Yet another dog post.

I like dogs when they look immensely happy for no good reason. People should be more like this.

Uno enjoying life to the fullest.

Ball in arms. What more could you want.

Uno cares not for video games

Pepper watch out. Brown dog awaits the moment your guard drops.

Always vigilant.

Eliza has one of the sweetest personalities of any dog I have met.

Always looking at you on the couch.

Renji is crying old man all the time.

Renji, do not be so curmudgeonly.

The nice thing about living at Tu and Tramanh's place is that we're all so different, but we get along. That means ideas and discussions around the kitchen island run rampant throughout the week. What started out as a "let's think of something so we can stay in on Friday" turned into "let's finally use that beer kit" which led to my suggestion to finally use the pizza stone that had been adorning the top of the fridge for months. And so Tramanh went and made 4 separate test batches of dough and we ended up having a make your own pizza night, whereupon each attendee would bring their choice of toppings and everyone would sample them.

Kitchen prep.

Tramanh's winning pizza: Pesto, caramelized onions, basil/parmesan sausage, fresh mozzarella, baby arugula, and cracked black pepper. My side was runner-up as pear slices, arugula, prosciutto, chopped garlic and ricotta cheese pizza. With a spritz of truffle oil (which you could not taste)

Tu prepping up his ingredients for a gumbo pizza.

The most dangerous game. Everyone involved received burns. Mister burns.

Tu's gumbo pizza and Karine's chicken pizza with egg.

My side. The finished product.

Karine and Tu's finished product.

Erica's california-style pizza with avocado.

The sampler tray- pizza night turned out to be ridiculously delicious.

Oh, this is my room. I don't really get any visitors and sometimes the roommate is barky annoying, but we get along mostly and rent is cheap.

Props if you can figure out what the song I'm playing is (ok, so it sucks- all basic chords. I made up the key config in like a minute).

On Friday, I had noted Franklin's BBQ as one of the highest rated eats in Austin, with reviews saying that you had to get there early because when they ran out (usually around 12:30), they closed for the day. I got there at 12:05 on a rainy Friday (they open at 11 AM) and there was already a sign on a chair saying they were out for the day. On Saturday, I was determined to try again so the LilBro and I arrived at 11:15 AM. There was a line already formed and everyone stood under a tent in the rain waiting for their turn.

We waited for forty five minutes for this barbeque from a little trailer. When we ordered at noon, there was still a long line going on.

We opted for a pound each of the brisket and the ribs. The workers there are super friendly.

Fully functional soda cooler.

Quite possibly the best bbq brisket I have ever had and well worth the wait. It was piping hot, fall apart tender and fatty. The paper was translucent from the grease. The espresso bbq sauce was not bad when used lightly. The potato salad was not that great, but, man, I still think about that brisket. The pork ribs were ok too.

Wanting to make up for the unhealthy streak of gluttony, I dragged the LilBro out to the canoes at Zilker Park.

Leaving Zilker

There was a reggae festival going on near downtown and I decided to do donuts on the water in the middle of the lake. I was cracking up because donuts on the lake look better in your head, but in real life it looks like 2 idiots just going around in a slow circle on the water.

On the way back from canoeing, I randomly stopped off at this popsicle food truck.

I went with the pineapple basil. The watermelon agave was much better.

At night, we went to try out Home Slice Pizza.

White clam pizza- chopped clams, olive oil, garlic, and Pecorino Romano. Amazingly good, with a nice crispy thin crust. I wanted to not stop eating it, but we had places to go later that night.

First stop- Rio Rita, where we drank several $2.50 mystery beers (kept losing and getting IPAs and the carbonated soy sauce-tasting Asahi Black). We played guys vs girls cranium in the bar which was way more fun than it should have been.

Afterwards, a stop off at Liberty, which is just like Luster Pearl which is just like Creekside. More standing around and talking. Hipsters are a lot more boring than I remember. What happened to the fun dancing at like Beauty Bar? The only redemption was East Side King food stand located in the back patio of Liberty.

Poor Qui’s Buns: Roasted pork belly in steamed buns, Hoisin sauce, cucumber kimchee and green onion

Beet Home Fries: Deep fried roasted beets, kewpie mayo, schichimi tougarashi and green onion

Buns tasted like pork belly served as Peking duck. Not as good as Odd Duck's pork sliders, it was alright for a night time bar food truck. The beet fries were addictive, particularly with the sauce. And it turns your pee orange.

Last meal in Austin prior to trying to meet up Patrick at the MS150.

Fairly disappointing, tasted similar to a Whataburger burger. Onion rings and fries were good though.

I wanted Patrick and Kenny to finish like this. So Kenny had his cell phone with him and texted me that he and Patrick would be finishing at 3. Because of road detours and lack of parking, I didn't park until 2:50 and I sprinted down to the finish line to try to catch a picture. I was sweaty and looked like a crazy guy. And then I waited. And waited. And waited until something like 3:45. Kenny's brother Stephen was a few blocks up from me and I told him to text me when they passed him. Looking for your friends is a pretty stressful experience- it's like that Wii game "Find the Mii"- your eyes are darting everywhere for fear that they've already passed you by. Finally, Stephen texts me and tells me they pass. I get the text and as I'm reading it, I look up...

And they're already passing me by. Forty five minutes all for naught! The finish line shot came out horrible.

But at least it's something.

Ok, get ready.

That's some good work, Kenny.

We went to a bar near campus after for a celebratory beer and drinks and I drove the riders back to Houston. Congrats guys, good job.

It's hard to believe that half a year has gone by since I've had any sorts of shenanigans in Austin. Last time I went was the end of the road trip, I think. This past weekend, I thought I'd pay a visit to the LilBro and go on random eating adventures. It seems like food trucks are the current trend right now and with enough reviews and recommendations on Yelp, they seemed promising. I came up on a Thursday night and it poured rain, unfortunately, all weekend, putting a damper on things. But food still tastes the same regardless of the weather so here's how it turned out.

I came bearing gifts- like this discounted Star Wars Easter basket from Target, just like in the Bible!

Inside- a family of ceiling cats!

Babby is still as neurotic as ever

and still likes to lay in front of the computer monitor whenever you're using the computer.

First eating adventure: Big Bite under the Castillian. Ruth declined on joining us, saying it was such a "guy food". I went with the Phat Mimi "69", consisting of cheesesteak, chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, french fries & honey mustard all stuffed into a sandwich. Each bite, you have no idea what you're going to get- could be mozzarella stick, could be fries, could be anything. It's the chat roulette of sandwiches, but without the fear of biting into another guy's penis. After finishing, you instantly regret the decision and just want to lay down, but 24 hours later, I think I was ready to go at it again.

Later that night- being Thursday and rainy- we went to some bar near LilBro & Ruth's apartment, which had a mixed crowd and a beer with hints of meat.

Friday for lunch, I gave Me So Hongry a try.

Their yelp review had a highly recommended bbq tofu spring roll, which has a bit too much noodle for me, not enough bbq tofu. Still, it was a pretty light appetizer.

Their bbq pork banh mi. Website description: Slices of tenderized sweetened pork or chicken, marinated in our 24 hour sauce, served on French bread and spread in our Signature Sweet Cilantro Mayo.  Sliced cucumbers, slivers of jalapeno, shredded pickled carrots, and cilantro.

They got the pickled vegetables down ok, and the baguette was about right, but this was more like an american sandwich than a banh mi. The pork was higher quality, but did not have the same smoky flavor as thit nuong in traditional banh mis. The sweet cilantro mayo was pretty good, but the amount of sauce they use somewhat saturates the bun, making it slightly soggier and heavier than a traditional banh mi. At $5, it's about right for a sandwich and I'd give it another chance.

Afterwards, I took the guided tour of the Austin capitol while my brother was working.

Apparently the door hinges to these senate and representative rooms weigh like, 10 lbs a pop. Our tour guide didn't mention it, but the LilBro informed me as such.

Afterwards, we went to this seemingly innocuous building with a sign on the side entrance pointing down here.

The Cloakroom- almost like a speakeasy of sorts. Apparently this is a senator/house of reps/lobbyist/capitol hangout. It's ridiculously dark inside (couldn't get a good flash photo) and pretty tiny. Just like a speakeasy should be. I asked for a mint julep. No dice. All they had were beer and liquor. I went with a Knob Creek on the rocks. The LilBro pointed out a lobbyist at a table across from us.

For dinner, another food truck- this time Odd Duck Farm to Trailer.

Which is in some sort of food truck commune and right next to Gourdough's.

Waiting at Odd Duck's counter, overlooking their modest kitchen.

Quite possibly the best pork belly slider I have ever had- it's much larger than your standard slider, and just look at the thick slab of pork belly! Absolutely delicious. The half quail was alright, though very small in portion size. The beets and goat feta went well with it.

We saw the Mother Clucker and Flying Pig and culinary curiosity compelled us to try both.

Ok, so these pictures make them look absolutely disgusting, but they were actually quite the opposite. The doughnut was light and went well with the savory components. For the fried chicken strip, it was reminiscent of eating chicken and waffles.

The bacon and maple syrup looks pretty gross, I'll give it that. But the bacon is incredibly crispy, the maple syrup very light and not overly viscous and goes well with the light doughnut.

Trickpixel and his girlfriend met us up after I raved about the ridiculous food in this truck commune and we had equally ridiculous conversation regarding such topics as sneaky detectives and stalking.

We went to Luster Pearl that night, some hipster bar that is just like all the other hipster bars. A lot of standing around on the back patio drinking cheap beer.

An assortment of random happenings from the past month:

Birthday Souffle from Brenner's on the Bayou for Yen's birthday

Amazing burger from Brisa Cocina. Well seasoned patty, delicious bun, and slices of sausage in the burger. Fries were good too.

Fried catfish and grits from the Breakfast Klub. A bit strange for an early morning breakfast, but pretty delicious. Biscuit was the right consistency, the catfish batter tasted like fried chicken batter (probably because it's all fried in the same oil), giving it a distinctly delicious taste.

I made all these people ride the newly revamped Zoo Choo at Herman Park (ok, so maybe I'm the only one who calls it that).

Straw Mat Samurai vs Umbrella Girl

Tu wanted to go bike riding after dinner last week. Ugh road bikes, why can't you let both my feet touch the ground? I hate you so bad.

Me: "Ok, now hold hands... WAIT I WAS JUST KIDDING I DIDN'T THINK YOU'D ACTUALLY DO IT"
Tramanh & Tu: "AAAAAAAAAHHHH"

SAVE THE DATE.

For the longest time, I've wanted to eat at Textile. But it's a bit pricey so it's not some place you'd check out casually with your friends and so I could never go. Well, Seo wrote to the chef there and set up a dessert tasting, consisting of a sampling of savory and sweet desserts. It's not the typical dinner, but I am always on the hunt for something out of the ordinary and I was game.

The chef tailored the menu just for our party that night.

amuse-bouche: blackberry lollipops. One of the best things of the night. Liquid blackberry center explosion. That bouche was way too amusing.

The Bees' Knees. Ground up bees' knees and pollen (or not). It's the beeskneesiest!

"Corndog" sweet corn cakes, hot dog ketchup, yellow mustard ice cream. Corn dog balls with light sugar. Hot dog ketchup (with pureed hot dog) went well with it. Mustard ice cream was delicious, sweet, and mustardy.

Smoked brownies, bbq sauce, and spiced peanuts. It would have been fine if it were just one brownie square, but this course was so rich it filed in a higher income tax bracket than me

Sweet potato beignets, honey, bacon ice cream. Not nearly bacony enough, but A for effort.

intermezzo: st germain panna cotta, strawberry and pineapple panzanella. Deliciously refreshing fruit in the middle of the meal.

Ginger cake, grapefruit sorbet, campari pop rocks. Ginger cake was not quite my cup of tea while the grapefruit sorbet was a bit too tart. The campari pop rocks were a nice touch though.

'corn & oil' blackstrap rum mousse, falernum, lime granita, almond brittle.

Ganache brulee, popcorn ice cream, cumin pecans. Popcorn ice cream tastes just like you would think. Ganache brulee- another rich dessert item.

mignardises: shortbread, tootsie rolls. No, contrary to what you might think, he did not take his thumb and squish down a tootsie roll.

Sorry for the poor picture quality- it was super dark in there and I didn't want to use flash. Overall, it wasn't the finest meal I've ever had, but it was interesting and different, and culinary curiosity was well-sated.

Except this is brother

And sister

Creepy.

Tramanh's friend Karine asked me to be her date to their friends Cheryl & Jay-R's wedding and I obliged. I've met their friends from St. Agnes days and they are a nice bunch, so why not?

Karine and Tramanh

The first dance

Our table

High school friends

Father daughter dance

Now with added mother son.

Overall it was a nice small wedding, and I always tend to like small weddings more anyway. We had ridiculous conversation at our table and we got our photobooth photos taken (though I have no idea where that went). In the end, it was a pretty fun evening.

Homer: What's the point of going out? We're just going to wind up back here anyway.

A lot of people think of themselves as "nerds", which is a pet peeve of mine. There's a distinction between nerds, dorks, and geeks. Most people I know are not nerds. Nerds are people with an enthusiasm for math, science, and learning in general. Nerds are people who take stats from a trip, run it through excel, and come up with some graphs for people to see on their stupid blog. I suppose I feel the same outrage geeks originally had when they realized people were not using it to label those who bit the heads off of chickens or other animals for a living.

At every gas station on this trip, I wrote down the miles traveled on the gas receipt so I could run the stats as I drove across the country. Here are the daily logs. If you want to know the stats for each gas station I went to, you can see it here. 7,674 miles traveled for $607.99 at nearly 37 miles per gallon at an average of $2.90 a gallon. Not bad.

So I'll admit, it's slightly flawed. As I can only use data when I stopped at a gas station, there were days when I did not fill up at all. It would have been more accurate if at the end of every day, I filled up the tank at a gas station and recorded the mileage then, but that's just a little bit ridiculous. This here shows the number of miles I covered per day which you can correspond to my daily trip blogs to figure out where I am. The trip to Yellowstone was killer at 862 miles.

Here's my fuel efficiency for the entire trip. Going from Yellowstone to Salt Lake City was a pretty much all downhill shot, so in a Toyota Corolla, I was able to hit 43.57 miles per gallon (I only got 34.27 mpg in Cedar City, UT that day, so it brought down the daily average when I got into Salt Lake City that night to 38.92 mpg).

This one might be a little bit more applicable. If I had more time, I would have added in altitude/elevation across the graph so you could see the effect on fuel efficiency as I drove around the country. These are the miles per gallon I got when I filled up at each gas station location.

You can see the average price per gallon as I drove the loop around the U.S. in this chart.

And this is the price per gallon at each gas station I went to.

Stay tuned for one last note about the trip!