somewhere under wonderland

I have returned to Iowa after approximately 15.5hrs in a car - I woke up in Texas, showered and packed and loaded up, and then had breakfast with the fam at Cracker Barrel. Then, [censored] and I parted ways with the parents and headed north. It feels almost cruel that Texas is so big that we spent the first five or so hours just driving through Texas. By the time we reached Oklahoma, I was convinced that we wouldn't make it the whole way (~980 miles), and was already looking at hotel rooms in Kansas....

...but then [censored] and I had supper at Braums outside of Oklahoma City (an apparent staple of the Oklahoma/Kansas area, mostly known for their milkshakes and dairy products), and we somehow caught a string of second, third, and fourth winds. So we kept going, passing through Oklahoma, Kansas, and a bit of Missouri before reaching Iowa. We successfully threaded the needle through cops, semis, and errant deer (there was a lot of blood on the road in some parts), and we pulled into our driveway around two a.m.

And now I must sleep - I've gone too long without writing or doing anything productive, and that needs to stop (as soon as my body feels like it's stable and no longer riding in a car). Goodnight!

she had a need to feel the thunder

The family reunion is over and I am quite sad. I had a great time out in the middle of nowhere in Texas - which, to be fair, is not so different from where any of the rest of us are from, since we established that most of the Wamplers in this lineage live in places that no one else would want to visit. So, during our family meeting today, we agreed that we would host it here again next year - not sure yet whether any of my branch will make it here next year, but I certainly hope to come again.

sssanyway. This morning I had breakfast with my parents and [censored] before [censored] and I stopped at Starbucks and headed out to the ranch (you know it's important to get my coastal elitist fix in before heading out into the hills). We took no wrong turns this morning, so we made it in good time and spent the day lazing about and talking to family and making jokes and generally enjoying the day.

And by that I mean I enjoyed making margaritas. #kiddingnotkidding

I can't really do justice to the afternoon, which involved conversations about prison, dildoes, and ninja turtles. My great-grandfather and his siblings (who are the ancestors of all sixty or so people at the event) would be so proud. But I really enjoyed the conversation, especially since it continued over the catfish fried up by the Oklahoma contingent. And the evening ended with a fantastic fireworks display, as per usual...at which point we all parted ways with plans to do it again next year.

And now I need to sleep so that [censored] and I can get up tomorrow and cross the long dark of Moria (and by that I mean the nine hundred and fifty two miles from here to Iowa via Oklahoma/Kansas/Missouri). Goodnight!

return of the mack

The family reunion today was a smashing success (emphasis on smash), although I mostly hung out with my immediate family (as often seems to happen at these gatherings). [censored] and I joined our parents for breakfast at the hotel, and then [censored] and I both [censored] for awhile before heading out to the ranch (with a stop at [censored] to buy tequila).

The ranch is, as always, nearly impossible to find - Google Maps clearly has no idea what's out in the hills of Texas, and whether something is a passable road or a deadly ravine. But we only made two wrong turns, one of which we make wrong every single time (note to self: don't turn left at the scarecrow!), so that was all good. When we got there, we proceeded to spend the afternoon having a grand old time. Lunch was some v. delicious chicken enchiladas with rice and beans, which made me super happy. Then I was going to make margaritas, but when I wandered toward the kitchen to make them, I started talking to Melissa (her last name is, unsurprisingly, Wampler), and then over the course of the next hour, every person sent to discover what had happened with me and my margaritas succumbed to the lure of our conversation.

But I eventually made margaritas and proceeded to get somewhat sloshed (only because my first one turned into a full solo cup as I kept readjusting the ratios). And I spent the afternoon engaged in desultory conversation, including a game of 'guess the pregnant girl' played with possible girls from Drewbaby's high school class ([censored] and I know no one in Drewbaby's class, but it was somehow really fun nonetheless).

Also, someone hired a band because one of the couples was having their fiftieth wedding anniversary today, so there was music for a couple of hours - including a rendition of 'Amarillo By Morning' (you would have to be there to understand why we found this delightful). Also, someone skinned a rattlesnake, and I kept seeing snake in the fridge when I would make another margarita and was startled every time.

And now I need to sleep so we can do it again tomorrow - goodnight!

crying dawson

No blog - I spent the day hanging out with Sherry, then hanging out at the Austin airport (where I'd dropped off my rental), and then my cousin Drewbaby picked me up so we could drive out to Kerrville together. When we arrived, we reunited with my parents, [censored], Andrew's parents, and my dad and uncle's cousin Gary, and had dinner at the same place we went a couple times in 2015.

Then, [censored] and I [censored] with Aunt Kathy and Drewbaby, which involved [censored] and noncaffeinated fun. And now I need to sleep so that we can go to the reunion tomorrow - goodnight!

i think that i'm feelin' the vibe, i see the love in her eyes

Too tired to blog, but today was a great day. I got up at eight and promptly went on a long walk with Sherry, which we mostly spent talking about food (making me v. hungry) and trying to maximize time in the shade (since it was hot and getting hotter by the second). When we got home, she made us crepes for breakfast (yum!), and then I did a couple of hours of work before eventually taking a shower.

Then, she and her son and I went for lunch at a place called Ski Shores, which overlooks a big river and serves up all-American fried deliciousness. I really enjoyed hanging out there - the deck was right over the water, but shaded so that we weren't dying, and there were all sorts of huge fish (maybe bass?) and a bunch of turtles hanging out hoping that we would throw food to them (which Sherry's son obliged).

When we got back to the house, I procrastinated, then took a nap, but I spent a solid three hours taking care of a dumb admin task that I'd been putting off forever, so I'm glad for that. And then I spent the rest of the evening hanging out and talking about industry stuff with Sherry (and India and China and a bunch of other subjects with her and her husband). But now my visit is sadly drawing to a close - tomorrow it's on to the next part of Texas for the next adventure, so I should get some sleep. Goodnight!

lost weekend

Too tired to blog - I woke up in San Antonio at 6:45 so I could have breakfast with Laura before she went to work. We went back to Supper, which was delicious again - I had some potatoes and some smoked salmon, which made me v. happy. Then we parted ways, and I hung out and finished my coffee before going back to her place to repack my stuff, take care of some business, and send a couple of emails before heading off on my next adventure.

I drove up to Austin in the middle of the day to avoid rush hour on either end - I'm visiting my friend Sherry, who also writes historical romance (although she's been doing YA and mystery recently), so we spent the day hanging out. She made lunch when I got here (an awesome shrimp curry), and we spent the afternoon chatting (although I had to take a twenty-minute nap at some point because that's how I roll). Then she started cooking dinner, but we took a break to go to some high-up lookout point so that I could see some of the hills/water near her house (two things I don't associate with Texas, even though I'm theoretically aware that Texas has both hills and water in some locations).

Then we came home, she finished making dinner, and she and her husband and I hung out and discussed books and tech and life. And now I'm desperate to sleep so I can write tomorrow - goodnight!

some some some i some i murder, some i some i let go

I had a great day in San Antonio - so great that I'm mildly annoyed that I'm leaving tomorrow, but I have other plans that I want to pursue, and I'm sure the next stop will be as great as this one. I woke up this morning later than I planned, laid in bed for a bit, and then showered and walked over to Pearl, where I had lunch (because I missed breakfast by ten minutes) at Supper (which serves all meals, contrary to its name). I had a salad with chicken that was quite excellent, although the Coke I ordered with it was perhaps my favorite thing since I hadn't had soda in awhile.

Then I sat in the Hotel Emma lobby for several hours and worked. They had a couple of tables that felt almost like the old-school library tables at Stanford Library, which I haven't been to in far too long, and it made me quite happy to be sitting inside working. Granted, I didn't get enough done because I was distracted by the constant dumpster fire of Twitter + texting Katie + texting Sherry (who I am staying with tomorrow) + calling my parents since I wasn't able to talk to them yesterday. Yes, it sounds like I'm blaming all of them; no, it's no one's fault but my own.

I walked around the Pearl area for a little bit when I needed a break, and then I secured a seat in the bar/lounge area and ate tater tots and had a glass of rosé and wrote for another hour, and that writing was pretty great (mostly because my phone battery died and my laptop was on the verge, so I was writing longhand in my notebook and couldn't be distracted by anything but my own thoughts). Then I walked back to Laura's, making it inside approximately forty-five seconds before it started pouring (that's not an exaggeration).

I hung out here for twenty minutes or so and charged my phone, and then Laura got home from work and she, Matt and I went out for dinner (Mexican - a place called La Fonda). The food was tasty if you like Tex-Mex - it's really amazing how all-in tex-mex is on the queso situation, and more amazing how all-in Laura was, since she wanted me to try both the regular queso dip and the different, no-less-delicious queso fundido (melted cheese that is somehow not a dip, because it's a cheese that was basically melted in a griddle and starts to reform into stringy unmelted cheese as soon as it's off the heat).

So needless to say, I ate a child's weight in cheese, and I also had two margaritas, and it was all quite delightful. Then we came home, Matt went to hide from us, and Laura and I spent a couple of hours talking about life and career stuff and personality tests, and it was pretty much exactly the conversation I probably needed tonight (since I'm weighing several options: go all-in on writing romance, keep writing something non-romance (which may mean taking on some part-time consulting work or something to pay the bills if that book doesn't sell), get involved in politics/community work, or do something else entirely). sssanyway. More to come on all of that as my thoughts become more clear, tanks.

And now I need to sleep - Laura and I are having breakfast before she goes to work tomorrow, and then I need to pack and take care of a couple of things before heading back to Austin. Goodnight!

feels like summer

San Antonio is Austin's sadder, square-er neighbor to the south, and my memories of this town mostly involve melting in the summer heat on previous trips. But it's also apparently the fastest-growing city in Texas, and there are tons of new restaurants since the last time I was here (2014 for a conference and 2015 during my last family reunion), so I think I can handle being here for a couple of days...

...and I may want to stay even longer than that, but duty calls. I woke up this morning in Austin feeling better than I deserved, and I showered and packed and loaded my car and grabbed an iced coffee before meeting up with Alaska Matt for brunch. We went to Arturo's Underground, which was so incredibly tasty - I often find scrambles to be overcooked/too dry, but this scramble with bacon, onions, mushrooms, jack cheese, avocado, and chipotle hollandaise was perfection on a plate. I also loved their home fries, and the coffee was good, and it was all fast and seamless (and actually underground, since it's in a mostly submerged level slightly below the street). So, that was a great way to wake up, and Matt and I continued our conversation with many jokes until it was time to part ways.

I then drove to San Antonio, where I met up with Laura - she was one of the directors at le Goog many years ago, and we've stayed in touch pretty well since then, since I consider her a mentor and also like her crafting skills. She lives here now, and she offered me a guest room for a couple of nights if I wanted to hang out - and I'm glad I took her up on it, since a) I always have fun hanging out with her, and b) there's lots of great food and drink to indulge in while having our long, winding conversations. When I got here, she made me a Moscow mule (she doesn't drink but insists on keeping her guests well-lubricated), then we ordered food and picked it up (some carnitas hash for me that was so good that I ate almost all of it even though I hadn't thought I was hungry yet), and then I sat around with her and her husband and son and drank some white wine and generally enjoyed their company.

At some point it rained, but when it stopped, Laura, Dave (her husband) and I walked over to the Pearl, which is an old brewery complex that has been completely redone into a bunch of restaurants, shops, and luxury condos, along with a hotel that looks to-die-for. We stopped in for a drink at the hotel bar, and I think I'll go back there and write tomorrow. Then we wandered around a bit and got some ice cream (ice cream is not one of my go-to foods, but this was worth it), then walked home, and then Laura and I talked about career stuff for quite awhile (we had started this conversation at the bar, and then continued it for another hour at home, but I'm not going to tell you anything about any of it because I'm evil and also lazy).

Then we went to the grocery store to get salad-type stuff for dinner, since I wasn't hungry and neither of us felt like going out. And now I'm going to go to bed at an entirely reasonable hour (10:45! but that's 11:45 on the east coast...but my body doesn't know where I am anymore anyway). Tomorrow could be a glorious free day for writing since Laura's working and Dave's going out of town, so I'm going to get up and walk over to the Pearl and eat breakfast and probably lunch and drink a lot of coffee and do some people-watching. Goodnight!

every kid on the whole damn street was gonna make it big and not be beat

Hello, Austin! I woke up this morning in Miami, after too little sleep, and I scrambled to pull myself together in time to get to the airport. That was all accomplished without incident, and I checked in and grabbed an iced coffee and a granola bar before boarding my flight. I spent most of the first flight (Miami to Atlanta) plus my layover in Atlanta finishing HILLBILLY ELEGY - I really very highly recommend it to everyone, regardless of political spectrum. It's the kind of memoir that I long to write, although I can't write that memoir because my childhood wasn't as bleak as his (luckily, neither of my parents are disasters, so my home life was totally stable, but my community was disintegrating even then). I had avoided reading it for a long time because I thought it would be too preachy or annoying, but the author (an Ohioan of Kentucky hillbilly descent who went into the Marines before going to Yale Law School) did a really excellent job of capturing his version of the Rust Belt without either romanticizing it or overly pitying/condescending to it.

Anyway. After that I was all fired up about life and community, and I spent my plane ride from Atlanta to Austin scribbling ideas in my journal. Then I landed, grabbed my bags, collected my rental car, and checked into my hotel, where I had just enough time to rinse off and change before meeting up with Alaska Matt for dinner.

Longtime blog readers may remember Alaska Matt, although it's been awhile - he moved back to Alaska in the summer of 2015, which is the last time I saw him. But he moved to Austin a month ago, and so we had a delightful evening of discussing current lives and reminiscing about past ones. He picked me up at my hotel and we went to a Mexican restaurant that one of his new coworkers recommended, where we had delicious margaritas at the bar before proceeding to eat some v. tasty cuisine. Then, we went down to 6th Street, which is a supposedly famous strip of bars, but it seems to be full of douchebags. But we found a quiet corner, and I had three cocktails (some sort of alcoholic lemonade that went down way too easily), and it was all perfect. Perfect, of course, except for the fact that we were inundated with people way too young for us, listening to music that was uncomfortably close to our high school playlists (not that we knew what playlists were then)...but it was fun nonetheless.

But there's nothing more to regale you with - I need to sleep so that I can have breakfast tomorrow before going to San Antonio. Goodnight!