Why You Do What You Do

Answer this quiz. Analyze your own results!

1) I wear high heels because they
a) are seriously comfortable.
b) make me look fashionable.
c) attract men.
d) I don't wear high heels. I prefer comfort, and I am fashionable and attract men without having to wear them.

2) I wear cologne/perfume because
a) smelling human, even if I don't have body odor, is disgusting.
b) I want to smell fashionable.
c) it attracts men/women.
d) I don't wear cologne/perfume because I don't like to smell like chemicals and intoxicate everyone in the elevator.

3) I drive a sporty car because
a) who knows, I might have to take it up to 100mph on my way to the grocery store or to work.
b) I want to look fashionable.
c) it attracts women and/or makes me more manly.
d) I don't drive a sporty car. Or a car at all for that matter. I am not interested in people that care about cars.

4) The reason I like certain bands/music is because
a) I saw it on the top 100 on iTunes.
b) that's what the cool people are listening to.
c) it makes me sexy.
d) it's appealing to me. What's iTunes? What's everyone listening to these days?

5) I judge a good movie by
a) its starring celebrities.
b) its rating at the box office.
c) how much money it took to make it.
d) whether it was made somewhere between 1963 and 1979.

Chip In to help The Best Wurst!

In the summer of 2010, The Best Wurst faced a battle to keep their operating license after Parkside restaurant pressured the City of Austin to revoke their license. The battle with Parkside has left The Best Wurst in a very unstable predicament, with $15,000 in legal bills, and even more in lost revenue and miscellaneous costs.

You can help Austin's beloved 6th Street food vendor, by donating today. A few dollars can make a huge difference.

If everyone on the "Save the Best Wurst" Facebook group gave just $5, The Best Wurst would be in reach of paying off their legal debt that was, unfortunately, imperative in their struggle to survive.

Click below to chip in! Help us Save The Best Wurst!

Where I've Been, and Where I'm Going

Grüner Man

When I visited Germany two years ago, I spent a few days in the city of Bremen with the great Dad Horse, a one-man band and individual of incredible character.  It was late at night, around 10 o'clock, when a group of us were crossing the street - Dad Horse, me, and a few of friends from the United States.  Like many Americans, even though the light was not giving us permission to cross the intersection (in Germany they have a much more logical, and charming visual of the green man and red man), we thought, "Well, if the street is clear of traffic, it's safe to cross anyway."

But Dad Horse patiently waited at the curb, on the quiet and peaceful street, for Grüner (Green) Man to appear on the signal.  When we curiously asked him why he waited, even though it was safe to cross, he explained, "I like to use this time to think about where I've been, and where I'm going."

See the trashcans and recycling bins?
Of course you don't. They're neatly hiding.

One thing that struck me about Germany was the orderliness and logic of things.  Trashcans and recycling bins for all kinds of materials were neatly lined up along the streets; cars, bicycles, and pedestrians minded all the traffic signals; people listened to the music or watched the show rather than chatting amongst themselves and fussing over being part of a "scene."

I recently attended a presentation where I could not hear the people speaking on stage because everyone was hobnobbing and running amok in their fabulous outfits and hairdos. I ended up leaving early, disappointed, because I had envisioned chairs lined up in neat rows. I had expected to arrive, find my seat, listen, and learn something interesting.  Why does it seem, in America, people are hesitant to slow down, be silent, and stop for awhile to absorb? Might we learn something that challenges us? Might we learn something about ourselves that we are afraid of? Why don't we take the time to think and do what is rational and logical?

So if you see me waiting at the curb somewhere in downtown Austin, Texas, at a quiet intersection, I am simply pondering and waiting for the go-ahead. You're welcome to cross the street in front me, and you probably will get there faster than I do. But I'll be more relaxed when I get there. And who knows. I might have come up with the million-dollar idea during the time I took to wait.


This blog post is dedicated to my friends in Germany. It is also dedicated to Joyce Carol Oates and her short story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

In Absentia

For the past 19 days, I've been keeping myself so busy that I haven't had time to work on this blog. (Ok, that's not true - there's always time to write a post. Instead, I foolishly spent such times Googling and Facebooking, watching undeserving movies, or observing my dogs' comical behavior.)

During these last three weeks, my family visited from Los Angeles - among many activities, went to the LBJ Library twice in two days (I've lived in Austin 12 years and had never gone), hung out in Luckenbach and Albert, posed with a longhorn, and discovered a great band called Shawn Nelson and the Ramblers.  I also helped a friend launch two online businesses, met with friends about exciting upcoming projects, overhauled our home desktop computer, built a website for El Sol y Luna Restaurant, built a website for Plum (details coming soon), wrote an article for the September issue of TODO Austin, and partly funded (mom funded half) the installing of the new door between the kitchen and garage (picture coming soon) as part of the great garage remodel (goals: improve aesthetics and productivity, control climate, and let in light).

The question is - why am I not a yet a millionaire?

Anyway.

Chronicles of Undercover Mexican Girl will be back in daily business tomorrow.