Austin sketches

I'm in Austin on a business trip. And if the stars at night are big and bright deep in the heart of Texas, then Austin must be a little off to the side. The bright lights block the stars from the sky. I sat on the corner of Congress and Monroe watching the lights change, waiting for Rachel to pick me up while I was watching the sky. A woman stumbled down the street. She wore a grey hoodie tied up around her face. "Excuse me, excuse me," she said as she approached. She poked me in the shoulder. "Do you know what time the bus comes?" "I don't have any idea," I said. She reached over and patted my cheek. I shrugged my shoulder to pull away. She leaned in closer and reached over with her palm. "You don't have any idea," she said before walking on.

Wil had said, "Keep Austin Weird." I didn't know what he meant until I saw a bumper sticker stuck upside-down on a lamppost outside a school for the deaf. "Keep Austin Weird," it read.

The flight from Dulles was miserable. Stuck in the last row, the seats didn't recline. Fortunately, the man next to me decided to move to another seat and so I could spread out. That said, there was still precious little in the way of leg room. I had been up since 3.30 in the morning, and had already taken the quick jump from JFK to D.C. It was another three hours and forty-five minutes to Austin.

I left the office at five. Someone had said that there were a number of shops and restaurants about a mile and a half south down Congress. "SoCo," he called it. I asked at the hotel, and they showed me how to take the free shuttle bus to the general area. It came only ever 20 or 30 minutes; I decided to walk. Stopping in a CVS, I asked for confirmation. They had never heard of SoCo. I thanked them and kept walking. I took photos of different signs as I went.

The area reminded me of a place in Los Angeles Patty had taken me to. The shops were funky. I spotted an ice cream shop I marked to try out. At a small gallery I asked for a restaurant recommendation. She mentioned a cafe and an Italian place. Rachel called as I was walking over to the Magnolia Cafe and suggested the South Congress Cafe for something a little more Texan. I thanked her and turned around.

After dinner (it was ok) I went back to Amy's Ice Cream. I asked about the Mexican Vanilla and was immediately offered a tasting. It was delicious. I ordered a cone. En route, I passed the Continental Club. Bettye Lavette's playing Thursday night. I had hoped she might be playing tonight, but as it is, I have my own funk to take care of.
Posted by eku at January 17, 2006 10:07 PM