Wednesday, August 31, 2011
All the Ladies in the House Say: O.H.I.O.
When Ryan first asked me to bring some female-Midwestern perspective to Charging Interests, I felt like I had just gotten invited to join The Skulls (Joshua Jackson, where are you? It's been too long). Just like The Skulls, Charging Interests is definitely a "man's world," and the similarities don't end there! Exclusive membership, check. Ominous references, check. Secret Lair (aka Ryan's hot tub), check. Plus, I can't think of a time when I've met up with Nick and not thought, "Dang. That boy has some serious Ivy League swagger." But, I digress...
I think we all know that Charging Interests is less elitist fraternity and more easy-going co-operative. With that said, for as easy-going as these boys are they've sure set the bar high for interesting, well-written blog posts! Let's hope I can at least squeak by, lest I see the true colors of their brotherhood! (yep, still referencing The Skulls...)
I'm currently living in Columbus, OH. (And before you're all "what the heck," trust me -- I definitely put in my fair share of time down in Texas. Excuse me if I don't want to melt!) Having lived in both the South and the Northeast for quite some time, I think I can confidently say that the Midwest is a whole different kind of animal. (I'm thinking Mustang, Owl, and Labrador Retriever, respectively.) I've never been in a city that's so calm and exciting at the same time. There are some neighborhoods that remind me of quaint European villages, and others that scream "C.O.P.S." (literally, I think I heard someone shouting for the police once). Those juxtapositions are compounded by the truly eclectic population here in Columbus. I live at the beginning of the city's arts district, an area clearly dominated by alternative-lifestyle patrons, and at the end of the university district (clothing & accessories I see often include: casual wear from the Victoria Secret Pink collection, cargo shorts, Buckeye football t-shirts, ray bans, & generally boisterous attitudes - if that counts as an accessory). There are, of course, the stoic financiers and lawyers downtown, but just across the river you'll find charming grandmas and grandpas selling crazy things at their summer garage sales. I actually bought both these chairs at one such sale for $20:
Needless to say, it's a vibrant city and one of the friendliest places I've ever been. (Though, my little brother just started his freshman year at Texas A&M and he begs to differ.) So, as far as the Midwestern perspective, I haven't got much to say yet, other than GO BUCKEYES! On the "female"-perspective end, I personally think I'm doing pretty well. I've already mentioned a movie including at least one cast member from Dawson's Creek, AND I threw in a little interior design action. A string of lol's, omg's, and hehe's and I'll probably be done, right?
WRONG.
The boys might call me "the girl," but I'm hoping that eventually morphs into "the GRRRRRRRRL!"... I'll often be posting solely to keep these guys on their toes/practice my black bear impersonation. I'm in law school here in Ohio, so it will also be interesting to see whether I can contribute something meaningful before my brain turns into mush. (Mush, by the way, is what all Mexican food in Ohio tastes like.) I'm also hoping that my bad horror movie references rival Ryan's, while my alternative/indie music library gives Nick a run for his money/ironic t-shirt collection. For the ladies, I plan to interject my own personal boy-servations (boy-observations). So far, I've met two guys that both listen to Insane Clown Posse...it's not looking good. Also, something I've taken major issue with is that there is never any talk about food here on Charging Interests! I measure my days in meals not minutes, so I guess you can expect a little of that. And most of all, I hope that I can bring cute puppies to yet ANOTHER page on the Internet. There's my mission statement. Glad to be of service!
- T.G.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Tuesday Tracks with Nick
Two Nicks rocking out to Dire Straits. I was so hardcore back then...
5 amazing songs. 1 crappy day of the week. This isn't a top-5 list. These aren't even my favorite songs. But they're songs that I'm listening to right now or songs that I feel need to be listened to. I imagine that I probably could turn this into a wonderful weekly post. But I'm probably never going to be motivated to do this again on a Tuesday, so there's a good chance that this might not appear next time on a Tuesday. There might not be music. It might not appear again at all. Enjoy.
1) "Celebrated Summer"- Hüsker Dü
For some reason, for the past month (maybe 2), I've been getting into what I like to call "Pre-Nirvana Alternative", which is a bit of a misnomer because the label wasn't widely used yet. This is also a bit of a change of pace and style for me. As anyone who's been in my room knows, I've got two posters: one Iron & Wine poster and another Explosions in the Sky poster. (I also have a Flight of the Conchords poster, but does that really count?) Neither band is really pushing speed records, and while EitS is oozing with melancholy and ennui, they are lacking in the anger and angst department. It's been pleasantly surprising to see how much I've been listening to Hüsker Dü. There is nothing like going down the highway with your windows down (not by choice though, my AC is broken) and this blaring as you go 70 mph. In fact, as the tempo picks back up after the interlude, I have found myself all too often subconsciously pressing the accelerator even more. Before I knew it, I was hitting 85 or 90. Hüsker Dü will be the world's first band to coerce someone to get a ticket without the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Anyway, this band was a direct influence on Nirvana and another band that will pop up later, the Pixies.
2) "The Sun"- The Naked and Famous
Anyway, this band was a direct influence on Nirvana and another band that will pop up later, the Pixies.
2) "The Sun"- The Naked and Famous
This is more of a plug for TNaF's whole album than this particular song. On Passive Me, Aggressive You, there really isn't a weak song. According to my iTunes, it is 49.2 minutes of pure electro-pop-rock joy. And I haven't even shown you "Punching in a Dream", "Young Blood", or "Girls Like You". Do yourself a favor and download this whole album. Then do yourself another favor and go to your room, close the door, and watch this version of "The Sun" (Warning: NSFW). While they went for more "naked" than "famous" in this video, the end result is visually stunning. And oh yeah, hehe, boobs.
3) "If I Can't Change Your Mind"- Sugar
Ladies and gentlemen, let me present to you the most perfect pop song ever written. No, it might not have the beat or danceability of a Lady Gaga song, and Bob Mould (who was also the guitarist for Hüsker Dü) is no Justin Bieber, but it is pop in it's purest and sweetest form. While it might not be musically daring, especially by today's standards, it is simple and straightforward. The acoustic (12 string?) guitar hook brings you in, and the lyrics make you stay. Like most pop songs, it's about love, particularly the unrequited variety. The words seem almost quaint,
A second-by-second analysis á la Chuck Klosterman:
0:00 - 0:05 I'm glad to know that everything in the 90s had a nice, sunny golden hue. In fact, if you only saw music videos from that time, you'd assume that behind the Berlin Wall there was a giant flashlight, which bathed the world in an evening glow.
0:05 - 0:09 Apparently, Bob Mould came up with the That 70's Show circle 7 years before the show even existed. I can only hope he got royalties from that. Come on, it launched the careers (?) of Ashton Kutcher and Topher Grace. He should be banking.
0:09 - Rest of Video I know that I said that this is probably one of the most lyrically heartwarming videos I have ever heard, but we just take a look for one second at Bob Mould's eyes throughout pretty much the entire video? Dear God, hey Subject of the song! DO NOT change your mind! When you get back and feel all sorry for thinking about how he was sleeping around on you, he's probably going to kill you. There are only two possibilities here: Either he is drunk and that's his "drunk look" or he's rather pissed off that you've been telling the whole town that he's been having an affair. Either way, this is only going to end in a hospital.
Bonus: A solo "cover" by Bob Mould and a cover by the Decemberists!
4) "Landungsbrücken raus" - Kettcar
And all throughout the yearsThis is something that seems to be missing in today's pop music. There is very little pretense anymore. As the AV Club put it, "I don't mean to be rude, but...music is fucking you tonight whether you like it or not. It's just going to happen". And, yes, while lyrics like "Leaving with a broken heart/I love you even still" sound a bit naive, isn't it nice just to hear it and smile, even for a little bit? In fact, romantic dedication as a musical theme appears so little now, you almost want to transport yourself back 1992, when the very thing seemed possible. (Yes, 3-year old Nick still believed in true love back then. It wasn't until I had my heart broken in kindergarten that I started drinking the whiskey to drown my sorrows...)
I've never strayed from you my dear
But you suspect I'm somewhere else
You're feeling sorry for yourself
Leaving with a broken heart
I love you even still
But if I can't change your mind
Then no one will
A second-by-second analysis á la Chuck Klosterman:
0:00 - 0:05 I'm glad to know that everything in the 90s had a nice, sunny golden hue. In fact, if you only saw music videos from that time, you'd assume that behind the Berlin Wall there was a giant flashlight, which bathed the world in an evening glow.
0:05 - 0:09 Apparently, Bob Mould came up with the That 70's Show circle 7 years before the show even existed. I can only hope he got royalties from that. Come on, it launched the careers (?) of Ashton Kutcher and Topher Grace. He should be banking.
0:09 - Rest of Video I know that I said that this is probably one of the most lyrically heartwarming videos I have ever heard, but we just take a look for one second at Bob Mould's eyes throughout pretty much the entire video? Dear God, hey Subject of the song! DO NOT change your mind! When you get back and feel all sorry for thinking about how he was sleeping around on you, he's probably going to kill you. There are only two possibilities here: Either he is drunk and that's his "drunk look" or he's rather pissed off that you've been telling the whole town that he's been having an affair. Either way, this is only going to end in a hospital.
Bonus: A solo "cover" by Bob Mould and a cover by the Decemberists!
4) "Landungsbrücken raus" - Kettcar
Dieses Video ist einfach meine Ausrede, einen Beitrag auf Deutsch zu schreiben. Ich kann jetzt schon meine Freunde hören (Goddamnit, Nick! You German spy!) Ich wollte eigentlich seit langem einen deutschen Post schreiben, aber ich hatte noch nicht die Gelegenheit. Ich hab dieses Lied ausgewählt, weil das mich immer an Deutschland erinnert, wenn ich das zuhöre. Ehrlich bin ich noch nie in Hamburg (Muss sich bald ändern!), aber wenn ich an Deutschland denke, kommt mir diegleiche Bilder vor. Schnee. Keine Sonne. Es ist bei uns hier in Texas gerade 37 Grad Celsius. Solche Bilder verdienen auf jeden Fall applaus. Naja, der Text ist ein bisschen melancholich aber ist das auch nicht manchmal Deutschland?
5) "Don't Watch Me Dancing" - Little Joy
5) "Don't Watch Me Dancing" - Little Joy
Ahh, another song that reminds me of Germany. This whole album got me through the first 2 weeks of living in the student dorms in Tübingen without internet. I sit at my desk play a dumb strategy computer game (like the ones our parents play) and listen to this album. This song always stood out to me, probably because of the singer's delicate voice. Also, maybe, because I can relate to the song. "Don't watch me dancing" is probably what I should be screaming at the top of my lungs whenever I (poorly) attempt to dance. However, if I'm dancing, I'm probably already too drunk to care by that point. But the song also touches the sensitive, maybe even romantic part of me that I (unfortunately) have. The song is about a dancer who catches the eye of a guy who's too shy to talk to her, but he works up the courage and things somehow workout happily ever after. Sounds great and heartwarming, just like "If I Can't Change Your Mind", however it almost pushes the sappiness too far. At the end of the song, I think I'd rather be Jackal Onassis, banging women and living the rockstar lifestyle without caring. But then again, that's not me. No matter what, I'll probably always be that guy who can listen to songs like "Don't Watch Me Dancing" and "If I Can't Change Your Mind".
-Nick (Everybody just chill!)
-Nick (Everybody just chill!)
Thursday, August 11, 2011
The Number 23
(Expections of age 23) |
(Reality at age 23) |
(I should have known this would all culminate with a photo of a cupcake.)
Remember that inevitable moment in high school, the moment where you think to yourself, just wait until college? That universal thought, where you are intrigued by the endless possibilities of the future, may very well be the single most exhilarating and terrifying thought for a young, innocent adolescent. What you didn't realize, if you've reached the appropriate age, is that the feeling can come full circle as your four years of college comes to a close (Or in the case of my buddy Rick, TBD years. Love ya brotha.) The mysterious aura of the unknown remains forever tempting as the strange mix of exhilarating and frightening emotions returns as swiftly and clumsily as Ted Mosby re-returned to McLaren's. After two months on the job, I could not have lucked out more so far after college.
I’m twenty-three now. Does that make me an adult? It's hard to believe that...this time last year my roommate Nick was smashing bottles against the window in attempt to kill a hornet's nest, my friends began hilariously ubiquitous "USA! USA!" chants, and I was being asked by a girl to describe what I saw across her living room in a seductive manner (which is about as mature and seductive as it sounds. "I see a window, a television, a picture frame.." Future note, when a girl asks you to play I Spy on a date, the relationship is going south.)
Did you ever consider what your life was going to be like when you were twenty-three? I know I did. I remember being ten years old, constantly playing basketball on the plastic hoop that hung on my bedroom doorframe. I was a high-flyer (I vividly remember telling my sister once that "white men can jump"...so long, innocence). I was absolutely arrogant that I would be selected in the 2011 NBA draft. To tell you how long it took me to do the math to find out what year I would be drafted would reveal another reason for my liberal arts degree. But hey, bonus points for wanting to stay in college for four years at such an early age, right?
(Also, in hindsight, it’s probably a good thing my athletic ability maxed out on my indoor hoop; being drafted into this tormenting lockout would have been as fulfilling as the series finale of Twin Peaks. Wait a minute…Did you see what I just did there? I referenced a polarizing show that WASN’T Lost? I really must be growing up.)
Unlike Jim Carrey, however, I’m not haunted by the number 23. Despite the sad, sad facts that Dash Harris is still playing college basketball and the Rockets will eventually pay Chandler Parsons to play for them, I’m blessed to be where I’m at right now. I have an incredible job that I could not be happier with, an awesome apartment lined up downtown, and an outlet here at Charging Interests where I can have my useless stream-of-consciousness-style ramblings be read by some fantastic and loyal people.
Not to mention a group of friends that would have made an excellent entourage if I had been drafted into the NBA. USA! USA! Sewer rage! Sewer rage!
-PB (credit to Bunce for the band)
Monday, August 8, 2011
Hot, Hot, Hot
This is my lakehouse post. Ryan's will be infinitely more interesting. Probably funnier too. (Update: Ok, this is turning out to be the Tree of Life of Charging Interests posts. Without dinosaurs. Can't say I didn't warn you.)
As I gazed up at the clouds sitting at the edge of the dock, I could only see one solitary cloud. To be honest, it didn't look like anything. I would love to say that the cloud looked like a duck or superman or even Abraham Lincoln, but it was none of those things. The cloud just sat suspended in the middle of the sapphire sky, a little white blemish on what otherwise was a perfect swath of blue heaven. It was of course white and fluffy, but it wasn't burdened with that one hope of 32 million Texans: Rain.
If you were there with me sitting on the dock, you would probably forgive me for thinking about the weather while I was in probably the happiest places on earth (Sorry, Disneyland). I'm not sure what there is about the lakehouse. The rolling hills? Beautiful. Weekends with my best friends? Awesome. The intoxicating effects of (copious amounts of) alcohol? Probably mostly responsible for most of my warm associations with the Hill Country. In short, if I tragically died in a freak accident involving me hitting my head on the world's worst rope swing, I'd be ok with that since it was at the lakehouse.
I shifted my vision from one great white object to another, the white band of Austin limestone that seemingly capped the shores of Lake Travis. It was pretty much impossible not to notice the 20 feet of water that was missing just like it is impossible not to notice the despair in the sunken eyes of a sick hospital patient. It was the constant reminder that this part of Texas was suffering through one of the hottest and driest summers on record. The water was simply gone, having either flown down the Colorado River or quite literally vanished into the thin air. However, I soon discovered that taking my eyes away from the white stripe was an exercise in futility. The whiteness of the rocks seemed to reflect even more light than what shined down on it. With brilliant white light coming off of the rocks and the broiling yellow light from the evening sun, the entire scene both was dazzling and depressing in the same glance.
I don't really know where I became so sensitive to the magnitudes of droughts. Maybe it came from growing up in the the hinterlands Cedar Park and Leander, where the waves of urban concrete only just began to lap up on the sea of cedar and oak trees. Even though my family had little to nothing to do with agriculture, we lived in an area that still had remnants of its rural past. Every so often, I'd hear a prayer from a rancher at church for more rain, "Because Lord knows we need it". Perhaps I got it when I would go to my grandparents ranch and feel the dry grass crack under my shoes and put my fingers in the dusty fissures in the earth where water used to puddle. Even then I could remember seeing that white ring of rock around the stock pond where my dad and I would fish. (My most memorable moment: I caught two perch on the same line once!)
We all decided to go back up to the house. Or rather, climb back up to the house. First, we had to traverse the aforementioned white limestone rocks, which killed your feet if you were short-sighted enough to go barefoot (Just ask Chi Chi). Then it was up the metal stairs to the landing. From the landing it was the concrete stairs to the backyard. From the backyard, it was still a sticker-filled 15 feet across the lawn to the back door. As I conquered onto the last step, my lungs were already gasping for air from what seemed to be an embarrassingly short climb up from the lake. However, the only thing I could force into my lungs was the achingly hot summer air. Not only was it hot, but it was also thick with humidity. Breath after breath seemed only to scream for what I already wanted: The cold mountain air of Colorado.
But that wasn't what was waiting for me at the top. Unfortunately, the central AC at the lakehouse had gone out, which only left a lone window unit to cool down the entire downstairs. I'm sure the little thing gave it's all, but it couldn't beat back the heat of the Texas summer. In fact, I'd be willing to give the AC a medal of honor for refrigeration if there were such a thing.
No, the air inside the house was barely better than the air outside. Having successfully climbed up from the lake, sweat was now seeping through my shirt.
Oh shit, what's that?
One hot, moist drop collected midway up my back.
Heavier.
Heavier.
Heavier.
There it goes, trickling down!
And that is pretty much the most disgusting feeling you can ever experience outside of a morgue.
Back in the middle of that concrete ocean near the Galleria, I'm all of this is leaving my German coworkers very confused. They post crazy shit like, "38 C? No rain? Pool!!!!" To them, Texas is just a bluer Gulf of Mexico and a Democratic governor away from paradise. (Ok, I have to admit both of those would be pretty awesome.) Sometimes, I'll tell them that my favorite weather is when it's 50 F with a light rain. You know, the perfect weather for watching a terrible movie from Netflix or catching up on a classic novel. They can only look back at me with the most incredulous stare that screams at me, "Are you out of your fucking mind?! How could you possibly want that?!" This conversation is most likely happening on an outdoor patio in a restaurant because, once again, I've lost the battle between sitting inside (in the glorious AC!) and sitting outside in the heat and sweat (see section above for my thoughts the entire meal). I can't tell you how many times I've suggested to sit outside only to be shot down.
To be honest, I don't know where they get this from. It might be the bitter German winters from their childhood. I don't know, maybe 6 months of no warmth would make me pine for the blistering Texas sun too. Maybe it's because they are tucked in the middle of Houston, far removed from the white stripes of dried rock on top of lakes and the crunch of dessicated grass. Perhaps it's because you've-never-dug-trenches-in-the-Austin-bedrock-or-the-clay-of-East-Texas. (Yes, I use that one a lot.) In the end, I suppose it's just a fundamental experience that they lack, just like I never experienced a country divided or a decent national soccer team. They'll never know what it's like to hear the weatherman forecast snow for the next day, only to wake up the next morning still seeing black asphalt and being absolutely gutted because of the disappointment. And they'll never get why I find the intense summer heat to be utterly depressing.
On the drive back home, we passed by lawn after lawn and field after field of brown, dead grass. In fact, it made little sense in calling them lawns any more since what we call "grass" was now replaced with tiny shreds of crinkled paper. I was afraid that if I looked at one single piece for too long, it would burst into flames. Of course that might have been exacerbated by the light the repressive sun high in the sky. It was really a sight to behold. I'm sure that the most talented artists couldn't have painted the picture I saw. Unnatural browns starkly contrasted with the green tufts of the cedar trees, while bits of blue pierced through the branches. All the while, the whole landscaped was bathed in the yellow sun. In fact that's all I can see right now as I look out the office window. Yellow. And heat. I know you can't "see" heat, but I swear that I could see it sucking the life out of the hills this weekend. (For the record, I think the Texas sun has a unique glow. It even shines through on film. If you took any movie filmed in Texas and showed me a scene without a discernible landmark but showed the sky, I could tell you that it was filmed in the Lone Star State. Office Space? Austin. Rushmore? Houston. Spy Kids 3D? No, I won't go there.)
When it is so hot like it is now, people like to use lots of cooking metaphors. Man, the sun is baking my car right now. It's as hot as a broiler out there. It's so hot, you could fry an egg on the concrete. However, I think these descriptions incorrectly put heat waves in a positive light. You see, to me, cooking implies that something delicious and wonderful is being made. I've baked you a birthday cake! Broil the roast for 10 minutes. Mmmm, fried twinkies! A heat wave makes none of these things. Instead, I see God up in heaven with a giant magnifying glass, dancing a jig as he incinerates half of the state.
I know that I'm leaving out a lot of very positive things about summer. What would life be like without those couple of months that are set to the music of ice cream trucks in the haze of frozen margaritas? (Ok, I'm confusing two eras of my life.) I enjoy the summer with its bikinis and swim trunks as much as anyone else. Yet, as I drive home from the pool or lake all those thoughts and memories melt away, and are followed by low lakes and dead grass.
As I gazed up at the clouds sitting at the edge of the dock, I could only see one solitary cloud. To be honest, it didn't look like anything. I would love to say that the cloud looked like a duck or superman or even Abraham Lincoln, but it was none of those things. The cloud just sat suspended in the middle of the sapphire sky, a little white blemish on what otherwise was a perfect swath of blue heaven. It was of course white and fluffy, but it wasn't burdened with that one hope of 32 million Texans: Rain.
If you were there with me sitting on the dock, you would probably forgive me for thinking about the weather while I was in probably the happiest places on earth (Sorry, Disneyland). I'm not sure what there is about the lakehouse. The rolling hills? Beautiful. Weekends with my best friends? Awesome. The intoxicating effects of (copious amounts of) alcohol? Probably mostly responsible for most of my warm associations with the Hill Country. In short, if I tragically died in a freak accident involving me hitting my head on the world's worst rope swing, I'd be ok with that since it was at the lakehouse.
I shifted my vision from one great white object to another, the white band of Austin limestone that seemingly capped the shores of Lake Travis. It was pretty much impossible not to notice the 20 feet of water that was missing just like it is impossible not to notice the despair in the sunken eyes of a sick hospital patient. It was the constant reminder that this part of Texas was suffering through one of the hottest and driest summers on record. The water was simply gone, having either flown down the Colorado River or quite literally vanished into the thin air. However, I soon discovered that taking my eyes away from the white stripe was an exercise in futility. The whiteness of the rocks seemed to reflect even more light than what shined down on it. With brilliant white light coming off of the rocks and the broiling yellow light from the evening sun, the entire scene both was dazzling and depressing in the same glance.
I don't really know where I became so sensitive to the magnitudes of droughts. Maybe it came from growing up in the the hinterlands Cedar Park and Leander, where the waves of urban concrete only just began to lap up on the sea of cedar and oak trees. Even though my family had little to nothing to do with agriculture, we lived in an area that still had remnants of its rural past. Every so often, I'd hear a prayer from a rancher at church for more rain, "Because Lord knows we need it". Perhaps I got it when I would go to my grandparents ranch and feel the dry grass crack under my shoes and put my fingers in the dusty fissures in the earth where water used to puddle. Even then I could remember seeing that white ring of rock around the stock pond where my dad and I would fish. (My most memorable moment: I caught two perch on the same line once!)
We all decided to go back up to the house. Or rather, climb back up to the house. First, we had to traverse the aforementioned white limestone rocks, which killed your feet if you were short-sighted enough to go barefoot (Just ask Chi Chi). Then it was up the metal stairs to the landing. From the landing it was the concrete stairs to the backyard. From the backyard, it was still a sticker-filled 15 feet across the lawn to the back door. As I conquered onto the last step, my lungs were already gasping for air from what seemed to be an embarrassingly short climb up from the lake. However, the only thing I could force into my lungs was the achingly hot summer air. Not only was it hot, but it was also thick with humidity. Breath after breath seemed only to scream for what I already wanted: The cold mountain air of Colorado.
But that wasn't what was waiting for me at the top. Unfortunately, the central AC at the lakehouse had gone out, which only left a lone window unit to cool down the entire downstairs. I'm sure the little thing gave it's all, but it couldn't beat back the heat of the Texas summer. In fact, I'd be willing to give the AC a medal of honor for refrigeration if there were such a thing.
No, the air inside the house was barely better than the air outside. Having successfully climbed up from the lake, sweat was now seeping through my shirt.
Oh shit, what's that?
One hot, moist drop collected midway up my back.
Heavier.
Heavier.
Heavier.
There it goes, trickling down!
And that is pretty much the most disgusting feeling you can ever experience outside of a morgue.
Back in the middle of that concrete ocean near the Galleria, I'm all of this is leaving my German coworkers very confused. They post crazy shit like, "38 C? No rain? Pool!!!!" To them, Texas is just a bluer Gulf of Mexico and a Democratic governor away from paradise. (Ok, I have to admit both of those would be pretty awesome.) Sometimes, I'll tell them that my favorite weather is when it's 50 F with a light rain. You know, the perfect weather for watching a terrible movie from Netflix or catching up on a classic novel. They can only look back at me with the most incredulous stare that screams at me, "Are you out of your fucking mind?! How could you possibly want that?!" This conversation is most likely happening on an outdoor patio in a restaurant because, once again, I've lost the battle between sitting inside (in the glorious AC!) and sitting outside in the heat and sweat (see section above for my thoughts the entire meal). I can't tell you how many times I've suggested to sit outside only to be shot down.
To be honest, I don't know where they get this from. It might be the bitter German winters from their childhood. I don't know, maybe 6 months of no warmth would make me pine for the blistering Texas sun too. Maybe it's because they are tucked in the middle of Houston, far removed from the white stripes of dried rock on top of lakes and the crunch of dessicated grass. Perhaps it's because you've-never-dug-trenches-in-the-Austin-bedrock-or-the-clay-of-East-Texas. (Yes, I use that one a lot.) In the end, I suppose it's just a fundamental experience that they lack, just like I never experienced a country divided or a decent national soccer team. They'll never know what it's like to hear the weatherman forecast snow for the next day, only to wake up the next morning still seeing black asphalt and being absolutely gutted because of the disappointment. And they'll never get why I find the intense summer heat to be utterly depressing.
On the drive back home, we passed by lawn after lawn and field after field of brown, dead grass. In fact, it made little sense in calling them lawns any more since what we call "grass" was now replaced with tiny shreds of crinkled paper. I was afraid that if I looked at one single piece for too long, it would burst into flames. Of course that might have been exacerbated by the light the repressive sun high in the sky. It was really a sight to behold. I'm sure that the most talented artists couldn't have painted the picture I saw. Unnatural browns starkly contrasted with the green tufts of the cedar trees, while bits of blue pierced through the branches. All the while, the whole landscaped was bathed in the yellow sun. In fact that's all I can see right now as I look out the office window. Yellow. And heat. I know you can't "see" heat, but I swear that I could see it sucking the life out of the hills this weekend. (For the record, I think the Texas sun has a unique glow. It even shines through on film. If you took any movie filmed in Texas and showed me a scene without a discernible landmark but showed the sky, I could tell you that it was filmed in the Lone Star State. Office Space? Austin. Rushmore? Houston. Spy Kids 3D? No, I won't go there.)
When it is so hot like it is now, people like to use lots of cooking metaphors. Man, the sun is baking my car right now. It's as hot as a broiler out there. It's so hot, you could fry an egg on the concrete. However, I think these descriptions incorrectly put heat waves in a positive light. You see, to me, cooking implies that something delicious and wonderful is being made. I've baked you a birthday cake! Broil the roast for 10 minutes. Mmmm, fried twinkies! A heat wave makes none of these things. Instead, I see God up in heaven with a giant magnifying glass, dancing a jig as he incinerates half of the state.
I know that I'm leaving out a lot of very positive things about summer. What would life be like without those couple of months that are set to the music of ice cream trucks in the haze of frozen margaritas? (Ok, I'm confusing two eras of my life.) I enjoy the summer with its bikinis and swim trunks as much as anyone else. Yet, as I drive home from the pool or lake all those thoughts and memories melt away, and are followed by low lakes and dead grass.
Labels:
Austin,
heat,
Hill Country,
hot,
Lake Travis,
Lakehouse,
Summer,
Sun,
Vacation
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