Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Road Trip!

It's 60 degrees. So WHY AM I SO COLD?
This is insanity.

Dallas was fun. As promised, pictures and details:

We left at about 7:30 am. Still dark. I think we are both total rockstars for getting up and on the road that early on a Saturday.
We stopped at Whataburger for breakfast. I'm not usually a fast-food person, but I've heard that they have the best breakfast sandwiches you could ask for, and it was pretty damn good. Plus I love those little fried hash brown things you can get.

greasy deliciousness

It's a loooong drive from Austin to Dallas. Long and flat and... that's about it. I looked at the map and discovered that we would be driving past Italy, Texas. We decided we really must stop in Italy. So, we pulled off the freeway, and immediately discovered this:
It's a UFO!!!

So of course we stopped and looked around. Turns out, the Pegasus is for rent or sale. It used to be an arcade/ice cream shop/mini golf course. I want to buy it. Too bad it's in the middle of nowhere.


Side view of the Starship Pegasus

Road trips were invented for this shit.


To infinity.... and Beyond!


Aliens! Or, bored teenagers?



After that brilliant discovery, we drove into Italy, Texas. The only thing Italy, Texas has going for it is the name. Also they apparently once had a good boys basketball team.

1997? 1987? Who knows?

The rest of the town looks like this:

Italy, Texas. Nothing happens here.
Why are there so many cities with names like this in Texas? I know there's also Odessa... people missing home back when Texas was being settled?


Onward we moved. We made it to Dallas at about 11 and went to the Farmer's Market.


Yeah, that's me and a tractor.


Pretty produce
Okra. Very pretty. Not very tasty.

Talleri bought corn. Yum.

I want to live this farmers market. I realize this is an unrealistic dream, but a person has to have dreams.

After the farmer's market, we went to the Dallas Children's Theater and got a tour from one of the staff members. They have been in the building for about 4 years, so it is really neat to see such a new space. We then got to see the show, Lily's Purple Plastic Purse.

...SCT is so amazing, it's really hard to see Children's Theater anywhere else and not judge it very harshly. I know the script is great, Kevin Kling, who also wrote Busytown, (and who I think is an amazing genius and is how I daydream my Minnesota family to be) wrote it a few years ago, and it premiered at SCT. So the potential for awesomness is there. However, I was disappointed. (Sadly though, not entirely surprised.)

After the play, we went to Cafe Brazil, which I had been told was not to be missed. We stuffed ourselves silly with delicious food, then drove around until we found the Dallas Theater Center, where I have applied for a job (which I hope to have news on this week.)

The DTC building was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright

As it was Saturday, there was a matinee of the current show, so we walked around a bit. The theater is right next to Robert E. Lee Park. Yeah. Welcome to Texas.
The park has a creek running through it, and turtles live there. Very neat.
Turtle!!!

We picked up a bunch of literature on the new Dallas Center for the Performing Arts being built in Dallas while at DTC, and decided to go check it out. The Dallas Theater Center, the opera, and several other performing arts groups will be moving there when it is completed in October 2009.
It's a pretty freaking big deal.

The building in process.

I had been looking on Craiglist at apartments in Dallas, and found some cute affordable ones in The Bishop Arts District, so that was our next stop.
What a freaking adorable neighborhood! Had I thought to Google it beforehand, I would have known what to expect, but as it was, I was pleasantly surprised. Obama signs could be found in many front lawns. The little shopping area is full of cute boutiques, restaurants with delicious smells, and quirky little shops like The Soda Gallery, a store full of every kind of soda you could imagine. In addition to soda, the store also housed a comic book shop. I had never been in a comic shop before, and I think that's probably a good thing. They have Shaun of the Dead comics! And then there was an action figure and the guy and I talked about Simon Pegg and he told me the name of his business was Boomstick Comics and I loved it all. So, if (and it's still a big IF) I do move to Dallas, I have found where I would want to live.

Now I have Simon Pegg in my bedroom!

Then began the drive home. Our one stop was at The Czech Stop, a Czech themed convenience store in West, Texas. I purchased two Kolaches,* an energy drink, and a ridiculous straw cowboy hat that says "TEXAS."

The End

*Kolaches are very big here. They are delicious in that greasy weird way, and I can't quite figure out why they don't exist in Washington.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Today we took the kiddos to the "Pumpkin Patch" at the YMCA. It was really fun, they were suprisingly well-behaved, and the weather was beautiful (only 73 degrees!)
Tomorrow, my friend Talleri and I are driving to Dallas to check it out. Neither of us have been there before, so it will be an adventure. I'm trying to find some cool things to do that aren't a lot of money, we will be hitting up a show at the Dallas Children's Theatre (Talleri has a connection) and going to the Dallas Farmer's Market, and who knows what else. I'm excited.
Pictures and a somewhat detailed post about the adventure to come.
Love you all!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

It's supposed to be 79 degrees today.
This is not what October is supposed to be like. I'm confused.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Blog post - now with pictures!

So the horrifying heat of the not-so-distant past has it's benefits:
It's mid-October and I'm wearing a tank top, driving around with my windows down.
Nothing quite beats driving around with all the windows down.

Went to the City Wide Garage Sale today. It was fun, I got a "new" bedspread and spent a lot of time wishing I could afford amazing antique turquoise jewelry.
Pretty New Vintage Bedspread


I really want to carve pumpkins and get into the "Halloween spirit" but it seems far too warm for that. Tomorrow I'm going to see if Target has any of their amazing stuff on sale yet. My friend Kate told me about this website that has Obama pumpkin patterns. Amazing! I want to make one like this:
OBAMA!!!

Friday I had my second phone interview with the Dallas Theater Center. I think it went really well, the opportunity is pretty amazing - running the teen programs already in place and creating new ones. I'm thinking about driving up to Dallas next weekend to see what it's like, as I have absolutely no idea.

The weather is so lovely that I opened a bunch of windows in the house today. As I opened one of my bedroom windows, I noticed another bug of GIANT proportions hanging out on my screen. I tried to get a decent picture of it - I still have no idea what it was.




I decided to treat myself to a steak dinner tonight. We made potato stamps at school last week and I had a leftover potato, which inspired me to do the whole classic "steak and potato dinner thing." It was pretty good, but I've now added a cast iron skillet to my list of things-I-need-to-buy.



I was planning on going to Maker Faire tomorrow, because it sounds awesome and fun and ridiculous. However, I have now discovered that it costs $25 to get in. So I will probably not be going to Maker Faire tomorrow, which is kind of a bummer. I'm a little confused by the fact that an event centered around the DIY movement and basically being frugal costs that much money. I guess that goes to show how much I know about the world.

I'm still thinking I really want to be a children's librarian, and it looks like UW has a good program. I don't hear good things about the program here at UT, so that's kind of a dissapointment. (apparently it recieves a majority of it's funding from Dell, which is centered here, so the whole College of Information is very Dell/Microsoft-centric and not so much about the books.)
Basically I think I'm just not ready to apply to Grad School yet. It's a really big step, and if I'm this unsure about what I want to do, I think I just shouldn't do anything yet.

I'm thinking about moving back home when my lease is up (mid-December). It would suck, and I would feel like I was giving up, but it might be the best thing. I'm feeling very lost here, with nothing to ground me. At least back in WA I would have family, friends, and familiar surroundings to keep me from blowing away. I'm not making any decisions right now, but I am keeping the option open. That was a big reason I took this room in the first place - to give myself an out in December if I decided that this wasn't where I needed to be. As cool as Austin is, I'm not going to stay here and drive myself crazy when I don't have to.


So, to sum up my day: I bought some stuff and still don't know what I'm doing with my life. I guess that's an OK Saturday when you're 24.
I like to make things.
Whether it's cooking or crafting or even building, I really like to create something and have a final product.
I think that's my problem with a lot of the job opportunities open to me. I want to sit down at the end of the day and say "look what I made!"
That's why cooking holds such an appeal to me. I would love to spend all day in the kitchen testing and creating new recipes.
That would be awesome.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

I'm boycotting the debate tonight.
I had planned on watching it, to keep up the facade of a "intellectual voter" or whatever, but I changed my mind. I know who I'm voting for. I've known who I wanted to be our next president since 2004.
So I'm watching the genius that is Will Ferrel instead. Blades of Glory. Haven't seen it yet, as I'm really not a John Heder fan, but how much can you really object to any Will Ferrel movie?

In other news, I've been contemplating my future. I've decided that I have a few future careers that really interest me:

1: Rockstar. I'm working on this.

2: Running my own theater company - this will happen. I'm pretty much trying to figure out what do between now and then.

3: Theater Admin - I'm pretty good at this, it would be good prep for option #2, and I've done it and I like it. The problem: the market is pretty small, I pretty much have to go where the work is. I would most likely get my masters in either youth theatre or arts leadership to obtain this.

4: Children's Librarian - this is a new idea for me, but the more I think about it, the more I like it. I love to hang out with kids, I love to read (and young adult lit is my guilty pleasure), and my creative drama background would be invaluable. I could also plan library themes like "pirate week." sweet.

5: Caterer. I like to cook. I like to bake and come up with my own recipes. I would love to go to culinary school.

So basically the big question of my life right now is: grad school for theatre or for library science, or culinary school?

So really I think I need to put off grad school for a while longer, as I still have no idea what I want to do with my life. Gross.

I think I'm having a quarter life crisis, as cliche as that is. It's totally true. Uber gross.

Monday, October 13, 2008

brief

I still don't have a new job, but I don't not have a new job, either. I've been informed that the Zach Scott is still interviewing candidates. So, bummer, but keep your fingers crossed.
I also got a call from the Dallas Theater Center regarding my application. I hope to talk to a real person there tomorrow.
The Flying Theatre Machine improv show was awesome. I'm so glad I hooked up with that group of people, it sounds like it's going to be incredible.
That all said, I'm going to bed. I'm tired.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Be the 3-legged dog.

Wayne Coyne and Christmas on Mars was exactly what I needed today. (Along with a really good rootbeer float.)



I missed seeing Christmas on Mars when it played at Sasquatch, so I was really excited to hear that it was playing at the Alamo downtown. Then they announced that Wayne Coyne, lead singer of The Flaming Lips (and the alien super-being) was going to be there. Amazing.
So I went. By myself. And it was ok. It was better than ok. The movie was weird and crazy and I want to be a rockstar so I can make weird crazy movies like that. Then Wayne did a talk-back kind of thing after the show and told ridiculous stories and made me feel so much better about my life. He told a story about his brother's 3-legged dog, and how we should all be more like that dog, because he's missing a leg but doesn't let that affect his joy for life. He said we should be more like that dog, because we create joy in our own lives.

I also made some amazing macaroni and cheese today. It should, in theory, last me all week, but I will probably eat it all sooner than that.
In that vein, I want this cookbook. I like casseroles, you can make one and then eat for a week when you're the only one eating.

Still homesick.


I miss:
My family
My friends
Rain (real rain)
mountains
trees
the ocean
the sound of seagulls
crows
the wind coming off puget sound
trees (I know I already said that, but I really miss trees)

There are trees here, but they seem to all be oak trees and none of them are taller than maybe 15 feet. Everything is too low here. Low and spread out.

I miss the Space Needle
I miss being able to tell what direction I'm facing simply by looking at the horizon
I miss hills with a more than 10% grade

I like that there is live music at the grocery store and I like the Alamo Drafthouse and I get to see Wayne Coyne tonight and gas is under $3 a gallon and my roommate is cool and I have met some good people but I just don't feel like I want to live here.

Maybe I'll get a new job and all this will change. Hopefully.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Final thoughts for Sunday evening.

I realized that it's October and I can breathe through my nose... a big accomplishment for someone with allergies like mine. Maybe this Austin weather isn't so bad, after all.
On the other hand, maybe my allergies will get here when it actually starts to feel like fall.
But I'm going to stay optimistic.



And, Nick and Nora was an awesomely cute movie. I want the soundtrack. And I want to keep Michael Cera in my pocket and take him out when I feel blue. He plays the same character in everything, but I love him anyway.

Sundays are pretty good around here.

The past few Sunday mornings have consisted of huevos rancheros and bloody marys. I think that's pretty much the best way possible to start the week. The only thing that would make it better would be if someone else made them and then cleaned up, but I guess you can only have so much...
After my traditional breakfast of champions, I headed downtown for rehearsal of a kid's improv show I've been invited to be a part of. I'm pretty stoked to be doing improv here and even more excited that it's a show designed for kids. I'd love to get in a show for adults, too, but I guess I gotta take it one step at a time.
Tonight I'm going to see Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist at The Alamo. Because I never want to go to another movie theater. It just won't be the same.
Tomorrow, job interview!

Current homesick level: 6 out of 10. So it's pretty good today.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Right on....

I have a job interview on Monday and am applying for a job in Dallas, so I decided I needed some job interview clothes. Shoes I'm not allowed to buy because it's still cheaper to have my parents ship me the shoes I do have than it is to purchase new ones. But clothes are ok, since when I packed to move here I did not anticipate job interviews.
So I bought some clothes today.
But to back up a little, today was a shopping experience. I went to a outdoor flea market type thing in Sun City, a planned development golf-cart-community whatever thing north of Austin. I originally had plans to meet a family member there but she had things come up so I went myself, in the hopes of finding some good stuff. (I have a whole list of things I will need when I move out of this house in December and try to survive on my own. I don't own a can opener. Problem!) Unfortunately I overslept a bit and didn't make it as early as I had hoped, but I did score a brand new HP photosmart printer. Pretty cool.
Then I stopped at the outlet malls and tried on clothes that were still too expensive for me, even at outlet prices. And bought some knifes and glass food storage dishes (no plastic!)
Then, finally, Target. How I love Target. I probably shouldn't, it's probably no better than WalMart, but I like it.
I got interview clothes and new sheets for my bed and cards to send and, most importantly, I did not buy any Halloween decorations. That was hard. But I will be back the week before Halloween scooping up all the discounted stuff I can find. Especially things like this:











They also have shot glasses that match. Awesome.

Friday, October 3, 2008

good fences....

My neighbors are generally not noticeable, until they really are. I need to buy some earplugs.

Things are moving forward...

First off, I gotta say how much I love the new Genius Playlist in iTunes. You go, Apple. I'm listening to music I forgot I had.
And speaking of music, I bought the Fleet Foxes album today. Total impulse buy as I was buying coffee at Starbucks on my lunch break, but totally worth it. My iPod radio adapter doesn't work very well here (I'm thinking because it is so flat, so there is a lot of radio interference?), so I need CDs to listen to. Of course, since all my music is on my computer, I left all my CDs back home. So I need CDs in the car, otherwise it's listen to NPR talk about Sarah Palin or the bailout, both of which I'm sick and tired of hearing about.
Also, buy the Fleet Foxes album. It's amazing. Listen to the music on their myspace page, and tell me you can resist it.

I have a job interview on Monday - to be Assistant Manager of the box office at the Zach Scott Theatre here in Austin. I'm also currently (taking a break from working on) applying to the Dallas Theater Center, for an Education Associate position. It would be really cool, and something that fits right in with what I want to do with the rest of my life, but it would also be in Dallas, not Austin. I know I already moved 2300 miles so really, what is 200 more miles? But it's a scary thought to pull up what tiny new roots I've started planting here.
However, I'm still doing it, because I refuse to let the opportunity pass me by.
I really miss working in a theatre.
So cross your fingers/say a prayer/think happy thoughts for me on Monday at 5pm my time (that's 3pm for most of you)!

Tomorrow I'm going to a big outdoor garage-sale thing and trying to find a place to wash my car. You'd think after a month I would be able to find my way around this town but I'm still pretty much lost. Yet another reason to be terrified to move to Dallas. I'm sure it's just as not-like-Seattle as Austin is.

Thursday, October 2, 2008


What's that in my hand, you ask?
Why, it's my very own Texas drivers license. With pretty much the best license picture ever taken. Thanks, tiny little Georgetown Department of Public Safety. You rock.
It also has my real signature, not the "I'm trying to make this legible" signature that was on my last license. And oh yeah, it's not all weird and vertical, because I am over 21, thankyouverymuch.