UrbanSkies

One Decade Later

May 26, 1994.

It was 10 years ago that I "asked out" Jenny, my first (and only) girlfriend. That time flew by so quickly. One decade on the dating scene...one girlfriend, one boyfriend, and a smattering of random dates. Not terribly impressive in terms of numbers, but I wouldn't trade any of those moments for the world. And I remain friends with both GF and BF...I'm glad they're both in my life.

Lunch was at Baja Fresh on the Drag. My one burrito took 15 minutes to fix, so I received a coupon for a free meal next time I patronize the establishment. I took my burrito to go and ate on the West Mall. As I ate, pigeons lurked just outside kicking range, and pounced on any dropped crumbs. At first, I had a lone pigeon friend, but soon others arrived, one by one, until there were roughly two dozen by the end of lunch time. The burrito squelched my appetite, so the handful of tortilla chips in the bag were crumbled up and fed to my new ornothological friends. The moment was Darwinism at its finest. Fights broke out, cover was taken, and the smaller birds watched as their bigger brethren hopped off, large tortilla chip in beak. Oh, the power I felt making the birds dance on my whim. It's evil really, the power I felt lording over the birds, giving them food to amuse me. I just hope none of the bastards shit on me.

Congratulations to Joanah for her graduation from the School of Natural Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin. Her commencement was sooooo looooooooooooooooooong. The guest speaker was average. She read from her notes, and even the words she spoke were not all that eloquent or interesting. She must have purchased Commencement-Speech-In-A-Box on her way to the ceremony. Also, public speaking must not be a prerequesite for a dean appointment, as the Natural Sciences dean was repetitive and plain in her speaking, as well. Finally, the graduates were announced...all 4000 of them. OK, it wasn't 4000, but it sure felt like it. It took over an hour to announce everyone, and that was only half the Natural Sciences graduates. The other half graduated in a morning ceremony.

Afterwards, I snuck into the reception for MBA graduates in the atrium at the Business School. I was starving, and made off with chicken tenders, fried cheese, cheesecake squares, and cookies. Exactly what I needed to tide me over until Joanah's graduation party tonight.

Speaking of food...the Austin Chronicle released it's 2004 Austin Restaurant Poll, and I must disagree with Madam Mam's ahead of Trudy's, The Salt Lick and Z'Tejas. Sorry, but crappy Asian food should never beat Trudy's.

OK, I'm out of here...time to drink margaritas and eat good BBQ!

Relax, Relax, Relax

OK, I've finally finished a major part of this project at work. It's something that should only take a couple of days, but I've been able to expand it out to several weeks. This is because I complicate the logic, and get frustrated easily when things don't work. Well today, I brought my laptop in, moved to a quiet office upstairs, concentrated like all heck and finally climbed over the big hump of the project. Now, I need to add in some error-checking and logging to the program, but the main logic is in place. Yippee! Sometimes, it just takes a change in scenery or venue to spark new thinking.

That monkey is off my back, and I can relax. Which is good, because I haven't been to my therapist in almost three weeks. She's been out of town, so my next visit is Monday. And boy, do I need it! I have 100's of things to talk about. But I need to write too. I haven't written in my journal (paper and pen) since the 10th. So long ago. I won't even mention the last time I opened my GRE study book. Maybe I'll head to Mozart's tonight for some good writing time.

A Date Which Will Live In Infamy

I would be remiss in forgetting to mention today's monumental groundbreaking: Gay marriage is legal is Massachusetts.

Hallelujah!

Pictures of the happy couples can be seen on the Human Rights Campaign website.

Weekend Recap

Another action packed weekend in the urban skies...

Friday night, Chase, Ernest and I went to see "Super Size Me", the documentary where a man eats nothing but McDonalds products for 30 days. After watching it, I never want to eat fast food again. And I have vowed that this will be be "Salad Week 2004". Nothing but salads for lunch this week. Last time I attempted it, I didn't make it past Monday. So let's hope I achieve more success this time around.

Saturday, Chase and I went shopping at the outlets stores in San Marcos, but not before stopping at Luby's Cafeteria for some good cooking. I haven't been to Luby's in years, and I forgot how delicious the food is. After eating, we heading for the outlet stores, where I got three pairs of shorts, which were badly needed. And we were called "faggots" by some street thugs sitting on a bench. That was fun. I think that was the first time in my adult life I've been libeled like that. We quickly got over it, but it has been percolating in the back of my mind since then. Perhaps I'll write more on this topic later.

After shopping, we watched "Troy". If that movie doesn't win the Oscar for Hottest Actors, then I will lose all faith in the Academy. Stunning visual effects and intense fight sequences made the movie exciting, but the editing lacked smoothness, and some of the camera shots and zooms were questionable. It's a good enough film...worth seeing on the big screen, but don't expect it to be the next "Gladiator".

Sunday, I vaccuumed out the last of the glass from when my car was broken in to. Even afterwards, I still find slivers of glass tucked away in the smallest of crevices in my Saturn. Then off to the Erwin Center for another stunning Austin Wranglers loss. I think Greg Davis must be moonlighting as the Wrangler's offensive coordinator. We couldn't find the endzone with a compass and a map. We only scored a field goal in the first quarter. 3 whole points! IN ARENA FOOTBALL!! WHERE THE FIELD IS ONLY 50 YARDS LONG!!! Justin and I couldn't stand it anymore, so we left after the 3rd quarter, and went to his house to fix chilidogs. I'm not a big fan of them, but occasionally, they taste damn good. And Sunday was one of those times. Then home to drink my Sunday evening wine and watch "Queer as Folk".

For additional fun, I may be switching jobs here at the Factory of Business Education. A technical trainer position will be opening soon, and I plan to apply for it. It would require a small paycut, but I think it will help with a lot of the other mental problems I have, and will look better on a graduate school application for music education. Having experience training and teaching will transfer to the music world quite easily. So cross your fingers that I get the job when it opens.

Big Victory!

Good news for me! Today, I received a congratulatory email informing me of my acceptance to the Bands of America Team SWAG for their 2004 Summer Symposium. I turned in an application in April with the thought that I had about a 50-50 shot of getting in. Since then, I've prepared myself for being denied, but fortunately, that is not the case. I have to be at camp June 17 - 27. It looks like I'm driving, so add two days on either end of that. Plus, there are a couple of Midwesterners I would like to see before then. I'll be shaping up the schedule over the next couple of days.

This is a big victory for me. One, being accepted is a huge mental and emotional boost. Second, I will learn a lot during the symposium, and hopefully, make several new friends. Third, attending will give excellent insight as to whether I should pursue music education as a career. And if I do go further with music, then volunteering with BOA makes a tasty treat on a grad school application. I'll need all the help I can get with having no undergraduate music training. So, this is a positive event all around.

I'm off to Houston tonight for a seminar. Woohoo!

What Famous Leader Are You?

What Famous Leader Are You?
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Unsatisfying Wins (or Give Me My Pizza Damnit!)

I just returned from the Austin Wranglers' victory over the Dallas Desperados. We won 48 - 36. Yet, it was still unsatisfying.

When the Wranglers get over 50 points, win or lose, everyone gets a free cheese pizza from Papa John's Pizza. So we have 48 points, 2 short of pizza happiness, and we get the ball with a minute left. Instead of moving close enough to attempt a field goal and letting pizzas shower upon the masses, we keep running the ball to run out the clock. After time expired, boos came pouring down from the seats, which you can only hear at a football game in Austin, Texas.

Austin football fans are never happy. What the Wranglers need to realize is that there is little brand loyalty to the franchise. Unlike a collegiate victory, a win doesn't give us any bragging rights, or some sense of superiority. The only thing we look forward to is getting free pizza. And there is no downside for taking risks in the last minute. You're up by 12; there is no way you can lose. Even if you throw an interception, the most they can score is 8 points, and then you get the ball back. And considering Dallas couldn't move the damn ball anyways, I wouldn't worry too much about them scoring in under a minute. There should have been at least a couple of attempts to move the ball down the field to setup a field goal and give us pizza. But that didn't happen...what a crappy win.

I'm such a Longhorn fan.

Random Tidbits

1. Congrats to Chase for his acceptance to the Northwestern University School of Law. Jerry Springer graduated from there, so Chase's future looks bright. ;-)

2. I'll be in Houston on Tuesday, May 11, for a seminar (aka sales pitch) for a wonderful product we use at work. I'm staying at Hotel Derek, which is fab, because the State of Texas receives a substantially reduced rate for rooms there. Yay for working in the public sector.

3. After the sleep-inducing seminar, I'm heading to Rice University for an information session and campus tour. Architecture remains an option for graduate school, and Rice has an outstanding architecture program.

4. I got my window fixed this week. Still on the To Do list: talk to insurance agent about replacing damaged bag.

5. Everyone I socialize with at work is leaving. Chase is going to NU (see item 1). Lynn is likely going to Georgia Tech for graduate work in public affairs. Melinda handed in her resignation yesterday so she can teach massage instruction full-time. I'll be left alone. Hopefully, I'll be on my way to grad school no later than fall 2005.

6. I saw "Coral Reef Adventure" at Austin's IMAX theatre. Stunningly beautiful camerawork in this film. The rich and vibrant colors captured on film amazed us. You should rush out to your nearest IMAX theatre to view this film. It makes me want to go to the beach. Maybe I'll just do that this weekend.

You Can't Make Up This Stuff

Lots of exciting events in the urban skies lately...

On Saturday, we celebrated Chase's 21st birthday (version 2). It was a festive evening. Dinner at Buca di Beppo jump started the activities. I ordered the large family size chicken parmesan to split with Chase. I always forget that pasta is not included with any of the meals, so the plate was three chicken filets breaded and herbed up nicely. I had one, Chase had one, and the third was wrapped up in a to-go box (Remember this for later). Then it's downtown for drinking and dancing fun. Unfortunately, I was hopped up on painkillers because of my crazy lymph node illness, so Mr. Sobriety was my date that night. First stop was Apple Bar for delicious martinis. I sipped a few just to get the taste.

(Quick commentary on Apple Bar: What's the freakin' appeal of the place? The martinis are excellent, but the music blares raucously making conversation impossible, and seating is limited at best. It's always a jumping point to another location...we go there, slurp down one drink, then leave for greener pastures. Ambience perhaps? *shrug* Or those wickedly delicious martinis? Yep, definately the drinks. Now back to the story...)

Then it was off to The Can for dancing and more drinking. I finally ordered a Cape Cod (the official drink of urbanskies.com), and upon imbibing the vodka concoction, proceeded to the dance floor for hours of undulating goodness.

Yes people, I dance.

Ernest darts off with some guy for lip-locking fun. Chase is grinding (getting ground?) with some hotty Latin boy on the dance floor. And I'm in a sea of sweaty men, soaking in the night. Nice, eh?

So, the evening concludes, and we're returning to the car, enjoying the crisp cold front sweeping through Austin. Once there, I notice ...

I WAS ROBBED!

Someone smashed the rear driver-side window and stole my "everything" bag (complete with eyeglasses, meds, checkbook, random papers and season tickets to the Austin Wranglers), a pair of shorts and yes, the leftover chicken parmesan. Relief swept over me when I realized that the renter's insurance policy I purchased the previous week covers all the stolen items (less the parmesan). Finally, some good timing in my life. Fortunately, I had taken the laptop out of the bag right before I left to meet Chase & Co. at Buca. The reporting policeman who arrived ventured that it was one of Austin's many downtown vagrants...obviously not a smart one, as he stole the pair of shorts while passing up the warm pullover next to it in the back seat. But at least he ate well. After the report is taken, we sweep the glass out of the seats, and I drive Ernest and Chase home glowing in the fact that I purchased my renters policy in the nick of time.

But the story doesn't end there.

First thing Monday morning, I stop all the checks at my credit union. As soon as I return to my humble cubicle, I receive a phone call from Mike, a fireman with the Austin Fire Department. Mike likes to row on Town Lake in the mornings, and on Monday morning, he found a black bag floating near the Congress Avenue bridge. He got my phone number off the oil change receipt inside and called me. Much astonished, I agreed to pick up the bag at his firehouse. The bag was sitting on a picnic table out back, drying in the rays of the sun. Everything was soaked. And everything was still inside. The dumbass vagrant stole not one thing out of the bag. Not the pills, not the checkbook, not the tickets. Nothing! He just lobbed it in the lake. I thanked Mike profusely for his efforts in fishing my belongings out of Town Lake, and upon returning to the office, ordered some thank you cookies to be delivered to his firehouse.

So now, I'm dealing with my insurance company to get my window fixed and replace the damaged belongings. I have my eyeglasses back and my season tickets remain in good condition (wrapped in many layers of plastic), but the bag is wretched, my checkbook is detroyed and my meds are contaminated. The cost in money and time to replace these items, plus the window, reaches several hundred dollars. All this, just for the most expensive chicken parmesan ever. That bastard better have enjoyed it!