This is My Thing

Several years ago, while looking for ways to improve at golf, Steve Merritt created a game on his property in Wimberley, Texas. Before long, that game had a name -- Cowboy Golf. And not long after that, Cowboy Golf had an annual event -- the Three Steves and a Dan tournament.As one might guess, that yearly tournament involves Steve Merrit, two additional Steves (Dehmer and Raatz), and a Dan (Vineyard). Dan was unable to make the taping, but I spoke with all three Steves about Cowboy Golf's history, its future, and what the sport means to their decades-long friendship.This is My Thing is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

This week we’re talking with Ben Rollman about his longtime love of LEGO. Like a lot of AFOLs (Adult Fans Of LEGO), Ben’s affection for the plastic brick began in childhood, then went through a ‘Dark Age’ when it loosened its grip on him. But as an adult, Ben's love of LEGO came back with a vengeance and now he builds LEGO sets, collects LEGO sets, creates his own original works using LEGO bricks, and even helps to organize conventions of fellow brick lovers.We'll talk about the timeless appeal of the brick, the challenges and rewards of using LEGO as an artistic medium, the special language of brick fans, and a lot more!This is My Thing is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

When Lyzz Donelson retired from her job as an Austin firefighter a couple of years ago, she knew she'd find other ways to keep busy -- she already had a few ideas on a list. But then she surprised herself by falling in love with something that wasn't on her radar at all: making permanent jewelry. Now she attends artists' markets and private parties, looking to make connections with folks and bring a little extra joy into their lives by welding non-removable jewelry onto their person.We'll talk with Lyzz about how she stumbled upon the world of permanent jewelry, why it drew her in so quickly, and what she loves about the community she's discovered.This is My Thing is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

On this episode of This Is My Thing, we talk with Rae Loos about aggressive roller skating!This episode comes to us from my friend Zahra Crim, who until recently was KUT’s Community Producer. Zahra’s moved on to go to grad school and new adventures, but before leaving, they worked on this piece for the show. It’s kind of a full-circle moment. The day I met Zahra, they were interviewing for the job at KUT and we talked a bit about hobbies and outside interests. Zahra mentioned that one of their main hobbies was something called aggressive roller skating, a term I had never heard before. That piqued my interest, of course, because I was already developing this show… and now this piece about that very hobby is Zahra’s last official task as a KUT employee.Zahra talks with their friend Rae Loos about their shared love of the sport, how it’s different from skating at the roller rink, and what it means to Rae.

Some folks like to watch trains or photograph trains or build model trains, but for Marc Opperman only the real thing will do. His love of trains led him to become a student conductor on a real, functioning vintage train, or what he calls '12 inch to the foot scale.' We'll talk about Marc's lifelong love of trains, the responsibilities of being conductor (even a volunteer student conductor), why a particular spot on the train's path holds a special meaning for him, where he finds his happy place onboard, and a lot more.This is My Thing is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

We're talking with Dan Schumacher about his love of tattoos and about the tattoo collection he's amassed on his person over the years. This episode of This Is My Thing comes to us from my friend and fellow KUT producer Juan Garcia. Dan was Juan's faculty adviser back in his college radio days, and they share an affinity for tattoos.This is My Thing is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

On this episode of This Is My Thing, we talk with Mendy Ouzillou about his fascination with meteorites and get a tour of part of his large collection.This is My Thing is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

You'll hear from Nancy Leeper and Linda Parrish. Nancy and Linda are two members of the Austin Ukuladies, a group of six friends who took up the ukulele in retirement. All six of the Ukuladies meet up every Wednesday afternoon to catch up, chat, and perhaps most importantly, play the ukulele together. Over the last few years, they’ve developed a large repertoire including some classic songs from the 1920s, some ‘60s hits, an Elvis song or two, and – grudgingly for Linda – "The Rainbow Connection."We’ll talk about the origins of the band, the joy of buying musical gear and what it all means to Nancy and Linda. Also, just in case you’re not somebody who always reads photo credits, I want you to know that the group photo of the Ukuladies above was taken by Harry Newman, who, like all of the Ukuladies’ husbands, is known as a ‘Ukuladdie.’ This is My Thing is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

You'll hear from Dave Danenfelzer about his love for curling – ‘the kind you do on ice,’ as he puts it. Dave’s been curling all his life; he was taught by his grandfather as a kid and has been playing the sport ever since. When he moved from his native Wisconsin to Texas in the 1990s (‘I did it for love,’ Dave says), he thought his curling days were in the past. But he was wrong! It turns out other folks in the Lone Star State love this winter sport too, and Dave eventually found a curling club right here in Austin that lets him continue to do his thing.This is My Thing is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

You'll hear from Anna Beard about her love of swords and sword fighting. For Anna, that love started early, through exposure to pop culture that featured swords made of lasers (Return of the Jedi) and steel (Lord of the Rings). “A book's not worth its salt unless somebody’s swinging a long sword at some point and talking about the name of their sword,” Anna says. Years later, that love of fictional swords became a love of real swords as she learned the art of sword fighting. And later still, that love of sword fighting became of love of teaching others how to sword fight.This is My Thing is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

You'll hear from JD Murphy about lumber milling! The milling of lumber doesn’t have to be a job and it doesn’t have to happen at a lumber mill – JD has spent the past few years milling wood right in the middle of his Cedar Park driveway (his neighbors have been mostly supportive of his hobby, he says, though he suspects the HOA doesn’t love it). For JD, it’s about giving new life to something that might’ve otherwise gone to waste, and it’s helped him discover a creative side that he wasn’t always sure he had.This is My Thing is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

We’re talking with Richard Samuel about his love of flag football. Rich has the great good fortune to be talented at both art and football, two of his lifelong loves (his third great love is comic books, something he and I bonded over when we met). He played football in high school, in college, and then professionally in Europe before getting a job as a coach. All the while, art continued in his life as his primary hobby. After finding that he was unhappy in that coaching job, Rich flipped his life around, quit coaching and opened an art gallery.But while he was unhappy making football his career, he still loves the sport. Now he’s a fulltime gallery owner and professional artist whose favorite hobby is playing flag football.This is My Thing is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org