Walking in Austin

I worked hard most of the week-end, sorting, packing, and just putting one foot in front of the other.  I've been so overwhelmed with all this packing.   What to take, what to leave. It's difficult splitting households when we are going to be spending time in both places for a couple more years.  I've been suffering from spring allergies as well, so feel really tired.  Hub and I took a little break yesterday and went out to the  West Studio Tour.  We visited a few people we already knew, and a few new ones we hadn't heard of.  Met a couple of really interesting artists, and saw some very nice architecture in the process.  Visited parts of town we had never been in, or hadn't been in for several years.  There are too many participants to even see half of them, even with two week-ends to do it.

Walking about I took a few local colorful shots.  Some of these were front yards, some were back yards, which I tend to find really interesting in some of the old parts of Austin. Especially artists places, they always have interesting "junk". Interesting to me anyhow.

 

 

 

 

Every day Earth Day People

Several things going on around town this week-end. Hub and I chose this one. I wanted to go to Whole Foods, but they were the same time, so we chose music over food. Our friend went to Whole Foods and we reported back and forth to one another.

 

When we first got there, we visited a lot of the booths, signed pledges to be more "green" picked up brochures and freebies. bags, etc. Then Hubby went to sit and listen to the bands, while I walked around more and visited with people.  People were subdued, talking about recent events, the Boston bombings and the explosion in West.  But mostly everyone was upbeat.  There was a lot going on, kids activities were happening and music and a drum circle taking place.  I sort of even forgot I had my camera with me until I sat down to watch the bands.  Things were picking up by the time Mingo Fishtrap came on...a very good local band.  Yes, there was dancing, and local characters.  So that is what I took photos of.

                                                                    Mingo Fishtrap Band

 

 This green shirt dude was everywhere...sitting, walking, dancing every time he came through the open hangar where the music was.

 

Happy Hippie couple dancing..nice people.

 

Orange dress lady, she was very entertaining.  She'd dance, then go back to her chair and take a drink of whatever she had in a small bag.  I think she may have brought in her own beverage.   A little later, she was dancing with green shirt dude.

This couple was dancing up a storm and they were really good.

These two were not together, but I thought they looked like they could be. This was the typical Austin Earth day costume. 


The Mayor, waiting his turn to speak.

Hubby, listening to music and people watching.

We didn't stay until the end, so we didn't hear the last band. It was a really nice day weatherwise, almost cool in fact, so I wasn't worn out from the heat like I usually am.  We got a good parking place really close by so did not have to hike too far. I was still getting tired, and both Hub and I
 were ready to leave at the same time, which does not always happen.

 



A week of DAYs

Some weeks I can sort out and determine that the week has separate days.  Some weeks, like this one, even though I can pinpoint the happenings, they all run together like one long never ending day.   Like a river running downhill, never ending day. 

Monday: Getting boxes from a friend at work, packing boxes.  Turning on t.v. to check Dr. Oz and seeing the news about the bombings in Boston, which played over and over the rest of the day.  I am not a t.v. watcher, or a news watcher...except in times of national tragedy. Watch, while sorting papers and tossing things out.

Tuesday:  Out to get hair cut.  Call from Sister that Dad has fallen yet again, last night, and was taken to hospital by ambulance.  Broken ribs, several stitches in head and arm. Spoke to her several times this day. Do we get on a plane and get there ASAP, or keep the original plan to go on the 5th of May. Fill trash can and recycling bin along with large bag of clothes to take to Goodwill.  Hub checks airfare prices online, just to be prepared.

Wednesday: Dentist appointment at 8:00 a.m. More calls back and forth with Sister.  They discovered Daddy has 3 broken ribs instead of the two they originally thought.  He now has pneumonia and they are talking of moving him to ICU. They said he had a very rough night last night. Yet he has 23 visitors on this day...who lets 23 people in to see a man who has pneumonia?  A man who feels the need to joke and entertain each of these visitors to convince THEM things aren't as bad as they seem!  I was a little shocked that the hospital would have allowed that many people to parade through there.

Thursday: Not sleeping, haven't slept well at all this entire week.  Up from 3a.m. to 5 a.m. with allergies, then take a pill then can't get out of bed when it is time to get up.  Drinking almost an entire pot of coffee...with cream, instead of eating breakfast.  Sister calls with report that Daddy is doing better.  Talk to him, he is joking as usual.  Packing and sorting most of day.  Bagged Chex party mix for lunch, instead of real lunch.  Husband home and cooks himself nice dinner.  I am wiped out, eat half a pear/gorgonzola flatbread from Target, with iced tea..more caffeine.  What the heck!!!  To bed, exhausted, at 9 p.m.

Friday: Awake again a lot during the night, coughing and sneezing.  Bedroom window open but not quite cool enough so just get the allergies.   Slept in till 8:30.  Cooked oatmeal for breakfast..YAY!  Only one cup of coffee.  Glass of carrot juice later. Friend called and said she had more packing boxes for me, so went to get those. She has had some bad news, try to make her feel better.  Went downtown with Hubby.  Had a green drink at Whole Foods, then steamed Sesame Kale and Ginger beets for lunch.  Yay!  Brought home shrimp and veggie skewers for dinner.  A better day foodwise.  More packing and stacking boxes for our road trip on May 5th.  Talked to Sister again.  Daddy is doing better today, but still can't eat.  They think he might have an obstruction in his esophagus, so are going to do some exploring on that. They did say they are keeping him over the week-end, and will release him on Monday.  He will go to the same rehab facility that he was in before when he broke his hip.  Relieved that things are getting better for him.  Sister said he only had 5 or 6 visitors today.

Plans for the week-end. Relax a little bit.  Earth Day Festival tomorrow.  Hubby is going to the Moto GP race on Sunday.  We had tickets for all three days, but gave them away for today and tomorrow.  I wouldn't have wanted to go to this one anyway, so glad to have someone else who would enjoy it be able to.

Amazing how much better I feel after one day of decent eating instead of  JUNK!  We eat well most of the time, but sometimes slip into really bad habits like I have several times this week.  Well, I'm snapping out of it, and will do better this week-end.

Unpredictable April

What should I wear today?  Yesterday afternoon when I walked to the mailbox , it was 85 and humid.  Still warm last night and breezy.  This morning when I went outside it was 40 and very windy, and starting to rain. We are getting some of the arctic air that is sweeping down from Canada.  Parts of the country are getting ice and snow, we most likely will get rain which we always need, and maybe some hail, which we don't need. I have to run out later and do some errands.  I wish I had some of these...boots , I would wear them today. 

I was trying to grow succulents in the kitchen windows, but with the solar screens on, they weren't getting enough light.  So I removed the screens from a couple of the windows, and they seem to be much happier.  I like having the screen off, but am afraid I will need to cover my table with something to keep that end of it from fading from the sun. I cleaned the inside of the windows, but haven't made it to the outside yet. You can see that it is raining.

 

I was enjoying the view of the backyard while having coffee. With the solar screens on, when it rains hard it plasters the screens to the windows and you can't see out.  Taken through the not entirely clean window.  We have not done any spring clean-up in the back yard yet.

 

 

Last night Hubby was at a dinner meeting, so I was on my own and made this salad.  I had made us both the same thing on Monday night, except I added hard-boiled eggs.

 I don't usually buy bagged salad, but do sometimes buy the spinach when in a hurry.  I was all excited to see the new Fresh Express Spinach and Arugula, as I love arugula.  Well, as I was searching for where it was......I started counting them.   The bag had 6 tiny leaves of arugula!!! What a disappointment. Was I wrong to expect a few more? I don't think so, but yes, they can say, it did have arugula.  I went online to make a comment at their website, but they wanted the product code of the item, and I had already tossed the bag.  I think I will buy another bag today and see if the same holds true, then I will have the information when I write to them.  I've been thinking about growing a small kitchen garden outside the back door. But the way the squirrels have eaten my succulents, I don't know how much luck I'd have.

 

Well, I'm off to experience some April weather.