Urban Runner

The TeaParty Explained

Avtomat Kalashnikova SBR

    On a final note for the day, a picture of the latest addition to our armory. Its an Arsenal SLR-107CR that has been legally converted and registered as a SBR. It is chambered for the 7.62x39 round which sometimes is noted as "turning cover into concealment since 1947." This is part of what is going to contribute to making our homestead a difficult target for right-wing religious extremists such as the TeaParty nut cases. They will be none too happy when times get tough and they realize how badly they have been duped by the Koch brothers and the rest of the Plutocracy leaving them with nothing and starving. This rifle will contribute to the multi layered defense of our sustainable green homestead.

Best Pubs in the Austin Area

    One of the great things about the Austin area is the abundance of great pubs. I've mentioned some of these before in previous posts. In Austin our favorite pub is the Crown & Anchor. Its located just north of UT and is always our first stop during our Austin Pub Crawl Hikes. They have great prices, good food, and of course a great beer selection. We also usually hit the Dog & Duck which also offers a great beer selection and probably the best pub grub anywhere. Another great neighborhood pub that we enjoy is the Draught House. They offer a selection of their own craft brews along with the obligatory great selection of beer. Along with these super pubs in one of America's greatest cities (best in Texas) you get the added benefit of Austin's health conscious smoking ban inside public buildings.
    When we're outside of Austin, but still in the general area, the Taproom in San Marcos also has a great beer selection and a super selection of well priced grub. The only down side here is that they do allow smoking after 3 pm and Texas State students are heavy smokers.

CT Rabbit Pavilion

    We have broken ground on a major new feature for our homestead. I'm in the process of constructing a 20' x 25' covered pavilion directly in front of he house.

Pavilion: Free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in its intended use.

Nilda and I are very excited about this new addition. It will be a great place to socialize and visit with our friends. As the front yard is quite large and significantly set back from the street, the pavilion will form the centerpiece of this semi-private space. It will perform the function of a large traditional front porch. We intend the front yard area to be our entertaining space while the back yard will remain our private utility space where we can garden and keep the ducks and chickens.

Back in the Running Groove

    After too long of a break I have returned to my regular running routine.  For now my primary focus is a return to running condition and increasing my miles. I'm doing a regular 6 mile run which I'm pleased with. Its hard to do much more distance than that in our general neighborhood area and still be entertained. My main training method has been using the LSD (Long Slow Distance) technique. I guess that by using this method I'm really showing my age. This training method was quite popular during the 1970's.
    Eventually, I plan on returning to running organized runs in the 5 and 10k distances. We shall have to see if I can reach my stretch goal of a return to my once standard sub-40 minute 10k races. Anyhow, life is good and running is great!