Way Cool Day

Sometimes I hit things just right. Today was one of those days. Earlier this week we caught up at work, which is a rare occurrence. I decided I would treat myself to a day off and then came the quandary of how I would spend that day. I am definitely not in shopping mode, so that was out. No way was I going to spend the day researching, since I'm still fighting battle fatigue on the genealogy front. I wanted a change of scenery, so staying at home and doing anything was out.

So I decided it was time to go see a movie. Sit in the dark and lose myself for two hours. Great idea, I thought, but just what would I see? The new Harry Potter movie, I decided. And that is when I became brilliant. I would go to the Bob Bullock IMAX theater and see it in 3D. I've never had the chance to see a 3D movie before and this was the perfect opportunity. Also, the IMAX theater at the Bob Bullock Museum is clean, well managed and there isn't a bad seat in the house.

As it turns out, only the last 1/3 of the movie is in 3D, but that is the part of the movie with the most action. Before the movie began, they ran a short clip to let us get used to our 3D glasses and that clip was better than the 3D portion of the movie when you get right down to it. We were in water with fish swimming all around us and a big ole alligator swam right up to you and opened its mouth. Cool effect. You really had the feeling that the fish were swimming right into you. The movie had some cool effects, too, with shattering glass and falling shelves and dueling wands. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing.

I had about 90 minutes to wander around the museum before the movie started, so I decided to explore the 3rd floor. On my last visit there I had only managed to really explore the first two floors and had had to trot through the third at the end of the day. I also finally got to see the film shown inside the reproduction of the Alamo that had been too crowded to get into on my previous visit. I have to say that the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum is a treasure in our own backyard. No matter what exhibit I choose to study, I find things that tie into my family research. I'm a proud 5th generation native born Texan and the whole history of Texas is in my blood. At the end of the feature in the Alamo, I wanted to stand up and give a rebel yell.

After the IMAX experience, I ate a very adequate lunch in their cafe and then spent time browsing the gift shop. If you want a Texas souvenir, this is the place to go. Music, books, t-shirts, Christmas ornaments, toys, and at the moment Harry Potter merchandise can all be had there. I managed to hold myself to one t-shirt and 4 Texas State Capitol ornaments (I'm trying to build a complete set).

When it came time to go, I decided to take a small detour to 6th Street and see if I could find something for supper at Whole Foods. Their location on 6th and Lamar is not your normal Whole Foods. I had a good time wandering around and so did a bunch of other folks. I like Whole Foods, but it does get crowded. One of the things I regret about the office moving to Round Rock is the inability to make a dash to Whole Foods or Central Market or a dozen other unique Austin spots during my lunch hour.

One of the things I don't miss is the eternal road construction on 6th Street, but my day had gone too well for that to really bother me. I got home, got thoroughly puppy kissed, changed into my jammies, and am content after a good day abroad and the knowledge that I have only to throw some things into the oven for a quick warm up for supper.

Peace.

LSW