With my time in Austin dwindling fast I figured I better check off a few more to do’s before I head on out. I have been wanting to check out Counter Cafe for a couple of years. Walker and I almost went once but decided against it for some reason. I mentioned to Katie that I wanted to go so she joined me. It’s a good thing we like similar foods because I hate just picking out one meal. I like variety and I like to share things. We got a burger and fries and a blueberry pancake and split them both. It’s sounds odd but it was delicious. I did get a little confused at one point though when I dipped my fry in the maple syrup. Whoops!
After we ate Katie went back to her lab and I headed down to South Congress to use up my gift certificates to the local yarn shop. Walker’s mom had gifted me yarn shop gift certificates and up until now I have been hoarding them for something super special. Now that I’m leaving I had to just spend them. Luckily it’s not hard to pick put yarn so I found some that stuck my fancy and called it a day.
I absolutely love to forage. I get so extremely excited when I find a fruit tree, a nut tree, or berries that are ripe for the picking. Since living in Texas I have discovered so many things to forage especially since it’s so warm most of the year. Despite the overall lack of rain quite a few things grown around here.
I discovered this here fig tree a few years ago in my favorite spot on campus. It’s this secluded little area up on the top of a hill right at the end of a street that is surrounded by trees. One time while I was taking a lunch break there I noticed a chewed up fig. I figured this could only mean one thing…that there was a fig tree nearby. Sure enough I was right! The figs weren’t quite ripe yet and by the time I came to investigate the second time they were all gone. Last year I don’t think the tree was very successful because of the horrible drought that happened last summer. What little fruit it did produce went to the squirrels and the birds.
This year however I got soooo lucky! A coworker brought in some fresh figs that her husband had picked and I just knew my tree had to have ripe figs also. I went home, got a container, walked to my tree, and sure enough it was covered with figs just waiting on me to come pick them! They were so ripe and delicious. I ate a few while I picked them and I still have quite a few. I’m thinking I will eat them with cheese, prosciutto, and honey. Yum!
So once again I am looking back on my time here in Austin. I’ve been here nearly 4 years and now I’m moving on. Once again the summer Olympics are almost upon us and once again I’m moving.
When Katie and I arrived here in Austin we didn’t have a place picked out to live. I had just found out the job I was interviewing for, the job I had made it to the final 2 for, was given to the other applicant, the day we left for Texas. To top it all off the car was in need of repair and neither of us had a huge sum on money. Things could have been really tense and stressful but we stayed positive and really calm about the whole thing and everything worked out.
Once we were settled into our new apartment I started looking for jobs. I searched all around but it seemed so daunting. I needed one avenue to focus on and that’s when I realized I should try a job through the University. I found their job listings and applied to a few (some I thought I had a chance at and some maybe not so much). A few days later I got a call to interview for a part time job in the office of admissions. A couple days after that they offered me the job and I began on September 15, 2008!! It was perfect! A weight I wasn’t even aware of lifted. My family finally expressed how worried they had been (ha really? no home no job not a lot of money what’s to worry about, hehe). Now we could all breathe a sigh of relief. A month after that my lovely mentor and job trainer left and I became a full time employee.
Within my first few days of working I had the privilege to attend my first monthly birthday party lunch (sometimes breakfast). The theme was hot dog bar if I remember correctly. Our parties were and are pretty great. Once a month we had a party to celebrate all the birthdays in the month. We all bring food, to fit a theme or not, and we feast. I’m pretty sure it’s a highlight for most of us.
A few months after I began working I chose to host the party. I chose to celebrate Pi day and I had everyone bring in pies both sweet and savory. It was the coolest party if you ask me! Look at all those pies! Mmm.
I made the open fruit pie and the one with the Pi symbol (pot pie) in front of me.
Lots of fruit pie, tomato pie, frito pie (haha), mini pies.
