Jump to page: << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >>

Tuesday, 28 June 2016 - Antz

 
 
This is the kitchen slider to our back deck. A couple weeks ago I noticed a colony of tiny ants going about their business around the door frame. They weren't finding their way inside to the kitchen so I wasn't bothered. This morning however I noticed those tiny ants have grown into much larger ants, and they're not just all over the door frame but they're now all over the whole wall hehe. Some of them even have wings! I didn't know ants could develop wings, but apparently it's these winged ants that mate with ants from other colonies (in midair no less) to continue their little circle of life. So there you go. Learn more here ;) Meanwhile, we have a small spider that has taken up residence above the living room slider. He spins a large web up in the corner at about head height, so every time I walk outside I face plant right into it hahaha! I'm guessing he then spends the rest of the day and night rebuilding it, in time for me to face plant into it again the next day. The joys of living above a green belt.

Friday, 24 June 2016 - Cook out fail

 
 
Wowee it's warm out there! 95 F (35 C) today, pretty average for this time of year, but is it hot enough to fry an egg? I decided to find out.
 
No, seems to be the answer to that question. A resounding no. I let the pan heat up under the midday sun for about two hours, after which it was too hot for me to touch but it apparently wasn't hot enough for this egg. Interesting. I have seen this done though so maybe I need to wait for an even hotter day (or just use the stove like a normal person).

Wednesday, 22 June 2016 - James Taylor

 
 
James Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, and given how long he's been performing (40-something years) I assume most folk have at least heard of him. My Dad is a huge fan, and as such I grew up hearing a lot of his music. Long story short, Kristina and I got free tickets to see him in concert tonight - nice!
 
Given the tickets were free, they put us up in the nose-bleed section which I figured would be the case, but they wouldn't let me in with my zoom lens so this was about all I could get with what I had. Oh well.
 
Apart from some of his newer stuff, I recognized all of his early work and could even recall a lot of the lyrics. Dad must have really blasted him hard hehe :)

Monday, 20 June 2016 - Subsolar point

 
 
It's the summer solstice today here in the northern hemisphere (winter solstice in the south), meaning it's our longest day of the year in terms of daylight hours, and the sun is directly overhead of the Tropic of Cancer. This has an interesting side effect for areas on or very close to the Tropic of Cancer: straight, vertical objects on the ground create virtually no shadow because the sun is literally directly overhead. Austin is located at the red 'X' on the map, just north of the tropic, so while we're still seeing shadows today, they're very minimal. This phenomenon is not unique to the solstice however. The point on Earth's surface that is directly below the sun is known as the "subsolar point" and it is always somewhere (link here). During our summer solstice, the subsolar point follows the Tropic of Cancer and is therefore as close as it ever gets to Texas, before it heads south again towards the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere for their summer solstice in six months. I've never lived so close to the tropics and so I've not seen this before.
 
Here is an example of the subsolar point in Hawaii (known locally as Lahaina Noon). As per the map, Hawaii is just slightly south of the Tropic of Cancer, so this shot was taken a few days prior to or after the solstice when the subsolar point was over Hawaii. Here you can see the complete absence of shadows around these bollards which look very unnatural, almost like they've been Photoshop'd into the scene with no regard for reality. Interesting stuff, if you're a nerd like me!

Thursday, 16 June 2016 - Do we have a problem here?

 
Austin is a safe city but every city has its nuts, and given I drive randoms throughout the city for Uber's replacements I figured I should probably some carry some form of self-defense, just in case. Mace / pepper spray would make a complete mess if used inside the car and a gun is rather extreme. Solution: a stun gun hehe. Unlike a Taser which fires projectiles, a stun gun needs to be in contact with an assailant to zap them. Although that's not ideal, just the mere appearance and loud electrical noise of this thing will likely defuse 99% of any adverse situations. If push comes to shove though this will knock anyone back - I tested it on myself to be sure and trust me, it works good hahaha! And it doubles as a flashlight - bonus. Here's a video of a red neck testing it on himself too, to give you some idea of its effectiveness. While it's definitely a smart idea to at least have something to hand, the chances of me ever needing to actually pull this out are virtually zero. We're not living Los Angeles here.

Monday, 13 June 2016 - Safety first

 
I've been getting alerts like this for over a week now (they're chronological from the bottom up). After a couple months of excessive rain, people are getting all giddy about the amount water flowing in Barton Creek behind our apartment right now and are piling down there in droves. Inevitably, some get themselves in trouble and wind up dead. These alerts are just the latest example.
 

Friday, 10 June 2016 - Such a good boy

 
I mentioned a while back that Uber has ceased operating in Austin, supposedly because the city is now enforcing fingerprint background checks for all drivers that work for a so-called "Transportation Network Company (TNC)", and Uber didn't like that. No one else seems to care though, and since Uber left several new TNCs have launched to take their place, all of whom are happy to comply with the new city ordinances. I now drive for two of the new TNCs and am signing up for two more (hedging my bets while the market decides which of them they like best), and therefore needed to go through the whole fingerprinting process. I just got my background check results back today (complete with goofy ID card), showing no hits or prior arrests in the Texas or FBI criminal databases. My mother raised me right!
 

Wednesday, 8 June 2016 - Open the gates!

 
This is Lady Bird Lake, a section of the Colorado River which flows through Downtown Austin. After all the rain we've had over the last couple months, local lakes are above capacity and floodgates have been opened up-river to release the excess. Well all that water has to go somewhere, and right now its roaring it's way through central Austin. What is usually a fairly calm and serene stretch of river here is now a raging torrent, and has been closed to all water traffic (there would normally be kayakers and rowers and all sorts of activity going on).
 
 
This is where Barton Creek, which passes behind our apartment complex, meets the river up ahead. With the water level so high right now, even that's been closed off. Regardless, people have still been swimming down there, and one man has been missing since Monday presumed drowned.
 
Both sides of the river are lined with trails which are a constant hive of sweaty activity.
 
 
But even they've been closed off in sections due to flooding. Normally all this water would create a mosquito problem, but thanks to the city's famous population of bats (which I'll talk about later in the summer) the mossies are a non-issue.

Sunday, 5 June 2016 - Decision made

 
Kristina and I made it back from Dallas last night after a lot of driving around and considering a possible relocation up there when the lease on our apartment expires later this year. Well, we've made our decision on that front. All the pics and details here.
 
Also, if you're a Prison Break nerd (like us), you may recognize this place. We broke in and checked it out while we were up there too :)

Tuesday, 31 May 2016 - Off to Dallas!

 
Today is Kristina's and my third wedding anniversary. Hat trick! Last night we went to The Oasis on Lake Travis for dinner, which we first visited almost five years ago when I spent some time in Texas before we headed off to Southeast Asia. Not a bad spot to feed your face, overlooking Lake Travis below which is much higher now than last time due to the drought.
 
 
Selfie. Standard.
 
Tonight we're driving the three hours north to Dallas to spend the rest of the week up there. My birthday is tomorrow so that's as good an excuse as any to get away for a bit, but we're mainly going to scrutinize the possibility of eventually relocating up there. Our apartment lease is up in November and we're starting to consider our next move. We've been looking at the real estate market in both Austin and Dallas recently, and as much as we'd really like to stay here, the dollar goes a lot further in Dallas. First thing's first though, we need to scope the place out and decide whether it's even worth considering. So, stay tuned for that!

Saturday, 28 May 2016 - Back on the horse

 
Well it's been another week of shitty weather, and there is a lot of flooding around the place right now so not a lot to report, except this. With Uber (and its main competitor here, Lyft) abruptly leaving Austin a few weeks ago, others have been moving quickly to fill the void, all happy to comply with the new laws passed by the city that made Uber and Lyft decide to leave in protest. Fare was already live in Phoenix and rushed to Austin two weeks ago to set up operations here, going live last weekend. Get Me had been live in Austin since December but with a comparatively small client base, and has quickly ramped up their presence. Both platforms are suffering a lot of technical glitches due to the overwhelming demand and sudden growth, but after signing up to drive I tested both for the first time last night. They're not as slick as Uber but they're better than nothing, and I like the extra pocket money :) These two aside, others are also attempting to set up camp in Austin over the next several weeks. Depending on how things work out, it will be interesting to see if and when Uber comes back, with its tail between its legs.
 
Get Me also has a delivery feature, whereby somebody places an order for specific items from a specific retailer, and you as the driver go to the retailer, find and purchase the items (using a Get Me credit card), and deliver the items to their door. The above is an example order, posted to Get Me's Facebook group by the driver who took the order, from someone who clearly has a big night planned. I don't think I'll be bothering with deliveries :)

Sunday, 22 May 2016 - SoCo

 
 
Last weekend I mentioned a day-trip we had planned for today which was weather dependent. Well the weather didn't come to the party so that'll have to wait. Instead we ventured out to the South Congress area for lunch, also known locally as simply SoCo. The area centers on South Congress Avenue here which cuts through Downtown Austin just up the road there (as Congress Avenue) and ends at the Texas State Capitol, which houses the state's legislature and governor.
 
Average weather or not, SoCo is a pretty cool spot to don your boots and wander around.

 
 
SoCo is a nationally known shopping and cultural district, famous for its many eclectic small retailers, restaurants, and music and art venues. If it's vintage you're looking for or just something a little 'out there', you'll likely find it here.
 
Welcome to Texas.

 
There are plenty of good spots to feed your face around here too, including Torchy's Tacos here where we had lunch. Us Texans like our tacos, I've come to realize.
 
After a good meander the weather delivered on its promise of a good downpour, so that was the end of that.

Friday, 20 May 2016 - National bike to work day

 
Did everybody bike to work today? Me neither.
 

Saturday, 14 May 2016 - Anti-drought

 
When I first visited Texas in 2011 they were in the midst of a record-breaking drought. Now it seems to have gone completely the other way. Our local lakes are at capacity, and parts of the state keep flooding. It's been a rainy week here in Austin, now a rainy weekend, and the forecast ahead is full of storms. Hopefully it'll all piss off in time for next Sunday though - we've got a little day-trip planned which will be awesome, if the weather is awesome.

Monday, 9 May 2016 - No more Uber, for now

 
A little over seven weeks ago I started driving part-time for Uber. I intended to use Uber as a means to familiarize myself with my new home of Austin, and to earn a little pocket money which is always handy. However, that all came to a crashing halt over the weekend when a city-wide vote was held regarding a new city ordinance requiring rideshare companies (like Uber, and its main competitor, Lyft) to have their drivers fingerprinted as part of more extensive background checks. Uber and Lyft already outsource backgrounds checks, and argued that fingerprinting would be a deterrent to new drivers (something they need an ample supply of). Be that as it may, they lost the vote by 56% to 44%, and have made good on their promise (threat) to shut up shop and leave Austin, effective this morning. This is not the first time Uber has thrown its toys out of the cot like this; they left San Antonio a year ago for similar reasons, only to return six months later after reaching a compromise with the city. If I was a betting man, I would say they'll be back in Austin sooner or later. I hope so anyway - the extra income was nice! More info here.
 
Pocket money aside, the other thing I would miss is the cigarettes that get left in the back of the car, if I actually smoked that is. People seem to have a problem with things falling out of their pockets. Ciggies aside, I also found a baseball cap one night, and twice I've been woken up on a Sunday morning after driving the night before by people calling me regarding things they've lost and potentially left in my car. One guy lost his passport, and another lost an expensive watch and his wedding band hahaha! That last guy must have had an interesting night. There is another small rideshare start up in Austin that I'm looking into, but for now that's it for Uber. One of our neighbors quit a management position at a local fast food restaurant that he'd held for nine years to drive for Uber full time, and he's not the only one in that predicament. I really feel sorry for those guys, but I'm sure Austin's taxi drivers are ecstatic!

Thursday, 5 May 2016 - Nesting

 
 
I plan on doing some Uber'ing tonight before Kristina and I head down to San Antonio for the weekend for Mother's Day (among other things), so I wandered out of my nest this afternoon to give the car a good wipe down. Sitting on my windscreen was a bloody big hornet. As I approached he turned and waved his ass at me (i.e. his stinger), which I took to mean he felt threatened and was suggesting I bugger off, which I did.
 
I kept an eye on him though and before long he flew up to join some friends on the beginnings of a nest here, obscured in the framework of the car port. Well, fuck that. I went and fetched the trusty insect spray, doused the nest, and made a run for it hehe.
 
Five minutes later they were all dead, and their nest is now a smudge on the bottom of my shoe. Something about my car seems to attract insects. They're always hanging out on it, and during the whole of March I had a problem with caterpillars trying to pupate in the various nooks and crannies around the doors and the front and rear windscreen edges. Maybe it's something to do with the car always being so clean and shiny. I never see them on the black car next to me (also an Uber driver), and that thing's always filthy.

Sunday, 1 May 2016 - Uber chronicles
Yesterday I installed a forward-facing dash cam in the car, mainly to cover my ass in case I'm involved in an accident that isn't my fault. Insurance fraud is apparently pretty rife in the US, and I've seen and heard a lot of stories in which dash cam footage was the difference between the innocent party in a wreck being duly compensated or unduly prosecuted. In one such story, some dude ran a red light, t-boned another vehicle, immediately ran over to a stopped bus, and paid each of the passengers on the bus to say it was the other guy's fault hahaha! That's an extremely example, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Anyway, the camera also records audio, which got me thinking it might be handy while I'm Uber'ing given some of the funny conversations that take place during a ride. And, as luck would have it, it recorded a beauty while I was out last night! It was only a short fare - barely a couple miles, but was entertaining nonetheless. Video here, probably with more to come :)

Saturday, 30 April 2016 - Still wet

 
 
After Kristina finished work today, we took advantage of the evening weather and continued exploring the Barton Creek Greenbelt right behind and below our apartment.

 
 
The creek only flows for a few months out of the year apparently (it was bone-dry when we wandered down here last October while researching apartments to rent), but with all the storms and torrential rain we've had lately it's still flowing fast and is a hive of activity.

 
 
Water activities aside, the greenbelt is a popular rock climbing spot due to the large limestone cliffs that line portions of its length. This chick appeared to be having second thoughts.

 
 
Further along the creek we could hear some rowdiness on the other side, so we waded over to join in the fun. Not a bad spot to kill a day!
 
So that's what's in our backyard. What's in yours? :)

Friday, 29 April 2016 - Breezy

 
 
After another big storm last night, Kristina got home from work today and excitedly informed me of a fallen tree blocking our street. I raced out with the camera expecting one of these large trees all over the road, and maybe a parked car buried beneath it, but instead it was just this branch that no one had bothered to move yet hehe. Needless to say though, these storms are packing a punch, and the next morning I always wake up to news reports of several thousand homes without power.

Thursday, 28 April 2016 - We all have our little hobbies

 
Hehe. Story here, and I quote: "While on the phone with 911, the victim saw the suspect exit [his] SUV with pantyhose on his head. The report states the victim started screaming at the man, who screamed back at her while removing the pantyhose from his face. He then fled on foot, leaving the SUV behind. Court documents state that police also found large amounts of ladies' undergarments hanging from the blinker and gear shift lever."
 

Sunday, 24 April 2016 - Hot delicates

 
 
Kristina and I were planning to spend today exploring more of the Barton Creek Greenbelt that we're yet to see, but the weather had other plans with periodic torrential rain and general unpleasantness. So we spent the day doing more necessary things instead, like our laundry. This is one of two laundry buildings in our apartment complex. We threw our stuff in the wash, threw it in the drier, went out for lunch, and came back to find the room completely filled with smoke and an acrid stink. Kristina grabbed our stuff and got the hell out of there while I investigated. This old girl on the right was the culprit and had smoke pouring out the back of it, still with somebody's load in there hehe. The main maintenance guy for the complex lives on site, so I wandered over to his apartment to sound the alarm. He wasn't around but his wife got him on the phone he and had her kill the circuit breakers for the building. So, disaster averted - people will still have underwear for work tomorrow.

Friday, 22 April 2016 - Take me out to the...

 
 
It wasn't exactly the New York Yankees, but Kristina got the tickets for free through her work so hey, why not. Here we have a minor league game between the Round Rock Express (Round Rock is a city north of Austin, and part of the Greater Austin metropolitan area) and the Omaha Storm Chasers from Nebraska. We saw home runs and near misses, the crowd jeering and being hit by stray fly balls, and at the end of it all we lost by one run. Oh well. The random fireworks display afterwards made up for it.

Jump to page: << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >>


Page Comments