June 26, 2006
Robert Earl Keen and Watermelons
Saturday night Jocelyn, Robert, Knox and I headed to Luling, just south on 183, to go to the annual Luling Watermelon Thump! Though we could have entered the watermelon-seed-spitting contest (world record set in Luling – 69 feet!), instead we wandered around eating food-on-a-stick, going on the ferris wheel and then watching Gary P. Nunn and Robert Earl Keen.
June 6, 2006
Real People?
Today I got a shitty grade in my brief writing class.
And so I was (of course) crying to my mother about it over the phone (do people ever stop doing that? if so, why?) and she went thru the usual mechanics of reassuring me that it would be fine, etc and that I was at a really good law school so it was only bad compared to the people around me, not real people. As in, compared to the general population – "real people" – I was very smart and had done very well.
Well, i thought for a moment about why that was not more comforting as a fact – because probably it is true. But, really, it doesn't matter. Who cares how I would do against the general population? That isn't what counts as a measurement. Never in my life have I been measured against the general population (except maybe when they tell you what percentage you are in with regards to your height). And I'm trying to explain this to my mom – "You raised us in Bethesda, Maryland – one of the wealthiest towns in America; you sent us to public schools, but they were the best public schools in the country; I didn't play baseball, I rowed – and went to National Regattas; and then I went to an Ivy League college; and finally, I worked on Presidential Campaigns – in what part of my life did I do something with real people?"
It doesn't matter how I do among real people somehow because the firms I want to work for are not firms that real people want to work at. Am I qualified to work at them, despite my grade? I think I am – but that also doesn't matter. It only seems to matter if they think I am.
I concluded basically, that the only time I have been around real people has been when I was organizing, when I worked at DREAM and when I went to St. Ann's for grade school. The desire to find real people is part of the reason I left Washington, DC, actually… but it seems sometimes real people are hard to find.
May 30, 2006
And It’s Back: Summer Vacation
It's Memorial Day.
This is the third day in my first weekend off from work and I am flailing. I went to Home Depot and bought two big gallons of paint (creamy corn yellow and a very light lavender) thinking that if this is how much time I'm going to have off every weekend I need some home projects. If the fabric store would have been open I might have even bought fabric to make drapes with – i'm THAT desperate.
What? you say. Just one entry below you are cringing and bitching about your exams.
Yes, I know. But despite the awfulness that exam-season is, really I like having something to do. I don't like that the exams are so hard and count for so much – but I like having something to do all the time!
Being single and having fairly few hobbies, weekends sometimes loom large in front of me: I'll go for a row here and there, but it's so hot out now I don't even feel motivated to do much outside.
So what do I do? I plan. yesterday a bunch of us went tubing down the Comal River and had a lovely time – though I missed my book club and still feel badly about that. But it's not possible to fill every moment.
I have such high hopes too: on Friday I printed out a bunch of articles about Structural Reform Litigation hoping that I would read them – alas, they are still on the table on which I set them Friday afternoon. Such is life – either I have too much to do or too little. Perhaps I will someday find the in-between because this happens a lot (campaigning: too busy. non-profit: not busy enough), but for now, I suppose I will just keep planning and home improving.
April 11, 2006
Newsbag: The Immigration Rallies
Dan Balz has a good one today in the Post – "We Decided Not to Be Invisible Anymore." This picture has DC's cardinal, Theodore McCarrick speaking to everyone – it was great to see people from all faiths rallying for immigrants: especially people as powerful in the church as a Cardinal!
Though the NY Times has a picture from DC on it's cover today, it covers the huge rally they had there -with people of all heritages recognizes that to be an American is to be an immigrant.
In Madison, people bundled up in sweaters and marched around the Capitol.
And here in Austin, we had one of the biggest rallies in 30 years:
Chanting "El pueblo unido, jamás sera vencido" ("The people united will never be defeated") and "Si, se puede" ("Yes, we can"), they cut an impressive swath spanning more than a dozen blocks. Earlier, more than 1,000 students and other demonstrators streamed onto the East Mall at the University of Texas for a peaceful, enthusiastic midday rally.
Monday's events drew crowds reflecting the diversity of its organizers, a loose coalition of immigrants rights and civil rights groups, as well as student, religious, business and labor organizations. The marchers included parents pushing strollers, students and workers wearing clothing soiled from their construction jobs.
Phoenix had the largest rally it had ever seen with 100,000 people – including Trent, who helped make the banner below with the group No More Deaths!
April 10, 2006
Si, se puede!
Yes, I admit that's the only Spanish I know (for now). But it was all I needed to know to fit in at today's rally and march for immigration reform here in Austin.
There were marches across the US – from Phoenix, where my brother Trent marched with 100,000 others – to Garden City, Kansas (town of 30,000 where they had 3,000 marchers!). The fact that there were so many marches all across the country says so much about what a salient issue this is right now.
At one point I stopped and just stood and watched waves of people walk by me – and I noticed that it was almost all families. Mothers and fathers carring and holding the hands of their children – bringing them to be involved in a fight that could determine where they spend their lives. It was inspiring to see all the families – I don't think I have ever been to another protest or rally where there were mothers and fathers with their children. It really made me pause to reflect how important this cause truly is.
April 8, 2006
Mexican Food Immersion
I hadn't really thought about it until tonight when I was ordering dinner at Polvo's, a great Mexican place on S. 1st, but I have eaten more Mexican food in the 8 months that I have lived here than I have in the rest of my life combined I think. It is amazing the extent to which I have just started to rely on Mexican as the thing to eat when I can't figure out what to get. Today I had Eggs las Migas at El Chilito and then made myself a plate of nachos for a snack and then went to Polvo's and had some quesadillas for dinner (with a negra modelo).
Whenever visitors come I just naturally take them to Guero's because it's easy, fun, and good. I've been to Curra's a couple times too, and like it – but am NOT a fan of the avocado margarita – way too thick. I barely made it through half of one.
When I make scrambled eggs now I put them on top of a hot flour tortilla and load salsa on top. The greatest tragedy of my 2nd semester schedule has been that I don't get a break in classes until 1130, so I have missed the end time for breakfast tacos at the coffee joint across the street by 30 minutes.
And if I'm not drinking a local brew like independence or real ale – I'm drinking Negra Modelo or Dos Equis.
It is amazing really – I don't know why that fascinates me so much, I think I just didn't think my eating habits would change as drastically as they have. Still though, my favorite food in Austin is not mexican – it's Amy's Ice Cream… and in one week Lent will be over and I'll be able to have it again!
March 20, 2006
SXSW 2006
Tonight as I was driving home from dinner I turned the radio on:
“It’s not that nice here. The weather usually sucks. Music scene is really usually just average. Nah there really is even more traffic when everyone is gone actually. Yeah, sports – no sports either. Not a lot to do at all really. We just sit around and hang out and wish we lived in New York mostly.”
At first I was shocked – what? what was going on? What was this man on the radio talking about?? But then I realized – it’s SXSW. This is on for all those New Yorkers and Bostonians who are visiting Austin this weekend having a fantastic time. The DJ was simply echoing a familiar theme of those of us who have made Austin our home…
Please, don’t stay!Go back where you came from!
Yes, SXSW 2006 is dying down – Saturday was really the last big day. What a week though – wow. And I didn’t even get a wristband!
Last Friday night we went to see the wonderful Eliza Gilkynson at Threadgill’s. Saturday night, Katie (friend visiting from NC) and I were there for the opening of Barton Springs Pool – which was great since it was a summery 90 degrees out. That night after picking up another college friend from the airport we headed to Antone’s for Grupo Fantasma. (*The next week they were voted as having the best horn section in the Austin Music Awards!)
Later in the week I hit up a show at Maggie Mae’s, and saw perhaps the worst rap artist ever… but after suffering through him, we were rewarded by a short set from the Weepies – who were a totally fun couple from Boston who had some great stuff.
And, what would a week of music be without Bob? Friday, a few of us made it to Threadgill’s again to see Bob Schneider. Very fun. He was pretty tame, but it was still fun.
It was pretty amazing biking through downtown at night, or even in the afternoon, and seeing the throngs of people wandering around – most with badges strung around their necks. It was like the city just came alive – and was bursting at the seams for a week. But it made me feel like more of an Austinite: compared to all these folks, I’m practically a native.
March 10, 2006
Best Honky Tonk in Texas
Not that I have been to any other honky tonk, but it’d take a helluva lot to beat the Broken Spoke. Last night we kicked up our heels (and I even borrowed some cowboy boots so I could go all the way) to the tunes of Chapparal and had a blast.
$4.50 pitchers of lonestar beer gave us all a little more courage and we danced till the stroke of midnight. I don’t think the folks at the Spoke knew what hit them: 23 random twenty-somethinger law students (ok, not all law students) attempting to dance to sweet child o’mine in two-step. Awesome.
Robert even ordered a frito pie, after his chicken-fried steak, to top it all off…
Followed by some darts and foosball at the Showdown Saloon, it turned into one of the best nights I’ve had in Texas – or maybe ever.
It’s just all about dancing – whenever dancing is involved, you know you’re in for a good time.
This is why I moved to Texas!
March 9, 2006
Endangered Species: White Democratic Women?
Earlier in the year I wrote about my experience at the Travis Dem Party dinner and how appalled I was/am by the lack of women in Democratic politics in Texas.
One interesting dynamic to note though, has been the almost complete lack of WHITE women, in particular, in the ranks of the elected Democrats.
This week the Chronicle has an interesting article about the return of the white woman to democratic politics.
You\'re Not From Texas 