12 damn near perfect hours

9am
Coffee Fairy leaves me coffee and a Sunday paper outside my hotel room. Glory! Sunday paper! Rich and I miss the Sunday paper ritual most of all. Read paper, drink coffee and laze around.

1030 am
Sunday paper completely pillaged, take shower and get ready for day in leisurely manner.

1130am
Meet BFF (one of 2, yeah, how lucky am I?) Julia at Matt's El Rancho for my 'dish of craving': Bob Armstrong dip (queso mixed with guacamole, pico de gallo and ground beef) and shrimp tostadas. Served with a swirl margarita (strawberry and lime) and a Coke. I am fat and happy (and burpy). Hopefully this will last me for a half a year or so.

1230pm
Julia and I go to Last Call for a bit of shopping. In an unusual role reversal, SHE buys stuff and I don't.

130pm
Head down to Octoberfest at NXNW brew pub in North Austin. Meet Lee, Mags, Bookhart and Pod (among other friends) and get to see my godkids Her Majesty and Wonderboy. Exclaim at how they are growing like weeds. It is expected, after all. Wonder Boy has big feet and his hair was sprayed with orange hairspray that made him look like fire, and Her Majesty is tall and skinny and was sporting some fabulous cowboy Boots (as was I, my kinda kid!).

300pm
Leave NXNW and go to HEB grocery store to get a few essentials that can't be found in Norway. (Febreze, corned beef hash, corned bread mix, Ro-Tel tomatoes and Rich's Aveeno body wash). Get sad and slightly annoyed at ALL THE STUFF I CAN'T BUY THAT I REALLY REALLY WANT. I'd kill for Pillsbury cinnamon rolls. Try not to gnash teeth at price of things....usually at least 1/4th what I pay in Norway.

430pm
Back to hotel to change clothes.

445pm
Arrive at Town Lake to take a walk. Perambulate around the lake (really the Colorado River that runs through the center of town) and enjoy watching the sweaty shirtless men jog by, the people rowing on the river, feeling the breeze and the sun on my face and generally storing up memories of sunshine and warmth for the coming cold months. When I get homesick this is where my mind goes. I love this place. Realize won't have any warmth even close to this until December, when we go to Thailand. Makes me a bit sad. I am a warm weather girl at heart.

600pm
Back at hotel. Freshen up a bit for dinner.

615pm
Go to the bar at the Stephen F Austin Intercontinental Hotel and sit on outside terrace and watch the clouds race by and the sun set in downtown. It's a bit breezy and Austinites are out enjoying the cooler weather and the appearance of clouds, which they have not seen in a while. Read fluffy magazine, drink reisling and build up appetite for dinner. Just me and my thoughts.

700pm
Go to Roaring Fork restaurant and eat dinner. Decide to eat two appetizers, so have a wonderful 'white corn' tempura shrimp (5 fancy fat fried shrimp) and tuna tartar with guacamole. Washed down with another glass of reisling. Find that two appetizers are quite filling. Those shrimp rocked. Tuna needed....something.

830pm
Back at hotel in jammies. Finish packing in preparation for going to Houston tomorrow for last night in Texas. Make blog post. Watch Desperate Housewives, I am SO out of the loop on it.

1030pm
Watch Austin news for last time and lights out. Comfy bed holds me in its soft luxe embrace. Dream time.