Some days it's amusing, some days annoying

Something I've never written about here on this blog, is the challenge of growing up as a girl named Barbara Anne. All through school, in a very small town, there was another Barbara Ann in my class. We started first grade together and graduated together.  Keep in mind this was a class of 20 kids.  I was in high school when those doggone Beach Boys put out that song.  It should have been flattering, but from then on, every room I ever walked into, people would break out with BaBaBaBaBabra Ann.  Yikes. Oh, just as an aside, my best friend was named Peggy Sue...remember her?

Through out the years I have gotten used to almost every place I went there was another Barbara. It hadn't happened for awhile, but recently... Well, when I went for my bone density scan the gal who did it was named Barbara.  We laughed about it.   Then a few weeks ago, at my Orthpedic Dr. I walked in for my appointment about the same time as another lady did.  There are only two of us in the waiting room.  As I sat down, the door opened and the office gal called out Barbara.  I thought, wow that was quick.  Usually I have to wait an hour! Well, the other lady got up and went in.  Later the nurse said "did you see what happened"..to which I replied, "it always does."   So day before yesterday I went in for the last appointment for my root canal. I am the only one in the office, another lady comes in and sits down.  Ellie, the receptionist calls out "Miss Barbara"...and we both look up.  Yesterday, I went in for my eye exam, to the place I have gone for 15 years.  They have a new receptionist.  Bet you can guess what her name is.  When it happens twice in 2 days..YIKES.

At least, so far, in my aqua yoga class I am the only Barbara out of 12 ladies. But it's just a matter of time, you know it is.

Here is Barbara Anne Conner, circa 1956, 7th Grade.  I am only showing this one because of the cats eye glasses.  I saw 2 pair yesterday at the opticians office that were remarkably like these.  NO...I did not order them.  I did however order a geeky looking tortoise shell pair.  I may or may not show you those when I get them.

All roads lead to Austin

It's that time of year again, when craziness descends upon our town.  It's called South by Southwest (SXSW). It opened yesterday and lasts till the 22nd.   Thousands of people from across the globe come here for this festival. Some of the entertainment are big name bands, others are new young bands hoping to be discovered.  Most of the streets downtown are closed off to through traffic. Traffic in general becomes even more of a nightmare than it is on any normal day. Many of the locals have come to really dislike this event. Reason: it has gotten so large it is almost out of control.  The preview magazine alone is 59 pages!  For this entire time, the city is immersed in SXSW.  If you have business downtown, forget it, you won't be able to find a parking place or even get to where you need to go. We try to get anything we need from downtown in the 2 weeks prior to this event. I pity the folks who came here on vacation, not knowing about this.  If they want to go see the Capitol, it will be a real challenge to get there.

Now, hubby and I love live music, and the first 10, even 15 years we lived here, we attended every festival and event that was held here. Not so much any more. It is just too congested.  And we don't have the energy for it, darn it. We will go downtown on the train and attend a few events that are held at the convention center and some of the small venues.  But no big concerts for us, nosiree. Some things are streamed online, so I may catch a few acts that way. This event brings a lot of entertainment into the city, and a HUGE amount of $$$, but more and more it brings a lot of complaints, and a lot of changes.  In years past, people who did not want to be here during the event, would rent their houses out. Also, people would rent out a room or two in their houses.  Well, no more of that, once the city got wind of it. Seems they were competing with the hotel industry too much. As if it even made a dent...just my opinion. You know those hotels who raise the $250. a night rate to $750. a night and more.  Now folks need a permit and have to pay taxes on the money they make.  One way around that now, is people who wish to leave the city are doing a house swap with someone who wants to come to the festival.  Hubby has a friend who has a condo right downtown.  He is swapping for 2 weeks with someone in San Francisco.

Add to this congestion, the Austin Rodeo starts tonight, and the expo center where it is held is just down the road and across the freeway from where we live. So more congestion, traffic wise.  The lineup for music is Willie Nelson tonight, Dwight Yoakam tomorrow night, and so on and so on, up through the 28th. Even The Beach Boys are playing one night.   We love living in Austin, but sure do wish progress hadn't progressed quite so quickly around us.  We are happy that the racetrack is on our side of town though, because that is something we go to.  Hubby has Moto GP, motorcycle racing coming up April 11 through 13.  He is going to it, not racing in.

Well, that is just a snippet of what goes on around here in my little city. As much as I gripe about the congestion, I really do love having so many choices in entertainment. Even if I don't have the physical stamina to go to much of it anymore.

We had a frosty week-end

The news said that Friday night and Saturday morning there were over 200 auto accidents in Austin. This is the natural occurrence whenever we have icy weather. Everyone makes fun of "Texans on ice."

I would have been happy to stay in but we had tickets to the Austin Symphony, so we trekked out over the icy overpass and slid around with the other Austinites, to get downtown. It was 34 when we left home.  It was blowing sleet as we drove.  But we made it there and all was good. After we crossed the rotunda and climbed the icy stairs to the hall that is.  The people sitting next to us came in late, and during intermission she explained that they had spun out on one of the high overpasses and she was still a little shaken.

The show was called Fantasy in February, music from your favorite fantasy films.  They did music from Harry Potter, Avatar, The Chronicles of Narnia, Fantasia, and several more. Quite a few people were dressed in costume, so it was funny to see so many Harry Potters and Gandolfs and hobbits and such. There were a lot of costumes I had no idea who they were or from what movie. After the orchestra was seated, the conductor paid a tribute to Leonard Nimoy who had passed that day. At the end of the show as everyone was leaving they flashed this photo across the screen.

 

After the show it was still very cold, but a lot of people walked out to admire the Austin skyline, which seems to stretch out more every month, with another high-rise of lofts and retail.

The next show we have tickets for is "The Mighty Russians" all Russian composers.  I sure hope it will be a warmer evening.

Sunday it was just as cold and windy with icy rain. We stayed in and watched golf and ate soup and drank a lot of coffee and chai.  Last night we binge watched the last 3 episodes of Downton Abbey. Now we have to wait till January 2016 for the next season. Drats! But the new season of House of Cards has just been released on Netflix so that is some comfort.  I don't even know what else is on, as we don't watch a lot of things.