Saturday

Oct, 27, 2001

home town tourist

We wake up late. I know because it is already light. And with daylight savings, that means it is late. Because it is on the other end of the day that the daylight is squandered. That ends tomorrow and we get an extra hour this weekend. A little sweet gift. But one that is soon lost in the time pile, consumed, eaten up, gone.

I get showered and dressed and fully coffeed. Originally, I thought I'd just do a couple of errands with the parents. But they have some friends visiting with them. And they want to see the new Texas State History Musuem.

I haven't seen it either and Dad wants me as a guide so they pick me up in the van and we drive. The parking garage is inacessible because it is on a one-way street and a crew is painting lines at the corner. I park a block away on the street. This trek exhausts Mom and we get her a wheelchair (free for the taking, I think, they took a driver's license from one of the guests to get it). One of the crew allows that IMAX movies give her vertigo so the special movies aren't considered. (The other one promises multiple 'special effects.')

But the museum is fun with lots of exhibits about Texas although the authenticity of the floors (some concrete resembling mud with footprints, horse shoe prints and artifacts stuck in them) interfered a bit with smooth riding of the wheelchair. Other floors appeared to be authentic ship decks and cabin floors and stuff.

They covered the Indians and the explorers right on through modern oil business and such.

We had sandwiches in the cafe and I took them back to my house for a brief visit to see the house and yard. (Yes, they are still littered with newspapers and travel stuff. Yes, I'm mildly embarrassed.)

I have in mind that I will get some of the mess cleaned up when they leave. Attacking the piles of paper by my chair and taking a nap is my technique for a while.

FFP says we are invited to a 'portfolio showing' at a design center in South Austin. After finding the place among strip bars, warehouses and what appeared to be an Amercian Legion post, we marvel at the place. Several design folks have set up in the clean warehouse-looking space including Durham Trading, a store that used to be (still is?) in Whit Hanks. Several people including our friends the concrete designers have set up portfolios for viewing. The food, obviously provided by individuals making it or wrangling it from restaurants, is tastefully displayed. I have a glass of Comal County Red wine out of a five-gallon jug (dispensed like water with one of those ceramic spigots). It's not bad.

The only thing that spoiled it was a woman who was really perfectly nice touting some religious charity by using the word dialog as a verb.

We don't stay long. We head home and succumb to watching the Yankees get ripped in the dessert. I allege that I'm cleaning the piles of paper but, in truth, I'm soon working a crossword and then snoozing.

Truly a wasted day? I guess. But I enjoyed it. Now, tomorrow I'm going to do useful things!

Liberty is lovelier atop the Capitol

the Spanish came in 'clothing that shined in the sun on strange animals as tall as a man'

Neon Big Tex introduces the fun part of the museum. The history lesson here is that Texans live large.

Rhinostone Texas Cadillac

don't touch

"I should like to spend the whole of my life traveling, if I could borrow another life to spend at home."

Hazlitt

Meta:
This is back in a rhythm. I just know that I can finish the year with an entry per day, no matter how tiresome you may find them!

JUST TYPING
It's good to look at your home town.
Like a tourist.
Musuem hours.
The places to eat.
At leisure.
At home.