Category: Amazing Things

Amazing Things, Crazy Times, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Then and Now, a lot of differences.

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An incident happened back sometime in the mid 80s that I’d all but forgotten. We took one of our many trips to Houston to watch the Astros play baseball and let the boys go to AstroWorld. We were staying at the Holiday Inn, at the corner of Loop 610 and Kirby Dr., which was a short walk to either AstroWorld or the AstroDome. This particular day we let the two older boys go to AstroWorld alone or maybe they stayed when the rest of us left. They were about ages 10 & 13. This is unthinkable in today’s terms, but … Continue reading Then and Now, a lot of differences.

Amazing Things, In and Around Austin, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Twin Oaks & Odas Jung

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Below is a summary of Twin Oaks and its developer, Odas Jung. From their Website: Twin Oaks Associates, Ltd. is a privately held family business located in Austin, TX. Founded in 1953 by Odas Jung.  The company has prospered into an impressive industrial and commercial leasing firm still expanding to this day. Since Odas personally oversaw the building of the majority of his property, the company is familiar with every aspect of their business. In 1960 the son of Odas, Joe Jung, entered the business alongside his father. After gaining experience while working for the company during high school and … Continue reading Twin Oaks & Odas Jung

Aging, Amazing Things, Crazy Times, My Friends, Past Angora Chronicles Stories, Texas History, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Remembering Oak Hill, Texas in a completely different time

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Oak Hill was quite a place in its day. I suppose it’s lost most of it’s charm with all the building and a freeway running through the middle of it. I think of the place it was in the 60s … Continue reading Remembering Oak Hill, Texas in a completely different time

Amazing Things, Crazy Times, In and Around Austin, My Friends, Past Angora Chronicles Stories, The Early DaysLeave a comment

Cruising The UT Drag

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The spring of 1971 found me and my friend Jimmy in Austin one Friday afternoon. Probably for no other reason than hoping to find some excitement. I had a new Chevrolet pickup and we decided a drive down to The Drag. We got as far a 34th street on Guadalupe, heading south when we encountered a red light. A couple of pretty young UT types were in the car in right lane, with us in the left lane. Paying more attention to the girls than to driving, when the light changed as they eased off, so did we. The only … Continue reading Cruising The UT Drag

Amazing Things, Crazy Times, In and Around Austin, The Construction Biz, Thoughts and Musings1 Comment

A Meal At Furr’s Cafeteria

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One of my sons (he was about 11 or 12 at the time) and I visited Furr’s Cafeteria on South I-35 at St. Elmo Road in South Austin. This would have been in about 1989. We got our trays and found a table up close to the front door. Within the next few minutes an elderly fellow came in, with someone helping him to carry his tray. He saw me and told the young gal that he’d sit with us. I was delighted to have him. I had known him casually in my younger days and we had even done … Continue reading A Meal At Furr’s Cafeteria

Aging, Amazing Things, Crazy Times, In and Around Austin, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Austin Really Was An Uncomplicated Place, Once Upon A Time

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My wife and I moved to Austin in the fall of 1972, after marrying a year earlier. We rented a mobile home just out of Oak Hill, about a mile west of the Y. Life was very simple. She shopped for groceries at HEB, the store at South Congress and Oltorf. That was the nearest larger supermarket to us and the one she enjoyed going to. When I think back to the next 13 years we lived in 3 different locations, all in far South Austin, a real building boom happened. Safeway built at William Cannon at Manchaca Rd., a … Continue reading Austin Really Was An Uncomplicated Place, Once Upon A Time

Amazing Things, Past Angora Chronicles Stories, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

The Green House Mall on RR 620

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Matt and Muriel Wiggers started The Greenhouse Mall sometime in the 1970s. There was some variation of that business still operating (or was at the time of this original writing) with the name Outside in Style. I have heard it is relatives of the original owners carrying on the family tradition. Mr. Wiggers’ Dutch accent became quite recognizable in Austin in the late 70s and 80s with his TV and radio ads, “250-0000, come see us, won’t you?” My own personal story about this business. Hooked On Hydroponics: A takeoff on the name – Hooked on Phonics We took our … Continue reading The Green House Mall on RR 620

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BookStop – with home grown roots in Travis County.

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The 1980s found me on a reading binge. I would read 1 to 2 books per week. I had a hard time passing up a BookStop location without pulling in. The one in Lincoln Village was where I went the most often. That was at I-35 & 290. For me the Bookstop’s were so much easier to get to than all the mall book stores. Besides that, I really appreciated the layout and selection that BookStop offered. By the time they were taken over by Barnes and Noble and their stores started to disappear, my reading had diminished. Then it … Continue reading BookStop – with home grown roots in Travis County.