Slacking Off in Austin

I must apologize to my regular readers for the paucity of personal entries in this blog since I reached Texas. I’ve always rued the fact that I got stuck with Windows Vista when I bought my first laptop but reverting to XP hasn’t been an option since drivers for that OS weren’t available for my model. Just as I reached Austin the OS crashed once again and after 3 attempts to get it up and running again finally broke down and went out to pick up Windows 7. HP does provide drivers for that system. Windows 7 is half the size of XP and Vista and remarkably makes my display look sharper and brighter. The one deficiency of an otherwise rolls royce laptop HP put together for its Pavilion dv-7 line is an underpowered video card. I suppose their concern was heat since it was a video card burnout that destroyed the motherboard on my former model. Among the improvements I’ve noticed is the fact that icons in my system tray always appear in the same location relative to their last entry whether or not they are loaded with Windows or started later. But enough geek tech.

I drove into Austin on Saturday November 14th and set up for the night in the Gethsemane Lutheran Church parking lot where I was promptly met by Pastor Karl Gronberg. There’s a reason I wanted to come back to Austin. Even before I’d had a chance to clear the highway dust from my pores he picked me up and took me along on a couple of pastoral calls. With service next morning I felt immediately at home once more. To solidify the relationship my friend John gave my arm a gentle twist inviting me to join choir for the Christmas Season. Those in the pews have no idea the number of practices and shuttlings back and forth to church involed in those few minutes of special music choirs provide. For the Christmas Season there were also a round of public commitments including a ride in the church van with the Pastor on the Friday before Christmas to carol for sick and shut-in members.

In the last two months I’ve spent way too much time doing computer software maintenance and too little actually using it. There are still programs missing from the present system. When I wasn’t off singing or installing software I did manage to get reacquainted with Austin South of Town Lake. My second day in town I moved back into my former campsite at Pecan Grove Campground, 1518 Barton Springs Rd just down the street from Zilker Park. The grackles still give their typical wolf whistles that I have come to associate with the place and Romeo’s next door still plays live Jazz Friday and Saturday Nights. I was somewhat put out when they started playing Xmas Musak Thanksgiving Day!

I still enjoy Romeos Texan Italian Style Eggs Benedict with a cold bottle of Maine Root Ginger Beer after church on Sundays. Uncle Billy’s on the other side of the park still sell pints for two bucks on Tuesdays and smoke Texas BBQ, I nod to the bartender and he brings my order these days. Green Mesquite up the street still offers blue plate specials daily--don’t know if their hot sausage has gotten milder or my palette more accustomed to hot food but their Jambalaya didn’t repeat on me this time round. Chuys next to the park still have Happy Hour Margaritas and offer up their Tex Mex specialties and complimentary tacos and salsa. I’m still not sold on refried beans and can do without black beans. Got down for lunch at Artz Rib House where the must do is Baby Back Pork Ribs with salad. The weeds grow up through the bricked in patio but the food is good.

Across Town Lake Whole Foods still charge $20 an hour for roof-top skating and Readers Den is next door. Across the street Waterloo Records make me feel I’m back on Yonge Street in Toronto at Sam the Record Man. On sunny days the cinder track around Town Lake is packed with joggers of all shapes, sizes, and fitness levels. Zilker Park lit its famous 160-ft Christmas Tree but economic considerations scaled back the trail of lights to the point where venders out-numbered light displays and the portable generators drowned out the music. The condos next door are still under construction though work is concentrated away from our park. Got my electric bike its yearly maintenance and although it runs better than it did new have not been out much since I got back. There are a large number of for sale signs in the neighbourhood south of us. I did walk down for brunch and a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse.

During the Christmas Season got to attend a benefit concert for North Austin Caregivers which took place at Saint Louis King of France Catholic Church which seats nearly 1000. Sixteen choirs took turns singing while the congregation sang seasonal carols to a huge 3-manual Aeolian-Skinner Pipe Organ. The Peace Tree Ceremony inaugerated after 9/11 had to be one of the more eye-opening events in which I participated. Taking place in the basement of a library in a neighbourhood where signs warned to keep your vehicle locked, the presentations were a multi-cultural mix that included WASPs perfroming African Drumming, Celtic Harp, Irish Tin Whistle, Afro-Americans singing operatic numbers, a barefoot Spaniard playing guitar with bells at his ankles, and two little Hispanic Girls doing Indian Belly Dancing while their overweight brothers did their best impression of the plumbers butt crack display. Keep Austin Weird indeed.

The Campground is indeed in a Pecan Grove and although I’m told this year’s crop was not optimal I still managed to collect nearly a gallon. An early killing frost the first week of December brought down the house, covering my RV in leaf fronds that were still green. To mark the second week of 2010 we are to enjoy yet another deep freeze, this one extending all the way into Florida. I’m just thankful it’s happening now and not last week this time when I went camping at Bastrop State Park with the local Sierra Club.