A Pleasant Surprise
What a pleasant surprise I got today. What was supposed to be lunch with a friend, turned into lunch with many friends. My friend Bob A., a member of the local photography and computer clubs, and a wonderful author (The Reality Skew) sneakily arranged for a bunch of folks from the clubs to meet us at a local internet café, The Javabean.
What I like best about this place is 1) free internet hotspot, and 2) The Chicken Pesto sandwich. And of course, sitting at the big round marble table with like-minded friends tops it all off. So, I’m just going to give a shout-out to Bob, Charles, and Charles, Don and Lisa, and Dale. Thanks for the hill country hospitality! Lisa and Don even got to try out Skype, the internet telephony service that I use, when they talked to my friend Shaughn. We even had live video camera setup from the café!
Tomorrow the wife and son are stopping by to pick up the cats, and a few other odds and ends they left here and now feel they need. There’s enough stuff that we’ll need to take both cars, with the car topper too! And since the Austin-San Antonio train says there’s no checked baggage, AND, since I’d have to spend a night in the station in San Antonio because the train leaves at 5:40am, I’m going to finalize my loose ends here in Marble Falls, TX., and spend the next couple of days putting the final touches on my travel plans, and spending some quality time with my stepson of 5 years…and the wife (soon to be ex).
Amtrak mentions they don’t like plastic containers for luggage. And since throwing out my back a few days ago, I really don’t feel like lugging that big hockey bag full of stuff around train stations. The wife has volunteered a couple of wheeled suitcases which should make life easier all around. I can probably fit much of my camera gear in a carry-on, using the remaining space for a change of clothes, toiletries, snacks, etc. A big rolling suitcase should take care of the rest of the clothes I’ll need, including some winter boots, sweaters, balaclavas, gloves, etc. AND, I should be able to check one other ‘bag’…in this case, my computer, in it’s original box. It’ll be much cheaper to carry with me than trying to mail it across the border and deal with customs/duties. If it becomes TOO cumbersome I can probably store it at friends along the way, until such time I really need it sent to me. It’s a neat, sturdy box with its own carrying handle. And I think we have something where I can put some wheels on it too!
What I like best about this place is 1) free internet hotspot, and 2) The Chicken Pesto sandwich. And of course, sitting at the big round marble table with like-minded friends tops it all off. So, I’m just going to give a shout-out to Bob, Charles, and Charles, Don and Lisa, and Dale. Thanks for the hill country hospitality! Lisa and Don even got to try out Skype, the internet telephony service that I use, when they talked to my friend Shaughn. We even had live video camera setup from the café!
Tomorrow the wife and son are stopping by to pick up the cats, and a few other odds and ends they left here and now feel they need. There’s enough stuff that we’ll need to take both cars, with the car topper too! And since the Austin-San Antonio train says there’s no checked baggage, AND, since I’d have to spend a night in the station in San Antonio because the train leaves at 5:40am, I’m going to finalize my loose ends here in Marble Falls, TX., and spend the next couple of days putting the final touches on my travel plans, and spending some quality time with my stepson of 5 years…and the wife (soon to be ex).
Amtrak mentions they don’t like plastic containers for luggage. And since throwing out my back a few days ago, I really don’t feel like lugging that big hockey bag full of stuff around train stations. The wife has volunteered a couple of wheeled suitcases which should make life easier all around. I can probably fit much of my camera gear in a carry-on, using the remaining space for a change of clothes, toiletries, snacks, etc. A big rolling suitcase should take care of the rest of the clothes I’ll need, including some winter boots, sweaters, balaclavas, gloves, etc. AND, I should be able to check one other ‘bag’…in this case, my computer, in it’s original box. It’ll be much cheaper to carry with me than trying to mail it across the border and deal with customs/duties. If it becomes TOO cumbersome I can probably store it at friends along the way, until such time I really need it sent to me. It’s a neat, sturdy box with its own carrying handle. And I think we have something where I can put some wheels on it too!
posted by HotShot at 3:38 PM
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