Austin trip

I have returned from Austin for the Wind, Solar and Renewable Energy seminar. It was at the Austin Convention Center which is a nice large building on East 3rd St. near I-35 downtown. I went with co-worker Ignacio and we arrive by Southwest Air on Tuesday. We lunched at PF Changs after checking in early to our hotel. the Hilton Garden Inn was quite nice, a high rise a few blocks from the Conv. Center.

The seminar was informative. We are ahead on wind energy, in fact a little too ahead. The transmission line capacity from the rural areas to the urban "load" areas is still behind the time. Solar energy still is waiting for an Arab Oil Embargo to get it kicked off. If/when this catches on, it should help the manufacturing and high tech industries.

Dinner was a highlight. We went to a place I had never been but always wanted to go, Ruth's Chris Steak House. We had a most enlightening discussion about the Catholic Church and church in general. I enjoyed it a lot. Afterwards we met the two owners of the restaurant in the bar. There were signed Masters flags by local Austinite Ben Crenshaw and a signed Tour de France jersey by Lance Armstrong. The owner ( who kind of looked like Ben Crenshaw) said when they got that jersey from Lance in 1999, they had no idea he'd win 6 more.

I got back to McAllen today about 1:30. It was a long trip from 7:15 am when I got the shuttle from the hotel. Sarah and I went to a Date with Dad dinner this evening. Most of the girls there were under 11 so not many teenagers ( and no boys she lamented). But we did have fun.