Last year's vacation consisted of mirroring my days off to the kid's school's days off. I didn't realize how much I needed real time off until I left this morning, hoping to make a big beautiful belly button on the southern half of the united states (SA to Dallas to Memphis to Clarksdale to New Orleans and back home).
I started slowly, packing my bags yesterday (despite being off since last Friday), packed my jewelry and packed snacks. I also got to see T, which was a great goodbye to my trip but probably helped in my moving more slowly this morning.
I decided against breakfast because it was almost 10 a.m. but went up the street for a triple latte at Olmos Perk at The Yard. I'm never sure about going there but I, for one, have had plenty of Starbucks lately and, the purpose of my trip was to enjoy and support real places and real folks. I wasn't in there two minutes before seeing a poet friend of mind hanging with some friends. Then they were out of medium cups so I got an extra couple of ounces as a pilon. The barista liked my hat (my traveling fedora, that is). Then, while I flirted with a girl who kept bumping into me, the customer behind me commented on how he liked my tattoo (I just got it so I'm still in the new-baby-moment, wanted to discuss its multiple meanings, how I feel now as a tattooed person, other obnoxious things).
Well, this boded well for me. I walked out happily with my cafe and took the short road up to Austin to meet Lilia and Carol, a couple of sweethearts, for a quick lunch before heading further north.
After a long, enjoyable lunch, I headed up the great white highway toward Dallas. It seems, whenever I have my doubts that the country isn't full of glorious liberal communities who love their people of color I end up on this same highway: filled with private christian campuses, dixie flags and lots of country radio stations. It's at this time that I realize I forgot my phone charger. Of course, just as I debated getting it fed exed to me, I realized that Sprint is like Starbucks - one on every corner. Within a mile I found one, bought a car charger and was on my way again.
I got to Dallas by 7 or so and was ready to rub my own butt to sleep (note to self: buy cushion for softer rides). I thought to watch porn and write some poems in a half shirt and panties but, somewhere around 10:15 p.m. I realized I didn't want anything from my snack pack (fruit, nuts, vitamin waters and cocoa) so I did a web search and ended up in Dallas' gay hood, at a friendly Cosmic Cafe.
Two humongous samosas and a chai tea later, mama was happy.
Not that I forgot about the porn (okay, well, HBO late night) and jammies (plus a late night "I miss you already" call with T) and I was off to bed.
No comments:
Post a Comment