Go see Stop Kiss!

I just wanted to recommend to all you Austinites that you go see Stop Kiss at The Vortex (put on by Different Stages) before it closes next week. What a deeply moving and funny show with fantastic performances by some of Austin's best actors. If you don't catch it, you'll be kicking yourselves for months while all your friends talk about how great it was!

Also, in lieu of creating new content, which I don't have time for this morning (we're off to spend all weekend in the yard making up for how much we've neglected it this Spring), I would like to point you to this very interesting post on Retro Renovation about whether 50's tract homes should qualify for historic preservation and my comment. Because nothing like stealing content from other sites to pad your blog;)

Here's my comment:
I agree with Christopher that 50 years ago nobody saw the wisdom of saving turn of the (20th) century homes because they thought they were old hat. So I think it’s important to save at least some of these old 50’s neighborhoods even if those in charge do not find them “architecturally appealing”, most likely because that’s what they grew up with. We always pine for the past and you won’t hear me arguing for saving 70’s or 80’s houses because that’s what I grew up with. Although perhaps my children will love that style. But we also have to respect individual property owner’s rights. It’s a very fine line.

Perhaps it is better to put in place guidelines for the remodeling of your home that keeps at least the exterior in line with the rest of the neighborhood? But then again, I also agree with Christopher’s other comment about HOA’s sucking. I came from a 2000’s neighborhood that sent you a letter if your grass got brown (in July. In Texas!) to one that was built in the 60’s and doesn’t have an HOA. I love the fact that if my grass gets a little long because I’m busy that week, I can just blow it off until next week. And that I was able to paint my house aqua blue without consulting anybody. I don’t know, this is a very difficult issue!