Views of the Neighborhood – Lakeway Impaired Driving Prevention

~ John W. Howell

Today, we are going to the Justice Center in Lakeway for a presentation on impaired driving. We are catered by Bangers Sausage House of Austin, and our entertainment is Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes.

Menu

S E R V I N G A BISCUIT A BASKET – Four house-made biscuits served with honey butter & seasonal preserves.

FRIED FRENCH TOAST – Look, I’m just going to say it… this is absolutely delicious. The key

is the super thick challah bread that we somehow manage to make both crispy on the outside and custardy on the inside. We top it with whipped cream, powdered sugar, candied bacon bits, a maple-bacon glaze, & and a delicious strawberry sauce.

CORNED BEEF HASH SKILLET – Our house-brined corned beef sauteed in cast iron with Yukon Gold potatoes & Cajun “Mirepoix.” Topped with two eggs, pickled peppers, onions, & and grilled sourdough toast.

AVOCADO TOAST – It all starts with toasted pumpernickel, creamy avocado, & a six-minute egg. We then add the marinated cherry tomatoes, spicy salsa macha, & our seed mix for some crunch. We finish it with fresh herbs & a squeeze of lemon that brings it all together.

BRATWURST – Our take on the most classic of German sausages. Mild, perfectly balanced, & most importantly, delicious. Topped with sauerkraut & grain mustard.

SPICY ITALIAN – A classic Italian sausage with plenty of fennel & a whole lotta red pepper. Topped with sautéed-to-order peppers, garlic, & fresh basil.

DRUNK CHICKEN -Beer, serrano peppers, red pepper flakes, cilantro, & more beer. Topped with garlic aioli & grilled onions.

JALAPEñO CHEDDAR BRATWURST – Our world-famous bratwurst with some jalapeño & cheddar cheese mixed in. Topped with grilled jalapeños & grain mustard.

CHICKEN & APPLE – You get the sweet from the Honeycrisp & the tart from Granny Smith. We then double down on the apple flavor with apple juice & applesauce. Add a dash of brown sugar & some chicken thighs have mercy!

VEGETARIAN B.L.T. Vine-ripened sundried tomato sausage, infused with cheese curds. Topped with shiitake mushroom “bacon,” sliced tomato, shredded iceberg lettuce, & garlic aioli.

A U S T I N S I N C E SHRIMP & GRITS – Sautéed gulf shrimp served over grits cooked with pork belly drippings, topped with house-made bacon, & a six-minute egg. Garnished with peppers, onions, BBQ sauce, & our Pig Dust seasoning.

BACON FLIGHT – Four, count ’em, FOUR ways to enjoy our house-made bacons! Original house-made bacon, black pepper-bacon, bourbon coffee-bacon, & sweet’n’savory bacon chutney. Served with pure maple syrup & white gravy.

PANCAKE PLATTER – A fat stack of four pancakes, two sausage patties, two eggs, & a side of crispy potatoes. Add some maple syrup, fresh berry compote, & a dollop of whipped cream & you’ve got yourself a proper breakfast.

Picture of an old time school bus

Let’s go.

Here is the information and sponsors for the presentation.

The Justice Center is visible in the background, with a green ribbon in memory of those lost in the July 4th flood.

A fire rescue information table.

Underage drinking prevention table.

A place most want to avoid.

A field sobriety test simulation

Ahhh popcorn.

Inside is a drinking and driving simulation.

Information on texting and driving.

A distracted driver simulation.

Tips for teen safety.

Rescue.

Rescue.

Mayor Tom Gilgore is introducing the Blessing family, who lost their daughter, Aspin, to a drunk driver.

A compelling presentation by each member of the Blessing family on the impact of losing a family member

The Blessings have founded Your One Choice to spread awareness about the consequences of drinking and driving. Aspin is pictured.

Wrist bands for reminders not to drink and drive.

Thanks to the Blessing family, the city, the county, and the state for a meaningful educational day.

Now it is time to enjoy the food and music. I hope you have a beautiful week..

 

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Published by John W. Howell

I have been working in business for over forty years and now have the time to work in special areas of interest. My passion has always been to create compelling stories of fiction. I have authored six novels and am working on my Seventh. The first novel is still in manuscript form and being utilized as a door stop in the laundry room. The second is a contemporary fiction novel of 89,000 words and is complete and I am currently seeking a publisher. I also write poetry but have not had the guts to share any with anyone. The one time I read a piece to a person their only comment was, “it doesn’t rhyme.” I will continue to write and hopefully my blog, Fiction Favorites at www.johnwhowell.com will provide some entertainment and an interesting thought or two. I live in the Austin area with my wife Molly and an assortment of loving pets.

81 thoughts on “Views of the Neighborhood – Lakeway Impaired Driving Prevention”

  4. Very important program. Though, I wasn’t sure what it meant by impaired driving at first. Around here, I’m noticing a lot of people driving dangerously. Rushing through red lights, lane shifts without looking, and just general ignoring of the rules of the road. They can’t all be drunk.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. What a worthwhile program, John, and I’m glad to see some young people there. I worried constantly when my kids first started driving, but the Army kept my son in line – driving under the influence can get you dismissed. He’s a pretty safe driver, as is my daughter, now that she has her own child.

    That French toast looks oh so yummy!

    Love that song and the two singing it!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It is one of my favorite songs. I worried about my kids as well. I threatened them with six weeks in a rehab facility if they were ever given a DUI. They admit now that that kept them from drinking and driving. 😀

      Like

  11. I find it sad that programs like this are needed at all, but since people inevitably make bad choices at times, I’m glad we have them. It sure takes a lot of resources to educate and protect the public. Thank you, John, for another interesting outing.

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Thank you for sharing an important community event. There is just no excuse for drunk driving and yet it continues to happen, sometimes with tragic endings. So very sad. 💔

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Many lives ruined. Too many stories, including from my own HS experience. Two beautiful girls, full of life, killed in an instant. Attending the funeral of fellow high school friends should not be part of the experience.

        Liked by 1 person

  15. Best folks learn this way, then to be involved in an accident, lose their license, or God forbid, die due to impaired driving. I drove home in blackout so many times that as I look back now with nearly 2 decades of sober, drug free living, I am forever grateful that none of the above things ever happened to me or to others because of me.

    Liked by 1 person

  16. I’ll try the veggie BLT!

    This is a fab event. I hope some potential “accidents waiting to happen” have been stopped.

    I hear a lot more about about texting/cell phone accidents these days, than drunk driving accidents.

    I’ve even seen drivers taking pics from the car, while driving.

    I don’t drive in Toronto, anymore. All you do is sit in traffic. Walking is better or TTC!

    OX OX

    Liked by 1 person

      1. I love not driving!
        It helps that we live in a neighbourhood with local village shopping: Several small green grocers, bakeries, many small restaurants, pharmacy, local foodie type businesses featuring global wide cooking supplies/ingredients, library, boutique, bicycle shop, an tiny express of a major food chain, coffee shops and more!
        OX OX OX

        Like

  18. This looks like a terrific program. I talked until I was blue in the face about cell phones behind the wheel. Our daughter lost her keys for a bit after the second time we caught it on the dash cam. I think the simulator would have made a world of difference.

    Liked by 1 person

  19. Man, this event is sobering and very, very necessary. If it can resonate with enough young people, and hell, people in general, then it’s doing a lot. This is why the only thing I operate when I drink is my recliner.

    Liked by 1 person

  20. So good to raise awareness. It would be interesting to know what percentage of the people there were young drivers. Texting while driving is ridiculous, though I see people doing it all the time.

    Liked by 1 person

  22. You have a lot of great programs in Lakeway. Preventing impaired driving is so important. It has destroyed so many lives. More than 12 thousand lives are taken each year in the US, as well as lifetime injuries, and along with that the destroyed lives of family of victims as well as those of the perpetrator,

    Liked by 1 person

  25. Oh, the two driving impaired simulators would be great tools in the classrooms for driving students. I loved the driving simulator part of my driving course in high school. I didn’t want it to end. It didn’t include an impaired portion though. That’s a great advancement and one I hope the kids learning to drive would get.

    Liked by 1 person

  27. Great & necessary program… but very anti-Russian😅. Of course, now people drink less before driving… but they do. Unfortunately, there are too many accidents, (for example, my one) caused by drunk police or ambulance drivers. It’s our great problem.👍🍻🍤🍤🍤

    Liked by 1 person

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