Storming Austin

Small concert venues rock. Small concert venues with dynamic performers who make you feel like you are at a big family party rock a lot. Case in point: last Saturday's Gaelic Storm concert at Threadgill's in Austin, TX.

If you think you're unfamiliar with Gaelic Storm, think again. Remember Titanic? Remember the rowdy party in steerage with the jig-able music? The fictional steerage band in Titanic was played by real band Gaelic Storm, and the band's live concert had a remarkably similar vibe to that cinematic party. Their music is a mix of classic Irish and orignal pieces, with a heavy emphasis on drinking songs. The Austin concert featured dancing and drinking and the crowd was small enough (while still filling the space) to make it feel like a backyard party.

I'd never been to Threadgill's before. It is a restaurant with an outdoor concert space which really is no bigger than a good sized backyard. Josh and I ate in the restaurant before the show. The stuffed jalapeños, black and blue Caesar salad, and blueberry cheesecake were all excellent. The chicken fried steak was ok, but if you are looking to sample an excellent example of this Texas classic, I recommend The Gristmill in Gruene.

I think I will probably go to Threadgills again. I know I will go to a Gaelic Storm concert again - at the earliest available opportunity. If you like good music and a good party, so will you.

For more pictures from the concert: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joshtrudell/sets/72157619740922812/

http://www.gaelicstorm.com/
http://www.threadgills.com/
http://www.gristmillrestaurant.com/

The Bed of a King - in Maui

My husband and I bought a timeshare in 2001, and I have to say we have been happy with the decision. We own one week in even numbered years at a resort in Orlando, FL - where we have never stayed. Since 2001 we have traded our week to visit St. John, USVI; Scottsdale, AZ; and cruise the Caribbean. Now, our tenth wedding anniversary is approaching, and, well, I was thinking of...Maui.

Trading a timeshare, if you aren't familiar, means depositing the week you own with the timeshare network, and then hoping that someone else deposits a week in a place you want to visit, at a time that you want to go. You can pick an exact resort that you want, or you can search for a general region, or you can pick your dates and see what is available then. If there are no matches for your criteria, then you can submit a request, and once something comes available, you get it.

Here's the tricky part. If something comes up that matches your search criteria, they will book and confirm your reservation without doublechecking with you that the match is a good one. So you have to make sure you specify your search well enough that you won't end up with something you don't want. They do allow you to limit to only resorts with certain amenities, like beach onsite (why would I go to Hawaii and not stay at a place with a beach?). You can tell the search program that you require a kitchen in your unit (this can actually make a vacation MUCH more relaxing). But you can't - and this is my sticking point - limit by available bed size.

My husband is a pretty big guy. I am not very big, but I am an expert sprawler. Also I toss and turn. At home, we have a king sized bed, and after 9 years with it, we don't do all that well in queen sized beds or smaller. Just like I am not going to travel all the way to Hawaii and NOT have easy access to a beach, I don't want to go for a relaxing week at the beach - and have trouble sleeping every night. Not if I can prevent it anyway.

So when I request a timeshare match, the only good option for me is to look at the directory of resorts in the area I want, and then do a little research to find out which ones offer king sized beds in their units. Then I can tell the search program to ONLY match me with these specific resorts. Which I did.

So, if you happen to own the week including Sept. 23, 2010 at either the Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas or the Ka'anapali Beach Club, I think it would be really nifty of you to deposit that week with Interval International - go somewhere else for your 2010 vacation! I hear Orlando's nice.