To get there, I had to take an airplane. At SFO, the National Guard was visible, making the airport safe for travel. Somehow, I don't feel any safer seeing a bored 18 year old with an M16 standing in a passageway.

And then there was the whole check-in process...the airlines say to arrive two hours ahead of time. I had a 6am flight and decided an hour & a half would be enough. I arrived at 4:30am which was when the first worker at the Delta ticket counter arrived. Those who had arrived at the suggested arrival time at 4am had been standing in front of an empty counter for a half hour. By the time I arrived, the line had extended beyond the counter into the adjoining terminal. It wasn't until after 5am that my spot in the line made it into the terminal.

The day after the wedding, I visited the capital buildings in Austin. It is an impressive building. I was, however, disturbed by the prominence of the memorial to the Confederate veterans and the message on the memorial, defending the Southern side of the Civil War.