So I’m back from Texas. I thought I’d have the pictures I took while I was there up before the end of today, but the reality is I have to be at a parade at five o’clock this evening, and there are only so many hours in the day when you take a late flight and don’t get to sleep until two a.m.
Anyway, I had a really great time in both San Antonio and Austin. I flew out first thing Friday morning and met up with ABServo, JAUSTRALIS, Batqueen, and Chebwa for a late lunch at Durty Nelly’s along the Riverwalk. Then, after a brief stopover at their hotel to collect some things and poke fun at a Christopher Walken movie — what was up with that banana bread anyway? — we headed to Austin to pick up Annakie7 and porpoise and watch Mr. Sinus Theater 3000 poke fun at “Top Gun”. They were very funny. “Top Gun” was very bad.
On Saturday, after we met up with rickubis, we had breakfast/lunch at Mi Tierra (with perhaps the world’s craziest waiter), then strolled around Market Square and the Riverwalk again. We saw the Alamo and the wax museum across the street from it (just like in Davy Crockett’s time!) and signed a lot of postcards.
On Sunday, we visited HemisFair Park, went up to the Tower of the Americas (apparently taller than the Space Needle in Seattle), visited the Institute of Texan Cultures, and then somehow found ourselves back along the Riverwalk again, signing even more postcards and having a late lunch or early dinner (depending on your frame of mind). I said my goodbyes at that point instead of joining the group for a riverboat ride, since it was getting late and I still had a drive to Austin.
Which is where I stayed from Sunday evening through Thursday morning, with Sharon and Jon. I walked around the Capitol and downtown Austin a lot, drove around some, looked around the University of Texas campus a little, got sunburned while walking around the lake on Wednesday, and had a really great time. On Monday, Sharon and Jon let me tag along with them to their weekly Games Night, which was a little overwhelming but fun (I don’t get a chance to play Boggle or dominoes much anymore). On Tuesday, we went to see their friends Ben and Seth perform at an open mic night (both very good), and Wednesday night it was rock climbing (which was admittedly more fun than I think I expected it to be).
Add to that the great food, the warm weather, the chance to meet new friends and see old ones I haven’t seen in years — well, like I said, I had a really great time. My thanks again to Sharon and Jon for their hospitality and for ABServo for setting up the San Antonio Capfest.
By tomorrow, I should have pictures. And soon, maybe links to other pictures. And, after that, maybe some more thoughts, once I have time to let them gel into a coherent whole. Right now, though, I have a parade I need to attend.