The Besser’s Do Austin. Chapter 3. “MINE”

[written by Paul; edited by Kathy]

Something very special happened during this lengthy time between updates. Dane turned two! This was not without a party, of course, thrown at his current favorite park – Zilker, along with 15 adults and 15 kids. It was a great learning experience for Kathy and I, actually. We learned a lot about throwing a party in Texas. 100% of the invitees called to say whether or not they would be there and 95% of those who RSVP’d showed up. In California, you can bet that only 60% of invitees will acknowledge an invitation. As far as showing up is concerned, only 70% of those who RSVP will be there and 30% of those who did not will come anyway.

So it was a good party. And turning two brought a new word to Dane’s vocabulary, almost to the day he turned two. “MINE.” Yes, Dane learned the possessive pronoun from Hell! Dane now practices this word regularly. We figured it seemed a rather appropriate vocabulary addition for a two-year old.

Actually, Dane had two parties in honor of turning two – the first one when we visited the Bay Area and Sacramento on Memorial Day weekend. I was teaching a class that week, so we made it a long weekend and visited Kathy’s family. Her sister, Lori, bought a cake, and, incredibly, Dane blushed as we sang to him. We had a great time visiting the Train Museum, attending the Sacramento Jazz Festival, and boating on the American River, at least until Kathy christened the new family boat by going on the wrong side of a buoy and trashing the propeller! Dane loved boating though. He wore his life preserver and sunglasses, referring to himself as “Hollywood.”

We returned from CA with a fresh, cynical attitude on TX, which is really proving to be a necessity. All the neighbors were worried while we were gone. We should let them know when we are away so that they don’t worry and so that they can keep an eye on the house. Odd though, from that comment, it seems to me like they kept a pretty close eye on the place even though we did not tell them we were going away. Hmmm. This “neighbor” concept they have in TX is rather curious to me. Neighbors who you know and see on a regular basis take a little getting used to. Neighbors who invite you over for dinner. Neighbors who have a cul-de-sac BBQ to welcome the new faces. Neighbors who say you can stop by anytime and mean it. Neighbors who tell your landlord that she is being a jerk, so that you don’t have to. Neighbors who buy toys specifically so Dane will have something to play with when he visits their house, even though their own kids are in college. And just why would they leave their doors unlocked at night? Hmmm. Let’s just say that, as curious as we are about this “neighbor” concept in TX, it is a welcome change from CA.

Now that the real summer is arriving in TX (as evidenced by some roof-rattling thunderstorms and temperatures in the high 90s), we have begun the annual migration native to this part of the country. We go in search of water sports! Look for us on the Discovery Channel next month right after the story of the lions of the Serengeti. Water sports are the only way to stay cool. Barton Springs at Zilker Park, which is fed by a natural spring, is a great place to go in the evening or on a Saturday morning, but the neighborhood pool is proving its worth as well. There is a play area for kids that has shallow water, but Dane doesn’t like it. He wants to be with the big kids, in the deep water. He runs full speed and jumps off the side of the pool to Daddy, only to climb out and do it all over again. He has absolutely no fear. He sticks his head under water and will jump off any ledge into the water. We went to New Braunfels recently, where you can do a slow float down a crystal clear river OR go to Schlitterbahn, a water park that is all the rage of my co-workers. We also bought Dane a little baby pool, a must-have for any child who is part fish and any woman who is in her third trimester. They have one at daycare, too, and Dane spends hours a day in there. You should see the tan he is developing on his little arms and legs! Dane and Kathy have started swim lessons, too. We can relax a little at the pool once Kathy learns to swim properly. It is such a shame to hold Dane back for her though.

We must say, however, that the best water park to-date has been Sea World in San Antonio! You can walk through the aquarium and even pet the dolphins. Hell, I bet you could swim with them, too, but it was not a park-sanctioned activity and as such may be cut short by the trainers. Dane had a great time screaming “Shamu” over and over as the killer whales performed in Shamu Stadium. But, since the park is in hot-as-hell Texas, the best part is the wave pool and beach! We spent longer there than any other area – riding the waves and staying cool!

We have even gone as far as 230 miles just for water. In this case, unfortunately, disappointment came along for the ride. Now, for those of you from TX, I am about to piss you off (again). You are duly forewarned and thus can skip this section.. Corpus Christi is a dump. It is supposed to be one of “the” places along the South Texas coast to go to the beach. I am sorry, but it is only exciting if you think a trailer park is a “hip” place to live. We visited the Bay, the beach, the aquarium, our hotel pool, and some good restaurants. All of it was incredibly mediocre. To CC’s credit, maybe it was the hype. You think, Gulf of Mexico, warm water, beautiful sand, resorts, a place to get a decent pina colada or margarita, a boardwalk, etc. But even though the water is warm, it is decidedly NOT clear and everything else is just a myth. The place is a bunch of run-down hotels on the stinky water’s edge. We did find one neat thing, however. The Texas State aquarium has a great display of jellyfish. But there are only 8 small tanks and some colored lights. It is nothing, however, compared to the aquariums in Monterey or Baltimore. Even Sea World has a nicer aquarium than the one representing the State of Texas! So, if you ever get a chance to go to CC, save your time and energy and go to Florida or NC or MD or Delaware. All of these places have nicer beaches and feel like real towns rather than a write-off for the oil industry banks.