This is our version of Americana. The sleep-starved college student engages in some last minute cramming in an examination hallway. Nervous notes are scrawled and scanned as the last-ditch quest for just one more fact is vigorously pursued. It's a scene straight out of Norman Rockwell, with one crucial exception -- this isn't a student. It's a teacher.
| Yup, it's Extreme Fellow Traveller Sean whipping up a college-level lecture in Modern American Literature, right before your very eyeballs. After a sweaty 15 minute walk through Texas' summer humidity, I was ready for air conditioning, a mint julep, perhaps a nice tall glass of buttermilk. I like buttermilk. But not Sean. After mopping his brow with what might have been half a roll of Bounty (the quicker picker-upper), Sean handed out his course evaluations and repaired to the hallway, ready to prepare an hour-long lecture. Sucking noisily at a diet soda, Sean put pen to paper and in no time had a bang-up lecture critically assessing the merits of Alice Walker, Joyce Carol Oates, Raymond Carver, and others. | 
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| It was a beautiful thing to see. Striding back into the classroom with the elan of a young Kennedy, Sean was ready to teach, to declaim, to massage young minds into action. If these were the ivory towers, then let us all give thanks to elephants! I'm not sure what that exactly means. Nonetheless, I was happy to be there. I sat in the back and did the crossword while trying to learn something. It was just like being in college again. |
Eventually, though, the class has to end, the song has to be sung, your van has to be fixed. I'm no exception -- Otto was ready and so was I. It was time to take our leave of Sean, Jill, and all of Austin. Much as we love it, there's a New Orleans, a Key West, a Cape Hatteras out there with our names on it. I fired up Otto and headed east for Houston.
After a pleasant three-hour drive over a nearly-vacant four-lane highway, I arrived in Houston to reunite with Kristanne, JoAnn, and Ross. It was great to see Kristanne, even after such a short time. We hugged like long-lost lovers and then we all went out to sushi with Kristanne and JoAnn's high-school buddy, Will.
Now, I love sushi. It's my favorite food. Living in the Northwest, we get treated pretty well, sushi-wise. I have to admit, I was not expecting similar treatment at the hands of Houston's sushi chefs. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised -- everything was just great. We had an enjoyable evening together and then toddled off to bed, needful of sleep for the journey to New Orleans ahead.
Check back tomorrow as we hit Bourbon Street! See you then.
Total Miles for 7/8 = About 190