Chili Powder

Photo of the Day 11/22/07

Photo(s) here: inderoke 16/31

ACL Day One

Austin City LImits Festival- Day One

Peter Bjorn and John, LCD Soundsystem, Spoon, Kaiser Chiefs, Killers...Best show of the day- Kaiser Chiefs- The Lead singer, Ricky Wilson, Climbed the scaffolding, then got down safely only to trip and hurt his ankle (?) leaving him limping. That wasn't enough to stop him from pogo-ing the rest of the show...on one leg. Pretty impressive. Kaiser Chiefs is one of Marcel's favorite bands so he was a happy dude.

Photos from Day one:

Marcel at Kiddie Limits during the kid's drum Circe.

 

Zack and I at Kiddie Limits Flower-picture thing

Kaiser Chiefs

Austin froze

Austin froze yesterday and today.  When Austin freezes everything shuts down.  Everything.  Everything except Jen, of course.  She's still going in at noon.  But Mar's school is closed, so we'll be taking Salado on a 25 degree walk around Town Lake here in a few minutes.  I figure if I can somehow freeze both the boy and the dog, I might have a peaceful afternoon and get some writing done.

Christmas Parade

   

   

Speed Bird

 

This is a photo taken of the sky today- despite the hurricane a few hundred miles away, Austin skies were clear today. In the photo above you can see a glo-worm shape of one of the clouds; Marcel calls this cloud formation "Speed Bird".

Austin has had quite an interesting week. On Tuesday we realized that Hurricane Rita would affect areas Texas. On Wednesday local news reports warned Austin residents that the storm could knock out electricity and that gas prices may be affected. Suddenly Wednesday night people were making a mad dash for the gas station and grocery stores- stocking up on gas, water, bread, and batteries.  The news reported that people were fighting over bread in the HEB aisles and that police officers were stationed in the grocery stores.  The weather-people urged us to secure all of the loose objects outside of our homes. People were waiting in lines for over 45 minutes to get gas.  We were imagining the worst I guess.

On Thursday, being the procrastinator that I am, I realized that I had to get some real groceries and that I would be battling a panicked crowd at the grocery store.  I was stressing about the trip the entire afternoon, and actually left work early to try to get to the grocery store before the crowds. However, the roads were full of people heading into town and my normal 20 minute trip to the grocery store was over an hour.  Surprisingly, as anxiety prone as I can be, the traffic and the shopping were actually pretty manageable. And interesting too. When I arrived at the grocery store, the parking lot was so packed that I had to park by a loading dock.  Even the days before Thanksgiving and Christmas were not that bad. I could not locate a cart anywhere and tried to find one in the parking lot, with no luck. Soon, a grocery store employee on "cart-duty" pushed 7 carts up to the entrance of the store. People descended on the carts like rabid dogs.  I got one thankfully.  Inside the grocery store the shelves were cleaned out of bananas, sugar, flour, canned fruit, water, granola bars, graham crackers, Powerade- and get this TORTILLA CHIPS. Yup, you know you are in Texas when the a Hurricane looming and the stores are cleared out of tortilla chips. Plenty of potato chips, pretzels, and Cheetos- but not one bag of Tortilla chips.  Oh, and all of the white bread and the cheap wheat bread was gone, but plenty of Oroweat bread was available, in fact is was the only bread on the shelf. Score! - we eat that anyway.

In line I peeked at the contents of the other carts- 3 cases of Sunny D, boxes upon boxes of crackers, cans upon cans of soup.  I had regular old groceries and stuck out like a sore thumb- mostly perishable items that would spoil if the electricity were to be out for days. Oh well, I had a bag of ice and a cooler and I know how to live out of a cooler for a few days...

By Friday morning it was looking like we would just experience rain. By late Friday it was looking like rain wasn't more like 50/50. People flocked to Austin after sitting in traffic for hours, and filled school gymnasiums across the city.  At the same time people were flocking to South Austin for the first day of ACL fest.  The city was bumpin'.

And today- we had a beautiful, clear Saturday.  The Target down the street, close to one of the shelters, was full of folks (and their doggies) getting last minute items before heading back on another long trip back to their homes.

What a strange week.

Austin Potty Limits Festival

It's that time of year again, time for the Austin City Limits Music Festival.  The festival that everyone and their mother comes to Austin to be a part of, the festival that is 2 miles from our house that we have yet to participate in! Next year, I swear!  I have promised Marcel we will be there in 2006; he was quite dismayed that he would be missing the Kaiser Chiefs.

For the past two years our afternoon drive home from Marcel's school includes a ride along Zilker Park, the festival location.  We get a lovely view of the fences that that have been constructed as boundaries, and also a fantastic view of the port-o-pottys.  Last year we coined the phrase "Potty Festival" with Marcel because there were so many toilets you couldn't actually see inside the park.  He seriously thinks it is called potty festival. This year we watched the tents, fences, and signs go up around the area. Each day as we drove by we braced ourselves for the arrival of the pots.

And....they are here!   

For the past two years we have been able to hear the Sunday night headliner from the comfort of our house. Hopin' that we will be hearing "Speed of Sound" drifting up the street this year. 

Sunday Morning with Wee Man

Mar and I had our first post-crutches weekend morning on the town together.  I'd been missing these father/son quality wanders.  Life is WAY more fun with a totally insane 4 year old boy to share it with.

  Check out Gollum!  ...my chocolately precious, my precious with sprinkles...  Some things never change.  The best way to begin an adventure with the wee man is to give him a wicked donut buzz.  And where's the best place to take a drooling 4 year old donut zombie?  Why, the art museum!

You should enlarge this picture at the right and take a peek at the super funky thing he's standing next to. 

Today is Austin's annual free museum day so Mar and I hit the AMOA show.  I try to take Mar to every show they have (we did skip the Annie Liebowitz show last month, I've seen enough Whoopi-in-milk to last a lifetime).  Mar digs it there - we still talk about the Goldsworthy show quite a bit.  It's even better now that he can read the 'please do not touch' signs himself.  There was a pneumatic tube pushing water around the museum (I told Marcel about Beuys doing the same thing honey but he didn't care), a movie about bubbles, a tree filled with post-it note leaves.  Great show.

   Here's our post-it note leaves stuck to my Scion. 

We did a drive-by on Fran's.  I took that for all the Austin expatriates out there. 

Any out of town family members need new wallpaper of Marcel Beane ripping it up and being a big pimp?  Check this out:

Adam's Wedding

My homeboy Adam went and tied the knot last night.  The ceremony was outdoors.  Here's Marcel stricken with angst at the notion of sitting still while crying bridesmaids read 1 Corinthians.

Adam and Melanie, walking away from us through a row of rose petals.  There were extra baskets of rose petals on a table nearby, and Marcel saw them and thought they were chips.  When we told him they were rose petals, he gave us the biggest Who The Hell Puts Rose Petals In Chip Baskets look.

Here's my peeps at the reception.  My crazies.  They're happy here because I brought them brie.  Every time they'd begin to frown I'd go get them more cheese.  On one of my laps, an old lady tugged my sleeve and said "Hey brie boy, bring Nana a wedge."

Marcel took some art photos of the candles at our table.  He's very good with the camera; it's also one of our last tricks to get him to sit still.  While he took this picture I had 4 glasses of champagne and pretty soon I was shortening all my words.  "Happening" became "happing", "exciting" became "exsiyng".  Then I went and freaked with Nana.

Austin gym sightings

Our Gold's Gyms in Austin rule.  Not for their weight machines (kinda old and crusty) but for their celebrity sightings. 

Last week Jen went to the gym during her lunch hour and saw King Coffey (far left in photo) from the Butthole Surfers on the elliptical machine.  She said he looked weak and dismal on the machine, just flopping around like a bag of albino Snausages, looking like Driving Miss Daisy. 

Then this afternoon she and I go down to the Way South location, the uber-meat markety one where angels fear to tread, at least married angels like me who are over the girls who look like hos from a Chingy video.  So she and I are trying out some of these machines new to us and being total dorks, talking about the pulleys and walking around the whole floor perimeter trying to find a shoulder press -- and who the hell do we see??

Mark from Murderball.  Dude is THE MAN. 

I saw him and leaned over to poor Jen and said "Yo Jen check out Murderball check out Murderball" but she thought I was clowning just some random guy in a wheelchair so she wasn't going to look (which in fairness is something I would've done, especially to embarrass her).  But once I convinced her it was really him she checked it out and said something but I wasn't listening, I walked away from spotting her on her free weights (she's totally strong, she's fine) and walked over behind him and did some chest lifty thing a few times just to listen to him talk to his friends.  They were watching Lance Armstrong on the TV, which doubled the geekiness of it all -- all they needed was like James Frey standing there sniffing a shot of whiskey and rejecting it and all my heroes would be in the same spot.

He's so the man.  He's probably gonna read this and find me and kill me too, but man when I was a kid I would've let Jake the Snake Roberts give me a DDT because he was so cool and I'd be cool with Mark from Murderball destroying me for the same reason. 

zack

Saturday at the Farmer's Market

Yesterday morning we headed down to the Sunset Valley Farmer's Market to get some Watermelon and some fruit preserves for toast.  What a great mix of vendors- fresh vegetables, flowers, pastries, chocolate, tie-dyes, plants, cheese, meat, gourmet treats... Yum.

Viva Les Amis

My friend Erin/Olivia and I went to the final showing of  "Viva Les Amis"  last night at the Alamo. The following is a synopsis of the movie, taken from the website:

Viva Les Amis looks at one local café as an example of a national trend: The loss of the mom and pop shop. The film explores the 27 year history of Les Amis Café – a sidewalk café that served almost three decades of eclectic customers and staff. Through the eyes of Newman Stribling, once manager of Les Amis Café, now cab driver, the film delves into the long history of Les Amis, and reveals the present: Les Amis Café replaced by a Starbucks. 

I only visited Les Amis once before it closed, but Zack and friends were regulars.  It was a great documentary, both funny and sad at the same time - funny because the people involved were all very witty and unique, sad because they mourned the loss of the cafe now replaced with the antithesis of Les Amis. People loved to work at and hang out at the cafe, and in its absence you can feel a strong sense of loss. Just bringing home the program, which was a reproduction of the Les Amis menu, was enough to send Zack back ten years.  Though it was late when I got home last night, Zack's excitement over seeing the old menu and hearing about the movie was contagious and we stayed up for quite a while longer talking about his old friends and good times at the cafe. 

Very cool. Thanks Erin/Olivia for suggesting the movie!

Jennifer

Movie Weekend

After yet another whirlwind week around here Jen and I met up with friends last night to catch Spinal Tap at the Paramount Theatre.  The Tap's a Gonzales family classic, and we were both able to notice many things for the first time by finally catching it on a big screen.  Jennifer always busts up during the Stonehenge scene.  I love the bassist Derek Smalls. 

We just watched the Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster documentary last week, and it was amazing how similar the two movies are.  Derek Smalls says the creative battle between Nigel and David is like fire and ice, and it's his role to be somewhere in the middle, like lukewarm water.  That IS Kirk Hammett.

The movie hits me in that same spot Rocky Horror used to, sometimes I want to catch all the jokes but sometimes I just want to listen to the music, because I'll tell it like it is, Nigel's little androgynous arena rock falsetto sounds GOOD.  (Of course we have a 4 yr old who likes ELO so I guess it's a family thing.)  "Where the dew drops cry/and the cats meow/I will take you there/I will show you how"  GO Nigel.

Sunday we are returning to the Paramount for a family matinee viewing of Wizard of Oz.  The Paramount is super cool, it's a way old restored theatre in downtown Austin, rockthrowing distance from the Capitol.  Marcel's gonna love it.  I think he's seen Oz twice but never in a theatre.  Me neither -- in fact, I don't think I've ever seen it without commercial breaks.

zack 

5 Day Weekend

Marcel had his last day of school yesterday. They went to Radijazz in the morning and had pizza party for lunch. I tried to take photos of the kids, but I couldn't any clear shots. By the time the camera "clicked",  my photo would only contain an arm, or some sweaty hair.  They were running, tumbling, jumping, and rolling down the "hills" and didn't stop moving the entire time. It was a great way to end the school year. His teacher, Ms T, collected all of his school work, photos, and drawings for the entire school year and placed it in a giant "journal". It is an amazing keepsake. Marcel also made a stepping stone for Ms. T's garden that we will deliver to the school today.

So, now after a few extremely busy weeks, Marcel and I are chillin' for the next 2 days (and then 3 more days with Zack too!). We have a few things planned; Napoleon Dynamite in the Park, hiking at one of the local state parks, and going to see Madagascar...And being lazy...And making many trips to Sno-Beach (it is in the 90s here already). And perhaps swimming at Barton Springs...

Jennifer

Catching Up

Where did the time go this week!  I never posted my pictures from the Lunchbox vs Ashley rematch- so here is a little recap.

First off, I found my way to Cedar Park, despite the fact that my directions were pretty crappy. I successfully navigated through the suburbs without having to call for help. It is probably because I have finally accepted that we will be moving to the suburbs within the next year.

We got there early, and hung out in the stands scoping out the people and listening to the broadcast. They played Marcel's favorite song- check out his moves:

We also passed the time by keeping with tradition, and taking pictures of ourselves, as we do at practically every event that we attend...

Marcel was pretty impressed with the whole track set up- once he saw the bleachers and understood that they would be running around the track (and not on the road, the way ours are) he told me that he wants to be a track runner when he is "a big kid".

Finally the race started. If you read the article that I linked to above, you already know the outcome...Lunchbox won by a second. That sucked. Marcel was sad, we really wanted Ashley to win.

Hopefully they will race again, and Ashley will kick his butt.

Jennifer

Explaining it to the teacher

Adam took this great photo of Marcel from inside the "House of Flies".

This morning, on the way to dropping Marcel off at school, I started to imagine the inevitable pre-k conversations about Marcel and the house of flies. Especially his teacher. I could just imagine her thinking that we had a serious bug problem at our house. So, when I got there- I told her all about the "House of Flies".  She knows he has an active imagination, so I wanted her to know he wasn't making it up! 

She responded the typical way that people respond to things involving my husband, "Oh, that seems like something he would do". My husband- the guy who drank a whole cup of Caesar dressing for a few dollars. The guy who used to replace the sugar in the lemonade with salt at the restaurant he worked at. The guy that when he was "courting me", decorated my car rear-view mirror with a urinal cake featuring a picture of Vanilla Ice... 

Marcel says that when he is older, he will go into a house of flies. It will probably be when he breeds them in his own room for some experiment. Or perhaps he will experience his first "house of flies" in the same way I did: When I was 21 my roommate(s?) left dishes in the sink for days in the heat of the summer that bred many many maggots...

Jennifer

House of Flies

I swear there were a bunch of flies in there, but it was just very hard to take a photo through the window! More photos here.

Zack will elaborate later, since this is his deal. One thing I will mention- Marcel and I stood in line with Zack and the Adams while they waiting to enter the house of flies. As we got closer, some winged escapees would land on us.  Marcel and I got a small taste of the House of Flies just standing outside.

Zack could not convince Marcel that entering the House of Flies with Daddy would facilitate father-son bonding. Zack tried.

Jennifer

House of Flies Pillow Talk

Among the pillow talk with my wonderful wife, some comments of hers re: House of Flies as we drifted off to sleep last night:

"...I wonder if they're gonna be blowflies or horseflies?  Because horseflies bite..."

"...House of Flies isn't that bad really.  Maybe they should do hornets, the House of Hornets..."

"...or hissing cockroaches, oh man!  Can you imagine the sound inside the House of Hissing Cockroaches?"

"...if they're gnat-sized they're gonna go all up your nose..."

"...I bet they had to use rotten meat to breed all the flies...that or a dead body..."

I think Jennifer's more excited about this thing than I am.  It's gonna be so HOT in there!  Ach.  Apparently Marcel really wants to go in there with me, too.  That's my boy.

zack

House of Flies

Sooooo...what are YOU doing on Thursday at 3:30pm?  As for me, I've RSVP'd for a spot in the Alamo Drafthouse Amityville House of Flies.  My movie geek pal Adam and I will endure the House of Flies, filled with 25,000 hungry baby flies, for a free t-shirt and a free screening of the new Amityville Horror.  One at a time, we enter the House of Flies and endure the flies until the owners and film producers decide we're worthy of a free ticket and a t-shirt.  This is going to be huge.  These are the kind of things in Austin that turn into celeb sighting opportunities.  Usually Luke or Owen Wilson will be there.  I'd love to see flies all along Luke Wilson's extravagant jawline. 

The Drafthouse built the miniature Amityville house just for this special screening, and the owners have been breeding flies.  Me, I'm hoping they all mature before I get in the house;  25,000 flies sounds WAY better than 12,500 flies, 12,500 maggots.  But if that's what it takes to get a free t-shirt buddy, then its on like Donkey Kong. 

For those of you who have never been to the Alamo, move to Austin so you can check it out.  I'm not playing.  Off the top of my head, here's some of my favorite memories courtesy of the Alamo Drafthouse:

• Their old Blacksploitation Nights, when they would show a classic like Shaft, Superfly, The Mack, or Coffy -- and serve a 40 oz. of malt liquor with the movie.
• Watching Red Dawn, complete with a pre-movie Who's-got-the-best-'Wolverines!!'-yell-and-costume contest.  The winner got to go play paintball with the Alamo staff the following day.
• Watching the Mr. Sinus guys do Xanadu.  That was a date, in fact.  I think Jen and I held hands for that one.  I remember the Alamo had dragged out all these trailers for rollerskating movies, starring Scott Baio, Linda Blair, and Larry Hagman I think.  Maybe not Larry Hagman.
• The BEST ever was going to see The Warriors.  Included in the price of admission was a six pack of mini Budweisers, and in the end part "Warriors, come out to playyyyyyy...", the entire theatre put the bottles on their hands and clinked them like the crazy guy from The Rogues.  That is totally what Heaven looks like to me.
• Jen saw a Russ Meyer tribute thing there, complete with burlesque dancers shimmying in the aisles and Russ Meyer in attendance.  He was completely wasted, and his Q & A dealy decomposed into a drunken harangue.  (Jen clarifies for me: There never was a Q & A.  Meyer was totally wasted and he left the theatre and went out on the street.  It was like a parade.  The entire audience followed him, and he was swearing at them and staggering all over.  He called a cab and left.)

And there's more we've done there but I can't remember offhand.  Jen will be at Amityville, taking plenty of photos of her husband with a face covered with flies.  Taylor, this is why you should be thankful we live in different cities.  If you were an Austinite I'd have you in the House of Flies.  Brandi too.

zack 

Wasn't I just having a picnic outside?

This evening,  Marcel and I spread a blanket out on the lawn and had a picnic; we ate ice pops and read the "Tim" and "Hal" learn-to-read books. As you can see below it was a warm and sunny Spring evening in Austin....

A few hours later, the house was being pelted by hail!   It sounded like golf balls were hitting the house (but they are more the size of blueberries as you can see in the photo taken of the balcony). Still, what's up with the hail? This weather here is so weird.

 

Go fly a kite

 

Today we went to the Kite Festival at Zilker Park.  I got my first sunburn of the year - Ouch.  Zack got popped by a rebel Strawberry Shortcake kite a few times, but didn't suffer any injuries. Crossing the park today was like trying to avoid landmines; between avoiding strings on the ground and staying clear of torpedoing trick kites we really had to watch our step.  At one point Marcel yelled out "this is a nightmare!" as we dodged a half dozen out-of-control kites. He was having fun though, and our eyes and limbs are still intact.  I am sure the medical tent saw a few visitors today though.  A perfect day for a kite festival! Check out the pictures. Oh, and check out the photo of Zack and I, on the left you can see a man's leg up in the air, do you think he had just fallen down? I think maybe he did - ha.

Jennifer

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