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ERG Conference and Dallas Pride Day 6
Sep. 17th, 2018 11:59 pmMONDAY
Woke up around 5ish to wee, and slept fitfully till 6:45. Got my shower and packed my bags, but held off on getting dressed until the last possible moment, around nine. On my way to the front desk, a big black security guard joked that he wanted to confiscate my Pride straw hat. I told him where I bought it so hopefully he can find his own.
Checked out of the hotel and walked back to St. Paul Station to catch the train to the airport. The sidewalk on Bryan Street smelled awful, as though every vertical surface had been recently peed on or worse. The ticket machine would not accept my debit card and was being persnickety about one of the dollar bills I had, but I managed to get a ticket and gave a dollar to the lady who asked for change. A tall, tanned, and heavily muscular dude with a bleached man-bun, in a stringy tank top and skintight workout shorts, crossed the tracks mid-block (a major no-no) and lounged on the opposite platform. I overheard the ladies to my left remarking on his physical attributes and smiled quietly to myself. At University of Dallas station, two young black dudes boarded wearing really cool casual collared black shirts, one printed with a floral design and the other with lots of yellow rubber ducks.
Arrived at the airport around 10:30 and caught the shuttle to terminal E. I was through security by 11:25 and was feeling hungry, so I had "brunch" at Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse. With time to kill before boarding and noticing the Skylink train station was right next to the gate, I took my traditional ride around the entire circuit (about 20 minutes) and then settled in at the gate. When it came time to board I noticed a cute cublet and his lady companion in front of me in line, with a trim beard and a cropped T-shirt revealing impressive ink on his right upper arm. Once aboard I was seated next to an elderly couple with the lady on the aisle and her husband in the middle next to me. I watched a few episodes of TV shows like House Hunters, Building Off the Grid, Tiny Paradise, and Cheap Eats, then found a 90-minute documentary about film scoring which cut off about an hour in as we descended through 10000 feet. One of the luggage bins popped open on landing and a cute cub on the aisle behind it (who was wearing a TCU T-shirt though) got up to close it.
I managed to get through baggage claim and out to the Link station by the time Gary arrived. We sat on the mezzanine level and caught up on things for a few minutes before returning to the platform to catch the northbound train. We left the train at Westlake Station and proceeded to Johnny Rockets for dinner. Gary wanted to sit in a booth but I could not make myself fit, so I chose a table out by the concourse to people-watch.
After dinner of a mushroom and Swiss burger for me, a chicken sandwich for Gary, and far too many tater tots for both of us, we caught a southbound train and the 510 bus; the latter was an old Community Transit artic with the funky upholstery. As pre-arranged, I left my bags on the bus with Gary and exited at the W at 4th and Seneca, and arrived at rehearsal a few minutes late. Rehearsal went well and I rode back with Neil and Steve. I could not wait to get my travel clothes off and, as I sat in the recliner finishing a much-needed glass of tea, I fell fast asleep by 11 and woke up about 12:45 to go upstairs for the night.
Woke up around 5ish to wee, and slept fitfully till 6:45. Got my shower and packed my bags, but held off on getting dressed until the last possible moment, around nine. On my way to the front desk, a big black security guard joked that he wanted to confiscate my Pride straw hat. I told him where I bought it so hopefully he can find his own.
Checked out of the hotel and walked back to St. Paul Station to catch the train to the airport. The sidewalk on Bryan Street smelled awful, as though every vertical surface had been recently peed on or worse. The ticket machine would not accept my debit card and was being persnickety about one of the dollar bills I had, but I managed to get a ticket and gave a dollar to the lady who asked for change. A tall, tanned, and heavily muscular dude with a bleached man-bun, in a stringy tank top and skintight workout shorts, crossed the tracks mid-block (a major no-no) and lounged on the opposite platform. I overheard the ladies to my left remarking on his physical attributes and smiled quietly to myself. At University of Dallas station, two young black dudes boarded wearing really cool casual collared black shirts, one printed with a floral design and the other with lots of yellow rubber ducks.
Arrived at the airport around 10:30 and caught the shuttle to terminal E. I was through security by 11:25 and was feeling hungry, so I had "brunch" at Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse. With time to kill before boarding and noticing the Skylink train station was right next to the gate, I took my traditional ride around the entire circuit (about 20 minutes) and then settled in at the gate. When it came time to board I noticed a cute cublet and his lady companion in front of me in line, with a trim beard and a cropped T-shirt revealing impressive ink on his right upper arm. Once aboard I was seated next to an elderly couple with the lady on the aisle and her husband in the middle next to me. I watched a few episodes of TV shows like House Hunters, Building Off the Grid, Tiny Paradise, and Cheap Eats, then found a 90-minute documentary about film scoring which cut off about an hour in as we descended through 10000 feet. One of the luggage bins popped open on landing and a cute cub on the aisle behind it (who was wearing a TCU T-shirt though) got up to close it.
I managed to get through baggage claim and out to the Link station by the time Gary arrived. We sat on the mezzanine level and caught up on things for a few minutes before returning to the platform to catch the northbound train. We left the train at Westlake Station and proceeded to Johnny Rockets for dinner. Gary wanted to sit in a booth but I could not make myself fit, so I chose a table out by the concourse to people-watch.
After dinner of a mushroom and Swiss burger for me, a chicken sandwich for Gary, and far too many tater tots for both of us, we caught a southbound train and the 510 bus; the latter was an old Community Transit artic with the funky upholstery. As pre-arranged, I left my bags on the bus with Gary and exited at the W at 4th and Seneca, and arrived at rehearsal a few minutes late. Rehearsal went well and I rode back with Neil and Steve. I could not wait to get my travel clothes off and, as I sat in the recliner finishing a much-needed glass of tea, I fell fast asleep by 11 and woke up about 12:45 to go upstairs for the night.