houston i'm fine thnx
2008-03-14 7:05 p.m.

visiting good friend rebecca in houston, tejas, sprawling city of tittybars, highways, and the most amazing variety of trees i have ever seen in my life.

sounds strange, i realize--but the trees are great here.

anyway, i'm sure you can imagine how nice it was to leave gainesville for a little, as sorry as everyone was to see me go.

it's important to get away.

as today is the very important pi(e) day (also it's steak and bj day but that's of no relevance to me, at the moment), rebecca and i will be going to houston's famous house of pies. wylie, houston native, will join us.

i have a lot of grading to do, which i should have done on the plane. there were two little chubby boys sitting near me, ages not known, but at that age before self-consciousness sets in.

saying sweet things like, "Oh boy! look at the jets! Oh my gosh I can see inside the planes! Wow that's something!"

everyone else on the plane was probably annoyed. it was a somber crowd. before noon, sleeping business men (touching my leg [on accident?]), people going to funerals it seemed, and me reading Maus--what a mistake.

but i was touched by the boys (figuratively--literally, i was touched by the sleeping business man). it is a good time in your life when you can say what you think and express your amazement and ignorance ("Wow! how'd they get the tvs in the back of the chairs?") without worrying that everyone in the vicinity hates you, even if they do.