cat tush

Why You Been So Messed Up Towards Me?

2010-06-15T20:38:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't written in a while, and this is really an apology to my blog, who I gave birth to and created, but like many young mothers, I've abandoned my creation.

I'll be seeing you soon.

Watching the Wichita Mountains Horizon

2009-07-20T15:08:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Garrett and I went camping at the Wichita Mountains in southwest Oklahoma. This was my first real OK trip and it was filled with roaming buffalo, prairie dogs eating white bread and a hamburger the size of a pie pan with a side of freedom fries. Here are the pictures with my added insight...of course.

The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge is 3 hours north of Ft. Worth outside of Lawton, OK. As we made our way to the camp site, we spotted a heard of buffalo grazing at the visitor's center and then noticed one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen in my life.

Garrett digitally trying to capture the sunset...really the best way to see it is in person, but here I got with my try at sunset photography.

Again, this location is ONLY three hours from Ft. Worth and about 6 from Austin.

So we turned our heads around during the sunset and noticed a full rainbow. I had never seen a rainbow that went from horizon to horizon. It was AMAZING!

The truck deserved a shot with the rainbow, it was our trusty steed this weekend.

Ok, so the buffalo are everywhere. They have free reign over this place. They make a grumbling sound and will pretty much just stand there while you gawk at their beauty and awe.

I realized why they were almost extinct, they are a pretty easy shot. Even I could probably shoot one and hit the target dead on...but I would never do that.

They look like they are wearing a sweater and no pants.

Picture Perfect Landscape, I love nature.

You cannot swim, but the weather wasn't that bad so I wasn't dying to jump into this river. But definitely contemplated it.

Brace yourself for prairie dog cuteness overload!!

A very county-like family fed the prairie dog some white bread, mmm yum, it's favorite I'm sure.

And they stand up like little meerkat or squirrels.

Since everyone feeds them, they are not scared of humans. They get all the high fructose corn syrup a prairie dog could dream of.

This was taken at the top of the mountain we hiked up...well not the top...but close to it. It was covered in boulders which were beautiful.

Uncle Garry

After the hike and then a picnic we drove out to Meers, Oklahoma to have the infamous Meers Burger. We waited in line for at least 30-45 minutes for a longhorn beef burger.

We sat down ordered some beers and got to reading the menu...and there it was...the first thing on there: FREEDOM FRIES

The Meers burger comes in a pie pan because that is how big it is, Garrett and I split one so this is half of one whole burger. The longhorn beef was pretty tasty.

But the Freedom Fried SUCKED. Tasted like they came from DQ. I was mature enough to eat onion rings though.

This was probably the best part: Coconut Cream Pie with meringue topping

They also brew their own beer, which only comes in a 22 ounce bottle to help you gobble down that big ass burger.

By the name of my blog, I'm sure you can tell I like animal tush...so for my own enjoyment: Buffalo Tush (with huge balls-which I don't like)

Finally, our delicious berry margaritas in reused chick-fil-a cups to hid it's contents (no alcohol allowed)

Holiday in the United Kingdom and France

2009-06-02T17:15:00.000-07:00

My first meal off the airplane, a traditional Scottish Breakfast.

Shannon and I in Glasgow

University of Glasgow where my late Uncle Norman went to undergrad for a semester and now Shannon attends post graduate school.

The oldest church in Glasgow from the 13th century

The Glasgow Necropolis

Look mom, a shopping mall!

The food photos begin...

The French Countryside

Our hotel in Paris

The amazing view from our hotel room of Paris

Hotel de Ville

The River Seine

Cathedrale Notre Dame de Paris

My first Parisian meal: Roasted Chicken with palm frites and wine

...and for dessert, creme brulee

Centre Pompidou

Picnic at the Louvre Museum Plaza

Ham and brie on a baguette

Inside Notre Dame

wedding cookies!!!

pureed fish soup (not my favorite)

Fresh flowers outside the hotel

The neighborhood we stayed in was lovely

Sacre-Coeur Basilica

View of Grand Paris

Salad with tuna and horseradish dressing

Steak for lunch

kitteh in the window

strawberry tart

wine and croque monsieur for dinner on our last night

The gardens at the University of Glasgow

My drink was called a "woo woo"

Buy one get one free tapas in London
(salmon croquettes, stuffed bell pepper, and chorizo omelette)

SHRIMP!!! (or prawns...)

at the pub in London

curry on Brick Lane, I had the chicken sagg

At the Borough Market in the morning

prosciutto sliced right off the leg, melted in my mouth like butter

William Shakespeare's Globe Theater

The Tate Modern London; my favorite attraction of the whole trip

Shannon loves candy floss (cotton candy)

The London Eye

Me + Big Ben = BFF

Westminster Abbey

Double Deka Bus

for Kyndal

pubs, pubs, pubs

Wagamamma Udon Noodle for dinner

The British Museum

Authentic Indian garden outside the British Museum

Inside the British Museum (see Shannon's photos for a look inside the museum)

Asher and Claire (our wonderful London hosts) at Hampstead Heath

On my way up to the Edinburgh Castle

My Scottish boyfriend, sorry Garrett...

This is my new Scottish husband and son. We live a simple life.

Tuna (with sweet corn!) on a bagel in Edinburgh, Scotland

Vintage store in Edinburgh, reminded me of Webb Gallery

Here's the creepy part

Ghost in the right corner under the arch cloaked in black

Photo taken after a ghost breathed it's stinky hot breath in my face

Scottish Countryside

The Willow Tea Room designed by Charles Rene Macintosh

Fesh and cheps and mushy peas

Nicks chicken fried in lard

best meal in Scotland, homemade

The pier in Gourock, Scotland

ducklings are the best way to end any vacation

one night, three openings, a lot of the same faces

2009-02-09T17:41:00.000-08:00

On Saturday night I attended 3 art openings in Austin with my boss/friend Tiffany and co-worker Kelly. The first stop we made was at the Creative Research Lab, which is a space run through the University of Texas and located inside Flatbed Press (another gallery). The exhibit, called A Strange Land, incorporates maps, landscapes, and the effect of man on natural environments. My favorite piece in the show is an installation by artist Beili Liu which consists of over a hundred red disks. These disks create a celestial landscape which are quiet and poetically hanging from the ceiling. The other installation I liked was Lynn Richardson's Business as Usual II. The larger than life soft sculptures of oil towers turned the CRL space into a scene out in east Texas, where oil is pumped with floral rigs and shoots out of limp, leaning black towers.

Next up was Birdhouse's group show, Built Like Nests, where my co-worker John Saldana, Jonny, exhibited his family based photography. Unframed and reflecting the light from the ceiling, John's color photographs speak of a contemporary life among his traditional Hispanic culture. Unfortunately, I was too excited to see Jonny's work that I didn't take much time to look at anything else. So I'll need to go back. I did see some manipulated Polaroid pictures that I would like to examine more. The crowd was just too overwhelming and I have a hard time viewing work at that space during openings because it is small.

At Birdhouse we heard of another opening which we had not planned on going to, but decided to keep the momentum and go for it. So we headed over to MASS Gallery in the same complex as Blue Genie and the Blue Theater on Springdale to check out the new work by Austin's Carlos Rosales-Silva, titled No National Monument. This was where the party was at. All the art kids from CRL and Birdhouse, including myself, ended up there as the night grew older and the free drinks kept coming. The work is a satirical take on Carlos's multi-Latino heritages. My favorite came in the form of helium filled gold balloons spelling out Vatos Locos 4Evr. Other 2 dimensional works were framed pieces of paper with simple a anecdote like Fuck Spain.
Finally, there was a DJ at this openings and it kept the crowd going and me happy. I'm glad I got to spend my Satuday night hitting up 3 of Austin's contemporary and inovative art spaces. I highly recomend spending an evening like this one, you will definately be talking about it on Monday.

tofu pad thai at least once a week. at least.

2009-02-02T20:03:00.000-08:00

Now that I live in north-central Austin, I find myself at Titaya's Thai Cuisine at least once a week for the tofu pad thai, and I don't think I'm the only one. The last few weeks I've been in, the place has been PACKED. Before,(say around September and October of 2008) Titaya's was not the hot spot, but I see Austin has discovered it. Easily located on North Lamar before Koenig(2222) and the Half Price Books, Titaya's offers a wide array of authentic Thai food. Besides the pad thai, some of my other favorites are the hed ping (grilled mushrooms), tom yum soup, and gang musmun Curry. Man-o-man, I'm getting hungry just writing this blog entry. So next time you are on North Lamar OR you just want some really good Thai food, head on over to Titaya's and order away. And call me while you're at it and I'll meet you there!

pinkey tree and the wee plant family

2009-01-26T15:36:00.001-08:00

I love all things cute and green
and the Pinky Tree fits that description perfectly. As small as the width of your index finger, the pinky tree is a tiny cactus or succulent enclosed in its own incubator. They only need water about once a month depending on the season and can go with you any and every where! They can stay in the plastic case for 6 months to a year. Also, they are only $9.99 plus shipping, it makes for a great and unique gift.
These would be the best party favors, if you had the budget, or just a great addition to a birthday present. I'm defiantly going to get one, I'm just having trouble choosing which one to get. Any suggestions? I like Bubbly and Alien, actually...I like them all! Oh and they also have Petite Rose
for the girly-girls. Welcome to my life wee plant family! Don't ever change.

A Perfect Place for Austin's Many Beautiful Nights

2009-01-04T13:26:00.000-08:00

When a new bar opens up it becomes an exciting and eventful time for the sheer fact that you are not at the same ol' Red River bar or the Longbranch. Shangri-La is Austin's newest addition to the east 6th street bar/lounge/coffee shop line up, which includes Rio Rita: a cozy coffee shop by day and lounge bar at night and The Good Knight: a dark and sultry bar with a full French inspired menu.
From the outside, Shangri-La appears to to a space with well...much space. However, a painted sign on the front of the building instructs customers to 'please use garden entrance'. Garden entrance you say? Ah, yes. As you walk through the side gate, you realize you just walked into an amazingly large beer garden canopied under Christmas lights and littered with tables and chairs. There is also a shed turned full bar outside for those extra crowded nights. Inside, the space is gracious, the drinks are cheap, and the bartenders are friendly.

Rearranging My Room

2009-01-02T12:34:00.001-08:00

I spent today rearranging and cleaning my room. I want to start this new year with a new feel. The most frustrating part about my room, however, is it is really small. So when I first moved in in May I put my bed up against the wall to save space. After six months of banged knees, a banged forehead one night, and the impossible act of making the bed, it is now centered on the east wall below the window. Another positive thing is now my feet face the door, which I'm told is good feng shui. I also found this online:
Follow the basic feng shui guidelines for your Bed, which are:

have your bed easily approachable from both sides,
have two bedside tables (one on each side), and,
avoid having the bed in a direct line with the door.

Done and Done. Picture to come shortly. (when the laundry is done and the bed is made)

A Gallery I Want to Visit

2009-01-01T21:26:00.000-08:00

My roommate went to Seattle in October and stopped in at OkOk gallery. We now receive postcards for upcoming shows and I visit their website often because I like the contemporary art they exhibiting. The artist that caught my attention the most is Josh Keyes. I don't know what I like more, the water or the animals. They are both done with such craftsmanship, yet they seem to have a personal touch from the artist. I wonder where Keyes looked for inspiration and appropration for the animals. Maybe some taxidermy?

Hovever, some of the works do not excite me, specifically, the forest-covered hands and some of the more island-esq animal/man made combos. Nonetheless, Josh Keyes is one of the most enjoable artists in 2008. I look forward to seeing new work in 2009.

http://www.okokgallery.com/

Paper Sculpture

2007-02-26T20:49:00.000-08:00

Last week was my third Sunday as a VSS volunteer at the Austin Museum of Art Downtown (the one on Congress and 9th). Right now a very interactive exhibit is being held called Paper Sculpture. Within the gallery are tables filled with high-end photo copies of cut out templates by well known artists. It is up to the visitors to fill this unique show with thier own paper scuplture made right there in the museum. As you sit in one of the sculpting booths, you are welcomed with a little plastic bucket filled with scissors, tape, paper clips, and pencils. These are your tools for creating the scuplture you will make that will become the show itself. I recomend you check it out, and if you are not forturnate enough to live in Austin, Texas then you should look into the show's upcoming stops. See ya at south by and flastock!