Epoch Coffee

In staying true to my love of coffee, today's place is another coffeehouse. What can I say? I'm an addict and a grad student who's trying to finish her thesis and needs places where she can get her work done. That's where Epoch comes into play! I originally went to another coffeehouse, but when I arrived all of their tables were full. This coffeehouse, which will go unnamed for now, should really consider using smaller tables so that all of their big tables aren't occupied by only one person which consequently prevents other people from having somewhere to sit. Just sayin.



Today marks only the second time I've ever been to Epoch, so it's still a new hangout spot for me. They have plenty of small and group-sized tables that make it easier to find a place to sit and settle down to get work done. I also appreciate that they have power strips that hang down from the ceiling so that everyone can plug in. If it weren't thirty degrees outside, I'd also likely enjoy sitting outside at their picnic-style tables. Epoch also has what looks like a pretty nice selection of board games that I might just have to raid in the future. Did I mention that they're open 24 hours?


Epoch Coffee
221 W North Loop Blvd.
Austin, TX 78751
512.454.3762

KaRu Salon

Thanks to the great deals that Living Social offers I had the opportunity to check out KaRu Salon. I had never stepped foot inside of the salon, let alone heard of it. On a side note, I'd recommend checking out Living Social because the site will really help you save money as you try new things. Case in point: I spent $25 for a haircut that normally costs $55. My grad school, penny-pincher budget loves this.

The salon space itself is very inviting and I love the design. I was going to try and take a picture of the inside, but decided that might be a little too weird especially for the clients at the salon who would just so happen to end up in the picture. Suffice it to say that the inside is gorgeous. Upon arrival I had a brief consultation with the hairstylist to talk about what I wanted to do with my hair. They also offered me something to drink, which is a nice touch. Afterwards I changed into a robe and had my hair washed, cut, and styled. The hairstylist did an amazing job and was wonderful to talk to; she also did a great job of explaining what products she was using and how I could style my hair to change things up. Females with medium-to-long hair will get this and appreciate it because sometimes you just don't know what else to do other than put your hair up in a ponytail. I love my new haircut and plan on returning to KaRu in the future.

Although it may not seem like an "Austin" thing to do, the people behind the salon are guided by a love of this city, travel, and music. If you're looking for a new salon to try out, I would highly recommend KaRu for both men and women.

KaRu Salon
3500 Jefferson St. Suite 101
Austin, TX 78731
512.243.8208

Black Star Co-op

Black Star is a brand new, cooperatively owned brewpub in Austin that opened during the summer (I think in August or September). According to Black Star's website, it's the first brewpub in the world that is cooperatively owned, which makes it kind of amazing. Apparently the folks in Austin also think Black Star is amazing because the place was packed tonight. Granted, it was a Friday night, but it seems as though things don't slow down regardless of the day of the week.



I do have to say that I felt a little conspicuous when I was there because I was only one of a handful of POC who was there. I hardly recognized the area in which Black Star is located because so much construction/"development" has occurred over the past couple of years. This city changes in the blink of an eye.

Normally I'm not much of a drinker, whether it's beer or wine. In general I do prefer wine and I think that's because I have a sweet tooth and therefore appreciate the sweetness of the wine whereas beer tastes somewhat sour to me. Tonight I tried one of their "rational beers", the Double Dee. After looking at the beer's description on their website, I think I made a good choice and now realize why it didn't taste as sour - it has kettle sugar and the flavor has "a hint of raisins". Next time I think I'll try the Recalcitrant Dockhand, which has "notes of molasses, vanilla, and roasted coffee." Perfect! I also stole some of my friend's fries...they were ridiculously good. And by good I mean salty and greasy.

Black Star Co-op Pub & Brewery
7020 Easy Wind Drive, Suite 100
Austin, TX 78752
Phone: 512.452.BEER (512.452.2337)

Día de Los Reyes

Although Día de Los Reyes isn't an Austin-specific holiday that people celebrate, the fact that there are a good number of Chican@s/Latin@s/Mexican@s in Austin means that there will be quite a few celebrations going on! Some of my friends had a party at their house with tamales, black beans, rice, chocolate, and a Rosca de Reyes.



In Mexico, Día de Los Reyes is the big gift-giving holiday and the time when kids ask for toys and other presents. When the rosca is prepared, a miniature plastic baby doll is baked into the rosca. Whomever ends up getting the doll in their piece of the rosca has to throw a party on February 2nd. Unfortunately, I didn't get a shot of the rosca. Fortunately, I did not get the piece of the rosca with the doll so I don't have to throw the party!

We had good times all around with a lot of laughs, a viewing of La Bamba, and plans to start a karaoke group.

Town Lake (still can't call it Lady Bird Lake)

Despite the change of name, I can't quite bring myself to call it Lady Bird Lake; for me it'll always be Town Lake.



Regardless of the name, the beauty of this space is the same. Walking along the trails is relaxing, healing, and invigorating, especially when I go during a cool, windy, and sunny winter morning. My love of 60-degree weather in January is one of the big reasons why I find it difficult to envision myself living anywhere else.



There are certain spots along the trail where the sun's rays bounce off of the water and sparkle like diamonds. It may sound corny, but it's so true. The experience is beautiful and the serenity it brings is indescribable. Whenever I get to those spots I usually stop to take it all in and soak up that sunshine.



On days like today I can't help but smile as I walk because I'm enjoying myself that much. I also love people watching and being on the trail is a great opportunity to do that. You get to see couples walking or running together, parents with toddlers who are waddling along as they learn to walk, young kids learning to ride bicycles with their parents, tourists posing with the Stevie Ray Vaughan statue, dogs running around all over the place, etc.



You can usually find people hanging out on the pedestrian bridge, which offers a great view of the city and the lake. Somehow there are some people who are able to reach those tricky spaces directly across the bridge and spray paint them.







The pedestrian bridge is also a great spot to stop for a while because the breeze feels particularly nice there. On multiple occasions I've spent a good amount of time just leaning against the railings as I look over the water and listen to music. I've also sat down to read and write here, which I often see other folks doing.



Being next to the water and being in nature is simply restorative.

Volunteer at MWB

Today was a long and frustrating day that was made even more dreary by the rain. Fortunately I got to see some familiar and friendly faces at my favorite bookstore (yay alliteration): MonkeyWrench Books. MWB is a collectively owned and operated bookstore that I am very happy to be a part of. Our collective members consistently organize great events, such as lectures, film screenings, community group meetings, and book clubs.

I happen to be on the book ordering committee and I also help out with the events committee every now and then. I work with really amazing people who I am also fortunate enough to call friends. We are always in search of volunteers who are interested in the store's mission and being part of a space that makes a positive contribution to Austin. The bookstore may be small, but there's a wealth of information inside and multiple opportunities to get involved.


MonkeyWrench Books
110 E. North Loop
Austin, Texas 78751
Phone: (512) 407-6925

Lake Park / Mueller Central

I must admit that figuring out what to do for this little project is a little challenging. I want to strike a balance between things that are free/inexpensive and things that I have to pay for. I am a broke college student after all. I'm also trying to find a balance between things that I've already done in Austin and LOVE and those experiences and places that are new to me. Although I would like to remain optimistic about continuing to post on here once classes start again, I know that my entries will die down. I will try to do at least one entry each week once that happens, though. I'm holding myself to that.



Mueller Central is a fairly recent development here in Austin. It used to be an airport and it closed about ten years ago. The area sat empty for a while until the city announced that they were going to start building stores and housing in that area. I don't recall if they announced the construction of the hospital before revealing other details, but they eventually indicated that they would build a children's medical center in the Mueller development.



There are still large sections of the area that look very desolate and need "una manita de gato" in order to look more aesthetically pleasing. However, there are houses there now as well as apartments, retail/commercial spaces, and parks. I had driven through portions of the development but I had never stopped to walk around and check out some of the parks they constructed. I was always curious as to what the area looked like especially after seeing families walking around and pushing strollers through portions of the area.



Mueller's park system consists of four parks and I decided to see what one of the parks, Lake Park, was all about. I wish I had picked a different day/time to go because today was cloudy and a little chilly. I don't mind sunny and chilly, but cloudy and chilly messes with my mood.



Lake Park has a man-made lake with ducks and geese that remind me of Town Lake. It was nice to see kids and couples and families by the water, walking their pets, riding bicycles, and skating. There's a nice walkway surrounding the lake which I appreciated because I wasn't exactly wearing shoes that are meant for hiking or walking on a trail. It felt very peaceful to listen to music as I walked the loop, which didn't take long because I stayed in the inner circle and didn't wander off. It took maybe ten minutes to walk around at a slow/medium pace.



I can see myself returning on a sunnier day to just read and hang out by the lake. There are also picnic areas that are great for grilling, but they don't seem as though they'd be very inviting during the summer. The picnic areas are uncovered and the summer heat gets fairly intense; it would be nice to have some shade.



There was something about this van that made it impossible for me to NOT take a picture of it. I love the idea of selling elotes and raspas instead of the traditional popsicles/ice cream.

What's also great about this area is that there are a lot of stores conveniently nearby. After my walk I stopped for coffee (of course I would), got some great clothes on sale, and bought a curtain rod that I need for a home improvement project. I'm glad I explored the area and know of another open, green space to take advantage of. Spending time outdoors is relaxing and soothing and I must continue to do more of it before the spring semester begins.

Leslie and Halcyon

It looks like today will be another twofer and this was completely by accident. I wish I had a picture to share, but alas, it all happened so fast that I was unable to get a shot. As I walked down 6th street on my way to Halcyon with friends, a stranger looked at us and wished us a happy new year. We all said happy new year to him and it took me about two seconds to realize that the person who greeted us was none other than Leslie. Yes, Leslie, the cross-dressing Austin icon whom all people hear about but few randomly bump into. I last saw him at a festival in 2009 when he was posing for a picture with a couple of guys on the Congress Avenue bridge. After Leslie walked away, one of the guys laughed and said, "I think I'm gonna need a drink after this."



So yes, Halcyon - it's a self-described coffeehouse, bar, and lounge on the corner of 4th and Lavaca. Given the name of my blog, it should come as no surprise that I frequent places that serve coffee, meaning that you can expect to see a lot more coffee on here. The cappuccinos here are so good that I had two tonight. There's nothing like that delicious, foamy goodness on a chilly winter evening. Between the four of us, my friends and I ordered cappuccinos, mexican hot chocolate, peanut butter hot chocolate, a bananas foster crêpe, and a panini (I think it was the chicken parmesan?). I tasted the peanut butter hot chocolate and it was amazing: as my friend described it, a liquid Reese's peanut butter cup. The bananas foster crêpe was also delicious and had a hint of rum.



Halcyon as a physical space is inviting and I imagine that the atmosphere is rather different during the day. They do offer free wi-fi and there's plenty of seating on the outside for folks who just want to sit there with their laptops, with a book, and/or with friends. The wall art is...interesting. Some of it is appealing but there are a lot of half-naked women on the walls for my liking. I prefer one of the pieces that has a red background and a line of birds perched on a tree limb with the moon shining in the background. Regardless of the art, I would like to come back and try something else on the menu.


Halcyon
218 West 4th Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 472-9637

So maybe I went to Mozart's anyway...

As you can see, I ended up going to Mozart's this evening. Now you know of two Austin things that you can do in one day alone. I felt compelled to go because I hoped that I would still be able to catch their Christmas light show, and I did! Mozart's website indicates that the last time they normally put on the light show is at midnight on 12/31 to ring in the new year. Fortunately for me, it looks as though they actually do the light show during New Year's Day as well. I hadn't seen the light show before, so this is indeed a first for me.



The light show starts at the top of the hour, every hour, beginning at 6 pm and it lasts for approximately 5-6 minutes each time. The lights are in sync with the music that plays and it is a pretty neat thing to watch. The only downside to going in the evening is that I'm unable to enjoy the feeling of the sunshine bouncing off of the water and onto my face. Mozart's overlooks Lake Austin and on most days during the year, you'll be able to spot people enjoying spending some time on the lake during the day.

In sticking with the theme of pushing myself out of my comfort zone, I went to Mozart's and did my best to cope with the discomfort of sitting at a table by myself when everyone around me was either accompanied by at least one person. I ordered a soothing and warming cappuccino and eyed their tempting array of desserts before settling down at a table with my coffee, a book, and my laptop. Mozart's is usually very busy, which made me feel lucky to have even gotten a table inside. The lights looked nice outside but I simply wasn't in the mood to sit in the cold!



If at some point in the near future I need a place to visit that has great coffee and desserts, I know this is the place that I will think of first (unless I find something even better soon?!). Hopefully I'll return with someone else and enjoy a sweet treat, caffeine, and good conversation. Judging by the packed parking lot I am not the only one who thinks this way. There was a group of girls who were knitting at a table when I arrived, a couple who started playing Chinese Checkers as I made my way back to my car, and hoards of people just talking and laughing. Sticking true to its Austin spirit, someone set up their sound system and instruments and began playing the guitar shortly before I left as well. I'm glad I went and survived the discomfort of being by myself, although I did make it a point to bring something to occupy myself with. Maybe at some point I can just be without needing to have something with me.

Mozart's Coffee Roasters
3825 Lake Austin Blvd
Austin, TX 78703

MO-THU: 7 AM - 12 AM
FRI: 7 AM - 1 AM
SAT: 8 AM - 1 AM
SUN: 8 AM - 12 AM

Tel: (512) 477-2900

My own version of 365 Things to Do in Austin

To start off the new year my tarot card was the Hermit Reversed. Although I am a skeptic about these things, a part of me continues to entertain the degree of truth behind a tarot card reading...even if it was generated by Facebook. According to Facebook:

Not the right time to be alone. Seek out others and be social. More interaction with world and loved ones is needed. Fill your social calendar. Need to get out and have fun. Good time to seek out relationships. Reconnection with others possible now. Find the light inside and share it with the world. Bring your talents into focus and allow others to see them. Stop being so serious and live a little.

I know I've made significant improvements in my life since 2009 and I feel increasingly better and more confident about the direction in which my life is going. This means that I know in my heart that 2011 will be another great year that will surpass the previous years. It'll be a year of tremendous change because I'm set to finish my Master's in May, although that may be delayed if I apply for and get that foreign language fellowship.

In the spirit of the Hermit Reversed card, I randomly decided to do my own version of 365 Things to Do in Austin in an effort to push myself out of my comfort zone(s) and continue exploring so that I have a greater appreciation of my own life. Even though I was born and raised in Austin, there are a lot of things about this city that I haven't done and seen (or that are still fairly new to me). I will try to follow the list as closely as possible, but I will likely do things out of order and/or substitute events/places in order to add my own twist to it.

The original blogger started off 2010 with a visit to Mozart's, but I'm starting mine off with a visit to BookPeople and enjoying the benefits of Customer Appreciation Day.



BookPeople is a pretty amazing independent bookstore in Austin and they usually have interesting events to attend and book clubs you can be a part of. On the first day of the new year, the store celebrates its customers by offering a 20% discount on most items in the store. Given my love of books and reading and cute, decorative homewares, BookPeople was calling my name loudly today. Amusingly enough, I left the store with bracelets, a pair of earrings, a 2011 calendar, wall art, and no reading material. One of the benefits of already working in a bookstore (that's not BookPeople) is that I already get a discount and access to new releases - maybe that's why I decided not to get any new books. But I recommend that you do, especially if you don't work at a bookstore and love books!

BookPeople
603 N. Lamar, Austin TX 78703
Open daily, 11am to 11pm
(512) 472-5050