Our trip to Austin was chock full of fun stuff.

Wednesday: We drove to Austin in the afternoon and came to the realization that our car's navigation system is playing mean tricks on us. It kept making us get off the freeway, take a bunch of wonky downtown streets, only to get back on another freeway that the original freeway would have intersected with if we had stayed on it. Dinner at Taco Bueno (oh, how I miss thee, yummy yummy Taco Bueno) and capped off the evening with a serendipitous Mike Doughty show at the Cactus Cafe.

Thursday: We went “spelunking” at the Inner Space Cavern and regretted leaving the camera at the hotel room because we saw some adorable little balls of fuzz that turned out to be 2 mating bats. Lunch at Magnolia Cafe, and a spectacular evening at Cirque du Soleil. We had 2nd row seats for Alegria. We were so close to the action that I got covered in gymnastics chalk (including a particularly painful chunk that flew directly into my eyeball.) I looked like I had full-body dandruff on the way out, haha.

Friday: We did the obligatory yarn store tour that included The Knitting Nest, Gauge knits (I accidentally barged into the flower shop next door), and Hill Country Weavers. I had been to Hill Country Weavers last time we were in Austin and fell in love with a particular yarn, painfully expensive of course. Since our tax refund came though, I bought it ($160 for a 4 oz. ball!) I'm planning out a giant woven scarf for myself.

We ate lunch at Thundercloud Subs (we got hooked on the song in their commercial) and then we rode Segways around downtown. Stepping on a Segway for the first time felt like walking a tightrope; I was wiggling and wobbling comically. After a few minutes of practice, we were on the road and I started to get the hang of things. After an hour or so, I could zigzag around like Paul Blart. It was SO fun.

Later that night we went to the Texas Lottery Headquarters on 6th street and watched the lottery drawing live. They gave us souvenir insulated coffee mugs and card decks, and both my lottery tickets won something! We won $40 on Pick 3, and $2 on MegaMillions. Clearly I have discovered the secret to winning the lottery: go to the place where they do the drawings so your mojo can rub off on the machines.

Saturday: A groggy drive home and a nap on the couch.

Here’s a picture of the yarn I bought:

(not pictured: Malabrigo sock yarn in Lettuce green)