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.