surviving the 9 to 5

Weekday Warrior: Outdoor and indoor activities for our fickle forecast

Chairlift and Nite Jewel at Mohawk
Nelo, The Leavers, and Lex Land at The Saxon Pub
The Long Center presents: Laughter and Reflection with Carol Burnett.
Conversations in Film: PARTY DOWN with Rob Thomas at Texas Spirit Theater.

Half of April is already in the books, and the jam-packed spring weeks are piling up. There are a ton of activities to fill your week, both outdoor and in – because with weather as inconsistent as ours, it’s important to have options.

So what should you slot into your schedule? Here’s our weekly guide to keep you busy during the days that don’t start with S.

Monday, April 16

Master Pancake: Mystery TV Screening @ Alamo Village

The folks at Master Pancake are playing pretty coy when it comes to revealing just what TV show they’ll be mocking at this event, but with ironed newspapers, period costumes and weekends being referenced throughout, there’s a good chance that it rhymes with Shcmownton Schmabbey. Free Bates!

Nelo, The Leavers, and Lex Land @ The Saxon Pub

Get a Monday night dose of local licks with this stellar lineup at The Saxon Pub. Sextet Nelo kicks off the night, and lovely singer-songwriter Lex Land closes it out with her signature soulful style.

Tuesday, April 17

The Long Center presents: Laughter and Reflection with Carol Burnett

Legendary entertainer Carol Burnett headlines the Long Center with this event that features questions from the audience. Fans old and new can embrace this unique opportunity to get up close and personal with one of comedy’s most talented veterans.

Chairlift and Nite Jewel @ Mohawk

New York duo Chairlift will perform songs from their latest LP, Something. Opening the show is Nite Jewel – aka L.A. native Ramona Gonzalez, who draws her inspiration from nineties R&B.

Wednesday, April 18

Conversations in Film: PARTY DOWN with Rob Thomas @ Texas Spirit Theater

Though it may have left us too soon, Party Down has developed a cult following akin to Arrested Development. Join showrunner Rob Thomas (also the man behind Veronica Mars) for an evening of conversation about how to develop and pitch a TV series, including a viewing of the unaired original pilot of the critically acclaimed STARZ show.

Quote-along: Caddyshack @ Alamo Lake Creek

In what may be one of the 80’s greatest summer movies, a young boy spends his months off as a caddy at what should be known as the island of misfit toys of golf courses. And with a cast rounded out by Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, and a speech-impeded Bill Murray, this is a quote-along that’s not to be missed.

Thursday, April 19

Blazing Saddles Quote-Along Beer Party Rolling Roadshow @ Republic Square Park

The Off-Centered Film Festival kicks off with a downtown gathering of Central Texas’s best breweries, plenty of jelly donuts, and one of Mel Brooks’ finest films. It’s twue! It’s twue! Each beer is available as a 4oz pour for $3.

Corporate Battle of the Bands @ Antone’s

Citrus Logic and H.E.B. present the 2012 Corporate Battle of the Bands, a fundraiser and concert to benefit the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians. Ten bucks gets you in, and the event includes a silent auction and an after-party.

Friday, April 20

ACL Live Presents: “Walk the Line: A Tribute to Johnny Cash”

Johnny Cash would have been 80 years old this year, and ACL Live is celebrating his life with a star-studded tribute, featuring Willie Nelson, Ray Lamontagne, Lucinda Williams, Rhett Miller, John Hiatt, and many more.

OCFF Presents: Wainy Days w/ David Wain, Joe Lo Truglio, and Ken Marino

David Wain pushes the envelope often with Wainy Days, and he’s bringing a few of his famous friends to Austin to test the limits in real time. The trio will show their favorite episodes, as well as explain all the inappropriateness – complete with surprise clips!

There you have it, folks. You can watch some classy Brit TV, mourn the loss of Party Down, and even quote Mel Brooks, all before you call it a week.

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Shelter to Service

Dripping Springs nonprofit trains service dogs rescued from shelters

Photo courtesy of KVUE

The group estimates that it's gotten more than 1,000 dogs out of the shelter system.

For the past 35 years, a service dog training nonprofit in Dripping Springs has transformed unwanted dogs into essential partners for Texans living with significant challenges.

Sheri Soltes, founder and CEO of Service Dogs, Inc., says the dogs they train help serve people with hearing or mobility disabilities. The canines also comfort those enduring traumatic events.

In a time where most animal shelters in Central Texas are over capacity, Service Dogs, Inc. is handing out second chances to pups with potential to make a difference in people’s lives.

“They're sort of like the cousins to guide dogs,” Soltes said. “Except we're unique because we get our dogs from animal shelters instead of having a breeding program. So we help the dog and we help the person.”

She says the nonprofit can’t adopt every dog because the pups must meet specific qualifications, narrowing down from their age to their temperament.

Soltes says dogs must be at least a year and a half old in order to be X-rayed to assess their health, must be extremely people-oriented and should be comfortable being in public settings.

She says Service Dogs, Inc. may bring back one out of 500 dogs in a shelter.

“We've probably trained well over a 1,000, probably closer to 1,200 dogs by this time over 36 years. Any dog that we adopt from a shelter, if it doesn't complete the training, we don't take it back to the shelter, will find it a good pet home. So, they're going to win either way with us,” Soltes said.

Depending on the pooches’ temperament and personality, they’ll be trained in any and all of four programs available.

Soltes says the nonprofit trains the canines to be hearing dogs that can alert people who are deaf or hard of hearing. They could be trained for people with mobility disabilities, learning to open and close doors or steady someone’s balance.

She says they also train dogs to work in areas devastated by catastrophic storms, in courthouses in the victim's assistance departments or with first responders struggling with their mental health.

“They're not always the right tool for every kind of job, but they're very, very helpful,” she said.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

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