Houston, Baby

At the end of a long, grueling drive, Gin and Swanic arrived with much fanfare in the lovely city of Houston. They had been driving with the windows down, as they refuse to use the air conditioning in order to save money on fuel. However, as they entered Texas, temperatures rose into the 90s, and even open windows couldn't prevent the Matrix from slowly transforming into a sauna. At one stop, Gin noted with delight the sweat that had seeped from her shirt into the car seat. While Swanic managed the soundtrack, Gin drove through the blinding Texas heat, but as the sun burned hotter Gin became more crotchety, and not even Swanic's expert DJing could prevent her inevitable outburst of "I don't want to listen to this. WHERE'S MY FUCKING IPOD!??!" As they neared Houston, Swanic called Piano Man to inform him of their imminent arrival. Pulling up to the house, the two raced into the air conditioning.

After a lovely dinner, Piano Man took Gin and Swanic out on the town to experience some of Houston's local gay culture. The first stop was Guava Land, featuring numerous red bull vodkas and the chords of karaoke. Gin and Swanic jumped right in, drinking cheap vodka and making new friends. After a few (too many) drinks, the three headed to The Mining Company, an upscale place that was described by Piano Man as "A Levi Leather Cruise Bar." Although terrified of the bathrooms and the scenes that assuredly take place there, Gin and Swanic were ready and willing to try anything. After a few more drinks the dancing began, and eventually Gin found an outside patio where she befriended a lonely, large gay man, offering sage love advice and support for his quest to find a companion. Alas, the 2 AM closing time cut this party short. Fortunately, the house had a hot tub, so they headed back and jumped in for a few more beers and some secret-sharing. Way too late, the three headed to bed to rest up for the following day.

The next morning, Piano Man hauled Gin and Swanic out of bed around noon so that the whole crew could go off in search of food. Swanic was fresh-faced, but Gin was feeling the effects of an overdose of very cheap vodka. After a leisurely lunch of the worst Thai food ever prepared in the history of the world, Gin returned to the house for a nap while Swanic and Piano Man ran errands. As evening approached, Gin got up and the three went to the park for a run/walk (Gin tried to run but her persistent headache held her back). Finished their run, Swanic and Piano Man got in the car and drove off to find Gin, who was still making her way around the trail. Pulling up to the curb, they cried "Hurry up get in! We're going to be late for yoga." Gin breathed a sigh of relief. The three then headed to the local gym where Swanic and Piano Man participated in a grueling yoga class. Gin waited in the lobby, reading Cosmo and chatting with the surprisingly friendly employees, who offered up witty observations about the weather and tips about learning to surf. (Don't judge Gin. She has never practiced yoga before and did not want to start in an advanced class on this particular day). At dinner, everyone else ordered fancy drinks and sensible BBQ dishes, while Gin ordered 4 appetizers. Watching the Olympics, the group stayed until the restaurant kicked them out. Our intrepid adventurers then headed to bed early to prepared for the next days drive to El Paso and beyond.

Gin