t a line.
As many have already mentioned, Tuesday is the big day. There are three bond proposals and, if I remember correctly, nine proposed amendments to our dysfunctional state constitution. The Chronicle’s advocating “yes” on all the bonds and “no” on all of the amendments. Easy to remember, I guess. I’m with them on the argument that it’s bullshit to write every goddamn thing into the constitution. How did we get started doing that anyway?
It’s also already been pointed out that if you vote for prop. 2, you’re aligning yourself with those wonderful people in the pointy white hats and robes who’ll be gracing city hall today with their erudite presence. There seem to be two schools of thought on what to do about them: ignore them or moon them. I can see the merits of both. I just noticed in reading up on them that these particular KKK members are from Georgia. On top of everything else, shouldn’t we all be annoyed that they’re here and not in their own damn state?
Here’s some links on the gay marriage debate that I happened across over the last couple of weeks. I think they’re all well-written and I agree with some things and disagree with others. Ultimately, I had plenty of reasons to vote against the amendment.
Nov 052005
A few nights ago, as The Wife and I were preparing for bed, we heard a bunch of rustling and banging coming from our side and then back yard. The noises were followed by a barking that clearly didn’t belong to our dog. I went out to investigate, just catching a glimpse of a brown flash as whatever it was leapt onto our fence and scrambled over the top. I didn’t get a good look, but it appeared to be a dog. Fifteen or twenty minutes later, the same dog returned, making more noise. This time I got out there with a flashlight in time to see that it was a boxer or possibly a pit bull. It took off down the street and wouldn’t come near me when I called it.
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