Alumni Road Trip in Dallas/Ft. Worth

After some of the other marathon drives have experienced over the last couple of days, the five hour drive from Amarillo to Dallas felt like a walk in the park. A quick stop for gas and a snack and I was off to the races.

This is my third time being in Dallas. My first time was almost 10 years ago when I attended the 2000 National Convention. A few years ago, I came back to visit the Dallas/Ft. Worth Area Alumni Association (DFWAAA).

I drove to the apartment of Marc Perez who is letting me crash at his place for the night. Marc is a Sinfonian who is a member of the DFWAAA and helped put most of the event together. We had out gathering at the Times Ten Cellar where we had our own private room and a decent selection of wine to choose from. The Times Ten Cellar is located in the arts district of Dallas. We were looking into getting a tour of the new opera house nearby, but couldn't get everything lined up

It's important that I recognize the DFWAAA for their help with this event. They covered the room rental, as well as the cost to bring in some food (to help wash down the wine).

I think we were hoping for about 25 guys based on RSVPs, but we had about 15-16 actually show, including two collegiate members from the Gamma Theta Chapter at the University of Northern Texas. Even with the slight drop in expected attendance, we still had a diverse population of Sinfonians in the room which was pretty exciting.

Everything went off without a hitch. The presentation went well and there was some good discussion afterward. It is always interesting to have an event that is more social and laid back. Most of the stops tend to be a dinner-type set-up. Doing something that is more like a reception changes things up and still allows for excellent networking opportunities.

On the drive back home, I was still having a bit of the munchies so Marc recommended that we stop at Whattaburger, which apparently is a staple in Texas (I've never heard of it before coming here). Good stuff.

NEXT STOP: HOUSTON