Austin--Vacation

Well, here I be: Austin, TX, hot and sweaty. Since I have gotten here, it has been a new world, filled with good people, good thoughts, and awakenings.

My first day here, I went out for a beer and a burger with my neighbor Josh, and it was grand. Much like Condesa, we are in the thick of things here, and walking to all the basic needs is a great luxury. I have eaten cheeseburgers on three separate occasions, and they all have been lovely in their own way:

• Cheeseburger with whiskey smoked cheddar (and $3 Texas brewed Hefeweizen) at Flying Saucers.
• Late night EZ's diner cheeseburger--quite tasty.
• And last but not least, I sampled a Mighty Fine burger, with cheese, bacon, and jalapenos, and I threw in a chocolate shake to really test it out. This isthe South's answer to In-N-Out, and let me tell you: the decorum, the menu, the burger, the shake, and the quality were pretty damn good...but it still doesn't beat that California treat, that is In-N-Out.

Other than eating burgers, I went and played some pick up ultimate frisbee on Friday night. A group of guys, various skill and athletic ability, play 5-7 on a side. The fields where they meet are two blocks from my house. I was a little nervous going, but I sucked it up and checked it out. The way they play, is white shirts vs. dark shirts, and you cover whomever you are standing across from. It isn't really about who wins the game, but rather just playing each point. It was a hell of a work out, and my freaking hair tie snapped on the first point. I ripped the pull chord off my bucket hat, and tied my hair with that. I didn't play my best, but it was a great first step. I am playing tomorrow at a different park with some of the same guys.

I also have spent time organizing my room, which I am really enjoying. Although my room gets little light, because I have one window, and it hides undera grove of trees, I love the layout. THIS HOUSE IS GREAT! Once I get a camera, I will snap some decent photos, but for the meantime, here are some camera picks of my room layout:

I also, put up a little fence with a gate so that I have created a space for the dogs to have during the day, when I am not there. My intention was to create a place for them to have for both making poops and chilling. This way, they are not dirtying the whole yard, and they learn where to do their business.

Last night, Marissa and I went and saw Inception (or El Origen, as my friend Noli informed it is called in Mexico). It was WILD! I am still thinking about it, and ready to go back to the theaters and see it again. The cast did an amazing job, and the pure future implications of this kind of reality are spine tingling--digital drugs, was the phrase that came to mind. The ability to download digital narcotics, and to altar the body, mind, and chemistry within, I believe is not so far off. and shortly after its development and commercialization, we shall see the development of addictions. We already have the technologically addicted, but the lead will be, when these digital worlds are implanted, uploaded, connected, interfaced, and spliced into the human body. I proclaim it now: this will be the epidemic of my children's generation.

On a happier note, I have started brainstorming my ideas for Burning Man. With the help of Marissa, and it is a short time frame, I hope to construct a tent canopy shelter for my 4Runner, which will double as a shell for protecting my truck from the elements, and the creation of a home base for myself, while in the wilds of the playa. The more I have meditated on what I will need at Burning Man, the more I think a personal sanctuary will be of the upmost importance.

Much love.