FRIDAY, JULY 10, AUSTIN � Left San Antonio in another hot Texas morning. Julie went east to Houston, Jen north to Dallas, and I stopped in Austin. Met Heather and Brad at the Austin American-Statesman for lunch. I stood waiting in the cool lobby (the trip from San Antonio to Austin was short and I used the AC) and was looking at a page of the paper that was mounted next to the elevator � doors opened and I kept looking at the wall, seeing Heather from the corner of my eye. I smiled, not speaking or turning yet, then turned to embrace her � �You are not here,� she said in a sweet hug of reunion. Found Brad, met Tim, and headed to lunch, Heather paying for me so I didn�t have to break a $20. I then left them to their work and headed 40 miles or so west to Pedernales Falls State Park.

With Hill Country so dry the river didn�t provide much in the way of �falls� � but I saw my first cactus of the trip and really drove through some remote Texas ranch land. Swam in the Pedernales River, along with a turtle, Lucy the golden retriever, and some big fish � The water not too refreshing, so warm, like bathwater. But in the shade, with the breeze blowing, it was nice.

Happy hour with the interns at the Bitter End, and a smaller, darker, offshoot bar inside � The kind of setting that would be good for a short story meeting Sandra (who I didn�t see in two days in Austin). Burgers at Hutz�s � Mmmmmm � but no ND flag among all the other colleges and USFL teams. Heather and I went back to her apartment, tired and beat, to watch TV � found Casual Sex? then found the end of Back To The Future. Drank more and met more people, then as others went to bed, Brad, Carrie and I went for a walk around the St. Ed�s U. campus and returned to her place. Watched Too Hot For TV, then I went to bed on Brad�s couch at 4:30 � He returned at 10:30 after falling asleep in Carrie�s place at 6:30.

Hot Texas river �
Not such a refreshing swim
Out in Hill Country

Looking for Sandra
In Austin nighttime downtown �
But not the right place

SATURDAY, JULY 11, AUSTIN � Woke around 10:30 as Brad returned, then got the oil changed. Doug and Heather arrived and we all chatted and watched the Cardinals and Astros form St. Louis � a game McGwire would win with a HR in extra innings in the at-bat after I said he would � a two-run 11th-inning shot for a 4-3 win.

Brad, Carrie and I took a ride with Melissa � WOAH! Crazy driver � out to Volente Beach on Lake Travis � Zebo�s beachside bar looks down the hill to the marina � enclosed swimming area where people struggle at the rocky shore. Out in the water kids splash and jump off the anchored platform float, rotating with the jumps and momentum of the bathers. This water, too warm and barely a relief from hot Saturday Texas sun. Out in the water people found rocks and sat soaking themselves. Volleyball went on, up near the bar where water would spray the drinkers who listened to Jimmy Buffett in the spring break atmosphere.

On the drive home � after laying in the still-hot 5 p.m. sun and another dip, this time a trip out to the float � we decided to eat in, Tex Mex, making nachos, chicken wrappers and guacamole � while drinking Sol(!) Then saw Much Ado About Nothing � good and got better when Heather came in and we joked around a bit too � �Pop quiz, asshole � You just saw someone making out with your fianc�e. What do you do? What do you do?!� Then to Heather�s for a drinking night. Wheee! Drinking and Spades, and I turn in. Harry comes over to play PlayStation while I'm trying to sleep on the couch, so I go to sleep around 3 a.m.

Beach bar bathing scene,
Saturday afternoon fun
Swim, drink, gawk � I did.