Pedestrian Prose

My car’s ‘check engine’ light is the perfect stress indicator for my life. After the initial dashboard disco, when the car is started, it lingers back there like a toothache. It serves as a constant reminder that all is not well.

And it isn’t.

I always make big plans to get my life in order during the break, but somehow things just keep falling apart. And it isn’t just me. I think a lot of people share in some sort of holiday drama. When I think about how bad it could be, I’m thankful for what little drama I actually have.

For instance, my roommate wrecked his car last night. Some ‘nice’ people picked him up and took him back home. Then they went through my things, moved my bed (?!), and stole stuff from our house.

Merry fucking Christmas.

Everyone is all right, though, and on Monday or Tuesday this should make for an interesting police report.

I should also take the car in to get serviced.

Now if I could just find a mechanic for my life…

This is a gay bar in Austin that I can’t wait to see; with a name like “Oilcan Harry’s,” it’s gotta be good.  I think I’ll start out with dinner around Congress St., or somewhere in either the Warehouse or Sixth Street Districts. And then hit a few bars on the way.

I might not have any pictures to share for this one, but if I do, I’ll post them later.

Here goes nothing!

CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP…deep in the heart of Texas!

Austin is fun. The Hilton here is amazing.  I’m on the 21st floor and I have an amazing view of the city. The hotel is only two years old, and it is staffed with a small army.  I ran into one guy I went to high school with; that was cool.

Texas is so strange; here in Austin it couldn’t be more true.  First off, Texas has taken its graphical identity, the lone star, to a whole new level.  This thing is everywhere, more so than Wal-Mart’s damn smiley face.  Texas remindes me a bit of the logo/branding scene in Spaceballs the Movie; they put the star on streets, sidewalks, floors, walls, buildings, artwork, bulletpoints, receipts, toilet paper–you name it.

For your pleasure, I have a small photo essay of the Texas lonestar obsession:

Ok. So this place is really nice.  Badass, even. The picture of my room doesn’t even do it justice; the views from my 21st story window speak for themselves.

Wish you all were here.

Most of you know, my cocktail of choice is a rum a coke with lime–a cuba libré.  Well, at the pish-posh bars we have in little rock, I have to order a “rum and coke, please.” And I’m usually fine with that.  Sometimes they put lime in it, sometimes not.  Bartenders who are especially daft will stick a nasty cherry in there.

Well, here in Austin, I would ask for a “rum and coke” and they would make just that.  When I then asked for a sliver of lime, they (different bartenders on different occasions) would say “oh, then you want a cuba libré!”

My first night out here in Austin, I found a restaurant named “Cuba Libré” and decided to dine there.  First off, the place was beautiful (which I have come to expect from all hip Austin restaurants).  Second, the menu had an entire page devoted to kinds of rum to make your cuba libré with.  Mmmmm.

Here are some pictures of the bar, menu, and how they serve their cuba librés (an empty glass with ice and lime, a shot of the desired rum, and an old-school glass 8 oz. bottle of coke):