Happy birthday to me! I was so thrilled to be able to give myself a trip home to ATX for my birthday this year... It's so funny (funny,, weird...not funny, ha ha) since I have not been keeping up with this blog at all, and the last time I was on it was literally on or about the last time I was in Austin, which was my mom's birthday in early November. Here I am again flying with young Junior ( Puppy or Poopy Face) and this time we even had to deal with a (gasp) layover! Poor Puppy Face was definitely stressed, but the nice folks at La Grande Orange at the Phoenix Airport just gave us a sample of vanilla gelato simply so he could take another Benadryl. Gosh he has a loud bark! I am so thankful that my parents are so welcoming to Puppy Face, and to me, throughout our visits to ATX; it makes such a difference that they love him! Anyway, he had a blast hanging out with Bevo, and I think wore poor Bevo out! Mom is working on a little plaid jacket for Puppy Face, and he also scored a bomber jacket to use in all his travels. : ) Anyway, enough of that long intro- here are the deets of my latest shenanigans in Central Tejas!
First, we must begin with a photo of young Junior checking out LAX: "Where the hell are we?!"
On Saturday I went up to Austin from NB , and Emily and I checked into our room at the W hotel. From there, Jackie, Kathleen, Denise, and Angel met up with us and we went shopping on 2ne street, and had the Best Time!!! Angel and Denise bought Halston dresses and I got a new bag and a fun spring dress..along with a groovy new bracelet. An idea that I wish I would have thought of dammit!! Don't you hate that feeling?
We went out to Lamberts BBQ for dinner, and let me tell you - I am thinking that Lamberts might be my new favorite restaurant in Austin....their food is so incredible! Their Mac-n-Cheese is the best - better than Hoover's ever was - I dare to say - only because it was baked and had bread crumbs on top. Who will ever be able to top that! Emily got some tartes for us at one of the local bakeries, as a stand in for a birthday cake, but we ended up having these for breakfast snacks - regrettably, we didn't even get to the fried okra! Dam. I wish I could just have more mac and cheese!
Mandy had joined us right before dinnr, but had to bid us goodnite after, and the rest of our gang ended up going out dancing. But honestly, I don't remember much of everything - just us bouncing around from bar to bar. I barely even recall getting into the Cage with the Gay Boy; but I do know we ended up at Trace, the lounge at the W, and you know we were safe hanging out with many more gay boys who were in town for modeling auditions! Hilarious! We eventually made our way to Chuy's for "breakfast" ie hair of the dog, and then Jackie and I went to SoCo where we stumbled upon several great stores (of course) and then to Guero's Taco Bar where blues rock was predictably in session by doctor turned jimi hendrix impersonator, Trent Turner. It was amazing and I caved and gave his kid $7 for a CD. Gosh, I love local music, and I love supporting it! The crowd was so Austin! I especially loved the older musicians hanging out, who were all dressed in black jeans and long sleeved button down shirts with black boots...old musician for sure! Then the lovebird hippies would take the dance floor while their lab mix looked on and howled just every few minutes, like he was either singing, or jealous that he could not necessarily join in. Then you got a fair number of local hipsters, just kids who are too cool for school and wearing either everything handmade or vintage. It was great!
Later that night, we ended up at a place called the White Horse Lounge a little later that evening, where the following ensued: two stepping, swinging, doing the watoosie and sock hopping, and finally, catching beads thrown out by a horn section leading a healthy and lively Mardi Gras celebration. Everyone was so hip, it was just delicious! Even my brother came out to join us and caught us up on all of his Everettisms. Excellent!
Thinking about the whole weekend is making me so dizzy... I have no idea where I got all of my energy from, but I tell you, it must have been from the excitement and interest in moving forward with such distractions - I mean, show me a billboard with a lawyer hippy, give me many margaritas, oh, and Dance Central via Kinect, a mustache or two, and I will gladly keep going!
THIS GUY:
No, I don't ever think I will be moving back to Austin anytime soon, but I can definitely keep Austin as the distant and wonderful memory of bliss and a mecca of incredible and delicious times and inspiration. I want to keep it that way. I want to keep it as a place for me to just hang out...not to work or be serious...and to always reminisce and enjoy, and then make new memories. And that's why I am ok with not moving back. Additionally, I love making a new place in LA a place like that for me and Zack in the future. We have new and wonderful friends here who will ever make this space in our lives the one and only. One day, I will look back and say - WOW, what a life!!! I hope Zack and Junior will feel that way too. Love them!
Don't worry Texas. I am back in Cali, only til the summer. Yep, another genius friend of ours has decided to get married right in the middle if July. When your miserable soul takes the heat up 102 degrees with 90% humidity and the only refreshing thing in town is a Lonestar and a cliff dive from Paleface. Can't wait! : P
