Even with GPS, I was right in front of the Omni hotel in downtown Austin and still didn't realize it. The GPS said "you have arrived" and I was like, where? But over all, the GPS helped tremendously this weekend.

I arrived in the room where the Rules committee met about 20 minutes late but found myself not missing much since it was just started. We got through in about an hour or so. There were separate proposals to both eliminate the minority report and raise the percentage of committee membership required to have a minority report to 30% instead of 20%. Both were defeated. Afterward a group of us went to Katz's for dinner. Met and talked with Alan Steinberg, a 24-year-old from Fort Bend county who is running in the upcoming primary to earn the right to face the Democrat to retake Tom DeLay's 22nd district.

Congressman and presidential candidate Duncan Hunter spoke on Saturday morning. He's a great, principled, articulate guy. I just wish he had run for governor before taking steps to run for president. My favorite is still Mike Huckabee. And I found some more of his supporters at the convention, Nate Lambert of Tyler and Leslie Rutledge of Arkansas who is a member of the Young Republican National FederationBoard. We also heard from Texas Supreme Court justice Phil Johnson, Republican Party of Texas Communications & Political Operations Director Hans Klinger, Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson as well as captain George Hurd, an Iraqi veteran. I felt particularly at home and comfortable among all these Republicans who understand that the 2nd amendment is most important as it guarantees all the rest of our rights as free people.

Steven Crowder was hilarious at the Saturday night gala. We also got to hear from former US ambassador to Bahrain Sam Zakhem. He's a great American, and a bold Arab Christian who is not ashamed to declare his faith and trust in Christ and the grace and love of our God before men.

During the entire convention we were graced with a delegation of conservative Lebanese Christians who came all the way from Lebanon to attend our convention.

I was appointed the SREC liaison at the new TYRF board meeting on Sunday. My counterpart will be Terri Flow from Austin. I am looking forward to attend these quarterly SREC meetings in the coming year.

After the board meeting, I stopped by Thi's house, we visited and chatted a little bit then headed to Starbucks to meet up with another friend Khanh, hung out a little more before I and Thi met up with Daniel for dinner at Rudy's. The drive home was so much easier when the sun has gone down. I always get very sleepy while driving with the sun shining brightly and reflecting off the road.

A good night of sleep last night still did not help me recover yet from two consecutive nights of 2-hour sleep each Friday and Saturday. Eliza Vielma and her team put on an excellent state convention. You go girl.


Former US ambassador to Bahrain Sam Zakhem and Karl Ninh


The Lebanese delegation and Karl Ninh


Dallas YRs at the 2007 TYRF annual convention