txrad's vacation family reunion is coming up

I'm not sure I can take the bus much longer with gas prices as high as they are. The bus is packed with people and this afternoon it was standing room only and I was standing. Thankfully I was on the early bus so traffic wasn't so heavy and I got to my park & ride location in about 30 minutes.

While I was standing I noticed the only empty seat was next to a black man. Now, with this being Texas, you might think no one wanted to sit next to a black man because... well, we're supposed to be racists, right?

But not in Austin. We do apparently abstain from sitting next to anyone who appears to be crazy, even though we may have "Keep Austin Weird" stickers on our cars. See the guy in the center to the left with the empty seat next to him? I managed to snap the picture at the exact moment when he wasn't flailing his arms around, listening to music on an iPod, grinning like a opossum, and generally making people think he's nuts.

txrad and I have seen him standing along the highway where I get off the bus. He's just standing there listening to music and flailing around, pointing at people, and just generally drawing attention to himself. I call him the "Crazy Negro™." Actually, I'd love to know what's on his iPod. It sure as hell seems to make him happy.

Meanwhile the reason I took the bus today is because txrad wanted the "good car" to go shopping for new shoes. He's about to embark on a trip to this square state for a family reunion.

In reality it looks more like this:

It's really beautiful this time of year and I'm really sorry I cannot go. He goes every 2 years and I always say I'm going with him "next time" and there's always a reason why I don't or can't. This year it's the job and finances.

He finally found a pair of shoes at the 4th or 5th store his visited. They are kind of retro but I like them.

Let's try this again, without the Tot:

I'll be hauling him to the airport about 6:30 Thursday morning. He'll be back at 11:00pm next Tuesday. He'll have the camera so any pictures on my blog during that time will be with the cell phone.