Pre-Valentine's Day Frugal Fun: Master Pancake Theater

One thing that this small town Midwest girl really appreciates about Austin is the abundance of free or cheap social activities.  Last night, some fellow teachers and I went to the Alamo Drafthouse Theater.  For those of you unfamiliar with the following terms, I'll explain: the Alamo Drafthouse is a chain of movie threaters born and bred in Austin.  The Drafthouse is equipped with comfy seats and long rows of table tops.  This way, the movie theater can pair a plethora of movies with exquisite food and beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) delivered right to your seat.

In addition to affordable food and drinks, the Drafthouse hosts special events such as movie sing alongs and quote alongs, and Master Pancake Theater, a local acting troupe that provides hilarious commentary and jokes throughout a movie.

Last night, the ladies and I watched Master Pancake's rendition of the Notebook.  I paid $13.50 to watch at the Alamo Ritz, which is in the heart of Austin's 6th Street.  Yes, I paid $13.50 to watch an 8-year-old movie I've seen before.  But considering that the price includes hilarious stand up comedy and skits throughout the movie, I think the experience is well worth the price. 

I only paid $13.50 in total, as I abstained from purchasing food or drinks, and carpooled with some friends to the theater.  The ladies and I laughed continuously throughout the entire movie.  A fantastic frugal night, in my opinion.


I'll sign off and get to grading now, but I highly recommend seeing a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse if you're new to Austin or if you happen to find yourself in the area.



P.S.--I hope to review more fantastic frugal outings and events in ATX, so keep reading!

Race Day!

This morning, I ran/walked my first 5K ever.
It had been raining nearly the whole night, with the last deluge pouring as I woke up and fixed my breakfast.  I had woken up a couple of times during the night in nervous and excited anticipation.  Would I be able to run 3.1 miles?  Would I enjoy the experience, or would it be miserable?  I donned my white t-shirt and some comfy yoga pants, laced up my sneakers and headed out into the chilly, wet Austin dawn.

At around 7:30 I met up with my co-workers and friends M. And S.  We headed out to the Walter E. Long park to get a feel for the course, and secure our spots in line. 

Keep the following in mind: For the past few days, Austin has seen clear skies and weather approaching the high 70s.  Also, our region is in the midst of a record-breaking drought.  Needless to say, my friends and I did not adequately prepare for the bone chilling winds and swampy ground.  Race time drew near, and then passed, and we grew increasingly irritated as we and several other hundred people froze and waited uncertaintly.

Then the announcer's voice blared, the first wave of people began to run, and we inched toward the starting line.  We were on our way!

The first kilometer was deceptively easy.  As I crossed the mark, I was doused in sunshine yellow powder.  I knew that I could do this.  And then, not more than a few yards away, our course became a mangled mud pit.  My new gray and pink Adidas sunk deep into the muck; I lifted them back up with a loud sucking sound.  My friends and I continued this way for maybe another kilometer or so.  Some parts of the course were so muddy that we had to walk deliberately for fear of wiping out and sliding down the hill.  Whereas we avoided puddles at the very beginning of the run, we were now running straight into them to try and wash some of the mud off.

It became exhausting lifting my increasingly heavy shoes out of the black mud. For the record, the Color Run organizers did send out an early morning email warning that there would be "a lot of mud", but nothing could have prepared me for this!

We ran back down hill and made our way to the purple color station.  I looked down at my remarkably clean shirt and commented on my lack of color.  As we walked/jogged towards the next kilometer mark, two abundant fistfuls of pink powder were thrown into my face.  So much for lack of color!

By the home stretch, I was breathing hard, kind of tired and definitely hungry, and ready to change out of my muddy, soaked shoes and socks.  The three of us were doused in a brilliant violet powder as we reached the balloon rainbow finish line.  We swapped our wristbands for a bag of colored dust, and proceeded to dump the contents on one another. 

The final product:

I know that this post is already ridiculously long, so I'll leave it at this: In the grand scheme of things, I had an absolute blast.  I am proud of myself for sticking with something vaguely athletic, and I hope to participate in more themed 5Ks and races.

Austin Color Run

I am a little over two days away from running/walking my first 5K ever.  For years, I've paid lip service to setting a goal of losing some weight and pursuing a healthy, active lifestyle.  This year, I signed up for a 5K with little thought, reasoning that such a commitment would spur me to action.

For the most part, I have been running and/or walking 4+ times a week.  I've even bought a nice (inexpensive) pair of quality Adidas running shoes to make my jaunts more comfortable.  Some days after I run, I feel amazing.  Other days (like yesterday) I'm limping through the entire workout, cursing myself for ever signing up for the run. Though I'm not sure that I am ready, my test comes this Saturday at 9am. 

This may seem cliche, but this 5K also serves as a metaphor for my journey against debt reduction (though that journey will be much more like a marathon).  Some days, I feel completely invigorated, ready to conquer my financial issues.  Other days, I blindly stumble along, vulnerable to tempation and impulse purchases (I'm talking about you, hasty dinner at Panda Express!).  But one day, I will cross the finish line towards living a comfortable, debt free life.

P.S.--The Color Run is so titled because at every kilometer, my fellow runners and I will be doused in a different color.  Before and after pictures to follow after race day.

Your Turn--Have you pledged to lead a healthier life?  What health and fitness routine(s) do you follow?  Do you draw parallels between your financial and health goals?