Tag: A Tramp’s Travelog

Traveloog Friday 191101 (Redacted Version)

JulianLeave a comment

Start: [Redacted], New Orleans, Louisiana. 

End: [Redacted], New Orleans, Louisiana. 

Exciting Events: 

  • [Redacted] gave me $2 as backpay for [redacted] favors. Hilarious. 
  • Made [redacted] by snapping my fingers. 
  • Dinner with [redacted], wherein we discussed books and ideas and art. I like her. 
  • Cuddled with [redacted] for a long while. Watched her cook dinner, too. Both very intimate. 
  • Lots of [redacted]! Great. YAY! 

Real Realizations: 

  • [Redacted] is not withholding. She does the thing she wants to do irrespective of what someone else wants. That’s self-driven and irrespective of someone else’s desires, but it’s not withholding. 
  • The feeling of something being meaningful is just that—a feeling—and could be wrong. 

Quotent Quotables: 

  • [Redacted] talking with me: 
    • “How late are you staying up? I casually need one or two more shots.” 
    • “What?! You alcoholic!” 
    • “Of photos! 
  • The feeling of something being meaningful is just that—a feeling—and could be wrong. E.g. “When I nerd out about something for hours and hours, it’s not necessarily because it’s the most important thing in the world. It’s because I get pleasure out of the feeling of nerding out.” -[Redacted] 
  • “Sometimes I feel like life is just a series of obligations that repeat every day.” -me 
  • “I hate being organized when I don’t remember where I organized things.”-[redacted]

Commonplace occurrences: 

  • [Redacted] work. 37 mins, nothing happened, [redacted]. 
  • Completed my daily writing. 
  • Completed my travelog. 

Delicious Delectables: 

  • Boudin balls at Buffa’s. Delicious! 

Alluring Activities: 

  • Sleeping well! In bed to sleep before 1am.

Travelog 191024 (Redacted Version)

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Start: [Redacted], Pflugerville, TX 

End: Parked on a public street outside Walmart, West Houston, TX 

Real Realizations: 

  • I hear men jiggle the handle before removing gas from cars and women don’t. HILARIOUS. Must research further. 

Quotent Quotables: 

  • “It’s hard to mend the relationship after being brutally honest to someone with low self-esteem.” -[Redacted]. 

Exciting Events: 

  • Worked for three hours. [Redacted]. Yay! 
  • Left Austin, heading toward New Orleans. 
  • Call with [redacted] today. Love talking to him. 

Delicious Delectables: 

  • Ham & pepperjack & mayo roll-ups. Yum! 
  • A glass of white moscato. Also yum! 

[Redacted]

  • [Redacted]. 
  • [Redacted]. 

Alluring Activities: 

  • Traveling to New Orleans. Seeing [redacted] & his crazy parties.  
  • Making t-shirts with [redacted]?!?!?!

Travel Log 191022 (Redacted Version)

JulianLeave a comment

Start: [Redacted], Pflugerville, TX

End: [Redacted], Pflugerville, TX

Delicious Delectables: 

  • Mac & Cheese for dinner. ‘CAUSE I’M AN ADULT.
  • Sous vide steak leftover from yesterday. <- Very Adult.
  • 3 Lindor Lindt White Chocolate Truffle balls. ‘CAUSE I’M AN ADULT.

Quotent Quotables: 

  • [Nay, nein, nopes!]

Real Realizations: 

  • Emotions can come out via dreams, too! And be satisfied in a real way. 
  • I enjoy staying in one place for a while. Meeting people and immersing in their day-to-day life before moving on.
    • This trip is about understanding different cultures. I haven’t seen any of Austin (any!), but I’ve spent time living with a family and loving it!

[Redacted]

  • [Redacted].
  • [Redacted].
  • [Redacted].


Exciting Events: 

  • Woke up late. Had some caffeine at 9:30am, then slept until noon. 
  • Between 9:30am and noon, had a very strong emotional processing via dream. Felt like processing some very strong negative feelings about [redacted]. Spoke in babytalk in the dream in a really strong, healing way, like the childish wonder was spreading over the terrible feelings. 
  • Walked Smidge in the morning. 
  • Wrote up a report on my experience of Myschevia. 
  • Clocked 2 hrs into [redacted].  
  • Sent a joke to my improv group’s texting group. Enjoyed making & sharing it. They riffed on it, too. 
  • Called [redacted]. He talked about his depression and how his father abused him. Enjoyed helping him talk through it. 
    • Shared my methods for countering depression with him. Helpful, they seemed, and fun 🙂

Alluring Activities: 

  • Catching up with work. ALL CAUGHT UP SOON.
  • Daily meetings at 11 and 1. That means [redacted] on weekdays! Woot woot! [redacted] Hooray! 

Travel Log 191020 (Redacted Version)

JulianLeave a comment

Start: [Redacted], Pflugerville, TX

End: [Redacted], Pflugerville, TX

Delicious Delectables: 

  • Lindor Lindt White Chocolate Truffles. ALMOST A WHOLE BAG. 

Quotent Quotables: 

  • “How good it is to have something it’s so hard to say goodbye to.” -Winnie The Pooh 

Real Realizations: 

  • Rules of the game “Freelancer”: 
    • The goal of the game is to win. You win by making the most amount of money in the least amount of time. That metric is called “hourly rate.” Increase it as much as possible. 

Exciting Events: 

  • Walked Smidge when I was all grumpy-like.
  • Performed two user experience tests for [redacted]: one each on [redacted]. 
    • Very fun process! Much more fun than I’d feared. 
  • Video chatted with [redacted] for two hours! 😄  
    • He recently attended a thanksgiving party at which he listed three things he’s grateful for. One of them was me! 
      • He really enjoys being able to sit with me in comfortable silence. Me too. And I want to become even more comfortable with him! 
    • I regaled him with stories of Myschevia and my other recent escapades. More than once, he was surprised; nay, shocked!
  • Bought [redacted] a succulent plant. 
  • [Redacted] returned from the renaissance faire.
    • They [redacted]. No wonder [redacted]! 
  • Walked Smidge again, just after it rained. It was wonderful! 
  • Teased [redacted] a bit. They said it was too much. I apologized. 
    • [Redacted]. 
    • Also, however, [redacted]. 
  • Played Slime Volleyball with [redacted]. Such a fun game. 

Alluring Activities: 

  • [Redacted] review tomorrow. 
  • Call with [redacted] tomorrow to discuss my hourly rate.

Travel Log 191019 (Redacted Version)

JulianLeave a comment

Start: [Redacted], Austin TX. 

End: [Redacted], Pflugerville, TX

Delicious Delectables: 

  • Bought 10 cans of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup. Ate 4 today, cold, straight out of the can. 
  • Domino’s Pizza for dinner. 

Quotent Quotables: 

  • “I think everyone’s more of a jerk when they’re sick. If you’re a genuinely good person when you’re sick, then there’s something wrong with you.” -[redacted]

Real Realizations: 

  • Having a place to use as home base matters. 
  • Living in a temperature-controlled house matters. 

Exciting Events: 

  • Made [redacted] for the first time in ~6 months. He doesn’t typically [redacted], esp not [redacted]. 
    • [Redacted]  
  • Woke up with a sore throat. Wasn’t sure if it was illness or just tired muscles from too much [redacted]. 
  • Negotiated [redacted] with [redacted]. [Redacted].
  • Played Hogwarts Battle with [redacted]. Fun game. I like co-ops. 

Alluring Activities: 

  • A relaxing day tomorrow. 

Travel Log 191017 (Redacted Version)

JulianLeave a comment

Start: Guest Room in [redacted]’s house, Austin, TX

End: [Redacted]’s house, South Austin, TX

Delicious Delectables: 

  • Sous vided a steak for [redacted] and myself; seared it at the end. Was TO DIE FOR. 

Quotent Quotables: 

  • “Is the opposite of ‘pee-shy’ ‘pee-proud’? ‘Cause I’m pee-proud.” -Me 

Real Realizations: 

  • It’s not how fast you move; it’s hitting all the right steps. Some steps take time. Others can zoom. 
  • I don’t want to [redacted]. That would be complex. Complex is bad. 

Exciting Events: 

  • [Redacted] with [redacted]. Very comfortable very fast. [Redacted]. 
    • [Redacted] made a funny face. I teased her [redacted]. 
  • Completed much work, including over an hour for [redacted]. 
  • Got lost on a walk with Smidge. If you plan to turn right at each chance you get, you can retrace by making each left. This only works if you don’t find a cool path that you decide to take, because, “Look! A cool path!” 
    • Called [redacted] via Apple Watch, for directions when lost. Grateful he helped. He’s a good friend.
  • Chatted with [redacted] about his life & his work. Suggested he get a sleep doc, do a sleep study, reshape his life. 
  • Texted [redacted] that I loved our chat last week. That was delightful. She called back, too. 
  • Texted [redacted] that I wasn’t happy [redacted]. Just not the relationship I want to have. She said, “all good” and “no skin off my back” (paraphrased). “Still,” I said, “Wanted you to know.” 
  • Wrote a very good section for my [redacted] story. Very, very good. About [redacted]. 
  • Cleared out my notebook from Myschevia. Notes moved, friends made!

Alluring Activities: 

  • [Redacted] tomorrow with [redacted]?!?!?!

Travel Log 191016 (Redacted Version)

JulianLeave a comment

Start: Outside E Bar Tex-Mex Restaurant, Dallas, TX 

End: Guest Room in [redacted]’s house, Austin, TX

Delicious Delectables: 

  • Shared my moscato with [redacted]. 

Real Realizations: 

  • Sex with complicated people is, well, complicated. 
  • You can live like a king in the outskirts of Austin (two-story house, 4 bedrooms, hot tub with a projector) for the same price as a solo studio apartment in San Francisco. 

Exciting Events: 

  • Walked Smidge through Dallas. Got lost, got directions from a helpful guy outside a convenience store. 
  • Hot tubbed with [redacted]. 
  • Arrived to Austin. 
  • Called the three groups I want to meet in Austin: 
    • [Redacted]
    • [Redacted]
    • [Redacted]
  • Called dad, told him about the burn and that I plan to [redacted]. He said, “be safe, whatever that means.” 
  • Called [redacted], told her stories about the burn. 
  • Spoke with [redacted] about his relationships & his life. 
  • Called [redacted]; she’s [redacted], not super happy with her life. 

Alluring Activities: 

  • [Redacted] tomorrow? 

Travel Log 191015 (Redacted Version)

JulianLeave a comment

Start: Outside the Town Square, Downtown Hughes Springs, TX

End: Outside E Bar Tex-Mex Restaurant, Dallas, TX

Delicious Delectables: 

  • Fajita Nachos at E Bar Tex-Mex Restaurant, Dallas, TX

Real Realizations: 

  • Someone with no respect for truth will always be lonely, for they live in a world of one.

Exciting Events: 

  • Walked Smidge through downtown Hughes Springs. She pooped a massive amount today. 
  • Picked up a letter from [redacted]. I love letters, especially from [redacted]. I’m elated to read & reply. 
  • In the McDonald’s Parking Lot (while I squatted their WiFi), someone knocked on my van. I assumed it was the McDonald’s manager, telling me to move along. While it was the manager, they were actually knocking to inform me my lights were on. 
  • Worked on [redacted] for ~three hours. Good work, [redacted].
  • [Redacted]. 
  • Cleared email inbox entirely. (From 75+ emails to 0.) 
  • Dinner with [redacted] from the Myschevia festival. Surprised [redacted], as I’d been thinking about it all day. 

Alluring Activities: 

  • Texas State Fair tomorrow?!?!?! Drive to Austin?!?! Only time will tell!

Travel Log 191014 (Redacted Version)

JulianLeave a comment

Start: Myschevia Festival, Armadillo Acres, Hughes Springs, TX. 

End: Outside the Town Square, Downtown Hughes Springs, TX

Notent Notables: 

  • Drove from Hughes Springs to Gilmer to retrieve Smidge. 
    • Smidge did well at the sitter. No accidents, no fights. Nothing to report. Great. 
  • Drove back to Hughes Springs so I can pick up my letter from [redacted] when the post office opens tomorrow. 
  • Met all sorts of great people during my last ranger shift at the burn, during teardown/exodus.
    • Helped the Fairy Tale camp remove their tent stakes. 
    • Hugged many people. 
    • Discussed fireworks with [redacted], the firework designer at Myschevia; he invited me to help design them next year. (He designed the greatest fireworks show I’ve ever seen, even better than the 6 years I’ve seen them at Burning Man). 
    • Received a new art to hang on my wall.
    • The North Texas Regional Burn’s walkie talkies are crap. They still run a very well-organized burn. 

Quotent Quotables: 

  • “In a culture so steeped in toxic masculinity, any emotional expression must come out through machismo.” -A Guy at the Burn, on why the North Texas Regional Burn is so Punk Rock.

Next stop: Austin. (Tomorrow?)

  • The poly pod I met last night wants me to visit them. 
    • They have “three dogs and a driveway.”  I want to [redacted]. 
  • [Redacted], the dude with the [redacted] tattoos invited me to [redacted].