Austin, late of mind (Harlot '09, part 1)

What a week, folks. And I don't necessarily mean that in the good way. But never mind - several things came up that made me slow down and take better care of myself, which can only be a good thing.

So, Austin. Just over three weeks ago, when I first discovered that the Yarn Harlot was coming back to Texas, I very nearly panicked, thinking there was no way I could go to Austin or Dallas, either one. Then Bryan very sensibly suggested I ask my boss...who promptly said yes, and seemed surprised at my nervousness. And so:

Wed. night, 5/27: Up till 2 am baking brown-sugar shortbread (lovely, but almost a disaster) and my famous cranberry cookies. Also packing.

Thur., 5/28, 11 am-5:30 pm: On the road only half an hour late, ill-advised walk from hotel to Hill Country Weavers in late-afternoon sun, excellent Japanese fast food (!) lunch, much-welcomed cool-down in cute hotel room (as seen in previous entry).

6 pm: Get semi-lost in downtown looking for Book People, receive navigation from husband in Houston & finally find it, settle in, am joined by David, thoroughly enjoy Stephanie's talk with these folks:



Realize I have left cookies in car; go down to retrieve them and return to line up. Kinnear David again:



(Hey, it's tradition by now. What can I do?)

...give cookies to a hungry Stephanie, who seems thoroughly pleased and appreciative (also below). Tell her not only have I driven up from Houston to see her today, I'll be in Dallas to see her tomorrow. Am convinced it is the cookies that prevents her from looking at me like I'm completely nuts; she simply warns me it's the same talk, to which I shrug and respond "It's always good."*

9 pm: Meander out to car again, giddy, exhausted, and a bit lonely. Call Bryan to report, wander until I find a Thundercloud, acquire the Nada Chicken with hummus sandwich I've missed for a year and a half:



...return to the hotel, and settle in with a vat of iced tea, The Simpsons, my MacBook, and a whole hell of a lot of air conditioning.

5/29, 2 am: Finally collapse into sleep.

5/29, 10:30 am: Rise, but do not manage to shine.

12 noon: Check out of hotel, return to Thundercloud for a Nada Chicken for the road, and slide on up I-35 to Tarrant County!

The fun doesn't end there...if only the madness did, I might have been more human. Oh well. Part 2 of the journey, coming tomorrow (not an empty promise, either)!


* Which, indeed, it was.