Weekend Up North
Well, I got the hotel reservations made for the trip up to D/FW this weekend. I've got no lack of friends who always offer to shove their dog out of his Dogloo to give me a crashpad, but for some reason, they all seem to live on the other side of the Metroplex from where I need to be this go-round.
A & L live over in Garland, Zip's in Richardson, Kosher Red's all the way up in McKinney, and Rockhauler's way on the ass-end of creation over in Saginaw. People! Move in from the sticks!! ;-)
In the interest of keeping the commute times (and gas bills) down, I'm doing a covert trip this time, and sticking close to Arlington. I found a good hotel over by Six Flags. Pretty cheap, which means my room window is probably right next to the roller coasters. Well, at least there the late-night shrieking and rumbling won't be coming from the room next door, like in the cheaper hotels I've stayed at.
As much as I'd like to do the social whirl while I'm up there, I'm going to be kind of tied down to the family most of the weekend. This has its ups and downs. While I get along with most of the clan, there's one or two relatives that just grate on my nerves something fierce. So, once again, it's an exercise in diplomacy for 48 hours.
We ought to be done with the assorted services and the burial by midafternoon Saturday. Probably a late lunch after that, and the clan will disperse back to their assorted regions. I'm going to stay over an additional night, just to sightsee a while. They've made some huge changes to the UTA campus in the 10 years since I've gradjitated, and I'd like to see what's different.
Also, there's a couple of watering holes I'd like to revisit Saturday night. I spent many a dollar at JR Bentley's while at UTA. They used to pour a good drink, so I'll have to see if they still do. I doubt if I'll be able to get a buddy of mine to let his alter-ego "Al-vis" make an appearance, but if he's there that night, I'll do what I can. Trust me, seeing a 6'2" black man who regularly sings opera suddenly break into an Elvis impersonation is worth the money it takes to get him loaded!
I'm going to do my usual Sunday brunch at J Gilligans after I check out of the hotel, so probably noon-thirtyish. Anyone craving their Irish nachos and awesome burgers is more than welcome to drop by. They also make a world-class glass of iced tea, guaranteeing me a pit stop at every rest area on the way back to Houston after I've inhaled half a gallon. Just look for the guy in the "El Capitan" hat. (Thanks again, Zip!)
I imagine I'll also stop in at the Lone Star Comics store on Abram, right by J Gilligans. I worked for Buddy Saunders at the center of his Geek Empire as my first job out of college, running their shipping/receiving department. The nerd factor is high, especially if they're having in-store gaming that day, but they've got a better sci-fi book selection than anywhere else in the Metroplex. It's worth a visit!
More news as I dream it up...
A & L live over in Garland, Zip's in Richardson, Kosher Red's all the way up in McKinney, and Rockhauler's way on the ass-end of creation over in Saginaw. People! Move in from the sticks!! ;-)
In the interest of keeping the commute times (and gas bills) down, I'm doing a covert trip this time, and sticking close to Arlington. I found a good hotel over by Six Flags. Pretty cheap, which means my room window is probably right next to the roller coasters. Well, at least there the late-night shrieking and rumbling won't be coming from the room next door, like in the cheaper hotels I've stayed at.
As much as I'd like to do the social whirl while I'm up there, I'm going to be kind of tied down to the family most of the weekend. This has its ups and downs. While I get along with most of the clan, there's one or two relatives that just grate on my nerves something fierce. So, once again, it's an exercise in diplomacy for 48 hours.
We ought to be done with the assorted services and the burial by midafternoon Saturday. Probably a late lunch after that, and the clan will disperse back to their assorted regions. I'm going to stay over an additional night, just to sightsee a while. They've made some huge changes to the UTA campus in the 10 years since I've gradjitated, and I'd like to see what's different.
Also, there's a couple of watering holes I'd like to revisit Saturday night. I spent many a dollar at JR Bentley's while at UTA. They used to pour a good drink, so I'll have to see if they still do. I doubt if I'll be able to get a buddy of mine to let his alter-ego "Al-vis" make an appearance, but if he's there that night, I'll do what I can. Trust me, seeing a 6'2" black man who regularly sings opera suddenly break into an Elvis impersonation is worth the money it takes to get him loaded!
I'm going to do my usual Sunday brunch at J Gilligans after I check out of the hotel, so probably noon-thirtyish. Anyone craving their Irish nachos and awesome burgers is more than welcome to drop by. They also make a world-class glass of iced tea, guaranteeing me a pit stop at every rest area on the way back to Houston after I've inhaled half a gallon. Just look for the guy in the "El Capitan" hat. (Thanks again, Zip!)
I imagine I'll also stop in at the Lone Star Comics store on Abram, right by J Gilligans. I worked for Buddy Saunders at the center of his Geek Empire as my first job out of college, running their shipping/receiving department. The nerd factor is high, especially if they're having in-store gaming that day, but they've got a better sci-fi book selection than anywhere else in the Metroplex. It's worth a visit!
More news as I dream it up...
posted by El Capitan | 10:23 AM
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