SXSW and a lesson in being thankful

I love Austin, TX. This may come as a surprise to people who know me as an ACLU card carrying Liberal. Austin, is indeed in Texas, but it is not Texas. Austin is a little heaven of beautiful Blue weirdness in a giant Red state. Seriously, its city Tag Line is "Keep Austin Weird". How can you not love a city that prides itself on being weird?

Famous Austin street art

I also love Austin because I happen to have some great family there. My Aunt Pam and Uncle Jack migrated there, and my cousins Nicole and Leandra followed. This means when I visit Austin I get to visit some great people, which always makes a trip better.

Family

I've been to Austin a few times myself. To visit family. To attend my now passed on Poppy's 90th birthday. And last year, to attend SXSW with Lindsay. SXSW (locally called simply South By) is a film, interactive, and music conference that began in 1987. It's since grown into a massive 10 day long takeover of Austin with music from every genre you can imagine, films that you'll probably never see but are lucky if you do, and all the newest techie stuff that is out. It is the largest festival of it's kind with around 2,200 official bands playing at over 100 venues.

We went for the music, of course. And when we landed in Houston (because the flights were cheaper) we hit the ground running.

We landed, made the 4 hour drive to Houston, and went directly to see The Unlikely Candidates who we have been lucky to meet in the past. We made it just in time to see Kyle do what I consider one of the best covers of House Of The Rising Sun. You'll be hard pressed to see anyone sing that song with more sweaty passion than he does.

Kyle Morris from The Unlikely Candidates

The Unlikely Candidates and The Vegabonds

The next few days were a complete fury of sight seeing, shopping, dancing, music, family, and fun. Breakfast with chickens, street art, bats, break dancing, and more music. Music from artists that are known, like the Sleigh Bells, to artists you have never heard of such as Gabby Young who  performs what some call Circus Punk. There are local musicians, musicians from the other side of the world, and then there was Lady Gaga. Snoop Dog and Willie Nelson have been known to walk down 6th Street smoking...

Sleigh Bells

So So Glos

Calliope Musicals

The Soil and The Sun

If you were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Debbie Harry at her impromptu performance with the Dum Dum girls at the Spotify House, I'm jealous.

And that is one of the best things about SX. The surprises. Like the surprise we got when we went to see the tribute to Jimmy Hendrix, a free performance in Butler Park. First, Slash showed up. Yes, THE Slash. And then, to the jumping squealing surprise of Lindsay, Chino Moreno from the Deftones joined him on stage for a cover of Foxy Lady.

Lindsay and I woke up on our second day of SX to frantic texts and calls asking if we were ok. Apparently there had been a terrible accident downtown Austin, and several people had been injured. It happened in front of The Mohawk, a music venue, where Lindsay and I had been the night before to try to get in to see Phantogram. Fortunately the line was so long we decided to leave and meet up with our friend Forehand from The Vegabonds for drinks. A few hours later, a drunk driver who was trying to avoid the police, plowed into the crowd in front of The Mohawk killing 4 people. Lindsay and I attended a vigil for those people the next day. It was surreal to know the same place we had been standing attempting to crane our necks to hear a band play was the site of a terrible tragedy a few short hours after.

Lindsay and I like to enjoy life. We are thankful people. I don't think we take much of what we have for granted. But waking up to realize that if we had stayed at that venue, we may have been injured or killed... well that is a very strong reminder that every day that we have, every moment, is a blessing not afforded to everyone.

Be thankful. Be thankful for love. Be thankful for puppies. Be thankful for art. Be thankful for music. Be thankful for beer. Be thankful for friends. Be thankful for family. Be thankful for every day.

Foster The People show at Butler Park

Family

Texas Beer and BBQ

Why I won't shop at Hobby Lobby and why I hope you won't, too

This is not a blog post about travel. There are no pictures here. But this is a topic I feel very strongly about, and this is my avenue for speaking up. 

If you and I are friends you know by now that I don't like Hobby Lobby. I didn't like the idea of them opening a store in my town, and I speak out whenever someone brings up their name. I frequently get asked why I don't like Hobby Lobby.  I will explain why.

Hobby Lobby is a "family owned" company that sells crafty stuff that people use to create things like Mason Jar candles that they saw on Pinterest. If by "family owned" you mean a company that has 578 stores, employs 23,000 people, and generates $3.3 BILLION in revenues. They are as much of a family owned business is Wal Mart, Comcast, and Ford Motor are. Don't believe that this is just some cute little mom and pop business. It's a mega corporation. A powerful one. They are also a corporation run by a family of devout Christians. Christians with a very defined agenda. In fact they are so rich, and so Christian, that they are building an $800 million Bible Museum in Washington. 

But because Hobby Lobby identifies themselves as a family business they were able to effectively sue  for the right to deny women that work for them insurance coverage for 4 out of 20 forms of birth control provided under the Affordable Care Act. Their reasoning? They are a "family business" owned by Christians who believe abortion is a sin, so they shouldn't have to provide coverage for things they deem to be "abortifactants". It would be against their "Christian values". There are a few problems with that, however. 

1. The forms of birth control they don't want to cover DO NOT, scientifically or medically speaking, cause abortions. 
2. Allowing the uber rich heads of a $3.3 billion company to decide what medical coverage to provide employees based on their personal religious beliefs is damn scary. 
3. It's hugely hypocritical.

Why is it hypocritical, you ask? Here's the clincher. While Hobby Lobby feels so strongly against providing options for it's female employees like IUDs and Plan B because they are "pro life", it has no problem profiting via share holding and investing in the same exact companies who make these things. Hobby Lobby has $73 Million invested in funds with stakes in contraception manufacturers.  This includes Pfizer, the company who makes the drug Cytotec which actually does induce abortions. 

In short this means that a cashier working at Hobby Lobby who goes to the ER after being raped won't have the Plan B (Emergency contraceptive pill) that the Dr will order for her to prevent her from getting pregnant covered by her insurance, but a CEO will be able to have a nice retirement with money made from investing in Teva, the company that makes Plan B. 

Also hypocritical? Most of the products you can buy at Hobby Lobby are made in China. Generally in Chinese sweat shops where people work in terrible conditions. And China has more abortions yearly than any other country in the world. But somehow the Green family thinks that it can overlook that fact, so they can provide you with cheaply made ribbon for your Mason Jar Candle. 

Still want to shop there?

Here's where it hits home for me. Literally. 

Hobby Lobby spends a huge amount of money funding ultra conservative Christian foundations that promote and work directly to create anti gay and lesbian legislation.  in 2012, Forbes Magazine sited David Green (the co-head of Hobby Lobby) as the single largest individual donor to evangelical causes in America. 

Remember that little piece of legislation that came up in Arizona earlier this year? SB 1062? That's the bill that would have essentially made it legal for companies and businesses to deny rights and service to others based on their personal religious beliefs. Basically it would have made it legal for a restaurant to refuse to serve Lindsay and I because we are a couple, if that restaurants owner believed that being gay is a sin. Guess who helped fund that legislation. If you guessed Hobby Lobby, you are correct. 

Hobby Lobby donates MILLIONS to a foundation called the National Christian Charitable Foundation that provides grants to causes including climate science denial, charter schools, free market and pro-life advocacy. And anti gay legislation. 

Hobby Lobby CEOs have an agenda. A Ultra Conservative Right Wing Evangelical Christian agenda that doesn't involve allowing people like Lindsay and I to marry. To walk into a business freely as a couple. To live our lives just like everyone else. Every time someone spends money in Hobby Lobby they are helping to further that agenda. 

Still want to shop there? I understand. Pinterest is addicting and Hobby Lobby sells cheap stuff to make those Mason Jar candles. I won't berate you. I won't unfriend you on Facebook. But please know that when you chose to shop at Hobby Lobby instead of driving to AC Moore or Michaels, that this is the company you are supporting. 

Every day is an adventure waiting to be had

Lindsay and I travel a lot. If we could make a living off of traveling, taking pictures, and writing about it I can safely say we would both forgo our current career paths and do exactly that. We both love to explore, see new things, have new experiences. If I can give one piece of advice to anyone, it would be to travel, and travel often. Fly across the country. See a new city. Take a long drive. Find something new. You won't regret it.

With that being said, you don't have to travel far for an adventure. Sometimes you get to experience new things without leaving the town you live in. Sometimes without leaving your own house.

Case in point, one frigid February evening (don't ask which one. They were all frigid this past winter) when Lindsay and I took my youngest son, Chayson, to her studio for some painting.  Chayse is a sweet, albeit occasionally temperamental, 9 year old boy. He loves his Razor scooter, Legos, and anything outdoors. And he is shy. That's how we started out that evening, with Chayse being a shy 9 year old who was still trying to figure out exactly what to make of the changes going on in his life.

And then Lindsay handed him some paint. Paint the backdrop, she suggested. He did, with some hesitation. "How about this? Paint your face". "Ok..." "Wait, let's just paint your body". "Really?"

What started out as a slightly awkward painting session with a shy 9 year old and his mom's new girlfriend turned into an adventure in self expression. Going through the pictures, even now, I can see Chayse start out slightly tentative and by the end... well you can see for yourself.

If this face doesn't scream adventure and fun, I don't know what does.

So, do something fun today. Do something new. Paint. Go for a drive. Play in the rain. Teach your kids, or your parents, something fun. Laugh. Dance. Sing. Watch the sunset. Have ice cream for dinner. Create an adventure. Don't wait for that vacation you've been planning. Don't wait for whatever excuse you have that keeps you from enjoying life to the fullest. Don't wait for tomorrow to do what will make you smile today.

New Year's New Adventures

So how did I, someone who hates when the ambient temperature dips below 70*, and Lindsay, who is more apt to vacation on a Cali beach than a frozen mountain, end up 400 miles North in Bar Harbor, Maine during one of the coldest winters in recent history? Simple. It was new.

Lindsay and I are both the types to pack a bag and head out for a new adventure on a whim. Whether it's a quick hike in the Connecticut woods, a road trip involving a 7 hour drive, and an adventure involving 2 plane tickets, we are both ready to try new things. We both love to try new things, see new sites, and visit new places. So when I suggested visiting Acadia National Park for New Year's Eve, Lindsay, of course said, yes. What better way to start the New Year than by adventuring with your favorite adventure partner (and amazing girlfriend!!)?

There are two things I can tell you about Acadia National Park in the winter. 1) It's cold. Really cold. And 2) It's stunning

Picture walking out on to a rocky ledge covered in a frozen waterfall that runs into the icy and rough open ocean below. Driving down a completely deserted road and seeing a deer eating grass on the side of the road, and being able to get out of your vehicle and spend time staring at her, without any disruption. Climbing perilously down the frozen salt water encrusted stairs to view the Natural Wonder of Thunder Hole without waiting in line or feeling rushed. Hiking 3 miles into the ice covered Maine woods to visit Jordan Pond House, which is usually bustling during peak season with tourists eating their famous popovers and jam, and being the only people there. And then hiking 3 miles out of the woods as the sun sets, stepping out onto a ridge overlooking a pond, and the only sound you hear is the rustling of your backpack as you breathe. 

Stunning doesn't even begin to describe those moments.

On average 2.5 million people visit Acadia National Park each year, most during Spring and Summer. During the winter months, however, Bar Harbor Maine is essentially a ghost town filled mostly with locals and a few crazy adventurers (ie Lindsay and I). So after a long bath in the jacuzzi tub at our suite at the Mira Monte Inn we headed downtown to one of the 3 open restaurants and bars on the island, The Thirsty Whale Tavern where we rang in the New Year with a small band playing acoustic rock and 20 some odd locals who were somehow able to stand out in -2* cold in t-shirts to smoke cigarettes.

The music was ok. The locals were very hospitable. We split a bottle of Allagash Curieux and talked and laughed and loved as the ball dropped in New York City and 2014 began. I can't think of a better way to start a new year than that.

Let's go somewhere cold

I hate the winter. I was born in upstate New York. I’ve lived in New England my entire life. I’ve never been skiing. I don’t like the cold. My idea of a good winter activity is traveling to somewhere warm or taking a hot bath. Lindsay is a bit more ambivalent about the winter months. She doesn’t love them, but she’s learned to bundle up well and make the best of it. So when I suggested traveling to one of the coldest places on the United States East Coast to celebrate New Year’s Eve, you can imagine her surprise.

We had planned on traveling to Acadia National Park on coastal Maine back in October. I love to camp, Lindsay has never been “real” camping, and Acadia is a photographer’s playground so we figured we would get up there while the leaves were still in their fall colors. Our plans got postponed due to the impending arrival of Lindsay’s adorable niece, Charlotte Scott. Acadia in the fall would have been really pretty, but Charlotte’s arrival was definitely worth staying home.  

With no plans for New Years  and the fact that Bed and Breakfasts on Mount Desert Island are dirt cheap because, well, who the hell wants to travel to coastal Maine in the winter, I suggested Acadia for New Years. Two nights in a suite at the Mira Monte Inn with a whirlpool bath, fireplace, sitting, room, porch, private entrance, and an Innkeeper named Marian who welcomes you to “Bah Habah” for under $250 total. Not a bad deal.

Of course we couldn’t travel up to freezing cold, ice, and snow without doing something warm first. With the help of my impressive Googling skills I ran across Riverview Sauna, Spa, and Massage  in Bowdoinham, ME. Run by a couple of massage therapists, Darcy and Ray, who built a cabin on their 9 acres of property in the Maine Woods with a private outdoor hot tub, and sauna,  Riverview is an oasis in the forest. Originally built to entertain friends and family, Darcy and Ray now open their home to clients where you can enjoy an hour massage and hour soaking in the hot tub or warming in the sauna.

Lindsay and I were lucky enough to be there just after Maine had had their biggest ice storm in years. Sitting outside in a steaming hot tub with every tree branch encased in ice and the ground covered in snow was both exhilarating and calming at the same time. It was so quiet that you could hear the ice cracking on the tree branches when the gentle wind would blow. The late morning sunlight slicing through the trees, making everything sparkle. Winter birds chirping. Floating in the water with my love. It was the complete embodiment of peaceful.

And what do two head-over-heels in love girls do after having a wonderfully romantic morning of massages and hot tub soaks? Drink beer, of course! A quick drive brought us to the Sea Dog Brewing Company in Topsham where the food was mediocre, the beer was good, and the view was gorgeous. Beer flights consisting of ten 3 oz samples of beers such as Sea Dog Hazlenut Porter, Sea Dog IPA, and Sea Dog Winter Ale were only $11. I can drink to that!

 Now that we were thoroughly relaxed from hot tubs, saunas, massages, and beer it was time to make the 3 hour drive to Bar Harbor. It’s easy to spend 3 hours driving and talking about life and playing car games when you really enjoy the person you are traveling with. Time honestly does fly by when I’m with Lindsay.  She is my adventure partner and favorite person. The conversation flows easily. The mood is light and happy. We can talk about the silliest things, or our deepest thoughts, both accepted by the other without judgement. There’s no over-talking or awkward silence. No tension or irritation, which so frequently happens when you travel (especially on long car trips) with another person. Just happiness, joy, good times, and love

Going back to Cali

Back to Cali for her, first time for me. First time putting my feet in the Pacific Ocean. First time seeing the Golden Gate Bridge. Actually, it was the first time I've traveled past the Texas border. Lindsay has spent enough time on the West Coast to consider California her second home. I had a lot of catching up to do. 

Things I learned in Cali:

1. The Golden Gate Bridge is really as stunning and majestic, albeit really pretty touristy, as they say it is. It's worth the trip to see it. 
2. San Francisco knows food and drink. 
3. It's not as warm in Northern Cali as us East Coasters want to think it is. 
4. California is wicked fun, but I am an East Coast girl at heart and always will be
5. No one from Cali uses the word "wicked"

The Cali trip was definitely a bit of a whirlwind. Fly in to San Fran and spend the night in the city with somewhere around 60,000 other people who are there for a business conference. Drive to San Jose and spend some time with Lindsay's friends. Drive to Santa Cruz, put my feet in the ocean and see the most amazing sunset. Head to Los Gatos and spend the night with another of Lindsay's friends. Fly home. Whirlwind is an understatement. 

One night in San Fran was not enough. It went sort of like this... Nap, eat, drink, nap, drink, nap, drive to San Jose. We ate dinner right across the street from the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, which was beautiful. I wish I could remember the name of the restaurant because their White Truffle Oil Mac and Cheese was killer. 

After wandering around the pier, running into the craziest drum circle ever created which involved swinging monkeys and snakes (not real), we stumbled into a little place called Fog City. Per usual I asked the bartender to make me his favorite drink from the menu. If you are ever stuck on what to order at a bar, just ask the bartender to make his favorite. I've never been disappointed. In this case, he made me what Lindsay and I consider to be one of the best alcoholic beverages ever created, The Fog City Milk Punch. It's a combination of Bourbon, Brandy, Rum, Citrus and Spices, Lemon, Sugar, and Clarified Milk and tastes like Heaven.

Another spot to check out in San Fran is Route 101 Bar. You aren't going to go there for the decor, the drinks, or the food (I'm not even sure they serve food). You will go there because you can watch an obscure Al Pacino movie, drink cheap beer, listen to Johnny Cash, and play Twilight Zone Pinball. What's not to love?

San Jose was a little more relaxed than San Francisco, mostly because we were there for 2 nights verses 1. Also the point of this portion of the trip was for me to meet a few of Lindsay's West Coast friends, check out San Jose State and just kind of relax. 

If you are looking for a good drink in San Jose, check out 55 South on First St. It's a trendy little hipster-esque bar with bar tenders who specialize in craft cocktails like The Un-Pink Lady (fresh raspberries, Gin, Applejack, fresh lemon juice, house made Grenadine, egg white, and mint) and Benton's Bacon Old Fashioned (Bacon Fat Infusion Buffalo Trace, maple syrup, Angostura bitters, and an orange twist). They serve the drinks with giant ice balls, reminiscent of golf ball sized hail. My drink was served with an ice ball, a basil leaf, and the comment from the bar tender that the drink was for "The L Word".

While in San Jose we decided to do something unusually touristy for Lindsay and I, we visited The Winchester Mystery House, a slightly kitschy 160 room mansion built by Sarah Winchester in 1886. Said to be haunted, you can now take a guided tour of the mansion and property. If you are lucky enough to get the same awkwardly humorous tour guide that we had you will not be disappointed. His laugh will terrify you way more than any ghost story.

After San Jose we took a quick trip to Santa Cruz. I've driven a lot of places, up and down the East Coast from the tip of Maine to Orlando. I love the scenery of a good drive. California doesn't disappoint in this aspect, although I'm mostly assuming that's because we weren't stuck in traffic.

While in Santa Cruz we check out RED restaurant and bar. They have Bloody Mary's that are basically a meal in itself, couches, a fireplace, and Truffle Oil Fries. Enough said.

And then there was the beach.

I can’t tell you exactly how to get there. There’s no street number or big sign. There’s simply a tiny  parking lot somewhere off California State Route 1  about 3 miles North of Santa Cruz with a small path that crosses a railroad track. But if you can find it, that little path will drop you off on a cliff overlooking one of the most beautiful ½ mile stretches of Pacific Coastline that you can find. If something doesn’t move inside you when you stand on a cliff like that, overlooking the ocean, watching birds fly by as waves crash against the rocks you are basically dead inside.

The best part of being on a pretty hard to find beach means it’s essentially secluded. There were two surfers, a few people walking along the beach, and a naked guy sunbathing. I should mention this was a clothing optional beach, an activity we did not participate in. Not this time anyway.

If you ever get the chance to find this beach, go back for the sunset. If you have the chance to be there with the love of your life, like I was, consider yourself lucky. Watching the sun set over the Pacific ocean on a secluded beach with a heart full of love is not a bad ending to the day.

The rest of the trip was fast and furious. Drive to Los Gatos. Visit a friend. Dinner. Drinks. Nap til 3 am. Drive back to San Francisco to catch an early morning flight home. My girl and I are No Limit Soldiers. 

She takes the pictures

There are definitely benefits to dating, and traveling with, a really talented photographer. I can go on and on about how beautiful her pictures are, how she captures a moment perfectly, and how her pictures can take me right back to that point in time... or I can just show you