Careful what you bitch about

I went to the gym for a kickboxing class on Wednesday and for fricking ever the song playing was a techno version of "Enter the Sandman" by Metallica. How is that even possible? You win this round, Karma.

A quick survey

It turns out that one of the worst bands ever is getting back together. Yes, you can look forward to more Limp Bizkit soon. This news led Rob and I to speculate which band we'd actually consider even lower than this? We both agree that if we HAD to listen to either Metallica or Limp Bizkit for a whole day, we'd then go to Limp Bizkit. What do you think?

Visiting the lake

Yesterday was the kind of gorgeous that actually forces Rob and I to stop being lazy and go outside. We took the dogs to Red Bud, then decided to clean up our act and check another location off our "places we haven't been yet" list. The Oasis tends to get rather meh reviews on their food, but really you're paying for this:

I have to add that every one of the people on Yelp that recommended going here for drinks instead of food was probably right. It was a nice way to spend part of an afternoon, though. My only real complaint came from realizing that this is one of the few places that remind me that people do come to Austin as tourists outside of SXSW. It would have been nice if the guys at the table next to us didn't have "tool" tattooed across each of their foreheads, and hadn't proceeded to attempt to pick up the waitress in very obviously icky ways. For the record, most of the staff at the Oasis are the kids that have grown up in this area. I kept wanting to ask if the guys just wanted to know where all the high school girls hang out. (Name that movie) Thankfully, the view was too nice to get too sucked into nearby moronic behavior. Yes, let's look at that again:

Ahhhh, tranquil pretty.

More zombie news

I was checking out my friend Penni's music blog, and was shocked to realize that I never told y'all about the Thrill the World event that took place here last October. 880+ people met at a park downtown, most in costume, and proceeded to perform the Thriller dance. The plan was to break the world record for most people doing this at once or something. All I know is that it was yet another of the crazy things to show up in Austin that makes me love it here so much. Click here for a video about the event.

Austin is not L.A.

But we're apparently stuck with a Carl's Jr. franchise nonetheless. Sad. I mean, if we're importing franchises, then why can't it be something tasty, like Coffee Bean, instead of something I associate with Paris Hilton.

Five favorite: TexMex

So, I was trying to come up with a list of good places to eat in Austin, and finally realized that I could spend all day telling you about the yummy options here. Instead, I'm breaking it down to my favorite 5 in various categories.

It goes without saying that I love to eat. Like, a lot. I have a tendency to judge places that I visit based on how enjoyable my meals were. When I lived in California I hatched numerous plots involving salsa and FedEx. Sadly, none of them ever quite played out. You see, of the American versions of Mexican food, you have your Southwest, your CaliMex, and then there is TexMex. Now, I'm sure growing up in Texas colors my opinion, but seriously, TexMex is best. There, I've said it. 

When you come visit me in Austin, here is where I'll take you to experience some queso-laden love. To hell with the calorie count.

1. Trudy's - If my last meal on earth is a stuffed avocado with suiza sauce from Trudy's, then I can die happy. Bonus if I paired it with a mexican martini.

2. Taco Deli - I sold breakfast tacos for these guys back in college. Best job I've ever had. Make sure you order potatoes on your breakfast taco. They mash them smooth and add a bit of jalapeno for spice. A little roja or dona sauce, and you are set for a great day. One of my favorite weekend mornings involves breakfast at Taco Deli south, followed by a stroll across the street to the greenbelt access for a hike.

3. Chuy's - Really fabulous queso. The chile relleno is pretty damn good too. 

4. El Chile - Revitalized or gentrified East Austin depending on who you're talking to, I love the Manor Road location. The mole is extremely tasty, and the ambience is great.

5. Z Tejas - They aren't strictly TexMex, but what they do have is very tasty. Try the chile relleno. This is also a great restaurant for the view. Up north, they look out over the hills, downtown is in a hodgepodge of what looks like two old houses with a connecting balcony right on 6th street - the non-drinky part.)