The Friend Finder



Crowds at ACL Fest 2009



As we all look forward to one of the largest events held in Austin every year those of us that attend must be thinking about what we will carry in order that we can find each other in the crowds. As any festival goer knows the best way to experience a music festival is to be together with friends. However, when at a crowded festival, visitors tend to lose each other especially when a lot of people are in motion. The annual ACL Festival which is produced by C3 is a 3 day, 8 stage live concert event that will be held on October 8-10 in Zilker Park. The crowds are so huge that many event goers carry long poles with some sort of distinguishing item at the top of the pole so that their friends can locate them on the event grounds. As there is no official name given to these poles, at least that I know of, I will dub them the “friend finder”.

Gary and I attend some, or all, of the event every year. With the event coming up next weekend I am reminded of some of our favorite “friend finders” that we saw last year.

I think my very favorite was “The Order of the Stick”…..so classic. This “friend finder” needs no explanation. What would have made this “friend finder” even better were if the group had all been wearing Monk robes, but it was way too hot and muggy that weekend for this added touch. It reminds me of something you might see in “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”.  It’s only a flesh wound.

Another pretty hilarious finder bore a sign at the top of it stating “Beach Closed…..Shark bites have occurred in this area”. All of the people associated with said finder were wearing fins on their head. Too bad Jimmy Buffett wasn’t playing during the event last year….it would have been so apropos for the shark head troupe to circle the crowd while Jimmy was singing “Fins”. Can’t you feel ‘em circlin’, honey….can’t you feel ‘em swimmin’ around……

We just haven’t been that creative in our friend finders. Ours are usually a very primitive apparatus consisting of a pole that a duster attaches to in order to clean ceiling fans or light fixtures. We hang a kerchief on it during the day and a glow stick on it at night. Simple, but effective.

For more information on the Austin City Limits Festival go to ACL Fest

Baxter Boot Camp

When Gary and I came to LA recently for my foot surgery we wanted to bring our Yorkie, Baxter. We are going to be here for a little over two weeks, staying in Hermosa Beach, so we didn’t want to have him stay at the kennel for that long. I got Baxter as a Christmas present for Gary after our Lab of 15 years passed away. I deliberately chose a dog that did NOT shed and was small enough to take on the plane when we travel. Little did I know that we were getting the Super Size model of Yorkies. As he grew from puppy-hood he just kept growing and growing and growing……

We often joke about Baxter’s size calling him the Yorkie on steroids or claiming that he is just “big boned”, but it wasn’t so funny when we decided to bring him to LA with us. After reading the guidelines on the airline website for pets travelling in the cabin I realized that we had a problem. The guidelines stated the following “Animals must be able to stand up, turn around and lie down in a natural position in the kennel” and “pet and container can weigh no more than 20 lbs. combined”. Well, there were two major problems with this. The maximum size of the carrier is just a tad shorter than Baxter himself and Baxter weighs about 22 lbs. outside of the carrier. I knew we had some work to do.

Thus, the birth of Baxter Boot Camp. We knew there was nothing we could do about the length of our overgrown pup, but we were hopeful that if he lost a couple of pounds the fact that he was squished in to the carrier may not come to the attention of the airline employees should they have a weigh-in. Of course, Gary kept pointing out the likelihood of Baxter losing 10% of his body weight in 2 weeks was a little optimistic, but I felt like we had to give it a try.

Baxter’s exercise routine consisted of multiple walks per day, with a couple of jogs thrown in for good measure. His most strenuous workouts were the walk up Hillbilly Lane, better known to Baxter as “Kill Hill”. This is a street that is about a half-mile long and in all probability a 30 - 40% incline right by our house. The first few times he would have to sit down in the middle of the walk or lay down in the little stream that runs alongside the road. After only 2 or 3 times up the hill, though, he could make it without stopping.

Ultimately, Baxter got down to about 20.5 lbs, but I’m pretty sure part of that loss is because we started taking his collar off when we weighed him. In any event, Baxter made it on the plane. The agent didn’t weigh him (and the carrier) when we checked in so it wasn’t a problem. Now, we just have to hope he doesn’t gain weight out here in LA!

My Inspiration........Cher.

Recently, Gary and I went to Las Vegas for a financial seminar. It wasn't all work and no play......although we were in class from 8:30 until 5:30 every day. We did have occasion to do some fun things at night.



We went to see the Cher show on the first night we were there. The show was at Caesars Palace and it was really fantastic. Of course, with Cher, it's all about the costume changes. She would put on a new outfit for almost every song. And, most of them were very low-cut, or high-cut, depending on which part of her fabulous body you are looking at.......in my case, it was her abs! Oh my gosh! Does that lady have amazing abdominal muscles or what?

Cher's abs have motivated me to get back in shape. I am determined to get back on the healthy diet/excercise bandwagon. I can have abs like that, right? Well, maybe not exactly. I will grant you that her appearance might have something to do with the gene pool.......possibly the long legs and long torso aid in the visualness of her figure. Possibly some help from a very skilled L.A. plastic surgeon have helped a bit, too, but all in all you can't buy that kind of figure.


But, if Cher can look like that at 60, by gosh, I can look like that at 50! Well, 50ish.


So, while I am huffing and puffing my way to tighter abs I will keep that mental vision of Cher in my mind.

You should check out the show if you ever make it to Las Vegas. http://www.cherlasvegas.com/

I have a Vice.....

Well, I actually have several vices, but one in particular that I am willing to share. I love Reality TV shows......not all of them, of course......I do have my standards. For instance, I have never watched Toddlers and Tiaras that a friend of mine told me about. She loves it. I also never did get into Dating in the Dark.....once I saw the participants in the light I realized that they should probably continue to date in the dark, so I wasn't interested.



I love Survivor, Amazing Race, Big Brother, The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. Being hooked on these shows makes me very thankful that DVR's were invented because I can record them all ahead of time and if I am not home when they are aired I won't miss an imporant episode.....one that may include some major reality show drama or somebody eating something really icky.



Gary and I often compare ourselves to the contestants on the Amazing Race declaring that we would be able to navigate around the world much better than they because of our skills at various things that are required of them. The only thing holding us back from attempting to be cast in that show is that we know we would have some HUGE fights (mainly over driving directions) on National Television........they may have to take the show out of the prime time viewing slot due to explicit language.




After a long day of work I like nothing better than to chill out and watch these shows. I have a TV mounted on the wall in my bathroom and I while I enjoy a good soak in the tub I flip the channels to my favorite shows. Two of which are at the top of my list for late night viewing: Top Chef and World Series of Poker.




I recently had the pleasure of meeting my favorite celebrity chef from the Top Chef Masters season, Chef Hubert Keller. I always thought he was such a gentleman on the series and he was no less such in person.


And, I love playing Texas Hold 'Em.......I have a girlfriend that has Girls Night Poker at her place every once in a while and we all get together to play Texas Hold 'Em........and, we have an instructor present to help out (usually a guy friend that plays poker alot). I watch the World Series of Poker tournaments just like I used to read the Bridge column. So, it was a real treat when, through my job as a real estate agent ,I happened to meet Ylon Schwartz, one of the top winners of the tournament......a fourth place finish, to be exact. That's huge! He called on one of my listings and I have met with him a few times to show him the property. An awesome condo project designed by the renowned architect, Dick Clark, in South Austin (Soco to the locals). Check it out at http://tinyurl.com/y9s5qsv He is really nice, but he didn't seem too thrilled to be an instructor at our Girls Night Poker when I asked him. He just kind of laughed and avoided a commitment........I think he was just so overwhelmed to have been asked that he didn't know what to say. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. If you want to get a visual of him you can read more about him at http://tinyurl.com/yeb884z


I am always on the lookout for a new Reality Show that I can get hooked on......so, if you have any suggestions please let me know!

There is Tailgating, and there is TAILGATING!

I have come to realize that tailgating has become a true art form and possibly......well, an obsession. I am amazed at the lengths people will go to have the ultimate tailgate party.

Merriam Webster defines tailgating as follows: an intransitive verb 1 : to drive dangerously close behind another vehicle2 : to hold a tailgate picnic. So, a tailgate party is a social event held on and around the tailgate of a vehicle.


How did tailgating actually start? It seems that it has its roots from a college football game in 1869 between Rutgers and Princeton. It was reported back then that it was a fine game and a fine party!


The tailgate party has evolved into something big and grand since those early days. As gas grills became more portable and coolers grew wheels, rows of parking spots have transformed themselves into communities, some with their own names, lights, games and flags. The ultimate tailgates in these lots and grassy areas are almost worthy of being judged something akin to floats in a parade. There are websites devoted to tailgate fare, tailgate games and tailgate decorations.

I have witnessed and attended tailgate parties with elaborate tents, party lighting, satellite TV's, chairs set up in theatre-style seating, and a spread of food to match the best Luby's buffet line.I have seen people playing beer-pong, tossing horse-shoes, throwing washers and even making putts on a make-shift putting green at tailgate parties.

There are huge tailgate parties with a multitude of people, some over-flowing from the tailgate next door. These are typically the tailgaters that have arrived at their tailgate location several hours before a game to set-up their home-away-from-home. Some people haul half their homes to these parking lots. This type of tailgater is considered to be part of a Tailgation - the collective term for a community of Tailgaters.




Then there are those tailgate parties that have a smaller group of fans. No less fun than the larger tailgates, but a little more intimate, with a group of close friends. The party fare may consist of chips and dips, grilled sausage and most certainly some Pluckers wings. Of course, there will be beer and/or wine. Indeed, adult beverages are also an important if not crucial factor in successful tailgating.









And then, there is the fan that just embraces the art of Tailgating for the sake of Tailgating. Even if he/she has no friends to tailgate with.........this would be considered a Lone Tailgater.

The draws that pull today’s well-equipped, well-dressed, well-fed fan to the parking lot are the same ones that drew that crowd in 1869: the friends, the party, the game. In fact, two out of three are sufficient for some fans. And probably in that order: One survey found 30 percent of tailgaters never set foot in the stadium.

Personally, I like to actually GO to the football game, sit in the stands, holler for my team and sing the fight song with the crowd. I will attend a tailgate before or after the game, but if I am going to tailgate during the game it will be in my own living room with A/C, comfortable chairs, and remote control for rewind........but, most importantly, I like the bathroom set-up much better.

For the 2009 University of Texas football schedule visit my website at http://www.livelargeaustin.com/

Dallas Cheerleader Wannabe?

It would appear that way, but the picture is deceiving. Since I am dressed in Dallas cheerleader gear, blonde wig and all, you would think that I have a secret desire to be a cheerleader. Yet, the truth of the matter is that after trying out for cheerleader in 7th grade and being horribly crushed by not being elected by my peers I gave up all aspirations of being ANY kind of cheerleader........except, of course, for my children.

In actuality I am dressed in this polyester uniform for the Kick-Off meeting of my Helping Hand Home gala committee, along with my co-chair Susan Prickett. We have taken on the monumental task of being the chair-persons for the Gala 2010 which is held in March. We have been working many hours a week since this past January (yes, that would be approx. 15 months prior to the actual Gala date) on preparations for the Gala that will be in the Spring of 2010........our job, besides planning the gala which usually has around 3500 attendees, is to keep our committee motivated, encouraged, focused and in high spirits. Thus, the cheerleader garb.

The Gala is a debutante event held at Palmer Auditorium with a silent auction, deb presentation, dinner, dancing and just all-around fun. It is one of the biggest parties of the year in Austin and is always well attended. I remember, well, when my daughter Ellie was presented as a Deb at the event........she had so much fun and will remember it always. And, in my opinion, was one of the prettiest Debs I have ever seen.

The Helping Hand Gala isn't just for fun, though! On the contrary, it is the largest fund-raiser for the Helping Hand Home for children. The Home provides vital services to children who have been severely affected by neglect and abuse.

The residential treatment facility for abused and neglected children provides a supportive and loving atmosphere where each child can begin to heal. Specialized therapy is provided with the goal of restoring the child to a family setting. Individualized care and treatment are costly for these children, but the Helping Hand Society is committed to the concept that the Home can make dramatic changes in a child’s life. This past year the Home made an extraordinary addition to their campus, the Charter School. This facility helps the most socially and academically challenged children by equipping them with the skills they will need to succeed in the public school system. If you would like to know more about the Home please visit the website at http://www.helpinghandhome.org/

The Gala committee is working hard to plan the event whose proceeds make up the majority of the funds needed to run the Helping Hand Home. Planning this event is a task that I welcomed because I believe so strongly in the work that the home does for the children that we serve. We welcome any and all levels of donations, so if you would like to help support the valuable service that the home provides to our community please contact me........ It takes alot of hard work to put on an event of this magnitude so my cheerleader outfit will be ready at hand for the next several months!