Dallas / Miami

Douchka didn't have to work on Saturday so we had a lazy morning in the apartment just chatting. After brunch she took me to take a look at a local neighbourhood, Highland Park. This is the part of Dallas that George Bush has settled in now he's not in a position to plunge the world into WW III. It's a nice neighbourhood. We walked around for a bit trying to decide which house we would buy. We eventually decided that we might be able to buy the one empty plot we saw and then set up a tent on it. Complete with a washing line and goats! We then went our separate ways. I visited Fair Park, this was the site of an exhibition to celebrate Texas's centennial. Texas was it's own country for nine years and the locals have not forgotten. The park consists of the Cotton Bowl football stadium, a huge Ferris wheel and a collection of lovely Art Deco buildings. What I hadn't realised was that they were holding the North Texas Irish festival when I visited. I managed to get in without having to pay the $15 entrance fee and went straight to the "Hall of State", a building honoring each part of Texas. Nice building.
Then on to the last thing of my list, Reunion Tower. I know another tower, you'd think that I would have had enough of them by now and if I hadn't, may not understand my fascination with high places as I am afraid of heights. After completing the puzzle of how to get in I went and sat myself at the bar and ordered a drink. To be honest, the view was nice but I was a little disappointed at this point as I had been told that the tower revolved and it wasn't revolving. I figured it was just "broke". I had been sat there for about half an hour when I looked out the window and thought I was drunker than I had any right to be on one glass of wine, we were moving. The tower doesn't revolve, the outer part of the restaurant floor does. I ordered more wine and sat back to enjoy the changing view from my seat at the bar. I even got chatting to a few ladies, which made the evening even better. After a couple of hours of this Douchka came and picked me up and we went to "Half Price Books". I love this store, I can't spend enough time here. Douchka had promised me that Dallas's branch was the best of the whole chain and she did not lie. Within five minutes of being there I had picked up a book on my "to read" list. In the end I bought three books, I don't want to think about getting all the books I've bought back to the U.K.. I keep consoling myself with the fact that some of the books I left at Ian's house are not mine and can be given back to Meghan. Yeah!!
Saturday was finished off with dinner at a pizza restaurant and an early night as I had an early flight to Miami the next day. I slept well for about five hours, then as per usual I woke up way too early and laid in bed fretting about what could go wrong. Touch wood, not that anything has ever gone wrong, but now I've gone and jinxed myself, I'm sure something will. I packed up my things, lucky really as my shuttle turned up a little early, I said goodbye to Douchka and went on my way. I had to book a shuttle not because of the hour (6am) but because there is no public transport, that I could find, to DFW airport on a Sunday. At some point in the future they are going to extend the light rail to go there, but right now, tough!! I got to the airport, got checked in and sat at the gate for the flight to begin.
The flight was fine and from Miami airport I was able to take a bus for $2.35 to South beach that dropped me off a block away from my hotel. After I had checked in I went to a local restaurant, ordered a Mojito and sat and watched the world go by. Then one Mojito turned into two and a little more of the world went by, a nice way to spend a couple of hours. I had nothing on my list to do in Miami except to pick up Darrens vacation present. He had finally given me an idea for a item I could buy him. He's usually really bad at giving me gift ideas for himself and do worry that I'll end up buying him a shit gift and ruin his birthday / Christmas etc.. So I would get the present the following day and anything else I did in Miami would be a bonus. Right now I would just sit back and enjoy the sunshine. It's a hard life.