fast? finished.

fast? finished., originally uploaded by .solo..

congress avenue mile race.

training:
six course dinner
email reminder of morning race
wake & run

too fast a start (first quarter; balanced second quarter with no kick at end).

baby octopi bests

baby octopi bests, originally uploaded by .solo..

'new' current favorite establishment.

open kitchen (hot!) and a short eclectic menu of fine things. great staff; amazing food & reasonably priced. a fine northern neighborhood addition

http://www.foodanddrinkaustin.com/

eve luxurious lunch

eve luxurious lunch, originally uploaded by .solo..

birthday week brings obligations of celebration (difficult I know) and affords the opportunity to focus on what I really enjoy (many many things. But with opportunity I get to choose various settings of life enjoyment: nature-centric; solitude; group joined; close friend enjoyed activities; all various activities to allow relaxed focus and introspectional enjoyment.

Friday lunch: a hot summer-ish day that eschewed the usually enjoyed warm hearty plates in favor of the lighter porch friendly fare: charcuterie, beans, olives & beets; all with an amazing Sancerre Rose

Porch declarations

Porch declarations, originally uploaded by .solo..

congregations of friends and years of traditional ongoing: tired post-oaks waking, morning-long drizzled food prep, cocktails, stories & races of the day; celebrations throughout the night.

Oaks Day Beauty

Oaks Day Beauty, originally uploaded by .solo..

There might be nothing finer than sauntering through Old Louisville south past the university to Churchill Downs; walking through shotgun shack neighborhoods and seeing the twin spires slowly rise.

Friday is Oaks Day; the precursor to the Kentucky Derby which is held on Saturday and receives the majority of media attention outside of the city. Oaks is more of the locally focused day with the same amount of fashion, juleps, races & festivities. It's usually half the cost to attend and a bit less crowded; which allows for a more relaxed excited environment. That and it's been the best weather day the past several years.

Tradition at its finest

summit presented climbing leg(s

summit presented climbing leg(s, originally uploaded by .solo..

Hill Country Rid for Aids: one of my favorite charity rides. Beautiful spring wildflowers accompanied by perfect weather. Well, except for headwinds - not so much fun but quite a lot of swearing; that and the distracting musical motivations of Ghostland Observatory. Did I mention hills?? Because that is one of the finest amenities of the ride (and of course the hill country in general); lots of hills - rolling, gentle, steep, surprising, wind-blocking and just mean (all kinds!).

This year's team was Ballet Austin which consisted of friends from ballet fit class that I was introduced to almost a year ago now. Initially bought in to try the program and evaluate its athletic benefits and how it might be marketed to the male demographic. It ended up being a great ongoing experience and offers a great complement for cycling training: strength, balance, flexibility & fluidity. Alas, no team Soup Peddler this year; but the team costume tradition continued (and with a professional edge). I had to go with a last minute boa addition to balance the comprehensive tutu costume of the other team members. It's a lighthearted ride for sure; well - as much as a 65 mile ride with headwind hills & a water crossing crash can be.

Lots of fun, camaraderie, crazy support and seeing folks that don't ride too much achieve something that truly does challenge (all while exhausting oneself and achieving that favorite euphoric fully muscle exhausted state of being).

blooming boggy

blooming boggy, originally uploaded by .solo..

rains of spring and misty morns: the slow revealing of spring and scents reward those who wander out despite the lack of sun. the realm between full motivating sun spring and the heat of oncoming summer is most enjoyable.

visiting my favorite farms throughout the spring rewards in that the slow evolution of late winter growth and the transitions to verdant vibrant productive spring illustrates the growth and seasonal evolution is fully appreciated.

spicewood

spicewood , originally uploaded by .solo..

serenading sun spring is here and with it the best biking weather of the year (along with October.

open road, open thoughts & a wandering mind to accompany swift rhythmic peddling and miles of rolling road intermixed with the finery of spring: bluebonnets, indian paintbrush, flowing creeks & lush trees. such enjoyment and scenery accompanies the euphoria that continued physical exhaustion provides.

happy tired legs; clear head & healthy being

Grouper ceviche

Grouper ceviche, originally uploaded by .solo..

office - desk made.
file under "how to make co-workers confused"

a dilemma: one has acquired excellent fresh local fish (gulf grouper flash frozen immediately upon catching and then transported to Austin upon docking where it's filleted and then sold the next morning). what not to do: let it rest in your fridge or re-freeze it.

so upon morning waking and noting that fresh amazing fish is now just over two days old and demands immediate consumption. wait until dinner?? never! have for breakfast?? an excellent option but requires time; thus compromise = lunch; but how to prep... (work has no cooking facilities) which leaves the great lime + chili + fish ceviche option. pack fresh herbs (dill, chervil, italian parsley), green garlic, salt.

a small sharp knife; desk prep & a sealable container create the opportunity for sashimi light lunch. it's not quite the office space desk gutting; but it does suffice.

3 palms lounging

3 palms lounging, originally uploaded by .solo..

phoenix spring training. amazing baseball setup of comprehensive intimate laid back fun. small field professional training that combines the innocence of youth and the uniformed technical repetition of the simple things that comprise a great game.

the only randoms: autograph seekers and the city itself. why are signatures of strangers so valued?? perhaps a documentation of pleasant memories or a tangible alternative to photographs. also, the city: a strange combination of Vegas & LA - expansive 'flat' development in a setting that seems desolately beautiful.

she + him. day two

she + him, originally uploaded by .solo..

the exhaustion that is the marathon of music, fun, friends and stories too numerous to tell; if recall completely in detail. similar to ACL there are so many hours in so many days that are all chalked full of details of hilarity, fun, enlightenment & musical enjoyment. many many new things never before heard along with validations of acts rumored and enjoyments of the absurd.

now rest and relaxation; physically on the precipice of illness (throat, head & nasal challenges). documentation in hand but requiring the sorting, downloading, cataloguing, filtering & cross checking of information.

exceptional as always; and with quite a few friends participating this year; several from out of town which is always exceptionally fun. nothing more edifying that helping host amazing vacation fun for those who travel.

broken bells

broken bells, originally uploaded by .solo..

day one - brooklyn vegan, broken bells, dark castle, neon indian, zoe keating, soko, choir of young believers, fanfarlo, ozomatli, the black, paul wall & chamillionaire.

amazing musical wanderings as well as a first: ride home for a 20 minute sunset siesta & lola run.

musical city appreciation and anticipation

it begins yet again! four full days of official spring introduction and wandering explorative freedom. most look at band lists and carefully plan what shows, venues, bands & schedules work best. I find the most fun in the freedom that comes with fresh air sweet sun cycled wanderings; fully appreciating the influx of out-of-town music enthused folks and bands where the level of energy is palatable and relaxed at the same time. night enjoyment of notable acts mixed with new artist sampling complete the experience.

daytime activities consist of outdoor venues, free beer & cocktails and occasionally food. short sets starting at noon run the full length of the afternoon with ebbs & flows of crowds, energy and musical stylings. eventual transition to night small (or relatively large) indoor venues and 'proper' shows.

exhaustedly night cycles home and relaxed musical musing dreams rest up before waking and finding that in this beautiful town that reinforces happy local living: daily juice beginnings; local coffee shop book and lawn lounging; friendly folks abounding in exploration and shared experiences.

all begins tomorrow. random musings and extensive pictures and photos will assuredly appear.

enjoy!

urban saturday

urban saturday, originally uploaded by .solo..

Mobile social ride great times cap a typical saturday of active happiness. ballet fit in the morning awakes, strengthens & stretches. downtown market farming with stops to chat with Roberto, Sebastian, and the Dai Due crew leisurely entertain. last sunset valley farmers' market day Richardson Farms steak acquisition and tales of blue corn possibilities and wet fields.
To note: I was not able to find one copy of the Oxford American after visiting three book stores /sigh: I guess on-line shopping is indeed best (direct ordering costs only 5.95 from the comfort of home).

Compiling market acquired (& other local ingredients) in brunch form is one of the most rewarding enjoyable practices of the day. Nothing quite like cooking imminently with acquisitions to accentuate the excitement and reinforce the discussions had with farmers and folks.

Mobile social rides have grown from in the neighborhood of 20 people when we (I was conceptually and loosely involved at the beginning) started back just over a year ago to routinely more than several hundred folks now. amazing (& I can take no credit for any of it as I typically have to miss the Thursday night rides in favor of long standing (6 years!?) softball traditions). Acting as a ride leader is rewarding, fun & a whole different type of responsible dynamic (especially in this group. Yesterday I was able to help the googlemaps bicycle group (marketing & engineers that created the program who flew in from Seattle for sxsw interactive and attended the ride) change a flat and then escort them around town catching up with the main portion of the ride. It's always nice to welcome out-of-town folks to our city and be the best hosts possible (something that I wholly appreciate when I visit other cities and that which leaves lasting impressions). After two hours of city sun riding, free beer, raffles, & swag under a mellow johnny's tent. new out of town folks were amazed by the greatness of this (now familiar) city along with the fact that free beer was available for more that two hours with minimal lines (new belgium beer is an great supportive brewery & company!).
great days such as this have afternoons that cumulate with sunset home cycling, lola happy greetings with rewarded neighborhood hill running. further farmer market short order cooking with Zhi Oolong favorites and music (transitioning into the rewarding Up film) yield a happy tired leg relaxed self. great well rested dreams.

happy chen

, originally uploaded by .solo..

small hole in the wall favorite locate in my favorite triangle of food (southeast corner of 183 & McNeal / Spicewood along with Samberts & Asia Cafe.

handmade noodles cut to order convey a warmth and cozy feeling hard to describe.

talking water

talking water, originally uploaded by .solo..

conversations with rapids are always a favorite.

planned banh mi

planned bah minh, originally uploaded by .solo..

the wonders of work and lunchtime routines.

once upon a time lunch was mother morning made and packed into either a sturdy (ranging from metal to plastic) lunchbox with possible thermos accompaniment and toted to work or school where it was placed in a safe corner for several hours while lessons were learned or tasks were toiled.

eventually boxes of lunch gave way to cafeteria and restaurant fare enabled both by the ease associated with acquired lunches and the subsidization of food.

it seems that folks have transitioned to regard lunch as a type of pit-stop meal where the quality and enjoyment of food is not paramount as is a pivot point in the day mandated by those who create schedules.

finding a balance between those two while remaining productive remains a challenge.

shown: a desk banh mi (favorite vietnamese sandwich) interpretation created from the following:
Walton's demi baguette
Countryside pork loin
Boggy Creek greens
Full Quiver Farms kimchi
Dai Due liverwurst

Service up

Service up, originally uploaded by .solo..

an afternoon of busy usual things: balletfit flexibility; balanced single speed commute night cycling; a mug of craft pale ale camping planning with friends.

unknown dinner plans and Foer's 'Everything is Illuminated' waiting leads to short order fridge cooking. it surprises and entertains that the ingredients, techniques and skills are in place to transform the best of local ingredients into what I humbly consider a very fine meal. the dilemma is that with such revelations come the expectations and understanding that a certain cost structure and price point exist; and at this juncture it is either worthwhile to partake & purchase well made quality food or that one is paying an unreasonable premium for substandard average tasting, overpriced, unhealthy & unsustainable fare...

pedernales falls

pedernales falls, originally uploaded by .solo..

the coming of spring; slowly.

plenty of fall & winter rains allow for hill country bubbling falls, flowing talkative rivers & blooming wildflowers.

happy respite outside of the concrete jungle of busy schedules & routines.

lagoa bisque

lagoa bisque, originally uploaded by .solo..

second visits with Kim, Chris, Dean & Lindsay allow for comprehensive trials. random choosing yielded excellent selections.

the cheese balls (pão de queijo): amazing sublime taste and texture: a cross of gnocchi & Mochi ice cream. three varietals

soup, yucca frites, pastels (multitudes of types): all perfectly balanced

go