does anyone work?

Of Austin, I've often found myself asking "Doesn't anyone here work?" Congress Avenue is constantly swarming. In the mornings you'll find hipsters lined up at Jo's Coffee followed by afternoon crowds undulating between Hopdoddy and Guero's. The shops spill over with an armies of browsers, and on virtually every corner you'll find a musician playing for spare change. Until I got to know the city, I confined myself to these surroundings and thought perhaps this nonworking phenomenon was unique to the South Congress (or SoCo as the locals say) landscape. It turns out that on any given day the rest of Austin is bustling, too, especially on those not-so-rare days when the mercury climbs above 80 and the sun is deliciously sunny.

I count myself among Austin's nonworking. Although I don't have that cool distinction of being a struggling--or up-and-coming--musician or recent college grad done wrong by the flailing economy, I can still enjoy a lazy afternoon (even with three kids in tow). Last Friday my mother-in-law was in town for a quick visit and we took advantage of the best Austin has to offer: weather and margaritas.

A preschooler and a toddler saddled up to the bar at Hula Hut--they can't argue that I never let them do anything. Catcher asked for a daiquiri. I'm guessing that's a throwback to our vacation in Mexico when we both enjoyed virgin tropical drinks poolside, but I thought lemonade was a better option. It paired beautifully with the free chips and salsa. Side note: the "two scoops" of guacamole we ordered? Not free and not tasty.