Keeping Austin Weird

Well, I tried. I don’t know if my presence alone was enough to keep it weird, but I tried while I was there this weekend visiting my friend/coworker Summer and her husband, Cole. They, along with their two dogs and two cats, were kind enough to let me stay with them this weekend and showed me a great time around Austin.

I guess what started the idea of the trip was the Barenaked Ladies concert Saturday night at The Backyard, which Summer went to with me. I am being sort of a groupie: I went to Saturday’s concert and will be at their Thursday concert in Chicago, too. (I also wanted to go to their concert in Atlanta last Thursday, but was afraid I wouldn’t make it back to Nashville in time to make my flight to Austin.)

Friday my plane landed about 7 and Summer and Cole picked me up and we went to dinner at Threadgill’s, a neat restaurant with a lot of atmosphere–and armadillos!!!! After dinner we walked around downtown a bit by the capitol.

Ok here’s where I show my stupidity.

I had no freaking idea that Austin was the capital of Texas. Nor did I know that six flags had flown over it, let alone the damn FRENCH flag.

This would turn out to be a very educational trip for me. (I also learned that roadrunners really exist. They’re not just a made up Warner Bros. concoction.)

Saturday brought more exercise than I’ve had in a while–and I loved it!! We took a nice walk near the river on a Greenway-esq trail and got some great pictures. I was amazed at how hilly and green Austin is. I wasn’t expecting full-on desert because Summer had already told me it wasn’t like that until you got farther west, but I don’t think I was expecting the city to be so lush. It was a welcome surprise.

After our hike near the river, we headed up to Mt. Bonnell. That was awesome. Lined with crazy-huge million dollar houses, the view of the river below was spectacular. The trail walked up and down was beautiful, and we saw a couple of people set up to paint the view. (Look for pictures soon on my Web site.)

After leaving Mt. Bonnell, we stopped by Mayfield Park, this little sanctuary with peacocks. Yes, peacocks. You could walk right up and hug them. Well, you could, but I wouldn’t. And didn’t. They kind of freaked me out with their crazy ghetto hairdos. But they were pretty, as was their little habitat.

We stopped for lunch at a place called Guero’s, which Summer and Cole referred to as “Tex Mex” but I’ll be damned if it wasn’t Mexican food to me. I suppose the closer you get to the border the more authentic it gets, but it was better than the Mexican food in Nashville, so I don’t give a damn what you call it. It was freaking delicioso.

The one thing that struck me about Austin was all of the dogs I saw. It must be a very dog-friendly place. People were eating on restaurant patios with their dogs at their feet. Very cool.

The concert Saturday night was freaking AWESOME. We were 25 rows back but dead center, and could pretty much see what we needed to. We stood the entire time. It wasn’t us being assholes to the people around us; EVERYONE stood and rocked out the entire time. It was cold, about 40-something I would say, so I had to put on a nice alcohol blanket to keep myself warm, even with the heavy jacket Summer lent me. Unfortunately, alcohol blankets mean having to, um, break the seal, so I missed a couple minutes of the show. But I made sure to make a beeline for the pisser during a song I wasn’t completely in love with. Good thinking on my part, huh?

After the show we headed home, and the next day before my plane left we headed out to the Salt Lick, a barbeque joint that featured real Texas bbq cuisine. Although I was informed by my gracious hosts that pork bbq is not “real” bbq , I chickened out and decided to go with the pork anyway. I was not disappointed. It was very good, and I like to think I have had my fair share of bbq in the almost 10 years I have spent in the south.

After the Salt Lick Summer and I hit the mall for a minute, and then she dropped me off at the Austin airport. Oh, that was another adventure. Summer and Cole had given me some wonderful salsa and jelly to take back with me, and not thinking I put them in my carry on. Actually, I was thinking: I thought if I packed them in my checked luggage they’d end up broken all over my clothes. Well, apparently salsa and jam count as liquids, aerosols or jells to some folks, because I was stopped in security. After arguing with security about the liquidity of salsa (I don’t know about you, but I don’t DRINK my goddamned salsa), my entire bag was opened and swabbed for, I don’t know, more bomb-making salsa items I suppose. They confiscated my salsa and jelly, and then tried to tell me that no food at all was allowed, as they tried to take my M&Ms. I called bullshit on that one, because I had brought that exact bag with me from Nashville on the plane. They let me go, sans salsa and jelly, though I later found I was missing my bag of spearmint leaves candy, too. Assholes.

All in all it was an excellent trip. Summer and Cole were so nice to let me stay with them and gave me a kick-ass tour of Austin. I’d like to go back and visit again sometime, preferably when it’s a bit warmer so I can take further advantage of the views and outdoor eating establishments.

But I’ll be sure to drink all my fucking salsa before I get on the plane to come home.

Tags: BNL, Barenaked Ladies, Austin