Hey noodle what did you do today?

Well I woke up at about 7:30 to a sunny morning, and after rousing myself up I made a spiced turkey sammich with some Dorites, brushed my teeth and packed my stuff. I saw the handle to David's pot lying on the ground right below my car, and luckily saw that before I left. I struggled to pack my puptent, and the ranger drove by and asked if it was something he said, while referencing my cursing. I told him that nuh, I was fine.

I eventually folded it and packed it, then maneuvered from the parking spot with slightly foggy windows. I stopped at the potable water filling station, and though there was a little gunk in one part of the pipe, the water tasted super good after I let it circle a bit.

Then I was off! The morning was bright and beautiful, and I saw signs for Texarkana...However I felt myself growing sleepy, so I pulled over at a Love's and took a smol nap. Because my phone wasn't charging (It keeps detecting moisture that isn't there) and I had to have it on the wireless charger at a weird angle, I didn't set an alarm, but I couldn't have slept for more than 30...The NPR story I woke up to was the one that they were advertising as 'next' when I'd gone to sleep, and looking at the clock, I estimated about 20 minutes had passed.

I got back on the road and headed on and on and on...Past Texarkana, and onward to Texas!

Texas reminds me a lot of Western Kentucky if you took it and stretched it to outrageous dimensions. It has the same trees, but they're trying to cover more land. It has the same hills, but they're more patient. When they say everything is bigger in Texas, I feel as if it's only because the people living there feel as if they need to compete against the natural landscape. The state also has a lot of pride in itself, and given its sheer mass, it's easy to understand why...They were once their own country, and have the breadth and resources to do so again, should the need ever arise.

The state takes mercy on its drivers by upping the highway speed limit from 70 MPH to 75, though you'd be surprised at how little a difference this makes. Also perhaps this was a one-off fluke, but I found that unlike states grounded in rationality, Texas feels it's unnecessary to inform its drivers where food and gas might be procured. There are a few signs pointing to relevant stops and their associated exits, but instead of signifying the distance and direction, I only saw a sign that said “Murphy's”, pointed in one direction down a busy 4 lane street (5 if you include the middle turn lane), and wished its weary drivers the best of luck.

I grabbed gas there and melded back onto the exit, however as I did I got stuck behind a green car that was being piloted by a girl who, if she pushed herself, might reach an IQ necessary to form multi-syllabic words. Instead of speeding up on the merge-lane she slowed down, causing traffic to my left to whip by at dangerous rates as our lane was ending. I passed her and refused to let her ahead of me, and she flipped me off. I mirrored the gesture, though in hindsight I feel like I'm better than that. It's quite clear her limited motor skills will lead her to meeting a tragic end soon enough, and it's not my place to fill her simple life with any extra negativity. I am better than that, though not above passive aggressive journals!

Austin traffic was absolutely bonkers, and it reinforced my opinion about wondering why anyone would ever willingly live in a city. This traffic was bad even though Google took me through pay-toll roads (That I guess I hafta mail in or pay online...Hecc!). I eventually reached Congress Bridge and parked in a pay-parking lot, then walked to a bar called Yeti's...Which seemed to be entirely themed around Yeti coolers. Everyone sat on Yeti coolers and there were even succs growing out of some! I asked if I could get food there, but they directed me to a place called 'Aussie's'. I walked down the road to the place, and it had a back yard that was covered in sand and had people playing volleyball. I went inside and got some really tasty chicken tacos with a conk, then after eating I paid and walked down to the park below the bridge. I tried to find a geo but it was a tough one and there were too many people jogging, so I headed beneath the bridge. I heard looooads of squeaks, but couldn't see any bats. However even though I was about an hour and a half early, there were folks beginning to line up.

I sat by the river on the other side of this chain link fence, and a group of British people showed up. One of them was a flight attendant, and he got to travel the world and see many things...Probably more of America than I have even seen!

The bats were taking a while, but then all at once, they just came...Like there was a never ending swarm of them just funneling out of these cracks. Amazing!

At about 8:15 I headed back to my car and decided to brave traffic. Why? Cheaper hotels south of the city in another, smaller town called, get this, Kyle...Kyle, Texas! It wasn't so bad driving there, but I think I saw a police chase along the way. I saw a truck with flashers going up a ramp with 3 police cars, lights flashing, following behind. The truck and police then headed down the opposite ramp, so I think he was trying to lose them!

I got to a Quality Inn and checked into one of the rooms, then grabbed some stuff, headed to my room (#310), and then got a shower and washed my clothes in the shower. I am like a gypsy! O:

I spent time watching tubes and typing while lying on the bed naked, making sure I didn't have any more ticks, 'cause I found one on me in Aussie's and one on me after the shower. Eventually I headed to bed a little after 1.

I hope everyone has a Kyle in Kyle day! <333