The Recovery...

That day, I took Christian to the airport where he would continue on with his journey to visit the Microsoft headquarters in Seattle.
He was a soon to become new graduate from college, and was looking into all the options that awaited him thereafter.... we said our goodbyes, and left each other on the promise that we'd make contact whenever we happened in the other's area. From there, I went to a BBQ that was attended by others who also had a tough time waking up... if at all, as most everyone there were the same folks from the night before, and not everyone was functioning at 100%.

On to The Next One...

The morning was spent mostly getting ready, as it was the day of David and Meredeth's wedding. The ceremony went well, but thereafter the "I do's" were said, the rest of it seemed to drag on for the wedding photographer to do his business. There were so many people--so much family, and every combination of family was photographed.
Christian and I had to wait for one of the family members, as he needed a ride to the reception, otherwise, we would have left way beforehand. So, we were stuck, and bored.
At the reception, the energy began to pick up, and the drinking, which began as one of many, got underway. It's like nearly 2:00p now, and I'm still not awake... I don't think I will be awake until like 7:00 tonight. Last night was crazy! I didn't sleep until the sun rose. With that said, I'll mark this as my best attempt to blog about yesterday before I drink another pot of coffee, and try to get my composure to prepare myself for a BBQ, and some other events that I'm supposed to attend that I can't recall at the moment... you can check out the pictures of last night, but please note, that the more epic events were not photographed, those moments were too random....

From Great Steak to Stake Out...

Another hot day, and I squandered the entire morning at Starbucks, under the A/C, just about the only place, probably in the great State of Texas in where I could have my coffee and drink it too (that iced coffee crap couldn't cure me).
When I got out on the road to head downtown, as I had planned to hit South Congress this time to check out all the watering holes, and, perhaps, hang out by the river, I realized that the horrendous Austin traffic would ramp up soon. Then I realized that even if I got downtown, irrespective of the traffic, I might be putting myself in an inconvenient place from which back tracking to the dinner would be trying.

Rambling Through Austin's Downtown...

I woke up later than I wanted... the time change was only two hours ahead of my time zone, but I also went to bed late... and waking up in a lazy daze only perpetuates the problem of getting out of bed.
After getting the necessary injection of coffee out of the way, and hearing from my barista about how she couldn't imagine leaving my home in Cali for her's, in where I replied "grass is greener", I eventually made my way downtown... drove around, and serendipitously found myself at the visitor's center. From there, I got the low down on how I should plan my day--the places I should go.

Retracing My Steps...

It wasn’t that long ago, or so it seems, since my friend David moved from the Bay Area to Austin, Texas… but considering all the many, many instances in where I promised that I would visit him, it seems like a drag of time has passed since then, but when he finally announced that he will be getting married, as I anticipated he would, I knew I would finally have to get over my procrastinating and go.

It only became apparent now, in reflection prior to writing this post (my first ever blog by the way), that I have not touched back to my roots in the mid-west / south-west since I was a teenager, and that feels like a lifetime ago. So much has changed since then.

I came to the Bay Area originally from Denver, Colorado when I was a little shy of my 10th birthday. I hated it… it took me years of getting used to the Bay before I could carry on without crying about it (literally)… and every now and again as an adult, I still throw the occasional tantrum of, “why did my mother ever bring me here”, and “I hate this place”, although, using a word other than “hate”.

I often get nostalgic about my youth, and where I came from, and it’s not that hard to do when the congestion of the Bay Area, and the all too well known bubbled up housing prices (and the cost of living in general), and everything else between that and the South Park episode, “Smug”, all add to my desire to leave. Then again, the itch to travel flows through my veins; such a lifestyle was endemic to my childhood, as I did do a lot of traveling through the mid-west / south-west as a kid with my mother / father and God parents…. either way, it traces back to my childhood, a simpler time, in a place that I remember as being better than where I now am, and a place that I’ve put off for far too long in reconnecting with……..