I want to write today about how blogging the Summer of Jay 4 met, or was different from my expectations.
I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to set up a blog, even for a technophobe like me. Blogspot = Google, and making things easy is why Google has all the money.
When I use technology, I usually just figure out what I need to know for that one day or single use. That is why I never changed the profile pictures on the right hand side of the blog, why I did not update my profile, or add links to the blog. I don't think it would have been that hard, but I wasn't willing to embrace the technology that much. So the blog was not all that it could have been. I also thought I would work more to steer people I don't already know to check out my blog. I would have done this using things like the Runners World website, where I read a bunch in the forums, and people can post their blog addresses. I learned pretty early this summer that I did not want to spend that much time chasing readers, so I still just lurk on the forums, and don't post there very often. I did get at least one crossover reader, which I thought was very cool.
When I started to think about blogging, the presidential primaries were in full swing. I thought I would write more about politics than I ended up doing. As the summer started, the nominating process was wrapping up, and material to write about dried up like my water-starved front yard. Most of the people reading this are pretty politically astute, so adding my voice to the summer chatter did not seem like the thing to do. I also find that when writing about serious topics, I start to choose my words extra carefully. The results are less entertaining to read, and take too long to produce. That's a combination that doesn't work for anyone.
I also thought that I would write more about running, because it is such a fascinating topic. Before my 18 week marathon prep began, there was not much to write about, and now that the training is about to get "interesting," the blog is winding down. I think that the times that I ran with the camera, and people could see what part of my run looked like, it made the blog better. Pictures make any blog more fun to read, I think. Carrie, thanks for the camera!
Before the blog, I did not think very highly of my own writing. Many of you reading are smarter, funnier, and better writers than I am. Still, I wanted to give this a shot. I have to say that I have been happy with the results. It may have been mostly lunch and band reviews, but I felt like most of the posts were worth reading, even if you live far away, and cannot make it to Gene's or Las Manitas, or see an in-store.
Comments are like crack, for this blogger, at least. I cannot tell you enough how much I appreciate those who have let me know that you read regularly, or even once in a while. I put many hours into this, and it helps to know that a few people view it as worthy of their time. So thanks for your involvement in this self-indulgent process.
I may still write a little once I go back to school. I just don't know if I'll have time. Tara has said that she wants to get a "blog alert" e-mail when I have a new post. If any of you want to "opt in" to this system, notify me, and I will let you know when I write something new. Otherwise, you are hereby released from your duties as readers.
Housekeeping:
Top 3 Margaritas
In no particular order:
Manuel's
Fonda San Miguel
Z'Tejas
Trudy's
Yes, I know that is four, but it's MY blog dammit.
The gyros at the new Greek place on Guadalupe, across from the Wheatsville
Co-op are really good.
Go Red Sox.
Peace,
js4
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Tick Tock
Do you hear that? It is the sound of time running out on the Summer of Jay 4. On Thursday, I go back to school, for more time than is necessary to "get ready."
In the meantime, I am trying to do a few more fun things in these last remaining days. To that end, Tara and I took a road trip to Lockhart yesterday to eat as much barbecue as we could manage in an afternoon. We started at Smitty's, where Tara had some disappointing brisket, and I had some yummy sausage. Hers was too dry, and not fatty enough for her taste. She did like her bottle of Czech beer, though, on the first day is was available at Smitty's, it turns out.
We then walked and drove around the downtown area of Lockhart, building up a little hunger for more beef. We went to Black's, for what should have been much better brisket. It was more moist than Smitty's, but did not have the smoky flavor that I was used to. Overall, our food experience was lackluster, especially given the burden of high expectations. Lockhart BBQ lives on legend and reputation, but it does not always deliver. I've had so much great BBQ there that it would take 3 more disappointing trips to make me really question why I would go again.
On our way out of Black's, Mr. Black himself greeted us while we were getting back into the car, asking about meal. He is getting on up there in age, and I was not about to give him too honest an answer about that particular meal. Besides, he went out of his way to introduce himself, which I thought was cute, as if I would not know who he was. I forgot to take my camera with me to Lockhart, but Tara took some shots with her cellphone camera. If she can figure out how to send them to me, I'll try to post them tomorrow. Before leaving town, we stopped at Kreuz Market to get some more meat to take home and freeze. More sausage links, and some big ol' pork chops for me. All in all, still worth the drive, even with the price of gas.
Today I went to LuLu B's, which bills itself as a Vietnamese sandwich joint. This is another South Austin trailer situation, similar to the crepe place from earlier in the summer. It was a great way to combine my wariness of Asian food with my devotion to good sandwiches. The grilled pork was very good, with a cool marinade that gave it a zingy flavor. About every 7 bites, I would get a serious kick from some far-away spice that made me wish for a gulp of milk. It was kind of like playing Russian Roulette with a sandwich. I also tried a shrimp summer roll, which was fine, and probably very good if you like that sort of thing.
Tomorrow will be my last Summer post. I will try to reflect a little, which means it will likely take me several hours to write. Insights come slowly, if at all.
Peace,
js4
In the meantime, I am trying to do a few more fun things in these last remaining days. To that end, Tara and I took a road trip to Lockhart yesterday to eat as much barbecue as we could manage in an afternoon. We started at Smitty's, where Tara had some disappointing brisket, and I had some yummy sausage. Hers was too dry, and not fatty enough for her taste. She did like her bottle of Czech beer, though, on the first day is was available at Smitty's, it turns out.
We then walked and drove around the downtown area of Lockhart, building up a little hunger for more beef. We went to Black's, for what should have been much better brisket. It was more moist than Smitty's, but did not have the smoky flavor that I was used to. Overall, our food experience was lackluster, especially given the burden of high expectations. Lockhart BBQ lives on legend and reputation, but it does not always deliver. I've had so much great BBQ there that it would take 3 more disappointing trips to make me really question why I would go again.
On our way out of Black's, Mr. Black himself greeted us while we were getting back into the car, asking about meal. He is getting on up there in age, and I was not about to give him too honest an answer about that particular meal. Besides, he went out of his way to introduce himself, which I thought was cute, as if I would not know who he was. I forgot to take my camera with me to Lockhart, but Tara took some shots with her cellphone camera. If she can figure out how to send them to me, I'll try to post them tomorrow. Before leaving town, we stopped at Kreuz Market to get some more meat to take home and freeze. More sausage links, and some big ol' pork chops for me. All in all, still worth the drive, even with the price of gas.
Today I went to LuLu B's, which bills itself as a Vietnamese sandwich joint. This is another South Austin trailer situation, similar to the crepe place from earlier in the summer. It was a great way to combine my wariness of Asian food with my devotion to good sandwiches. The grilled pork was very good, with a cool marinade that gave it a zingy flavor. About every 7 bites, I would get a serious kick from some far-away spice that made me wish for a gulp of milk. It was kind of like playing Russian Roulette with a sandwich. I also tried a shrimp summer roll, which was fine, and probably very good if you like that sort of thing.
Tomorrow will be my last Summer post. I will try to reflect a little, which means it will likely take me several hours to write. Insights come slowly, if at all.
Peace,
js4
Friday, August 8, 2008
Another Post (With Pics)
Two posts in one day? Can you do that?
I carried my camera with me on the first part of my run yesterday. I did not drop it, but my mp3 player "bounced" on the Congress Ave. sidewalk once. It survived.
First pic: Stevie Ray, at Auditorium Shores, always provides some inspiration during a run. It also means that a water stop is nearby.
View from Congress Ave. bridge, looking east.
I was so struck by these two gentlemen as I ran by them, that I had to stop, circle back, and hope they were still talking so I could get the shot. On Congress Ave. The man in the apron stood with such elegant angles, and they were both so dignified in their own way. I think the picture almost captures what I saw in them.
View of the Capitol Building from the north.
Slightly off my route, on the UT campus. MLK statue, with the UT Tower in the background. Worth the detour to get the picture.
I carried my camera with me on the first part of my run yesterday. I did not drop it, but my mp3 player "bounced" on the Congress Ave. sidewalk once. It survived.
First pic: Stevie Ray, at Auditorium Shores, always provides some inspiration during a run. It also means that a water stop is nearby.
View from Congress Ave. bridge, looking east.
I was so struck by these two gentlemen as I ran by them, that I had to stop, circle back, and hope they were still talking so I could get the shot. On Congress Ave. The man in the apron stood with such elegant angles, and they were both so dignified in their own way. I think the picture almost captures what I saw in them.
View of the Capitol Building from the north.
Slightly off my route, on the UT campus. MLK statue, with the UT Tower in the background. Worth the detour to get the picture.
The running is going well right now. I was able to run while in Colorado. It was only a little cooler temp-wise, but the humidity was really low. So nice. I did 12 miles on Tuesday, and my shorts were not even soaked with sweat when I finished. I'm set to do 18 miles tomorrow. The first 20 miler of this training cycle is next week. 20 miles in mid-August. Ugh.
Got to see Brad last weekend before going to Colorado. We celebrated his 39th birthday, by staying out late, and having some high quality margaritas. Manuel's ranks in the top three, in my book. We also stopped by the Cedar Door for Mexican Martinis. After dropping Carrie off at home, Brad and I headed out again. We hit two more bars downtown, but wisely did not drink anymore. We were there to throw darts and play shuffleboard. As usual, he got the best of me at darts, and I was killing him at shuffleboard when they kicked us out of the bar at closing time. Brad was suprised that not too many stumbling drunks were evident as we walked to the car. I assured him that they were all leaving the bars on 6th street, and that we were in the more responsible warehouse district. He was not convinced, and the sight of two guys urinating in nearby bushes called into question my assertion of respectability.
The next day, Brad's wife finally called to wish him happy birthday, after I had worn him down in a sweatfest of a disc golf game. He needed that inspiration a little earlier, Dina.
Gotta go. Thanks for reading, everybody.
Leave a comment today, please, just so I know that you were here. You don't have to be clever, really.
Peace,
Js4
Me and Paul
You may remember that I was having trouble getting my new running shoes from Runtex. Now that the saga is over, I want to share how I ended up with plenty of shoes for a while.
Paul Carrozza, the owner of Runtex, has an accessible e-mail address on the store's website. So I sent him an e-mail, to let him know what had happened to that point.
The following exchange pretty well covers the rest:
From: Jay
Sent: Friday, July 25, 2008 10:05 PM
To: Paul
Subject: shoes and service
Paul,
I've been a regular customer at Runtex for several years, and wanted to alert you to problem I'm having in getting a pair of shoes from the Riverside store. You did not have the Mizuno Inspire (size 8) in inventory, so your helpful staff put in an order for them. That was 23 days ago. The salesperson told me that the shoes would be in, in no more than two weeks. After two weeks, I had heard nothing from Runtex, so I went back to the store. I was assured that they would be in within a week. Nine more days have passed, and I have gotten no calls about my shoes. I am training for a November marathon, and really needed those shoes in a timely manner. Because of all that you and Runtex do for runners in Austin, my first choice is always to buy from Runtex. On Monday of this week, I gave up and went to the new Rogue store, where they had my shoes. I will still need the shoes I ordered from your store, and probably at least two more pair before the marathon. I want to have confidence that I will be able to get the shoes I need in a reasonable amount of time, if not on the first visit. This frustrating experience makes me doubt if Runtex will be dependable in the future. I hope that you will look into the inventory and special order issues that my experience highlights. I would appreciate a response to this email, so that I know that you are aware of the problem. I do want to remain a loyal customer at Runtex, confident that I can get the quality service that is your reputation.
Thanks for all that you do.
Jay
(27 minutes later, on a Friday night, I got a response.)
From: Paul
To: jay
Subject: RE: shoes and service
Jay,
I am sorry about this, I will get it expedited and fixed.. the shoes will be on me and I appreciate your loyalty. I will be back in touch on Monday.
Paul
(Before I could respond, he sent me this the next morning.)
Jay,
I wanted to confirm that we will get you two pair… as our gift.They will be here this week and we will let you know when they arrive. If you get me your address, I will have them delivered via UPS.
Paul,
Thanks so much for your timely and generous response. I appreciate what you are doing to make this right.
Jay
From: Jay
Sent: Saturday, August 02, 2008 9:39 PM
To: Paul Carrozza
Subject: RE: shoes and service
Paul,
I picked up my shoes yesterday at Runtex. Thank you for the way you handled this situation from the moment it was brought to your attention.I would like to share this experience, and our e-mail exchange, with my friends and family. If you would rather that I not make public your e-mails to me, then I will respect your wishes in that regard. If I don't hear from you letting me know that you do not want me to share them, then I will assume that it is okay with you. Thanks again for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Jay
RE: shoes and service
From:Paul Carrozza Sent:Sat 8/02/08 10:53 PM
To: Jay
Jay,
I am thankful that you are taken care of. You are welcome to use our conversation as you please. Thanks for giving us another chance.
Paul
Very cool. I think he was out of state when I sent my last e-mail, but his response came in a matter of hours. I just hope they fix the original problem, so people can get what they need from Runtex, still the best running store around.
Peace,
js4
Paul Carrozza, the owner of Runtex, has an accessible e-mail address on the store's website. So I sent him an e-mail, to let him know what had happened to that point.
The following exchange pretty well covers the rest:
From: Jay
Sent: Friday, July 25, 2008 10:05 PM
To: Paul
Subject: shoes and service
Paul,
I've been a regular customer at Runtex for several years, and wanted to alert you to problem I'm having in getting a pair of shoes from the Riverside store. You did not have the Mizuno Inspire (size 8) in inventory, so your helpful staff put in an order for them. That was 23 days ago. The salesperson told me that the shoes would be in, in no more than two weeks. After two weeks, I had heard nothing from Runtex, so I went back to the store. I was assured that they would be in within a week. Nine more days have passed, and I have gotten no calls about my shoes. I am training for a November marathon, and really needed those shoes in a timely manner. Because of all that you and Runtex do for runners in Austin, my first choice is always to buy from Runtex. On Monday of this week, I gave up and went to the new Rogue store, where they had my shoes. I will still need the shoes I ordered from your store, and probably at least two more pair before the marathon. I want to have confidence that I will be able to get the shoes I need in a reasonable amount of time, if not on the first visit. This frustrating experience makes me doubt if Runtex will be dependable in the future. I hope that you will look into the inventory and special order issues that my experience highlights. I would appreciate a response to this email, so that I know that you are aware of the problem. I do want to remain a loyal customer at Runtex, confident that I can get the quality service that is your reputation.
Thanks for all that you do.
Jay
(27 minutes later, on a Friday night, I got a response.)
From: Paul
To: jay
Subject: RE: shoes and service
Jay,
I am sorry about this, I will get it expedited and fixed.. the shoes will be on me and I appreciate your loyalty. I will be back in touch on Monday.
Paul
(Before I could respond, he sent me this the next morning.)
Jay,
I wanted to confirm that we will get you two pair… as our gift.They will be here this week and we will let you know when they arrive. If you get me your address, I will have them delivered via UPS.
Paul,
Thanks so much for your timely and generous response. I appreciate what you are doing to make this right.
Jay
From: Jay
Sent: Saturday, August 02, 2008 9:39 PM
To: Paul Carrozza
Subject: RE: shoes and service
Paul,
I picked up my shoes yesterday at Runtex. Thank you for the way you handled this situation from the moment it was brought to your attention.I would like to share this experience, and our e-mail exchange, with my friends and family. If you would rather that I not make public your e-mails to me, then I will respect your wishes in that regard. If I don't hear from you letting me know that you do not want me to share them, then I will assume that it is okay with you. Thanks again for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Jay
RE: shoes and service
From:Paul Carrozza Sent:Sat 8/02/08 10:53 PM
To: Jay
Jay,
I am thankful that you are taken care of. You are welcome to use our conversation as you please. Thanks for giving us another chance.
Paul
Very cool. I think he was out of state when I sent my last e-mail, but his response came in a matter of hours. I just hope they fix the original problem, so people can get what they need from Runtex, still the best running store around.
Peace,
js4
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Sad News
The care-free days of the Summer of Jay (4) ended a week ago when we got the news that Carrie's Uncle Dan had died. Thanks to all those who have offered their support to us. I want to keep this short.
Though he stood about 5' 7", Dan was a giant in Carrie's family. His loss leaves a huge void for many, many people. For the 20 years that I knew him, he was never anything but warm and generous towards me. Typically, his relationships with his family and their spouses were complicated. I was lucky, because Dan loved Carrie so much, and he knew that she was happy being with me. The best way that I can honor his memory is to make her laugh, come home every day, and comfort her in times like these.
Peace,
Jay
Though he stood about 5' 7", Dan was a giant in Carrie's family. His loss leaves a huge void for many, many people. For the 20 years that I knew him, he was never anything but warm and generous towards me. Typically, his relationships with his family and their spouses were complicated. I was lucky, because Dan loved Carrie so much, and he knew that she was happy being with me. The best way that I can honor his memory is to make her laugh, come home every day, and comfort her in times like these.
Peace,
Jay
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