Just got back from a LOVELY (but REALLY, REALLY HOT!) visit to Austin, Texas! I went down with a couple of coworkers/friends for an IB Conference. They went to the sessions on "writing", and I went to the THRILLING sessions on "assessment".
It was good for me to go, because, as the new IB coordinator, I'm CLUELESS, in general, and assessment isn't one of my strong areas anyway! I picked up some good tips, tricks, and information, so am glad that I went. Plus, it's always good to network with teachers and administrators from other IB schools, and several states were represented in my group, including Michigan, Alabama, Florida, New Mexico, Texas (of course!), and Colorado.
We stayed at the Renaissance Hotel (a Courtyard Marriott), and were bussed each morning to Canyon Vista Middle School, a VERY nice school in a VERY nice part of Austin. Every morning we had a catered breakfast including "burrito fixings" (tortillas, eggs, bacon, cheese, salsa, etc.), cereal, rolls, bagels, fresh fruit, yogurt, etc. Lunches were also catered and included bbq (I'm okay if I NEVER eat brisket again...long story!), salads, etc.
Everything went very smoothly, the IB Texas people coordinated everthing very well, and, as far as conferences go, it was a very good one!
OF COURSE we managed to cram a TON of fun into the evenings after the conference, and that's what I'll focus on for the rest of this post.
We flew in on Sunday evening, and made it just in time to register for the conference. We attended an introductory "plenary session", then headed to our rooms, dumped our luggage, and went out to explore the area. We found a GREAT Mexican place called "Serrano's" at which to have dinner.
Diane and Pat in front of Serranos
Look...over there...it's a bird...it's a plane!
Pat and Diane "enjoying" the art at Serranos!
My friend Chad lives in Austin, so I called him, and he joined us at the hotel for a drink after we explored the area a little bit (including a stop at a GREAT ice cream place called Amy's!). It was SO good to see him again! It's been about 4 or 5 years since we last saw each other, so we had a GREAT TIME catching up.
Compliment or insult, "the girls" said he fit right in with us INSTANTLY, so he spent the next two nights showing us around his city.
Monday night, after the conference, Chad picked us up (it was SO NICE not to have to deal with taxis!) we started our evening with a trip to one of Chad's favorite bbq joints: Rudy's. It was REALLY good! I was a little "surprised" to see that it was also a gas station, but that didn't detract from the food.
Chad warned us that "newbies" to the place got singled out and shouted about, so Pat and I TRIED to pretend that we'd been there before. Would have worked, had Diane not shouted out "they've never been here before, and neither have I!!!". We pretended that we didn't know her, and grabbed our food and ran to get a table...
Me enjoying my "baby back ribs"!!
They had GREAT bbq sauce!
Chad working on his sandwich
Diane REALLY liked the sauce!
After Rudy's, we went downtown to experience the "bat bridge". I've been hearing about this since LAST YEAR'S group went to Austin. There's a bridge, just at the edge of downtown under which live 1.5 MILLION bats. Each evening, they fly out to find bugs to eat. People visiting Austin line up along the bridge (and along the river bank) to watch this happen.
We went down an embankment, and found a GREAT dock on which to sit, dangle our feet in the Colorado River (or Lady Bird Lake, or Center Lake...depending on who you talk to!), and watch the bats. It was probably my FAVORITE part of the trip. The water was cool and there were turtles floating around us. We also saw a pair of swans, who swam by for handouts, as well as some ducks, and OF COURSE the bats!
At the edge of the bridge before finding a placefrom which to watch the bats
Pat and Chad on the dock
Me and Pat
Me and Pat again!
One of the swans, looking for a handout!
Another shot of the swan
A SMALL part of the "bat parade"!
More bats! 
It was interesting to see them spin and loop in a group!
The "bat bridge" at sunset After watching the bats for about 45 minutes (there was a steady stream like in the pictures above almost the entire time!), we went to a wine bar called "Cru". It was a nice place, and Diane, Pat, and I had different white "flights" of wine, while Chad enjoyed a glass of Reisling.
One of the guitar statues downtown (it IS the "Live Music Capital of the World", after all!)
It was REALLY dark in the wine bar...we had to use my cell phone to light up the menu so that we could read it!
Diane with her "flight" of wine! 
Me and Chad at "Cru"After the wine bar, Chad showed us around downtown, then we headed back to the hotel to go to bed (but OF COURSE made another trip to Amy's for ice cream first!).
After the conference on Tuesday, we shopped at a strip mall near the hotel. They had a TJ Maxx, and Pat and Diane BOTH found dresses to wear for our THIRD evening "out on the town".
Chad met us at the hotel bar, and then we went to a place that I'd found on a website (localeats.com, or something like that) called "Shady Grove". It's a bbq place where most of the seating is under a big pecan tree outside the "cookhouse". We got a table up on the stage (no live music on this night, apparently!), and it was a HOOT of a place!
Chad met us at the hotel bar, and then we went to a place that I'd found on a website (localeats.com, or something like that) called "Shady Grove". It's a bbq place where most of the seating is under a big pecan tree outside the "cookhouse". We got a table up on the stage (no live music on this night, apparently!), and it was a HOOT of a place!
The food was AWESOME, and the atmosphere was really fun. The bathrooms were in an AirStream trailer!
The pecan tree under which MOST of the tables are situated 
I do NOT claim responsibility for this photo...our waiter took it for us. My photos are MUCH clearer!!!
After the "Shady Grove", we headed over to SoCo, an artsy, funky section of town, to explore. All of the fire hydrants in Austin are SILVER. Don't know WHY I found this so fascinating, but I HAD to take a picture of one or two of them! Here's one of them:
SoCo has a lot of funky art, and cool cafes and shops. The photo below was taken outside one fo them.
the Austin skylineSoCo also has an area where there are AirStream trailers that have been "rehabbed" as food stands. The photos below are from one called "Hey Cupcake", which sells...you guessed it...cupcakes!!!
After walking around the area for a little longer (and taking the photo below beside one of the buildings), we headed to the bars.
Pat wanted to learn to "two step", and Chad knew JUST the place!
Chad and Pat learning the "two step" at a bar called the "Rusty Spur".
After learning to "two step" (well I should say after Diane, Chad, and Pat learned the "two step"...I SUCKED at it!), Diane wanted to have a picture taken at "Coyote Ugly", so we walked down the street to check it out.
Interesting place...just like the movie. We tried to sit at a table along the edge of the room, but the bartender, a LOUD, brassy thing, said that NO ONE sat along the edges, and that we had to come up to the bar to sit. She called Chad "Mr. Clean" and me "Calvin" (from Calvin and Hobbes!)...AS IF!!!
She then took Pat's camera (to take a picture of us), but turned it toward herself, and took a picture of her cleavage. She DID eventually turn it around and get a picture of us, but it was CERTAINLY an interesting experience. There was some "dancing upon the bar" (names withheld), and we then headed back to the hotel.
It was CERTAINLY an interesting evening!
After the conference ended on Wednesday, we checked out of the hotel, stored our bags at "guest services", had a BLAND lunch at a salad bar buffet place near the hotel, shopped the stores nearby, had a photo op on the cow statues behind the hotel (see below), then boarded the SuperShuttle to the airport, and headed home.
Everything went VERY smoothly (the lady in our district that takes care of travel arrangements ROCKS!), and it was a FUN trip. I WON'T miss 105 degree days, brown grass, and riding on a school bus twice each day, but I WILL miss seeing Chad on multiple days in a row, GREAT bbq, and exploring all of the cool spots in Austin!
Hope YOU stayed cool this week, and spent time with old friends too!!!!
Awww...Davey sharing his corn!
Nice, Davey...
That's better! 
