I love Texas

Tuesday, September 9:
Total = $0 (yay!)

Wednesday, September 10:
$10.61 - cat litter, cat food, and club soda
Total: $10.61 (great!)

I love business travel. Well, I love it and I hate it. I love it because it means I can spend $0, because everything is paid for by work (as long as I can resist magazine and impulse book puchases at the airport), and because it's fun to see new places, and makes me feel like my job IS actually pretty cool. I hate it because it is a pain in the ass sometimes, and means getting up early and dealing with airport security, and other disgruntled passengers, and the constant lottery of cancelled or delayed flights. I think one of the reasons I was able to get away with my hectic and frivolous lifestyle last fall (driving to VT every weekend, spending whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted) was because at least 2-3 days of every week I was living on the employer's dime. I'm glad I'm not traveling as much as I used to be, but I do miss the financial cushion it gave me.

This week's trip to San Antonio was unexpectedly fun, the hotel people were nice as usual, the bed I slept in was insanely comfortable, and Pam and I got to take a trip out to a ranch in Texas hill country. It was absolutely beautiful and rugged and made me want to move to the country and shack up with a cowboy. Someday, maybe.

This is Oreo, the ranch's friendly long-horn steer. The perspective of the picture makes him look sort of small, but trust me, he's not. His horns must be about 5 or 6 feet from end to end, and his back is at least up to my shoulder.