Yes, folks, we're back in Cali again (there are certainly worse places to be) after our lovely jaunt through the big state of Texas. We came back from Texas with a few extra pounds from an endless procession of cakes, cookies, and glorious dinners that began with the words "chicken fried..." We also came back with a 37 lb stone carved in the outline of Texas (more on that story later.)
But MOST importantly, we came back with wonderful memories of friends and family... and absoulutely no armadillo statues dressed as wild west sherrifs. None! Kat whined a lot, but I had to say no!
Part 2 - New Braunfels: After our time in Ft. Worth, we drove down to New Braunfels to see Kat's grandmother, who the family always calls Omie. Omie is the best. She is a huge Spurs fan, visciously competitive at all board games, a pretty good mini golfer, and a provider of great cookies and hugs. We checked out the sites, took walks, and just had a grand time!
Part 3 - Austin: After Omie's, we spent one night in Austin. We have been thinking that Austin might be a good potential home for us someday, as it is known as a tech-friendly, science-friendly, creative sort of place. We stayed downtown and went to a really nice dinner at the Driskill... But on the whole, the place just left us feeling like it was really... gritty
Now, don't get me wrong! It's got some great stuff. We loved the Bob Bulloch State Museu, the State Capital, and the LBJ Library on the campus of UT...
But 6th street was all bikers and hippies and wierdness... I know I sound so much like Hank Hill right now, but we just never felt really settled in the downtown. Though we did get to see an Alfred Hitchcock thriller in a classic movie house, which was a plus. Ah, I'm just too conservative, I guess...
So Austin is not out of consideration, but its previous lustre has been dampened considerably.
Part 4: Sherman, TX: In order to ensure we would enjoy the true Dallas Metroplex experience, we left Austin at just the right time to hit Dallas at 5:00 rush hour on Friday. Loved watching the heat waves rise up off the asphalt as we inch forward... But we made it to Sherman (12 miles south of Oklahoma) by nightfall to see Kathryn's friends Jenn and Micah, and their baby Noel, at her Mom's place.
I'll say this much about the trip: I have no complaints about the level of cuteness of the babies we met! Great fun catching up with old friends and making new ones. Felt like a real Texan tooling around with Jenn's Mom's husband, Randy, in his 4wd buggie in their cow pasture. Sitting outside at night watching the lightning bugs and listening to the night sounds is such a treat after California, though I think I lost a pint of blood to the mosquitos.
All in all, this part of our visit was short but oh so very sweet! Before too long we found ourselves packing up to go... and faced with the dilemma of trying to figure out how to transport this 37 lb souvenier we had bought (for 10 bucks at Home Depot, so we weren't super-worried).
In the end, we wrapped it in bubble wrap, put it in a flimsy quilting bag, and I hand-carried it on the plane. Nobody even looked twice at me! Feel safe, fellow travelers! I've got this huge rock under my arm, but I surrendered my toothpaste at the gate! *grin*
But who am I to complain?... The rock has made it back to california... and so have we! Cheers!
2 comments:
Yes, you do sound like Hank Hill. And I love me some Hank Hill.
I think Hank would like Noel, but not Noel's name. Or the white tea he was trying to drink. Too citified.
He probably would, however, approve of the vice that kept you out in the mosquitoes too long. Unlike your wife, who is, now that I think of it, gloriously like Peggy.
And he would definitely approve of your stone souvenir and the personal trouble you took to carry it on the plane home. Can't be too careful with the stuff of Texas.
As you can see, 37lb Texas-shaped rocks are nowhere to be found on the prohibited items list. And it wasn't too cumbersome carrying it around the airport? Or was the shame of the quilting bag too much for weariness to overcome?
Post a Comment