Ellyn "my literal side strikes again" E.'s Profile

I hate this place.  I will never go again if I can help it.  Let me repeat myself:  I HATE this place.  I also hate the gas station next door and when I find out the name, my one star will follow for them too.  Okay, where to start.  Let me first say that I usually go to this amazing huge Washateria on North Lamar (I'm giving them 5 stars when I write their review).  Everything at my normal place is in Spanish and I don't speak any Spanish but they have a bazillion beautifully clean machines in multiple sizes that are never out of order, several soda machines, arcade games, a massage chair, and televisions playing soccer and American Movies (in Spanish but I have usually seen the movie so I can enjoy the TVs anyway).  But today, I was feeling sorry for my dog who obviously wanted attention and an outing.  I thought, "gee, I can take him to that Washateria by Thunderbird Coffeehouse.  We can grab a coffee while my clothes are drying."  Instead, my trip was one nightmare after another.  Upon arriving, I immediately noticed that with only four people doing laundry (including me), most of the washers and all of the dryers were full.  Several of the machines were out of order.  I put my clothes in three machines.  Two of the machines  were the same size and ran for the same amount of time but one cost $1.50 and the other cost $1.00.  My third machine cost $3.75 and I would not have needed to use such an expensive machine but all of the smaller machines were being used or broken.  When I ran out of detergent, I noticed that the detergent machine at Woodrow Washateria was Out Of Order, so I had to go next door to that m-f-ing gas station to purchase the tiniest bottle of Tide I have ever seen...less that 1 liter, for $6.95 + tax!!!  That's over $7 dollars.  I noticed that I would not be able to use my $10 in the Woodrow Washateria change machine because their change machine only changes $1 or $5 dollar bills.  So, I asked the gas station lady for some quarters.  She stated that she could only give me $2 worth of quarters and then she ranted about how much she hates the Washateria next door (perhaps why they price their bottles of Tide at $7 so that customers will NEVER want to return to the Washateria).  My experience at the Gas Station was just as bad as the Washateria and I WILL NEVER return to either place for as long as I live in Austin.  Fortunately, I did make it to Thunderbird Coffee, ordered a drink, and sat with my dog while my clothes dried.  The fact that an incredible hottie was sitting close enough that I could stare and de-stress from HORRIBLE WOODROW WASHATERIA experience  made me feel just a tiny bit better (thank you Thunderbird hottie).

Growing up in Connecticut, I do not know what I would have done without The Mall.  The Mall: with an uppercase "T" and an uppercase "M" (similar to god, with an uppercase "G"...except that I believe in The Mall...but I digress).  Anyway, in my beloved Connecticut city (Danbury) we had one Mall.  And it was HUGE.  And easy to navigate.  And it saved my friends and I from complete and utter boredom after school, on weekends, and snow days (for years).  Since we only had one Mall, EVERYBODY went to The Mall and therefore, it was a place to socialize, shop, eat, and even scope out potential dates (remember, it's Connecticut, so everyone is smart, and rich, and good looking...like me...but I digress).  We even had a pizza place with A SALAD BAR in our Mall!!!  Boy, would I love a Salad Bar in the Barton Creek Square Mall.  So, you can understand why I can't give the Barton Creek Square Mall a higher rating: it's difficult to navigate, doesn't have a great following, isn't in Connecticut, and people actually seem to be there to shop.  Two redeeming qualities: the Barton Creek Square Mall has a cinema and I really like the new convenience store on the second floor near the food court.  The owner has a really great accent (New York City + Israel...I love it...but I digress).

Run completely by volunteers, Ten Thousand Villages is one of my favorite SOCO shops.  I stop in Ten Thousand Villages whenever I am on-foot and in the SOCO area to check out the new inventory - especially the jewelery.  This past year, I bought two necklaces at Ten Thousand Villages.  I'm GUARANTEED compliments from both women and men when I am wearing either necklace.  Both pieces cost less than $30 dollars and the proceeds go to a charitable cause.   They also sell musical instruments, prayer flags, purses, totes, coffee, chocolate, toys, scarves, and much much more.

Is it possible to love an airport?  Because I HEART Austin-Bergstrom International Airport!!!  I don't even know where to begin.  Let me put it this way:  I love ABIA so much, I would go there after work and on weekends just to hang out.  I love ABIA so much, if my visitors weren't tired after travel, I would probably say, "hey, I know you just flew in from China, but let me give you a tour of our airport."   I love ABIA so much, a date could bring me here and we could make an entire evening of Salt Lick BBQ, Austin Java, Amy's Ice Cream, BookPeople, live music, and art exhibits (if he wanted to really impress me, he could top it off with a secret destination plane trip).  I have spent years in crappy airports with stained carpets, stagnant air, and generic food and souvenir shops, but Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is clean, fresh smelling, easy to navigate, and full of local flavor!!!

Seriously!  How is it possible that I have lived in Austin for over two years and missed Maria's Taco Xpress!!!  This place defines South Austin culture: food, music, dancing, dogs, and good times.  I can't comment on the food because I didn't eat, but the ambiance and my nonalcoholic beverage were enough to make me a fan.  I did have a difficult time conversing due to the volume of the live music.  I didn't think the music was inappropriately loud, I just didn't know enough about Maria's to know that it wasn't the greatest choice for a conversation meet-up.  The band that played on Sunday could easily be featured on NPR if they haven't been already. They were fantastic.  Maria's is a great place to relax, watch people dance, and listen to some great music.  Oh, and even though I'm a Unitarian, Sunday morning at Maria's was way better than church.  (don't worry if you don't get the Unitarian humor in that).

I have driven past Lift countless times since moving to Austin and despite my attraction to the giant green sign and my desire to check it out,  somehow I always put it off till next time.  Last Sunday, I finally made it to Lift.  I was heading to the hike and bike with Finian, the greatest dog in the Universe, when I decided I needed a LIFT.  And not just a little lift.  But a BIG LIFT.  I was very happy to see their largest size cup, perfect for the Americano I was seeking.  I also noticed the playful camaraderie of the baristas.  Although I didn't stay long, I enjoyed my beverage and the atmosphere at LIFT.  It was the perfect start to my date with my dog (the greatest dog in the Universe).  I will definitely return.  Extra star power for the super squeaky cleanness of the entire establishment including the ladies room.

Town Lake Metropolitan Park isn't just a park, it is an outdoor museum showcasing Austin's culture and values.  I don't need to tell you about Austin's culture or Austin's values...you can walk the trail yourself.  On Sunday, I walked 4 miles of the 10 mile loop with the world's best Irish Soft Coated Wheaton Terrier, Finian,  We stopped at the beginning of the loop to help ourselves to ice cold water from the containers provided at stopping points along the trail.  Finian enjoyed a good half hour of "off the leash" play and swimming with his doggie friends before we started on our trail walk.  We stopped along the way to contemplate the giant "Scoop the Poop" sculpture, a family in a canoe photographing swans, a man passing us on a Unicycle, drummers in a drum circle and two women belly dancing, Barton Springs Pool, bricks with names written on them, a man putting a big green caterpillar gently back on a tree, a bridge designed for travelers or bikers resting on benches overlooking the water, and biodegradable poo-poo bags.  Check it out.  Open 365 days of the year.  Admission is free.

SPENDING UNDER $50 BUCKS:

Central Market South is my favorite grocery store.  Today, I stopped on the way home from the gym.  My goal: to buy a weeks worth of food for under fifty bucks.  At first, I was thinking, yeah right, maybe if I buy junk-food.  But I don't eat junk-food.  I stick to fruits, vegetables, meat, cheese, and fats (like butter or olive oil) so my diet consists of real food.  Eating is a priority in my life, but so is saving money.  I thought I would limit myself to 50 bucks in Central Market.   I spent $44.00 on real food and I have to make it through my week but I am certain I can do it.

moving on..."SQUASH"
One of my favorite items to purchase at Central Market, and I did so today, is squash.  I often stick to Central Market because I know they sell so many varieties of squash during October and November.  I strongly encourage butternut and acorn squash eaters to branch out and experience some of the better but harder to find winter squashes.  Hubbard squash looks intimidating but it is often cheaper to buy one Hubbard at $7.99 than two butternut.  Hubbard is also the sweetest of the squashes and tastes delicious baked all by itself.  Kabocha Squash is also wonderfully sweet but with a drier texture than Buttercup Squash and Red Kuri Squash.  Red Kuri and Buttercup are sweeter versions of acorn and I think Buttercup is slightly marshmellowy tasting.  The Black Futsu squash tastes kindof chestnutty and is less sweet.  Not my favorite but worth trying once.  If you do decide to buy squash at Central Market, make sure to note the variety and the price because the cashiers don't always have the information at the check-out. Okay, enough about squash.  

moving on...DIET
I also like Central Market because they sell some artificially sweetened products like Diet Snapple and I like Diet Snapple once in a while.  Whole Foods is totally void of these options that I like once in a while.  

moving on...LOCATION
Central Market South is conveniently located in the same complex as the West Gate Cinema, Amy's Ice Cream, Bath & Body Works, Whole Earth, and a Borders Book Store so I can buy a cheesy harlequin at Borders, watch a movie at West Gate, and then go shopping on my way home.

My sister introduced me to Luckman Coffee during my recent visit from Austin, TX.  Prior to our arrival at Luckman, she provided terrific reviews of both their drinks and their staff.  I was not disappointed.  I ordered an Americano AND a sugar-free vanilla Italian soda and both had the perfect amount of flavor.  I enjoyed my drinks so much, I insisted on returning everyday during my visit to Cincinnati.  I didn't really have to insist since my sister fully intended on going anyway but I did feel like a great start to a great day with my sister would be totally enhanced by drinks from Luckman.  I also enjoyed watching my 2 and a half year old nephew select his cookie of the day, or enjoy his Luckman meal of oatmeal with brown sugar and raisins or yogurt cup with strawberries.   From now on, Luckman will be a regular stop when I travel to Cincinnati.

I cannot believe I am the first to Yelp on Tarrywile Park.  And I don't even live in Danbury anymore.  I'm Yelping from Austin, Texas.  Actually, I was deep in thought on Austin's best places to visit when for no apparent reason my mind drifted to Danbury, CT and I started to think about Danbury's best place for locals and out-of-towners to visit.  The answer came so easy.  Tarrywile Park!  I started missing Tarrywile Park so I went on Yelp to read some sweet reviews of my favorite place in Danbury.  I expected rows of 5 star ratings and multitudes of Tarrywile Park Yelpers.  Imagine my surprise when I saw that no one had written one review for the most fabulous place in Danbury.  Perhaps it's fate that this review is mine.  I believe it is.  Let me tell you about Tarrywile.  A web page might tell you that Tarrywile is a park, with trails, and a mansion that people can tour or rent out for events.  But Tarrywile is so much more, and even full of magic and charms.  Follow one trail and you can see the remains of what was once a castle that a husband built for his wife.  Follow another trail and you come to a lookout over downtown Danbury and Candlewood Lake in the distance.  Stop and throw rocks at the water tower and you are officially at what is called "Alien Headquarters".   Eat wild blackberries.  Trail-run or walk your dog around the pond then stop to talk to the other dog owners.   Watch someone's wedding in the field by the apple trees.  Potluck with friends for a solstice or drum circle.  For years, I would meet my friends at Tarrywile and we would spend hours hiking, wandering, drumming, treasure hunting, stargazing.  Some of my best dates were at Tarrywile.  I'm divorced now, but my ex-husband and I officially started dating at Tarrywile...and it was still one of my favorite dates.  In winter, Tarrywile has the perfect hill for sledding and the perfect flat spaces for  making snow angels and snow people.  I have an idea.  Put a couple hours aside, skip the mall, and go to Tarrywile instead.  Bring a friend, bring a camera, bring a child.  Go exploring.  Pee in the woods.  Have fun.