Entries this day: Sidetracked to_Austin

Sidetracked

12:11pm Tuesday 12 June 2001

I haven't worked yet today, but I've been at work since 9am or so. I answered a few work related emails (I guess that counts) and then started searching online for images of the flood. Not closeups of people being saved, but ones that show how high the water was in places that are designed for people, not fish.

I found on Lycos some news reports unrelated to the flood, but about computer security - something called TEMPEST, which is the code name for the, um.. research being done on how to read electronic emissions from a distance. Like how to carefully analyze the electromagnetic signals being generated by a monitor to determine what it is displaying. Even through walls and shit.

And one of the pages said, "did you mean to look for Tempest, the Atari video game?" and gave a link to Tempest, the Atart video game. I read an interview by the creator, and learned that Tempest is the most highly collected arcade game ever. Wow. How ironic that while we were in San Antonio in 1985 or so, I saw a Tempest game for sale for $400. I REALLY REALLY wanted the game, but my dad said no.

Actually I think he said, maybe, or we can look for one in Houston.

I don't know that I would still want it, but I might enjoy a game sometime.

But the point of this entry is to say I'm about to post the OKC Silent Football game entries on my site, as typed by Ben and Lauren.

Click the "previous" link a couple of times to get to it.

to Austin

11:14 pm Tuesday 12 June 2001

I'm on my way to Austin, stopped in Giddings at the gas station with the nice restaurant-caliber restrooms. I like supporting them. However, the woman was all, "do you have your shoes?" as I walked in.

"No, do you have them?"

"You need to wear shoes to walk around in here."

"Do you want me to pay?"

"Oh, you're going to pay."

"Well, here I come." and I walked around the aisle to get to the register.

"Oh, you're going to be difficult about this.."

And she proceeded to tell me that it's important to wear shoes because I could get a disease or something, but the funniest thing she said was that "things aren't like they used to be." Now, she wasn't too old. Maybe like 35. How did things used to be? How are things now? don't you think I've thought about all this?

I paid, and mostly politely listened to her blah blah blah, but I certainly didn't buy any snack. I guess I'll support their store next time I come through if she doesn't fucking harass me about shoes. Shoes in a gas station? who has ever heard of such a thing?

12:58 am Wednesday 13 June 2001

Got slightly lost on the way here, but now I'm at the place where I had a reservation. but there is no one here in the office, and 3 people (grandma and two youth about 10 and 13 years old) are sayiing that they also had a reservation, but no one is here and they can't even get anyone to answer the phone that the sign says to use if the office is closed. And, they assured me the rooms are a mess with beetles in them. Ew.

I'm going across the way to Comfort Suites.

1:25 am

Visited the Comfort Inn, about 150 yards away and found the last single was available, though it was marked dirty. I checked the room and found it to be quite clean. He said maybe they were planniing to do some repair on it, but I could certainly stay their tonight. I have set the alarm for 7:30am. Good night.