Current Location: Houston TX
Mileage: Approx. 350
States Traveled: LA, TX

Today was another long driving day. The trip from New Orleans to Houston was pretty straightforward – I-10 all the way – although we took a scenic shortcut on US Route 90 through some of bayou country. Just before hit Texas, that rainstorm from last Sunday decided to show up (with some friends) and make my life miserable – but we pressed on. We rolled into Houston a little after 4pm, and settled into our room.

Houston was never meant to be much more than a layover point between New Orleans and Austin (another 4+ hour drive), but we still managed to cruse around and see some of the city. Darren and I were both utterly astounded by the sizes of some of the homes around the city – I guess it’s true about things being bigger in Texas. Tonight was pretty much a replay of last Sunday – dinner was at Canyon Cafe (some of the best Queso I’ve ever had), and the movie was “The Ladykillers” (very funny, and probably the most accessable Coen Brothers film to date – which is not to say the film is without those moments of the bizzare that make a Coen Brothers movie).

Let me say at this juncture that I’ve discovered that rude audiences are a nationwide epidemic. While I’m guilty of occasionally whispering a comment to the person next to me, the operative word there is WHISPERING. People sitting behind us at the AMC Studio 30 were talking to each other at full volume throughout the movie – sometimes raising their voices to talk OVER the movie. Then there was the man in the wheelchair (with the BRIGHTEST cell phone in the world) who apparently found it necessary to send text messages back & forth the whole time. I didn’t say anything, because – well, let’s face it, I’d get beat up by the locals (and Darren would probably help). But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a major annoyance. Ugh.

Anyway, bed soon. Then to Austin in the morning.