Oh Austin,Texas… with your southern hospitality, refreshing cuisine and ample use of the color orange, I am sorry to have to move on from your thriving mini-metropolis. Austin was a fabulous time, encouraged only by the people we met both inside the studio and out at various bars and restaurants. Here is just a taste of the wonderful people who reside in this fair town and shared their aha moments with us:

Meet Jaynie Buckingham:
Jaynie grew up watching her mother cook and bake and discovered she had a talent for it as well. Her mother had over three-hundred recipes that she developed or got from family and friends. With those recipes Jaynie started a colorful little pie stand called Cutie Pies. Using these family recipes has helped Jaynie honor her mothers legacy and fulfill her dream of becoming a baker, not to mention they make for one truly blissful pie.

Meet Mike O’ Krent:
Mike’s aha moment came when he began interviewing Holocaust survivors for Steven Spielberg’s Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation in 1996. Over the following four years that he interviewed survivors, Mike learned that no matter your story or circumstance, you can still learn to have a positive outlook.

Well folks, in the wise words of Jaynie Buckingham, Austin “is all over with but the cryin’.” So long Austin, I had a great time prowlin’ 6th street, hearing some local tunes, enjoying the beautiful Driskill Hotel and most of all talking to the wonderful, beautiful residents of Austin, Texas. Don’t you worry though, while I still yearn for your humid, music filled streets I know I’ll be back one day soon.

It’s always a thrill discovering that a band that you love is going to be playing in the city that you’re in. I knew heading to Austin that there was going to be some form of musical entertainment but wasn’t sure what form that would take. Oh No! Oh My! is a local band from Austin whose self-titled debut album was one of my highlights of 2006. It’s an indie pop gem. We made our way over to Mohawks a little before 10pm only to discover that they weren’t coming on stage until 1am. Fortunately, Austin is a city that has a multitude of other musical establishments so we seized the opportunity to spread the love around.


I’m pleased to say the Aha team managed to diversify with a few bluesy numbers at Nuno’s, some glam metal at Lovejoys and some hip-hop at the Bayou Lounge. Things got a little strange at Pete’s Peanut Bar & Piano, which has a dueling piano thang going on. It started off normal enough with some country fare and ballady type requests. But then it switched into college anthems and because the requests get handed to the pianists with tips, rival college alumni would compete to out-bid each other. It became a bit ridiculous as he would play 10 seconds of one song and some former frat boy would pound a 20 on the piano and switch into 10 seconds of the rival school’s anthem. In a display of wealth and pride, this went back and forth for a while and then that somehow morphed into snippets of military songs where it became an army vs air-force vs navy battle. The air-force won out in the end when a former air commander slapped a 50 dollar bill (in addition to a few previous twenties) on the piano. He then proceeded to flap his arms around like wings and then dove onto the floor stomach first. Then, they played some sort of patriotic American song that everyone (including Jessica) except for Kait and I knew the words to, and so we decided to leave.

We got back to Mohawks just as Oh No! Oh My! were starting their set and they did not disappoint. The crowd could have perhaps been slightly more animated but the band was solid, full of jangly goodness, with just the right amount of raw grit. Post show we stumbled into a club to bust out some devastating moves. I’m pretty sure the three other people on the dance floor were suitably impressed. As we made our way back home, the college kids spilled out onto 6th St. And for a few moments as we all fought the stifling humidity, embracing this fine town, I couldn’t tell us apart. Until we entered the air-conditioned lobby of the historic Driskill Hotel and everything made sense.

The aha moment tour is back for another year of traveling the country and collecting inspirational stories in 2010. We’ve got a brand new crew, 25 new cities, and we can’t wait to hear your aha moments! Watch this blog for updates from the crew and be sure to follow us on Twitter at @myahamoment and on our my aha moment Facebook fan page. Sign up here to share your aha moment when the tour comes to your area. See you on the road!

may 3-4 fresno, ca
may 7-8 tucson, az
may 11-12 albuquerque, nm
may 17-18 tulsa, ok
may 20-21 austin, tx
may 24-25 baton rouge, la
may 27-28 memphis, tn
june 1-2 huntsville, al
june 7-8 augusta, ga
june 10-11 jacksonville, fl
june 14-15 charleston, sc
june 17-18 asheville, nc
june 21-22 knoxville, tn
june 24-25 richmond, va
june 29-30 providence, ri
july 6-7 albany, ny
july 12-13 dayton, oh
july 15-16 lexington, ky
july 19-20 south bend, in
july 22-23 milwaukee, wi
july 26-27 des moines, ia
july 29-30 kansas city, mo
august 2-3 wichita, ks
august 9-10 grand junction, co
august 16-17 eugene, or