Reader's Digest did a study on the 50 largest cities in the country, ranking them from cleanest to dirtiest, and Austin ranks number 8 on the list! The rankings were derived from EPA quality reports and other data for air, water, industrial pollution, hazardous waste, and sanitation. Austin's big issue is water, which I have always thought is gross (ours smells like pond water pretty often). That's what water purifiers are for, I suppose...

Of course, Houston is #41 on the list. If you have ever lived in Houston that's no surprise.

Labels: Health

Yesterday was my first Father's Day, so Lindsey and Chaya decided to make it a really special one. First, I went in the morning to pick up my sweet ride for the day, a 2005 Cadillac DeVille.

I had originally wanted to drive a MINI or a Mustang GT, but apparently they don't rent those out...

While I was gone, Lindsey cooked me buttermilk pancakes for breakfast. Yummy! Then while Lindsey put together stuff for the day's events, I played with my cute little girl. (That's what Father's Day is for, right?)

I had been wondering what Lindsey had up her sleeve for a week. What she had decided on was flying! We went to a little private airport close to San Antonio and I got to fly in an ultralight:

These little planes are very cool. They have a top range of a few thousand feet, though under 1,000 is the normal operating area. Their normal speed is about 60 MPH. If the engine ever quits for some reason, or the pilot passes out or something, the ultralight will slow to an optimum speed (about 35 MPH), turn into the wind, and slowly descend until it lands lightly on the ground (barring any trees or other obstacles, of course). The pilot offered to let me fly it, but the controls were a little more sensitive than I excpected. Here is a view from the air:

Here is a view of the little ultralight airport. It looks remarkably like the Google Maps Satelite image.

There was a powered parachute pilot there who offered to take Lindsey up at no charge. Here is a picture of her taking off:

Here is the best picture of the day:

After flying and schmoozing with the nice people at the airport, we drove back to Austin and I rented Assault on Precinct 13. Great movie!

Overall, it was a wonderful day. Lindsey did a great job of keeping everything a secret, and she chose greatly entertaining activities. We even got a certificate for a free ride out of the deal and I got Chocolate-Peanut Butter Fudge!

Of course, next year I will get a tie or a homemade card, but that's fine by me. This was a wonderful first Father's Day present, so I don't expect the same thing again.

Labels: Personal