November 2018 - ATX Fun - Austin-San Antonio Fun, Travel & Educational Opportunities

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November 2018 - ATX Fun - Austin-San Antonio Fun, Travel & Educational Opportunities

Those Giant Christmas Ornaments at the Mall

I’ve been thinking about those large spherical Christmas ornaments on display at Barton Creek Square Mall. Are they rigid, or do they somehow fold into a smaller shape for storage?

Recently I saw one in a non-spherical status, and that explained everything. They are inflatables, like the Santa on my front lawn.

The fan is in the top, hidden by the red ribbons. Power for the fan comes from above. Internal access is accomplished (probably) by a zipper under the flap of material to the right of the top. The ball is held open by air pressure.

I doubt that many others wondered about this, but it has puzzled me for at least 2 years. Now I know.

Lifetime Learning Institute of Austin, A Valuable Resource for Persons Age 50+

Lifetime Learning Institute of Austin (LLIAustin.org) has been in operation for over 40 years, providing economical classes on an eclectic range of topics. The primary group served is persons 50+.

Registration for the Spring 2019 semester opens on January 16, but it’s not too early to take a look at the classes that were offered in the Fall because many will also be available in the Spring.

Many LLI classes fill up within hours, so it pays to register as soon as possible. You can take a look at the list here to see which Fall classes filled (shown in red) and which still had room.

I usually take 2 or 3, sometimes 4, LLI classes each semester. My favorites are T’ai Chi (Taiji) and Qigong, and Yoga Fit. This time I enrolled in classes about American Comedy Films, Exercise for Men and Women, and India. My other recommendations are How to Listen to Classical Music, and Geology.

LLI is run as a non-profit by volunteers, and part of what keeps Austin wonderfully weird.