The Swell Season

It was a chilly Sunday evening. People in jackets and scarves came walking down Congress Ave. to gather in front of The Paramount, a venue whose stage has humbled itself under the feet of many super stars over the years. But you’ll be hard-pressed to find many acts to start off their set by taking a knee on the regal stage, and quaintly singing to a crowd of hundreds as if to a small coffee shop. This is how The Swell Season warmed us up.

The Swell Season are Markéta Irglová, classically trained Czech pianist and vocalist, and Glen Hansard, who also happens to be the lead singer of Irish band, The Frames.

That night Irglová was modestly dressed in a long red skirt and Hansard wore a striped beanie with a puffball atop his head. They both sat on the back of their heels in the center of the stage and sang “You Must Have Fallen from the Sky,” a song off their self-titled debut album. It also makes an appearance on the soundtrack from the motion picture, Once. If you have not yet seen this film, it is a must. Both musicians star in the film, as well as wrote all the songs featured in its soundtrack.

The crowd started clapping as both got up from the floor. Irglová walked to the piano and Hansard began playing “Lies,” another great song from the Once soundtrack. By the third song, they were grooving full band. The Frames had joined The Swell Season on their North American fall tour. Hansard expressed his joy over the boys’ ability to remain good friends and being able to incorporate them into his new project.

The back of the stage was encircled with large wooden structures that when lit red resemble giant flames. But that wasn’t the only thing that made me take off my sweater. The music, passionate. The energy, all-consuming.

At one point during the set, violinist Colm Mac Con Iomaire was left alone on the stage to serenade us with an 18th century Irish love song. It was intended for more than one violin, so he said he would “conjure up some friends of his.” He began recording parts into a loop station, which would create the illusion of accompaniment by adding in and taking out parts during the song. As he played eloquently, I closed my eyes and landed on a grassy hill. This is probably how my mind imagines Ireland.

The set continued with Irglová’s tender performance of “If You Want Me,” and Hansard’s tear-jerking performance of “Leave.”

Then came “Say It To Me Now,” which according to Hansard, is about “holding stuff in until it becomes cancer and you die.” This one is a favorite of mine because of the way Hansard sings the serious chorus, “Cause this is what you've waited for, your chance to even up the score, and as these shadows fall on me now I will somehow,” until he’s pushing out, even yelling “So if you have something to say, say it to me now, say it to me now, say it to me now,” at the end of the song.

They also played “Rise,” a song by The Frames, and gave a shout-out to Austin legend Daniel Johnston. The night only began to come to a close when they all took the stage again for a five-song encore. The third of which was “High Horses,” my personal favorite off their latest album ‘Strict Joy.’

The Swell Season is one of those bands that I thought it wouldn’t top their album with their live performance. I am confident in saying that it was just as good if not better to watch their music come to fruition in front of my eyes.

The very last song was an Irish folk song, “A Parting Glass,” which was appropriately dedicated to William Liam Clancy of The Clancy Brothers, which Hansard attributed as being “the first Irish rock stars.” Unfortunately, ‘Liam’ is not well. The entire crowd sang in unison, “Goodnight and joy be with you all.” Those were the last words of the night.

The stage radiated warmth throughout the entire show, both visually and sonically. You could say The Paramount was set ablaze with the fiery sounds of The Swell Season. I walked to my car that night with a strong desire to sit in front of a fire with a cup of soup and a lover.

Click here to view the article in SoundCheck Magazine along with more photographs by Randy Cremean.

It's Fall Happenings

I don't know about you but when fall arrives every year I get silly. I carry around this stupid grin that gets bigger whenever a cool breeze hits it. I drive with the windows down and hang one arm out. I start listening to Sufjan Stevens, The National, Band of Horses, Death Cab for Cutie, and One Winter - For Patrick from The Perks of Being a Wallflower on repeat. I turn off the air and open windows. I curl up and read long books in two days. I craft more than normal.

Another phenomenon I experience is an unbelievable urge to go to a pumpkin patch. Patty and I did just that. Maybe it wasn't a pumpkin patch so much as a nursery that had a lot of pumpkins. Close enough. I was drawn to a white one and Patty spent her time looking for the perfect JackOLatern pumpkin. Once we were satisfied, we brought our own little patch home.

After making some hot cocoa, and some planning and agreements on strategy, we began carving. Patty would begin by doing the initial ground work and then I would swoop in with the steady hand for the tedious stuff. While carving them up we talked about how dark pumpkin carving can be. Stabbing, pulling out the innards, carving, and throwing away the remains. Yikes. I even took a drill to some of them. It felt wrong and therapeutic at the same time. I think maybe we've been watching too much Dexter.

We thought that we might try to make some pumpkin seeds to eat. Admittedly, we both had never really enjoyed eating pumpkin seeds before. They seem to have the same curse as popcorn kernels. They get stuck in your teeth and the back of your throat for days. I've never been able to figure out if it's worth it or not. Patty had higher hopes. She jumped on the computer and looked up "good pumpkin seed recipes." Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds is what we settled on. Patty did all the work and they turned out fantastic. I mean, you can't really go wrong with Martha Stewart. She always pulls through. Just last month she taught me how to fold a fitted bed sheet. Thanks, Martha.

Of course we couldn't have just any run of the mill pumpkin. Patty and I are pretty much always set on being original. Even if it takes some extra work. And you know, a few extra hours. In the end we were happy with the result.

Before we knew it, Halloween was here. And so began the costume conundrum. What am I going to be? How can I be original? How can I spend no money? Patty decided on being a 20s flapper girl. She was going to look great per usual. Now, I had my heart set on being Daria for the past four years and have never been able to pull it off for one reason or another. Again, this year Daria was a no go. Should I be pollution again? No, although the trash bag is equally flattering on all body types, it just doesn't breathe well. Finally it came to me. Eeyore. Over my lifetime I have been called Eeyore more than I'd like to admit. I think it's my lack of excitability, or my dry humor, or maybe my passive face. Either way, I thought I'd take the chance to poke a little fun atmyself. With a little yarn, fabric, ribbon, and strategically placed velcro, I had crafted my Eeyore ensemble. Or grensemble, as my sister likes to call it. (A grey ensemble). Halloween turned out to be a pretty good night.

In other news, November is Rilo's birthday month. She's been interrogating Patty about why she hasn't received any presents yet. Happy 3rd Birthday, HoverCat.

This has been Ashley, and it's fall happenings.

New York, New York

I went to New York last month. I saw a few familiar faces, and got aquatinted with some new ones. I had a really great time. Here are some pictures from my trip.

Bon Iver

Patty here. So it’s sad really, that I don’t get excited about shows much any more. Going to a lot of them can do that to you. I don’t wait in line before doors. I don’t battle the crowd for the best view. I don’t take pictures to capture a moment that, who are we kidding, can’t really be captured. And I especially don’t expect to leave a show feeling rejuvenated, alive, or cleansed. But I can’t say that Ashley or I didn’t feel all of those things and more leaving through the double doors of The Paramount on Sunday.

It’s the only venue in town that could have housed the beautiful music of Bon Iver, the passionate voice of Justin Vernon, suspended somewhere between a whisper and a yell. The majestic walls of The Paramount theatre gave way to acoustics that didn’t request but demanded your attention, unlike the humble members of the band. They unassumingly took the stage and opened the set with “Flume.” Later on in the set, a new light was shed on the 80s hit song “Your Love,” in a completely original, non-cheesy sort of way.

Vernon was left alone on stage in a single spotlight for “Re:Stacks,” one of my favorites where he manages to express some heavy sentiments with minimal lyrics. To my surprise, this one made watery things start coming out of my eyes. I quickly wiped them away feeling embarrassed and vulnerable. But I realized I wasn’t the only one quickly turning into a blubbering baby, when I heard sniffles coming from every direction. I leaned back in my chair and Ashley asked me if I was crying. As if it wasn't obvious, "Yes." - "Me too," she said. The music of Bon Iver lends itself extremely well to personal reflection, which became physically evident that night.

There is detail in the album, For Emma, Forever Ago, which you wouldn’t think could be properly conveyed on stage, but you’d be wrong. All of the musicians were constantly aware of the sounds being made, as if they knew we could all hear them breathing. All the audible elements, all of what some people might refer to as, the “noise” was part of an orchestrated plan. I suppose that’s redundant, but it’s like watching a movie and seeing all the atmosphere shots, the shots of wind blowing the leaves, coffee steaming from a mug, a desk full of paperwork. The audience got a full context of each composition. It almost transported me to the remote cabin in Northwestern Wisconsin, where Vernon originally wrote, and recorded most of the album.

There was a moment in particular that is worth recounting. Vernon prefaced the closing song, “Wolves (Act I and II),” with a request that the audience help sing the chorus line. At this point, emotionally drained and willing, we would have done just about whatever he wanted us to. Everyone began softly singing, “what might’ve been lost,” in unison. The song kept building as the chorus slowly got louder, as the drums got more intense, and the guitars became almost harsh. It felt like a huge surge of emotional release, as if everyone was letting go all at once.

It’s almost futile trying to explain this experience, because my words inevitably won’t do this show justice. That being said, Bon Iver was the best, most impassioned performance Ashley and I have ever seen in our lives. But then again I’m only 22, so there’s still time for topping.

The camera is not my medium of choice; I prefer the pen. But here is a video of Bon Iver's performance of "Skinny Love."

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This Bon Iver concert review was published in Soundcheck Magazine.

Go to the Mattresses!

There are about 4,000 species of cockroaches in the world. 30 of which are found in human habitations. Of that 30, 4 are considered pests. Patty and Ashley don’t know which kind they have, but scientific classification of this insect is hardly relevant when two squealing girls are jumping on the bed and throwing random household objects at the walls in the middle of the night.

It all started about a month ago when Patty spotted such a pest above Ashley’s bedroom door. The two of them proceeded to throw a fit and do, what has now become a ritual dance, in the dining room. Much like a ceremonial bonfire, the two dance and jump around their weapons of choice, a bottle of Raid, a roll of paper towels and a pink converse shoe, while shaking both hands in the air. One will say, “It’s so big,” which will usually lend itself to the other saying “that’s what she said;” a little comedic relief to the very serious situation at hand.

Wikipedia notes that the centipede is the most effective control agent of cockroaches, but Ashley and Patty find centipedes themselves quite objectionable. They waited until another three incidences occurred before calling about pest control. Here is a documentation of one of those incidences.

Shortly after this night, Patty called the front office. She spoke to a very nice lady on the other end of the line who said nonchalantly, “Well, it is roach season,” with a little giggle. There’s nothing funny about finding a roach in any condition, in any part of your home. A few days later, a handsome young man came a knockin’. You could call him their knight in shining uniform. He came prepared to slay the enemy. He sprayed around the whole apartment while exchanging witty banter with Ashley, reminding her that they made a stop in the complex weekly. So, maybe it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if we had to invite him back. *Sigh* Getting sidetracked, sorry.

The two thought all would be well. They finally felt safe in their little home, until last night. Patty heard Ashley calling her into the bedroom. She knew from the pit of her stomach that the tone is Ashley’s voice was one of despair.

“It’s somewhere on my bed,” Ashley said.

Patty tip toed further into the room, grabbed the corner of the comforter and flung it from the mattress to reveal a cockroach.

“That’s not the one I found,” Ashley pointed and yelled, “That’s not the one I found.”

Now, not only on the bed, but in the bed, the situation reaches a whole new level of, like, totally gross. After the discovered met his demise via pink converse shoe, we went on ransacking the sheets in search of the escapee. Finally it was found clinging to the side of the box spring. After a moment of collection, Ashley went in for the kill. She struck once, then twice, then thrice with the ultimate decapitation. Patty fetched the paper towels as Ashley proclaimed, “There is no amount of paper towels between my hand and the bug that makes me feel okay about picking it up.” It’s like the story of Princess and the Pea. Only a real princess has such delicate skin that she can feel a pea through twenty mattresses and twenty featherbeds.

She noticed it hadn’t been completely destroyed.

“It’s backpedaling,” she yelled! Patty grabbed the Raid and finished the job once and for all. Both predators were promptly flushed down the toilet. Hopefully this will be some kind of mafia warning to their hairy-legged friends in the pipes.

This has been Patty and Ashley with a whole new respect for “going to the mattresses.” Thanks for nothing, Rilo.

da 'Burgh

Last week I traveled Northeast to the beautiful land of trees, steel, and ketchup called Pittsburgh.

I got on the plane and was prepared to do the whole shuffle-to-the-back-next-to-the-toilet thing but was happy to see my ticket said I was in row 6. It turns out that row 6 is the last row of first class. I didn’t buy first class tickets, and I was unaware of any upgrades that might have been made so I was a bit confused. But who am I to question the airline? I took my seat and was immediately handed a glass of wine before all the passengers were even on the plane. I could feel their jealous stares. It was great. I half expected someone to tell me that I was in the wrong seat but no one said a word. I guess I got away with that one. During the rest of the flight I lounged in my seat next to no one and was given, a bowl of warm nuts, a hot towel, a salad, and salmon dinner. As I enjoyed another glass of wine I reclined and watched distant lightening storms with the big dipper, huge, out side my window. If this ever happens to you, I recommend the Sigur Rós album Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust as the perfect soundtrack.

The next day, my dad, his wife Chris, and I drove to the cabin they share with his brother Mark and his wife Lynn. It still always surprises my dad when his daughters from the flat lands of Texas get car sick while driving on hilly and winding roads in the mountains. I managed to keep my breakfast down while catching him up on my life lately.

My dad and uncle are still fixing up the cabin so while they were busy with that I spent most of my time with my cousin Vinny. I know. What can I say. We are Italian. Vinny served as my own personal tour guide of the property by taking me on a quad drive pointing out creeks, beaver dams, fire pits, tree stands, deer feeders, and the like. Although, I kind of had to guess what he was saying because he was driving so fast between the trees that I was more focused on just trying to hold on and not getting smacked by a tree branch. He’s 11 and he drives fast.

The next day Vinny and I went on a walk through our property. We came to one of his favorite spots where a huge log crosses over the “crik.” That’s creek to you. He walked across and when he got to the middle I was supposed to take his picture. I got out my Polaroid camera and found the perfect spot to snap the picture. Perfect, except for the fact that it was on top of a grounded bee’s nest. The next thing I know I’m covered in bees! I quickly realized that you couldn’t just brush them away like some other bugs. The only way to escape bees is to run away like a little girl and scream. I ran like a little girl and screamed. I dropped the camera. It’s broken. Here is the photo of me getting stung by bees.

After making it back to the cabin I took some Benadryl, got back in the truck to go home, and promptly fell asleep for the next two hours.

Sunday nights are for dinner at Grandma Rose’s house. It was really great to see her along with my dad’s sister Lori and her husband Bill. Before we ate dinner we ate some other food that could have been dinner. And then we ate Lasagna. And then dessert.

My dad took off of work on Monday and Tuesday to spend some time with me. Monday we went grocery shopping together, which was interesting because I don’t have any recollection of going shopping with him ever. Then we saw Star Trek at a 99 cent movie theatre. We got there much too early so we ate most of our popcorn before the movie even started and talked about other movies for about an hour. I thought the movie was great, but it was especially great because I used to watch the TV show with my dad so it seemed fitting. We went straight from the movie to my dad’s shooting club. I love going there. It’s 20 minutes of shooting clay targets and then 3 hours of drinking. So I watched my dad shoot and then bellied up to the bar with a bunch of Yinzers over 40 and drank my weight in Yuengling. They all talk really loud, call eachother jaggoffs, make lewd jokes, and dote over me. And if they weren’t decked out in Steeler Nation black and gold, they were wearing shirts that say something like “You can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning.” or “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere…”

Tuesday my dad and I went to the Carnegie Museum of Art and Natural History. He is the only other person I know that likes to stay at a museum as long as I do. If it were up to us we could get lost in there for an entire day. Actually, I think I could probably get lost in a single Monet for an entire day. The museum had a fantastic collection of just about everything. I’ll spare you the details because it could easily be turned into a 10 page essay about why I’m a nerd. We ended up staying for four hours only because we had to go eat dinner.

Most of Wednesday through Friday consisted of me doing some work, reading, and taking advantage of my dad’s On Demand movie channels.

Wednesday night my dad and I drank together and made dinner. A recipe that he has now named Ashley’s Chicken.

Thursday my Grandma came to pick me up for lunch. We had a really good time. We ate a lot. She is full of infinite wisdom. I also made dinner using the tomatoes and basil I had picked from our backyard garden.

Friday night we all went back up to the cabin. I decided not to walk around the woods this time, which I think made Vinny a little angry, but I didn’t feel like getting attacked again. I thought that maybe this time it wouldn’t be bees but bears. A mother and cub black bear have been spotted multiple times walking around our property.

Saturday Mark’s friend Bill took Vinny, my other cousin Shalynn, and me out on the lake in his boat. Bill and I drank beer, Shaylynn relaxed, and Vinny was dragged behind the boat on a tube.

Sunday, I was back in Austin by 11:00 am after two more first class flights. I left out a lot of details but they mostly consist of me drinking and eating a lot with my family. Because that’s what they do, and I love it. The only thing I didn’t get a chance to do was go dahntahn to da strip and get a Permanee's sammich while I was der hangin out an ‘nat.

This has been Ashley, and I love da ‘Burgh.

TweedleG

"How do ya do and shake hands

and state your name and business.

That's manners!"

Hi. How are you? My name is Ashley Giovannitti and I'm a Graphic Designer. I've been in Austin for three months now and I finally feel settled in. That means it's time that I fully embrace the freelance world. I've just launched my portfolio website www.TweedleGDesign.com. Here you can find examples of my work, my resume, and lots of ways to get in contact with me. You can also find me on several social networking sites.

Follow me on Twitter.

Be a fan on Facebook.

Connect with me on LinkedIn.

If you're a constant reader of the blog (hi, mom) I bet I already know if you do or don't need some design work. If you're a new reader (hello!) it's safe to say I don't know what you need. Either way I would love to network with you, and I would so appreciate your support. Let me know if there is anything I can do for you or some one you know. Logos, brochures, flyers, posters, wedding invitations, birth announcements, stickers, wine labels, you name it. Let's talk.

This has been TweedleG, and it's all happening.

Holding Down the Fort

Last week or so, Ashley, Justin Kirchhoff and I went to see Jason Poe sing at Flipnotics. He's the lead singer for Jets Under Fire, a really great local band in Austin. I think his solo material is very early Chris Martin. Check it out yourself! Click the image below to get his latest EP for free.

As some of you might already know. Ashley is out of town this week. She’s visiting family in Pittsburgh. That's approximately 1,418 miles away from home, but Rilo and I are holding down the fort. I don’t let her sleep with me because I’m afraid she’ll knock over the glass of water on my bedside table. So at about 9:10 a.m. every morning she starts crying outside my door, which is good because I usually shut off my alarm when it goes off at 9:00 a.m.

Before Ashley left, we started a Rodney Yee Morning Yoga challenge. That’s right we’re putting an end to the ice cream and booze binge, (okay maybe just the ice cream), and getting these lazy butts into shape. I’ve forced myself to continue the challenge even while she’s away, excluding today on account of girlie cramps.

The second day flying solo, I met up with Chance and Andrew for breakfast at Magnolia’s. Andrew is constantly on a strict diet, but Saturdays are his cheat days. According to Andrew, any edibles consumed on a Saturday is void of calories, grams of fat and health risks. After breakfast, we went “house shopping.” None of us are looking for a house, but we saw some neat modern houses on the East side, like this one. It’s being designed by Nicole Blair of Studio 512 for his mother. This house will probably be featured in Dwell Magazine next month.

I don’t know what’s come over me, but I’ve been feeling tempted to adopt a cat lately. From the local animal shelters advertising $25 cat specials, to free kittens being given away on Facebook. They’re everywhere. But if I were to bring home a kitty, Rilo would probably claw its eyes out. So I’ll do these kittens the favor of offering no home, which is better than offering the home from hell with Rilo the ultimate cat of terror and destruction waiting to devour her unsuspecting baby prey. Plus…Ash would kill me.

I’ve started babysitting a little bit just to get out of the apartment. This is Emerson. He’s just a big ball of baby fat cuteness, teething like no tomorrow.

Ash should be blogging about her new web site soon enough. She’s a real bona fide designer now. She’s already got over 100 fans on the TweedleG Facebook Page. I am the proud Mom that gets the photo albums out whenever we have company. This has been Patty and Rilo, and we miss Ashley.

* * *

The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter has many more animals in need of homes than they have willing adopters. If you're in the market for a furry friend, please check them out.

Summerfest

I Win.

Patty here...

So, I don’t usually win many things like contests and raffles, but lately I’ve been winning left and right. I entered into a give-away with Live Surface – which is a site artists and designers can purchase layered image templates to display their work. I don’t necessarily need it, but Ashley does, so I entered to increase her chances. Then I logged onto DO512 to enter the Summer Fest give-away. Summer Fest is a 2-day outdoor concert held in Houston. This year, Broken Social Scene and Explosions In the Sky are the biggest names on the lineup.

Well, wouldn’t you know it…I won 25 credit images on LiveSurface.com for Ashley, and this weekend, we’re both trucking down to Houston for Summer Fest. We’re staying with my friend Mandy.

Oh also, Wyatt Brand, a public relations firm in Austin, just gave me a free Herff Christiansen shirt, candles and poster, for helping out with the Austin Fashion Awards.

Did I mention I just got a great deal on a new car? Okay, its not new, but practically. I got a 2008 Toyota Corolla LE. They took my piece of crap Cougar for $2,000. I win, and it’s all happening.

LIST-en, We're Sorry

We’ve been super busy. It is, in fact, all happening, and it’s hard to keep up with; which is why
1. This week’s blog is significantly longer
2. It’s late, and
3. We again promise to write more frequently with fewer paragraphs.

At the beginning of last week, our power went out. It was about 3:30 p.m. Immediately following a loud siren right above Ashley’s computer, which scared the living day light out of Rilo, it began to get very warm in our apartment. Ashley came out of her roffice, (that’s short for room office), and sat on the couch next to me. We looked at each other with apprehension about what was to become of our day. There was more work to be done and endless tweets to be read. But then we quickly realized this could mean we had to take a day off from work. Oh darn! So we brainstormed about what to do instead.
Ashley said, “How about we watch a mov-…nope.”
“Oh, I got it,” I said “Let’s heat up some foo-, or listen to mus-“
GASP! – It was much worse than we thought. We were totally useless. So we went to check the mail and take out the trash like everyone else in the apartment complex. Some people were walking their dogs. Rilo watched them all go back and forth from the windowsill in the lining room, (that’s short for the library/dining room. We make the most of our space).
Squinting our eyes like we’d never seen the sun, we walked back to the apartment only to think of these things we wish we had during this power outage.

1. Ear plugs (to mute the incessant beeping from the fire closet outside our door)
2. Battery operated fan
3. Portable dvd player
4. Compact electric stove to heat our leftovers by

We had almost convinced ourselves that eating everything in the fridge would be the right thing to do so as not to waste anything, when the power popped on. Back to work...

- - -

Ashley here – Over the weekend, some friends and I found out about this organized group of bar crawlers and decided it would be fun to go along, only we crawled on bikes and went 30 minutes ahead of the group so we could get seating and quick service. It worked out quite well until I realized it was 2:30 in the morning and I still had to sluggishly pedal myself 3 miles home on a bike not so suitable for hills.

I rediscovered how much I love reading. Here are some books I have read recently:
1. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
2. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
3. Manifesto by Anonymous

And here are some good movies I’ve seen lately:
1. Jurassic Park (at the Paramount downtown with friends)
2. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (alone except for two people in the theatre)
3. 500 Days of Summer (at Alamo Drafthouse with Patty)

In other news, Rilo needed new litter so I went to the pet store and bought some organic cedar litter in attempts to be greener. Plus it was twice as cheap and it smelled twice as good. Rilo waited patiently beside me as I prepared her box. She made it clear how she felt about the new litter by promptly taking care of business just outside the box. Apparently Rilo scoffs at eco-friendly kitty litter and refuses to shit on anything less than pure gold. We’re trying to work with her on this.


Patty here – It was a big week for The Soldier Thread.

1. We were on the news, and

2. We attended our first red carpet event, the Austin Fashion Awards, which we also performed at.

The boys ogled the models on stage and met some pretty girls afterwards. And there were many other reasons why I also enjoyed myself.

1. Not having to set up my own gear

2. Having a dressing room with a shower and restroom (even though I didn’t use them)

3. Setting up behind a big red curtain

4. Playing for a big crowd, and

5. The after party with free booze, where award winning fashion designer Johnathan Kayne kissed my hand. Let’s just say, I could get used to this.

Also, I was home for most of last week trying to get rid my piece of crap mercury cougar and find a different set of wheels. No luck as of yet, so I’m driving Mom’s Kia.

Things Ashley did to make the apartment feel less Patty-deprived.
1. Listened to Metric (a Patty favorite)
2. Listened to The Soldier Thread (Patty’s band)
3. Ate cucumber salad (Patty’s recipe)
4. Watched Showtime series ‘Weeds’ (another Patty favorite)

This has been Patty and Ashley and you know what's been happening.

Away We Wait

Patty here. So, I’m back and yes I skipped a week of blogging. I had to look over my twitter feed to remember what to talk about. I’ve been pretty busy catching up on work and band stuff since I got in from the cruise. Airport security confiscated my Bath & Body Works Wild Honeysuckle body cream. I was pissed. You probably want to know how the trip went though. Here’s the Reader’s Digest version: We ate a lot, we slept a lot, we drank a lot, and we got sunburns. I’m peeling in patches all over my back. I wish I could climb out of my old skin, and end this itchy mess in one fell swoop. Tip: If you’re going on a cruise, plan to spend about $10-$13 for every alcoholic drink. On the up side, you can start a collection of cheesy plastic Norwegian Cruise Line cups while you’re there. Upon my return, Rilo acted like I was a stranger about to ransack the apartment. I'm still waiting for her to come cuddle in my lap.

I went to see “Away We Go” at Alamo Drafthouse last weekend with Ash, Brett, and Ray. If you haven’t seen it, you must! It was probably the best film I’ve seen this year. John Krasinksi [The Office] plays an expecting father, and husband to wife, Maya Rudolph [Saturday Night Live], as they travel the U.S. in search of the perfect place to raise their family. Maggie Gyllenhaal plays a really annoying pretentious woman that reminds me of some of the hippie Austin folk, but her role almost made me pee in my pants. The movie also features music by Alexi Murdoch, which you must look into as well. I laughed until I cried and almost regurgitated my Angus burger, and then I cried. Go see it.

A few days ago, Todd and I were determined to make fried pickles. My Facebook status that day seemed to be a hot topic. I am happy to report that they turned out great. We just used an egg and milk wash with a flour and Tony Chachere’s seasoning batter. Bon Apatite!

7/11 just passed – The day on which you can get free Slurpees from 7/11 gas stations and swim for free at Barton Springs. I took advantage of neither of these affordable activities due to “a collection of physical, psychological, and emotional symptoms related to a woman's menstral cycle,” according to Wikipedia. (Waiting for the storm to pass.)

Does anybody else watch ‘Weeds?’ I’ve been trying to get Ashley into it. I just finished Season 4, and I’ve seen the first episode of Season 5 on sho.com … SPOILER ALERT…Can you believe she’s pregnant??? I can’t discuss this any further. It makes me upset that I don’t even have basic cable, much less Showtime. (Waiting for Season 5.)

Good news: Texas State decided that I am eligible for the tuition rebate. Now I just have to wait for that 4-digit check to come in the mail. Is it too much to ask for this to be presented to me in the form of a big check at my front door by the Publisher’s Clearing House people? This is Patty and it's all happening while I wait.

Hot Stuff

Ashley here. I want to start this one off by stating the obvious. It’s really really hot out there.  Not just kind of hot. It’s over-100-everyday-Texas-summer-hot. Regardless, this past week I have spent a lot of my non-working time outside. So I’ve been sporting an eternal beaded mustache and sweating through shirts. And yes, I tend to wear more than one shirt at a time and I realize it may seem pretty ridiculous, but I like layers. I'm trying to stop.

Monday 100°-- I went hiking in the Greenbelt, which I found to be a great way to trick myself into working out. I think my favorite part was when my friend Brett and I were on a small path and were approached by a running group coming from the opposite direction. The leader yelled “WALKERS! WALKERS!” and we stepped off the trail so the group of them could pass in single file. I found it pretty hilarious. I don’t really think it was absolutely necessary for him to call me out for going for a recreational walk through the woods. But who knows, maybe it was the adrenaline from dodging branches and avoiding sprained ankles that made him do it.

Thursday 105°-- I braved the heat again to play some sand volleyball with friends. As this was the day of Michael Jackson’s death, there was a boom box playing the best of Michael Jackson, naturally. I don’t know if it was as much of game as it was a retrospect of MJ’s life and tribute dance party for some. Following the game there was a gathering at a friend’s apartment to listen to Off The Wall and Thriller on vinyl.

Saturday 102°-- My friends Brett, Molly, Patrick, and I took an incredibly scenic drive to Blanco. After living in Dallas and Fort Worth it still amazes me how green and hilly everything is here. In Blanco, we visited the Real Ale Brewery for their 13th anniversary. We set up camp in the best shade we could find and listened to music, ate food, drank beer, and took a tour of the brewery all for a whopping $0. Afterward, we went to the Blanco River and swam, talked to friendly strangers, and made friends with a dog named Lenny. To finish it off we turned at the one stoplight in the town and ate some delicious bar-b-que. On the way home, we found a fireworks stand on the side of the highway and stopped. Austinites really love their fireworks and know a lot about them. I, however, had no idea what was going on but was glad to be there.

That was the cliffs notes version but you get the idea. There was also great food, movies, and company this week. Join us next week as Patty recaps us on her cruise. This is Ashley, and it’s all happening in the heat.

Daddy's Girls

So, this past week started off fairly well. I was super excited to receive my first paycheck, even though half of it went to my Discover card bill, and Ashley finished up a logo design for our personal trainer friend, McHugh Body Design.

Wednesday, we were cordially invited to “chill” at Barton Springs with Wolfman and Thundersticks, (aka Todd and Drew). The boys spent a lot of time in the freezing water, I soaked in the sun, and Ash read a book in the shade. If you’ve never been, it’s a great place to people watch. There’s lots of earthy people showing off their tattoos, classical guitar skills, and summer bods – good and bad. We especially enjoyed the view of a middle-aged man with a pregnant woman’s stance, wearing nothing more than a speedo-like spanky.

Friday, The Soldier Thread played the St. Vincent after-party at The Mohawk, a venue downtown. Ash and Brett saw Annie Clark packing up her equipment as they were leaving around 1:30 a.m. and got to tell her “good show!” If you’ve never heard of her stuff, here’s a music video of her latest single, “Actor Out of Work.”

Ashley here. My cousin Brandon came in from California for a conference of some sort and stayed at the apartment. He had never been to Austin and the only other time he was in Texas was in the womb. We went hiking at the Greenbelt, swimming at Barton Springs, filled our bellies with barbeque at The Salt Lick, and went down to 6th street for the rest of the night. It was really good to see him.

In light of today being the recognized day to celebrate daddies across the nation, we’d like to mention that we love ours very much. And though we grew out of being carried around everywhere long ago, we’ll never grow out of being daddy’s girls.

This is Patty and Ashley and it's all still happening.

The ISH

First off, so sorry it’s been too long since we’ve updated you on what all is happening over here, so this one will be stuffed with news, but we’ll try to keep it short and sweet.

“Hover Cat” -- Exhibit A:

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Patty’s Jamaican pen pal, Sygia (Sih-gee-uh), came to visit for a couple weeks. She had her first Mexican food dish, her first peach, went to her first concert, saw the capital and experienced the bats fly over the Congress Bridge. It was pretty interesting to hear how different our culture is from hers. We also learned a new Jamaican slang term. Where we would use the word “shit” to describe something awesome, (example: “This movie is the shit.”), she would say it is the “ISH.” We may include this in future entries, so keeping a log of vocab words might be a good idea.

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The Soldier Thread had a few shows over the past week or so in which they performed their first cover song. “Videotape” by Radiohead. Click here to watch the video.

Funny story though…at Stubb’s, where Ashley was the “merch girl,” she apparently caught someone’s eye. We know so because the very next morning, someone found and sent us this link.

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And long story short...Patty got in a fight with a lawn chair and ended up in a thorny bush…

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Ash’s new desk finally came in. Isn’t it cute?

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Ash has been a busy bee lately, running around Austin doing Austiny things like going to crazy Co-Op parties with naked people, attending free jazz concerts, supporting local pubs, and tubing. Patty has been sitting at home working mostly, being productive around the apartment and learning how to cook. So far, she's made ceviche, ooey gooey butter cake (it's a secret recipe), banana bread, biscuits, sausage gravy, and chicken soup. Mother would be proud.

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We think that's about all we have for you. Oh yeah! We also made a new mutual friend. Meet Ray Garza.

This is Patty and Ashley and it's all happening (in third person).