July 31, 2011

With a few races to my name, I've had my fair share of experiences both with good spectators and with bad spectators: holding a "You're almost there!" sign within the first mile of a 13 mile race is bad spectating; clapping and yelling a simple "way to go!" is good spectating.  I haven't been one of these athlete harassers in quite some time, though, and forgot how tiring of a job it can be.  Of course, it is an entirely different kind of tiring than actually being in the event, but post-spectating naps aren't entirely out of the question either.  Today I cheered on at a triathalon at the Texas Ski Ranch in New Braunfels, Texas.  The transition area was a short walk from the start and finish line, but figuring out about what time those transitions should be happening, paired with the relentless sun, and my unfortunate choice to forgo breakfast and water (really?) took its toll on my energy stores, more so than any race I've ever done.  Early afternoon found me passed out like a sack of bricks for an incredible and wonderfully long nap.  The whole experience gives me a greater and renewed appreciation for the folks who make it out to the Middle of Nowhere, Texas to cheer us on for hours.

July 30, 2011

Sunsets are, in my opinion, one of the most gorgeous natural happenings on this planet.  As an added bonus, it happens every single day.  With busy days filled with work, training runs, and happy hours, I usually miss or fail to realize the setting sun.  I finally caught it tonight, though, with the aid of the 360 Bridge look-out.  The sky was an interesting mix of white clouds, blue skies, and a strange band of darkness, stretching from downtown all the way to west Texas.  As the sun set, the sky was filled with a melange of pinks and gold tones, which paired beautifully with the glittering water of Lake Austin.  I have to wonder if other cities experience such incredible sun sets.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I'm so lucky to be able to call this city and this state my home sweet home.

July 29, 2011

I've come across some pretty interesting legal research questions in the past few years, but most of them are easily answered in a few short hours with the aid of Lexis or Westlaw.  No need to move much further than to reach for a cup of hot coffee or to find a working highlighter.  Today, however, found me at the Texas State Library and Archives to answer a completely novel, and a particularly interesting, question:  why did the Texas legislature make a distinction between "beer" and "ale?"  My research began on Westlaw, but I quickly realized my question would take me back decades, resources for which have yet to be put online.  So today, with great care lest the archive librarian blow an already short fuse, I sorted through minutes and documents of the Texas Alcohol Commission, the Texas Brewer's Association, and the original bill files from the late 1800s through about the 1950s.  I didn't find a definitive answer today, but hopefully it will be lurking in one of these remaining dusty old boxes.