Those moonlit nights

I don't know about the rest of you, but the full moon nights send me. There is little I can do except try to plan some way to keep myself at home and occupied. If I don't I end up somewhere until the wee hours of the morning, trashed and full of fun. I get tired but figure that I can always sleep when I'm dead, now is the time to party! Those afternoon naps are a big part of my life, just give me 20 minutes somewhere and I'm all set. I don't think I ever really get enough sleep at night when most people try to sleep/rest.

I remember my time as a college student in Japan when I lived in Roppongi, the big entertainment district that closes around 5am in Tokyo Japan. Many is the night I helped to close the bars next to my neighborhood. The beers were cheap, the food was good, and the girls were friendly. beautiful and everywhere. What the hell, I was young and out to have a good time. My grades were okay and I was a 5000 meter runner on the track team. But I have digressed again, hope none of you went to sleep. Anyway, I found it hard to walk back to my apartment from the subway station every night when all of the entertainment district was screaming at me. Other student friends lived out away from Tokyo in the suburbs, I was the only one who lived right in the middle of everything.

Austin is great for those Moony nights and entertaining oneself. My personal favorite area for live music is the Red River area. Red River is where most of the live houses have opened up after Sixth Street became a place for shot bars that make lots of money but have little culture. On Red River you have 2 or 3 serious heavy metal places and then a little further down you have places that offer all kinds of music. Stubb's BBQ is on Red River and Stubb's has the big outdoor stage plus the one indoor stage where Johnny Cash played years ago for SXSW. Can you imagine seeing Johnny Cash with about 150 other people in a tiny little room where you can hear everyone breathe? That was a chance to meet Johnny and visit. I would bet that you could also smell everyone in that room that night!

Tonight there is no moon but I am going to check out Red River to see what I can find. I'll start at Club Deville because you can park there. Club Deville is so cool, those who come to Austin from LA or New York City have to check it out when they come to Austin. Apparently they think Club Deville is the place to go, figure that out. But the parking right in front makes it worth it every time. Then I'll move on down the street to Stubb's and the other places. There is bound to be some music - HEY IT'S WEDNESDAY NIGHT! Anyway, like I said earlier - I can sleep when I'm dead!

Weather here

The weather here in Austin is fun, I think. I am one of those rare breeds who doesn't mind the heat. Typically it is hot here in Austin. Someone told me recently that we have 2 seasons in Austin, Fall and Summer. Interesting. This last time though we enjoyed a real winter with at least 20 days below freezing, no snow but lots of ice and misery. That was quite a change, most of us don't have the clothing to survive that stuff. You all in those other places must enjoy your 4 seasons. Here as I mentioned earlier we have two. Anyway, I found out that before June last year we had already enjoyed more than fifteen 100 degree days.

Talking about weather extremes, I remember going to one of my favorite Austin watering holes, Club DeVille, 2 years on New Year's Eve wearing shorts and a T-shirt. The girls were all dressed in summer dresses and the temperature that evening was about 85 degrees. 80 to 85 degrees here feels very fine, just warm enough not to need any jacket but not so hot that one would become miserable. We typically are not that humid here, being right on the edge of the desert. But that night was very special, the weather was great and outside was so comfortable.

That was a memorable night. The music was great. Club DeVille features an outdoor patio area where the bands play. Oliver Future played first and then their Zeppelin cover band played. The show finished about 2 in the morning and it was a full moon, all outside at Club Deville, lots of fun. Typically I enjoy drinking Negro Modelo beer at the watering holes in Austin, wish they had Japanese beer but Negro Modelo is the next best thing. I suppose that I am a bit of a beer lover. I enjoy the true German taste of beer. Bud and Coors doesn't do that much for me. MGD is okay, but I really love the taste of that Japanese beer, Asahi Super Dry, or Sapporo. Kirin is good too. So those Mexican beers that are a little bit darker are wonderful for me! Of course Budweiser and Coors are available everywhere for those who love them. Here in Austin Lone Star is also ready all the time and we enjoy our own special Texas beer, Shiner Bock.