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HornPhD

Certifiably Surly
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Everything posted by HornPhD

  1. I have a family trip (wife, 2 kids, and my parents) to Paris, Normandy, and London scheduled for end of May/early June. Flights and rooms were booked months ago. My parents are 77 and 83 and have never been to another continent. They have been super-excited for this trip. Contemplating when the go/no-go call needs to get made.
  2. Interesting read that ties a bunch of threads together https://www.austinchronicle.com/music/1999-12-31/75319/ More than anything else, however, 1999 will be remembered as the year Austin's exploding economy leveled the landscape of live music venues. The Electric Lounge is gone. Liberty Lunch is gone. Steamboat is gone. The Bates Motel is gone. Even less vital local venues such as Dessau Music Hall and Austin Blues passed into the past tense, the latter after a mere six months of operation. Taking inventory of live music venues falling by the wayside has become an annual rite in Austin. Club closings are a constant in the equation. But make no mistake, 1999 was exceptional in this regard, exceptionally brutal, as four of Austin's most frequented venues are no more. Why? Two words: Mon-ey.
  3. To me, yes. But that’s probably the nostalgia talking.
  4. I lived in Austin at three different times: First was in the early/mid 70s when my father was getting his PhD at UT. I was in pre-school back then, so I don’t remember much. We lived in the Breckenridge Apartments on Lake Austin Blvd. My sister and I attended Chip-N-Dale Nursery School on West 26th. We used to attend UT Women’s basketball games and sit on the floor at one of the baselines. My father tells a great story about Willie stopping to talk with him and my mother one time at The Armadillo World Headquarters. He told my father he sure was a lucky Yankee to be married to such a fine Texas woman. Second time was in 1983 when my father was on sabbatical and doing research at UT. I went to Murchison (which seemed like it was the suburbs at the time) and played football and basketball. Our football team lost in the City Championship game. I still think if Ronald Belvin had pitched the ball to me on the last play of the game, I could have score the game-winning touchdown. The best memories were getting free/cheap end zone tickets to Longhorns football games and being able to go on the field after the game. The field was also open to the public during non-game days. We only lived there for the first half of the year before moving back to NY. Third time was 96-03. Like several people mentioned previously, this was a great time to live in Austin. So many places to hear live music or drink on the cheap; however, the city didn’t feel overgrown. For example, Taco Shack added their 2nd location during this time frame. I lived mostly near campus or west Austin. One place was a garage apartment a block off Lake Austin Blvd. $325/month including cable and utilities. And the main house had a pool that I was allowed to use. In 2002, my now wife and I attended the inaugural ACL music festival. We could walk up to any stage for any band/singer and find a spot. How would things have turned out differently if the ACL music festival never happened or had not been as successful in that inaugural year? Year 2 added a day and more widely-known acts and 40% of pre-sales were from out of town. Check out the review and lineup: http://www.austinnewsstory.com/ACL2002MusicFestvalReview/ACLMusicFestival09282002.html I’ve been in living in SF or Oakland since May 2003 and not a day goes by that I don’t wish we would move back to Austin. Despite the changes, it’s still the coolest place to live.
  5. My grandfather ate popcorn every day and out of the same stainless steel bowl for at least as long as he and I were both alive (29 years).
  6. Is a BJ out-call service far behind?
  7. Tulemar is awesome. We had 4 kids (age 8-12 at the time). Zipline was a blast. Waterfall hike was pretty fun. We did the park tour; however, we could have done that on our own. Our guide was a huge college basketball fan, so it made the walk more enjoyable. Onsite, the beach is great. They have kayaks and boogie boards free to use. David, if he’s still there, runs the activity shed and is a Longhorns fan. Food and drinks are available. I recommend having a private chef at least one night (if you aren’t already planning for that). After being out all day, it was great to get back and not have to worry about dinner.
  8. For Lotus of Siam without reservations, you can eat at the bar or in the lounge area.
  9. That was the year I won by picking Clemson! Love the game theory when it comes down to the last game.
  10. Maybe you should start gambling
  11. The W. Close to BART and Muni. Also, only a few blocks away from The Chieftan, which is a very cool Irish pub. Agree with not staying in Fishermman’s Wharf.
  12. What are the odds he arranged a percentage for himself?
  13. Awesome show. This was my 4th time seeing him.
  14. The wife and I saw Willie last night at The Fillmore in San Francisco
  15. Even if you’re lucky and live in a small town with a few good to great restaurants, you get bored with the menu pretty quickly.
  16. I’m turning 50 this year and will not trust any potential fart. That being said, I’ll probably shart multiple times. I’ll blame it on being drunk.
  17. HornPhD

    Magic mushrooms

    Did shrooms multiple times in the late 90s while living in Austin. Couple times in apartments and then venturing into neighborhoods (the counter guy at 7-11 knew). Eeyore’s Birthday once (I sat in the trees the whole time). Metallica concert (was there a guy hanging from the rafters?). The best was at The Tavern employee Christmas party. Upstairs was the party. Downstairs was open to the public. Coming down the stairs was like someone turned down the speed of a record player. I think all of these times were in the same calendar year.
  18. The guilt I felt while watching Texas kick ass is more punishment than any person deserves.
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