Austin Google fiber space and event

This morning, we braved the "traffic delays" (dead stop for half an hour) to go downtown... And, yes, we could have walked faster, but my daughter had somewhere to be at 11, so we needed to be able to get out quickly (at which time the streets were back open again).

Where did we go?

The old Austin children's museum!

...Which is now the HQ for Google fiber here in Austin. We've been meaning to go check it out, anyway, but today they had an event, Saturday Morning Cartoons, wherein they were showing stuff from Disney Junior and, allegedly, XD (which is how we got my 13-year-old to go, though they never showed any XD when we were there), and having breakfast.

The first thing I have to tell you is that about nine months ago or so, there was a similar event at a downtown hotel that was a pancake breakfast (I think affiliated with ACL or some other larger event), and they took RSVPs, but they had reached their fire-marshal-approved limit about 20 minutes before the event even started, so even though we all got there when it was supposed to begin, we were turned away. So, I was a little nervous about arriving at this thing as it began, but our road was closed down for the run, and my teen doesn't do really early mornings.

However... there were more staff there than visitors when we arrived! (5:2 before we got there.)

First, the space.

It's a big, wide-open room with various couches and poofs on which you can sit and watch the big-screen television or use your own device using Google fiber's 1 gigabit internet. (See my girl there on the left in the "Gravity Falls" pine tree trucker hat? "Gravity Falls." You know, from Disney XD. We were kinda hoping.)

There is an interactive area to compare the regular internet speeds versus Google fiber. I loved the mouse. There are a couple of other televisions streaming programming, too. 

The space is very comfortable. A lot of the couches have blankets, in case you get chilly. Nice touch.

The Star Wars cartoon actually looked pretty interesting.

Also, there are signs up in the common area that say, basically, your presence is acknowledgement and agreement that you might be photographed and your image used without compensation or further permission, so if you don't like it, you

Today, though, was special. In addition to the displays, wi-fi, and complimentary copies of the NY Times newspaper, they provided...

... breakfast! Including...

...a doughnut bar! It included chocolate, glazed, blueberry, and cinnamon doughnut holes as well as scones. They had chocolate syrup, vanilla icing, maple syrup, sprinkles, and bacon bits for toppings!

Oh, and milk, coffee, and OJ.

I was super impressed by my idea of chocolate syrup and bacon. However, it was the cinnamon doughnut holes that were super addictive! Nonetheless, my husband ended up co-opting the choco-bacon thing, too.

If you're in the downtown area, Google fiber space is worth dropping into just to check it out. But you might as well take a gander at their website and see if anything special is going on. They have a couple of kick-off (and closing) happy hours coming up, and a tailgate party next Saturday afternoon!

2014 Bloggin' Mama Social

Thanks to Free Fun in Austin, I got connected with LiveMom and Orange Wall Collective, leading to both the See's Candies event I attended Thursday night and the great Bloggin' Mama Social I thoroughly enjoyed tonight.

The event was held pretty much right on the river at Alta's Cafe, so I got to ride my bike! I don't mind telling you that I was a little nervous. I rode over 10 miles in a stretch two weeks ago, but since then, I've grown a lot in the general baby area, and the last couple of rides I've taken have been significantly more challenging. I'm pleased to report that this was no problem, especially getting there, as it's mostly downhill.

Overcast skies, I presume, and a chillier-than-the-past-few-days temperature meant I didn't have to share the trail with much of anyone.

Under the First Street bridge. This is the first time I've seen it from the north side of the river.

Alta's Cafe is located in the Waller Creek Boathouse, and is a lovely place to sit and watch the action on the river. 

If you're on the Ladybird Lake trail, on the north side of the river just east of the Four Seasons Hotel, you'll see trail signs for the Waller Creek Boathouse. You'll know you've made it when you see this thing:

Conversely, if you're downtown, just take Trinity south until it ends. Literally. There is probably some parking around there, but you really should just walk or bike. It's beautiful, even on a cloudy day!

Plus, if you get there at the right time, you can watch the rowers coming in for the evening. They all put their boats up on stretchers, hosed them off, then stacked them for storage for the night. 

As the event started, I met a former homeschool mom who has a cultural event blog. It was fun talking to her before I took my seat at a table and started in on the food.

The cheeses and bread are from Alta's, but the brownie was a gluten-free one from Peoples RX kitchen... and I have to give them props, because most gluten-free stuff eventually breaks down and tastes like moist sawdust to me, but this brownie was delicious.

Meanwhile, sharing my table were three other interesting women. Araya Hildara has a Spanish-language About.com section on pregnancy and childbirth, and she blogs on the site as well. Her friend, Gisele, a midwife, was with her. Gisele is just starting on a blog about raising children naturally. Finally, Cheryl Carey, founder of Taste and See Healthy Baby Food, is working on raising funds to give gift cards on Mother's Day to the moms who are in engaged in the family support services with Any Baby Can of Austin. Any Baby Can is a great program, and our small group adopts a family at Christmas. If you can help contribute, click here and write "Gifts for Moms" in the comment box. Also, I plan to take Cheryl's baby food class some time early next year! She has a couple of group classes a month, so check out her website.

These are the first treats I've had from Baked by Amy's. They were good, but apparently the pecan bars were the awesomest, because when I passed the table later, willing to try one because of the rave reviews (I don't typically like nuts in sweets), they were *gone*! 

Catherine Prystup, hostess, and Michael Swail, co-owner of Alta's Cafe.

Michael explained that they'd just opened this outdoor venue during one of the coldest winters in Austin history. You should totally go check it out, now that it's nice, though. Besides, check out their menu from the link above. Good stuff! I can personally vouch for the cheese part of their charcuterie plate. The meat stuff looked delicious, too, but is off-limits to me in my delicate (giggle) condition. As was the sustainable wine and the local craft beer. But I can't wait to go back and try it all very soon.

Mike McDonell of Kidventures Camps, a sponsor of the evening.

Pro blogging mamas panel.

Hilah Johnson of Hilah Cooking

Shellie Deringer of Saving with Shellie

Wendi Aarons, freelance writer and blogger

They were all insightful and interesting, but I won't go into detail here. Lots of stuff to think about, though. It was very neat that people actually care about local businesses and local bloggers and how we can help each other enough to put on an event like this. I loved meeting moms with totally different perspectives than I have, and seeing what a wide range of interests and passions we have.

About the time I decided it was time to head home before it became completely dark, it started pouring rain! Fortunately, I don't melt, but I did get pretty drenched. After my shower, though, I was rewarded with being able to riffle through the swag bag all attendees received. We have some awesome businesses around here, and I cannot wait to try the Daily Greens juice tomorrow morning!

James and I laughed because of the contents was a Cutie in a clear cellophane gift bag, tagged by McDonald's. They're trying, gosh darn it. But you can be sure that I will use the free small smoothie gift certificates!

There were door prizes given out at the event, too. I might have won a night at the Omni Downtown (where I paid half price to stay once, thanks to Hotwire.com), or a $50 gift card to a local fine dinery, or even a gift basket from Terra Toys. Instead I won this. And, yes, I will be reading it tomorrow. I like to start my week off inspirationally.

Stubb's, Sam Tsui, and an unseasonable storm

Last night, D and I walked with my sister and her older three to Stubb's Bar-B-Q *shudder* (at the misspelling) to see Sam Tsui. There were going to be other performers there, too, but that was the headline act for us.

Since Stubb's is only 1.3 miles from the Nuthaus and there's no free parking, we walked. It was hot. In fact, it was 98 degrees with 33% humidity. When we got there, it was about 15 'till doors, and there was a line down the front of the building...

The front doors are just at the right, and we were back about twice the distance of that big truck. In fact, we were here...

See the window at the left? In the white-bricked building? That's where we were standing. You can see the front end of that same truck at the right frame. Anyway, notice the ATM and the small awning there and for a few feet beyond it. That will be important later.

It was nearly 100 degrees and we were waiting in full out sun. Ugh. As it got closer to 6:00 PM, the line got a lot longer. Also, people started packing in very tightly. Eventually, even though the doors weren't open so no one had moved, we were closer to the scraggly tree.

Then it started sprinkling. We were so relieved. It felt amazing! For about three minutes. Then some serious rain broke out. Like big, downpour drops. Uncomfortably heavy rain. Thankfully, they opened the doors and we started moving.

Here is where Reminder #1 of the night that I'm an old person happened: As the people poured into the building and up under the larger awning of Stubb's (note the first picture) some sweet little things in front of us apparently strategized that they would wait under the post-ATM awning until the line thinned out enough for them to dart across the half block of rain and up under the shelter themselves.

I didn't notice this at first, but a person behind me did. She asked, "Are you guys going to go, or what?" One of the sweet little things said that she was, "but..." and that's when it hit me what they were doing. So I reminded her of something that she apparently had not thought. I said, "Well, while you're standing there NOT getting wet, EVERYONE ELSE in line behind you IS getting wet. You need to go."

See? Right there. I mommed someone who wasn't mine. Old lady style.

Yeah. We were all pretty much drenched. Then it stopped. It apparently barely sprinkled here at the Nuthaus.

This was Reminder #2 that I am an old lady: I hadn't really fixed up for the show at all. There were a lot of girls who had obviously ironed their hair and picked out special clothes... and the fact that everyone got dumped on by this rainstorm was infinitely amusing to me.

But don't worry. I am about to get mine.

We walked inside and realized, as I should have guessed, that this was a standing room concert. Ugh. Pppth. Fortunately, we were early enough that the front row of the "balcony" (really just the top floor of the bar area that is opened to the stage below) was open, so we stood there. Then people stood behind us. And in case you've never been in Texas before when it has been nearly 100 degrees while people were waiting in the sun, sweating, THEN poured rain, thus giving everyone a bunch of moisture that's sure to hang around in the ensuing 55% humidity, and THEN had every one of these people all stand shoulder-to-shoulder and front-to-back... let me assure you, it's a ripening situation.

Again, we were lucky enough to be on the front row, so we didn't have to smell anyone's backside. But people had to smell ours.

The first band was King the Kid. They were AWESOME. They rocked, and I was glad because, frankly, after standing there for 45 minutes, I needed an excuse to MOVE. Here's an official video.

After they played for a while, the instruments were reset and Landon Austin and Luke Conrad took the stage.

They were good, too, but I felt like, with their acoustic set, they really should have opened. Rather, if I were the one putting the concert together, I would have had them go first so that the energy could build throughout the show. I would think that would put them in the best position to make a good impression on those of us who had not heard them before.

Luke started off in a band called The Ministry of Magic, and if you've never heard of Wizard Rock, you can either trust me that it's a thing, or go here and read about it. He sang one of his songs about Hermione and Ron called "Accio Love," and that was sweet.

It's interesting, though, how when Sam Tsui took the stage, it was a whole other level of presence. He was just this rock star. Even though the other two bands were talented, and I think that King the Kid could have a great future if they stay with it, Sam Tsui is an entertainer on a whole different level.

I had to grab him on keys because when he wasn't playing, he was all over the place. I recorded a bit, but it was so loud, my camera didn't capture well; everything sounds blown out. His show was very high-energy all the way through. As you can tell from this picture, he was "glistening," as I might have mentioned the heat. And the people. Which one doesn't notice as much when one is being engaged. 

Here is one of the songs Sam Tsui performed last night. He did several original songs from his new album, as well as a couple of covers and medleys. But I'm including this one because I think the video is pretty clever. For this song, he and the guitar player unplugged and did everything acoustically.

Alex Goot was on after Sam Tsui, but I don't know him well enough to hang out another hour. That, friends, was Reminder #3 that I'm old: I have a back injury and it is excruciating to stand in one place for three hours. I was glad that Daphne and I were in a cornerish area and/or near the railing because I was able to brace myself to pop my back if I needed to.

My sister and her kids stayed after the show and got pictures with Sam and the guys from King the Kid. Daphne and I walked back after Sam's portion of the concert. So we didn't get a picture with Mr. Tsui, but I saw this on the way back. It was pretty lovely.