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Everywhere man (in Texas in a week).
There’s an old Australian Song that Johnny Cash sung and then there was a take off made called ‘I’ve been everywhere (in Texas)’ This is basically what my trip to Texas this past week was like. I hit every major city with the exceptions of Corpus Christi and El Paso. Yes. That’s right- Lubbock, Abilene, Houston, San Antonio, Amarillo, Austin, Dallas, Arlington, and Fort Worth. And some other lesser but still known ones: San Marcos, Tyler, Wimberley, Pflugerville, Wichita Falls, and Waxahachie. Phew. I am so very sick of driving. I don’t want to drive anywhere for the next two weeks. The spike in temperature and humidity in Texas made the drive mostly uncomfortable. The last leg of the trip was the worst for me as I was bored out of my skull. Past Tucumcari in the dark there just wasn’t anything to look at or listen to. I felt like self inflicted physical pain would have been worthwhile because it would have provided some distraction from the utter insanity inducing levels of boredom I was experiencing. Like Morrissey sings, ‘Why is the last mile the hardest mile?’
Here’s what I got while there:
Got a red 1970 Yamaha Enduro 250cc for free. Be still my beating heart! I will be taking it to a local nut who loves these old rice burners for some advice on fixing it up. Considering it’s been in a garage for about 20 years it shouldn’t be that much work.
Got a 130lb Anvil (haha! My anvil weighs what I do!) from the man that built the world’s largest anvil. I initial wanted a picture of me riding the world's largest anvil but alas, I will have to contact the guy who owns a parts distribution chain up in Chicago and hauled the damn thing on a custom made hard wood floored chrome lined trailed using the first diesel engine 1 ton truck ever built. Ya think this guy has too much dosh on his hands? Me too.
Got exotic meats, meat pies and Bootlegger brown beer.
Got replacement parts for the Isuzu.
Got my camper shell back.
And what I did while I was there was train BJJ with Joao and his teacher Marcello Monteiro, watched the latest UFC, and generally run around like crazy seeing everyone. This is the first time I’d never met Marcello before and wow is he an amazing instructor just like Joao but with a few more years experience in BJJ. The seminar has probably changed my game. It has certainly changed my ideas about half guard and what I need to do to better my game. I would describe it all more but it would be useless- just go to one of his seminars or better yet train at one of his schools!
It made me irritated I don’t attend a school that isn’t using its resources in more useful ways and bettering itself more but I’m a stubborn sort so soon I will figure out how to be a catalyst for this type of change. I did feel a little guilty after listening to two advanced male students talk about how they would love to just do jiu jitsu all the time and run a school and then to have Marcello’s praise me like he did. Why? Because I can’t only do jiu jitsu or even do it as my main occupation. I wish it were that simple for me but again and again I have found my need to create and work with physical objects takes precedence over how I spend my time and over my desire to do martial arts.
D’oh.
I was able to stop by the regular weekend after party dinner that Angel Sword has. I saw so many people I hadn’t seen in a year and yeah I had missed them but what else beside these ren faires really gets people together like that? Sigh.
The dominant feeling I got from seeing all these people I’ve missed and hearing them actively insinuate me moving back in some capacity was sadness. I know I’ve always had a home in Dallas, its just that I have never liked living there so I sought greener pastures. Now I know I have a home if I should want it anywhere from San Marcos to Denton.
last modified May 29, 2008 at 8:29
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