I'm Baaaaack

So here I am, promising to pull it together. Off to Asia in mid-August and will certainly be blogging from there. Meanwhile I plan to supply a few Shopping Detective leads.

As for right now, well, it's simply true confessions time. I have long dreamed of the Austin Farmer's Market and made several attempts to get there. Austin is about 90 miles from where I live in Texas, so it's not that big a deal, but real life kept happening. Last time I was set to go, my father died. Sooooo, finally, I made it. Who cares if it's 104 degrees outside? Neither rain nor snow nor sleet nor white eggplants...

If you happen to be in Austin on a Saturday and you want to head over to this market, ehy, be my guest. It's at 4th and Gaudalupe; there's free parking in the lot across the street. (For heaven's sake, don't pay that other lot $5!) If you trust me-- well-- stay home or travel to a city with a decent farmer's market. There was good music, the soap maker with Austin Mud soap was creative and offering up many Texas themed gift items and you might have enjoyed the poulet roti from the truck with the giant paper mache roast chicken on top ($10 per)...but, alas, the Health Department closed him down.

So all in all, and despite the current issue of Rachel Ray's Everyday magazine that raves about Austin as the most perfect city in the world, well, I'd stay in San Antonio. I hear they've jsut started up a new Farmer's market down at Pearl Brewery, so let's try that one.