On the road, since El Paso, with Jim Fusilli and Reed Coleman. Have had bronchitis, picked up in El Paso, and also have been unable to get on line since San Antonio (3 cities ago). I apologize for being so long and for writing this without seeing the responses, if any, to the El Paso entry. Am in Ft. Lauderdale now, finally online. Wanted to get this started. Will post the rest, and Florida thoughts, over the next few days.

Travelling with these guys, bad weather and bronchitis notwithstanding, is a pisser. They crack me up. They drive, I get us lost (actually yesterday I saved the day) (but in truth I do have a lousy sense of direction and should not be listened to). Actually, we all crack up. From El Paso we flew to San Antonio, did a reading at Remember the Alibi. Nice store. Went to dinner with Pasty Asher, the store owner, and Rick Riordan at a Mexican place called Mi Tierra where they have countless of those paper cutouts you see on Mexican holidays, but cut from aluminum foil and hung from the ceiling, with rows of red and green lights hung between and sparkling off them. Guys with guitars kept trying to come play for us but we were entertaining each other and waved them off.

The next morning, Reed, Jim and I went to see the Alamo. Last time I was there I guess it was summer and the garden was dry, because I don't remember such a profusion of plants: cactus, palm and aloe of various sorts. We strolled along the Riverwalk, had lunch, got lost, piled back in the car and drove to Austin. Read at a Borders, right by the coffeeshop, with the Musak playing. Went out to dinner with a friend from college I hadn't seen in 30 years. (Bill Edwards, in case any Obies are reading this.) Collapsed at a Holiday Inn Express. (The secret of cheap travel!)