spring is trying... so hard

so another weekend gone: nothing of consequence. I was able to attend a speaker from ausitn energy on friday at UT. it was fairly good - the topic was environmental impact; global warming; and the programs that green building (specifically green power and energy savings) provide. Nothing too complex, more of a cursory overview of the topic.

And the rest of the weekend was relaxing; which was quite nice. Watching soccer on saturday morning followed by a road trip to lockard (a town about 40 miles southeast of austin). after watching a bbq documentary last week myself and some friends had a hankering for some real bbq; and there are 3-4 pinnacles of texas bbq in lockard. smitty's, which i visited for the first time, is a historic building with open pits; high ceilings; and permeating wood smoke. for me - it reminds me of the cooking i love: simple ingredients, lots of time, and great food. smitty's reminds me of an old-world bakery almost - where you are in the midst of the process instead of either being shown the brushed up version as a marketing ploy or being served such food in a sterile environment. so i visited two bbq establishments and had some of the best sausage and brisket one can imagine. on the way home i was able to stop at a small bakery in kyle (south of austin) and get three small (4-inch or so) pies. 'twas not a half-bad day.

and yesterday - relaxing and priming my bathroom for its upcoming paint job. the project that never ends shall soon be complete. and then i get to contemplate the joy that it would be to take up my carpet and think about stripping and sealing the concrete floor; or perhaps putting down some tile. i am drawn to saltillo - a beautiful rough mexican tile that can be found quite cheap in the valley. right now it sounds like an ambitious spring project.

so this is shaping up to be a very busy week - lots of work during the day; HOA meeting tomorrow; company meeting wednesday with valentine's that night; and who knows for the end of the week?

i need to find some time to go outside and wander. and once i do there will be photos; because so far it is only nice when i am inside - and overcast drizzle conditions dominate my out-of-work time.