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.
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..
Fiction Favorites 
What a valuable program, so important to make folks aware of the dangers of drinking and driving. Love the song you picked too.
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One of my favorite songs. Thanks, Darlene.
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Thanks, dear John, for taking us there. This campaign is very useful.
Wishing you a happy week
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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Glad you could come along. Wishing the F4oC a happy week as well.
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All excellent campaigns. Keeping the community safe and happy.
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I think they do a good job trying to do that, GP. Thanks.
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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.
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No, they can’t. They are just feeling that they own the road. Impaired driving is distracted, high, or drunk.
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A very worthwhile initiative. I hope it helps.
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I do too.
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Losing a child due to someone driving drunk or being totally negligent is a terrible thought.
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Horrific, Robbie. I can’t imagine the pain.
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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!
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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. 😀
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An effective threat!
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Yes, indeed.
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That is such a good presentation. Drunk or drugged driving is dangerous.
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Even texting is dangerous.
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It sure is.
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😊
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Another worthy and delicious share, John.
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Thanks, Pat
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I hope this made a difference; very worthwhile, and nice that the family had a chance to speak.
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They were all very well spoken. I was sad to hear the younger ones talk about their memories of their sister.
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Yes, that must have been very sad.
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😊
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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.
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Humans are idiots. The guy who killed the young girl has three kids who now have a father doing life in the pen.
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How sad. Evil is rampant, isn’t it? You don’t see dogs killing other dogs like this.
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Especially after getting drunk.
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What a great program! We could use a program like that around here. Too often I see people driving with their eyes fixed on their cell phone, not the road 😦
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The simulator makes you not want to do that ever.
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Curious followers want to know if you passed your field sobriety test.
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No. They call the glasses you wear “Smashed out of your mind Glasses.”
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Ha!
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😊
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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. 💔
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Yes, it is sad. The man who killed the girl had three kids who no longer have a father since he is in jail.
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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.
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I had the same experience. Our class President was killed. You are right about the funeral experience.
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Horrible 😔
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Agreed
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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.
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I’m so glad you don’t have to live with the guilt.
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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
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Not driving is a great idea. So much healthier. OX OX OX
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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
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Yay for the city OX OX OX
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What an important post to remind everyone of this important message, John. The meal and music sound delightful as well!!! Enjoy! 😉
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Thank you, Cindy.
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❤️❤️❤️
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😊
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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.
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I have walked in your shoes as well. I think a run in a simulator. It would have been eye-opening.
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Absolutely.
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😊
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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.
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I agree, Marco. Be careful on that recliner.
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I’ll do mah best!
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I know you will.
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😉
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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.
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There were a bunch of young drivers. Don’t know how many, but it was good to see. Thanks, Pete.
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That’s one very appetizing breakfast menu! Kudos to your neighborhood for being so proactive.
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Thanks, Monika
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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,
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I agree, Thomas. All good reasons to try to prevent impaired driving. Thanks for the information.
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Such an important message John… we lose far too many young people here on the roads, late at night, been to the pub, wet roads added to speeding… very often with others in the car.. This looks like a great initiative. hugsx
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Thank you, Sally. I believe it demonstrates how much this community cares for its residents. I appreciate the additional perspective. I hope you have a fantastic week. 🤗
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Such an important campaign to raise awareness. How tragic their daughter’s life was lost because of a drunk driver.
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It is tragic. They channeled their grief into something beneficial.
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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.
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I watched a young lady get in trouble on the simulator. Way too fast.
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Hopefully, she takes that lesson very seriously and drives slower in a real car.
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Yes let’s hope.
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Great cause and tour. And delicious menu. 🙂
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Thank you, Debbie. 😊
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🙂
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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.👍🍻🍤🍤🍤
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I had to laugh (excuse me) at the idea of being hit by a drunk policeman
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It sounds absurd, of course, but I wish none to have this experience.
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