It seems that list publishing has been popular ever since the Ten Commandments, or 15 if you have the Mel Brooks' version. Then David Letterman (the other Dave) perfected wacky list making in his nightly ritual. Therefore, since we've been here in Austin now coming up on three months, I thought it would be time for a few lists of our own.
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Here is our list of the pleasantly unexpected experiences in Central Texas:
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1. Intensely blue sky. I haven't come up with a shade but the skies are a deep, almost pastel blue. It's like taking a blurry picture and making it sharp and vivid. And with the absence of skyline obstructions (site easements my friend Bill calls them), the horizon is often a vast inverted blue ocean with white caps of -
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2. Towering cumulus clouds of every shape and size imaginable. A trip up to the west hills yields green rolling hills (even in summer) with sharp contrasts of blue sky and pure white clouds. Maybe the clouds seem pure because of -
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3. The lack of pollution. No haze or smaze here. Probably for a couple of reasons - no heavy industry, fewer cars and -
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4. A welcome, almost daily breeze. So far we haven't been overcome by the prophesied stifling humidity. The regular breeze certainly helps but so does -
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5. The vast number of water destinations. Swimming holes, creeks, rivers, lakes, water parks. What a surprise along with -
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6. Vast groves of thick oaks and pines and almost tropical foliage that allows for green summers many years. With all the destinations it's nice that -
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7. Very few things are crowded, actually nothing has been so far, even while school has been out. Maybe with so many venues it spreads out the people and makes those you do encounter -
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8. Very friendly and helpful, possessing a real sense of community (especially at The Arbors). A community that is -
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9. Wonderfully ethnically diverse, so important to us for our grandchildren to be exposed to other cultures than WASPs. This is highlighted by an almost endless schedule of festivals and cultural activities that makes you aware of -
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10. A very vibrant community, but with its share of quirks and unpleasantness like -
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A. Enough with the California bashing already, and why don't folks -
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B. Return phone calls and emails? I know people here prefer the face to face but if that's all you did, you'd be stuck at -
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C. The worst timed traffic light system we've ever seen, from red lights when no one's there to green turn arrows when nobody wants to turn. And what's with -
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D. The unreadable street signage and off-ramps nowhere near an intersection? Thankfully there is a brilliant U-turn system that doesn't require waiting for a light. Not having to wait for a light is important because it allows you to escape -
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E. Rampant, and quite unexpected, panhandling at almost all major intersections. Asking for everything from money to beer and even charitable contributions!? But at least there are very few eyesore billboards and the gas prices are great. What isn't great is -
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F. The ridiculous price of bulk foods. We sure miss Winco, even in the home town of Whole Foods. Can Trader Joe's provide some relief? I guess as long as folks -
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G. Get sliced white bread (think Rainbow Bread) and saltine crackers with BBQ orders it leaves very little of substance that can be listed as truly unexpected unpleasantness, weirdness maybe, but not unpleasantness.
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Yes, white bread with BBQ. BBQ will be the topic of my next blathering as soon as I visit with Willie Nelson, a major figure in the BBQ scene. Until then, "all y'alls" (plural of y'all) will just have to rely on Alton Brown's "Feasting on Asphalt" series on Food Network.
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Bye
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p.s. Given both our sitting infirmities we are very thankful for a plethora of televised church services. We found one from Hyde Park Baptist Church that is nearly a complete service and the messages are free from the typical cliches and evangelistic stereotypes. We feel that we are both learning and worshipping while in the inclined supine position!
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p.p.s. Why all the "x's"? I can't get the formatting to leave a blank line. I am bloggedly challenged it seems.
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