AUSTIN, Texas, October 29, 2005 — We have not, in the past, done much with the Texas Book Festival. This one is no exception.

However, FFP is on the board of Badger Dog Publishing and one of their projects brings writing programs to schools. The kids are having a reading.

We slept in like slugs but we were all showered up and found a parking place and the room in the Capitol extension. We listened to the kids. Several had done some good work. A high schooler's poem about war coverage on TV was brilliant.

We walked through the booths and I bought a

festival T-Shirt because it has the Lance Letscher's work on it and I love his work. I like collage in general but his stuff I really like. The funny thing is...the work that is featured in the Book Festival stuff...well, I saw the original in someone's house the other day. I put the book festival poster up in my office because I like that work so much.

We wandered around a little more in the booths (very crowded, but it's free so there were strollers and such). Then we decided maybe we'd eat and see another lecture. We went to Texas Chili Parlor. Hadn't been there in ages. Ate enchiladas, rice, beans, guacamole, chips. And beer. Bad LB.

There was a long line to get into the lecture we picked. And the room hadn't cleared from the deal before. We decided we didn't really want to see it that badly.

We spent the evening at home in sloth. We watched TV. I even got interested in the Horns when they were behind. I snacked, watched things off the DVR. I didn't just waste the hour I was getting as a gift this night...I wasted all of them.