austin luxury living: Return of Austin's Trail of Lights and the "Almost Bad Santa" - 12/19/12 01:44 AM
Return of Austin's Trail of Lights and the "Almost Bad Santa"
I got a call from an old friend last week asking if my brother still sponsored an annual bus tour of Austin Christmas lights.  This party bus tour always culminated in a visit to the  Zilker Park Holiday Tree. I laughed and replied that it had not occurred in years and we both swapped stories about the raucous  annual affair. The conversation reminded me that after a hiatus of several years the Austin Trail of Lights  had finally returned. Though Austin managed to avoid much of the economic downturn, it … (37 comments)

austin luxury living: Another Election is over...and we are still HERE! - 11/07/12 09:24 AM
Another Election is over...and we are still HERE!
Well...another election is finally over and I can again say unequivocally that I am very proud to be a citizen of this incredible experiment called Democracy. I am NOT a Red American or a Blue American but an American! I wrote a post after the last Presidential Election, The Election is over...and we are still HERE! One more time, we have proven that we are one of the few countries that can witness the peaceful continuation of power in spite of all the rhetoric, impassioned argument and this time around, some of the … (46 comments)

austin luxury living: Fireworks FINALLY return to Austin, Texas - 12/31/11 08:02 AM
 Fireworks FINALLY return to Austin, Texas
It happened is a flash…literally…I heard the explosion and stared at my hand, shocked out of my eleven-year-old mind. I had just touched the smoldering punk to the end of the fuse before tossing the firecracker away, but…instead of the familiar sizzle as the sparks made their way to the gunpowder packed cylinder, it immediately exploded... Zip---BOOM! I was frightened as my hand began to go numb while still throbbing in pain. Checking first to make sure I still had all my fingers, I then quickly looked around to see if anyone had noticed the mishap. … (47 comments)

austin luxury living: Healthier than Thou? Austin's Whole Foods Turns 30 - 09/20/10 03:00 PM
Healthier than Thou? Austin's Whole Foods Turns 30
I got off on the wrong foot with health food fanatics, vegetarians and as Anthony Bourdain describes them, the "Hezbollah-like" Vegans... New years Day, 1975 I held the first of an off again on again New Years Day Party that has come to be known as "The Day After the Year Before". I'd been a resident of Austin long enough to know that there would be several people attending who did not eat meat and planned accordingly. From the first event, the menu has pretty much always consisted of me grilling BBQ chicken and … (69 comments)

austin luxury living: Architecture at the Umlauf Series - Thursday, September 2nd 7:00pm - 08/31/10 05:25 AM
Architecture at the Umlauf Series - Thursday, September 2nd 7:00pm
The opening program  of the Architecture at the Umlauf Series Fall Season takes this place Thursday, September 2nd. Doors open at 7:00 pm.
The event marks the beginning of the fall season of this incredibly popular program featuring local Austin Architects in a beautifully intimate setting. As a result of the strong ties between AvenueOne and the Art and Architectural communities, the monthly series was founded and is produced by two of my associates at AvenueOne Properties; Scott Harveyand Carla Umlauf (granddaughter of the esteemed sculptor) and is sponsored by our firm, AvenueOne Properties and AIA … (37 comments)

austin luxury living: Quenching the thirst of a long HOT summer... - 08/16/10 02:03 PM
Quenching the thirst of a long HOT summer... 
"Miss, could you repeat that," the waitress asked my wife for the third time. "Ahhssd Teee, please" she patiently answered again. The waitress, still baffled just shook her head, gave us a pen and asked us to write it down. My wife took the pen and wrote in block letters on a napkin I-C-E-D  T-E-A."You mean you want tea with ice?" to which we both exclaimed, "YES, That's it!" This conversation took place while my wife and I were living in Minneapolis, Minnesota during her time at Anesthesia School. And even with our … (61 comments)