bluegrass to lonestar

n order to celebrate Thanksgiving-Eve, those of us left in town ventured down to Mohawk to check out Blitzen Trapper.  I like first album alright  and I had heard good things about their live shows so I figured it would be a good time.

Mohawk is split into three levels outdoors.  The first floor holds the stage and a standing area to watch.  The second level is a wooden deck and the third is on the roof of the building.  Bars on the the first and third level and there’s a screenprinting table on the top floor.  We hung out on the third level until it was time for the show.  It’s a weird venue.  Seating was comprised of tree stumps and milk cartons that were put together in Tetris shapes.

Blitzen Trapper was not as good as I had been led to belive they’d be live.  It was pretty bad.  They used a ton of instruments on stage which was pretty cool.  Lots of precussion and harmonizing.  A couple standing next to us was extremely excited to hear ”Wild Mountain Nation” and rocked out accordingly.  Other than that it was a pretty mellow show.  The crowd didn’t seem very into it.  They encored with a Dolly Parton cover and we headed home.

I realize I haven’t posted much of anything other than restaurant comments and foodstuffs, but we do occasionally do things other than that, I swear.  I got a job working for Xbox.  It’s not nearly as enjoyable as it seems like it should be.  The company and the actual work are pretty disheartening but it’s paying the bills for now.  The people I work with are pretty nice and easy to get along which makes things more bearable.  It also involves a commute which I was trying to avoid.  I really don’t like driving to work daily.  I need to get a bikable job.  I really enjoyed biking to work everyday in Louisville.  So yeah, that’s the current situation.  I’m going to keep hunting for closer more enjoyable work.

I also feel like I complain too much on here so I’m going to try and curb that.  Things are better here now than when we first moved.  The paycheck helps ease tensions and the slight drop in temperature is very welcome.  Tonight we are going to check out the Alamo Drafthouse for dinner and movie.  Last night we attended a halloween bash.  More on that later.  Adios.

There is an old hamburger stand, named Hut’s, that we wanted to try.  We went down to 6th street for dinner Friday to give it a go.  The place has been around since 1939 and has loads of character.  The inside is decorated with lots of photos and pennants from every sports team imaginable from Pro to College.  I spotted a UofL one and felt right at home.  The floor is red and black checkered linolium that looks like it might be the original from ‘39.

They offer all natural grass-fed Texas beef for their burgers.  A big plus.  Lauren ordered the “Big Bopper” and I went with the “Buddy Holly” burger and a basket of fries.  The burgers were cooked nice and medium so they stayed juicy.  I don’t know what it is about the plain diner burger bun but it always works perfectly.  No seeds or whole grains needed.  The fries were pretty good too.  Next time we’ll have to get a milkshake, they looked tasty.

I am a huge fan of the Mexican street taco. It’s a study in simplistic perfection. Perfectly cooked meat, inside two corn tortillas, topped with onion and cilantro. A squeeze of lime to make the flavors pop. There is a restaurant back in Louisville called La Rosita that has this down to an art form. It would be my death row meal.

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Saturday Lauren, her mom Amy, and I went to a wedding out in the Texas countryside.  Amy’s friends daughter was getting married and we snagged an invite.  The wedding was on a ranch fifty minutes away from Austin.  They also decided that mid-November would be a good time to host an outdoor event.  It was like 50 degrees and windy.  The ceremony took place by a river and the location was pretty cool, but man it was cold.  The bridesmaids all more UT orange dresses and everyone in the wedding party had on cowboy boots.  The bride arrived to the ceremony via horse.  I was definitley out of my element.

Luckily the service was short and we were hered to the large chapel on the grounds for the reception.  The chapel was pretty great, hand made old wood with large ceilings and whatnot.  Open bar!  This would normally have been awesome, but I had a long run ahead of me the next morning so I had to pass.  We helped ourselves to some cheese and crackers and huddled close to the fireplace to thaw.  After the Father made a toast, the buffet was opened.  Texas ranch, cowboy boots and horses.  Can you guess the meal?  BBQ is correct.  Trays full of brisket, sausage, beans, and white bread, to mop it all up with, sat steaming in night air.

After dinner, the cake was cut and the first dance danced.  We stayed around for a few songs before having a dance and then we headed for the door.  It was nice of the family to invite us, but seeing as we don’t know them at all, I’m still at a loss as to why they did.