Estampilla de la Semana: HemisFair '68

I'll get to this week's stamp in a sec.

This morning I visited South Congress Avenue and Mount Bonnell before rolling beyond the Austin city limits on down to San Antone. My first stop was lunch at Earl Abel's, a decent strip-mall coffee shop where I sat next to a table of nuns (sadly though, its original home was razed just last year). My waiter asked me if I was heading downtown to party and warned me about the crowds and police, but assuring me "the cops are on your side, know what I mean?" I was confused, until he explained that the massive annual Fiesta is happening this weekend; I inferred the-cops-on-my-side comment meant they're racist. So I decided to steer clear of downtown, and thus my afternoon sightseeing plans were thwarted (though I did get to see the world's largest shitkickers).

Tonight I went to the local minor league ballgame, where the visiting Midlands RockHounds beat the San Antonio Missions 1-0 before a crowd of 4,792. Kazuhito Tadano ruled on the mound, but the night's real stars were the mascots. Representing the Missions: Ballapeño and Henry the Puffy Taco ('Peño strikes a pose here while hoisting the Whataburger flag; no comment on the "puffy taco"). If that wasn't enough, between innings the crowd was entertained by the traveling ZOOperstars, who were either totally brilliant or completely fucked. Ken Girrafey Jr. and Harry Canary danced in unison to Pink's "Get the Party Started," and Monkey Mantle and Nolan Rhino led the crowd on "Y.M.C.A." Cow Ripken Jr. and Mackerel Jordan also appeared. I was disappointed not to see Ichiroach and Clammy Sosa.

So, the estampilla de la semana: San Antonio hosted HemisFair '68, a world's fair commemorated by this week's stamp. Hopefully I'll have more to tie in with this tomorrow... Vaya con dios.