This is a personal story, and totally irrelevant to anything. I am working in Baytown, Texas this evening, Friday, but just finished.
I have other work, in Houston, much later tonight, and maybe tomorrow. I could post-pone it all and head for the convention now, but it has been my experience that procrastinating creates unexpected negative results in a business enterprise. And, I am completely wiped-out from driving my golf-cart-sized car all week. I have missed a lot of TSA Spring Conventions, and during the 10 or so I attended in the late 80's & 90's, I was not there long enough to join the main activities. I have fond memories of my first TSA Spring Convention, which I believe was in 1985 at Inner Space Caverns. That may have been my first time to meet a few of you. And there was one convention, back in the late 90's at the Knox campground that I tried to constructively participate in. So I am sitting here trying to reminisce, but the few memories are almost erased. On a more personal note, I have been on the road, living in a run-down motel, Rodeway Inn, northwest of downtown Houston, for 2 weeks, but today upgraded for a week at a Days Inn. It is much nicer, but right on the very edge of a really noisy T-intersection of 2 major interstate freeways under construction. I will seldom be there, except to power-nap, as I really have been living like a Gypsy in my car a lot the last 2 months. So somehow, I have to justify the $328 weekly rate. Work has been way too problematic this year. On one hand, I have more work than I could ever do by myself, but on the otherhand, what good is it if you are spending more money going to work than you bring home, or if you can't enjoy the fruits of your labor ? I could possibly show up late Saturday night to the convention, if there was another Houston area caver, willing to come just for the night. But the 8 hours on the road, could be put to more productive task, that would make next week less stressful. And since I am always on the road, the very last thing I want to do for leisure is be on the road in traffic. I guess that may be why painters live in un-painted houses, and carpenters live in shacks, and plumbers have houses with plumbing problems. And one final thought, The guy that owns CWAN must be really awesome to let the TSA have a gathering. One would appreciate this more, if they knew how hard it is to get land-owners to agree to do that. Try finding a land-owner east of Austin willing to do that. I hope I have been able to open up Camp Happy Hollow in Brenham to future caver gatherings, but only time will tell. Safe caving, David Locklear 281-995-8487 ( text-line )
