Poorhouse: Sweet, Sweet Home

So this week I realized that Austin has really started to feel like home. I only use Google maps about once a week now and I can easily get to and from most places without using my whole brain. I also have a routine that gets me out of my apartment every day. I work at a Boys and Girls Club at a middle school about 5 miles from me. It's a pretty great job. I coordinate art activities for the after school program. This means that every day I'm doing something with markers or colored paper. The down side, like all of the nonprofit work I've been involved with in the past, is that it doesn't pay much. I only work part-time and I make just enough to pay rent and utilities every month.
I don't expect I'll ever make a lot of money. I also recognize that this is completely my fault. When I changed my major to English, went to graduate school for Humanities, and set my sights on jobs related to youth and education I pretty much signed my life away to the clearance rack and used cars. All of that said, I know myself. I know that I would rather make my case for the measly job that helps people than the fancy job that bought me a Wii. Is it liberal guilt? Am I in love with being a martyr? Does my snobbery give me an excuse to underachieve? Probably. But I feel good about helping people and I don't like dressing up. I am still looking for full-time work, but I recognize now that it may take a while. I admit to applying for stiff business-casual jobs the past few months, but I've always been a little relieved when I didn't get them. I'm picky, but I'm hoping that means that eventually I'll be very, very happy.

Well I don't play disc golf but...

I was browsing youtube for a good movie about Austin, Texas and I found it through TurnHere Films. This little 5+ minute movie gives a good sense of what I like about Austin (minus the disc golf phenomenon that turns up around the 2 minute mark).

Extra, Extra!

After I posted my last blog post, I decided that I would "volunteer" to be an extra on Friday Night Lights because:
1) I didn't have anything else to do on that day.
2) I don't see myself ever going to UT Stadium for any other reason.
3) I'm one of those special features nerds that likes to find out how shows/movies are made and what better way then to go to a taping myself?
The people that chose to be paid extras had to get there at 9am, but I rolled in around 3pm. The extra's duty on this day's taping was to be a football fan in the stands of the Texas High School State Championship (the final episode of the third season of Friday Night Lights). When I showed up I was already wearing the right color to be a Dylan Panther fan, so they just gave me the black t-shirt (pictured above) in case they wanted us to switch sides and root for the other team and a raffle ticket for the prize drawings they did throughout the day. The wardrobe lady offered me a bright yellow trucker hat to complete the blue and yellow colors of Dylan team, but I declined. She suggested that the hat would make me "pop."
I made my way to the stands. It was freezing cold (for Texas) and many people had blankets. I assume these were the people that showed up early in the morning to earn their $56 for the day. I sat towards the front and, in the two hours I spent there, got to see one scene being filmed. I was lucky that it was a dramatic scene. **Spoiler Alert** It was the end of the first half of the game. The Dylan team is losing. One of the players gets hurt. Anyway, they filmed this about four times and the extras all had to clap, boo, and clap (in that order). Then, after the cast left the field to take a break, they packed all of us into one section of the stadium and had us do the same type clap-boo sequence so that they could copy and paste our section throughout the stadium in editing to make it look like the stands were full of people. During this time, to keep us happy, they raffled prizes and had some of the actors throw free t-shirts into the stands. The Friday Night Lights shirt you see above was thrown at me (quite literally--it hit me directly in the face).
After they dismissed everyone for break at a little after 5pm I took off. The nighttime promised to be even colder and I had enough swag to feel satisfied with my experience.
So...watch the season finale. I'll be sitting towards the front in a long sleeve blue shirt. I expect I'll also be attending the Emmy Awards this year for "Best Clap, Boo, Clap Acting."

Should I do this?

I saw this on craigslist today. I love the show, but it's a BIG time commitment. What do you think folks, should I sign up?

Season Finale - FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS!
Reply to: (see message body)
Date: 2008-11-11, 5:38PM

The critically acclaimed DirecTV/NBC television series “Friday Night Lights” is seeking PAID Extras for our FINAL football game of Season 3. We are wrapping up our third season of filming and this will be the last chance this year to be an extra on our show.
We will be filming at the University of Texas Stadium – 2100 San Jacinto Blvd., Austin, TX 78712 and are looking for local residents to work as football FAN Extras in the stands. Filming will take place on Saturday 11/15/08. Tentative start time will be approx. 9:00am and all paid extras will need to be available for 12-14 hours (may be less, but be prepared for a long day/night).
We are currently booking interested local talent, aspiring actors and those just looking for an interesting new experience or something fun to do on the weekend. Age range for extras is 6 years and older. All applicants MUST be US citizens and have valid photo ID and social security cards. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY!!!!
Pay rate is $56.00 for an 8 hour day (guaranteed) and time and 1/2 for everything after 8 hours. Extras will receive a check in the mail approx. two weeks after they work
In order to be booked for paid extra work on 11/15/08, either send us an email with each participants name, contact number and age to: fnl_extras@yahoo.com or call: 512-707-7934. (please do NOT do both!)
If you would like to participate in our final day of filming but can not stay all day, we are also inviting the general public to come out between 1:00pm and 10:00pm as VOLUNTEERS and stay as long as they can. Volunteers will not be paid, but can arrive and leave whenever they choose. If you would like to volunteer, simply show up at UT Stadium any time between 1:00pm and 10:00pm on Saturday 11/15/08 wearing blue & black weather appropriate clothing (stay warm!).
FREE food will be provided throughout the day! Prizes and giveaways will be randomly distributed throughout the day!

Contact: Tina Kerr – Extras Casting Director, ON LOCATION CASTING
“Friday Night Lights”
(512) 707-7934

* Location: UT Stadium
* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
* Compensation: $56/8hrs

Original URL:http://austin.craigslist.org/tlg/915282400.html

Changing Writing About Change

So after Obama was elected I, like many other bloggers I'm sure, wanted to write something about it. It's rare that something so culturally and politically significant happens and even rarer when one event comprises both. But it's been hard to find anything to say that hasn't already been said better.
I guess what I've been thinking about most beyond the event itself is the reaction to the event. My first response (of course) was to link the cheering and exuberance to a movie I love: Newsies. You know that scene where Christian Bale's character comes out after his meeting with the newspaper bigwigs? He whispers the results into a little boy's ear and the little boy yells to the crowd, "We beat 'em!" (the moment happens around 8:20) I've always liked underdog movies, but this one was always especially poignant for me because it was a kid's story about kids making a difference. In the scene where they announce their victory I felt some of the same stirrings of emotion I felt times one hundred on election night. For me, and thousands of other kids, Obama's win felt like victory. Judith Warner addresses this winning feeling very well in her NYT article: "Tears to Remember."
What was also winning was Obama's speech. In her article, Warner mentions the moment when he promised, "To those who would tear the world down: we will defeat you. This is our moment. This is our time." One thing that is significant about this statement is that beyond all the terrorists hiding in caves that this may reference, what it also calls to is the way in which the cynicism and hate in our very own country was tearing the world down. By saying that this is "our moment" Obama seems to suggest to his supporters that by being in his change corner we are now a part of a hope army that is unafraid to have sentimental feelings about our country, feelings that can overthrow our disappointment make our nation what we've always wanted it to be.
These feelings are remarkable for my generation. I was born just after Reagan and have lived only in a Bush-Clinton-Bush world. This has been a world of strategically false politics and scandals that have only further revealed the cynicism of the people in power. Therefore my entire life it has been not only completely acceptable to hate our presidents, but hip.
Warner includes a paraphrase of Wordsworth in her article (poetry he wrote about the French Revolution) that I will put in full here:
"Bliss was it that dawn to be alive / But to be young was very heaven."
According to some recent data, Obama outpolled McCain 66% to 32% with voters under 30. The majority of my friends (and even my dad) canvassed, made phone calls, and donated money to the Obama campain. The fact that all of this seemed to really work increased our faith in Obama and our faith in his politics. The system never seemed to work before (see Gore, Kerry) but his system did. This makes being young heaven right now. Late Generation X'ers were known to be sarcastic and world-weary by age 13, but now all of this angst has been revealed as frustration as opposed to cynicism. When young people the world over raised their fists on November 4th and yelled "We beat 'em!" it was with a sincerity and optimism that has not, in our lifetime, ever connected up with (of all things) politics. The world got us wrong. Obama is our president. And now, this is our moment. This is our time.

Austin Farmer's Market

I went to the Austin farmer's market this morning. There's something about a farmer's market that always gets me going. I think part of it is the thrill of handing money directly to the person that created your goods. It feels old timey and at the same time delightfully progressive. (The formula seems to work something like hippies+dogs+babies+vegetables=progressive) I purchased a head of broccoli, a tomato, and a small bottle of honey.
Oh and this food talk reminds me, here's some recent delicious cooking projects I've completed lately:

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs
Crockpot Barbecue Chicken

WWII

My apartment has always had roaches. Usually, with the discovery of insect invaders comes guilt, but we have had roaches since day one. Before we had food anywhere near our kitchen we had roaches waiting to greet us in cupboards, on the floor, and in the sink. First I bought traps, then my mom sent this device we plugged in to our outlets that was supposed to repel them electronically through your wiring (somehow). Neither of these things fixed our bug problem. The other day I got a spray that kills them instantly so, while it doesn't seem to be preventative, I get to watch them die in seconds...which honestly does help a little with my aggression and frustration.
At our old apartment we had a 2% bug rate, that is we would see the occasional spider, but we could leave our kitchen floor and counter covered in crumbs and see no infestation of any kind. I've been keeping our apartment near spotless, but the roaches refuse to move out and move on.
Texas A&M has a page devoted to roaches and there I found out that:
There are approximately 3,500 species of cockroaches, but only 55 species are known to live in the U.S. In Texas, five cockroach species are really troublesome in homes and other buildings.
The most frightening of these (and I'm sure we've had at least two) is this one:

American Cockroach (Periplaneta americana)

The American cockroach is the largest of the common species, growing to a length of 1 1/2 to 2 inches. It is reddish-brown with a light yellow band around the edge of the head shield. Adults of both sexes have well-developed wings, but seldom fly. They are, however, capable of gliding flights.

This roach can live up to three years. The good news is that it doesn't produce nearly the amount of offspring that the German roach does.

German cockroaches are the most common insect pests for apartment dwellers in Texas.

German cockroach problems may persist despite careful pest control efforts. In some areas, cockroaches have become resistant to particular insecticides. They usually develop their resistance in apartments or commercial establishments where routine insecticide treatments are made over extended periods of time. If you have difficulties controlling German cockroaches, consider changing insecticide products in order to use a different active ingredient.

The German roach can produce 35,000 offspring in a year. If that doesn't make you feel creepy crawly, there's more: German cockroaches usually seek dark shelters near moisture and food, such as in kitchens and bathrooms. However, when populations become large and food scarce, they appear in bedrooms and other less likely places.
So here's my problem now: do I keep them fed in the kitchen so they stay out of my bedroom?

Cooking Country

I'm not sure if it's living in the south or if it's having lots of extra time on my hands, but I've been doing a lot of cooking lately. This is unusual for me because:

1) I don't cook.
2) Nobody in my immediate family has ever cooked in any way since my birth.

Thanks to allrecipes.com and a little help from Zach on some of my endeavors I've made the following items:

- Maple Salmon
- Garlic Chicken (I got this from a Southern Living Cookbook "Easy Weeknight Favorites" cookbook that Zach's mom gave him years ago.)
- Breakfast Tacos (with avocado, sausage, salsa, egg, and cheddar)
- Biscuits and Gravy
- Vegetarian Chili
- Nacho Chicken (courtesy of the Southern Living cookbook, it's chicken with a Dorito crust...surprisingly good)
- Curry Chicken Salad (also courtesy of Southern Living)

Everything has turned out pretty well. I, however, don't think that this makes me a "good cook." People toss that label around too often. I just follow directions well and attend to my food items in a responsible way while they're cooking. Anybody can do that. I think a "good cook" comes from years of practice and innovation. I imagine that I will never be an exceptional cook, but it's a rewarding way to pass the time and (when I feel like doing it) it's pretty fun.

Live Music

Zach and I went to a Jimmy LaFave+Betty Soo show last night at the Cactus Cafe. Jimmy was one of his dad's best friends so we got the "on the list" treatment that waived the $15 ticket cost. The Cactus Cafe is a premier folk venue in Austin and it lives ON the UT campus. It's kind of amazing. Folk artist royalty like Townes Van Zandt, Ani DiFranco, Guy Clark, Alison Krauss, and Robert Earl Keen have all played there many times throughout their career and in the intimate setting it's got to be amazing every time.
It was a really wonderful night. Jimmy played Bob's "Restless Spirits song" (which is rumored to be about Zach's mom). Nothing beats Bob's version (ask me and I'll email you the mp3) but you can watch a video of Jimmy doing the song in Kansas by following this link. Zach's dad was primarily a song writer and it's always worth it when you hear a Bob Childers song to really pay attention to the lyrics.
So now this blog has basically become about Bob instead of about the Cactus cafe and I want to post a video of the man himself:

Every show Zach goes to people are always walking up to him and telling him how important his dad was to them. Last night was no exception, a woman pulled Zach aside during the break to share a story. Ladies loved Bob. Jimmy shared a Bob-ism last night that I think is worth repeating (uncensored) here. Bob said, there are three types of songs: a toe-tapper, a tear-jerker, and the third (that was left out last night due to "mixed company") the clit-tickler.
I can't wait to see some more shows. The opener, Betty Soo, I liked so much that I bought her cd. It's not all folk music in Austin and I'm looking forward to seeing a dirty rock or hip hop show at Emo's next.

The Seven Letter Word

The economy. Unemployment rates are staggering. It's not the best time to move to a new city and find a new job, but here's how Texas stacks up in joblessness.

As of August 2008:

Missouri: 6.6%
Illinois: 7.3%
Texas: 5%

Highest?
Michigan: 8.9%

Lowest?
South Dakota: 3.3%

It's probably better that I'm not living in Missouri or Illinois anymore looking for a job. Texas (and Austin especially) is doing better than the country.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Austin Business Journal

Austin’s unemployment rate continued climbing in August as the area struggles with the softening economy.

Unemployment hit 4.5 percent in August, up from 4.4 percent in July, according to the latest figures from the Texas Workforce Commission. A year ago, the unemployment rate was 3.7 percent.

Despite the uptick, Austin is faring better than the rest of Texas and the country. The unemployment rate in Texas stood at 5.1 percent in August, while the U.S. rate hit 6.1 percent.

The number of jobs in the region stood at 776,900 in August, a 2.4 percent increase over August 2007. The government sector led the year-over-year increase with 7,800 positions, followed by leisure and hospitality with 3,100 new positions. The biggest decline was in the manufacturing sector, which lost 2,800 jobs in the last 12 months.

Total nonfarm employment in Texas grew by 6,700 positions in August to 10.6 million jobs.

It's still hard. I'm finding positions I'm interested in everyday, but I imagine myself and 4.5% of the population here all sitting in front of computers and applying for the exact same job and I start to think it's hopeless. I won't reveal too much about my search in case prospective employers are looking at my blog (Hi! I could be working this hard for you!).

Barton Springs!

I've been managing to get in an hour of exercise 5 days a week for a few weeks now. My apartment complex has a small exercise room and there's just enough equipment in there to keep me from getting burnt out on the routine. Today felt like a pool adventure day (I can't argue with an 86 degree, sunny September day). I went to Barton Springs!

It took about twenty minutes to become my new favorite place in Austin. It costs $3 to get in, but it was well worth it to me once I stepped in that freezing cold water. It literally (and I am using that correctly) took my breath away for a couple minutes. According to the site it is open year round and I promise that if it is warm and you visit we will go there. It's only a 15 minute drive from my apartment and it's very peaceful. If the weather continues I may make this a weekly adventure. There's plenty of room to swim and my exercise routine has quickly been paying off. I've lost 4 pounds in the past month.

Next up in Austin: Fantastic Fest! http://www.fantasticfest.com/ I'm not sure if we'll get to go, but check out this description from the website--

Fantastic Fest is a week-long festival featuring the best in new science-fiction, fantasy, horror, animation, crime, Asian, and all around badass cinema. The event was created to offer exposure to genre films which are often overlooked by the traditional festival circuit.
Fantastic Fest is held each year at one venue, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema on South Lamar in Austin, Texas. The Alamo Drafthouse was named the best cinema in America by Entertainment Weekly, and features food and drink served to your seat without any disruption of the movie experience.

One Month: Giddy Up

Well, I went to the Texas DMV today and should be expecting my TX driver's license to arrive in 2-3 weeks. I'm not sure that I'm a Texan yet, but I'm on my way. In one month I've been able to take in a lot of the finer aspects of the state with the simple motto of: "Friendship." Mostly these finer aspects (so far) involve eating establishments.


Amy's Ice Cream: http://www.amysicecreams.com/
The location on South Congress operates out of a walk-up window. I had the Dark Chocolate ice cream. It made my day...and then the leftover ice cream I froze in some Tupperware made the next day as well. Oh and they're open until midnight! How great is that?!


Curra's Grill: http://currasgrill.com/
This place is five minutes from our apartment. The parking lot is always packed, but we went for a late dinner and had no problem getting a table. The atmosphere doesn't compare to Guero's, but I actually thought the food was better. I've become a huge fan of Tacos Al Pastor (marinated pork with pineapple, cilantro, and onion) and the ones here were phenomenal.

There are a lot of actual attractions here that don't involve food that I have to check out ASAP. Number one on my list (while the 90 degree weather holds) is Barton Springs. It's a three-acre natural spring pool that's been dammed up so there's a rock/gravel bottom and the temp stays about 68 degrees year round.

Oh yeah, and no job yet. No matter, I'll just gather some strength and spirit from the state song:

"Texas, Our Texas"

Texas, Our Texas! all hail the mighty State!
Texas, Our Texas! so wonderful so great!
Boldest and grandest, withstanding ev'ry test
O Empire wide and glorious, you stand supremely blest.
(chorus)

Texas, O Texas! your freeborn single star,
Sends out its radiance to nations near and far,
Emblem of Freedom! it set our hearts aglow,
With thoughts of San Jacinto and glorious Alamo.
(chorus)

Texas, dear Texas! from tyrant grip now free,
Shines forth in splendor, your star of destiny!
Mother of heroes, we come your children true,
Proclaiming our allegiance, our faith, our love for you.

Chorus

God bless you Texas! And keep you brave and strong,
That you may grow in power and worth, throughout the ages long.
God bless you Texas! And keep you brave and strong,
That you may grow in power and worth, throughout the ages long.

what you don't know

There are things that are impossible to know when you move to a city, things that travel guides and web research won't tell you. Here are a few I've discovered in Austin:

1) 10 cents in a parking meter will only get you 6 minutes of time.

2) Gas prices vary wildly from block to block. In the five miles from my apartment to the public library I saw prices ranging from $3.51/gallon to $3.65/gallon. Sometimes the prices even change within the same chain of gas station.

3) When you are trying to get on and off a highway you will notice that you are on a one-way access road for about half a mile before you actually connect with the highway. This is not so much a problem getting on, but if you exit after your actual destination there is no way to double back without driving several blocks out of your way and circling through neighborhoods or finding a bridge to get back to the previous exit.

4) If you need maintenance done on your apartment and you live in my apartment complex, you get a free fetish magazine with service. In my case, I was unable to get into our storage room because the key didn't work. The maintenance man came, fixed it, and when I opened it up I found a copy of "Leg World" on the floor. Either it was slipped under the door by a neighbor and the whole time I was standing there talking to him it was on the ground and I should be very embarrassed OR he provided me with the October 2008 issue free of charge.

Picture Pages

A lot of the images I have posted so far have been borrowed (well, stolen) from other sites. Here is a more personal glimpse into my experience in Austin.

When my parents visited (casually mentioned in the previous blog) we took them to South Congress. Here are pictures my dad took of this crazy-fun street:




(just so you know my beloved uncommon objects isn't a diamond in the rough--there's a chic folk art store right next door)

Pictures of the apartment are below. Keep in mind we have only been here one week.


(the bedroom has a little porch behind those blinds)


(and this amazing 9 foot by 5 foot walk-in closet)


(this couch and this loveseat could be places for YOU to sleep when you stay here)

And finally, our shower curtain. Let it be known that once you go Texas, you never go back.

Day 4 in Austin

I'm here! Each day so far has been a Texas-sized adventure.

Day 1- move in: one couch, one loveseat, one futon, one recliner and approximately 75 boxes brought in by two people (with a little help on the couch from my fabulous parents).

Day 2- South Congress:



This store is amazing. It has 30 plus antique booths full of curios. You know how you go to a flea market and spend two hours looking for that one amazing, original piece? Uncommon Objects has that one piece over and over again.

Day 3- I, swear to God, see someone playing with a lasso in the parking lot of our apartment complex.

Day 4- I applied for a job today. I also found free wireless at a place called Texas French Bread. http://www.texasfrenchbread.com/

eats (part one)

http://www.guerostacobar.com/

We went here on the Saturday after we found our apartment. I had the Tacos Al Pastor and a margarita. They make them with real lime juice, no mix involved, so they're very tart and tasty. The food was delicious and I'm anxious to get back to try their breakfast tacos.



The atmosphere is very hip. It's in the trendy SoCo (South Congress) area near our apartment. (Frommer's identifies it as "the once-derelict stretch of Congress Avenue that...started becoming gentrified--or at least 'trendified.' It's now lined with cutting-edge art galleries, antiques boutiques, and retro clothing shops." Guero's apparently draws a decent amount of local celebrities and politicians too (see what I found on flickr below).

The Clintons like the tacos.


Keanu likes a taco.



Because of this star traffic the restaurant can be a little busy, but we only had to wait 20 minutes on a weekend. Special treats: they make their corn tortillas by hand and, like every other place in Austin that serves alcohol, have live music.

Renting in Austin: Secrets Revealed

There are several secrets I discovered about Austin while I was there last weekend.

1) Do not try to rent an apartment in the heart of downtown or next to the UT campus. I found this out quickly by searching craigslist:

$1475 / 2br - 2 bedroom 2 blocks from UT law school (north university) (map)

---

Reply to: mailto:hous-748718934@craigslist.org?subject=$1475%20/%202br%20-%202%20bedroom%202%20blocks%20from%20UT%20law%20school%20%28north%20university%29
Date: 2008-07-09, 4:22PM CDT

PostingID: 748718934

Yipes. It seems to me that half of the entire state of Texas has been built in the past 10-15 years. This has yet to be disproved.

2) I-35 will get you anywhere you need to go...slowly. It is best to find ways around it. We will be living in the Riverside area. It's a five minute drive from downtown and much cheaper than the posting above (we're talking HALF the price).

View Larger Map
This area is a little sketchy, but seems to have a nice mix of shady characters and students (read: will be completely gentrified in approx. two years).

3) Pictures of the bats fleeing the Congress Ave. bat bridge are best taken with a professional camera. My photo didn't exactly capture the glory.

This was just wonderful. We got there early and were able to snag a nice spot right by Town Lake. It was even more heart-warming to see the crowds that turned out. Instead of drinking on Sixth Street, hundreds of people withstood the heat and craned their necks at dusk to see a bunch of flying mammals hop out to party.

4) Austin is great. There are wonderful restaurants, fabulous bars, AND an amazing natural landscape. Plus music. Lots of live music. Go ahead. Pick out a band and tell me when you're visiting. http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Calendar/MusicListings

Austin fun fact #1

from www.austincityguide.com:

The Congress Avenue Bridge spans Town Lake in downtown Austin and is home to the largest urban bat colony in North America. The colony is estimated at 1.5 million Mexican free-tail bats. Each night from mid-March to November, the bats emerge from under the bridge at dusk to blanket the sky as they head out to forage for food. This event has become one of the most spectacular and unusual tourist attractions in Texas. The most spectacular bat flights are during hot, dry August nights, when multiple columns of bats emerge. There are several points from which to view the event, and an information kiosk is located on the north bank of the river, just east of the bridge.

Zach and I will be in Texas this time next week viewing places to live. Next blog: a report on apartment-hunting in Austin.

Deep in the Heart of...

In August, I will move from Columbia, Missouri (pop: 95,000) to Austin, Texas (pop: 710,000). We all know that everything is bigger in Texas, but my hope is that my time in The Lone Star State will allow me to investigate myths and educate my readers about what it's like to live in a place that, on February 1st, 1861 seceeded from the union to be the charter member of the Confederate States of America. Ultimately, I want and expect to come up with some misconceptions about Texas. I imagine that living in Austin will challenge all of my perceptions and stereotypes about ten gallon hats and big hair (see:http://www.keepaustinweird.com/). I'm hoping that messing with Texas will have many interesting and positive results. Because, to quote Kinky Friedman, "I just want Texas to be number one in something other than executions, toll roads and property taxes."