Top 7 Things I've Learned Thus Far on Spring Break (or: Rumors of my AWOLness are not at all exaggerated)

Okay so I have been on Spring Break. That means this girl likes to party all the time, which apparently doesn't include anything relating to blogging other than hanging out with bloggers in real life. Although party has a new definition these days and seems to cap off at 9:30ish, it's about quality not quantity.

(I swapped out the image; the first one was freaking out visitors. We can't have that! So I subbed in a nice local beach shot instead.)

In no particular order other than as they occurred to me, here are things I've learned so far this week while on Spring Break (which is not finished yet):

1. Men are freaking weird. Some of them are actually turned on by a woman eating an aluminum can. With her bare teeth. I have no words. Okay a few: I would never ever be turned on by a guy eating an aluminum can with his bare teeth. Not even if he wore a really low cut tank top. And was wet. And strongly resembled Adrian Paul. Not even then.

2. The mouse car makes good time. And gets decent gas mileage. No, really. Mine does. It's called manual transmission, friends. Sometimes control freak and Luddite combine well, for the good of the planet.

3. SXSW music festival is still cool after all of these years. I even recognized the names of a few bands (thank you Grey's Anatomy soundtracks).

4. Canadians, particularly Not So Sage and Something Baby Blue, are wicked cool people. And they know how to rock it Austin-style. I have a photo. Yes, one. But it's on someone else's camera and I have to get it back. Hooks and crooks in planning stages. I must also mention that they are amazingly tolerant to be dragged on a tour of my romance with my husband, "And that's where we had our first date, and oh we're eating at the scene of our first big fight, and then over there is where I used to work, and wow, that building is where Jon and I went to our first big dress-up party, and dropped hand-made mini-parachutes off the balcony..." I can be grateful, I think, for the fact that Canadians are amazingly well-mannered. Until the next point, when I feel guilty about not being Canadian enough. ;)

5. You can freak out Canadians very easily simply by dickering with your waiter over the bill. Apparently, they are unaware of the Tejano SOP for bargaining over a mistake on one's bill, and the deep and abiding long-term respect one can build by being (shall we say) diplomatically passive-aggressively insistent that it be corrected. I saved us $12 bucks people. You know you were impressed. But not half as impressed as I am that a vegetarian would eat meat rather than complain to a waiter. ;) You come spend more time with me. I'll have you fixed in a jiffy. Also? I do not actually bathe in the blood of virgins to maintain my youthful appearance. That would be ridiculous. It would be way too much trouble to find a virgin. And speaking of like a virgin...

6. Angelina shops at Wal*Mart. ANGELINA JOLIE, people. L'Angelina. Yes, she and Brad are filming in Central Texas. Despite our best efforts, we did not happen across Brad and Matthew dining together on Congress Street. It would have been sweet. <-- That's what we call an understatement. But...alas. However, I would not have found them hot if they started chomping aluminum cans. (One of us---the Super Cool One with a BADGE---had celebrity brushes, but it's her story so you'll have to read her blog.)

7. Kyla is a really good friend because she did not laugh once at my need to eat Swedish Fish obsessively while road tripping. And she did share her Smarties, which I got about six total of after my kids found the box. However, it is here that I learned the NUMBER ONE thing so far on Spring Break: Smarties are simply OLD FASHIONED M&Ms!! Yes, friends, the M&Ms of my/our youth. You know the ones, the way they were before the "melt in your mouth, not in your hand" campaign! I am so going to Canada for my candy now. I bet you guys even have proper cherry sours, soft center ones that make you pucker for a second before ODing on sweet. We'll make a trade of it: Canadian candy for Mexican vanilla. You foodies. You know you want it.

Okay folks, I am on the road again...will see you later. Sorry I haven't been by your spots. I opened up reader and had over 300 posts accumulated. I confess I am likely to click Mark All Read.

I won't mention that other than threats of a storm that never materialized (not here anyway, sorry north Texas folks and mid-west folks who got nailed) the weekend at SXSW was hot (low 90s) and the week has otherwise been sunny and 70s. Perfect Spring Break.

P.S. Jenny, I'm sorry, although I hugged the Canadians I forgot to attribute one to you. Bygones?

P.P.S. I have to thank the incredibly cool people (Gwen, Melissa, Andrea, and Emily) who actually seemed to miss me. Whew, balm to the soul, ladies. (Sorry for lack of links, am on the road again.)

Copyright 2008 Julie Pippert
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