Silverdoesn’tworkonPPCMacsandsucksanywayLight?
February 28th, 2008Microsoft’s “Silverlight” is sponsoring SXSW. That’s adorable.
Whenever I go downtown, I feel like an Ex-Con casing the joint
Stickers
February 5th, 2008Austin is a strange town and if you were asked to find a city less representative of Texas as a whole, then you really ought to consider the State Capital.
Still, I’ve never been Behind Red State Lines during a major election so this is what I see now regarding signs and stickers for Presidential Candidates.
In my walks around my neighborhood in North Austin I’ve seen only two bumper stickers. One, weeks ago, was for Huckabee (I assume it might still be on that vehicle although I’ve passed that house several times lately and not seen it again). Another showed up just a few days ago for Romney. The Huckabee sticker was on a “working” pickup truck with one of those tops over the bed in the back. The Romney sticker was on a luxury 2-door import. These two people are just around the corner from each other although Tobin likes to poop in the latter’s yard.
Considering I walk my dog between 1.5 and 4 miles every day through many neighborhoods, this is a shocking level of political indifference. If there were any more stickers or signs I would definitely notice.
No one in my apartment complex has any stickers. Except a red Civic and a blue Maxima that Obama tagged. I happen to know the drivers very well.
Driving up and down MoPac you’ll see some Ron Paul signs, although since they’re in someone’s yard a bit of a distance off the highway. And I have a feeling they’re getting less prevalent since early December.
All of a sudden last week I saw an Obama sticker to match the one on my car. Today I saw two more!
I also saw a sticker promoting Will Wynn, the Democrat mayor of Austin. It was on a car containing two heavily tattooed and pierced girls who were making out during the stop-and-go traffic. Among all the other stickers on the car, my attention fixed on the large serif W. Must be for a college.
Even in my recent drives up through Round Rock (for nefarious purposes, I assure you) I have never seen any Hillary or McCain signs or stickers. I don’t even know what they look like. The Texas primary isn’t for another month but it might matter in the Democratic race, at least. I’ll keep updating ‘em as I see ‘em. So far, an amazing bit of apathy.
Live it up
November 3rd, 2007When the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion had to be rennovated, Mike Huckabee lived with his family in a triple wide mobile home trailer.
Now the Texas Governor’s Mansion is being renovated, Rick Perry is living in a 1.85 million dollar home that’s being rented to the State for $9,900 per month.
Asked about the disparity, Rick said “Yeah, Texas ain’t Arkansas.”
I’m with him on this one.
A walk to remember
July 8th, 2007Brian — my brother — and I aspire to climb Long’s Peak when we travel to Rocky Mountain National Park later this month. I have been jogging with my iPod and Nike+ shoes but after I sent Brian an old iPod nano in the mail, he got in on the Nike+ thing too. Oh what a mistake.
He used the website to challenge me.
Who can run the most distance in 10 days? Probably he, but I told him I had a trick up my sleeve. One day I would walk from our apartment in north Austin to the mall where Holland works in south Austin. Easiest threat in the world!
I’ve been run/walking 2.5 to 3 miles whenever I go out, and although by the end I can’t run any more, I feel I could keep walking if I had to and if it were cooler.
It’s 12 miles by Google Maps if you stick to the MoPac Expressway. This I probably could not do since it’s basically an interstate and doesn’t allow pedestrians.
I devised an alternate route along Capital Of Texas Highway. (When you live in Austin, it’s easy to forget it’s the capital of this hideous state, even when streets are named like that).
I sent my brother a map screenshot, touting my route:
Even if I spent the rest of the week in traction, I would certainly best him! That way it’s nearly 18 miles. (I thought 14 for some reason for a while).
It has rained nearly every other day in Austin since I moved here. The locals don’t know what god is frowning upon them. Maybe it’s me?
I finally decided I had to go on Friday. But I realized I’d grow tired and smog-choked on the early part of my journey unless I started a little farther from home. I drove down to the other Apple store in town and parked at The Domain. From there I set off on a journey I reckoned would take 6 hours and about 14 miles. I had three power-ish bars, a banana, and two large bottles of water. I began playing Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the audiobook, on my 60GB iPod. It was 4 o’clock. (daytime is very hot in Texas in the summer)
It was tedious going for a while, with no sidewalks along major roads, until you come to the stoplights where they do have pedestrian signals. Where are these pedestrians supposed to come from?
After what seemed like longer than it should, I finally got onto Loop 360, aka Capital of Texas Highway. Despite its name, it’s sort of an urban-country highway that loops around the Hill Country west of town. Wilderness studded with apartment complexes and Banks of America, if you catch my meaning. From here it’s a straight shoot down to the Mall. Also despite its name, it is not a 360 degree loop. It’s not even 180.
As Holland says, everyone in Texas thinks they’re Lance Armstrong. This is a popular road to bike on. I also came across some joggers (who seemed to be near death) and one power walker. None was equipped like me, with a full backpack of provisions. So either they are hardier than I, or on a shorter trek. Probably both.
It was a cloudy day in Texas. Then again, it often is in my limited experience. (But the locals think the Rapture is coming).
I took only a couple striking photos of the limestone cliffs along the highway against the blue-ing sky.
I crossed the Pennyback Bridge where it said “No Diving” so I didn’t.
Against the hill up ahead I could see a clear divide between dry pavement and wet pavement. In the West, you can see storms. (it’s harder to see in the picture; but I clearly saw a moist/wet demarcation just before that left turn to nowhere)
But what the hell was I going to do? Turn back?
At this point according to my iPod, I was about 6.5 miles in and there wasn’t much back the way I came except mansions on cliffs that won’t let in little boys who are being prowled on their way home from school.
I walked up the hill and the rain began. But it wasn’t so bad. Refreshing, even.
As I went on, it turned into the sort of torrential downpour that Texans are growing accustomed to this year. In the middle of nowhere I passed a newly constructed strip mall with a bank and a Chilli’s. I considered pausing to wait out the rain or just get soused.
But I can get soused anywhere! I’m here to walk to the mall! (god help me)
I kept going.
It was really raining. I began to worry about all the electronics in my cargo pockets.
Lower left pocket: iPod nano and Nike+iPod receiver
Upper Left pocket: 60GB iPod video playing a tale of depravity and treason, also, iPhone
Upper right pocket: wallet and sunglasses
lower right pocket: digital camera
My kingdom for a ziploc!
I dumped them all into my backpack but it’s so old I don’t know if it will provide much protection. Also, it turns out, it was full of mud. My stylish cowboy hat was most likely funneling buckets of water right down onto the zippers.
Just then a beige Toyota pulled over with its right window rolled down and an identically beige umbrella pushed out.
“Are you sure?” I asked wetly and politely.
“Take it,” he said.
So I did. That was nice.
The lightning and thunder struck ever louder and nearer, but now I had a 3 foot aluminum pole resting comfortably between my shoulder and skull. Is there any better conductor than Aluminum? Of course there is, but it must be super-cooled.
I was having a hard time concentrating on the audio portion of my Stories of Drunken Depravity when my own tale of Drenchèd Despair was raging so loudly. I was as soaked as if I had just climbed out of (or was still in) a swimming pool.
Lousy Texas Driving saved me, as a black SUV rolled over into the median about 100 yards in front of me. How exciting!
It was remarkably quiet. Just a quick whine of tires and whump whump it’s on its back. I was sorely tempted to take a picture of the dirt and grass stuck in all the tires, but I was afraid of the rain.
I began running but the Good Samaritans In Cars were faster. By the time I was abreast, it looked like the driver was shaken but fine. Many more accidents would no doubt spawn on the slickened road as rubberneckers drove past. I began to wonder if hiking along a highway was the safest thing I might do.
On I went. My crazy running shoes (designed by me on Nike.com as a gift from Holland) became totally waterlogged. I worried for the brave little accelerometer secreted, like Anne Frank, under the left sole.
When a small red Ford pickup pulled over and offered me a ride, I figured crazy is good, but this is crazy enough.
Tom was his name, and he wore a cowboy hat just like me. Jesus Christ, is Texas for real?
Turns out he works for a staffing company in Round Rock and he found the hat at work, but it fits so heyyyyy!
[laugh out loud here with your author]
He (mind you he was 40-something) was driving to his girlfriend’s house in Bee Caves. Since that’s the name of a town around here. I’ve even been there!
He wasn’t sure if I even would want a ride when he pulled over, but I explained I was training to hike the 4 lane highway up Long’s Peak in a few weeks. We made small talk about how rainy it has been and how Texans find it so hard to drive in the rain. We passed two more wrecks on the way to the Mall.
I walked into Nordstrom up an umbrella but down an iPod, it would seem. After I got a cup of their magnificent coffee, I set all my devices out on the table to survey their damage.
The nano, camera, and iPhone seem ok. The big iPod has gone up to the great iTunes Store in the sky. Maybe American Express will replace it.
I wondered if my shoe sensor had given out, but upon comparing my recollection with Google maps, I think it survived. It still works anyway.
For all my bluster, I made it only 8.72 miles. I had bad blisters and I was thoroughly soaked so I had to buy new clothes on clearance at The Gap (hurrah! I haven’t bought new clothes in a long time, since Apple used to clothe me).
I waited for Holland to take me home.
Here is a view from Google Earth of my progress from the parking lot by Macy’s at The Domain to around where I think Tom picked me up. The Barton Creek Mall is the gray section on the extreme left. I have traced my path with the white line and red waypoints. The view is toward the west.
