Austin

This weekend, I had the opportunity to enjoy a lot of what the wonderful city of Austin has to offer. Let me start with last Wednesday. Wednesday night, J and I went out for drinks and dinner at Santa Rita off 38th and Lamar. I don't know why, but I tend to forget about this place, despite how much I like it! We got there in time for happy hour and although I might not go as far as to say that they have the best margaritas, I will not deny that fact that they are great. I have never been there and been dissatisfied with my drink. It always tastes fresh and like an actual alcoholic beverage, not malty and sugary. My recommendations for Santa Rita are margaritas on the rocks, light salt and any plate that comes with the soft chicken taco. These tacos are the best! Thursday, after J and I made dinner, we caught a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse, a true Austin original. Although, we didn't have our dinner there (our movie started at 9:55 pm), I did enjoy a perfectly warm cup of chamomile tea. If you haven't experienced the Alamo Drafthouse, do yourself a favor and get your tush there ASAP. It's hard not to like with the convenience of offering food and drinks (alcoholic, too) while you catch a flick. Side note --- I have to mention how I was particularly excited to go on Thursday night since it was the first time in almost a year of dating, that J and I went on a date to the movies. Friday was one of my favorites nights this week, we decided to grab dinner at Central Market. We ordered food from the cafe and found a table on the upstairs outdoor patio. Not only was the weather perfect for enjoying a meal outdoors but there was also a really cool band playing interesting music. The ambiance of the whole place was so relaxed and perfect. People of all different shapes and sizes all enjoying the lovely weather and delicious food. Some were just drinking while others were dancing to the beats of the music. I loved every minute of the simplicity. After Central Market, we went out with our friends to Brown Bar, where we enjoyed some of their signiture martinis. I had The Hipster, which is unfortuantely being taken off the menu but let me tell you about it anyway. It's made with Ciroq vodka, St. Germaine, cucumber, & red pepper. I'm sad to see it go off the menu. Saturday was a relaxing day all around. Despite having to do some work during the day, I was still able to enjoy quality time with my favorite boy. We made dinner, then headed out to catch the Yellowcard concert at Stubb's. Although, they were not the headliner, they were still great! Their show did not start until 8:30 pm and we arrived at 6:30pm. So after we got our wristbands, we crossed the street and wen to one of our favorite bars, Valhalla. This dive-bar treasure is awesome because it offers great drinks, arcade games, shuffleboard, and above all, an amazing air-hockey table. I had never been able to beat J at air-hockey here but Saturday, I claimed 3 victories out of 4 games. Since then, I have taken full advantage of bragging rights. After a "Combination" drink (doing a shot then following it up with a complimentary beer) and yet another shot, we headed back to Stubb's. After aggressively pushing our way to a satisfactory position in the crowd, Yellowcard came on stage and put on a very fun and energetic show. We sang at the top of our lungs, jumped up and down with the crowd, and pretty much shared sweat with everydone within a 10 feet radius. Needless to say, it was crowded, hot, sweaty, and gross. My suggested solution? To jump in the pool when we got back to the apartment. Luckily, I have a fun boy in my life that agrees to go along with my absurd, obviously not particularly smart plans. So after the show, we got back to the apartment around 11 pm (no sun out) and ran to the pool like children. I apparently had an untrustworthy, devious smirk on my face that made J weary of my intentions. He 1) did not think I would actually jump in 2) thought I would push him in. He was wrong. I counted to 3 and jumped in but unfortunately, alone. He didn't jump! You can imagine how I felt when I was in the freezing water alone and he was laughing. He eventually jumped in also but neither of us lasted more than 30 seconds in the pool but it was nonetheless fun. Finally, this morning (Sunday), we had brunch at Russell's Bistro off of 38th and Kerbey Lane. This place rocked! I ordered an omlette with spinach, artichoke, cheese, and pico de gallo. It was served with a delicious, homemade croissant, a cup of fresh fruit, and rosemary potatoes. J ordered the Vox omlette with the same sides as mine. Not only was the food great but they serve a Russell's brew of Anderson's Coffee. The meal was splendid. We enjoyed our meal out on the patio and enjoyed the beautiful Sunday morning weather. Moral of the story, I am very thankful that my days are filled with much happiness.

Monday Night Out

When one thinks of "date night," Monday is not the first day you think of. Surprisingly though, Jacob and I had plenty of food and drink options and ultimately, had a wonderful time. Last night was "date night" because we went to the Jimmy Eat World concert at La Zona Rosa -- more on my thoughts of this place later. For now let's go in chronological order.

We were downtown by 6:15 pm and we struggled to find parking then. It seems no matter what time or day you attempt to search for free street parking anywhere downtown, it's very rare to be successful. Finally, we were fortunate enough to find a descent parking spot within walking distance of our destinations. The weather was perfect and made for a great night of taking walks, so even if we'd parked far away, it would have been ok. Our first stop of the night was 219 West....

I really like the vibe at 219 West and it has happy hour all day Monday! This means $5-$8 drinks and 1/2 price appetizers. It's definitely a great deal. They offer a wide variety of drinks that cater to many different taste buds. I like to get the Georgia Peach, a delicious, not too sweet specialty martini. Last night, however, I decided to try something new and went with the Elixir - Stoli Strasberi, lime, and Red Bull. I like Red Bull but even for someone who might not, I would still recommend it. None of the tastes are overpowering -- a very balanced drink. As for an appetizer, we ordered tilapia nachos and sweet & sour chicken lettuce wraps. Both were great but I preferred the nachos, I will definitely get them again. Another suggestion is to get the calamari, it my favorite appetizer there!

Our next stop was La Zona Rosa but when we got there we realized JEW was not performing until 10, and it was only 8 pm. So as anyone would do, we got our hands stamped by the VERY NICE AND COURTEOUS door men (I was honestly impressed), and headed to another favorite bar, Peche. Peche is located off 4th and Lavaca and is a place I really like mainly because of the decor, knowledgable & nice bartenders, and killer drinks. Best part about Peche was that they also have happy hour all day Monday AND Sunday. This is a great place for anyone who likes absinthe, it's their specialty to work with it and offer a great variety of cocktails. I've had it there and the presentation of preparing your drink is really fun but abstinthe isn't necessarily my cup of tea. At Peche, I like to get either the French 75 or 77. Last time there we ordered an appetizer and we were completely unimpressed. It was the tiniest thing ever and not very good. But for drinks, this place is wonderful!

Finally we made it back to La Zona Rosa just in time for Jimmy Eat World. They were great and honestly, I had forgotten how much I like them. It took me back to middle school/high school. I'm usually hestitant of indoor concert venues because sometime the acoustics of the place can really ruin a good musical experience. But this place was great! It felt like a concert but I didn't leave feeling like I should go see an audiologist. The crowd was great, the place not too messy, and it was a quick efficient exit process after the show.

Very content with my Monday. Great drinks, food, and music all within a few blocks of each other. I wish every Monday was like last night!

Big budget

It's been almost an entire year since I have loaded a post - pathetic. Next order of business: life. Life has definitely taken some significant but very pleasant turns. Nothing to complain about and much to be thankful for. But enough with the sappy, boring updates, let me cut to the chase.

Title of tonight's post: Big budget.

I don't know what the experience was like for the general population but for me, the memories I have from my elementary school plays involve a lot of handmade costumes, obviously-made-from-household products props, and embarrasing 90's bangs. Basically, humble little performances in our school gym. Tonight, however, I attended a local school play/musical. It is the third one the school has put on and I've been to all three. All three were fabulous. Fabulous scenery, creativity, costumes, auditorium, lighting, everything. The kids that have the opportunity to perform in such an environment are so incredibly fortunate and I really hope they make the best out of it. They are very lucky to have the support, resources, and above all, BIG BUDGET, to do what they get to do.

Those are my 2 cents for the night, I'm tired. It's been a very busy, long, stressful, running around all over town, kind of week. Alas, I'm going to bed after my 15 hour work day. Sleeping in tomorrow, spending my morning/afternoon with my favorite boy, having dinner with my soul brother, and doing my best to enjoy my time with people I love.

It's Raining Men!

”God bless Mother Nature, she's a single woman too/She took off to heaven and she did what she had to do/She taught every angel to rearrange the sky/So that each and every woman could find her perfect guy/It's Raining Men! Hallelujah! - It's Raining Men! Amen!/ It's Raining Men! Hallelujah!/It's Raining Men! Ame---------nnnn!/ I feel stormy weather / Moving in about to begin/Hear the thunder / Don't you lose your head/ Rip off the roof and stay in bed.” -"It's Raining Men" by The Weather Girls

Isn’t this any heterosexual woman’s fantasy? I dare say it might be mine. I happen to think it would be pretty fantastic if the perfect man “rained” from heaven and onto my bed. Mine would be an intelligent one with a strong defined jaw line, pretty teeth, and ambition. It also wouldn’t hurt if he was thoughtful, energetic, hardworking, and had knowledge of the “sidewalk rule.” And since I’m not into the mushy, lets always be holding hands- must see you everyday-lets agree on everything- needy behavior, I want a man with a strong sense of who he is as an individual without the arrogant attitude. Not to mention, I would need him to also respect the fact that I am a slight workaholic, sometimes temperamental, clean freak, loud person who loves to sing along to oldies. That isn’t too much to ask for, is it?
Creating this checklist was simple but what about reality? I’m not even confident whether this “perfect” man even exists! But I am okay with that because quite frankly, I don’t want him to fit my checklist. The concept of raining men is not a realistic one and neither is finding a man who fits my specific minimum requirements. The right man will be someone who will continually surprise me with his spunk and even more great qualities than what I originally hoped for and maybe didn’t know I wanted. Otherwise, I would be completely bored with him and then what would I do! I need a man who won’t be afraid to oppose me, challenge me, drive me crazy but also whole heartedly and unconditionally love me the same way I know I will love him.

Wow, I seriously need to do a better job of keeping up with my blog. I considered getting rid of it all together but as I read back on previous posts, I realized how much fun it is to read about the "stressful" things I was worrying about and seeing now that they worked out just fine.
Currently, it is the week of Thanksgiving and I did not have class today or for the rest of the week, yay! You would think I was at home already but I made myself stick around Austin until tomorrow with the intention of using all of today (Tuesday) to do all of my school work due next week so that I could go home and actually relax. Did that happen? NOPE. Don't get me wrong I was very productive, just not necessarily in the area of academics.
I woke up, made a delicious breakfast (scrambled eggs w/potato and toast), cleaned my room, checked/returned e-mails, went to B & BW where I bought soap for my Grandma, Aunt, and Mom, went to the mall and bought 2 cute Thanksgiving outfits, did laundry, and now I have finally settled down and started one of my 5 big assignments.
I tried to start early in the day but throughout the years I have realized that it is very hard for me to sit down and do work during the day time. My most productive hours are clearly from 9 pm - 2 am so here I am taking a quick break from my school work...again. Before this I was busy "Googling" myself. I do this to check my status on the search engine because my goal is to be the first option on the list for something good I did/or am doing. As of right now, I am the SECOND one and that is only because of my Twitter account, which to me doesn't count, lol. Anyway, enough about my Google frustrations, I should head back to the land of paper writing, test studying, homework, writing reviews, research, and fun.
Hopefully my next entry won't be too far in the future :)

SPOONFUL OF THE WEEK

ABBA song that I really take comfort in and as corny as it sounds, injects a bit of inspiration into me everytime I listen to it. Enjoy :)

I HAVE A DREAM
--ABBA

I have a dream, a song to sing
To help me cope with anything
If you see the wonder of a fairy tale
You can take the future even if you fail
I believe in angels --Something good in everything I see
I believe in angels --When I know the time is right for me
Ill cross the stream - I have a dream

I have a dream, a fantasy
To help me through reality
And my destination makes it worth the while
Pushing through the darkness still another mile
I believe in angels --Something good in everything I see
I believe in angels --When I know the time is right for me
Ill cross the stream - I have a dream
Ill cross the stream - I have a dream

I have a dream, a song to sing
To help me cope with anything
If you see the wonder of a fairy tale
You can take the future even if you fail
I believe in angels -- Something good in everything I see
I believe in angels -- When I know the time is right for me
Ill cross the stream - I have a dream
Ill cross the stream - I have a dream

LONG TIME GONE

It has definitely been too long since the last time I have posted! It's been on my to-do list but somehow I haven't quite gotten around to putting the check mark next to my note. So today, since I have been on a productive roll, I decided that even if it's a short post, I will post. So here I am, typing away at one of the computers at the Life Science library in the Tower, honestly one of my favorite places on campus and one that I am sure to miss once I am forced to graduate :( The stress of moving out of Quarters, into Kelley's old apartment @Grooms for 11 days, & moving into the new apartment all while trying to juggle finals, work, and some self imposed volunteering obligations, my life, was needless to say a bit hectic. But finally, I settled into the new place, got an A in my last Spanish course, met a funny little girl while volunteering, and I have officially started my final semester as a student of the University of Texas at Austin. Very bitter, sweet feeling. But the good news is, that I will still be in Austin until next July, so it's not completely over :)