Open All Night 


Day 1:
Because I was feeling like a trooper, I decided that I'd go into work for a couple hours the morning before my flight left for Austin. Managed to finish up a Flash piece I was working on and get some things done, so it made me feel a bit more accomplished, then my parents swung by to drive me to the airport. Just before I boarded the plane, I snapped a picture of my mom, step dad, and I.

I had a layover in St. Louis and while I was waiting to board my flight to Austin, I saw someone who looked like Brad, but wasn't quite sure. I eventually said hello (despite wondering whether I was committing a faux pas), and ended up being correct. We chatted for awhile, then boarded and took off for Austin.

Arriving in Austin, I immediately noticed the temperature change (over twice the temp in Nebraska) and luckily I'd planned for it by shedding a layer at every stop. I went to the car rental area and inquired about my reservation, then walked with the fellow there to my midsize only to find out that the door wouldn't open. We walked back and I stood around for about 15 minutes, waiting for another vehicle before they finally hooked me up with a nice SUV type Mitubishi Montero Sport It was perfect for the gas guzzling Texas mindset.

From there, I drove downtown and without any problems found a place to park and met with family (whom I was staying with) to find out exact directions to the house and chat a bit. After some dinner and water, I packed up a backpack and set off on foot for the Bad Dog Comedy Theater. Upon arriving, I saw my friend Camille and chatted with her for awhile before seeing the movie (The Trouble With Lou) that her boyfriend had produced.

After the movie was over, I chatted with Camille for awhile longer, then set off on foot back to my car. On the way back, I snapped a photo of downtown Austin and swung through a hotel lobby to make a quick call home to a loved one.

I finally made it to the truck and set off for the opening party at an airport hangar, where I met Christine for the first time in person after emailing with her for a year, as well as saw Quentin Tarantino and Harry Knowles. After chatting for awhile and driving her back downtown to her hotel, I finally drove to the relatives where I was staying (in Pfugerville!) and crashed for the night.

Day 2