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| All I can say is..."Wow!". I musta been a good boy lately...Sunday was one of the best days I have had in a long, long while...and I have no idea what I did right to deserve it....but I won't complain! After sleeping in till I was damned good and ready to get up (ok ok...till the hangover wore off...haha), I finally got up and decided to head to Austin (on advice from most all skaters in San Antonio). My original plan was just to hit the Skatepark of Austin....but my day had much more in store for me! Like I said...I was sleeping in (haha), so I didn't get up and out till about 12:30pm. I wanted to grab lunch but figured I would hit somewhere on the way to Austin (that never panned out). It was almost exactly a one hour drive from San Antonio to Austin....a bit more due to road construction on I-35 North. Also, I got a bit diverted and went 183 North instead of South but a quick call to the Skatepark of Austin via Information (411), I was put on the right track. I pulled up to the park right about 1:45pm. For the next 2 1/2 hours, I had the best time in a long time! That park rules!!!! First off, the 69 Bowl (so called because it goes from 6ft to 9ft deep...an OBVIOUS point I missed until Lucas explained...and I read the depths on the tiles...haha) is by far one of the best wooden bowls I have ever skated in my 17+ yrs of skating now (The legendary Hanger and Atlanta's Skatezone are the only others I can say are on par). Had I the energy (and skill), I coulda stayed in that bowl all day!!! In a word....TITS! The deep end, round wall is an engineering marvel.....sheer perfection. I highly recommend putting this park on your roadtrip if you plan on coming anywhere within a 3hr drive to Austin (ok...easy for me to say being a mere 1hr away...haha). After wearing myself out in the bowl, I played on the 4ft mini a bit. Pretty fun. Also, hit the beginner course's 1/4-pipe to play and work on super-stalled pivot-to-fakies...haha. About that time, I was just beat....don't know if it was the alcohol-esque sweat, the aching ankles or my sore feet (slapping from bailing), but I just chose one of the above as an excuse for "time to go". I did my part to support the park and grabbed a few shirts on the way out. In all...a great skatepark experience. Special thanks goes out to Ron (was working the park...skates for Gringo but was out due to a bummed knee), Lucas (ripped the bowl and made me laugh on the 4ft), Darrel ( sessioned the bowl and continued to try even after a tough slam), John (old schooler who found his way back...and thank God cause he worked that bowl!...nice mellow style), Brian (had the bowl down.....so much so, pads not required...haha), and the rest of the guys who were out for the Sunday session (sorry, didn't catch names). But my day did not end there....driving back towards San Antonio (and after a short pit stop break), I decided to try to find the CFAN ditch that a member of AoS (Jim Richardson) had told me about and several folks from the park spoke highly of as well. A good ditch in Texas? Get out! haha Anyways, it was right on the way, so why not eh? It was late in the day when I found it, but many cars were parked by the side of the road(that was the tip off). Well, low and behold, the entire Playboy Extreme Team was there skating.....ok...that part was a lie....just seeing if you are paying attention. haha But actually there were quite a few cars there and about a half dozen folks skating. I noticed Brian from the Skatepark of Austin was there. Well, I watched a bit and snapped a few pics. I noticed one guy skating some big decks and more so, the recent Pocket Pistols "Hammerhead" I had posted. We struck up a conversation. Turns out it was Jim! The very same guy from AoS that had emailed me to join him for a session at the ditch and had given directions! Thanks to him, I had asked about it at the park. Cool! Well, right off, I noticed a problem....I was not set-up to ride this ditch so easily. Both Brian and Jim had fat set-ups....wide deck with big trucks and big soft wheels....they were working that ditch! Me...well, I managed to putt around at best. The drops from bank-to-flat jarred me so that my tail would smack! Jim even asked what the hell I was doing to make that noise. "Uh...it's a trick I do." haha Nevertheless, I felt honored just to be skating the place and with those guys. It was fun. I could see spending all day there and never taking the same line twice. It is by far the most non-ditch ditch I have ever skated....if that makes sense. haha Texas folks just don't know how good they have it! But does my great day end there? Ohhhh noooooo.....I got back to my hotel in San Antonio and was beat. Relaxed a bit and got cleaned up. Headed out for dinner around 8pm. You would be amazed at how well you can eat on a $60 per day per diem. haha Since I had skipped breakfast and lunch, I still had all that to use.....and use I did. I visited a place nearby called Pappadeaux (Pop-a-doe-s)....a Louisianna style restaurant. I feasted! The food was incredible!!! After that, I decided to hit a place right around the corner from my hotel that a girl bartender (from the Oasis) I met at another bar last week told me about....the "Lexington Room". Little did I know, it was $4 martini night....woo whooo!!!! Now, don't get me wrong...I don't like martinis for the "trendy" factor....I like the plain old James Bond style, dry vodka martini......none of that fruity drink using the martini name crap! I had 3, and they were fantastic! $12 for 3 Grey Goose martinis!!! Where will you match that?!?!?! Talking with the bartender, I found out they have "deals" all week long....Mon=$2 any beer, Tues=$3 Patron shots (Patron!), Wed=$2 Mexican beers, Thurs=$2 Crown, etc. I think I have found a new "home" while here!!!!...and the atmosphere wasn't too bad either. haha And if that wasn't enough, I met the most beautiful 36dd-24-36, single, never-married girl that owned her own bar and was looking to settle down with someone just like me!....ok...ok....again, just seeing if you are keeping up...I said it was a "great" day....not the "best day ever". haha. So, after that, I headed right back around the corner (seriously...within sight of my hotel) and thus ended my great day. Now I sit here and recall it all. Ahhhh.....if every Sunday was this good........ | ||||||||
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