Sarahenity NOW!: January 2011

Friday, January 28, 2011

Mandola

What do you do when you have to get out of the house for 5 hours to allow the freshly cleaned carpets time to dry? Well, you just go to dinner and a movie or something, right? Well, what do you do if you have two Dachshunds and one of them has....well....poor social skills? Back when we just had the "balacned dog" Dale and I could go anywhere dog friendly without a worry. Here in Austin, there are many dog friendly restaurants and bars. Ahhh, the days of going to Opal Divine's and sipping a prickly pear margarita while Cooper (the balanced dog) hangs out by my side are over.

So, when we had our carpets cleaned, Dale and I drove around for about an hour before we decided to check out the Mandola winery out in Driftwood. We figured we could find a picnic table out in the back somewhere,far away from the other patrons, and relax with a bottle of wine.

Well, we got our wine...we got some antipasta.....but we did not get a picnic table.

No sir. For people like us, there is a special place far in the back called a "parking lot."

It is far away from the other, more civilized patrons with their Dogs that don't bark and act crazy the moment they see another human, or animal, or paper bag blowing in the breeze.

I love the above photo of Cooper (the balanced dog). Keeping an eye on things, he is.
While Charlie (the one with poor social skills) is in the background looking a little crazy.

It worked out fine, really.

I mean, we obviously enjoyed ourselves.

The wine was good and the weather was beautiful.

The food was yummy. I am not much of a bread eater but their bread was irresistible.

And Charlie (the not so social dachshund) did just fine.
except for when a car would drive by or the time the employee stepped outside to smoke.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

The Black Keys on ACL

I absolutely HATE IT when The Black Keys are in my city and I miss the show. It has happened a few times for one reason or another. They taped the Austin City Limits that aired tonight months ago. I remember hearing about it and being pissed that I could not attend. It's hard to get into an Austin City Limits taping. I have only been to one (The Flatlanders) and I used to spend hours of my life right next to the damn studio! Back when I was in Grad school, the Speech and Hearing Clinic I spent most of my time in (studying, working, and studying) was in the basement of the communications building, right next to ACL studios. I would always see the musicians and roadies pulling in and loading their gear. It sucked because I knew I had to go to class and learn about the larynx while fucking Arcade Fire, Ghostland Observatory,or Wilco were rehearsing just a few steps away. Those were tough times.

any-hoo, here is a behind the scenes clip of the show that aired tonight.

The Black Keys: Behind the Scenes at ACL from Jonathan Jackson on Vimeo.

They did a great job. These bastards are friggen' huuuuuuuuge now! They all over the place! I hope that I get to see them again....and not and the stupidly large Frank Erwin Center. Shitty acoustics at the FEC.

If I don't get to see them again, I will just have to be happy that I have seen them so many times. Last year at SXSW was so much fun. Side Stage/back stage action!

They deserve their time at the top. I think they have been at it for 9 or10 years. I loved them when I first heard them but knew I SUPER Loved them times 50,000 the first time I saw their video for 10 A.M. Automatic. For some reason, the embedding code on youtube has been disabled. You are just going to have to click this here link to go watch it for yourself. The part where security has to put the old lady back in her seat kills me!

Also, I wonder if Dan Auerbach will ever do another solo album? I think Keep It Hid is one of the best albums of the damned decade. His backing band wasn't bad either.

Guess I am just getting geared up for March 16-20th...the music part of SXSW. I'm already building my schedule. Must. See. The Greenhornes.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

The Wedding...and a few other pics

Are you ready for the final installment of the New Orleans series? No? Well you can go screw yourself! Oh...what? You said "fo-sho?" I do apologize. On with the show!

A bunch of us flew to New Orleans to celebrate with some good friends as they became man and wife.

Dale and I are not pictured because he is taking the picture and I am sitting in the seat next to him with a brace around my neck and on a high dose of pain pills and muscle relaxers. (which, by the way...I no longer need!)

The lovely couple: