SXSW is more than films

Our tradition is to take in lunch at Guero's Taco Bar at least one day of SXSW.  Love their koi pond.

Following lunch, we took in live music under the oaks next to Guero's Taco Bar.

We also took in some blues sets at Kenny Dorham's back yard.  One of our favorite local blues guitarists, Alan Haynes, performed.  With more than 1,000 bands from all over the world in town for SXSW, music was everywhere, but we couldn't help ourselves:  we had to hear more of Alan!  Check out his version of "Parchman Farm" by copying and pasting the following link into your browser: https://youtu.be/nxhHbGOiQx0

One of our favorite films

One of our favorite documentaries was "Well-groomed," about creating art on poodles, mostly, and other dogs.  What do you think?  Do the dogs like it?  Is it demeaning to them, as some critics claim?

The groomers use special dyes not harmful to the dogs.  

Who's ready for St. Paddy's Day?

Between showings, we'd catch lunch at nearby restaurants.  This restaurant is TLC, as in "Thomas Linton Cloninger."  Had to give it a try!  Their "enlightenment" sandwich, loaded with veggies, was incredible.

Hmm.  In contrast to the veggie-loaded "enlightenment" sandwich:  the Wienermobile!

One of the things we like best about SXSW, besides seeing indie films, are the Q and A sessions with the filmmakers following showings.

SXSW: March 8-17, 2019

And so SXSW begins! Papa Tom and I took turns circling the Austin Convention Center in the Zoomer the day before, to pick up our wristbands.  We each had to personally pick prove via driver's licenses that we were in fact Austin residents and entitled to the townie rates vs. out-of-town badgie rates. 

In line for our first film, "Salvage," about a Canadian town in which the city dump is where citizens find treasures amidst the trash.  Big change from other years at SXSW:  tons of bikes, electric bikes, and scooters available for riding from venue to venue.

After finding no parking on Thursday, when we picked up our wristbands, we decided to use the Capital Metro bus system.  Very favorably impressed!  Quick rides, close to our destinations in Central Austin.

Your choice.  Scooter, electric bike, or bring your own.

Spring Break!

The Horns visited on Texas Independence Day, while Emma was home on Spring Break.  Good to see you guys!

Dinner with Mimi

The night Mama and Daddy were to get home, we had dinner with Mimi at the nearby Chinese buffet.  Do you see Mimi in the photo?  Her reflection is in the door. :-)

While the kids were at school....

We had lunch at Taco Billy, owned by my Austin hair cutter's friend Hunter, who we got to meet

Took in a flight at New Belgium, per our friend Greg's instruction

Had coconut chocolate ale at North Carolina's best brewery, Burial Brewing

FaceTime with Mama and Daddy and outside fun

The kids FaceTimed with Mama and Daddy every day.  One day, we were still in our horror movie make-up when they called.

Piper and Mylo

Papa and River played ball

Future filmmakers

Budding Spielberg River used his iMovies app to create an "Apocolypse" movie trailer, complete with scary music, starring us! Too bad we couldn't figure out how to upload it to YouTube. Behold! Piper, the Pink Vampire...

River, the Death Droid

Mya, the Vampbrarian

Papa, the Lone Gunman who must save the world

Mia, the Birthday Brain Collector

Vegas came to Asheville: gambling, drinkin' (kombucha), and flashing lights

Mama and Daddy weren't the only ones playing Black Jack.  

What do you do with kombucha that's brewed for six months?  You remove the SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast), throw it in the Vitamix with a bit of sugar and fruit, dehydrate it in the oven, and voila! You have SCOBY fruit roll-ups.

On the last night of our nightly hide-and-seek, we turned out all the lights.  The seeker used Papa's LED flashlight to find the hiders.

Mia and Papa time (Feb. 21-27, 2019)

While Ryder and Brandy were in Las Vegas with friends and cousins to celebrate their birthdays, we played with Mya, River, and Piper.  Piper had the flu the first three days of our visit.  We're glad you're well now, Piper!

Mya's loose tooth came out after Mama and Daddy left.  The Tooth Fairy paid a call!

Happy birthday to the Pisces!

Papa and I arrived in Asheville on Mimi's birthday (Feb. 21) and celebrated all three Pisces: Mimi, Ryder (Feb. 19), and Brandy (Feb. 24) with "regular" and vegan birthday cakes.

Happy 40, Ryder! (February 19, 2019)

Nature vs. nurture?  From the very beginning, Ryder was inquisitive and analytical.  What the photo doesn't show is Ryder dropping the ball into an empty oatmeal box over and over again, until he was satisfied with whatever it was he wanted to find out.

Three generations: Ryder, Mom, and me. Ryder having a laugh with Mema Hogan.

Clowning around: about age 7

Summer of '88 (age 9)

Happy 23, Colton! (February 14, 2019)

All the grandsons were together on February 18, 1996, to welcome Colton into the family.  Back row: Ramzi, Ryder, Micah.  Seated: Michael Craig, Destry, Amon, and Blake.  And in Destry's arms:  Baby Colton.

Bye-bye old fridge, hello new fridge (February 15, 2019)

The Samsung served us well for 11 years and, but for a part that's no longer available, could have been repaired.

Back in business, with a Frigidaire.  Several appliance sales people told us that GE and Frigidaire make replacement parts for their fridges--so far.    

Zephyr time

One of Zephyr's favorite places to cat nap is in the canasta (basket) that Mom used when we lived in Peru.  The basket is close to 60 years old.  When I see it, I see a Peruvian woman cross-legged on a blanket on the ground, surrounded by piles of naranjas (oranges). Mom would choose oranges and drop them into the canasta. We'd move on to the next blanket or booth.  Mostly, though, we shopped at the bodega, much more like a grocery store.

Zephyr's looking for the Zoomer key.

Red sky at night and graupel (February 7-8, 2019)

Red sky at night on February 7, 2019.  Shouldn't that have meant "sailor's delight" on February 8?

New word for me: "graupel." Graupel is small snow pellets or soft hail precipitation that is formed when supercooled water droplets are collected and freeze on falling snowflakes. Graupel is seen as small balls of ice, and appear more white than clear.

The weather is confusing the flora.  The Carolina jasmine has been blooming for a week, never mind graupel.

Papa chair, Mama chair, and Baby chair? Unwelcome visit by Graupel?

Einar (February 6, 2019)

And you're taking my photo why?

Amon's chair is back!

Thanks, Amon, for loaning your chair back to us.  Maybe thank your cat Romeo, who won't leave the chair alone? Looking forward to reading in early morning light in the most comfy chair in the world.

Thank you, Amon!

Fridge not cooling (February 1, 2019)

Our 11-year-old fridge isn't cooling any more.  Luckily, the freezer works fine and we have the miniature fridge in the sun room.  Unluckily, Samsung no longer makes the needed replacement part.  New fridge in our immediate future???

The temperature had been as high as 60 degrees--too warm!  After Jerry defrosted the clogged ice the temperature dropped to 44 degrees.  Still not the necessary below 40 degrees.

Jerry defrosted the iced over part, showing me the sad little motor as preserved in ice and dead as a woolly mammoth.