2010-11-12

Writing this from a friend's beautiful house. It's lovely decorated and birds are chirping outside. It's raining. It feels like a cleansing rain, fresh and invigorating. I just showered and am really looking forward to coffee, which I haven't had in a while.

The drive to Austin took a few hours, with a couple of stretches on the freeway for 60 miles each. It was really lovely to just sit in the car and take in the atmosphere, Magnetic Fields playing on the stereo.

Before coming to Pat's, we went to The Magnolia Café and ate nachos with black beans and avocado, plus jalapeà±os and chili salsa. Mmm-good! Just turning up at the parking lot made me excited. It's been eight months. And still it felt like yesterday. And we've travelled thousands of miles and came there. The mind boggles. Following that, we went to Pat's. His house is absolutely stunning: rustic and lovely. Very personal, very his.

We went out last night. The Lon graciously tipped us of a place called Shangri-La on East 6th Street, which was really lovely; an outdoor patio decked with lights, tables and a bunch of 20-somethings strewn around, all forming a very relaxed and nice atmosphere! The indoors held a couple of pool tables, a lightning-fast bartender and...really strong drinks. I even made faces upon trying my second drink as the first one made me go waaah. The music was sweet. A lot of the stuff that was played I didn't know, which is always great. Also, The Smiths ("Unhappy Birthday") and lo and behold, Refused, a Swedish band. Just like home. Except home is now doused in snow and temperatures around freezing point, while we sat outdoors the entire night, with the glaring lights, music and each other. Being with X is just brilliant. When I go out with her, I know I'm guaranteed a good time. I'm in love.

As we left I asked the bouncers - whom I didn't see hassle a single soul during the night (take heed, Swedish bouncers!) - if there was anywhere one could eat. Yep, there was. "Just walk down the street for half a minute and you'll see a few trailers. Oh, you're vegetarian? You have to try the frito burrito at this one trailer, it's GREAT and I even eat it, and I'm not vegan!"

Seriously, once again: I've yet to cross paths with friendliness, openness and service that matches that which I've come across in the USA.

So we went, and the place was shutting down. Fawk! But the guy in the window checked, said the oven was still hot and that he'd make us anything we wanted. Yeay! We got our frito burritos which were really great, filled with soy protein, beans, within a fried shell of bread inside a thin fajita wrap, amounting to greatness. It was really, really good. With avocado thrown in. I could have eaten five of those.

Taxi and a Swedish anti-hangover pill, called Resorb. I've yet to find out whether it actually helps to make me feel less hungover, but the massive amounts of water I drank probably helped more. Still, replenishing minerals is probably a good thing.

Today? Maybe shopping. Definitely drinks with Lon in the evening. Salut!