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I am trying out for the Roller Girls derby rec league tomorrow. I have never been into sports, but I am really excited about this. Especially because my friend Aimee and her kid's nanny are doing it with me, and I may have roped in my neighbor too.
It's not the hardcore competitive derby, but an offshoot of it for women who can't make the regular time commitment but want to have fun anyway. It sounds like it's going to be a blast, and hopefully it will melt away the baby weight. (Side note, I fit into my pre-pregnant jeans yesterday!!! Nevermind that last week someone asked me when I was due, because Wh00T! I only have 10 pounds to go!!!)
We have to come up with our skater names, and I have mine narrowed down to this: Toxic Shock Syndrome, Sugar Smack, or Whiskey Sour.
My son went with me to Sun & Ski to pick out my skates, and he is super jealous that I get to stick wheels on my feet. He's going to be so proud of his roller-skating, kicking ass mama, if only for the fact that I have newfound locomotion powers.
Wish me luck!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Meet an Austinite - Rachel Clemens
I love hearing about how people have come to live in Austin. You'd be surprised by how many times I've heard, "It was just a whim!"
I thought it would be interesting to share some of these stories, so here's my first interview in what I hope becomes a series. I met Rachel when I crashed a party at her company, Creative Suitcase, a couple months ago. Turns out we are both originally from Charlotte, NC and both prefer to live in Austin. Oh, and we're both graphic designers. If I say that I happen to think she's very cool, does that sound like I'm self-important?
Name:
Rachel Clemens
When did you move to Austin, and why?
It was the summer of 1999. I had just come back from 6 months in London after graduating from the Savannah College of Art and Design. I wanted to live somewhere I had never explored and a friend and I put our finger on a map. It landed in Texas. We decided to go to Houston for no good reason. When we started telling people we were moving to Houston, anyone who knew anything about Texas told us to go to Austin instead. We looked into it a little, made a weekend visit and moved out two months later without friends or jobs. Austin treated us very well.
I know you and your husband just bought a house. What neighborhood is it in, and how did you decide on that area?
We live in Hancock. We originally chose the area 3.5 years ago when we bought our first house. We wanted something as centrally-located as possible without breaking the bank. We settled into a small 2BR and fell in love with the area. Before that we had both lived South Central but never North Central. I love that Hancock is close to everything but is still a warm, intimate neighborhood. I love the trees and parks. I love the way every house looks different. I love that we have easy access to great restaurants, bars and gelato!
What are your favorite things to do in town?
We have a dog and enjoy taking him to Pease Park, Norwood Estate Dog Park and Auditorium Shores. We're big on spending a Sunday evening at Alamo Drafthouse. All the festivals and events keep us busy too. There's nothing like running into a friend on the Hike and Bike trail or hitting up Barton Springs.
You're the owner of Creative Suitcase, a local graphic design firm. Are there many resources for small businesses in Austin?
I think there are but the most valuable one I've found is other business owners. There seems to be enough business going around that even competitors aren't afraid to share information with one another. I'm also part of the Austin chapter of The Alternative Board® (TAB). Its been invaluable in growing my business.
Any advice for graphic designers moving to Austin?
Try to meet as many people as you can in the industry. Its a small community and a very welcoming one. If you can meet a few people, they should be able to connect you to many.
You've also started something called SwapYourShop. What's that about?
Here's the official description: SwapYourShop is an exchange program for creative professionals to temporarily swap lives – home, office space, even your local pub – with one another, across the US or around the world. You'll both continue to work for your current employers, just in different time zones.I work with several other designers who also love to travel. We decided surely there was a way we could keep the jobs we love and still take some time to get out and experience the world. We think we've found a way to have it all.
Tell me about your cheeseburger club. Has the group decided on the best place?
We're still working on it, one burger at a time! A group of friends and I get together for beers and burgers about once a month. We try different places and discuss their merits. We even have scorecards!
I thought it would be interesting to share some of these stories, so here's my first interview in what I hope becomes a series. I met Rachel when I crashed a party at her company, Creative Suitcase, a couple months ago. Turns out we are both originally from Charlotte, NC and both prefer to live in Austin. Oh, and we're both graphic designers. If I say that I happen to think she's very cool, does that sound like I'm self-important?
Name:
Rachel Clemens
When did you move to Austin, and why?
It was the summer of 1999. I had just come back from 6 months in London after graduating from the Savannah College of Art and Design. I wanted to live somewhere I had never explored and a friend and I put our finger on a map. It landed in Texas. We decided to go to Houston for no good reason. When we started telling people we were moving to Houston, anyone who knew anything about Texas told us to go to Austin instead. We looked into it a little, made a weekend visit and moved out two months later without friends or jobs. Austin treated us very well.
I know you and your husband just bought a house. What neighborhood is it in, and how did you decide on that area?
We live in Hancock. We originally chose the area 3.5 years ago when we bought our first house. We wanted something as centrally-located as possible without breaking the bank. We settled into a small 2BR and fell in love with the area. Before that we had both lived South Central but never North Central. I love that Hancock is close to everything but is still a warm, intimate neighborhood. I love the trees and parks. I love the way every house looks different. I love that we have easy access to great restaurants, bars and gelato!
What are your favorite things to do in town?
We have a dog and enjoy taking him to Pease Park, Norwood Estate Dog Park and Auditorium Shores. We're big on spending a Sunday evening at Alamo Drafthouse. All the festivals and events keep us busy too. There's nothing like running into a friend on the Hike and Bike trail or hitting up Barton Springs.
You're the owner of Creative Suitcase, a local graphic design firm. Are there many resources for small businesses in Austin?
I think there are but the most valuable one I've found is other business owners. There seems to be enough business going around that even competitors aren't afraid to share information with one another. I'm also part of the Austin chapter of The Alternative Board® (TAB). Its been invaluable in growing my business.
Any advice for graphic designers moving to Austin?
Try to meet as many people as you can in the industry. Its a small community and a very welcoming one. If you can meet a few people, they should be able to connect you to many.
You've also started something called SwapYourShop. What's that about?
Here's the official description: SwapYourShop is an exchange program for creative professionals to temporarily swap lives – home, office space, even your local pub – with one another, across the US or around the world. You'll both continue to work for your current employers, just in different time zones.I work with several other designers who also love to travel. We decided surely there was a way we could keep the jobs we love and still take some time to get out and experience the world. We think we've found a way to have it all.
Tell me about your cheeseburger club. Has the group decided on the best place?
We're still working on it, one burger at a time! A group of friends and I get together for beers and burgers about once a month. We try different places and discuss their merits. We even have scorecards!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Julie of the Grape Stomp Video
The most famous person I know is Julie. She stars in the infamous Grape Stomp video, which is a classic viral video featured/parodied on (among others) The Howard Stern Show, Family Guy, and more recently, Glee.
She's the one on the right who DOESN'T fall down and bark like a seal. I remember when Julie first told us about her stardom. We were all in a bar in San Francisco, and Julie exclaimed, "Y'all, I'm more famous than the Paris Hilton sex video!!"
Julie and my husband have known each other since they were toddlers in Topeka, KS, and Julie's brother was the best man in our wedding. I have pulled some strings with her agent (AKA her 4-month old baby girl) and have managed to wrangle an interview out of her.
For the record, she lives in Atlanta and so there's only a modicum of Austin related info here, but watch as I expertly weave her into the fabric of this fair city. Behold:
Name: Julie
First off, let's get your Austin connection out of the way. When did you live here?
In 1974 and 1975 when I was a baby, so don't recall anything from those years. My Dad was a reporter at the Austin-American Statesman, and my parents passed down their love for Tex-Mex....and margs :)
We got to visit with you last year when you came out to Austin for a wedding. What do you think of the town?
Love it. Attended a wedding in Austin two years in a row; one was at the historic Driskoll Hotel, which was fascinating. I also attended my girlfriend's law school graduation from UT around 2000 and went to a UT/TCU football game with my Dad in the late 90s. My most fabulous cousin Monica also resides nearby. Austin is a great town and I always enjoy myself when I am there visiting.
Ok - now how did you come to be part of the Grape Stomp video?
My first post-college job was working in marketing and event management for Chateau Elan, a winery and resort outside Atlanta, Georgia. We were promoting a wine festival on the local news. The reporter was a real jerk, actually, and after the shock wore off, I sort of felt like she had it coming to her. Unfortunately she broke a rib though, and that was a little much! The day after the incident, the cameraman called to ask me out on a date (notice how long he keeps the shot on my leg!) I declined, thinking it best to put the incident behind me. Little did I know this would be my legacy...
When did this happen?
In 1998. I was about 23 years old.
Do people ever recognize you? How often does a reference to the video come up in your life?
From the video, no. But my friends and family who know about it will mention references to me on average about once every three weeks. Invariably, when I meet new people socially, I am introduced as the "grape stomp" lady.
Are you tired of hearing about it, or do you love it?
A little of both. I suppose if I had figured out how to monetize my fame, I would enjoy it a bit more. But at least I wasn't the one who fell, and I could be famous for worse!
Will you I come back to Austin with your new baby girl and visit us sometime soon?
YES definitely!!!
Name: Julie
First off, let's get your Austin connection out of the way. When did you live here?
In 1974 and 1975 when I was a baby, so don't recall anything from those years. My Dad was a reporter at the Austin-American Statesman, and my parents passed down their love for Tex-Mex....and margs :)
We got to visit with you last year when you came out to Austin for a wedding. What do you think of the town?
Love it. Attended a wedding in Austin two years in a row; one was at the historic Driskoll Hotel, which was fascinating. I also attended my girlfriend's law school graduation from UT around 2000 and went to a UT/TCU football game with my Dad in the late 90s. My most fabulous cousin Monica also resides nearby. Austin is a great town and I always enjoy myself when I am there visiting.
Ok - now how did you come to be part of the Grape Stomp video?
My first post-college job was working in marketing and event management for Chateau Elan, a winery and resort outside Atlanta, Georgia. We were promoting a wine festival on the local news. The reporter was a real jerk, actually, and after the shock wore off, I sort of felt like she had it coming to her. Unfortunately she broke a rib though, and that was a little much! The day after the incident, the cameraman called to ask me out on a date (notice how long he keeps the shot on my leg!) I declined, thinking it best to put the incident behind me. Little did I know this would be my legacy...
When did this happen?
In 1998. I was about 23 years old.
Do people ever recognize you? How often does a reference to the video come up in your life?
From the video, no. But my friends and family who know about it will mention references to me on average about once every three weeks. Invariably, when I meet new people socially, I am introduced as the "grape stomp" lady.
Are you tired of hearing about it, or do you love it?
A little of both. I suppose if I had figured out how to monetize my fame, I would enjoy it a bit more. But at least I wasn't the one who fell, and I could be famous for worse!
Will you I come back to Austin with your new baby girl and visit us sometime soon?
YES definitely!!!
Austin is a top place to launch a company
Just as my husband is launching his architecture design firm off the ground, this news comes in from Austin Business Journal -- Austin is ranked in the top 10 US cities as best place to start a small business (we're number 8).
Says ABJ (via Forbes):
Says ABJ (via Forbes):
Austin got kudos for its angel investment groups, business-friendly tax structure and support for business development in sectors like tech.
Here are the top 10 cities.The Austin metro area, which has doubled its population growth in the last 20 years, is often used as a test market by national companies because its large minority population reflects the nation's future demographic mix," Fortune said.
"With University of Texas college students in residence, the area offers entrepreneurial opportunities for the youth market and skilled workers for local businesses. One-third of the area's payroll is related to technology jobs, contributing to Austin's reputation for having one of the most educated workforces in the nation."
But it isn't all roses for Austin. Fortune cited some complaints from business owners such as transportation issues and lack of flights to desired markets.
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Pittsburgh, Penn.
- Raleigh, NC
- Houston
- Hartford, Conn.
- Washington D.C.
- Charlotte, NC
- Austin
- New York City
- Baltimore, MD
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Whip It Good
Aimee and I went to go see Whip It today, which is about the Texas Roller Derby league here in Austin. It's pretty cool to be sitting in a theater watching a movie, and suddenly there's a shot of the very theater you're sitting in. Yay Alamo Drafthouse!
The movie was fun, if not the teensiest bit formulaic. Unfortunately, most of the movie was shot in Michigan, but hopefully with the new tax incentives for filming in Texas, Whip It II (Electric Boogaloo) will film more than just establishing shots in this fine city.
I had a blast getting a few moments off from mommy-hood. Nothing beats watching a movie and sipping champagne with a friend while your husband watches the kids back home. After the movie I checked my cell and had two messages from my husband politely asking me to come home AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. You could hear my daughter screaming in the background. Is it horrible to admit I got a little satisfaction from that?
Want to shout out to my friend Erin, a real-life roller girl on the real-life TXRD Holy Rollers team, who will be giving birth tomorrow to her baby girl via a scheduled c-section. Can't wait to meet her!
The movie was fun, if not the teensiest bit formulaic. Unfortunately, most of the movie was shot in Michigan, but hopefully with the new tax incentives for filming in Texas, Whip It II (Electric Boogaloo) will film more than just establishing shots in this fine city.
I had a blast getting a few moments off from mommy-hood. Nothing beats watching a movie and sipping champagne with a friend while your husband watches the kids back home. After the movie I checked my cell and had two messages from my husband politely asking me to come home AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. You could hear my daughter screaming in the background. Is it horrible to admit I got a little satisfaction from that?
Want to shout out to my friend Erin, a real-life roller girl on the real-life TXRD Holy Rollers team, who will be giving birth tomorrow to her baby girl via a scheduled c-section. Can't wait to meet her!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Happy Texas!
Five years ago this week my husband and I packed up our tiny apartment in San Francisco and pointed the U-haul towards Texas. It's hard to believe it's been that long because it feels like we just got here. But on the other hand, Austin feels so right that it's almost like we've been here forever.
As I mentioned in a previous post, we like to make up holidays, and Happy Texas Day is coming up this weekend. It's the second weekend of October and commemorates our move to Texas. Really it's just an excuse to go have a picnic in a park, but I think it's nice to establish traditions when you move to a new place so you can feel like you have a history there. Here we are celebrating Happy Texas 2006 when my son was 1.5 months old (We're hoping to take another shot of my daughter this year in the same pose):
You may notice some gravestones in the background. We were celebrating Happy Texas at the Texas State Cemetery, an absolutely gorgeous cemetery near downtown where a lot of Texas greats are buried: Texas politicians including the fabulous Ann Richards and Barbara Jordan, football coaches like Tom Landry (this is Texas, after all), and other VIPs like my homeboy Stephen F. Austin (the founder of Texas and my great x 7 uncle). I'm probably the least macabre person around - I hate horror movies and would be terrified at a Marilyn Manson show but I happen to love picnicking in neat looking cemeteries. Here's my son at the same location, Happy Texas 07:
Last year we decided to try a different location and went to the Capitol grounds:
It's become my favorite spot to have a picnic, because my son can run around and chase squirrels and see buses and go inside the Capitol to spin around under the dome.
Not sure where Happy Texas '09 will happen. Anyone out there have a favorite picnic spot you'd like to share?
As I mentioned in a previous post, we like to make up holidays, and Happy Texas Day is coming up this weekend. It's the second weekend of October and commemorates our move to Texas. Really it's just an excuse to go have a picnic in a park, but I think it's nice to establish traditions when you move to a new place so you can feel like you have a history there. Here we are celebrating Happy Texas 2006 when my son was 1.5 months old (We're hoping to take another shot of my daughter this year in the same pose):
You may notice some gravestones in the background. We were celebrating Happy Texas at the Texas State Cemetery, an absolutely gorgeous cemetery near downtown where a lot of Texas greats are buried: Texas politicians including the fabulous Ann Richards and Barbara Jordan, football coaches like Tom Landry (this is Texas, after all), and other VIPs like my homeboy Stephen F. Austin (the founder of Texas and my great x 7 uncle). I'm probably the least macabre person around - I hate horror movies and would be terrified at a Marilyn Manson show but I happen to love picnicking in neat looking cemeteries. Here's my son at the same location, Happy Texas 07:
Last year we decided to try a different location and went to the Capitol grounds:
It's become my favorite spot to have a picnic, because my son can run around and chase squirrels and see buses and go inside the Capitol to spin around under the dome.
Not sure where Happy Texas '09 will happen. Anyone out there have a favorite picnic spot you'd like to share?
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Winners for the One Year Anniversary Contest
With the help of Random.org, I've selected the winners:
$50 Breed and Co gift card: Denise
$25 Toy Joy gift card: Rebecca
$10 Vulcan Video gift card: Aimee (woohoo, my #1 commenter deserves a little thank you)
Thanks to all who responded. It seems we all seem to like summer rain and the Alamo Drafthouse.
Hope everyone is enjoying ACL!
$50 Breed and Co gift card: Denise
$25 Toy Joy gift card: Rebecca
$10 Vulcan Video gift card: Aimee (woohoo, my #1 commenter deserves a little thank you)
Thanks to all who responded. It seems we all seem to like summer rain and the Alamo Drafthouse.
Hope everyone is enjoying ACL!
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