I Drove All Day.
Day 4 in Texas
April 25, 2019
When you drive all day, the path of your thoughts can be amusing. Like this morning–I took a picture of this stop sign in Marfa before I hit the road. I thought I could get it printed all nice and big for my classroom. But as the day progressed, the picture became the inspiration to my developing the floor plan of a restaurant lounge I would open where, like a patron was once asked, “Smoking or Non-smoking?” my host would ask, “Introvert or extrovert?” And the Introvert section would have no communal tables but would have small tables about many maze-like walls. And noise restrictions. The Extrovert section would have a series of elevated tables, little stages, so patrons could get the spotlight and attention they so desperately need from, like, everybody. Communal tables, wide open, no noise restrictions.
Ok, digressing and backing it up a bit… I had an amazing breakfast after getting a very good night’s sleep in Marfa. My body woke up early, as it always does, but after checking the window and seeing a dark grey sky, heavy rain and thunder, I returned to my bed for many more hours sleep. Reluctantly, I got up and packed up my life. Here I go again on my own…
Yesterday I peeped this coffee shop sign while at The Get Go. So I headed to Do Your Thing Coffee thinking they would at least give me a proper cup of coffee. Oh boy they gave me so much more!
So many fancy caffeinated creations to choose from! I opted for the Turmeric Latte. It had all sorts of wonderful things inside of it–turmeric, date palm, cardamon, vanilla bean, ashwaganda, black pepper, nut milk and a shot of espresso. How good does that sound?
Then I ordered the Jerusalem Toast— avocado, tahini, za’atar, toasted sesame seeds, chile, maldon salt on thick, house-made sourdough bread. It was so delicious and a joy to eat. That salt…
Yes, I think I will do my own thing. That means I gotta go, Marfa!
So I drove all day, yes. And it rained most of it. The tempestuous mountains and the big chaotic sky plush with grey monsters made driving conditions less than enjoyable. But having to get towards Austin for my flight back in a couple of days, it was necessary. I tried to add in a stop, but it proved to be a major #Fail. I determined my route because of this lake, called Blood Lake because of Chromatiaceae bacteria which thrives in water deprived of oxygen. So I followed several rounds of Apple Maps and Google Maps directions, walked through mud, and contemplated trespassing before asking at a gas station the old fashion way. The helpful counter gal and patron steered me to the lake… But… the nice woman at the state park facility who was collecting admission fee (that I did not have) let me know that the lake is no longer red. It had bounced back from the drought that had it in such bad shape. Now it was just an regular ol’ lake. A regular ol’ lake I had spent 5 hours trying to find, cumulatively.
But no effort is ever in vain, I rationalized. This is something of a personal philosophy. I thought that something had brought me to where I was and I was exactly where I should be. Perhaps it was to receive a warm smile and kindness from the park employee who let me in to see the lake any way, pointing me towards a path that may at least have me seeing some bison? Or the folks at the gas station, the homeless lady I gave a handful of change to? Perhaps another route might have put me in harm’s way, its timing and location? Perhaps it was a lesson to read more carefully, to make a phone call, to balance my passion with pragmatism? I looked around as I entered the park and tried to understand what I needed there. But perhaps I just needed the reminder to continue questioning… Or perhaps still, I would just never be aware of the impact of this incident on others, myself, etc. (“Perhaps” count for this paragraph: 5)
I thought this looked red enough. I so badly wanted to see a bison, my favorite animal which is tattooed on my back.
There is the un-red lake. Still a pretty shot with the wild flowers and clouds. More storms a-coming. It would be another 3 hours to get to Austin. Besides the bison, I also badly wanted to see a rainbow. The sky kind of promised me. And like the beautiful song from Arcade Fire that my car kept playing over and over as I started it up (though I realized it was because alphabetically it is the first song file on my phone, “Accidents”): Where does a promise go when you pretend it isn’t there? Yikes, song lyrics are much better inside the mood of the song.
Bison are wild. Mistrust and aggression towards people is a symptom of wildness. Get it straight, white and red sign!
Not likely, but thanks!
File this one under “low brow genius,” Sonic tater tots from the drive-up thing, which I always wanted to do! Also peep my cowboy boots muddy from my red lake hunt.
And I get my rainbow… faint but it is there. Can you see it? I upped the saturation but it is still subtle.
I made it to Austin and checked into my room… thankfully it was so close to an all-vegan ice cream parlor I have wanted to visit for years. Sweet Ritual. Such a relief–intentional veganism. They knew their stuff, too. From house-made toppings, a ton of flavors with bases declared, candies and sprinkles free of confectioner’s glaze… the certain of veganness was a nice experience in and of itself.
Even better, the counter gal worked with me to create exactly what I wanted. She is an ice cream expert after all! I guess when I started dropping things about ratio and, for me, the ice cream being more a vehicle for the toppings and not the star attraction, she took personal responsibility and artistic license to deliver my wishes in ice cream form–a single serve banana split with brûléed banana, toasted marshmallows, chocolate magic shell and strawberry toppings on vanilla soft serve. It was divine!
We decided on a 1.5 scoop and it was perfect! I was a member of the clean compostable bowl club. Thank you, Sweet Ritual.
Lastly, I wanted to grab dinner for motel room. I didn’t want to drive far and wanted no hassle. I choose Arlo’s Curbside as their food truck was only 2 miles away. But gosh, I forgot how Austin was. Now I remember. Latent adolescence a-plenty… it’s one of those cities where you don’t have to grow up. Maybe it was just a long drive and I was cranky. But having lived in Seattle, another city as described above, I have a low tolerance as it is.
But the sandwich, my gosh. Amazing. House-made seitan patty, grilled slaw for some tang, and some chipotle sauce… and lettuce, yes. But the bun! Can you do the vegan community a favor a tell all the eateries where you got them buns, hun. It really was perfection.
I’m going to bed now. Got to do more stuff tomorrow. Goodnight!