Ride Share

I used a ride share for the first time yesterday. Which one I used and why I used it is not important. The point is, ride share totally rocks! Oh my goodness, the difference between ride share and paratransit is night and day!! Maybe my experience yesterday is not typical, but I think it is.

The pro's of ride share:
My rides arrived less than five minutes after I requested each trip.
I knew the names of the drivers, and the makes of the vehicles.
I was able to view in the app where the drivers were, and approximate arrival times that were highly accurate.
I was able to communicate with the drivers by either text or call.
My drivers were respectful and drove carefully on the wet roads. 
Obviously I was taken directly to my destination and driven directly home. No thirty minute windows, no hurry up and wait, no picking up and dropping off other passengers, no "tours of Austin" like with paratransit. I simply was able to go where I wanted and get home almost as quickly as if I was driving myself. I cannot tell you how freaking awesome that was! I am in love with ride share! It opens up a world of possibilities for someone like me. I could actually get around the city quickly and easily and hassle-free. It would make my life so much easier. No more five hour adventures in order to attend a one hour or ninety minute book signing or open mic nite or other event that I want to attend. No more worry that I will have to get an event way early or have to wait thirty to forty five minutes after an event for my ride to arrive. The stress, anxiety, frustration, and fatigue of my current transportation situation would be virtually eliminated. Oh. My. Heavens.

There's only one con to ride share, but of course, it's a biggie. Cost. My ride share trips were likely cheaper than cabs, but would obviously be too expensive to use on a daily basis. With Metro Access, I pay $46.50 per month for a pass that allows me unlimited rides. That is more than a decent price. It's actually an excellent price, especially considering that I work five days a week and often use the service on the weekends as well. I would not be able to afford ride share every day.

However, now that I see how safe and reliable ride share is, I do plan to use it on a limited basis for special occasions, like the book signings or other events around the city that I want to attend. Especially if I am particularly tired or short on time and don't want to deal with the hours that it takes to get places on Metro Access.

My great wish / dream at this point would be if Metro Access would consider partnering with a ride share to allow passengers like me more options when it comes to transportation. Other cities have developed such partnerships, where riders can buy into a system that would provide discounted ride share trips. Capital Metro had something similar for a few years with Yellow Cab. The program was called Access- a-Ride. Metro Access clients could get a stored valued card where they paid up to $20 and Capital Metro donated up to $80. Then we could call a cab any time we wanted and receive same day service and direct trips to and from our destination. It was great. The drawback? The fares were outrageous. Prices started at $12 and increased from there. They gouged us, basically. A fair system with a ride share would be my absolute dream. The other problem with ride shares is that some of them do not offer accessible vehicles, and the phone apps are not accessible to people who are visually impaired. So ride shares have work they need to do to make their services accessible. I hope they realize what a game changer their services can be to the disability community, and with some work on their part, they could tap into a profitable market - persons who desperately need safe, reliable, AND direct transportation services at an affordable cost.

librarianintx

Project Runway Recap - Unconventional / Sustainable Challenge

This was an unconventional challenge, and the first team challenge of this season. The contestants had to make high end fashion out of - garbage. Literally. Obviously, it was a tough assignment, and unfortunately, the results were mostly clothes that looked like they were made from garbage.

Here were the teams:

Team Wabi Sabi (The contestants didn't get to pick their teams, but were able to choose their names):
Margarita
Kentaro
Deyonte
Kudzanai
Michael
*Deyonte had immunity from winning last week's challenge

Team Tsunami:
Sentell
Samantha
Amy
Shawn
Claire

Team Ballin' on a Budget:
Batani
Aaron
Kenya
Brandon
Ayana

Most of the workroom scenes involved Shawn's and Kenya's breakdowns. The difference was, Kenya pulled it together by herself, and Shawn needed her twin to pull her through emotionally, and all of her team to help finish her garment.

I saw a lot of cohesion within each team's collection. There was a color scheme and a theme in all three. I think many of these designers are very talented. Unfortunately, the materials they were given to work with were extremely difficult. Many of the other unconventional challenges have resulted in jaw-dropping, creative, stunning fashion transformations. This time - not so much. In some of the looks, I could definitely see an attempt at high fashion. But some of the garments simply looked like what they were - trash.

The losing team was Tsunami. "Unfinished and unfashionable" was the pronouncement from one of the judges, and that was a spot on declaration. For all of her hysteria, Shawn's look turned out better than I expected, but that was likely because she had a lot of help. Amy's outfit was worse. What was that poncho about? More about who went home in a minute. But oh my goodness, the twins needed to shut the hell up! They dug themselves such a hole during the critique, complaining about Shawn's model being curvy, when she actually wasn't curvy at all. The judges read her the riot act, then tore Claire up when she tried to echo her sister. Then Sentell led the charge to throw Shawn further under the bus, informing the judges that the team had to step in to complete her garment. The lone bright spot from Tsunami's collection and the judges' comments was Samantha's braided halter top. That was an attractive, innovative, well-designed piece that looked expensive.

Team Ballin' on a Budget was the winning team. It was my favorite collection as well. The garments looked like clothes, and they looked fashionable. Kenya's look was my favorite. The judges liked it too, although I was concerned that they wouldn't, because the puffy sleeves and neckline were probably a bit old-fashioned. I love that silhouette, and I think it was very flattering on the model. I think it was a dress that Kenya would wear herself. I also liked Brandon's look a lot. The wide pant leg and crop top were flattering on his full-figured model. I also liked the pattern he designed, which provided the cohesive element for the team's collection. I think he should have won, but the judges loved Ayana's look. While it was not high on my list, it did look expensive and it was a complex design that made her model look strong and fashionable. 

I really wanted Shawn to go home. Besides the fact that she is half of Team Annoying Twins, she has been in the bottom twice, and I just don't see that she has as much talent as some of the other designers. She also doesn't seem to have the emotional fortitude to be on Project Runway, but goodness knows there have been other designers that had breakdowns every week and managed to survive into their seasons (cough Helen cough)

But in the end, Sentell was sent to the workroom to clean up his space. The judges did get it right if you are only looking at this one challenge. His garment was terrible. It looked like a plastic bag. But I wanted to see more from him.

librarianintx

So You Think You Can Dance 2017 Episode 3

Yeah, I'm late...blah blah blah...

Allison & Logan
Jive
Sasha Farber and Emma Slater
I love Sasha and Emma! I love the Jive. And Logan is rapidly becoming my favorite contestant this season. I think the Jive is a fantastic dance for Logan - a great way to show off his personality, agility, flexibility, and speed. I enjoyed the routine a lot - it was cheeky and fun - although I would have liked to see even more tricks. Also, the roll trick could have been executed more smoothly. But his kicks and flicks were awesome! Overall, excellent job Logan! He is a dynamic performer.

Marco & Koine
Hip Hop
Dave Scott
Their compatibility is ridiculous! They look like they've been dancing together for years. They were so in sync in this routine, and they were both hitting it hard. I felt a lot of emotion from both of them too. It was an impressive performance.

Fik-shun & Dassy
Jazz
Ray Leeper
The package went on at length about how sexy Ray wanted them to be in this piece. Don't get me wrong - there were definitely some sexy moves there. But the routine was more athletic than sexy. And they were both rather over-dressed. Not that you have to be naked to be sexy. But when I think sexy, I think Comfort and Mark from last week - lots of skin, lots of contact, lots of slow, sexy moves. Having said all this, I still think it was a great performance. They danced very well. It was fun. It was jazzy. Dassy is a sexy girl. But I didn't find the dance all that sexy.

Comfort & Mark
Contemporary
Talia Favia
Once again, I am super impressed with the connection that these all-stars have with their partners in such a few short weeks. Comfort and Mark are so together when they dance. And also once again, b boy Mark partnering skills are absolutely terrific. It was an emotional, solid routine. My only petty gripe - Comfort's skirt was too pouffy. That's it.

Gabby & Lex
Broadway
Warren Carlyle
The judges gave them a standing ovation, so obviously they were amazing. But for some reason Gabby seemed a little off kilter to me. Some of the purposeful movements and slides almost looked like falls. I guess they were supposed to. The beginning of the routine was a little slow, but the rest of the piece was fun and exciting! Ir was another dance designed to show us that Lex does have an engaging personality as well as excellent dance abilities.

Paul & Sydney
Hip Hop
Luther Brown
I was not a fan of this routine. I thought it was boring. They pretty much stayed in one place until the very end of the dance. There was no innovation, no moves that made me say "wow." It was a very generic dance. I didn't think they were in sync. It was disappointing. Sorry. Sydney looked completely different - that was the most surprising element of this dance.

Cyrus & Kaylee
Jazz
Spencer Liff
Um...I don't know. The episode is nosediving for me at this point. Again, there just weren't any "wow" moments for me. They didn't drop the hats, that's good, but were there really any "hat tricks?" It was just an okay routine. Not special. I didn't think their timing was especially good. I think they took a step back this week unfortunately.

Robert & Taylor
Samba
Jean Marc Genereux
I adore Jean Marc! And is there anything that Robert and Taylor can't do? That was HOT! That was sexy! Boy did they go for it! They were fearless up there. The Samba is a very tough dance, but they looked like ballroom dancers. The episode is back on track for me! But wait, the judges didn't like it? What? Nigel didn't see a spark between them? I sure did! I am really surprised by the negative critiques from the judges. I don't think it was a fair review. I think Robert and Taylor have been on top, and the judges decided to knock them down. I personally saw a lot of fire from both of them. I'm perplexed.

Jenna & Kiki
Contemporary
Mandy Moore
A male ballroom dancer usually has strong partnering abilities, so I was not surprised that Kiki rocked that element in this routine. I thought he was strong, but also tender, and the lifts and line were beautiful! It was a very romantic dance. Their chemistry is ridiculously good. I loved the routine. Stunning. And super sexy. The judges were thrilled too.

The bottom three were Dassy, Sydney, and Mark. It was no surprise to me that Sydney went home.

librarianintx

Project Runway Season 16 Episode 1

I think I've only written one or two blog posts about Project Runway. I've never re-capped an entire season, and I'm not sure I'm going to start now. But I wanted to say how happy I am to see the different models that are on the show this season. Project Runway has always used models of various enthnicities and skin colors. This season they are also using models with various figure types - tall, short, thin, and plus sized. This is a big deal, and I applaud Project Runway for the change.

I don't know anything about fashion, which is why I've never recapped a season of Project Runway. Of course, I don't really know anything about dancing either, but I recap Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance. For me, recapping is about what I like and don't like, not being an expert on the topic. So here is what I liked and didn't like about the first episode, when I agreed and didn't agree with the judges. Sometimes I vehemently disagree with the judges (think Gretchen winning over Mondo - TRAVESTY!!) But on this episode, I mostly agreed with the judges.

Absolutely, hands down, Deyonte won the first challenge. That dress was beautiful! The print was bold and lovely, it fit the model like a glove, she looked stunning. The end.

I also loved Kenya's dress, although I wish she had picked a colorful fabric rather than white. I agree with Heidi that it was too loose on top, but otherwise it was a perfect fit, and it looked luxe.

I did not like Brandon's outfit as much as the judges' did, but I like him, and I'm glad he got a good critique. I think he has a tough journey ahead, however, since he's a men's wear designer. But I'm happy to see he has potential.

Sorry, but the twins annoy me. It's nice that they were so friendly and welcoming to the other contestants as they arrived at the beginning of the show, but their mannerisms and enunciation are already getting on my nerves. I agree that Shawn's top was interesting and innovative, but overall the look was bordering on skanky. I could see that look at the VMA's, however. Definitely.

I absolutely agreed with who was eliminated. I don't understand why ChaCha was picked to be on the show. His clothes are too silly, too much like a costume. I knew the judges wouldn't get him, and I was right.

The surprise of the night for me was Batani, and not in a good way. What the heck happened to her? Her design aesthetic is so bold, colorful, innovative. Why in the world did she send that gray, drab mess down the runway? I'm shaking my head. Her model would have absolutely rocked a bright, African-style print. Luckily, the judges didn't vote her out, and hopefully she can pull herself together next week. I had her pegged as potentially one of the top designers this season.

librarianintx

librarianintx

So You Think You Can Dance 2017 Episode 2

The opening number was by far my favorite opener ever on "So You Think You Can Dance." The Bee Gees and disco were my childhood, y'all! Absolutely brilliant! The music, the moves, the lights, the costumes, the hair - spot on! I didn't want it to end! None of these kids were born in the 70's, but they channeled the disco era perfectly. I loved it Mandy and Val!

Comfort and Mark
Jazz
Choreographer: Ray Leeper
Comfort and Mark sexed it up in this jazz routine. They look very hot together, and their moves were very much in sync. Mark performed very well. His partnering skills were strong for a b boy, but Comfort continues to be a scene stealer for me.

(speaking of steamy...Vanessa's outfit...rather distracting...) :)

Gabby and Lex
Argentine Tango
Choreographers: Miriam and Leonardo
They were both out of their element, but I think they coped well. There were a lot of lifts and nervewracking gancho kicks. That dance required very intricate partnering skills. I have to say, I was distracted during the first part of the dance, wondering if Lex had to cut off his man bun. I think he did.

Jenna and Kiki
Hip Hop
Choreographer: Luther Brown
So was Kiki "lit" during this routine? Did he redeem himself from his disastrous performance during the hip hop round of Academy week? Well, I don't think this dance was terrible. I think he was okay. But I think he was concentrating so much on the moves that he didn't think about expression. Jenna had to put enough feeling into the performance for both of them. The judges were more enthusiastic than I was about the routine and Kiki's ability, but I'm glad they liked it. Hopefully the voting audience did too.

Paul and Sydney
Contemporary
Choreographer: Jaci Royal
I'm being super picky here, because overall it was a beautiful dance, but I felt there were too many non-dancing moments in the piece. It took them awhile to start dancing, and then they stood there for too long at the end. These dances are short enough as it is, and while I understand those moments were part of the storyline, I just felt there needed to be more dancing. Having said all that, I think Sydney danced contemporary very well. Her lines were beautiful and she put a lot of emotion into the performance.

Allison and Logan
Jazz
Choreography: Brian Friedman
WOW! Allison is a tremendous dancer, but Logan absolutely lit that stage on fire! He was brilliant! Amazing power, speed, flexibility, jumping and leaping ability, partnering skills, AND he was sexy and cheeky too! He commanded the stage, the camera, AND Allison! Holy cow! Performance of the night so far by a mile. Way to go Logan!

Cyrus and Kaylee
Hip Hop
Choreographers: Pharside and Phoenix
How great was that? Pretty spectacular! The tricks were so exciting! Kaylee is fearless! It was so great to see Cyrus in his element, and for the judges to give them a great critique. I loved Cyrus' blue hat, although to be picky, I didn't quite understand Kaylee's outfit/costume. To me she looked like Patsy Cline singing at a state fair.

Robert and Taylor
Broadway
Choreographer: Al Blackstone
Fred and Ginger indeed. They looked like they stepped out of an old Hollywood movie. Classic. Timeless. Effortless. Beautiful lines. Lovely flow of movement. The trust they have in each other was on display again as she made that leap into his arms. Gorgeous. I loved every second of this routine. The judges gave them a standing ovation for the second week in a row.

Marco and Koine
African Jazz
Choreographer: Sean Cheesman
I loved the athleticism and the gymnastic quality of the routine. That piece required a lot of balance, flexibility, agility, and synchronicity. The music was interesting. I think if the performance had been any longer the music would have begun to annoy me. But kudos to Marco and Koine. That was one heck of a challenging routine.

Jasmine and Robert
Contemporary
Choreographer: Stacey Tookey
For a hip hop dancer Robert coped well with the partnering, lines, and lifts of this routine. It was an emotional piece, and I especially liked how the music swelled during the most dramatic parts of the dance. It wasn't my favorite routine, but it was solid.

Fik-shun and Dassy
Bollywood
Choreographer: Nakul Dev Mahajan
Okay, she did fall coming out of the big lift, but she recovered like a pro. And yes, she did bring the sexy! She looked stunning! Next to Ballroom, I think Bollywood is my second favorite genre of dance. I love the athleticism, the movements, the culture and history of the dance. That routine was a workout for sure, as most Bollywood performances are. The jumps, the lifts, the partnering work, your knees have to be in excellent condition to do Bollywood. I love the costumes too.

The bottom three were:
Logan
Sydney
Robert
As Nigel said, every week is going to be tough because these dancers are so good. I was very upset to see Logan in the bottom after his stellar performance.
It was not a unanimous decision, but Robert was sent home. He took the news well, and I adored his flamboyant unrehearsed dance after he was voted out. Werk, Robert! :)

librarianintx  

Changes in Food Preferences

I think it's interesting how our favorite and hated foods can change during our lifetime. Foods that we disliked when we were younger can become our go-to foods when we're older. At the same time, some foods that turn our stomachs can stay with us for a lifetime.

My five most hated foods are (in no particular order):
brussel sprouts
coconut
beets
stewed okra and tomatoes
liver

Those have not changed during my life. I have always intensely disliked those foods. But when I was younger, I didn't like tomatoes, or avocados, and now those are two of my favorite foods. I also didn't care for black olives, but now I do.

Also when I was younger, I didn't like for different foods to touch each other. I would tend to eat all of one food on my plate, then all of another. I didn't like the taste of different flavors in my mouth. But now I really enjoy that. On Sunday nights my roommate and I have a friend over to watch tv, and we usually make tacos for dinner. My roommate and our friend are vegetarians, so often our friend will bring fake meat crumbles to fry up and add to the tacos. I'll fill a bowl with fake meat crumbles, refried beans, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, avocado chunks, black olives, corn, and shredded cheese. Now I savor the various ingredients mixing in my mouth. Y-U-M! It all tastes so good together!

To a certain extent I'm still a picky eater, but much less so than I used to be. I'm happy about that. I still have difficulty tolerating spicy food, and I haven't delved into stuff like Thai or Vietnamese food. But I have become a fan of Mediterranean, Ethiopian, and some Indian food.

librarianintx

So You Think You Can Dance 2017 "Top 10 Revealed"

I don't know yet if I'm going to recap the whole season, and I realize I'm a week late on this one, but here goes...

Most of the Top 10 was not a shock to me, but there were a few surprises.

Fik-shun
Kyle vs Dassy
Dassy was chosen.
I think Fik-shun made a good choice. Dassy was very memorable from the auditions and Academy week. I agree that Dassy has a great personality, but Fik-shun still shines brighter to me. The routine was fun, but honestly didn't hold my attention all the way through.

Allison
Zachary vs Logan
Logan was chosen.
Logan danced with Season 9's Audrey because Allison injured her shoulder during rehearsals. As usual choreographer Tice tried to kill the dancers with an intricate routine full of intended falls and dragging and pulling each other across the floor, etc. But the result was a powerful and dramatic contemporary routine. Audrey was a great replacement - she is a sexy, emotional dancer who resembles Allison in many ways.

Jenna
Concrete vs Kiki
Kiki was chosen.
Jenna arguably had the toughest decision, having to make a choice between a krumper and a ballroom guy. She choreographed two completely routines at the end of Academy week, and they were both STELLAR! She was the only all-star to do that - devise a separate routine for each dancer. Of course I adore ballroom, so I'm glad she chose Kiki, and I think she made the right decision. Their dance made me so happy. It was cheeky, sexy, and fun. Jenna is an excellent ballroom dancer.

Cyrus
Havoc vs Kaylee
Kaylee was chosen.
I think Cyrus made a very brave decision. Havoc would have been the easier and more obvious choice - he's a street dancer, so a more similar style to Cyrus's animation, with less partnering skills needed, which is not Cyrus' strong suit. But I'm glad he decided to challenge himself and to give Kaylee, a very memorable contemporary fusion dancer, a chance to shine. I'm proud of Cyrus. I really enjoyed their routine. I thought Cyrus partnered her well, and Kaylee showed a lot of emotion and commitment to the routine. I was disappointed in the judges' harsh critique, especially for the first dance.

Gabby
Evan vs Lex
Lex was chosen.
Lex is arguably the best dancer this season. But as we know, the best dancer doesn't always win. Again, Gabby could have taken the easier way out and chosen Evan, who is a tapper. But she went with a contemporary dancer, Lex, who showed that he can tap as well as do other styles. I was disappointed at first that Lex went with Gabby, simply because tap is my least favorite dance genre. But that was an extremely likable and enjoyable routine. Lex nailed it! I loved it!

Comfort
Mark vs Deja
Mark was chosen.
I was a little disappointed here. I don't think either dancer was featured prominently during Academy week, but I do remember Deja more, I would have liked to see two female hip hop dancers perform together. Mark is good, and the routine definitely showcased him, but Comfort is just amazing; my eyes were constantly drawn to her. The judges talked about their great chemistry, but I thought she had stronger chemistry with Deja. Still, Mark does have a very fun, likeable personality that came out even more after the dance.

Marco
Sophia vs Koine
Koine was chosen.
Both of their routines during Academy week were gorgeous. I remember Koine more than Sophia. I remember her very compelling personal story. This routine was stunning, and I thought Koine's chemistry with Marco was off the chart. These two contemporary dancers were made for each other. She is a beautiful, timeless dancer. Nigel is already shipping them. I am too, actually. They looked ready for a wedding ceremony on the beach.

Paul
Christina vs Sydney
Sydney was chosen.
Paul probably had the easiest decision, choosing between two dancers in his ballroom style. I'm being picky here, but between the heels and the high ponytail, she was taller than him, which bothered me. But the height difference didn't impair their dancing or their lifts. They seem well-matched and were in sync when they danced side by side. It was a very solid routine.
(Hi Val! Love you tons! You choreographed an excellent routine. But please don't wear those glasses every again. You are super hot, and those frames were super silly) :)

Robert
Jonathan vs Taylor
Taylor was chosen.
No surprise here for me. Yes, Robert danced with JT (a boy) during last season's junior edition, and the partnership was magic. But I figured he would go with the girl here. Plus Taylor was much more memorable than Jonathan during the auditions and Academy week. Robert + Taylor + Travis Wall resulted in an entirely new definition of magic. Holy smokes!! The lifts, the lines, the emotion, the trust they already have in each other. I was blown away. W-O-W!! Was there a bobble or two? Yes. Actually, I think the correct term is "balance check," or is that for gymnastics? Anyway, did I care? Hell no! Did said bobbles, or checks, detract from the beauty, the lyricism, the athleticism of the performance? Hell no! Breathtaking! The end.
Standing "O" from the judges.
By the way, I can also see Taylor and Robert as a couple. Just sayin.' Koine and Marco looked ready for a beach wedding. Taylor and Robert looked ready for the bedroom.

Jasmine
Howard vs Robert
Robert was chosen.
This was a surprise to me. Jasmine is not a hip hop dancer; Robert is. And Nigel does not like flamboyant male dancers. He wants male dancers on the show to be masculine. Robert is not a masculine dancer; at least not in this routine. So this could get interesting. I think Jasmine is taking a big gamble. Howard dances in her style. Anyway, it was a very fun, entertaining routine. Any dance to a Bruno Mars song is going to be enjoyable.
Nigel raved about Robert, so maybe he's changed. He said he loved his sass and personality. Good for you, Nigel!

Based on these first dances, Lex and Taylor are the dancers to beat in my opinion. But we'll see what happens as the season progresses.

librarianintx