Horse with no name

I made it to Austin, safe and sound. My first day was great. Dropped a friend off at the airport, finished packing and then had breakfast with Andre. Giddy - pure giddy. The stars seemed to have come into alignment.

Until I couldn't get in touch with Nick. I was supposed to crash with him, but he was having some adventure with a chick in NYC and they were having problems getting back to Phoenix. So I skipped it all and landed at a roadside motel on the southside of Tucson. The best thing I did was figure out how to get my iPod to be an alarm clock.

Big thanks to Greg and Sal for pumping up the iPod. I am still discovering songs... and I've been driving for three days.

My stay in Tucson was short... but I did have a brief incident. I tried to find a Starbucks East on the 10 from Tucson. I stopped in a Safeway to get some water bottles (rather pay $7 for 12 than $2 per bottle) and asked the clerk. I got a look like I was from the moon. Am I really that much of a city girl??

Anyway, from Tucson I shot over to New Mexico. Stopped for a 4.5 mile hike in the sand at the White Sands National Park. I asked at the visitor center if it was OK for me to go alone and was assured it was not problem. What an experience. When I signed out I saw that the last person had come back from the hike 2 hours prior. I was on my own. No one but me, some lizards and an ant or two million. Up and down 20 foot doons - much sand in my shoes. I know how that bothers some people, but I loved it. I strapped Rocco to the back of my small backpack. Rocco is my new Monkey. When I lost Alphonse with the split, Kate and Shane gave me Rocco. He's small and very soft. I think he liked being tied to the back of my pack, but it is hard to tell with inanimate objects.

My big discovery: there are few things like deslation and solitude to help the mind clarify itself. That and tears dry funny when exposed to such arid heat. Heat purifies and releases.

Got to El Paso last night. Had some good rest. I needed it, as I was stuck in the car for a million hours getting to Austin. Did stop at a winery in the hill country outside of Austin. The Cabernet was sharp and Republican - I bought a bottle just the same.

Adam and Rose are doing well. In a bit of a flurry with their wedding. I'm excited to participate next weekend. Tonight was a tour of 6th Street in Downtown. Bars and music and too many college kids. Night and day from the interchangable aspiring starlets of Los Angeles.

Tomorrow - er, today at this rate - is another day. Good night.