Flying again - no rest for Keith. Actually, on the plane to Dallas this afternoon, I found myself in a great mood. I guess travel does that to me - never quite sure why. Even this trip, although it's nothing but a very quick stay over in a town I don't particularly like, leaving little time for anything outside of work, gets my juices running.

On completely the other end of the clothing dimension, I finally received the sinfully expensive shirts I ordered in June. I've never spent a lot of money, in my life, on luxury items. But when I got my new job, I gave in to indulgence and ordered two hand-made custom business shirts from Italy, which finally arrived. I was quite devastated when the project manager for today's Dallas trip told me it was "business casual" since I want to wear them already! :)

I managed to book today's flight to Dallas such that it didn't make sense for me to go into the office today, while leaving me time at home to go running in the morning, and pack leisurely. By 10.30, though, I was driving to the aiport. It was raining lightly again - the fourth time in about a month - very bizarre for San Francisco at this time of year.

I spent a lot of time during the flight looking down at the passing landscape. Until we neared Texas, with its endless quilt of flat farmland, the land was tremendously rugged - almost tortured in parts. And desolate too - vast spaces of bare earth and sand, with ridges and valleys molded by eons of climactic challenge. It really made me want to go and explore those spaces at eye-level.

Almost a moonscape - from my window-seat

From the car-rental place to my hotel, I re-experienced Dallas friendliness, which I'd forgotten about, and which reminds me of the genuine, artless, outgoing friendliness of my native Newcastle upon Tyne. The last time I was here was five years ago. I was still living with X at that point. He'd finally persuaded me to relucantly accept the idea of an open relationship. Normally, I'm not at all an outgoing kind of guy. Put me in a bar full of strangers and I freeze up. But for some reason during that trip to Texas five years ago I was temporarily inhabited by a spirit of playfulness. I was quite unstoppable whenever I went out. Of course, it helped that I'd been put in touch with friends of friends in both Dallas and Houston, since they put me at my ease and accompanied me on my adventures. I met, I guess, about five sexy guys during my week in Texas.

The last guy I met, Billy Bob, I always wonder what happened to. I REALLY liked that guy. I'd been visiting one of my new Houston friends (someone I'd been put in touch with through X), and he was showing me photos from a recent vacation he'd taken with friends. There was one shirtless guy in many of the photos who was as cute, boyish and masculine as you could imagine. So I asked my friend if he'd invite him out with us for drinks, little thinking that it would lead anywhere. But, after I'd been introduced to him at the cocktail bar we started out at, we spent the evening sitting next to each other, laughing and joking, and looking into each other's eyes with that realization of strong mutual attraction that's magic when it happens.

After I'd returned to San Francisco, I got a lovely card from Billy Bob, saying that he hoped we'd keep in touch. X, although he'd been the one who'd instigated our open relationship, and although he'd been dying with curiosity to hear about my tales of wandering while I'd been away, somehow came across that card and wasn't happy about it. In any event, Billy Bob never responded to the card I sent him and we lost contact.

Back to 1999. Wow - the thought of going out on the town again like last time seems so distant - no longer a part of my life. But given the right circumstances

The hotel I'm staying is sleek and cool from the outside, more traditional and frilly in the guest-rooms. But, on the 21st floor, I have an awesome view of downtown.

View of night-time down-town Dallas from my hotel room

I spent the evening working out, answering tons of work emails, and eating dinner. Like I said, this trip leaves little time for a personal life outside of the routine.