Gargalesis Expert

So, Ginny came for what I had thought would be a good long visit, but it seemed short anyway. We did do lots of things, while leaving her during the day to read exciting Gothic (or non-Gothic) novels. We went rock climbing on Monday, and although I'm STILL sore from that, I'm thinking of joining the gym.

Hopefully Ginny will update with her picture of us looking fabulous at the Oscars 'red carpet event,' that we went to. I don't think she got any pictures of the party Saturday, which was at a completely cool apartment building, and which, for me, featured talking to one crazy dude all night. When he wasn't talking about tickling, and how much money his friend makes doing it professionally, he was guessing our birthdays SPOT ON! It was spooky. Anyway, this experience makes me feel ambivalent about my awesome black velvet boots. It was the first time I wore them, and while they did please someone who offered to write me a recommendation for business school 10 minutes after I met him, it also got the attention of Crazy Tickle Man (who, I can only assume completely independent of the knee-high boots, thought I was a dead-ringer for Mallory from Family Ties; him: "that's who it is!! The girl from Family Ties! You know, what's her name! Am I right? Am I right?" others: "No. That's not accurate.").

We went to a quiz night, and we did only passably. Some people are wildly perfect at trivia. It's like that Aqua Teen episode--I was like Frylock, and left determined to learn every bit of trivia I could in order to win some day. Why does every person I know except the 5 of us on the team know that Utah is the Beehive State? As Ginny said "Carmen Sandiego! You let us down!" But later, the Carmen-influenced vexillology of youth did help us to know which state's flag has a bear on it (California).

For the sake of Ginny, if she tries to remember names of places we went, here are some that I can remember: The Draught House (for about 5 minutes); Austin Playhouse (Richard III; the only reason she might not remember this is from forcable forgetting); Kelly's party (Jenny and Deborah and pretty much everyone there were the beautiful ones); St. Michael's Thrift Shop; The Top Drawer (Oscars dress for $10!); Bark 'n' Purr (that's where my *new* boyfriend works); Pacha; Savers; Karavel Shoe Warehouse; Star of India; Wheatsville; Metropolis/'Club Met' (apartment complex, Stephanie's party starring Bad Nick, Tickler Dan, LT, that girl in the bikini, that girl from Virginia, and those two tiny dogs); Bookpeople; Whole Foods Flagship building; Cheapo Discs; Waterloo Records; Alamo Drafthouse Downtown; The Whiskey Bar; Jalisco (? with George); Austin Rock Gym; Veggie Heaven; Sasha's Russian Cafe; Mother Egan's; San Jose Hotel; [can't think of breakfast taco place]; Flightpath Coffee; [can't think of place next door with Threadless shirts]; The Austin-Bergstrom Airport, which is where:

I finally got pulled over. I've been driving without a license for almost a year now, scrupulously following every traffic law. But it turns out that was all for nothing because my registration expired two years ago. So I was pulled over and cited for the following

• no driver's license
• car registration expired in 2004
• brake light out
• car registered in Louisiana when insurance is in Texas
• talking on cell phone

The grand total for all this was: one warning. How did I do it? I do not flirt. I can only imagine that because I may have appeared to be at death's door when I pulled over, they took pity on me. Anyway. I guess it's time I get a license. And my tail light fixed. And all that other stuff that makes me a real Texan.