Things I'm Learning in Austin

1. "Lost in the Supermarket" by The Clash on London Calling is one of the best songs ever. I thought it was merely a great song earlier, but I was mistaken. I listen to it on repeat in my head.

2. Driving in Austin is awesome. Auburn driving sucks, with the only decent thing going on being Glenn Avenue out past the airport. Pensacola driving is cool because you see large bodies of water, but Austin driving is better because you see large bodies of water while driving on curvy roads through rocky hills.

3. I'm working on the rental places. There is a tree in my front yard. Since Austin is either liberal or libertarian, I might put a swing on one of the branches and spray paint "Free Swings for Ron Paul '08!" on the seat.

4.. In plumbing, connecting dissimilar metals produces a dielectric effect which corrodes both metals. This happened on both hot and cold water lines in both the kitchen sinks. Someone apparently thought that because the 90-degree elbow was made of brass, that the effect would be canceled between galvanized iron and copper. This corrodes both materials over time, and flakes of both metals can end up in your cooking or drinking water. My uncle and I replaced two so far, and have two more to go.

5. Shark Bites are a new plumbing technology that almost seems fake. You just clamp both ends on your pipes and it "bites" them. It seems way too easy. But it works.

6. Shiner is a beer manufacturer in Shiner, Texas, about midway between Houston and Austin, or so I'm told. I had tried Shiner Bock while in Auburn but it didn't leave any significant impressions. I tried some again, this time closer to home, and it was pretty phenomenal. Shiner produces six beers and most of them are excellent, and they all have a solid Shiner finish. I'm sold, and pumped that a city populated by Germans and Czechs (so you know the brewing is good) provides the standard drinking beer for most Texans in Austin. So the quality of the average alcoholic beverage in Texas is greater than that of where you live.

7. Austin seems to be more hospitable than anywhere else I've been thus far. So I guess the South doesn't have a monopoly on it. And Texas isn't considered South. It's considered Texas. They don't serve sweet tea here, and you'd have to drive 900 miles to get to El Paso. Forget that.

8. It has rained a lot, but the past couple of days have been sunny. Nevertheless, the dam between Austin and Lakeway has the maximum amount of spillways open to drain the lake without flooding the lower plain. Good call.

9. If you're going to move somewhere, be sure to take your fingernail clippers.

10. Buy vintage furniture. And clothes. Paul McCartney will sing a song about it.