The Forty Days

This has been a day unlike any other.  I couldn’t sleep last night, feeling a lot of excitement and nervous energy for a day of running around town dressed like Elvis.  Would I really have the cojones to do this?  Would people throw rotten eggs, lettuce, or other biodegradable foodstuffs at me?  Would I get beaten up by a bigger, more authentic-looking Elvis?

I start the day at the post office, mailing a letter for my super-smart wife (who has had amazing, amazing ideas for the blog–see Betsy, I said it; now will you stop insisting that you deserve all the credit).  Although I am substantially anxious as I approach the post office, once I enter and find the mailbok, I realize that no one is looking at me.  Apparently, when people go to the post office, they just want to take care of all of their postal-related needs and get out of that place.  I actually have to stop someone and ask him to take a picture of me mailing the letter–I think he is pretty confused about the whole encounter.

Lacking Elvis sunglasses to round out my outfit, I proceed to Buffalo Exchange.  Although they have a great variety of sunglasses, they don’t have exactly what I am looking for.  I must say, however, that the people who work there are ridiculously friendly and helpful, totally supportive of my absurd outfit, and I even meet a girl I recognize from one of my yoga classes, who might teach me ballet for one of my days!  Ultimately, I find a sweet pair of Elvis sunglasses at Cream Vintage.  (After I leave Buffalo Exchange, I walk by a huge crowd of UT students waiting for the bus.  Complete silence. Awkward!)

I have to then stop off at Cornucopia and say hi to its lovely proprietors, Nikki and Nadia, who I tweeted with yesterday.  After they are finished laughing at me, they let me try some fantastic Zebra popcorn.  Yum!  Shortly thereafter, I pick up my wife, who is surprisingly not at all embarrassed by me, and eat lunch at Chuy’s, which is apparently decked out in Elvis gear.  I have been to the Chuy’s on Barton Springs dozens of times and never once have I noticed that.  Of course, I have to order the Elvis Green Chile Fried Chicken.  (By the way, I have not eaten meat for over thirteen years, I just started about a month ago, and I freakin’ love it!  Have I lost my entire sense of self?)

After lunch, I hit up Sugar Mama’s to pick up three seriously delicious Elvis cupcakes for my desert break with Jodi of Tasty Touring and Addie of Relish Austin, who are dining at Thai Fresh.  The proprietors of Sugar Mama’s are  quite amused by my get-up, but completely supportive.  Thanks guys!!  Outside of Thai Fresh, some guy asks if I am Evil Knievel.  (Crap, I do totally look like him.)  I then run over to Vulcan Video to pick up the entire season of 24, which I will proceed to watch tomorrow in 24 hours for Day 3.  The people at Vulcan seem totally unfazed by Elvis.  Are those video store guys too cool to notice me?  (Actually, yes, they literally are probably too cool to notice.)

Oh, and then I go for a jog on Town Lake with my friends, Karen and Libby, and my dog, Iago.  Nuff said.

Oh, oh, oh.  Then I sing Suspicious Minds at Common Interest and rock the freakin’ house.  Someone asks for, and I sign, my first autograph.  Don’t worry, the video will be uploaded soon!

I had an amazing day, met some great people, and had a much better and less embarrassing time than I thought.  Lesson learned: step outside your boundaries, put yourself out there, totally own it, and interesting things will happen!!