Well, I’m living my last 72 hours in Los Angeles. Here are the haps: packing, hangnails, misplacing my scissors, cursing how much crap I have, eating odd meals of left over food (V8 and applesauce, anyone?) and trying to make sure that everyone feels okay about me leaving. That last one is the most exhausting. At the risk of sounding conceited, I’ll say this: too many people want me these last few days. Any other time that you move, people (myself included) back off for about 2 weeks. But right now, at very the point where I am getting my most stressed, it appears that everyone else is, too, and I feel tugged in a million directions. I love my friends so much and I know that they care deeply about me, but people are treating me like I’m dying. They gaze at me for a little too long and their touches linger. I console them on their loss like a funeral director. Maybe they know something I don’t. I was venting to Karen about how many people have wanted to make their last interaction with me “special” and to be frank, that’s exactly what I don’t want. I want just normal whatever time. I don’t want some experience with a good friend that I’ve never had. I want to do the things we always do- like sitting at Starbucks and chatting it up til we both yawn with satisfaction. Last night I went to Gillian’s and saw her, her sister and their 4 kids. It was wonderful because it was just life. Kids playing, wine drinking, laughter and pie. And I didn’t have to take a shower. That’s my kind of night.

In talking to my friend Monica, we came to the conclusion that I am in Tech Week. Anyone who has done a play knows what I am talking about. The show I’m producing is called “My Big Move” and it opens on Wednesday and right now there are a lot of things to do. And as one knows with tech week, you have to disconnect emotionally in order to get the job done. I feel that way. I have no tears left. About two weeks ago, my tears were right under the surface ready to make a break for it with nothing more than a mention of a Sig Alert. Now I can’t work tears up for anything or anyone. I try to squeeze them out, but end up feeling foolish and acting like there is sleep in my eye. When I’m saying good bye to someone now my brain is already on to the next thing. This morning I saw my friend Thomas and as we were hugging and saying we would miss each other, he said, “You’re thinking about Bed, Bath and Beyond, aren’t you?” Um, yes I was. And God Bless him, he sent me on my way. On Thanksgiving, David Iserson, the host with the most, simply waved to me and said, “I’ll see you later.” I appreciated it immensely because I start to feel like I’m dying when people treat the parting as so IMPORTANT and FINAL. And that’s not what I want to feel when I’m so excited about this new adventure. A different David stopped by for 5 minutes to give me some fantastic coasters that he made for me, like it was no big deal and my apartment did not look like a storage unit. That felt good. And Dave (I know a lot of Davids…..) and Ben had me over to their place to drink wine on the couch while some football game was one- no, I don’t know which one and neither did they. Those are the moments I want. Nothing fancy. Nothing IMPORTANT. Just you and me and me and you. Cause we can do that anywhere. Even Texas. And nobody has to shower.

As usual, school and life have kept me from blogging regularly – and I’m a little backlogged on things to talk about, so I’m just going to start fresh.

Life:
Bobo turned 3 a week ago!
I’m always surprised at how fast children grow, and Bobo is no exception.  Every day I notice how much older he looks, how tall he gets, and how much his vocabulary broadens; sometimes I just love to sit and stare at him with his brother and count my blessings.
Enough with the sappy mom talk, here’s a photo of him (with his Toy Story treasures) on his birthday!

Knitting:
I was making some great progress on my Bernhardt cardigan until I got to the shoulder/sleeve/neck shaping.  It’s the first time I’ve had to work at 2 separate (but together) sections of a project at one time, so I’ve hit a bit of a roadblock.  Staci helped me figure out what I was confused about, but now I’ve reached another speedbump.  UGH.  I’ll get it figured out, but in the meantime I finished a pair of Bella Mittens for Jessica (I didn’t get a photo), some crochet projects for The Knitting Nest, and another Ishbel shawl.
I won’t talk about the crochet projects in this post because I need to take photos, but I will show you how much I love my Ishbel shawl.
All photos were taken by Amanda Klaus (thanks, Amanda!!) and as usual there are more in my flickr stream.

Details (Ravelry details here)
Pattern: Ishbel by Ysolda Teague
Yarn: Spinning Colors Fingering in “Baroque”
Needles: US 8
Notes: I made the small size, but since I used a larger needle than what the pattern calls for I got a larger shawl than the first one I made.  I’m really happy with the way it turned out, and I still have yarn left over.

School:
The fall semester is pretty much over and I could not be happier.  It’s been a rough semester because out of 3 classes, I only enjoy 1 of them, but I am looking forward to the Spring semester because I’m taking 4 art classes and NO CORE classes whatsoever.  I’ll be enrolled in Painting I, Fibers III, Intro to Traditional Photography (I get to get back in the dark room!!!) and Art History.  I’ll be really busy, but I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.

That’s all for now, I’ll get some crochet updates up soon.

I have a habit of starting these and not keeping up with them. it sucks to begin on that note, but i feel like i should put it out there.

Anyhow Ive been in Austin for about a year now and its been about that long since I kept a regular blog. The last ones, I’ve tried to concentrate around a general theme or to have them be propaganda but have been unsuccessful in keeping them up for very long.

I’m hoping that because of its connection to my daily life, I’ll keep at this one for longer though its time too may pass.

I’ll start from where I’m at. I’m in the process of embedding in Austin and building community along with attempting to build a revolutionary practice. It may seem like this is impossible to do as an individual that it must be a collective project, but at this stage in my development as an Austin activist I feel like I need to expand my networks and build community before I can take the task of revolutionary activity to the next level.

On a different tack, I feel the need for the study of previous revolutionary movements and fully evaluate the word. As it is now, I feel comfortable calling myself a radical and an activist, maybe an anarchist. My training is definitely in the study of broad social movements, some which entertained revolutionary tendencies and challenged regimes of domination, but none who have considered themselves revolutionary or actively organized towards that end.

I currently do childcare for a group of poor and working class mamas of color who identify as revolutionary. I’m also aware that in the current constellation of Austin activism there seems to be a lot of infrastructure projects which seem posed to assist in consolidating the gains of these different movements within the current system in a building power kind of way.

to be continued…

Our Thanksgiving this year was a very laid-back affair, just three people and very little fuss (there was not even a table to eat at, actually). But I managed to cook a few things that got rave reviews from the other two eaters.

The smash hit in my book was my ginger cranberry sauce, mainly because I hadn’t made it before and was highly impressed by how it turned out, given how easy it was to make.

Ginger cranberry sauce

• 12 oz. bag fresh cranberries
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup minced crystallized (a.k.a. candied) ginger

1. Wash cranberries.
2. Place all ingredients in a pot on high heat.
3. When the water starts to boil, reduce heat and let simmer for about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. All berries should be popped at this point. Once they are, reduce heat and cook, stirring often, until sauce is fairly thick, but not quite jelled, another 3-5 minutes.
5. Transfer cooled sauce to the refrigerator. It will continue to thicken as it cools.

Notes: Make a day ahead of  time — saves you time on the day of when you’ve got lots to do, and it tastes better when all the flavors have had a chance to mingle. Also, you may need to add more water, as the recipes I found elsewhere suggested 1 cup, but I found that 3/4 cup worked just fine.

Way too many garlic-chive mashed potatoes

• 5 lbs. baking potatoes
• 1/2-2/3 cup unsalted butter, plus 1 Tbsp.
• 2/3-1 cup light sour cream
• 2 Tbsp. fresh chives, diced
• 5-6 small cloves garlic, minced
• Milk or milk alternative
• Fresh black pepper
• Salt

1. Put large pot of water on high heat to boil.
2. Peel and chop potatoes into cubes (I do about 2-inch cubes) and add to water. Once water reaches a boil, let cook 10-15 minutes (bigger chunks take longer) or until potatoes are soft.
3. While potatoes are cooking, melt 1 T. of butter in a small pan on medium heat. Add garlic and cook until softened.
4. Drain water from potatoes. Return to pot or large bowl.
5. Season to taste with chives, garlic, pepper and salt. Add butter and sour cream in 1/3 cup increments, mixing with a hand mixer, until the perfect, rich taste is achieved. Add milk to reach desired texture.

Notes: I broke three potato peelers peeling massive spuds for this dish. Buy a nice peeler. Also, I do potatoes a little different every time. If I’m using pretty red potatoes, sometimes I don’t bother to peel them at all, whereas I don’t like gritty brown skins lumping up my mash, so these got very thoroughly skinned. And all my liquid/dairy measurements are approximate, as I just keep adding until it feels right — sometimes it’s closer to chunky, sometimes more like the texture of mustard. And I love lots of garlic (five cloves barely hit the register for me with these), but it might not be your favorite.

It makes enough to serve three hungry people, give one of them leftovers for days, and serve a couple dozen people at an office potluck besides, so re-proportion accordingly if you don’t want a month’s worth of potatoes.

Cornbread-bean Tex-Mex casserole

• 1 package Pioneer corn muffin mix (it’s lard-free, Jiffy isn’t), plus egg and milk
• 1 can pinto beans, rinsed
• 1 can black beans, rinsed
• 1 can tomatoes and green chiles (Ro-Tel, if you prefer), drained
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1/2 poblano pepper, diced
• 3/4 cup shredded cheese (try Monterrey jack)
• Vegetable oil
• Optional: corn, avocado, sour cream, salsa

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Prepare cornbread mix according to package directions.
3. Soften pepper and onion in oil in a pan over medium heat.
4. Spread 1/2 the cornbread mix in the bottom of a lightly greased 9×9 pan.
5. Lightly mash the beans with a fork. Season as desired — I like chili powder and cumin. Spread in a layer over the cornbread batter.
6. Layer Ro-Tel, peppers and onions and other vegetables, if desired.
7. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the cheese.
8. Mix remaining cheese into remaining cornbread batter. Spread over the top of the casserole in an even layer.
9. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until top is golden-brown.
10. Serve with red salsa and sour cream on the side (or try baking them into the dish, if you like).

Notes: I added avocado, but it unfortunately was under-ripe, and I had to pick out all the pieces as I ate (though the other person who tried it didn’t even notice). Make sure your avocado is fully ripened if you do add it. Consider mixing fresh or thawed frozen corn into the cornbread batter or as a layer.

I know this dish is a mishmash of convenience foods (though you could always substitute fresh ingredients if you had the time) and odd flavors, but it seems very Thanksgiving-y to me, full of many of my favorite New World flavors (think back to the stuff we’re told the Pilgrims planted) and vegetarian to boot! It’s very filling and hearty, too, which we know those hard-working folks liked.

I also made an apple pie, but if you’re in my family, chances are good you know exactly how to make it, and if you’re not, I’d be happy to send the recipe along. I did make my own crust for the first time. I modified a recipe from the Land O Lakes butter Web site, which was designed for a two-crust pie, but as our pie uses a crumble topping (and I missed the part of the directions where it suggested dividing the recipe), I used it all. Divide yours in two if you like a thinner crust.

It turned out grand, so here you go:

Tender pie crust

• 2 cups flour
• 2/3 cup butter
• 4-6 Tbsp. water
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of sugar

1. Get your flour and butter out of the freezer. You do keep them in your freezer, don’t you? Not only does it prevent bugs from hatching in your flour, which stays fresh longer, it keeps the ingredients at the right temperature for crust-making.
2. Put flour, salt and sugar in a bowl. Shave butter sticks into the mixture using the big holes on your cheese grater. Don’t have a cheese grater? Cut the butter into slivers and add. It’s easier to do all this if your butter is frozen. You definitely don’t want it to start melting on you.
3. Mix it up. Use your hands. Add water by the tablespoon until the dough can be shaped into a uniform ball, but don’t add too much — if you do and it starts to get sticky, add more flour.
4. Refrigerate it for a half-hour or so if you have the time. After that, or if you don’t have the time to waste, commence with the rolling — on a floured surface with a floured pin. Roll it until it’s an evenly thick layer 2 1/2 inches larger than your pie pan.
5. Lay it flat against the sides/bottom of the pan, prick it with a fork, do whatever fancy edge-thing you do to your edges, fill it with your filling, and voilá! Pie!

Time for another delicious sandwich review, this time for Fricano’s Deli, which I mentioned earlier when I spoke about Dishola’s Dish-for-Dish deal featuring them.  I promised a review, and here is a review.  Luckily, Frances of The Nom Nom food blog convinced me to meet up with her and reap the Dishola 10% off benefits.

Fricano’s was super busy when we went.  There was definitely a line to the door (but the restaurant is teeny) and I have a feeling it is always that packed, especially during prime eating hours.  After I took this photo, there were folks eating on the curb.  Great little joint, but probably not the best if you are in a rush or want to be doted on at a table.

Outside Fricano's

I ordered the special of the day, the Italian Turkey Melt, which included turkey, swiss cheese, black olives, black olive spread, tomatoes and spinach all toasted to perfection.  It was delicious…  I don’t even know what else to say.  The flavors just accented one another perfectly.  Unfortunately, the olive spread left me looking like I hadn’t flossed in a week.

Delicious... Italian Turkey Melt

Left: Rootbeer Creamsicle, Right: punch card

Added bonuses:  the drink, the Rootbeer Creamsicle, was amazing.  Great addition to the sandwich.  Also, Fricano’s treats their customers to a frequent customer card, which gives you a free sandwich after the punch card is filled.  Not bad.

Overall, I give Fricano’s Deli a 5/5.

Oh, young Luda.  Gotta love it.  This song doesn’t really apply but it came to mind so here you go!

A few weeks ago, I made one of the hardest decisions of this year.  (I’d say of my life but that would just be over-dramatic.)  Sure, getting a tattoo, cutting off my hair, accepting a new job, finally having “that” conversation with my roommate were all important and took guts.  BUT giving up the phone number I’ve had for nearly 8 years was a big deal.  Not only am I too lazy to remember another number (since 2001, it’d just rolled off the tongue) but getting this new number meant something more important: giving up the 615 area code.

I am originally from Nashville, TN.  While there are things about the city and region that I can’t stand (race relations, ignorance, allergens, men with grills, etc), Nashville is home.  Mother, grandmothers, childhood home, high school friends, familiar restaurants, great hairdresser, you know, all of the important things.   As a high school senior, there’s was nothing I wanted more than to get out of Nashville and Tennessee.  College (luckily) was never a question. I just knew that I was not staying  anywhere with a TN in the address.  So I told myself I’d go to whatever school gave me the best offer out-of-state.  I was blessed to be an above average student with high PSAT scores, from a middle-class family, a female and a minority.  For schools looking to offer “merit-based” scholarships, the combination doesn’t get much better.  I’m not foolish enough to deny that.  However, that could be an entirely different “Shades of Understanding” post.  In fact, the school I actually attended was the school that gave me the second best offer but that explanation deserves another “Shades of Understanding” post of its own.  In due time.  In due time.

Anyway, I attended Iowa State University.  For all accounts, it was a good school.  Like anywhere new, there were things that were less than ideal and just plain sad, but I met some wonderful people, received a good education and was given several wonderful, life-altering opportunities.  But obviously, Ames, IA was not home.  So I never changed my cell phone number.  I knew I wouldn’t be in Iowa for more than four years.  There was something rebellious about keeping my hometown phone number.  I WOULD NOT become a resident of Iowa.  Sure, it just made sense at that time to keep it.  TN was still a part of my permanent address and drivers license.  Holding onto that 615 wouldn’t really mean anything until I had a new permanent address.

3 1/2 years ago, I accepted a job offer in Austin, TX and moved.  Not everything has been perfect but it’s been good.  I don’t regret that move and have come to appreciate the city.  I still don’t know if Austin’s going to be home but until a new target city emerges, I’m perfectly content here.  Two months into my stay, I got a speeding ticket and had to get a TX license to qualify for defensive driving.  That was pretty painful but legally required.  Not having a real choice makes it easier to choose.  Since then, I’ve done pretty much all things Austin and Texas.  I’m still waiting to purchase my first pair of cowboy boots but give me time.  The one thing I hadn’t done was change my phone number.  Somehow 512 just didn’t sound as good as 615 to me.    8 years is a long time to have a relationship with anything.  In this digital age, your cell phone number and email address are really a part of your identity.  I preferred to remain identified with Tennessee.

So what made me finally give it up?  Money.  I wish it was something more poetic but it’s just not.  My new gig provides stipends for cell phones and smartphones if you agree to use them for business.  Seeing as I’d already put my work email on my Blackberry, I figured I should accept the stipend.  The amount is actually like 150% of my regular monthly bill.  Ok, I’ll take that.  I’ll make a little profit for doing what I was already planning to do.  The only issue was that since we’re an Austin-centric business, it only makes sense for employees receiving the stipend to have Austin numbers.  So save a little money or hold onto an area code that means nothing to anyone but you?  Ok. Don’t be stupid.

Sure, I’d had that number for almost a decade.  Yes, my grandmothers know the number.  Sure, you’d run the risk of losing touch with old friends.  (But then again if you were really that close, you’d find a way to get in touch.  I’ve had the same email address since 2001 also…)  But I’m also 25, have lived in Austin for more than 3 years and it’s makes financial sense to change.  Done.

I sent a mass text to the people in my phone that ended with something like “Please update my number or use this as an excuse to lose touch.”  I got some negative responses to that but that just means they were paying attention.  The people that didn’t respond were handed their way out.

Still struggling to remember my new number,

Jo’van

Well, not really. But I’d say that the feelings running through that awkward girl acting as the third wheel in that devastatingly awkward situation are trivial compared to some of the first-rate uncomfortably awkward predicaments I’ve gotten myself into.

Lets start off with this tidbit of information for my first post: The last time I got hit on? I was dressed as a Tobias Fünke from Arrested Development (BEST. SHOW. EVER.). I was aiming for a blend of Tobias as a “never nude,” as well as his “Blue Man Group” days:

So I donned electric-blue tights, “jorts” (jean cut-offs), and a blue t-shirt with Tobias’ memorable quote “I just blue myself.”

Anyway, it was Halloween, and I was in Austin on 6th Street. Needless to say, I was inebriated. Anytime and every-time I made eye-contact with someone on the street, I felt obliged to say “I JUST BLUE MYSELF!” and proceed to giggle like I was a 12 year-old girl. Despite my behavior, I was surprised to find that I, probably the most awkward person I know, picked up a guy. Yes, my first words to him included my catch phrase of the night, but he didn’t seem to mind (or maybe the fact that I blue myself meant something else to him?). He was cute, in the army (and in his uniform–ow, ow) and wanted to get into my “jorts” like nobody’s business. To him, holding hands translated to “10-4, sexy. You’re invited up to my room.” How did this happen? How did I, awkward, wasted, and dressed in the most ridiculous, non-sexy outfit, get a guy?

Well, dear friend, I think I have the answer: I was completely anonymous there. Therefore, I legitimately did not give a rat’s ass what anyone thought of me. I was happy and confident, and not the least bit worried about the impression I was imprinting on the strangers around me. Lesson learned: Maybe confidence really is sexy. I didn’t care about what I looked like, which isn’t always the case. Not caring is probably the best thing I can do–it’s more fun that way.

So, awkward girls of the world, stop caring and just have some fun!

Love!

P. S. In case you were wondering, army boy didn’t make it into my jorts. I kindly declined and sent him on his way.

Restaurant trends come and go, and often without most of Austin realizing there even was a trend going on.  However, airstream trailer restaurants have taken over much of South Austin within the last few years.  Savory meals can now be conveniently found curbside no matter what your taste buds prefer. From the Trailer Park Eatery on South First St. to the strip of restaurants on South Congress, they are thriving in the middle of a recession that would threaten the existence of any new restaurant popping up in Austin.

Let’s take a look at a few trailers around Austin that have either recently burst onto the Austin restaurant scene or are already established

1. Roppolo’s Pizzeria- this joint has been going strong for more than a few years now.  With locations on and off of Sixth Street, you are bound to stop here after last call to pick up a big ol’ tasty slice of pizza.  Toppings range from regular pepperoni to supreme to plain cheese.  Your alcohol-induced taste buds are sure to enjoy a slice whenever you are downtown or making your way home.

2. Torchy’s Tacos- Whether you have made it to the permanent location on South First or the trailer located in the Trailer ParkEatery, you have probably heard of Torchy’s Taco’s.  With a new special every month and plenty of taco choices, Torchy’s keeps everyone satisfied.  Just don’t expect to find a healthy option when you head to Torchy’s.  Deep fried chicken and avocado’s, jalapeño sausage, plenty of cheese and more than a few meat choices will be sure to take a few years off of your life.  But true to their slogan, Torchy’s promises “Damn Good Tacos,” and that is exactly what you get.

3. Mighty Cone- Located on South Congress in what is clearly a strip mall of trailer eateries. Mighty Cone offers a slightly odd take on food in a cone.  You choose between chicken and shrimp, fried almond batter or plain meals wrapped in a tortilla.  Or you can go for traditional sliders, but you are sure to receive everything (even fries) in small cones.  Try to go on a nice sunny day so you can sit on the red picnic tables and watch the pedestrian traffic on South Congress.

4. Flip Happy Crepes- This place could be called the mother of the satisfying trailer foods. Featured on the food network as part of Bobby Flay’s Throwdown the trailer located at 400 Jesse St., one block behind Romeo’s on Barton Springs Rd, serves up a variety of handmade crepes that will leave you craving more.From savory crepes with ingredients such as caramelized onions, chicken and goat cheese to classic sweets like Nutella and fruit, the ladies of Flip Happy, Andrea Day Boykin and Nessa Higgins, truly know how to make your taste buds Flippin’ Happy. Though the trailer is closed Monday’s and Tuesday’s check out their culinary success Wednesday through Sunday or call your order in to beat the line.

5. Lulu B’s- A slightly smaller trailer, yet with a lot to offer. Serving up Vietnamese sandwiches, spring rolls, salads, smoothies, coffee and bubble teas the trailer off of S. Lamar is a popular destination for those grabbing lunch on the go, or with time to spare to sit and enjoy a meal amongst the oak trees.  You can go light, with Shrimp and Avocado rolls complimented with a spicy peanut sauce, or really satisfy your hunger with sandwiches such as lemon grass chicken.   For under ten dollars you’ll be sure to treat yourself to yet another south Austin gem.

]]> http://thrize.com/2009/11/29/week-26-november-23-29/ Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:33:31 +0000 Sandra http://thrize.com/2009/11/29/week-26-november-23-29/

Monday was a great day.  We spent the morning cooking a Shepherd’s Pie so we would have lunches for the week.  In the afternoon, we went for a walk with our neighbour Denise before going shopping and finding a pair of winter boots for Austin. I stopped by Costco to pick up an order of approximately 175 pictures of Austin capturing his life from birth (October 12, 2008) to June 1, 2009 when he came to live with us.  Later that evening, I placed all these pictures in a photo album so Austin can see that his birth family really did treasure their time with him and took great care of him before he came to live with us.  This is a wonderful gift for Austin’s Aunt Lisa to us and we really appreciate it!

On Tuesday, we phoned Austin’s cousin Galun to wish him a happy birthday.  My sister advised us to send Bionicles.  They were a huge hit.  Thanks Karen!  We picked up a snowsuit for Austin that we found on Kijiji.  In the afternoon, we visited with our neighbours Denise, Erich and Erin.  Austin loves playing with Erich and Erin and considers them to be his “cousins”.

Wednesday started with a trip to our family doctor.  Austin got his H1N1 shot.  I got the H1N2 and the flu shots.  We met Jeff for lunch at Cora’s then headed home for a quiet afternoon and evening.

On Thursday, Sandy and Zara came over in the morning for a play date and stayed for lunch.  Austin and Zara had a great time playing and “sharing”.  It’s a concept that will require more work.  We have many future play dates to figure out all the rules.  The visit was good for me.  It forced me to get the house clean and wash some of Austin’s toys.  I don’t seems to get around to washing them as often as I should.  Oops!

On Friday, we started our Christmas shopping picking up items for Jeff’s grandparents.  It was a bit chilly but we bundled Austin into his new snowsuit and went for a walk with Denise in the afternoon.  Lisa and Ashlie came by  to visit Austin and stayed for dinner.  We ordered pizza from Papa Johns – yummy.

Saturday was a family day.  Jeff, Austin and I did a bit of shopping in the afternoon but spent most of our time just hanging out.

Jeff had to leave for a work trip on Sunday.  He will be gone for a few days.  Austin and I stayed close to home most of the day.  We hit the grocery store for a few essentials before having dinner with Mike, Denise, Erich and Erin.  What a great distraction for Austin.  He is missing Jeff but was having fun chasing Denise and the kids around their house.

The week has been a bit of an eye opener.  It’s almost December and I’m just now starting my Christmas shopping – and don’t even get me started on decorations and cards.  I’m usually much further ahead than this.  Mothering is taking up all my “Christmas Prep” time.  I’d best get my butt in gear if I’m going to catch up.

I am not sure if there are real casinos in Austin, but who cares, they have the one you do need to visit, Casino El Camino.  I have a good friend who went to UT and enjoys food as much as I do, so when I was heading out here for a few business calls he made a number of suggestions.  This particular recommendation fell under, “When you are out and have had a few drinks, stop into the El Camino.”  I am not one to go against such a recommendation, as food when you have had a few drinks is a very valuable asset.  We walked up on the location and the sign gave a glimpse of what was to come, “World Famous Hamburger.”  As soon as we walked in, I thought we had the wrong place.  It appeared to be a goth hangout, which doesn’t necessarily mean one thing or another in terms of food, but it just seemed odd, especially with all of the gargoyles staring at us.  I gave a quick call to my buddy just to make sure, and he said to disregard any notions I have and ordered the burger and fries with green chili cheese.  I obliged.  During our wait, we were happy to know they also had some great drink prices and I got into an interesting discussion with one of the cook’s who happened to be wearing a Green Lantern shirt.  We discussed comics for a short bit, not sure if I was humoring her or she was humoring me.  We also wasted the last 5 minutes at the Big Buck Game Hunter shoot ‘em game until our burgers were ready (this is probably the best video game I have played in years).  It was ready and we decided to take it on the go.  However, we couldn’t wait, once we were in the car, we broke out the fries.  The green chili cheese sauce was awesome and the fries were loaded with it.  The box felt like it weighed 10 lbs and in reality it probably did.  When we got back to the hotel room, we broke open the burger and tore into it.  It was a monster and could have fed a family of five…or two guys with a couple of drinks in them.  We polished off the burger, but were unable to finish the 10 lb order of fries.  Great recommendation, this is great food.

The Belly is back after a long work-related hiatus.  I’m jumping right back into it with reviews of 2 of Austin’s most popular restaurants, Garrido’s and Uchi.

Garrido’s, in the swanky 360 building (Nueces and 3rd), is one of several high-end Mexican places that have popped up recently downtown (La Condesa and Cantina Laredo being the others).  I was pretty excited to try it out as the founder, owner, and head chef is David Garrido, who was head chef at Jeffrey’s in its heyday.

Like any respectable Austin Mexican joint, Garrido’s does an array of tequila-based drinks, heavy on the margaritas.

The Mexican Martini (basically, a margarita with olives) was very strong.  This is a good thing, as it’s a wallet-exploding $8.50, and it comes in a single glass, not a 3-glass shaker like at Trudy’s, purveyors of the original and standard MexiMart.  I hoped this one would be better than that cheaper but reliable classic, and it was.  There was a little saltiness from the olive juice, and the citrus flavors were aromatic rather than syrupy sweet.  Still, Trudy’s is a better value.

The Paloma, on the other hand, at $6, was my fave tequila beverage of the night.

With El Jimador, grapefruit juice, and a splash of soda in a tall glass with crushed ice, it was basically a greyhound with tequila instead of vodka: simple and refreshing, mildly sweet, perfect for a summer night.

For dinner I mixed it up with some bocaditos (literally, little mouthfuls, the heartier Mexican version of amuses bouches) and some tacos, which are the mainstay of the menu.

The pork tostadas with goat cheese, pepitas, watermelon, and chipotle ($7.50)

and coffee marinated ribeye steak tacos with queso asadero and chipotle horseradish aioli ($10.75)

were both clearly made with fresh, high-quality ingredients.  But the flavors didn’t jump off the tongue the way I expected them to.  With the tostadas, the pungent goat cheese completely dominated everything else, and the pork was dry.  With the ribeye tacos, the coffee, horseradish, and queso flavors were missing in action, leaving me with the Taco Cabana-esque taste of beef tacos with mayonnaise.

Garrido’s was a little disappointing given its lofty pedigree and reputation, but I’d go there again.  If you’re a taco purist, you’re probably better off hitting a cheaper 1st street or east side establishment, but Garrido’s has more going for it than against it–reasonable prices, high-quality drinks, nice decor, a great back patio with a view of Shoal Creek, and a sexy clientele.  And nice bathrooms.

Uchi, on the other hand, never disappoints.  Since its opening I have failed to find a better restaurant in Austin.  Add the hip architecture and decor courtesy of Austin local Michael Hsu, the chic but friendly service, and the extensive wine/sake list to the world-class food, and Uchi is the undisputed king.  (Also, for you star-chasers, once I saw Jake Gyllenhall and the guy who plays Sabertooth in Wolverine on the same night.  My wife almost had a heart attack.)

Uchi’s concept is Japanese/Western fusion.  Before founding Uchi, Chef Tyson Cole (who’s been on Iron Chef America but lost to the master, Morimoto) was a sushi chef at Musashino, Austin’s best traditional Japanese place, and he has trained in Japan with the best.  For some reason though, the more traditional Japanese fare here isn’t as good as Musashino’s and doesn’t hold a candle to the much more inventive fusion fare.

Every time I go, I try something new from the nightly menu, but I always return to a few mainstays from the permanent menu.  This time my go-to was the bond roll with salmon ($10).

The menu says it consists of avocado, sundried tomato, white soybean paper, and salmon.  That’s a simple ingredient list, but it explodes with flavor.  That’s because, like everything else on Uchi’s menu, the ingredients are the freshest and most expertly prepared in town.  The avocado is creamy and buttery, the salmon is tender but not mushy, and the rice (something lesser sushi joints neglect) is perfect–toothsome, not overly vinegared, rolled tight.  The accompanying mango sauce lends a wild kick of perfume that transforms this dish from merely fresh to unforgettable.

Another classic is the age dofu ($5), cubes of battered and fried tofu with dried bonito shavings and green onion in dashi (fish-and-kelp) broth.

Everything about this dish is perfect at Uchi–the hot, crispy exterior and gelatinous interior of the tofu, the heaps of bacony bonito shavings, the gentle and distinctly Japanese umami flavor of the broth.

One of the new things we tried from the nightly menu was the tara miso (casco bay cod with celery root and toasted almonds).

I loved the play between the sweet/savory almonds and caramelized exterior of the fish against the cool celery.  You can seldom go wrong with celery.

The star of the night though had to be the madai carpaccio (thin slices of raw Japanese black snapper, with shiso oil, san bai sweet vinegar, sea salt, micro greens, and green onions, $18).

The fish couldn’t have been fresher, and it had just the right combination of sea salt, vinegar and green onions to gently swathe it in a translucent sweet/sour/green cloak of flavor.  The salt, simple as it sounds, was key–it’s very rare that something will be perfectly salted in a restaurant, when the kitchen has to turn out plate after plate.  Somehow Uchi always gets it exactly right.

Some other new delciacies we had that night:

tomato katsu (fried green tomatoes Japanese-style in delicate panko breaking, with hot mustard sauce, $5),

hotate adzuki (diver scallops, adzuki bean, bacon, brussels sprouts), a combination of silky, sexy scallop and homey smoke flavors,

tempura ($12 for a vegetable combo, $5 for shrimp), very good, fresh, hot, and crispy, but again, for some reason, greasier and heavier than Musashino’s flawless rendition,

and jizake creme caramel with brown butter sorbet and ginger consomme, $9 (one of my all-time favorite desserts–it needs no explanation).

As a college student, the first couple weeks of December are consumed with finals, projects, and papers. Every year I end up camping out at a coffee shop, because I know I won’t get anything done in my apartment. I mean,  there’s a TV there, and lots of things on my DVR list that need to be watched…so I’m easily distracted. Here’s a map of ten Austin area coffee shops/restaurants that stay open 24 hours or late into the night to give our Night Owls a place to plunge full force into preparing for the end of the semester.

View Larger Map

Texas would be so awesome if it weren’t for the fact that it was Texas.  It’s hot here.  It’s way too spread out for public transportation to ever work, and people are so freaking hardcore republican.  Like, cheering for their high-school
football team republican.  You can’t throw a rock without hitting a Rush Limbaugh fan, and there are rattlesnakes that actually do bite frequently (I know this because I’ve been bitten).

Although sometimes I’d like to, I can’t deny my Texicity.  I’ve done Texas things.  I think I hunted deer once (although I don’t know for sure, it would have been at a very young age) and I’m pretty sure I’ve fished (again, not for certain).  I’ve ridden a horse, western-style, and been to a rodeo. I’ve listened to country music (i mean COUNTRY), and eaten what felt like my weight in bar-b-que.  And of course I’ve ridden in (but never owned) a truck where you have to jump up to get into the cab.

Despite those “sweet-ass” experiences, I don’t really care for this place too much.

Austin is the diamond in the rough, however.  How Austin happened I really don’t know, and I don’t think I could find out at the Texas State History Museum.  There are more free-thinkers, unique individuals, liberals than anywhere in Texas.  It’s quirky, unlike Dallas or Houston, and there are refreshingly green areas that actually tend to be crowded on beautiful days, which fortunately in Texas are quite frequent in the spring and fall.

We staggered along a dusty trail, the five of us survivors, Taylor, Will, Jack, Vincent and I.

“So,” I said to Taylor, “Tell me how your life has been after you left Houston and before all this shit happened.”

“Well,” said Taylor, “I had been working at a dead-end job washing dishes at a diner, and at night, I had been street racing for some extra cash.”

“Haha, I remember we wanted to do that as kids, guess you were living the dream, huh?”

“Fuck that, I hate doing dishes” Taylor laughed.

We had a short laugh, then faded into silence. We continued walking toward San Antonio, toward safety.

“I guess we’ll be there in a couple days,” I said. “San Antonio, I mean”

“More like four to five at the progress we’re making.” said Jack, who glanced back at Will with a sour look, who smacked him in the back of the head.

“Taylor, tell us how you survived on your own during the plague of the 22nd century.” I said.

“Well,” started Taylor, “I heard about it on the news at first as Mad Cow Disease, but something seemed off, like this was a cover up or something. They mentioned that the biggest breakout was in Texas, near Houston, because of the heat and the number of “cows”. We were advised to stay indoors unless necessary but because it was just a cover up, no jobs were shut down, no stores or restaurants closed like they ought to have been.”

“Ahh, the Zombie Survival Guide said that it would be covered up by Mad Cow Disease. Max Brooks knew what he was talking about.” I said

“So I was at work, my day job, washing dishes when my boss came in, looking a bit pale and sweaty. I asked ‘What’s wrong with you?’ and he replied ‘I don’t know. Just feel nauseated, probably the Mad Cow Disease the government is ranting on about.’ I said ‘Do you need to go home?’ ‘No, I’ll be okay’ and he walked off, and I continued to do my work, wondering if I could sneak out if he went home.”

“Wait, did he get bitten?” I interrupted.

“Lemme finish the story,” Taylor said. “I heard screaming coming from the front of the restaurant so I assumed something was up, but I didn’t want to go check it out, you know, we’ve all seen horror movies, so I stopped my washing and just held a large knife in my right hand. That’s when he staggered in, his sleeves torn off, and I saw a large chunk of flesh missing from his forearm. He made a sort of gurgling moan and threw up on the ground and continued to stagger toward me. I didn’t know what was going on, the fact that he was the living dead escaped me at the time.”

“I stood there in shock for a couple seconds and said, ‘Sir, are you okay?’ But he just kept walking and when he reached me, he grabbed me and tried to bite my neck, so I swung the knife I had in my hand into his throat and he spat up blood on my leg and died. It was kinda ironic that the first person I killed was my boss, considering he was an ass and I hated him.”

I laughed, hard. “The first zombie I killed was my old lady neighbor who walked into my room while I was asleep and I smashed in her skull with my guitar amp. But killing  your boss was just funny.” I laughed again.

Voices up ahead told us we weren’t alone. I drew out my shotgun and the rest did similar with their own firearms, and we walked slowly toward the sound. A lone man was shooting into a group of three zombies about 10 yards away with a police-grade shotgun. One zombie’s head exploded into a hundred pieces and another’s arm was missing.

Jack stood up, preparing to help, but I held him down and whispered “If he’s doomed we don’t need to endanger ourselves saving someone who might already be bitten.”

“Oh,” replied Jack.

We watched in silence for a couple minutes, and he killed another, but at a cost: he was bitten by the last before slaying it.

We waited to see if he’d point the shotgun at himself, being infected, but instead he just stood there, tending to his wound.

I stood up, and exhaled sharply, I really didn’t want to do this. The man saw me and kind of half-smiled and said “Those fuckers really bite hard don’t they?” I didn’t reply and continued walking toward him, my shotgun at my side. “Wow, this hurts, any of you guys got a-” he never finished his sentence before my shotgun blast took his face and top half of his brain off.

Another rush of guilt like the one from the morning before hit me.

No sympathy for the dead, the undead, or any form of it. I thought.

I retched up and vomited on the body, overwhelmed by the sadness of it all. Will patted my back and said “It’s okay, none of us think you’re any less of a person for doing that. You did what needed to be done to save more lives, that’s that.”

“Thanks.” I said. “Let’s go.”

We walked in silence, too burdened by the death to talk, until we reached a large town, there we killed the many undead there and found us a place to sleep in a panic room of a large house, with a hidden door and thick walls.

“I’ll take all the watches tonight” I muttered, and no one replied, but I know they heard me because they all took their bedding out of their bag and laid down for the night.

I sat at the entrance to the hidden door and took a cigarette pack out of the messenger bag at my feet along with a black Zippo lighter. I smoked and thought of the man I had killed today, still disturbed by the face he had made when his lifeless body hit the cold ground.

I finished the cigarette and lit another, the last in the pack, which always seemed the best one, the most flavorful and most stress relieving. I never dozed off, but I lost track of time and reality in my thoughts, wondering if we’d ever make it to San Antonio alive.

So yesterday one of my oldest and favoritest (yes, I know, not a word — my blog, remember?) friends, Marcia, and I drove up to Austin for the day. It was awesome.

Originally we were going to stop in San Marcos so I could walk around drooling in the Crate & Barrel outlet, but the parking lots were insane. Since we didn’t really feel like parking 12.5 miles away from our intended destination, we decided to scrap Crate & Barrel and jump back on 35N to Round Rock to walk around drooling in IKEA. (Round Rock is just north of Austin.)

I seriously haven’t been to IKEA since I went with my friend, Shelby, back in 1999 when she still lived in Chicago. I love it and am so ecstatic that San Antonio is finally getting one of our own. M and I followed the arrows and checked out the entire store. I bought some adorable miniature stuffed animals for 49 cents apiece for Kailin, Emily, & Elijah — blue elephant for Em, pink hippo for K, green-spotted alligator for Eli — and we each got awesome wrapping paper for 99 cents a roll.

We were going to partake of the awesome cinnamon rolls, but we decided to eat an early dinner instead, and so headed back to Austin.

If you’re not a Texas native and/or don’t watch Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives on Food Network, you probably haven’t heard of Magnolia Cafe. It’s divine. They make the most fabulous gingerbread pancakes ever. They’re ginormous. Seriously, they cover the entire plate. We both got those (M added chocolate chips to hers) and coffee. Perfect. Dinner.

Magnolia Cafe - S. Congress

After dinner, we headed to the movie theater. We’d picked the Alamo Drafthouse on S. Lamar because of its proximity to Magnolia, but when we got there, the next three showings of New Moon were sold out. Not being from Austin, we were a bit perplexed — we had no idea where other theaters were. But I pulled out my phone and utilized the Windows Live search option, which provided me theaters in the Austin area showing NM, their addresses, and all show times. We picked a larger theater showing it on several screens, plugged the address into my Sprint Navigation feature, and Colleen, the super-nifty computerized voice, told us turn-by-turn how to get to the theater. At one point, she even rerouted us to avoid traffic. I love technology.

Even though this was my fourth time seeing New Moon, I enjoyed it as much as I did the first time. I know I’ve said this ad nauseum, but it really is SO MUCH BETTER than Twilight. (Although nothing will ever top the vampire baseball scene.) This was M’s first time, and she loved it as much as I did. And we both had to remind ourselves several times that Taylor Lautner is frakking jailbait.

After the movie let out, we went back to South Congress so we could buy scrumptious cupcakes at Hey, Cupcake!, which is this adorable silver trailer parked on the side of the road that sells fresh-baked cupcakes every day. I got red velvet with cream cheese frosting and M got a snowcap, which is chocolate with white buttercream frosting. We walked a couple blocks down to Jo’s, an outdoor coffee shop, and got lattes, and then hit the road back to SA.

All in all, it was a most splendiferous day. I enjoyed it immensely.

I spilled some soy sauce on a book, staining the edge of a few pages. It probably never would have been noticed, had I not pointed it out and volunteered to pay for the damage a few weeks ago. Today, on attempting to renew a book, I find that my account is blocked because I have a $26.50 fine. Considering the extent of the damage, that would have been a surprise regardless of the price of the book, but it seems especially strange in this case because the book retails for $15 and is available on amazon for $10. Does it really cost them $16.50 to stock a book?

I’m not complaining: considering how much benefit I get from the library and how much I donate, I’m still getting a great deal; I view this as an additional (well deserved) donation to the library. Just sayin’, this fee structure strikes me as being a bit unusual.

Guess who’s coming to dinner at Vino Vino? You never know! Last night, we were joined by rockstar Italian winemaker Mauro Zini (left) who passed through on his way from Remington Park in Oklahoma City (he’s a horse racing fanatic) to New Orleans where he’s capping off a week-long road trip with his buddies. Mauro stopped in for dinner before heading over to the Continental Club to see the legendary Alejandro Escovedo.

In other news…

The new wine list is live!

We unveiled our new by-the-glass wine list over Thanksgiving weekend. Come on down and check out the new selections, like Louis Perdrier Brut Rosé (sparkling pink) from France at $6 a glass.

AND DON’T FORGET THAT ALL OF OUR SELECTIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO TAKE HOME AT RETAIL PRICES!

Well, I figured I’d share with you guys the collection of crochet I’ve been working on of late. These are my latest designs specifically for the toddler/preschool sized head. I’m putting together a collection of items to go in a local gift store and I have a custom order with some special considerations, so it was good timing for the two right now. These are all created from some of the softest fibers I’ve worked with and with the exception of one hat in this collection so far, out of fibers that are no longer available. The bows you see are not permanently attached to the hats yet, just in case my customers do not want a bow, with the exception of the orange hat, which I have already permanently secured. It has a blend made with a very unusual fiber that happens to be the softest of the bunch. The glass globe you see is the perfect size to display these.

Hopefully these designs will be just the thing for each of my customers!

Baby Blue Bear Pink Bow 2 Baby Blue Bear Pink Bow

Black Brown Bear 2

Black Brown Bear 3

Blue White Green Pink Bear 2

Blue White Green Pink Bear

Orange Bear Pink Bow 2

Orange Bear Pink Bow

Pink Green White Bear Pink Bow 2

Pink Green White Bear Pink Bow

Dear Into Israel Reader,

The day started out with such Promise.  I was going to my first wedding in Jerusalem that evening, and it was Thanksgiving.  I was also thinking about you, dear Into Israel reader, wondering about your Thanksgiving with all its preparations.

I got up early to press my long silk skirt I was going to wear that had creased in the shipment.  With it I was going to wear a white silk shirt that I had bought at a boutique in Austin where I had visited with the owner who had just filed for divorce the day I was there.

I had told her that I got along fairly well with my former husband, Alan, but of course, quite naturally, there were some exceptions.  She was hoping that would be the case with her, too, but she had some reservations.  “What were my exceptions,” she had curiously asked?  Always desiring to initially spin the positive, I told her at one point I thought I would lose my mind when our fourteen year old daughter had gone to live with him, but I was now better because I had moved to Austin.  Distance doesn’t always heal, but sometimes, well, it does and in this case it had been a very good decision.

When I told her I lived at the Bocachica, she told me she knew some folks there, and how it was indeed the coolest place in Austin.  I had loved her selections and I was sorry to see that she had gone OOB-out of business before I left.  Even though I had intended to go back to her store, I soon would be focused on my Aliyah, and my budget would then be only for necessities.  With this silk shirt and skirt I was going to wear a black velvet swing jacket and black suede spectator pumps, and lots and lots of pearls.

I had not been anywhere elegant since I had been here, and I was looking forward to one whole day of pampering.  A facial, manicure, lingering steam exfoliating bath followed by a shower with a deep conditioning shampoo and condition were on my beauty treatment list.

Once the hot water button was flipped, all I heard was a Boom, and the apartment went pitch black.  This was not a good sign, and I trepidatiously crept outside the front door in my robe to the breaker box.  I have done a lot of remodeling, and I am no stranger to fixing a thing or two.  With the lights back on, I now went to access the actual problem. Oy, this was really not a good sign, as there was smoke damage all around the hot water button.  It was definitely OOB.

I tried not to panic and thought quickly through my plan of action.  First, I called the condo owner.  Next, I thought to call Alan who was in Israel on business and to see Lauren.  He was also going to the wedding, and I would check if I could shower at his hotel.  No, I thought, cross that off.  So instead I called Rabbi Barry across the hall to ask if I could shower there.

In no time at all, I had showered and a team of people was stationed in my apartment reviewing the situation.  With a cup of coffee in hand, I stood back and listened to the discussion, which was all in Hebrew.  I wished I had been advised, because I would have offered an alternative solution.  I had no idea what they were concocting.

A new water heater was needed, but first the old one had to go.  In the States, that would seem easy enough.  Yank the old one out, and pop the new one in.  This isn’t the States.

The old water heater had been installed horizontally in a crawl space above the bathroom.  The team determined this was lo tov, no good, which in theory was correct.  Yet since the apartment is small, they agreed to install it in the bathroom itself, hanging over a space where a combination washer & dryer could be installed.  Yes, hanging, I now have a hanging water heater!

When I had remodeled my town home on Rue Charles, I had installed a new tank that held a gazillion gallons, so when they brought this baby water heater in, I just laughed.  The head remodeler of the team has assured me that I will have plenty of hot water. We’ll see.

The wedding was an American wedding by Israeli standards.  The parents of the bride and groom are all Americans, and the father of the bride is from San Antonio.  There was no expense spared for this lovely wedding.  I had never been to an Orthodox wedding in Israel, and it differed from what I have known.

As Alan, Lauren and I arrived at the hotel, they were serving stations and stations of food.  We thought this a bit unusual before the wedding, but we were starved so we grabbed our plates.   Since it was Thanksgiving, there was a turkey station with all the fixings of cranberry relish and the best pumpkin pie I have ever had.  I really want that recipe.  There was also a fajita station along with the traditional Israeli foods.  We couldn’t understand this, and didn’t know if this was the dinner or not.  Someone then told us it wasn’t and a full sit-down dinner was to come, so we immediately dropped the forks!

The bride, gorgeous and glowing, came out and greeted everyone, and then she sat on a throne between her mother and future mother-in-law.   The groom, surrounded by the men, danced in and approached her, then lifted her veil.  There was dancing and singing and then everyone proceeded to the chuppah.  After the ceremony was the sit-down dinner followed by more dancing and singing.  I lost track of the courses.

I should have known.  Oh why dear Lord, is hindsight better than foresight?  Thanksgiving + family = stress, a trigger, and with me feeling sensitive.  It has always been that way with me during the holidays.  This was not about the wedding; it was beautiful.  This was not directly about Alan.  These are my issues.  It appears that as soon as I see someone carving a turkey, reactions trip on to the scene.

It took me being here, in Israel, to understand this.  I now know I needed to be so far away physically from where I grew up and was married to peer spiritually and inquire of myself, “What the hell just happened?”

I came home to the plaster and dust from the workmen.  Silk shirt and pearls and all, I curled up on the couch, and prayed to God for what I am Thankful for and petitioned to let the morrow be better.  It was.

Shalom,

Barbara

“A revelação…”

Um Austin, que pertenceu ao “Tio Oscar”…

E Ricardo Fernandes revela-nos o que havia sob a capa!

..I want Sam.  But.. I don’t want to want Sam.  I want to want Brandon and I do want Brandon but I don’t even know if Brandon wants me and Sam doesn’t want me even though he occasionally acts like he wants me which makes me want him more.  Austin is out of the picture now, thank God.  (We went on a single date, and I thought I had made it clear that we weren’t really officially anything,  but he’s going around Youngsville saying he broke up with me.)  And then there’s this Collin boy who I guess is interested in me now, and Chloe wants me to want him.  I trust Chloe’s judgment, really, seeing as she’s my best friend and all, but I myself don’t really want to want him, mainly because I don’t know him all that well.  I know enough not to want Trey anymore, and I guess I don’t, which is probably why I want Sam again.  Sam is lovely, but he hates me.  Brandon is lovely, too, I suppose, but he just plain worries me.  He seems like the type that has a lot of secrets.  Sam’s like that too, but I can handle Sam.  He’s pretty perfect, actually, and the best part is, he can handle me.  The thing is, he just doesn’t want to.

“Mamma mia, here I go again.  My my, how can I resist you?  Mamma mia, does it show again, my my, just how much I’ve missed you?  Yes, I’ve been brokenhearted, blue since the day we parted.  Why, why did I ever let you go?   Mamma mia, now I really know, my my, I could never let you go.”

I bet you can figure out who that Mamma Mia nonsense right there is about.  In fact, I’ll give you three guesses.

Well, I figured I’d share with you guys the collection of crochet I’ve been working on of late.  These are my latest designs specifically for the toddler/preschool sized head.  I’m putting together a collection of items to go in a local gift store and I have a custom order with some special considerations, so it was good timing for the two right now.  These are all created from some of the softest fibers I’ve worked with and with the exception of one hat in this collection so far, out of fibers that are no longer available.  The bows you see are not permanently attached to the hats yet, just in case my customers do not want a bow, with the exception of the orange hat, which I have already permanently secured.  It has a blend made with a very unusual fiber that happens to be the softest of the bunch.  The glass globe you see is the perfect size to display these. 

Hopefully these designs will be just the thing for each of my customers!

When golfing on a course I haven’t recently played or a hole with an intimidating water hazard, or really whenever I’m not certain if I’ll lose a ball to bad aim in a tree thicket, I tend to use recycled golf balls, as not to lose a better quality one. Recycled golf balls are very cheap and often scavenged from golf courses or are overprint off custom orders from tournaments / cooperate or charity events / venues.  They generally come in packs of 25 or 50 and lately I’ve found them as a convenient study in logo design. Most have limited color schemes due to extra printing costs, but the designs are mixed, with logos, icons, or just text.

Most tournament logos print in two colors (ones from any golf course on the water (especially in the Carolinas and Florida) tend to use yellow and blue). I’ve rarely seen type using neon or bright warm colors, mostly dark blues or neutrals, which contrast against the lime tinted cropped grass on the green or the dull white of a sand trap. Most companies have their exact logo printed, but with consideration to arrangement if an icon is also included.  It does seem that some companies, such as Digital Reports, add a clip-art styled image that, unfortunately, gives them a dated look.

Mostly, it’s quite random and immensely amusing (at least for a design nerd such as myself) to come across such variations in branding design. Every so often I’ll find one from someones wedding (or bar mitzvah! What a fantastic kid to opt for a golf outing as part of his coming of age celebration). At the Golfsmith mecca in Austin, they have open containers for the recycled balls and, if you’re really finicky about the designs, you can hand pick them (that’s where I got the Senate one, at least).