Some readers of this blog didn't even know I was gone. But I was. Last week I headed to Texas as my grandmother died a couple of Fridays ago (she was 98). I'll share more impressions of the journey in a future entry (expect it around the weekend).
Even though the occasion was tinged with sadness I still took delight in the travel notwithstanding my elevated stress due to never-ending travel arrangements. Once I'm in the aircraft with the seatbelt buckled everything seems right with the world.
The middle and ending parts of last week also featured some of the best weather to be found in South Texas. Not too hot, not too cold. Not humid. Beautiful blue sky and abundant sunshine.
Although the funeral was my purpose for being there there was no law saying I couldn't enjoy being away from the home front once my duty as a pallbearer and supportive family member drew to a close. Geodad and I even set aside a few hours and visited Cabela's in Buda (huge, HUGE place!--much larger than the Kearney location I frequent).
Then there's the food. No visit to The Lone Star State would be complete without treating my palate to chicken-fried steak, Whataburger, Tex-Mex, and BBQ. Did all four although the Tex-Mex was only symbolic, a couple of tamales made by a friend of the family as matter of condolence.
Still, they were good.
And no, I didn't get on the scale upon returning home.
Geogal and I also got to try the Apple version of Skype, iChat. Videoconferencing is mighty easy once you get an iMac and a MacBook to talk to each other.
Didn't bring the Sirius tuner with me and I was OK with terrestrial radio this time around. Did I mention San Antonio has the two best country music stations around? Y100 on the FM dial and 680 KKYX on the AM band. Modern country and classic country respectively. I challenge you to find a better duo. Shortly after landing and procuring my rental vehicle I heard Y100 list the nightlife and they included who was playing at Gruene Hall (touted by their web site as "Texas' oldest dance hall"). To save you out-of-staters a trip to Google, Gruene (pronounced "green") is a very historic very small burg completely surrounded now by New Braunfels. The definitive one-of-a-kind place.
I also picked up a copy of Texas Monthly, a publication I've read on and off for the past 30 years (yes, I was even perusing it as a high schooler). Their cover story this month is: "The Bucket List, 63 things all Texans should do before they die."
Turns out I've done several of them already. #5, See the world in San Antonio (the viewing deck at the Tower of the Americas); #6, Visit the State Fair of Texas; #18, Drive the River Road, near Lajitas; #19, Drink a free beer at the Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner (I actually drank four); #37, Ride the ferry between Galveston and the Bolivar Penninsula; #46, Watch two classic Texas films (The Last Picture Show and Tender Mercies), #52, Roll down Miller Hill in Houston (Hermann Park, to be exact. My sister and I called it "Dead Man's Hill.")
Back to food and drink. One remembrance of Grandma is visiting her house in Seguin as a small child. It was summertime (it always seemed to be summertime there). She had the ice chest full of drinkables: Coca Cola, Sprite, Dr. Pepper, and Big Red. 12-ounce glass bottles. Best soda I ever drank.
A couple of days after the funeral I went (along with the Geoparents) to City Market in nearby Luling for a BBQ lunch. I got a half pound of brisket, a half-pound of ribs, and a slice of white bread (Mrs. Bairds). Washed it all down with a bottle of cold Big Red.
A glass bottle.
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