When life beats you down, sometimes you just have to run away. So was the case Friday with my solo jaunts to San Marcos and New Braunfels. First was a professional visit, critiquing and advising journalism students at The University Formerly Known as Southwest Texas. I've been volunteering on the campus advisory board for six years. Seems unusual I should be advising students on techniques and professional career paths at a school from which I dropped out of eons ago because of burn out.
But traversing Texas State, for me, is quite fun even if it happens once every semester. Some friends who currently attend school entertain me with tales of cool classes, inspirational papers and projects and infuriating professors. Ah, the good ol' days! I get nostalgic over the numerous times I exacerbated my asthma hiking up and down the hilly terrain, particularly the emblematic Old Main Building where I took my mass communications courses.
I walked the quad for a bit, with free swag in tow, but restocking on TSU merchandiseI may not have graduated from there, but I still enjoyed my brief tenure and support the school. Go Bobcats! Thanks, SWT, for making that huge dent in my credit card, a debt that still lives to this day! Then it was onward to my favorite local record shop, Sundance Records, and to a couple of hangouts in the square, one of which is Sean Patrick's very homey, lively Irish pub.
Then it was play time. Sort of. I returned to Wurstfest on opening night no less. Feel free to browse the temporary new photo album. It's events like this that make me truly appreciate my current career field. One of the public relations guy had supposedly set aside complimentary tickets for my name/newspaper. Alas, the gate station that was to have the tickets, didn't have the supply after all. So the PR guy relented, gave me the comp tickets AND a ticket set that assured me an extra beer. Damn I love this gig.
I was actually on reporting duty, seeing what - if any - local angles I could turn up for my newspapers. But no doubt I was enjoying: the revelry; the coolly irreverent souvenir hats; the variety of delicious food and drink on hand; the incredibly long line for apparently the lone booth selling potato pancakes (along with the optional sausage), the music (although I merely witnessed an impromptu session of The Chicken Dance) and simply the scene of people disposing of their daily worries for one night. However, I didn't partake in the full breadth of activities that you'd normally associate with Wurstfest, which is really the closest I'll get Oktoberfest for many years to come.
Afterwards, I took breather at a New Braunfels piano bar. What a way to wind up an active Friday with whatever an atmosphere that screams hip and smooth yet not so pretentious. This is New Braunfels, after all. Ultimately, in the immortal words of Ice Cube, it was a good day.. a day filled with lame work, frivolity and time to contemplate and reminisce. Occasionally, you NEED days such as this: accomplishing some semblance of assistance for others (youth, America's future!) while pampering yourself.
Hope everyone out there is doing well. Oh, I'd like to return to Wurstfest before it ends Nov. 11...if the "right" opportunity strikes. I still have the two comp tickets. Any local friend that truly, madly appreciates me interested in going? Hmm? Hello? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Like any crazed informercial, an opportunity like this doesn't last long and doesn't happen to often. Call (or email or text) now before it's too late! LOL
