"So, Elke, what was the highlight of your trip?" asks Barbara over Chinese barbecue lunch.
Gawd, there were so many ... no way can I just pick one. I counted off a few, and now that I've had more time to think about it, here's those, and a few more:
- when the plane took off in San Jose, I followed along above 87, the Alma exit, Willow Street ... and sure enough, there was my house! First time I've seen it from the air.
- getting off the plane at Austin Bergstrom Airport and being greeted by the Salt Lick and Amy's Ice Cream right out of the gate.
- Breakfast/lunch at Las Manitas on Congress Avenue. They have a homey feeling, and the bestest corn tortillas - white and gritty and almost crunchy.
- accidental sushi dinner at Maiko, when I was looking for Jeff and Mark, and wandered into the wrong place. I'd read that Betsy's Bar was right next to Hi/Lo. How I could confuse a sushi bar with Betsy's, I will never know, but it was a wonderful error to make. I had hamachi carpaccio and a "Texas surf'n'turf roll": sushi filled with shrimp and mango, and topped with kobe beef. (First time I've ever had Kobe beef.)
- staying with Jeff and Barbara and Ellen. Barbara said I was the best guest ever. (For the record: they are the best hosts.) I think we're just a happy match: they give me a key and let me loose, no muss, no fuss.
- Kathy Sierra's "Why are you here?" SxSWi opening remarks. (Here's the mp3.)
- Will Wright's one-million-miles-an-hour speech on storytelling. (Here are excerpts.)
- Alex Steffen's ideas for "greening your geek". I wish this was posted ... great presentation! Meanwhile, check out WorldChanging, where he's the editor.
- Thunderstorms! Glorious light and sound effects, and lots of rain.
- Beautiful sunny spring weather.
- going to the Ducati party at Hi/Lo and Betsy's Bar, and getting to see Jeff's friend Mark, and meeting his Ducati posse. (Mark is the VP at Mototek, Austin's Ducati dealership.) One of many reasons I like Jeff so much, and why I like Austin so much, is how friendly people are. Californians are not bad, but Austinites are great. I made several new friends on this trip, and I am already looking forward to see them again.
- drinking margaritas with Todd and Carol and Craig, toasting to recent management changes that we are all very happy about.
- a long lunch with my Apple pardner in crime and counterpart Bryant, who reigned over French as I presided over German. Now he's king of the world, expanding out in the outer boroughs of the universe.
- Oreo's ice cream topped with strawberries at Amy's.
- grocery-shopping at Whole Foods headquarters. It is HUUUUUUGE. And they have everything. And then some.
- Finding a 5 CD Jacques Brel box set at Waterloo Records.
- Riding to San Antonio with Jeff to drop off his daughter Ellen at his parents', listening to Tim Curry clearly enjoying his narration of A Series of Unfortunate Events, and driving back in the pouringest rain I have seen this year.
- the Liberty Bar. Lo and behold. (Yes, it really is that crooked and tilted.)
- seeing a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse for the very first time, falling in love at first sight with their concept and execution of serving food and drink, and playing the funkiest clips in between movies.
- shopping and hanging out at Tesoros, the store that has such great folk art.
- Carne Guisada and a margarita at Güero's. (Güero, I gather, means "Blondie".)
- leisurely strolling around the brand new mall, The Domain, at Braker Lane right of the Mopac, checking out the new Apple Store, where I had the most high-tech shopping experience ever. There are no registers. The sales people all carry credit readers, and you just walk up to someone with your merchandise in hand, and they ring you up. So I just HAD TO buy something. I perused the iPod cases, and picked out the pretty Japanese Kimono case. Verified that it would fit my 80GB iPod, and forked over my credit card. It didn't occur to me until afterwards that I didn't even have to sign anything. "Would you like your receipt emailed to you?" asked the sales lady. I nodded yes and gave her my email address, and when I got home, there it was ... no paper involved at all. How nifty is that?
Comments