Peicing Together Texas

I finally made it back to Texas after two very long years since the last visit.  I definitely had that feeling that I landed home again, but please realize, the last time I lived here, I was an infant, so I can't really figure out where the affinity for this place comes from?

Anyway!  It was a great trip...I was finally able to participate in an event with some of my members with whom I've worked closely over the past few years.  What a great group of people!  This trip opened my eyes to many new opportunities with them and gave me a better understanding of the history and the culture of this group.  I really can't wait to work with them again soon! 

Now, the "off hours" were entertaining to say the least.  First night was centered around this search for Big Lou's Pizza, home of the 52" pie.  Yes, 52".  That's merely 10" shorter in diameter than me.  We decided to take it easy and only order the 37".... Lesson learned:  NEVER attempt to eat a 37" pizza unless you are also dining with very hungry teenage boys.  Also - realized I really do like Stiner Bock, so much so that I did my best to take down a Mass of it.  For my German loving friends, you know that a Mass is a very big mug!  :)

My last night out - we had dinner on the Riverwalk at Biga on the Banks... LOVELY!  Following dinner, a small group of us hit up Howl at the Moon piano bar.  I so so so LOVE those places and I'm not sure why?  The piano players play the chords to some songs, royally mess up the lyrics or mumble their way through them...yet we keep on tipping them for more!  Add some beers and suddenly, out of no where, the lyrics magically make sense again.  It's crazy! :)  Well, as the night went on, I decided in my infinite wisdom and playfulness to hunt down EVERY guy in the place with a cowboy hat and get my picture taken with the hat on.  Wow...no one said no to me and handed the hat over with big smiles.  Going through my head was "I so love TEXAS".  Come to find out later from a fairly reliable source that to ask a cowboy for his hat is code for "I wanna save a horse and ride a cowboy instead" if you know what I mean ;) AWKWARD and now it makes perfect sense why the one dude followed me all over the bar.  Sorry to disappoint you guys, but not that kind of girl.

We headed back to the hotel and decided to hang out at the Charlie's Long Bar for the night - the sign said 2 am closing time and heck, it was only 11:45!  Found the jukebox, and the group fed it with dollars and selected such an eclectic mix of music...really didn't make sense at all.  Neil Diamond, Kenny Chesney, Credence Clearwater, Cher, Bon Jovi, Guns and Roses, Lady Antebellum... and we proceeded to sing these songs at the TOP of our lungs as if we were still at the piano bar with a club full of drunken music lovers.  Apparently, this was not so much enjoyable to the other hotel guests and management decided to close the bar at 12:30 due to low volume of business.  Hello?  Really?  We were buying drinks...LOTS of drinks!  So, lights came up, jukebox was unplugged, we ordered as much as we could carry and some drinks got to-go cups.  We picked up our basket of chips, plate of peanuts, guacamole and salsa and searched for a place to finish up the night!

Woke up LATE for work the next day... still spinning and trying not to be sick.  My party friends also felt the same way.  Hastily packed my bags to check out... as I was walking to check out, remembered vaguely that I didn't carry a purse the night before and wondered where the heck I left my license, credit card and $100 in cash.  I proceeded to dump all my stuff out in the hotel lobby area in desperate search for these items swearing to myself OVER and OVER... I WILL NEVER DRINK AGAIN...and GOD BLESS TEXAS!

:)