Friday, April 20, 2012

Jerry Hingle's Adventures with Peanut

Happy Friday, Everyone!

Gosh, it's already the end of April. How time flies when you're having fun. I want to dedicate this blog entry to my dear friend, Peanut. If this is your first time reading about my adventures, then you probably don't know who Peanut is! He's my adorable Pomeranian. Anyone who reads my blog knows how much of a dog lover I am, therefore I was horrified to read about the story of Cisco: a dog who was shot by a police man in Austin, Texas. I want to urge anyone who is aware of this story to like their Facebook page.  

I was very sad to hear about this, and as a dog owner I completely empathize with Cisco's owner. But I need to get back to the topic at hand before I go off and start preaching about injustice. Of course the first thing a person thinks about when something like this happens is, "what if it had been me?" When I read this story I grabbed Peanut and gave him a big hug. I decided that this weekend would be all about my fun little friend.

Here's a list of my favorite pet friendly spots in Austin, Texas:

1. Town Lake
Whenever I come with Peanut we usually take a walk and enjoy the sparkling waters of Town Lake. But if you really want to enjoy the lake, you can take your dog on the boat at the Zilker Park Boat Rentals! Yup, dogs are allowed on the boats. Hopefully Peanut isn't too afraid of the turtles.

2. The Domain
The Domain is a great place for dogs. Almost every store places cool bowls of water outside their doors for shoppers' canine friends. Peanut and I like to walk around, window shop, and then stop for a bite at the yogurt place.

3. Dog and Duck Pub
This is just a great place to drink a beer and have a bite to eat. It's even better cause you can bring your dog as long as you sit on the front patio. Which is fine by me!

There are so many places in Austin to take your canines if you don't want to leave them at home. Check out DogFriendly.com for more ideas!

That's all from me, folks, but ya'll have a great weekend!



   

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Jerry Hingle's Purple Rita

It's 5 o'clock here in ATX, and that means it's time for happy hour. Unfortunately, I can't make it to the bars cause my poor cat Oz is not feeling so well...she keeps coughing and meowing strangely. I'm not sure what the issue is, but I'm not about to leave her side for a half price drink!

Luckily, Jerry Hingle still has some delicious margarita tricks up his sleeve. Of course, I'm now an Austinite, it's my job to learn and love the art of the rita. Here's my take on the purple margarita. Yes, it may not be the exact Baby A's recipe, but you'll find it tastes pretty good.

The Purple Rita

You will need:

  • 2 oz Sweet and Sour Mix 
  • 2 oz of Chambord Raspberry Liquor 
  • 1 (or half) oz of Everclear (depending on your preference) 
  • 1 oz of Lime Juice
  • 1 oz of Cranberry Juice
Pour all contents into a shaker and shake it nice and good. Pour it over ice in a salt rimmed glass and you're good to go! Or, if you prefer frozen, throw your glass of ice and the mix into the blender and hit puree.

It's as easy as that. Now I can enjoy happy hour in the comfort of my own home to the sounds of poor Oz coughing up fur-balls in the background. Mmm-mm. Tasty.

Cheers!

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Jerry Hingle's Favorite Spring Activities

Lordy Lordy how time does fly!

My good and gentle readers, spring is upon us. April just began and I've already seen both showers and flowers. The highways are lined with reds, yellows and of course blues (bonnets for good ol' Texas). Already people are predicting a hot summer, but I say why stick our nose in the future when we can just enjoy the now?! Yes, let's stop thinking about how hot the summer is going to be and instead focus on what a beautiful spring it is. And personally, spring and autumn are the best seasons here in Austin, Texas. Spring is the time for Jerry Hingle, as well as many Austinites, to dig up his shorts, flip flops, and silk shirts out of the closet. People seem to be more cheerful in the spring time. After the last cold front has blown past us, and warm weather settles in, Austinites begin to show more smiles (and more skin at that).

So if you're in the area and you're looking for some fun Spring activities, here are my favorite Austin spots:

Zilker Botanical Garden
Of course, I have to include this. When I visited last year it was a dry, hot, and sad excuse for a garden. Now that we've had a lot of rain, it should be covered with beautiful exotic flowers.

The Green Belt
If you're the hiking type, hike down the Green Belt and be sure to pack some food with you. I like to take Peanut with me if I'm  not planning on hiking (he's too much of a prince to hike that far). Instead, we sit by the stream, eat snacks and bask in the sun.

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
There is a fee, but it's completely worth it as long as the flowers are in bloom, and let me tell you they ARE!

The Oasis 
Alright, be forewarned, the food sucks. But the view is amazing! The view is probably the only thing sustaining that friggin restaurant. However, Jerry Hingle has a plan for ya'll : eat before and drink when you're there. Sip a beer or a margarita and enjoy the view! Simple as pie.

Alright folks, that about wraps up my favorite spots for warm weather fun. Check em out and let me know how it goes!

Peace.