Constant Reader discussion
2013 CR Convention - Austin
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Report from Austin
I just got home today, but as I process pictures, I'll post links here. I'm tired, but happy. It was a wonderful time. But I really appreciated the crisp, non-humid Asheville air when the plane landed.
Home again last night. I can report that I did not get lost on the way to the Austin airport, and that the new Phoenix airport-Metro link works beautifully. Good for geezers, but not recommended for anyone afraid of heights to look out the window -- about 200 feet off the ground with no visible guard rails. I had a wonderful time meeting you-all, the people behind your tiny pictures, and I'm grateful for your help to me in getting around. I hope another fortunate confluence of events allows me to come to the next one.
I'll work on processing my photos today, Barb.
I had a wonderful time, too. It was great to meet everyone and talk books, and everything else we did. The museums were great and the food was fantastic. Here's hoping to see you next year.
I've been with Sara today, so I haven't had time to do as many photos as I wanted to, but here is a start:http://shkell.smugmug.com/Other/Austi...
I don't recognize a couple of people, but it looks like everyone was enjoying each other.
Carol wrote: "I don't recognize a couple of people, but it looks like everyone was enjoying each other."I labeled the people, but the labels are probably not easy to see.
Sherry wrote: "Carol wrote: "I don't recognize a couple of people, but it looks like everyone was enjoying each other."I labeled the people, but the labels are probably not easy to see."
When I looked, the labels are on the left, below the photos when there are people present. Like that Texas star with the flowers behind. And it's nice to see fellow CR members.
Thanks, I didn't recognize Gina and her husband.
I posted some photos on Facebook!I had an enjoyable time and loved seeing long-time friends. I do hope that Tonya will come back to Constant Reader. And I really enjoyed meeting Gina and her husband and also meeting Charles.
Jane wrote: "I posted some photos on Facebook!I had an enjoyable time and loved seeing long-time friends. I do hope that Tonya will come back to Constant Reader. And I really enjoyed meeting Gina and her hu..."
Some CRs are members of Facebook. Maybe you could post a link here, Jane.
I saw the photos Jane. Nice to see people.
Jane wrote: "I posted some photos on Facebook!I had an enjoyable time and loved seeing long-time friends. I do hope that Tonya will come back to Constant Reader. And I really enjoyed meeting Gina and her hu..."
Thanks, Jane. I found them.
I looked at them also. It was great to put faces to names.
Great photos, Sherry! I'll be checking for more. Loved your photos on Facebook too, Jane. Peggy and I have been commiserating about not making it this year. We had so much fun at the last one in Pittsburgh.Can we have some details about the food? That, the talk and the readings are my 3 favorite things about CR reunions.
We missed you, Barb! Sounds like next year will be in St. Louis. Any chance you and Peggy might come down for that one?
Barbara wrote: "Can we have some details about the food? That, the talk and the readings are my 3 favorite things about CR reunions."All three dinners were delicious and festive. I had eaten tapas only once, and they are not nearly so fun with only two as with nine. Friday night was I think supposed to be BBQ but I missed the pails of ribs and chicken, the copious napkins, and the grease-smeared faces. Instead I had a nice little quail and most of half a giant slice of chocolate cake, thanks to Gina without whose assistance with the other half I would never have been seen again. I never got to enjoy the hotel breakfast -- the place which Jane discovered on Saturday morning was charming proof that shoots and leaves are still on the menu somewhere. All delicious, but food tastes much better in good company. It also helped when Lynn quelled my anxiety by hiking up a hill to pay my parking, stuffing bills into a tiny slot smaller than a quarter.
My favorite food was the 1/2 grilled BBQ chicken I had at Lamberts. It was almost the best chicken I had ever had. The other great thing about Lamberts was going out on the street and meeting Tonya who had a horrendous drive from Arlington. She missed the main part of dinner, but had a salad and a scrumptious dessert. Fried pie. In other parts of the world they are called turnovers. It was blueberry and had a malted ice cream with some salty caramel crystals atop. I had a few delicious spoonfuls. Wanted to go back another night but resisted.
I loved all the desserts! I had that fried blueberry pie at Lamberts, a Bailey's Andes mint chocolate cheesecake at Zax Thursday night that was so rich and huge I couldn't eat it all, and a warm brownie with vanilla ice cream at Malaga Saturday. Unfortunately, after I got a to-go box for the leftover cheesecake, I got too involved in talking and left it on the table!As for good stuff besides dessert, I really enjoyed the fish tacos and margarita at lunch on Friday, but now I can't recall the name of the restaurant... Iron something? There were some really good tapas at Malaga too!
Iron Cactus was the Mexican restaurant. Sherry, the pictures were great.
For those of you who don't Facebook, here's one of my favorite picture of Jane's. I think Vic Papale must have taken it:
Well, that's kind of small. Let me try something else.
That's better. From left to right, Mary Anne Papale, Gina Whitlock, Charles Brownson, me, Tonya Presley, Allen Crocker, Lynn Isvik and Jane.
I love seeing you all. Maybe we'll make it next year, although travel gets more and more daunting.
Oh that would be wonderful, Ruth. I added more pictures. I've interspersed them with the others I posted according to the day I took them. On Monday morning, after everyone had left, Lynn and I went to Threadgills (I always want to put "Treadmills") for breakfast. There are a lot of pictures from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Jane's husband's friend's wife, Jill (whew!) was gracious enough to take me there. It's a wonderful place. http://shkell.smugmug.com/Other/Austi...
Great photos, Sherry! I will just email photos to everyone who was there. I don't feel comfortable posting a link to my Facebook page here. There are so many people!I loved my dessert at Lambert's. It was whiskey pecan pie with deep chocolate ice cream. For dinner that night, I had shrimp and grits which was delicious.
Carol wrote: "Charles, you look exhausted."He was just being attentive. That picture was taken during our readings.
You do have a great touch with the camera, Sherry. I especially love the pictures of the neon signs at Threadgill's. (That was Sunday morning, by the way... wish I could have stayed until Monday, though!)
I like the picture of Allen with the Zax menu too. It's a very typical "Allen look" :)
Lynn wrote: "You do have a great touch with the camera, Sherry. I especially love the pictures of the neon signs at Threadgill's. (That was Sunday morning, by the way... wish I could have stayed until Monday,..."Yes, you're right. I left on Monday. And thanks!
Sherry wrote: "Oh that would be wonderful, Ruth. I added more pictures. I've interspersed them with the others I posted according to the day I took them. On Monday morning, after everyone had left, Lynn and I wen..."Really wonderful photos, Sherry. You have such an eye!
Ooooh, I'd say St. Louis just might be doable....Great pictures. Now I'm even jealouser!
Carol wrote: "Charles, you look exhausted."Yes, as Sherry says, I was just listening hard. Those were some fine readings.
Sherry, I was struck particularly by your photographs of skyscrapers. Because I'm at risk of tripping I look mostly at my feet and I never saw those buildings at all. Thanks for adding that to the experience.
Wow, Sherry, your photographs just keep getting better and better!If I'm not otherwise traveling, I will definitely do St. Louis. I love that city anyway and haven't been there for a long time. The one hitch is that I am retiring on Sept. 1st and Tom and I have been thinking about doing a long trip that Fall. Hopefully, it won't conflict.
Already it's a week since CR 2013 got under way -- and to me it seems even longer. So much happens in those few days that it stretches out one's subjective perception of time-span.First things first: a huge than-you to Jane for doing the organizing this time around. Austin was an excellent choice for this group -- very "CR-able", as it were. Reluctant traveler that I am, one of my favorite things about these events is visiting a new place with the same old friends; that mix of the familiar amid the unfamiliar always puts me at ease.
Second things second: thanks to Gina and Charles, our first-timers, for taking the time and trouble to come join us. Meeting new people is our favorite part of these get-togethers, and we hope that you had enough fun that there's a fair chance that we'll be seeing you again in the future. Be advised that the 2013 edition was thoroughly typical -- we pretty much do the same kinds of things (visit bookstores and museums, take tours of one sort or another, go out to eat and hang around and talk) in a different city each year. If that suits you, then we'll have no problem finding you a whole lot more of the same.
Third things third, lots of thanks to Mary Ann (navigator) and Vic (driver) for their chauffeuring services (come to think of it, a continuation from last year). Since this year we were atypically removed from downtown, one familiar sight not seen was of a gaggle of CRs trooping down the street; except for Zax, our Thursday night restaurant, we drove everywhere. And given that we were in a place that has 90 degree temperatures in late September (coming from New England I found it an exotic feeling to step out into the early evening air and find it to still be quite hot) I'm definitely not complaining.
So, just to touch a bit on what we did besides go to restaurants: First thing Friday morning was a stop at Book People, Austin's premier independent bookstore and one of the very best that we've ever been to in our nearly two decades of these gatherings. (The only one I would place above it is Powell's in Portland, and equal to it, Denver's Tattered Cover and whatever that one was called that we visited in Seattle.) Judging from the signed pictures of authors displayed on the walls alongside the staircases, it seems that Book People is one of the obligatory stops if you're doing a national book tour.
Then we were off on the Duck Tour, which, contrary to what you might expect, was not an expedition to observe waterfowl but a ride through the city, and out onto the Colorado River on, essentially, an amphibious bus. Lots of fun, as well as a first time for CRs; instead of describing it I'll be linking to video I took as soon as I can get it onto YouTube.
Our driver/guide on that tour often reminded us, "We do things big here in Texas!", and our next stop, the Texas Historical Museum, is a fairly good example. The colossal bronze Lone Star in front of the building was a fitting introduction to the largest museum dedicated to the history of one state I've ever seen, or heard of, or even imagined. But it's really only fitting that a state that fought a war of independence and was briefly a republic unto itself should have such a grand edifice dedicated to its own heritage. I should add that in addition to being of impressive size, the museum also has a fine collection of well-exhibited artifacts from all periods of the state's history; though it had never bee an interest of mine before, the place more than held my attention the entire time I was there.
After having breakfast at one of what must be one of the very few restaurants in Texas where it's impossible to get bacon or sausage, we were off to the LBJ Library and Museum, among whose more memorable features were a seven-eighths size replica of Johnson's Oval Office and an Uncanny Valley-dwelling, joke-telling animatronic LBJ. Our final cutural stop was the Blanton Art Museum (I think I have that name right) at the University of Texas. Whenever I pay to enter an art museum, I feel some obligation to be edified, just to get my money's worth, but they were taking part in the Smithsonian's free museum day, I was off that particular hook. Though I certainly wouldn't have felt cheated had I paid to get in, one of the CRs who is less of an artistic Philistine than me can give you a better assessment than I feel able to.
Finally, of course, I have to mention the unexpected pleasure of welcoming back to the fold our lost lamb Tonya Presley. We missed you dreadfully, old gal, and don't think you're going to get away with such an extended absence again!
Thus, CR Austin 2013 -- another fine time, if altogether too brief. I hope that what we've said here might serve as encouragement to the doubtful ones out there to give one of these events a try in the future.
Thanks for the excellent summary in your inimitable style, Allen. I second your encouragement for first-timers to consider attending the next convention. I took that leap in 2001 and obviously enjoyed it enough to keep coming back almost every year since! As you say, there's something about exploring a new city with a group of old friends that makes it very comfortable.
Great summing up, as usual, Allen.But tell me, how were the hamburgers?
I triple the suggestion of newcomers coming to our get-togethers. I really enjoyed meeting Charles B and Gina. It's so nice to put a voice to the posts. You hear so much about the inhumanity and disconnection of the Internet, but when a great site like this allows people from all over the country (even the world!) to meet and come together as friends, that's a very good thing, and the opposite of alienation and disconnect. Thanks to all of you who enjoyed my pictures. I really enjoy doing it. It's a way for me to keep the experience alive.
Thanks for all the reports. St. Louis is definitely drivable for us. Hope to be there next year.
Oh, I hope you can make it next year, Ann! I'd love to meet you in person after all these years.
I'd love to meet you, too, Lynn. It's been a long time since I attended a convention. Now that I am retired, these things are a lot more doable.
I echo all of the comments here, and also say how great it is to rekindle in person friendships made at past meetings, as well as meet new CRs, Charles and Gina.We did have some wonderful meals, especially the tapas. Vic started off not wanting to share, but then mellowed to the concept when he found a wine bearing our last name.
We also enjoyed the LBJ Library, and noted that we could use some of Johnson's skills in Washington these days.
Peggy wrote: "Ooooh, I'd say St. Louis just might be doable....Great pictures. Now I'm even jealouser!"
ooh, that would be great! I smell a road trip with my Michigan CR's!
It was a small group, but we found plenty to talk about... and of course we found some great places to eat. The only downside during meals was that it was often difficult to hear anyone who wasn't sitting in your immediate vicinity. We made up for that in part by commandeering the hotel's "Guest Commons" room for socializing.
One highlight of the gathering was the appearance of long-time CR Tonya Presley, who has been missing from several recent conventions. A couple of late night gab fests reminded us how much we've missed her sense of humor during her absence!
I'd post a link to pictures, but I only took one so it will have to be up to others to give you a look at some of our activities. Keep an eye out for the giant ducks... :)