Next Up! Katanya Takes on Thailand! April 18, 2024

Total Eclipse! April 8, 2024, Austin TX

Austin, Texas April 8th - 12, 2024

Is it more miraculous that the moon passed directly between the Earth and the Sun or that the eclipse was happening directly over Graham and Callie's spring break and directly in Katrina's town of Austin, TX? We were so down for it!

 Another reason was that I had not physically seen my Treenie in a year and a half! "We need to get our behinds down to Austin" was a phrase I occasionally said out loud.

"Every now and then, I get a little bit lonely 

And you're never coming 'round"

This was my first trip to Texas! I had prepared for the trip by buying cowgirl boots. When I was trying to decide, I just couldn't. The sale was so great that it would be a shame to leave any of the three pairs behind. In fact, the discount was such that I was making money (girl math). I brought all three to the register, "I can't decide." For a moment, the poor chap thought I was going to make him help me decide. 

Remember how Mallerie taught us to rebook our Southwest flights so that we earned points back (instant money in girl math)? We used those points to book flights to Austin! We flew out on Saturday, April 6th, 2024. Our flight had us landing after 11 p.m. With hotel rooms in high demand, Matt was fearful they would give away our room. He had called ahead and said that we would be checking in late. Nonetheless, when Matt checked his messages as soon as we landed, the hotel said that because of a water break (or something equally as fishy), we would be moved to two rooms instead of the two-bedroom suite we reserved. Though I bought the tale, Matt wasn't having it. He called the hotel and gave them the what-for. Immediately, they backpedaled and said it must have been a mistake and our room was suddenly available. Fishy indeed! When we checked in, the guy said that the confusion came because the name for the other room (with the leak) had a similar last name. Similar to Bocanegra? I think not!

In the room, Graham found a vape pen when he opened the couch. Seems someone was hoping we wouldn't come and they could use the room as their hang-out spot. Graham has been working out quite a bit lately and is sporting a rather fit physique. Now shirtless, he was showing off, acting as though he needed directions around the hotel, "Is the weight room that way?" (flex and point), "Or that way?" (flex and point). Love having the two teens in tow for our trips. I had forgotten to bring my curling iron, so during our trip, Callie put up my hair in two socks and bobby pins for the night. I woke up to curls. However, when the two of them learned that they could have "mistakenly" gotten their own room, they seemed genuinely disappointed.

Renaissance Fair April 7, 2024

In the morning, Matt met Kat in the lobby. She was sweet to drive him to pick up the rental car. The plan was to spend the day at the Renaissance Fair in Sherwood Forest with Michael and his parents, who were in town from Vancouver for the eclipse as well. It was so good to see Katrina! I know Graham and Callie have missed her so much. I loved watching Michael's parents just as delighted to see them as we were. Here, they are taking a photo of Kat and Michael eating ice cream.

We got some ice cream also. Matt cleaned out the coconut shell it came in and now keeps it on his nightstand as a container for his cough drops. He could have used them on the trip. I don't know if it was the residual vape chemicals in the hotel, recirculated air, or a sickness coming on, but he coughed all night, all week!

Most people were dressed up at the fair, ourselves included. Callie found a beautiful ring of flowers for her hair. We found a fabulous one that had a horn! I took a picture of her in it. The worker promptly came by, "Delete that, as the sign says, 'no pictures,' people try to copy our designs." My bad (though you know I would have totally tried to recreate it...not!). Callie and I also bought some flowy pants. Along the way, there were shows to watch, such as jousting, jesters, and a bit by the troubadour. The setting was lovely, truly the Sherwood Forest! We had yummy eats, such as falafel gyros. Michael's mother, Renee, bought potato crips with cheese for all to share. 

After Matt stood up, he realized his wallet was gone. Oh boy, here we go again. He was wearing the same shallow-pocket shorts that he was wearing when he unknowingly dropped his walled last time. We searched the ground around us. We split up to circle around where we had walked. When we reunited, Matt said someone had turned it in to the lost and found, thankfully. There was an individual dressed as Jesus, maybe it was him. Bottom line, I informed Matt that though it is a fun game (not) we are done playing the lost wallet game while on vacation;)

When we passed the strongman game and told Graham it was time to show us what he's got. He was in! 

Fun for all and all for fun.

The weather was in the mid-70s, with no humidity—perfect. We got to the castle in time for the show and group photos. I don't think anyone would suspect we were meeting for the first time. We became fast friends with Michael's family.

There truly was something for everybody. Down the path was an archery challenge that Callie gave a whirl. 

The pair of cowgirl boots looked adorable on her, but, she admitted her feet were a bit tired at the end of the day. We stayed till evening. On our way out, Graham said he felt like he had spent the day in the theater hall at the high school.

There were for sure some characters. Though I thought we were done eating for the day we found ourselves at one of the many Whataburgers. There was a guy there without a behind. One of the strangest things I've seen! I do not how his pants were staying up. 

Total Eclipse! April 8, 2024

We met at Katrina and Michaels and got to see their place and meet their cats. Glad we did, they would move to another place by the end of the month. Katrina had the idea for us to walk to Zilker Park where we would watch the eclipse. The walk down the wooded path was so enjoyable it seemed like only 20 minutes, but I guess it was more like 45. There was a store having a grand opening that gave us free snacks (though I felt guilty taking some when I would never be a customer). Also, Renee gave us a goodie bag of guilt-free traditional Aussie chocolates and candies. YUM.

We passed Barton Springs and the public pool. It is a designated part of the river that they treat for the public to swim in. It looked dreamy. At Zilker, there was more grassy room at the park than expected and we found a great spot. It is the Central Park of Austin. We had time to kill. Not a problem for Callie. She has a full-size novel no matter where she goes.

An eclipse is difficult to photograph with phone cameras, which automatically lightens the images. But it felt like night. There was a boy who seemed to be wearing a pajama set. I wondered if he goes by the light outside rather than the clock. Katrina added, "He's already taken his melatonin." Ha-ha!

It was eerie to see the lighting change as the Moon passed in front of the Sun. Matt had purchased eclipse glasses months in advance. We took them off during totality. It got dark enough that the street lamps turned on. We could also see downtown Austin when the city lights came on. The birds stopped chirping (or so I heard...cause I couldn't stop chirping), and the air felt cooler. Peculiar.

We had the best time. And yes, I did lead us in a chorus of "Total Eclipse of the Heart."

A guy was walking around with a wagon selling Eclipse tees. At first, I thought, "eh." But then I decided, I wanted a souvie. Matt decided that he did as well, then Renee, then David. Four sales in one stop ain't bad. I was also glad to have had my glow-in-the-dark nails.

After our walk back, Katrina and Michael made us pizzas in their Oonie oven. Man. I left stuffed! It was seriously so good! Still, think about it. (Though I may have gotten a bit carried away with trying to toss the dough...) We bid goodbye to our new friends, Renee and Michael. I said, "I am so glad we got to meet you and see that you are normal people...because we are not."

Bike Tour, April 9th, 2024

A great way to see a new city is via bikes. We spent a lovely day with Katrina leading us around the city and parks. The bike rental dude was certain Callie would prefer a geared bike over the beach cruiser that she requested. We mumbled, "Oh, boy, he doesn't know Callie." She stuck with her decision. Then Katrina changed her mind, "I'll take a beach cruiser as well." More mumbling... Mine and Matt's sore bums had us wishing we had also made the switch.

 

After returning the bikes, we enjoyed smoothies on the rooftop next door. That was the theme of this trip. Food! We quite literally ate our way around Austin. Lunch had been at the food trucks. Normally, we grocery shop to have stuff we can snack on and make. We didn't even buy a single grocery. Breakfast was provided at the hotel, but we didn't even eat that. We just ate our way around the city. 

We wanted Terry Black's famous BBQ for dinner, but the rain! There was a long line just to get into the place and we were getting soaked! We pivoted and ran back to the car. Matt looked for another spot on his phone. Kat said, "Dad, I live here. I know where to go." He gets nervous trying out places he's never heard of. She directed us to a swanky dry diner.

To the Alamo! April 10th, 2024

San Antonio is less than two hours away. Katrina had to work, so we filled our day by going on an adventure. The expectation in my brain of the Alamo is from Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, so you can imagine my dumbfoundedness when I walked into one big room. I mean, I know there isn't a basement, but no ma holding her clay pot that "She seems very proud of?" Huh? It is a cool place, but it left me a bit underwhelmed—and the crowds! Still, I had to see it. The trees on the grounds are impressive, and the video in the visitor's center was worth a watch. That and the gift shop are where we spend most of our time. 

As a side note, Paul Reubens (Pee-wee) passed away last August. When I heard, I said, "Au revoir, Pee-wee, I hope you find your bike." 

A short distance away was the River Walk, where we found our groove. We sat along the river enjoying delicious food and watching the boat tours. Such enjoyable babies.

On our drive back, we stopped at a convenience store. I filled my water bottle (and my hands), and then left the water bottle there! Oh, man, I was so sad. Matt even drove back the next day to see if it was there. I appreciated him trying!

Back in Austin, we met Katrina at Congress Avenue Bridge. It's one of the marvels of Austin—watching one million bats come out to feed at dusk. Look it up, it's wild stuff. She said the crowds are typical every single night! Definitely a vibe.

Lady Bird Lake - April 11, 2024

I was surprised to learn that the river that runs through the city is called Lady Bird Lake. It adds so much—like a pulsating vein through the city.  So many times when I have talked to Katrina, she is headed to the river. I wanted to head to the river! Callie and I rented paddle boards, Matt and Graham, a canoe. It was so peaceful—the sun on our backs and turtles below us. We paddled up to Barton Springs. 

After we returned the paddle boards and began to walk away, Graham held back a little bit. We waited for him to catch up. When he didn't, we walked back. He said, "I am just waiting to make sure the guy got paid." Graham didn't know that we had paid at the beginning. I found that to be noble of him, that he didn't want us to unintentionally leave the poor chap high and dry.

Such a pretty day. Lunch was at Terry Black's Barbecue, where Katrina met up with us. The place lived up to the hype! They have a clockwork system in place. 

The plan was to wash off our BBQ hands in Barton Springs, but the pool is closed on Thursdays! We ended up going to a pool that Katrina and Michael hadn't been to before. It was really cool!

Matt and I met up with Katrina and Michael again that evening downtown at the famed Elephant Room for live jazz. We chatted, and it was nice to get to know Michael better. He is such a nice guy and seems to treat Katrina well. They are well-suited. Also, it was so good to look into my Treenie's eyes and visit with her.

Our last day came before we knew it. We had a later flight so we met up with Katrina at the Austin Central Library. The design is way cool.

The view from the rooftop patio was like looking at our trip at a glance. We pointed out the places we had been and the route we paddled up the river.

Exploring a new city with my family is one of my favorite things. Austin is a good time. We were grateful to Katrina for showing us around and spending time with us. We love her!

 Matt dropped us at the airport and then took the rental car back. We enjoyed Sprinkles cupcakes and sushi while listening to live music, right there in the airport!

While we waited for our flight, it was a treat to watch a British Airline de-board and prep for the next flight. We watched from the window till I found some chairs to pull up. 

You can't really get a sense of how large the plane is until you see it next to another plane.

Graham and I saw the whole process from start to finish. The pilots saw us watching and they gave us a wave.

 

Au Revoir, Austin!

The following morning was the funeral for Steve Booras, the father of my lifelong friends. I drove to Springville for the funeral. It was a trip down memory lane! I loved seeing Kirsten and Missy and their family. He was a good man who lived a good life. 

And we still had snow on the mountains!