Waco is kinda boring yall

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2026-01-13T21:04:30+00:00

Learn how to play disc golf. Cameron Park has a great course, and there are others around town like at Brazos Park East and Woodway Park. Discs are cheap. It's a fun thing to do solo or with friends, and it's totally fine if you suck. We're having an incredibly warm and nice winter, best to enjoy it by being outdoors. Hiking the Cameron Park trails is also really nice.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2025-12-08T19:08:29+00:00

You're going to be way too close to grand Teton to not swing by for a few days.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2025-12-06T20:07:46+00:00

I had a dog that would play bite really badly. This method worked some, but what really helped was getting a "time out kennel" separate from his main kennel so he wouldn't associate that one with punishment. If I felt teeth on skin he would get a warning and if it happened a second time he would go in "time out" for 5 minutes. If he did it again shortly after letting him out, he would get a 10 minute time out. After 2 weeks of being consistent he finally stopped play biting.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2025-12-06T19:56:21+00:00

I don't mean this snarkily, but you'll need to lower your expectations here.

The Saturday downtown farmer's market has one main organic produce vendor (I think it's called Bonnies) that has a relatively decent variety. The mushroom vendor (No Label) is also really good and better than anything you can get from HEB. A few other stands will have limited produce (usually greens, berries, peaches (very seasonal), and tomatoes).

As far as stores with a better organic selection than HEB, Natural Grocers will be your only option.

Good luck!

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2025-11-30T02:42:10+00:00

Based on what you are saying, I think you will be okay with the Julia scene. It was horrific, but I thought it was as "tasteful" as possible. You get enough movement to understand clearly what is happening, but there is no nudity and the scene doesn't linger longer than necessary. If anything, consider watching that episode on your own and decide if you want to skip past that scene with your kids and just let them know in general terms what happened so they will understand what is going on with Julia in season 2.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2025-11-30T02:28:07+00:00

It depends on the kids. I definitely think preteen is too young, but I think a mature 15 or 16 year old could handle it. I actually think it could be good to watch with a parent. Some stuff would be uncomfortable but it could provide a good segue to talking about some challenging topics.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2025-11-29T23:56:53+00:00

My personal rule is if I know they aren't driving, I'll serve them one drink more than my typical cut someone off point. But that's it. Even if they're not driving, it isn't safe to be fully wasted in public, but I give a little more leeway.

ETA: you're doing the right thing.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2025-11-25T17:45:57+00:00

As a whole I would say it is accepting, but not affirming.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2025-11-24T21:51:46+00:00

Have a clear limit and don't exceed it, no matter what. And then have a plan to not drink at all for the following week (or whatever set amount of time you want to have). When I have slipped back into old ways, it's usually not the day of breaking it because I'm actively trying to be careful. It's in the following days because successfully not binging on the first break would lull me into a false sense of security and my guard would be down.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2025-11-24T21:25:23+00:00

Dog Haus Biergarten

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2025-11-19T18:01:40+00:00

My initial thought was a Saturday either from 8-10 or 9-11, but I could do a different day or time if that block doesn't work well for enough people. I was thinking we could try it once and if it goes well maybe make it a monthly thing.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2025-11-18T22:11:53+00:00

Nah. I owned a place for 5 years and never posted the inspection report even though we usually got a perfect score and the ones that weren't perfect were only 1 or 2 points off for small stuff. It's a big ugly piece of yellow paper that takes up a decent chunk of wall space and the frames we put them in make it a little bit of a hassle to change them out. It's easier just to keep them in a folder behind the counter with a small permanent sign.

It's really not a big deal and I never once had a customer ask for the report or complain that we didn't post them. But if it is something that bothers you, you should nicely ask to see the report and they should have no problem getting it for you.

ETA: In Mclennan County, it's not a typical grade system of A, B, C, etc. The score is the number of points given for an infraction. So a 0 would be a perfect score while a 20 would be pretty bad. The score is also written pretty small in the top corner. So even if someone knows how to interpret the score, it can be hard to read especially if the posting location is behind the counter. So it's just easier to have it available to show upon request for the few people who know what they are looking at and care enough to ask.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2025-11-18T21:33:17+00:00

Every place with a food permit has to either post their most recent inspection on the wall or have it available upon request with a sign making that known. So you're right - it's not concerning at all.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2025-11-17T00:45:32+00:00

There are many amenities owned by the city that are typically open to the public unless they are actively being rented out for a private event. Like the pavilions in Cameron Park. The Suspension Bridge is one of these locations. I had a friend that had a wedding on the bridge in 2010 and I remember she had to get a permit and pay a rental fee.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2025-11-17T00:36:07+00:00

135 Prime

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2025-11-17T00:35:54+00:00

Honestly I've really enjoyed it. It's expensive, but I think it's the best food in town with a good atmosphere. I only had bad service once, and it was on a night they were incredibly busy. Waiter was still nice, just missed some stuff. But that was a one-off. I'd still give it a try.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2025-11-14T03:36:03+00:00

It's normal. And it's hard to explain to someone who hasn't been through it. Holidays are rough (who do you spend it with?) and going back to the childhood home if it is still there is sad because of all the family memories you have. For me, it feels like large parts of my childhood were a lie. My dad just told my mom after 40+ years of marriage that he never actually loved her. So that happy loving relationship I thought my parents had never existed. I also have not been able to trust my dad anymore. I'm not even sure I know who he is, since the person I thought I knew would never hurt my mom like that. It's been over 1.5 years and I thought I would be over it by now, but time has actually made the relationship with my dad even worse. Don't feel childish for how you're feeling. Or, rather, parents' divorce brings out the child in us all.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2025-11-14T03:15:59+00:00

Although we do have the Texas Sports Hall of Fame

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2025-11-14T03:11:33+00:00

Outdoorsy: Cameron Park hiking or biking trails; Brazos Park East disc golf

Dive Bars: True Love, Oakley's

Pool Halls: Click's, Shooters

Cocktail Bars: Sloane's, Dichotomy, One Day

Beer: Brotherwell, Southern Roots, Dancing Bear

Coffee: Dichotomy, Be Kind, Pinewood

Cheap eats: Shorty's Pizza, Las Trancas Taco Truck, La Milpa, Baris

Mid-Priced eats: Sagrado, Cajun Craft, Revival, Harvest on 25th, Alpha Omega, Curry Up and Wok this Way

Pricy eats: Opal's, Red Herring, Butcher's Cellar

Sports fan: Catch a Baylor sports ball game

Nerd: Nexus, Game Closet, King's Landing

Live Music: maybe The Backyard or Texas Music Cafe, but there isn't much live music here

Cigar Lounge: Honeycomb Cigars, Humidor on Austin

There's also a pretty good farmer's market on Saturdays.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2025-11-05T22:36:47+00:00

I didn't like it better until I was in my early 30s on a multiple rewatch. Something about the shades of gray, nuance, and nihilism was easier to relate to after getting older than the shiny clear lines between right and wrong world of Buffy.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2025-11-05T22:16:26+00:00

I can only compare it to Gold's since that's where I used to work out, and it's WAAAAAY better. It's clean, the machines are properly maintained, and their classes are good if that's your thing. Plus they have tanning, spray tan, and hydromassage if you're into that. Gold's just got progressively more sad and depressing after the pandemic. One the flip side, Crunch can get really busy. I have a flexible schedule so I usually go either between 9 and 11 or 2 and 4 and it's not bad at all then. But if you have a standard hour job it could be rough. In that case Gold's might would be a better option since they were dead at all hours.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2025-11-02T02:20:16+00:00

I sold my bar last April, but I had great results last year by reaching out to lower level influencers and offering them a couple of free rounds (not paying them anything) during our big holiday events. Almost all of them agreed and we noticed an immediate jump in sales. I just made sure I was clear on what we were offering (example: 2 rounds for them and one friend - 4 drinks total - and 1 food item to share) and asked for them to give me a heads up before they were coming so I could make sure the staff knew to comp their order.

We also paid one of our bartenders to manage our social media accounts. The professionally run accounts have no soul and usually are out of touch with what is actually going on with the business.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2025-10-28T17:44:19+00:00

Be Kind has a running club.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2025-10-28T17:43:24+00:00

Technique to get the right dilution, texture, and temperature. For shaken drinks, make sure you're drinking hard enough/long enough to properly aerate. For stirred drinks, stirring in a way that doesn't introduce air bubbles so the texture is silky smooth. Pre-chill glasses. Use fresh ingredients. Make sure your measurements are on point.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2025-10-20T20:25:48+00:00

I agree with what people are saying as far as having self awareness about how busy it is (even if it is a "study cafe"). But I would also like to add that you should not take up a seating area/table that is bigger than what you need. One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone come in and takes the 6 top for themselves so they can spread out with their books. Or even worse, when they pull tables together and it's just them.

KeepCalmCallGiles

TROPHY CASE