okay
ringbark, tell me how you knew that based on my clues, cuz I'm impressed. So what's Dallas like, you ask? New. VERY new. It goes on forever, since space/sprawl isn't really an issue. But if it results in huge locations of Half Price Books (founded in Dallas, I later discovered), that might not be such a bad thing. I didn't like a lot of the modern beige soulless architecture. Most of the food was excellent, though every restaurant we went to seemed to be playing either techno or smooth jazz, which was disturbing. Didn't go record shopping or tattooing or to strip clubs. Did have a exhilirating (and at those moments when we were merging into interstate traffic, slightly terrifying) ride on JS's motorcycle. Saw Dealy Plaza, wondered who the hell George Dealy was but never looked it up. There was a great house in one of the many wealthy neighborhoods (and boy, do rich people like their gates!) that had no right angles, a purpleish green roof, and looked like a giant Hobbit manor. Drove thru Deep Ellum, but since it was Memorial Day, much was closed.
But the multitude of strip malls, tract houses (I took this soul crushing photo of blocks of clone houses, but it didn't come out), identical apartment houses, office parks out by the county line, etc., just kind of saddened me. JS said if I really wanted to see that at its worst, we'd visit Plano, but I was overwhelmed already by Dallas itself. It's a shocking contrast with Tacoma, where it feels like most all the buildings are 30-80 years old, and there's no real financial incentive to tear stuff down to replace it with corporate-chain architecture. In Dallas, there's been little tearing down, just growth, growth, growth. After a few months in Tacoma, the contrast is sharp.
Finally got to meet
orobouros, who'd been stuck in Big D on business for 4 weeks without a car. Note that being trapped in Dallas without a car is an experience akin to being a granddad at an orgy and forgetting your Viagra. Anyway, the three of us went for sushi, and there was jovial conversation, and of course, techno music.the photos are behind the Green Door.
Where Ouchy the Clown might hang out:
Where
avphibes might hang out:They should totally rename this as punishment for "Ghosts of Mars":
A Muffler man that looks like Alfred E. Neuman:
You can't tell easily from this pic, but the "R" has fallen, renaming this cemetery to the more Californian "Estland":
