On the road again: Austin, day 1

If you've read my travel reports before, or if you travel on business much, then you know how today went: I dropped myself and my luggage into the matter-transportation chute of the U.S. airline system, and many hours later I popped out, tired-looking and scuffed but not fundamentally the worse for wear.

In fact, today provided a generally good example of its type, with flights that were mostly on time, first-class upgrades, plenty of Diet Coke, and a passable airport lunch (at Maui Taco at RDU). I really have no right to complain, so I won't.

Dinner tonight was at a place I quite wanted to try: Wink. I've read about its emphasis on local food and fresh food; it's definitely a place that proudly embraces the slow food movement. The chefs, Stewart Scruggs and Mark Paul, own the restaurant and are definitely fine cooks. The meal was good, well above the fare at most restaurants, but I would have to rank it below the upper echelon nationally (and also below Raleigh's own Mint restaurant, which I've praised before).

On the book front, right now I wish I could take off a week, go to the beach, stay in my favorite house alone, and write, sleep, exercise, and eat, with no human contact except lunches at my favorite place. Everything is racing toward the climax in Overthrowing Heaven, and I just don't have the time to give it that I'd like to devote to it. Sigh. I will finish it eventually.

Finally, this hotel's bandwidth sucks. Downloading pictures or other large email messages seems to take forever. I would happily pay a few bucks more a day, as I did in San Francisco, for better bandwidth. Hotels should get wise to the bandwidth cravings of hardcore travelers and soak us for extra bucks. A lot of us would pay just to minimize the ever-frustrating download waits. Wouldn't you?