So tomorrow leave for StupidFest, in Austin. 🛹

I feel like I talk about Austin traffic and street challenges a lot, but honestly those things are always a minor point of stress when I go there. Driving 4 hours from Dallas I am usually a little tired when I get there, and the idea of then creeping along the crowded city streets just to find, for instance, some food, is not attractive to me. So the plan is to go down there and time it so I get to my Air BnB at 3pm. Gonna try to stop and have lunch with my friend Jack, so looking forward to that!

So, it is nice to find a nice private Air BnB in a quiet neighborhood. Our last trip to Austin we were in a hotel. It was one of those new kind of hotels where there’s no carpet, all the surface are hard, everything looks “new” but kinda slapped together, and seems to cater to people who want to party. Now, combine “party” with “hard surfaces” and you have the makings of a noisy, horrible, not cozy or relaxing experience. We took our dog, who is really good in a crate, and he could not relax. So we ended up coming home in the middle of the night rather than even staying for one night. Basically I hate drunk people. Yes, I know I’m going to StupidFest. I can deal. But drunk strangers who are douchebags are not on my preferred agenda. I’m ranting a bit…

What I’m saying is simply this: I enjoy having a peaceful place to stay. And I’m not even a fan of the Air BnB business model. I don’t want any Air BnBs in my neighborhood, but I will hypocritically stay in one in Austin. So there.

As I write this I am sitting at the car dealership, getting my car ready for the trip. It is nice being and adult and having the cash to take care of my car properly. I’m working from home the rest of the day, so I’ll have time to get my boards and stuff ready, do some laundry, etc.

Anyway, I’ll get to Austin Thursday afternoon. A lot of people get there a day early and go to San Antonio on Thursday, but I’m skipping that. We might have a skate session Thursday night. If not, depending on logistics, I might meet some of the blokes for dinner. If not, I will be content to chill at my lodgings and read, work on D&D and Traveller stuff.

This year’s StupidFest apparently will feature spots I’ve never skated. I’m good with that. I need to open my mind a bit. Frankly, some of the old spots are not favorites of mine. Pink Ditch? Ugh. It’s a hassle to get to, and while it looks interesting in pictures it actually sucks. We usually meet at this skatepark of which’s name escapes me and then go to Pink. I’m not a fan of that park either. You might be asking yourself at this point “what does Bob like to skate?” Not a big skatepark fan. I like a good, simple ditch with big flat walls. I don’t need a bunch of add-ons beyond a few parking blocks. When I see DIY shit that’s been poured at a ditch my first thought is usually “this place is gonna get shut down.” I know a lot of people are into the DIY additions. That’s cool. It’s just not my thing usually. I have this philosophical position where I like to pretty much skate terrain as it is found. This position is based on laziness. Some folks NEED the DIY stuff, because without it there isn’t anything to skate, so I understand and support that.

Going to an event like StupidFest is really about connecting with people you enjoy skating with, almost more than the actual skating. I can go skate any time I want, really. I could go to San Antonio by myself and skate the ditches all I want. Get all the skating I want, without really having to wait my turn. That’s not the point of going to a gathering. So yes, I am looking forward to seeing the NeverWas folks in-person.

I will likely post a few podcast updates from the road tomorrow.