Austin was everything I expected & more....

The drive down to Austin on Thursday was blissfully uneventful and we were able to meet up with Snooty Son for lunch @ Burger Tex, his favorite hamburger joint. That night we had dinner with him at Truluck's and as always, we were not disappointed. After dinner, we went back to our hotel and fell exhausted, into our beds.


At Truluck's I had the Salmon crowned with shrimp & crab, on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes. It was divine.


Friday, we arose to a glorious day in the Capitol City and went to lunch at a great place on South Congress called Doc's Motorworks Bar & Grill, where we lunched on Chicken Fried Avacados & Margaritas, which were both simply delicioso. Ole'!


Snooty Daughter arrived mid-afternoon, but I was busy shopping while Mr. Snooty was busy napping. SD's friend, The Art Appraiser was picking her up from the airport, so I was able to shop until I found the items that I needed to complete The Summer Plan for The Snooty Primadona Laid-Back-Over-55 Wardrobe, which is coming along swimmingly, I must say. I acquired some wonderful pieces to add to my existing wardrobe, plus several pairs of really cute sandals I am extremely excited about. So, I'm good to go as far as not appearing to be a totally clueless old fart that wears socks & hippie sandals with rolled up jeans & tie-dyed T-shirts with no makeup or jewelry. Hello. I celebrate being a girl. Yes, a GIRL! Of course I'm a woman but there still lies within every woman, the little girl who came before her. She is my new project. To bring back glimpses of the girl without all the dark shit included. Who cares if the wrinkles show? It's the Spirit and the Soul that count most. Tuning in to oneself. That's what the Fall & Autumn of life is all about after all, isn't it?



Back to the weekend... We met up with Snooty Daughter, Snooty Son, Snooty Daughter's Friend (The Art Appraiser & SD's best bud from college & her European trip). She is adorable & smart & we love her too. We had dinner at Fleming's in downtown Austin that night, which is one of my favorites. Everyone enjoyed witty conversation, good wine, and excellent, perfectly prepared food. Not one unhappy camper at the table.







<---This was the Wedge Salad @ Fleming's. The kids were all going out afterwards and although they had asked me to come along, I had to decline. I was still exhausted from the 5 hour drive down. Besides, I had to get a good night's sleep so that I could meet up with KK of The Mid-Life Gals for lunch the following day.




I was so disappointed that SalGal couldn't make it. No problem. Had the tables been turned, I'm not sure I could have done it either. When at home, one has duties and responsiblities, which rearranges priorities on a regular basis, like it or not.


Anyway, I got up Saturday morning and fixed myself up (which I seldom do at home unless there is an occasion calling for it), and I was ready to go meet up with KK for the first time in many, many years. I probably over-dressed but I just didn't want to look like some kind of stalker or something, since KK obviously did not remember me from grade school. Imagine that, lol. Does anyone ever remember the kids who moved away? Not really. So, I wanted to look like someone that anyone might want to know. Not some ratty haired wierdo looking type that draws leery looks from those in passing. I think I did look good though. Over-dressed, but good, damn it. Can't be perfect all the time. Or even part of the time, lol. I'll happily settle for once in a while. Works for me. She who loves fashion and yet has no sense of it at all. Me.


When I finally found Cippolina's, I was 4 minutes late, but I always get lost in Austin. It's kind of my own little tradition now, strange though it may be. When I finally blew through the front doors of Cippolina's, KK was the only customer there, so it was pretty much a no-brainer as to who I was meeting. We hugged and giggled, then we ordered our wines (no mixed drinks at Cippolina's), then we ordered our food. Unfortunately, I didn't see that there was Goat Cheese on the pizza. When it arrived, I took one bite and nearly threw up. Right there in front of my childhood friend. The taste was revolting. The young man who took orders understood perfectly as I whined about not being able to gag down goat cheese. So, he made me a nice Margherita Pizza, which I loved.


Then, KK and I started to talk and talk and talk, as we caught up with the many years since we last met. Naturally, we didn't (either one of us) even scratch the surfaces of our pasts, checkered though they may be. It was fun and KK is very witty and entertaining and has had a very interesting life. She & SalGal still have to deal with the everyday problems & situations involved with caring for an elderly parent or loved one. It ain't easy, but the Gals seem to weave their fine tuned wit & sarcasm & humor into the process of dealing with the profound, as well as the painful parts of it all. It's called survival. The Gals are surviving quite nicely, I might add. But, I know it can't possibly be as much of a breeze as they seem to let on. Taking care of an elderly mother (or parent) is no piece of cake, but they have stuck with it and somehow found humor in it. We should all take lessons from this brave but fun loving pair of twisted sisters.


We got so absorbed chatting about old friends and all the people we know in common, that we lost track of time. Before I knew it, the time was nearly 3:00 pm and I'm sure I'd bored KK long enough (especially since she was doing her best to disguise yawning, lol). I'll bet it was the wine, really. Yet, I felt like it was time to hustle on out of there. We hugged and said our good-byes and I promised to call her when I come to Austin again. Only next time, I will call a week or two ahead of time in order to steal a bit more of their time.


Then, we realized that I had not gotten a single digital shot of her since I'd arrived. Quickly, I employed a young man who had just finished his meal outside, to come and take our picture together. So, it might not be much, but I have at least a picture. Actually, I have two pictures, even though they are very similar. Hey, I forgot like I always do, so get over it. It's the best I could do under the influence of 2 glasses of Cabernet, okay?



KK is so tall that I felt like a real live Circus Midget standing next to her. Once you see the picture, you will, without question, understand why. She must have come from Atlantis. One of the chosen few, no doubt. Tall, slender frame, fair complected, with wide open eyes. Sounds like someone from Atlantis to me. Intelligent, well spoken, well traveled, tall, slender, and fair skinned. Yup, she is undoubtedly from Atlantis, portraying the same beauty the intelligent beings from Atlantis did. I suspect SalGal is the same. Lucky Atlantis witches who are tall and slender. Is my envy showing??? Oooops! No, really, I only say these things in jest. I'm crazy about these two madcap women who make my life a little sunnier every day that I read them. What's not to like?


So, both of us having places to go & things to do, gave one another hugs yet again as we said our farewells. I honestly felt like we had somehow connected or re-acquainted ourselves with our childhood friendship. Sort of. I hope. It's comforting to know someone from childhood, I think. But, don't go by me. I'm from a dysfunctional family, lol.


People you connect with become fewer in numbers, the older you get. Some move away. Some marry & move on. Others pass away too soon. And yet others often just seem to drift away from us, as we drift away from them. Usually for good reason. See my post titled Toxic Friends. However, I've decided that you can't have enough nice friends or good experiences in your life. There's always room for more. KK is worth having as a funny, brilliant friend and although I'm not that funny nor that brilliant, I have learned to be a good friend. I'm now into collecting as many as I can before I leave this earthly world.

Before leaving Austin, we had one last meal with the kids. We met at Torchy's for breakfast. We sat outside as we ate our breakfast tacos, where they have one of the most interesting glass mosaic walls. Which, of course, I had to get a shot of while the kids both groaned & laughed at me simultaneously.

Cheers! ;-)