REAL MEN OF SOUTH AUSTIN

I live in SOUTH Austin now.  After a billion years in CENTRAL Austin.  Husband and I started out in SOUTH Austin, and I truly feel like that's where I belong.  I'm not sure I was CENTRAL Austin material.  I like that these people crank up the grill at 4 in the morning.  And they love statues.  And the color red.

AND BECAUSE I LOVE STUFF LIKE THIS.........

I was at a red light at the notorious William Cannon / Manchaca intersection.  Many lives have been lost at this intersection, so I say a tiny prayer every single time I make it from one side to the other, alive.

Well, last weekend, as I was waiting my required 2 hours to get through that intersection, I saw THIS..........

I was 3 miles away, considering the intersection, and I did the best I could with my Blackberry camera.  I wish the picture was better.  But let me explain what you're seeing.......

The front guy, as you can tell by his body language, was a South Austin TOUGHGUY.  He had the muscled body (yes I noticed!), the appropriate amount of facial hair, the tattoos, the do-rag on his head.  And the don't mess with me bitch attitude.  You could just tell.  Problem was, he was on his girlfriend's PURPLE VESPA.  Not his Harley.  He was desperately trying to maintain his TOUGHGUY image, though.  I would not be alive today if he had seen me taking this picture, I'm pretty sure.

ANYWAY.......  He was fun to watch for the 2 hours I was at that intersection.

The second guy in the picture, was just sad and pathetic.  Here's the picture again. 

                                

First of all, he was BEHIND harley-guy-on-his-girlfriend's-purple-vespa, and I'm sure he knew that he paled in comparison.  I'm sure he was thinking, oh shit, I'm stuck at this 2 hour intersection behind this harley-guy-on-his-girlfriend's-purple-Vespa.  

And, second of all, he was on a BICYCLE.  On Manchaca.  In South Austin.  Without the rest of his group of bicycle buddies.  Bicycle people have to stay in packs in South Austin.  And they have to yell loudly at each other when they go through intersections like this.  Protect each other.  They just do.

And, third of all, he was WIPING SWEAT off his forehead.  No do-rag.  Bummer.  He probably noticed that harley-guy-on-his-girlfriend's-purple-Vespa in front of him was NOT wiping sweat, and why.  The do-rag.  And maybe the TOUGHGUY thing.

Again, the picture.....

                              

So hopefully, purple-vespa-girlfriend was nice to harley-guy-on-his-girlfriend's-purple-vespa and fully appreciated what battlefield he went through for her.  Who knows why he was on it.  I just refuse to accept that the purple Vespa was TOUGHGUY's.  Just not.

And hopefully bicycle-guy found his manhood and stapled them back on.  He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.  And, maybe, he might consider a do-rag.

I LOVE SOUTH AUSTIN.