That Sky Friday thing

The original post is here. Triggered a memory. Certain areas, certain places, some spot we keep coming back to, over and over?

For me? South Austin, there was always the appeal as the “funky” side of town, but then, too, there was I-35 and 51st Street. The old airport, is the southeast corner, that location shot, for Sky Friday, was diagonal, empty car lot, old office building, a Motel 6 (stayed there, back in the day – or rather, at night). It was, at one time, the edge of civilization in Austin. I can only imagine. The first of the urban sprawl, almost – for me – walking distance to town.

It’s where I honed my “max size” diet coke habit, for hot summer days. Landed in that hood a number of times, three times, at least, no, four, now. Older hood, both sides now. 51st & Duval is the Flight Path (coffee shop), 51st & Airport is the Tamale House, 51st & (Interstate) 35 used to be the airport, and it’s now some kind of hip, cool urban development.

Almost. So close. I was scheduled to depart for business from the old airport and land at the new airport, leave Friday, come back Monday – only, construction delay, didn’t happen. So close as that would’ve been too cool. Fly out of one airport and come back to the next one.

There are other memories of that old Austin airport, some best left alone. There was bar in the airport, if I recall.

Airport security scanners that could, allegedly erase computer drives. Didn’t have cell phones then.

Lived in that neighborhood once, could hear the planes take off and land on quiet nights in the spring, when the house windows were open.

Left the hood then a couple of buddies bought places back there. One’s still there, got family there, too. Weird. It’s that feeling that I can’t escape, but then, it’s Austin, why would anyone want to escape?

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