Things that make me happy - another Austin edition
This morning as I headed to work it was starting to sleet, which seriously dampened my mood. While passing the huge empty building on the corner of 12th and I-35 (the former Obama HQ), I saw that someone had graffitied in 3 foot letters, in perfect view of all the cars on the highway, "THE RAINBOW IS ALREADY ALWAYS HERE." Turned my mood right around.
I also recently discovered the Austin Time Exchange while looking for some bartering opportunities for health care. This group fosters the type of community that I want to see more of in the world, and they offer a huge range of services including traditionally expensive ones, such as counseling, massage, and acupuncture! Music lessons, moving help....I have a feeling I'm going to get fairly involved in this. You offer your skills, whatever they may be, by the hour in exchange for an hour with anyone else. Fill out the online profile and send in the PDF new member form - I'd love to see a whole lot more people participating in this! I know a lot of other cities have them as well, for all of you other towners.
I had an intense craving Nubian Queen Lola's cajun shrimp last night, probably in response to my upcoming New Years' resolution to cut down on the things that fill my belly with woe. What made me happy this week was discovering that she now has a website and is set up for to-go and catering, when for the longest time she didn't have a phone and you just had to go by and hope for the best as sometimes she would run out of cooking supplies and not be able to afford more yet. If you don't already know about her cajun food (better than what I had in New Orleans!) you need to get down there post-haste. It's a teeny tiny storefront that she started while she was homeless. Now she has a home, and she closes the restaurant on Sundays and cooks for the homeless until she runs out of food. So get some good food and support someone who's living their convictions!
I also recently discovered the Austin Time Exchange while looking for some bartering opportunities for health care. This group fosters the type of community that I want to see more of in the world, and they offer a huge range of services including traditionally expensive ones, such as counseling, massage, and acupuncture! Music lessons, moving help....I have a feeling I'm going to get fairly involved in this. You offer your skills, whatever they may be, by the hour in exchange for an hour with anyone else. Fill out the online profile and send in the PDF new member form - I'd love to see a whole lot more people participating in this! I know a lot of other cities have them as well, for all of you other towners.
I had an intense craving Nubian Queen Lola's cajun shrimp last night, probably in response to my upcoming New Years' resolution to cut down on the things that fill my belly with woe. What made me happy this week was discovering that she now has a website and is set up for to-go and catering, when for the longest time she didn't have a phone and you just had to go by and hope for the best as sometimes she would run out of cooking supplies and not be able to afford more yet. If you don't already know about her cajun food (better than what I had in New Orleans!) you need to get down there post-haste. It's a teeny tiny storefront that she started while she was homeless. Now she has a home, and she closes the restaurant on Sundays and cooks for the homeless until she runs out of food. So get some good food and support someone who's living their convictions!