Prove Us Wrong: The Finale
By Sarah Carlson
May 6, 2007
Prove Us Wrong: Those were fightin' words.
But thanks to those who were happy to help — if not so happy to hear us call Abilene boring — we spent the past month exploring many of the activities the city has to offer.
Here’s a look at our experiences as we journeyed through Abilene’s recreational options ...
Martial arts
We took two private lessons and attended a basic-level class at Premier Martial Arts, 3287 S. 14th St.
We like martial arts — a lot. Even though we aren’t very good at it, and our stances probably aren’t correct. We’re trying. Our first two trips to Premier Martial Arts had us hiding in a back room away from people who actually know what they’re doing, learning basic stances, punches, blocks, restraints and kicks from the two instructors — Sigung James Cox and James Cox (they claim no relation). We each had our strengths: Sarah is good at actually kicking and hitting people when she’s supposed to be pretending, and Erin really nailed the “Kiya!” required to punctuate a move.
Our third venture found us out in the open in a class with other beginners, all of whom were much, much better than we were. Fortunately, a group of more experienced martial artists stuck around and helped the class work on its technique. See a video of us in class (on the left-hand side), complete with shots ot us sweating, panting and having very poor motor skills/hand-eye coordination, all to the tunes of "Kung Foo Fighting." Try not to laugh too hard.
Our classes taught us that martial arts training is a confidence builder and a hearty workout — we’re still sweating. Plus, it’s interesting to train with people who could probably kill you with their pinkies. The comforting news is they’re so nice that if they did kill you, you probably deserved it.
ArtWalk
ArtWalk takes place the second Thursday of each month in downtown Abilene and offers free admission to art galleries such as The Grace Museum, free trolley rides (yay!) and other themed activities.
We attended the April ArtWalk, where the theme was “Music for ArtWalking, and were treated to an a capella performance outside The Grace, where singers congregated to preview the 10th annual Singing Extravaganza, which was April 28 at the Paramount Theatre. ArtWalkers trolled the various downtown galleries, but the truly adventurous hopped aboard the downtown trolley to receive a scenic view of Abilene’s restored downtown buildings — and a few still in need of a makeover (pictured). (Yes, we were on the trolley. As were two other people. It was THE place to be.)
The highlight was The Grace, where we took in the National Watercolor Society’s 86th annual National Watercolor Juried Exhibition. Many of the works featured in the exhibit were award-winning; we had our favorites, but we’ll never tell. (Unless, you know, they want to sell them to us. For a reasonable price, of course.)
But the best part ever (at least for Sarah): The Grace Notes wall of sound, where she pushed numerous 5-year-olds out of the way to get up close and personal with the mosaic sound-making machine (not really). The wall is an oddly fascinating interactive treat. Once you hit one tile, you’re kind of obligated to touch all of them.
The Warehouse
You can visit this martini bar at the T&P Events Center, North 1st and Pine streets, on Thursday evenings
We stopped by the Warehouse after ArtWalk and enjoyed a liquid capper to our day of culture. This swanky lounge plays host to college students and young professionals every Thursday, but this particular day, we were its first patrons — it’s never too early to get the party started, if you ask us.
Thanks to Sarah, half of Erin’s pricey beverage ended up on Sarah’s khakis. (Maybe Erin should have opted for the $2 margaritas.) And two cups of the party mix meant for light snacking ended up in our bellies. That was one of the better parts of the evening. That stuff is good.
One of the few places in Abilene that caters specifically to the 21-35 crowd, the Warehouse was a relaxing way to end the day. For those who stick around into the later hours, there’s even live music available to take the edge off. Now that’s what we call a good time.
Frontier Texas!
The museum at 625 N. 1st St. offers a glance at West Texas history.
Indian attacks! Talking holograms! Scalps! Oh, my! Frontier Texas! is an interactive journey through 100 years of Texas history, told from the perspectives of American Indians, white settlers, former slaves, and men and women who called Texas home and left their legacy on the land.
Once you get past the scalps, it isn’t so terrifying (though it takes a few minutes before you stop holding your head in pain). In fact, it’s like Texas history CliffsNotes, but more fun than reading from that little black-and-yellow book. It was fun, and worth it to go back to see what you missed the first time — there’s a lot of information to take in at Frontier Texas!’s various posts.
Still, it’s essentially a one-time recreational activity; chances are, with very few changes occurring in the exhibits, you won’t be tempted to go back every weekend. Let’s all be thankful for tourists.
Abilene Community Theatre’s “A Bad Year for Tomatoes”
We saw a production of “A Bad Year for Tomatoes,” which finished its three-weekend run Saturday.
The ultimate ode to knowing your audience, Abilene Community Theatre’s latest production played well to the older crowd. For us, however, the show about a harried actress who can’t find any peace in a small town wasn’t a perfect fit.
Still, the actors gave it their all. (Our favorite line: “Costs more.” Oh, Piney.) And Erin gave it her all when performing her favorite scene from Cartoon Network’s “Tom Goes to the Mayor” during intermission, meaning theater does inspire just about everyone to act. (Thanks, ACT!)
The great thing about theater is that it’s always subjective. It was worthwhile to see if it was for us. Maybe it will be exactly what you’re looking for.
ACU Theatre Department’s production of “Little Shop of Horrors”
The Abilene Christian University Theatre Department performed the acclaimed musical three April weekends.
We will NEVER get the theme song to “Little Shop of Horrors” out of our heads. Ever. But that’s not such a bad thing. After all, the musical is an entertaining romp that lampoons B-level horror movies of the ’50s and ’60s, and you can’t really go wrong there.
The actors threw themselves into their roles, but didn’t always project enough — live and learn. But to us, the standout performances were Alyssa Vidos as Audrey and Seth Bazacas as Seymour: The two kept the play’s energy high, and even managed to upstage a huge, man-eating plant puppet. (Not an easy feat — just ask Rick Moranis.)
With three area universities staging plays nearly year-round, there’s always the possibility of finding the perfect fit for your theatrical palate.
Pottery
We got our artistic on at the Potters of Hickory Street, 802 Hickory St. You can choose between creating your own pottery (classes are available) or buying pre-made pieces for painting. We chose the latter (less messy!).
This was one of our favorite activities, and it served as a reminder that the key to never being bored is to find an activity you’re interested in and stick with it.
We sat across the painting table from three generations of women who began their pottery lessons half a year ago and are now turning out impressive pieces of art. Stories, jokes, advice and compliments swirled as they worked, and the owners were always on hand to offer encouragement and suggestions. It was like “Cheers,” but with pottery instead of beer.
We listened in and talked about our Prove Us Wrong plights while painting coffee mugs, and before we knew it, almost two hours had passed. (Sarah’s perfectionism got the best of her, but Erin convinced her she’d painted more than enough polka dots on her cup.)
Now we have beautiful (at least to us) hand-painted coffee mugs and an itch to go back and try something new.
The Abilene Philharmonic
The philharmonic, which closes its season at 7 p.m. today with an organ concert at First Baptist Church, performed a classical music concert April 21 at the Abilene Civic Center.
Sitting in the upper balcony cheap seats of the civic center didn’t detract from the impressive concert the philharmonic provided. Listening to the beautiful works of Wagner, Sibelius and the philharmonic’s own conductor, David Itkin, was a treat for both of us, and we’re only sorry we didn’t experience a classical or pops concert sooner. (Actually, we’re also sorry we sat in front of a person who snored, and that some Abilenians attended the performance in the same ensemble they likely wore earlier in the day while doing yard work. You stay classy, Abilene.)
The two-hour event was a unique way to spend a Saturday evening and worth taking advantage of the next time the philharmonic’s talented musicians perform.
Other suggested activities we haven’t tried out yet:
* Workout classes at Gold’s Gym and Hendrick Health Club
* A night at both the Abilene Speedway and the Abilene Dragstrip
* Karaoke at Old Kelly’s
* Dancing classes
* Bowling at Whitewood Lanes
* Miniature golf at Play Faire Park
* Checking out local bars
* Camping at Abilene State Park
* Biking on the Abilene Bike Club (ABC) trails
* Organizing our own dinner/book/movie club
* Concerts at Cowboys
* Visiting the Abilene Zoo
* Spending time at the local parks
* Playing pool at Slix Billiards
Have Any Suggestions?
Do you agree with our assessments of Abilene entertainment, or do you think we’re off base? Leave us a comment, or e-mail us at carlsons@reporternews.com and steelee@reporternews.com.
We’d love to hear from you, and we’ll keep the blog updated with more Prove Us Wrong activities we’re trying out. We’ll still take suggestions for fun things for young singles to do in town, so don’t be shy — submit away!
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Comments
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Posted by: Jeff on May 6, 2007 10:16 PM
Hmmmm. Why do I expect to hear the theme song from The Karate Kid playing when I bring up this blog? Ah, old Peter ... that cat can sing. Prove me wrong, ladies.
Posted by: loyd ivester on May 15, 2007 8:36 AM
bartending at the midnight rodeo 3 . we would love to have you .