DAY 80
Week 12
AUSTIN (Texas, USA)
Friday September 8th, 2006
TODAYS MILEAGE – 32 miles or 51 kilometres
TRIP MILEAGE – 9341 miles or 15033 kilometres
What to do now??? 
The thing that you realize real fast, when on a semi-retirement slack attack, is that it's hard work not being bored. Sounds like a dilemma we all would want to have - every morning we wake up.
Today was spent working out my next move, as I've been here in Austin (Texas) to long. The first two weeks was because of my Trailblazer being in the panel beaters. Another week was spent stuff arsing around in San Antonio. This week was spent waiting for parts for my Harley and planning my next move. Truth be told, I could become all Texas'd out if I'm not careful.
I spoke earlier about the University of Texas Longhorns being the National champs. We this week they play host to the #1 ranked team in the nation the Ohio State Buckeyes. Seeing as Dash took the family down to Corpus Christi for the weekend I decided to head downtown on the Harley to see if anyone was out & about.
The authorities had turned 6 blocks of the 6th Street entertainment precinct into a pedestrian only area. The upside of this was that there were literally tens of thousands of people wondering around in the colors of the teams that they support. It was only 7 o'clock on a Friday night and a great street party atmosphere was full on. There was a sprinkle of rain, but not enough to get wet, but it did cool the night down rather pleasantly.
I was a bit in the fang at this point. The worms were a biting. I got told to check out Ruby's BBQ over near the University of Texas ... so that's where I was headed. The downside to blocking 6th Street is that it turned all the adjacent streets into car parks. It took me an hour to travel 2.6 miles (4.2 kilometres). Ruby's had a hell of a deal in which you get 2 chopped bbq beef sandwiches for 5 bucks. Two sangers washed down with Belgium monks brew and you can listen to free live music for under $8.00 AWESOME!!! Tasted bloody good as well.
From there I rode on over to the Warehouse district for a butchers hook. It was hopping as well, with most of the bars packed with people. I saw a bar named Oilcan Harry's and based on the fact that I had a ball on the turps at some similar sounding joint in Denver (Colorado), I thought I'd drop in.
As I entered, the doorman informs me that there is a 2 drink minimum instead of a cover charge. I'm thinking "Go ahead and make your profit off a couple of cokes as I'm on the Harley". I get inside and the first thing that strikes me is the two blokes on dancing pedestals, with nothing on other than a g-banger, feather boa and a smile. I do a quick 360° visual and don't see a female in the joint - plenty of pheromones though. I had rocked up to a poofters palace, a man smorgasbord, a turd burglars theatre if you like.
The last thing you'd describe me is as being homophobic, but with the abundance of USDA prime females just outside the door, all but ensured that I will not be heading over to bat for the other team any time real soon.
After about another hour of walking up and down 6th Street water started to lightly fall from the skies. Time to head home. 2 minutes later and the heavens opened and it was pissing down cats & dogs. 30 minutes in the driving rain is not a lot of fun, but you make it what you can. I actually got a kick out of watching the peoples faces in their cars, as they are passing me doing 35 miles an hour down the freeway, as I don't know any of the back streets to get home on. I was like a drowned rat by the time I got home, but I had the grin of a Cheshire cat from ear to ear.
Check it out.