The ‘ballroom’ at the Boat House is not as grand as I would have assumed. It certainly doesn’t hold all 600 of us. There isn’t enough coffee, but there is plenty of cocoa and pumpkin loaf. And for once, my last name does not land me in the most egregious line. I celebrate this by snubbing former Texas Governor Ann Richards. It goes like this: a polite, if reserved woman responds to a query from a man next to me about her origins (Austin), and that continues into a discussion with another Texan. I assume the reserve is due to perhaps worry that such an admission will produce a sneer (which it has, in my head). Later, I hear two men talking, one very excited that “Ann Richards is here.” Immediately I realize I have just been the shitty, East Coast liberal-elite jerk to my mother’s political idol.
Gates Day One.
The ‘ballroom’ at the Boat House is not as grand as I would have assumed. It certainly doesn’t hold all 600 of us. There isn’t enough coffee, but there is plenty of cocoa and pumpkin loaf. And for once, my last name does not land me in the most egregious line. I celebrate this by snubbing former Texas Governor Ann Richards. It goes like this: a polite, if reserved woman responds to a query from a man next to me about her origins (Austin), and that continues into a discussion with another Texan. I assume the reserve is due to perhaps worry that such an admission will produce a sneer (which it has, in my head). Later, I hear two men talking, one very excited that “Ann Richards is here.” Immediately I realize I have just been the shitty, East Coast liberal-elite jerk to my mother’s political idol.
You can’t top that, especially since most of the rest of the morning is spent standing around. My natural leadership skills, clearly demonstrated in line with Governor Richards, must have made quite an impression, as I have been awarded a crew leader position. This means I get to keep time records and pass out meal tickets. After taking a very long ride around the park loop, we get to our drop point, and most of our gear is gone. We suspect greedy crews overreached and made off with our nifty cart. After some negotiations and a little misappropriation of our own, we finally mount our first gate at around 11:30 AM (four hours after arriving). This is not a pace that gives anyone confidence, but once we sort out the supply chain, the rest of the day is pretty uneventful — if building the largest art project in the history of this town can be uneventful in any way. Locals do to their best to be blasé, and I feel like I’m on a film crew. Having been the guy who has charged past innumberable hapless PA’s, I try to be humble. It’s a beautiful day, with most of us in shirtsleeves by early afternoon. Though it doesn’t look like our fortune will extend through the weekend, it does call to mind my father’s favorite card playing wisdom “Every little bit hurts.”