first impressions of San Antonio

Preston & I arrived mid day yesterday in San Antonio, Texas after a long day of flying with a very early start. Flight was Ok, a bit of a rush. We arrived to San Antonio to find they'd lost some of our luggage. Preston checked two bags & I one. Preston's suit bag arrived, the others did not. They got us my bag to me early this morning. Preston's other bag is in West Palm Beach Florida, mixed up with some other Holloway's bag (or something).

After taking a taxi from the airport, we settled into our hotel & grabbed some yummy mexican food from across the street & then went to the conference center to get Preston registered. The conference center sits above the 'River Walk' - the river is one level below the streets & they've set it up so that you can walk along by the river. There's all kinds of neat little outdoor spots along the River walk, including this little bar area that was visible from the conference room windows.

Last night, Preston went to a student mixer at his conference & I did a bit of exploring. Mostly walking around the River Walk area & settling in for another go at one of the busy mexican restaurants that has tables seated right next to the river. The river walk area is cool -very busy in most places, though there seem to be more secluded sections where young couples walk hand in hand & it feels all romantic & such & I try to sneak past the couples hoping to leave them in the illusion that they're the only ones on the planet at that moment in time....

...they also have tour boats going up & down the river during the day - definitely have to try it. I hear the tour guides spouting random factoids as they drive by - sounds like an interesting look at the city & it's history.

Today spent the first part of the morning being all obsessive compulsive & tracking down a store that sells G.I. Joe's (personally I blame Canada Post for their apparent losing of some of my packages - I'm mostly trying to track down stuff that I should've gotten in the mail). Anyhow, that led me on a long bus jaunt northwards to a comic store that, as I found out, sold vintage stuff only. Then I spent some time wandering around a mall for a while trying to track down a wal-mart, etc., but to no avail.

I've been reading the book "I am the central park jogger" on this trip. It's a book that's been an inspiration to a dear friend of mine & I'm finally getting around to reading the copy that I'd borrowed from her a long time ago. It's a heavy book, though filled with promise. It's about a woman, Trisha Meili, who, while jogging through Central Park in New York, was attacked by a gang, brutally beaten, raped & left for dead. They found her barely alive, with massive head trauma from where they caved in her skull to subdue her & they expected that she would not survive, but she did & years after the event, she found the courage to tell her story. Like I said, beautiful to see her life spared & changed, & to see the healing in her life, but yeah, just really hard to read.

It's been affecting me a bit. Last night I had to really work hard to control the tears last night 'cause yeah, I have a lot of gal friends & it's always a fear of mine that one day I'll get the call that a friend's been attacked & so reading this stuff sort of makes me 'live' out some of the pain attached with the situation. Today riding the bus & spent time praying for a pretty young girl putting on her makeup, and for a young hispanic mother with two cute little daughters. Praying just that God would protect them & guard their lives that none of this darkness would ever touch them.

It's cool though to read of the 'connection' of the way that when you love, you suffer with the suffering. It's beautiful to read about her family, friends & the doctors & medical staff & how that it wasn't just her in pain & fighting for her life, it was the whole of them, all together, one collective will saying, 'live, live' (reminds me of Ezekiel 16) - it's amazing to see her strength, to see her as 'Lady Courage', but it's amazing, too, to see the way the pain was shared, the hurt defeated through love & to see the strength of will & strength of faith (in a perhaps religious, but mostly non-religious) sense that brought her through. It was interesting to see her doctor's heart. His daughter had been raped at gunpoint months before Trisha's attack & so, almost because of that, he worked tirelessly to bring her back from the edge as an act of defiance that these criminals wouldn't claim the life of this woman.....

...but yeah, heavy stuff for light days - though I guess that's normal for me.

The afternoon was spent with some sightseeing (including a look outside the Alamo - didn't go in - it was too busy & besides, figured I'd wait & see it with Preston). It's been less hot today. Yesterday was a scorcher with high humidity. Today was a bit overcast for the morning, but still pretty warm... nice to enjoy the sunshine & palm trees.

San Antonio's beautiful in it's own way - lots of green space. Though it still feels urban & a bit 'dirty' - I think it's from the construction of stone & such - it just gives everything a 'dusty' feel to it. People have been nice. It feels safe/comfortable to walk the streets at night. It's spring break apparently, so lots of teens & their parents wandering around. But yeah, pretty fun time so far. Will try sea world tomorrow (I think).