More about the cruise: We started in Puerto Rico, then went to St. Croix, then St. Lucia, then Barbados, then Antigua, then St. Thomas, then back to Puerto Rico. We didn’t see much of P.R., so I can’t really make a judgement about it. I do want to go back and check it out for real. Our favorite island out of the others was Antigua. Amazing scenery. The locals didn’t seem as desperate as on other islands, and the place seemed to be doing fairly well while still holding on to a culture of its own. We snorkled over a large reef there. I have more notes, which I’ll probably post later on.
St. Lucia was also very nice. Friendly people, tons of fruit (mostly banana) trees. We were abandoned by a cab driver who took us to the beach and said he would wait, but it turned out to be a blessing in discuise (I know, I need an editor for my web log) because we got a cab driver who actually talked to us and we learned a great deal…including how to say “cow’s penis” in the local language (a french creole). Apparently, it’s an insult.
The virgin islands that we visited (St. Croix and St. Thomas) we’re mostly nothing special.
Barbados has the largest city of any of the islands (save P.R.), Bridgetown. Seems interesting, but roving gangs of taxi drivers are a nuisance and the city’s infrastructure looks like it’s seen better days.
That’s my report for now. I’m just trying to get caught up here on what’s turning out to be a pretty hectic spring!

I just realized that I never wrote down anything about Scuba diving! It was amazing! I’ve never experienced anything so weird…ever! There were fish…everywhere. Big fish! Because it’s a lake, and it was windy and had just rained, we couldn’t see very far (maybe 10 feet). But, it was really quite a thing, and it’s amazing how well wet suits work!

oh, I’m taking scuba diving lessons here. I have to dive in Lake Travis this weekend. It’s going to be freakin cold. Click here to see just how cold it will be. I’m a little frightened. I’ll report back next week, probably.

I’m looking for theme music. My idea is that I ought to have a song that plays when I enter a room or when I’m walking down the street. Maybe I could just carry a small tape player with me. I’m thinking that a good idea for a web business would be ‘MyThemeMusic.com’, where people could go to create their theme music…pick a drum beat, pick a bass line, add some horns and the guitar line, and there you are. Click here to order a cd of your theme music. What would you pay for this?

While you’re thinking about this, here are some links:
AP Calculus Theme Song
Name that theme song
and here’s a good one…Some Asthmatics discussing what the Asthmatic theme song should be. See, everyone needs a theme song.

Some of the things that I want to do this year:

• take bowling lessons
• take golf lessons
• write more fiction
• make more tv shows
• work on a guidebook for people without kids (things to do, places to go, etc)
• write down things I want to do before I forget them!

I’m making a list of places to eat in Austin that are not overrun with children….places where two adults can go to eat and actually hear each other talking…places where you don’t have to listen to Joe Bob at the next table tell his daughter to “shut up” (like we did last night at Kerby Lane).

Anyway, many of these places are a little more expensive than Chuy’s or other “massive quantities of cheap food to make your children stuff their faces with chips and salsa and hopefully fall asleep” places. But, if you don’t have kids, you can afford it. Enjoy yourself. Eat good food in a QUIET place!

So, here’s the list so far:

1. Dave and Busters…AFTER 10 (11 during the summer). They actually kick the kids out. It’s really a beautiful sight. And, things get so much more pleasant after they’re gone!

2. Cool River Cafe…this place is a meat market for single people who fancy themselves to be fancy. But, if you can put up with those people, you can play pool and eat some good food…without kids around (too expensive for mom and pop to show up in the minivan with lil’ Travis, Jebb and Ashley.)

3. Koreana. Good Korean food and sushi. Nice, quiet, atmosphere.

4. Manuel’s. Kids occasionally get in here, but they seem really out of place. A great alternative to the aforementioned Chuy’s.

4. Iron Cactus. So much Tequila, you’ll go nuts! Atmosphere is certainly not kid-friendly..much too clean for that.

More to come!