Local ATX Living!: February 2010

Give Up or Get Going: What's Your Resolution?

Disclaimer:  This in no way is meant to be a religous post.  There's no way I'm going there.

However, those of us who celebrate Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday know there is one minor catch lurking around the corner.  That's right... HELLO Ash Wednesday!  I have always tried to make it standard practice to make a resolution for Lent.  Like many, I have usually failed up to this point to implement my New Year's resolutions, so a second round of guilt tripping is in order.  My most successful Lenten season occured during my junior year of high school.  I decided to give up soda for 40 days.  It seemed like an impossibility at the time.  However, I made it those 40 agonizing days without so much as a sip.  I could not wait to get my hands on a Dr. Pepper.  Much to my surprise, the first sip tasted like sh*%!  I felt like I had swallowed a mouthful of battery acid.  It couldn't believe I use to have 4-5 of those bad boys a day!  Needless to say, I never drank sodas consistently ever again.

As I have gotten older, I have tried to shift my mindset from removing a bad habit to implementing a positive one.  Many of us vow to exercise more and give up burgers, pizza, or even beer for those 40 days.  I've done that too.  I decided to mix it up a bit in 2010.  This go-round, I'm stopping one thing AND starting something else.  I removed the TV from my bedroom and placed it in storage.    No longer will I let my mind vegetate on the worthless garage that is late night television.  Instead, I have decided to START reading each and every night!   I have a pile of books that I have been meaning to read for, oh about... a year or two (including fellow AR member Jennifer Allan's book Sell with Soul - just bought it!).  I love reading and always tell myself I need to do more... but just don't have the time.  Well, now I am making it!  It all goes back to mindset. 

So my questions is... are you giving something up or getting something going???

Photo credit:  http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Cb6wfJ1hYMw/R3VGqjUPmnI/AAAAAAAABQA/BjFIQ_Y8vFc/s320/00805-funny-cartoons-resolutions.gif

Will's Weekly's: Live Music from the Capitol City - Feb. 15-21

I hope everyone had a great weekend and happy Valentine's Day.  For all you Mardi Gras fans, you better get our for Fat Tuesday.  There is sure to be plenty going on around Austin.  Here are this week's picks:

Monday:  MiLkDrive @ Elephant Room

Tuesday:  Mudphonic & The Greyhounds @ Continental Club - 10 pm

Wednesday:  Dale Watson @ The Broken Spoke

Thursday:  Uncle Lucius, Dertybird, & Deadman @ Antone's (Southern rock extravaganza!) 

Friday:  Gov't Mule @ Stubb's (first outdoor show of the year - hooray!)

Saturday:  Kenny Wayne Shepherd @ Antone's (Amazing blues guitar player - well worth seeing!)

Sunday:  Mike Flanigan Trio @ Continental Club (no cover)

Les Se Bon Ton Roule! 

Photo credit:  http://www.supertalk1340.com/Portals/2/Stories/MardiGrasJester.jpg

Open House - North Austin Condo for Sale - 14025 Ashton Woods Circle Austin, TX 78727

I will be hosting an open house in North Austin at 14025 Ashton Woods Circle.  I recently wrote a blog post about this home.  It is located in Ashton Woods Condos, a quiet private neighborhood in North Austin.  It is conveniently located near Mopac and Howard Ln.  It features two master suites - one upstair and one downstairs.  This community offers easy, low-maintenance living!

I know it's Valentine's Day, but what better way to spend time with your significant than looking for your next great home.  Here are all the details below.  If you're interested in other homes for sale in North Austin, please visit our website.  I hope to see you at this great North Austin open house!

***Attention Buyers***  The first-time home buyer and existing home owner tax credits provide a great opportunity to buy your next home (just like this one!).  Please feel free to contact me to receive more information about both tax credits.

Location:  14025 Ashton Woods Cirlce

February 14, 2010 (Valentine's Day)

Time:  1-3 pm

Capital MetroRail Set to open March 2010 - Austin, TX

I wrote a blog post yesterday about a great condo we just listed for sale in North Austin.  It is right down the street from the new Howard Station for the Capital MetroRail.  It being one of the many great features of the area, I did some research about the rail system and when it will begin runnning.  It's been a target for harsh criticism over the last year or so.  The Capital MetroRail initially set to launch in the spring of 2009.  However, there were design flaws - the biggest had to do with warning gates for areas called "quiet zone".  As you can probably guess, these are areas near residential neighborhoods. 

According to the Capital MetroRail website, operations are set to begin next month (March 2010).  It will provide transportation from Leander thru north and east Austin into downtown.  The final station is located off 4th Street near the Austin Convention Center.  Each train can carry up to 200 passengers, and the travel time from end to end is just under an hour.  It'll be interesting to see what impact it has on commuter traffic and how well received it will be.  My best guess is that many people along the railway will want to use it. 

Initially, the Capital MetroRail will only run during the morning and afternoons.  Since it uses the same rail lines as freight trains, they cannot operate midday or evenings/weekends.  I would like to see city officials (and whoever controls railroad shipping) to work out an agreement to have more frequent shuttles and on the weekends.  There will be a high demand for citizens who want to use the trains on the weekends day and night.  Hopefully they will look to expand into south and west Austin over time.  But I guess I shouldn't get ahead of myself.  Many Austinites are for efficiency, and love the idea of implementing a widespread rail system.   I guess Stage 1 will need to get up running smoothly before a legitimate request for expansion spearheaded.

Photo credit:  http://allsystemsgo.capmetro.org/capital-metrorail-vehicles.shtml

North Austin Condo for Sale - 14025 Ashton Woods Circle Austin, TX 78727 - MLS# 8832089

This is a wonderful North Austin condo for sale just listed for sale.  It is located at 14025 Ashton Woods Circle in the quant Ashton Woods Condo community.  This is a quiet community conveniently located near Mopac opposite the Wells Branch Community.  This particular condo for sale has a great floorplan.  It has 3 bedrooms and 3 full bathrooms.  Each of the two floors includes a master suite with double vanity and walk in closets. 

The condo is located in North Austin, but is tied with Round Rock ISD.  With some of the top schools in the nation, this really adds to the value of the home.  This homes has the feel of a spacious house with the convenience of a condo.  The Home Owner's Association takes care of all external maintenance and landscaping.  So every home in the community is always in pristine condition!  The photo above speaks for itself.  Ashton Woods Condos are warm and welcoming.

Upon entry, you see the main living area.  The condo for sale features hard tile throughout the entire living room and kitchen.  The high ceilings add to the large feel of the living room.  It's got a beautiful stone accent fireplace.  Nothing beat a nice fire on a cold winter day!

Here you see the dining area off the kitchen.  Hard tile floors make life so much easier - they always look good and are easy to keep clean.  The dining area is right of the kitchen.

The kitchen has beautiful granite countertops and custom tile back splash.  The cabinets offer plenty of storage along with a large pantry (just out of view).  The high breakfast bar adds another dining element for this condo for sale.  The size of the kitchen is great for this home - enough space to move around but easy to keep tidy!

 This is the second living area.  It is a loft right at the top of the stairs.  It can easily function as a fourth bedroom, yet provides a nice area to lounge in its current layout.  It would work great as a home office!

This is the upstairs master bedroom.  Look at all the space.  It allows the flexibility of multiple layouts.  It's got a huge walk in closet and private bath. 

The upstairs master bathrooms features beautiful tile in-lays.  It has a double vanit, sitting space, garden tub, separate shower, and linen closet.  It's got everything needed!

The downstairs master offers as much space as the upstairs master.  Again, it allows flexible layout, walk-in closet and master bath.  The master bath has the same feautes without the garden tub.  The third bedroom is a nice size as well. 

The backyard provides a cozy space to sit out and enjoy the sunshine.  It's got a patio with room for a table and chairs.  Fire up the BBQ pit and have a feast!

As mentioned before, the location of this North Austin condo for sale is very convenient.  Just around the corner for the Ashton Woods Condos is the new Howard Station for the CapMetro Rail.  It is set to open March 2010 and provides a direct commute into downtown Austin.  For those buyers that work downtown and want a quiet lifestyle and great schools of Round Rock ISD, this condo for sale is perfect!  Below you will see the map with its location.  Across Mopac is Wells Branch community.  It has great restaurants and miles and miles of walking and biking trails. 

As you can see, this North Austin condo for sale offers many great features.  It is a great place to call home.  If you are interested in learning more about this home, please feel free to contact me via my website.  I would also be happy to provide any additional information on others homes in this area.  There has not been a better time to purchase a home.  The Austin-Round Rock area is ranked at the #1 real estate market in the country.  The combonation of affordable homes, active lifestyle, innovative business environment, and quality education will only continue to draw people to the area.  I'll be here to help you any way I can! 

Will's Weekly's:  Live Music From the Capitol City - Feb. 8-15

I hope everyone had a great weekend.  I was able to see a lot of live music, and it was a great time!  Congrats to the New Orleans Saints (Who Dat!) for winning their first ever Super Bowl.  The Colts played well, but I was very happy for the Saints.  It was a victory for the people of New Orleans.  I hope that it will continue to fuel the recovery of what I consider to be one of the most special places on earth.

You may have noticed the title has changed.  I've realized that the only source of enterainment that I post is live music, so I thought I would provide a more accurate heading.  Here are my picks for the week:

Monday:  Tim Easton @ Cactus Cafe - I really hope the UT Board of Regents does not shut down the Cactus Cafe, so I am recommending as much music there as possible 

Tuesday:  Caspa @ Beauty Bar

Wednesday:  Elisa Ferrari @ Cactus Cafe

Thursday:  Retribution Gospel Choir @ Stubb's (Indoor show)

Friday:  Greyhounds @ La Zona Rosa - this band is a blast to see - highly recommended!

Saturday:  Kat Edmonson @ Elephant Room - great blues & jazz club downtown

Sunday:  Chris Smither @ Cactus Cafe

Go see some music!  This rainy weather gives us a great reason to stay indoors.  Have fun out there - make it a great week!

Will's Weekly's:  An Assortment of Entertainment in the Austin Area - Feb. 1-7

This week is great for live music.  These first days of February are sure to be eventful.  I'm pretty tired of the winter weather.  If you're like me, you are ready for cool breezes and shorts.  Basically, being outside with a minimal amount of clothing.  Here are my pick's for this week.  I am having a hard time myself deciding which I will attend... ha, maybe I will go to all of them (probably not)!!!

Monday:  Trout Fishing in America @ Cactus Cafe

Tuesday:  Marcia Ball @ The Paramount Theater

Wednesday:  David Carroll @ Donn's Depot

Thursday:  Justin Townes Earle @ Stubb's - the son of legend Steve Earle.  JTE has his own style and is sure to entertain.  Definitely worth checking out!

Friday:  BoomBox @ Ace's Lounge - great guitar/DJ combo.  I have not seen them before, so this is definitely on my list!

Saturday:  This is a hard one - there are two that are worthy of mention:  1) Keller Williams @ Antone's and 2) The Dirty Dozen Brass Band @ Stubb's - a New Orleans institution; it is a toss up and you can't go wrong with either (I'm leaning toward Dirty Dozen as it will prep me for the Saints game on Sunday!)

 Sunday:  It's the Super Bowl, which is a legitimate excuse to forgo music (unless you find a place that offers both!).  Go Saints!  Who dat!!!

As always, be sure to have fun responsibly!  Now go soak it up!