Sunday

Hey, how you doing? More greetings from South Austin for you. Today though I ran up north. I am trying to get my body clock somewhere near US central time so I got up early and went to Denny's for Breakfast, this was for my Dads sake as it is his favourite place to eat in the US. Later ion the day I head out to old haunts to get myself back in Austin mode. Bobalu is my first stop, the coffee shop on East 6th that is my base of peace and quite during a working week. Then on to BD Riley's for dinner. A couple of things struck me today that deserve a paragraph or two to themselves . . .

No where feels like home more than where the homeless live. - Clive James

Today I was walking in down town and one of the most depressing things about Austin is the homeless situation. You see them at every bus stop, asking for change or selling trinkets. The worrying/positive things is its the same guys (mainly) I saw last year. Bad because they are still lost souls, good because at least they are still here. I have a feeling some of their brethren have not been so lucky. It is good to see it though as a week of over spend is before me, not just from me, but in Austin generally. Money is being spent like its going out of fashion, and I guess in the US it is going out of fashion quickly. Talking to John at Bobalu today he commented that it feels like the US has grown up since the fateful night in November. Alas grown ups have big bills to pay and it seems the guys down on Congress busking their way through the day with comical results at times, I saw one guy beating on a stick with another which I don't care how you sell it isn't that entertaining, will keep being the visible conciousness of the US people. There are victims of Katrina still waiting to go home. On a positive note I saw a mass party for these guys at the Austin Homeless persons centre and they was getting down, so you know someone's caring.

Old Ghosts
I love US history, my own country's history being so huge and long I appreciate a place I can grasp in short order. Today I went to the Texas State Congress to take as few pics and complete my “I'm in Austin so its all good” trip. There I ran into some things that are new, mainly a new Secretary of State, a woman, Hope Andrade. The first female secretary of state was Emma Meharg who was put in ower by Miriam “Ma” Ferguson, the first female Governer of Texas in 1925. As the 29th Governor of Texas she was a one woman force for female change.

Another old ghost was Clifford Antone, there is a plaque I must have walked past a hundred times and not read until today it honours the great man himself who brought blues and roots based music to the for in the 1970's. I walked past Antone's today and was pleasantly surprised that Jimmie Vaughan is playing Tuesday night, I don't get a free pass to that show sadly so I don't know If I can go, hopefully Jimmie will be around town somewhere else this week.

That's all for now folks more soon as I get to it.