ARRIVING IN AUSTIN: part 1

What day is this? The overnight flight from Lihue to LAX and Austin goes without a glitch, but also without sleep.

I only doze a couple of times and CA does a bit of sleeping, but mostly I'm very aware of cramped spaces (window seat AA) and jumpy legs. I’m too polite to wake up the guy in the aisle seat so I resort to rubbing my legs, shifting around, and fidgeting. The aisle seat guy just completed 46 nights at the Marriott Resort and Beach Club and is heading home to Washington State. In December he goes back to Kaua’i for another 7 or 8 weeks working as a consultant on a radar project for the U.S. Navy. Doesn’t sound like he’s taking advantage of the gifts of the island—He's mainly about work.

Austin Airport is really hopping and they’ve a very large guitar project going on—like Chicago did the cows and some other cities did benches, etc. JA is getting an album of very pretty and unusual guitar photos.

After landing, securing our luggage, and changing to more appropriate Texas-wear, we touch base with TL (my nephew) and he suggests we lunch on south Congress (SOCO) at Guero's Taco Bar. YUM! Very atmospheric and the complimentary chips with 3 salsas—tomatillo, red chile, and picante—are mucho bueno. The chips are thin and crispy and they provide plenty! I love my roasted pork and pineapple tacos with guacamole and cilantro on white corn tortillas. CA orders the picadillo. This version is very mild—beef, carrots, and potatoes. He says it tastes much like beef stew. In the past I’ve had picadillo that I’ve loved which included raisins and other fruits, and sometimes it is stuffed into a Poblano. Anyway, I love my lunch which is served with red beans and white rice, and CA enjoys his.

We are knackered! We drive around the University of Texas and State Capital area, and then up Guadalupe and eventually decide to go to TL’s house and get the key from his neighbor. Black Lab Cora is happy to see us and immediately cuddles up to me, putting her head in my lap. We have a bit of time to relax before TL arrives home from work. He and I catch up while CA catches some Zs.

TL has planned to make us some homemade yellow-tail burgers from the McCormick and Smick’s cookbook, but a new lady friend calls inviting him to dinner so he makes a grocery run for us and then heads out for the evening. I have been dozing off and on for a bit and continue for about 2 hours. CA entertains himself with TV and the Internet.

So… I doze until about 9:00pm and then watch TV for the first time in over a week—catching up a bit with HGTV and BRAVO. I may pay all night for this luxurious nap. I fix myself a roasted chicken sandwich and find TL has purchased a Greek salad. There are some peanut butter cups for dessert…

Even though it’s raining today, we’re going to have fun here in Austin—tomorrow will be more touring about this fun city and Wednesday we may drive to Fredericksburg for the day.

Aloha, oh I mean, “Goodnight cowboy.”