Fabulous Flamingos

One of my favorite sights in Austin are the fabulous pink Flamingos on Bee Caves Road. They are very fun and festive and I crack a smile everytime I see them. How could you not? Here is the story of how they came to be:

Austin's famous flock of flamingoes has been brightening the intersection at Highway 360 and Bee Caves Road since 1989. The colorful gathering began when Pots and Plants owner Pat Swanson placed two birds on the grassy slope in front of his place and sold them before he could even get back inside. So more flamingoes were put out, followed by others, then still more…
When he was through, Pat had turned ordinary yard art into an Austin landmark.

Most people who drive past appreciate the sheer whimsy of the scene. Even President Bill Clinton had to buy a pair of birds when he was in town. However, there was a point in time when these faux flamingoes were an endangered species.

It could be said that the first battle to keep Austin Weird was fought over those gloriously goofy birds. It seems that at one point the "Fathers of Westlake" considered the birds a blight on the upscale community and sought to have them removed. Other Westlakers were up in arms over the prospect of losing the flock. The battle drew correspondents from AP, UPI, CNN and NPR, and even Jay Leno joked about the brouhaha on the Tonight Show. In the end, the pro-flamingo crowd won and the Pots and Plants lawn became a sanctuary for the beloved birds, reminding us that free spirits still prevail in Austin.

Bad Hair Days

Poor Mogs. Everyday is a bad hair day. After being back in Austin for the weekend, the land of humidity and frizz, I feel for him. Really, I do.

Dilemma

To Eat or Not To Eat...probably Munch's biggest and toughest decision of the day. That green fruit probably looks pretty irresistible to him, but at this point, even Munch knows that sooner or later it would likely end up as a pile of puke on the floor, one he will undoubtedly force himself to re-ingest.

Watch Out

WARNING: This picture is an accurate representation of what a person looks like when they have had about 12 TOO MANY vodka tonics. Its not pretty folks.

Who Needs a Plan?

Well, much to my surprise and Garrett's relief, we made it to and from Austin with absolutely no problems. The Buddy Passes worked like a charm. Garrett and I even got to sit next to each other on all 4 flights, which I was not expecting. AND, I got my new camera in time for the trip, yippee! Fedex delivered it around 7 pm Wednesday night...talk about waiting 'till the last minute.

We arrived in Austin Thursday around 6ish. Garrett's brother Wes picked us up from the airport and we went to Maudie's for dinner. I was pretty excited to get some real Tex-Mex and a REAL margarita. It was just like old times.

Chicken Fajitas for 2

Friday was a busy day. Garrett and I got up, checked out the new Galleria Mall in Bee Caves (I wasn't terribly impressed, I must say), took a boat out on Lake Travis with Brad, went to a rehearsal dinner at Z'Tejas in downtown Austin, followed by a drousy and tiring bar hop. I think I would have lasted slightly longer had I not been downing beer on the lake just hours earlier. Just a thought.

Lake Travis

Me and Garrett

Brad, Me and Garrett

Sunning

The Boat Captain...hot farmer's tan babe!

Brad

Me and my hubby at Z'Tejas

Garrett, me, Ann(the bride to be), Brad and Teel

Brad in his short pants

Brad and Teel

Saturday morning Garrett and I got up at the crack of dawn (actually, earlier than that) with very little sleep and drove to Bob's house for a little water skiing. I didn't actually ski but it was fun to watch Garrett.

We hung out at Bob's for a little while and then I finally got to go to Hula Hut for lunch. The palm tree hugger nachos were everything I remembered. I told myself I wouldn't drink until the wedding, but Garrett and I both agreed it was almost sacreligious to eat at Hula Hut and not get a SWIRL. After lunch, we headed back to the house for a much needed nap.

Welcome to Hula Hut...my all time favorite restaurant

Tubular Taco

Palm tree hugger Nachos

Then we were off to the wedding and reception. It was a lot of fun, too much fun. I drank entirely too many vodka tonics. This is what happens when there is an open bar, absolutely no self control. 3 hours after we got home from the wedding, it was back to the airport to begin our journey home.

Megan, Ty, Ann, Howard, Brad, Me and Garrett

Me and Brad

Us Again

Today, I am tired. Shocking.

Status

We still don't know if we're going to Austin. This whole situation is becoming a little too spontaneous for me. I love a good plan.

I still don't have my freakin' camera. I'm going to go home during the time fedex estimates he will be there so we'll see what happens. I'm sure it will be a huge waste of my time as usual. If the driver does come, I'm going to have to try really hard not to punch him in the face for causing me so much stress...after I get the box of course.

I have officially become white trash and bought an A.C. window unit and do you know what, I don't care. It allows me and Munch to get a good nights sleep...Garrett can sleep through just about anything, even lying in a pool of his very own sweat. The window unit rocks!!! Seriously. I feel dumb for not buying one sooner.

What Not to Eat

Last Friday, Garrett and I decided we would wake up Saturday morning, drive to Ogden and pre-ride the Xterra race loop. I was feeling very motivated to ride, really wanting to feel strong and confident about the bike stage come race day. Well, due to Fedex and their lousy scheduling (I'll post about this later), we didn't leave the house until 11ish. I knew we would be hungry so I made us some chicken salad sandwiches to eat on the way. While this is normally a staple in my house, I had never eaten one before riding my bike. AND I WILL NEVER EAT ONE AGAIN. Uggghhh. I felt so awful the entire ride. It should have been a piece of cake for me, moderate climbing, nothing too technical, but NO, I felt like crap. The combination of the intense heat and mayo in my stomach was enough for me to puke, literally. I did once but thought I was going to the entire ride. I did manage to finish the ride, barely, even though Garrett suggested turning around about 50 times. The scenery was beautiful and the trail was in great shape. I just wished I could have enjoyed it more. I'm blaming this whole situation on Fedex. I hate them by the way.

Why would I hate Fedex? They make my brain bleed, really they do. Here is how it started. I ordered a camera, a compact camera, one I could take with me everywhere I went. We would be best friends forever. It was supposed to come on Friday...that's what the tracking information said. AND, as luck would have it, I am off 1/2 days on Fridays so I would be home to accept the package. Woohoo! So I waited, and waited and Garrett came home and then we waited and waited. Finally at about 6, Garrett checked the tracking information again and blah, the date had been rescheduled for Saturday. I was pretty bummed, but oh well. So we waited around Saturday morning as long as we possibly could (by the way Saturday turned out for me, I wish we would have just waited longer) and no signs of Fedex. I left a note on the door when we left to please leave the package by the back door, per usual. Well we got home from riding and there was no package, just a stupid note on the door that read "Signature required - In Person." Well that's just great isn't it. I was sorta fuming, I had been waiting for my camera all week and now I would not have it for the weekend. So I called Fedex to see where I could go pick up my package. This is the part where I became extremely frustrated. The customer service guy informed me that I cannot pick up my package until the delivery driver has made 3 attempts...my package sits on his truck at his residence!!!!! Oh and they do not deliver on Mondays??? So, lets do the math. Tuesday will be another delivery attempt, one I will not be home for b/c GOOD GOD, I have to work. Wednesday will be attempt 3, again, which I will not be getting. Thursday morning, if things work out, we leave for Austin. So, that equals me, on vacation, no camera. I'm pretty worked up about this, if you couldn't tell. Fedex sucks and I hope to never use them again. Tell your friends.

Is it Friday Yet?

This is going to be a super random post, please be forewarned.

This has been a long week for me. Garrett has been super busy at work, working late and arriving to work at a time when usually our alarm clock hasn't even gone off. Just when I think I have fallen back to sleep, the sound of his diesel truck starts and its all over. Not that I'm complaining. This job of his has been a relief to me, no traveling to China makes me a happy wife. I'll wake up whenever he needs to, make him coffee even, if it means he is coming home later that night. Oh how would it be to work from home? I need to figure out how to make that happen.


So, next week we might be heading to good ole' Austin, Texas. Garrett's friend from highschool is getting married, but I must say, that is not the real reason we want to go. A couple friends are coming into town for the wedding so we think it would just be an excuse to go there, hang out and most certainly eat some Hula Hut nachos. I think it might be fun. Why am I underlining might? Well because we're still not sure if we'll be going. IF we go, we'll be flying on Southwest Airline's version of Buddy passes so we'll only go to the airport if things are looking good. I've always said I will never rely on those things, but here I am, relying. Do you see how much I love and trust my husband, me going against something I feel very strongly about. So, for his sake, I hope we don't get stranded in Phoenix, Arizona. Happy wife will quickly turn into Angry, frustrated wife. AND no one wants to hang out with her.

There is this adorable boutique in the 9th and 9th area, Koo DE Kur, which is surprisingly reasonable for boutique clothes. I have gone in several times now and have found tons of stuff I LOVE, but never buy anything. WHY? Because they only have Large and X Large in everything cute. It drives me nuts. The girls that work there say that the smalls and extra smalls go fast and I'm all, I don't know, if this was my business I might just order more of the small sizes since they are completely sold out of all of them all the time and the big sizes just sit in the store, eventually making their way to the sale racks. But what do I know? ARGHHHHH.

Last night, since Garrett had to work late, I had a chance to clean the house. It feels good going into the weekend knowing its already done. I don't have to devote one single second of my weekend dusting, scrubbing a toilet, cleaning the stove, etc. I'm not going to say sweeping only b/c that is a daily chore of mine, especially since I STILL have bright white tile and 3 very messy boys in my life. When we do decide to have a baby, please God give me a girl. Don't even get me started on the tile. Sore subject.

So I Finally ordered a small camera, one I can easily haul around everywhere I go...its supposed to arrive today. Usually, I attempt to haul around my giant SLR, but sometimes its such a pain in the ass. Especially if you want someone else to snap a picture with it...most are completely dumbfounded you actually have to look through a viewfinder and then its almost impossible to explain how to take the pic so usually, I don't even bother with the whole process. Anyway, we did lots of research and picked the Canon SD870. I think its going to be a great little camera and I can't wait to start using it this weekend.

Can I just say I'm so happy its Friday.

Being Difficult

This picture is an accurate representation of how things play out in my house. Mogley is happy and obedient, always willing to please. Munch, on the other hand, does what he wants. If I want him to look left, he looks right. If I want him to come to me, he usually heads for the other room. Quite the pair those two.

Bottle Opener

Carlyn brought me back this bottle opener from her European adventure. I really don't know that much about it other than its simple AWESOMENESS. This picture really doesn't do it justice, the details of the glass are stunning up close. We decided to hang it on our magnetic knife rack so everyone can see it...it's much too pretty to be shoved in some utensil drawer.

The Family Feast

Why is it that whenever people have "get togethers" there is always a massive amount of food consumed? This is especially true for families. Think about it. How many times do you do something with your extended family that doesn't involve stuffing your face? I can hardly think of any instances. Holidays are usually centered around food, sometimes breakfast, lunch and dinner. We should be out enjoying our time off work having fun, not consuming calorie after calorie. Why can't we plan hikes or bike rides or any other excursion? I'm not placing the blame on anyone here. I am as much to blame as anyone else, its been ingrained in my brain that eating is the acceptable thing to do for social gatherings. I mean, I can't even go snowshoeing for a couple of hours without planning the lunch and packing a sandwich for everyone in attendance. If I go to anyone's house, I'm insistent on bringing a side or appetizer. It's ridiculous really that we have nothing better to do than sit around and eat. It doesn't matter how delicious and tasty that appetizer or dessert was, by the next day, it will be long forgotten and remembered as just another meal.

Total Immersion

Garrett and I have been working on the Total Immersion technique for swimming. I'm doing it to train for my first Xterra Triathlon and Garrett is training to not drown in the pool. After hearing really good things about it, a friend let me borrow the instructional video. Total Immersion claims to be the new way of swimming, especially for triathletes. The main focuses are balance, active streamlining, rhythmic weight shifts and traction. The point is to be a more efficient swimmer and to conserve energy while swimming long distances. I was skeptical at first, but I really feel its making a huge difference for us. I am swimming for longer periods of time and feeling less tired so I think its really going to help me out for my race coming up in August. Garrett is really benefitting from the drills, he's sinking less and has become more efficient with his breathing. If anyone is interested, let me know. I may know where you could get a copy:)

Lazy Days

There They Go

Here They Come

If this isn't the definition of lazy, I don't know what is.

The Roots

Today I am tired. I didn't get my usual 9 hours of sleep last night, but do you know what, I don't really even care.

We went with our neighbors to the first Twilight Concert of the summer. These FREE concerts are held every Thursday night at the Gallivan Center in Downtown Salt Lake. I wasn't quite sure what to expect but we ended up having a great time. The weather was perfect for an outdoor concert and The Roots sounded pretty good, only sounded b/c I never actually saw them due to the enormous crowds, crowds so thick you had to push your way through. Usually I would be complaining about such things, but no, not yesterday, I welcomed the crowd and didn't panic once (probably b/c I was holding Garrett's hand for most of the night so we wouldn't get separated). The people watching there was phenomenal, it was like I was back in Austin for the night. There were men dancing in dresses, people with dreads and granola gear, BLACK people, drunk people, stoned people, people just having a good time, and all those girls that are dressed somewhere in between prom queen and prostitute. I love those girls. Those girls are my heroes. I mean, you got to hand it to them. They willingly go to a concert they will undoubtedly have to walk many many blocks to get to, stand for about 3 hours for the concert and they do it all in stiletto heels. Awesome, totally awesome. Anyway, I have lived in Salt Lake for nearly 3 years now and I was amazed with all the culture The Roots brought out. Where do these people live? Where do they normally hang out? Its perplexing really because on a day to day basis, this place is generally lacking of all things cultural. And don't say I'm hanging out at the wrong places...until you have lived somewhere else, Utah people will never fully understand what they're missing.

State Champion

So, this past Saturday was the Chris Allaire Memorial Utah Open State Championship (Wow, long title). This race is always held at the Solitude Ski Resort, which, terrain aside, is tough due to the altitude. BUT the terrain is actually one of the hardest races we have. The race starts with a grueling road climb all the way to the top of the Ski Resort. This is followed by a super sketchy and technical downhill all the way back to the bottom. Then, once you have made it to the bottom, you do it all over again only this time its not a grueling road, its a grueling, rooty singletrack back up the mountain. This race really gives me appreciation for my full suspension, b/c even with it, I still feel like a human jackhammer on the way down. Well, even with 2 crashes and my inability to catch my breath, I managed to pull a win. I was able to take the lead in the beginning and managed to keep it for the entire race. Despite my lousy attitude about the Solitude race in general, I felt really strong and confident on my bike. Its nice to win, especially if you get a super awesome metal and not a blue ribbon straight from Dollar Tree. Garrett took 6th which is really great too. Those kind of races are hard for him, the long steep climbs really take it out of him. That being said, he has a really competitive category and I was super proud of him.

Upside Down Mogley

I'm always posting pics of upside down Munchie so I figured it was only fair to post one of Mogs. There is a big difference between the 2 upside down puppies...upside down Munchie makes me laugh because he looks completely ridiculous, very much resembling Gizmo the Mogwai. Upside down Mogley kinda looks like a stuffed bunny, those tired, worn out bunnies you see toddlers dragging around everywhere they go.

Injury of the Week

I would like to thank all of these wonderful and delicious beers on tap for the 2nd degree burn I now have on my leg...well that and really wanting a shaved ice snowcone via scooter. Its probably better if you don't even ask.

Inspired

No, I am not the biggest PATRIOT on my street...these guys win the blue ribbon for sure.

Fireworks

4th of July. I used to love this holiday because it was a great excuse to party, watch fireworks and wear everything I owned in all shades of red, white and blue. Now, I love this holiday for 2 reasons, and 2 reasons only. I have the day off work, PAID and I can now make my dogs wear the obnoxious color combinations. Aren't I quite the patriot?

Pull My Hair Out

Today is supposed to be a happy day. I only have to work half a day and tomorrow is a holiday. I should be celebrating. Instead, I am fuming inside...so worked up with the stupid cable company I can hardly stand it. Here I am, a good pay-on-time customer. I don't ask for much, just that my freakin cable and internet are there, in good working order, when I need them. Simple, really. Well apparently, my good customer status doesn't get me shit. I haven't had internet or cable in 3 days due to their negligence, not mine. Well guess who gets put out...you guessed it, ME! They have to send out a technician if I want my internet/cable fixed and I have to be there, and my favorite part is they give you a 4 HOUR TIME SLOT. I think that is so completely ridiculous. So, on my half day off, I get to sit my ass at home waiting for the comcast bastards to show up. Doesn't that sound peachy?

Finally

Zazoosh, my personal event photographer, finally posted pics from the MS150 this past weekend so I will finally write about it. This was our 3rd year to participate, well ride the ride anyway. I'm not really sure you would call what we did participating. Here is the story of how our plans digressed. First, we were going to go down Friday morning to set up camp, have dinner with the team, wake up, eat breakfast, take team picture, ride 100 miles on Saturday followed by dinner with the team and then ride 75 miles on Sunday (this was our itenerary for the past 2 years). We then learned Garrett's friend from college was going to be in town that very same weekend, staying with us in fact, so we opted to change the plans a bit. We would go down Friday night, do all the events with the team, and then leave after the 100 miles on Saturday. Well, Friday comes along and Garrett and I both decide we would rather not pack all our crap for just one night so we decide to skip dinner with the team and get up at the crack of dawn to be in Logan well before the start (7:00 am) so we can register and have some breakfast. Well, I should have known better. My husband drives like a Grandpa...a grandpa with absolutely nowhere to be so needless to say, it took us a little longer to get there than I planned for. No big deal, right? We could still register and have something to eat, just start a little late. So we FINALLY made it and registered. While Garrett was putting our numbers on our bikes, I walked over to grab us some breakfast from the Continental Breakfast Buffet. I get there and don't see any food on the tables and I ask the girl standing there if they were closed b/c the flyer says breakfast is over at 8:00 am and it was only 7:15 am. She looks at me and says NO, we're not closed there just isn't anything left and I'm all, so you're saying its closed? I stomped back to Garrett less than thrilled mubling something about that's what happens when a bunch of overweight people get their hands on an all you can eat buffet...I mean, the MS150 knows how many people they are feeding so it leads me to believe someone was stuffing their jersey with extra pop tarts and muffins, leaving people like me hopped up on coffee with nothing in my stomach. What a nice way to start a 100 mile ride. Anyway, we started about 7:30. The first hour of these type of rides are horribly stressful for me. You're on small little roads, passing people on anything from Grandma's 1960 mountain bike to recumbents, people are riding like maniacs...not looking before they get over, swerving...those guys who think they are badasses, blowing by people on their time trial bikes during a CHARITY event ride and my favorite part, the country people that live around Logan, pissed that they can't get by these 4,000 people on bicycles, I mean, who rides a bicycle when you have a jacked up pickup truck with tires bigger than me and an exhaust that sounds like a small airplane and usually a bumper sticker that says something like "Got Balls" or "Powerstroke This." So, after a couple near heart attacks, things started to mellow out and Garrett and I were able to power through the 100 miles at a pretty nice pace. We made it back to the car by about 1:00 and headed home. 100 miles on a bike is good training, but man it wears you out. Riding a century gives me the same kind of satisfaction as popping a zit...it sucks while you're doing it but it feels oh so good and relieving afterwards. Have a nice lunch everyone!!

Doggie in the Window

Munch used to always park his butt on our kitchen window seat. He was a neighborhood fixture. Garrett and I were referred to around the neighborhood as the people with the cute little white dog in the window. Even on the street view for Google Maps, there is my Munchie. Then one day, he stopped. I don't know if he hurt himself trying to jump up there or what, but he decided the couch was a better place to lounge. Well, we've been leaving the Doodle out here and there, seeing if he can be trusted out of his cage. Everytime the Doodle is loose, Munch goes back to his old ways of window sill surfing. I'd like to think he's anxiously awaiting my arrival, so much so he has to be constantly scanning the driveway for the exact minute I hit the pavement. Sadly, I think I know his real intention. I'm sure he just needs a break from the flying shark that is constantly hanging from his neck. I guess I don't blame him. That might get old.