Austin Weekend

Aside from running ten miles last weekend, I also managed to have some fun while in Austin for the weekend.  David and I drove over on Friday afternoon.  This is usually a great time of year to go for a drive outside of Houston and Austin, because it's bluebonnet season (Texas' state flower).  The bluebonnets didn't disappoint- they (and more Indian Paintbrush than I remember seeing in previous years) were everywhere! But unfortunately, we didn't have time to stop for the mandatory photo in bluebonnet fields. 

A photo from the car was the best I got this year

Since I didn't get a bluebonnet photo this year, here's one from a few years ago. 

That evening we met up with one of David's college friends and his wife for dinner in downtown Austin.  Then we had some drinks at a few bars while we killed time waiting to pick up David's sister at the airport at 1AM.  We stumbled upon a cute outdoor/patio bar that had a really great live band. 

After picking up our race packets on Saturday afternoon, we rented water bikes on Lake Austin.  It was a beautiful day to be out on the lake.  And although I was a little skeptical, the water bikes were really fun- and super easy to maneuver.  They even guarantee they won't tip over- which sold me, since I was definitely not in appropriate clothes for being on the water. 

After water biking, I insisted that we get ice cream at Lick Ice Cream- I had heard about it from an Austin blogger, and I'd been dying to try their crazy ice cream flavors.  Lick didn't disappoint- if you are ever in Austin, you must try it!  It's a really cute little shop with very friendly staff and locally farmed ingredients.  The best part is their flavor choices- they're like nothing you'd ever expect to have in ice cream, but they are DELICIOUS. 

 

These are only about half of the flavors

 

 


My choices: Goat Cheese,Thyme, and Honey & Dark Chocolate, Olive Oil, and Sea Salt - AMAZING!!

 

This place is incredible... and I'm really not even that big of an ice cream person.  The next day during the race, at about mile 7, I decided that we would definitely be stopping by here again for more ice cream on our way out of town.  You know, to undo all the calorie burning I had just spent two hours doing.  WORTH IT!  This time I got a scoop of Cilantro Lime and a scoop of Coconut Avocado Curd.  I was skeptical of these flavors, but I liked them both- especially the cilantro lime!  Oh, and for any of you out there who live in Texas, they are now selling some of their flavors in pints at Central Market.  And I think cilantro lime is one of the ones being sold there now.  GET YOURSELF SOME.  You can thank me later. 

 

So that was about it for our short Austin weekend.  We drove back in rain, so we didn't get another opportunity for bluebonnet photos.  Oh well, there's always next year!  



Weekend Recap

This was the first weekend in a month that I haven't been out of town or had out of town guests, so I was really excited to have a low key weekend.  Houston even cooperated and delivered some incredible Spring-time weather! 

Friday:
I had the day off from work, and I had plans to visit the school where I used to teach.  I had been wanting to visit ever since we moved back, but for one reason or another, I just hadn't gotten around to it.  A friend of mine who also used to teach there and left at the same time that I did asked me if I wanted to go with her for a visit, so I finally took advantage of the opportunity.  We went at lunch time and hung out with some of our old students in the cafeteria and visited with some of the teachers in the staff lounge.  It was really good to be back and to see familiar faces, but it was also a sort of strange feeling.  It felt simultaneously like everything and nothing had changed.  The highlight though was definitely getting hugs from some of my previous (now so tall!) students! 



Two of my favorites- now FOURTH graders!!

After my school visit, I met up with the realtor that helped us sell our house.  That house is back on the market, and she had asked me if I wanted to go with her on a fake "showing" to check it out.  That was another bittersweet experience/blast from the past.  There is something very weird about walking through your old house and seeing someone else's stuff everywhere.  Although we never intended to stay in that house for more than a few years, it kills me that the house is on the market now and we are in a one bedroom corporate apartment that seems to get smaller by the day.  Oh, and did I mention it's selling for nearly TWICE what we bought it for (don't get me started...).  Houston's real estate market totally blew in the short year and a half we were gone. 

Who put all this (super gaudy) furniture in my house? ;-)  I'm only a little bit sad it's not ours anymore...

We ended the night with fajitas and margaritas at one of our favorite Mexican food places. 

Saturday:
Saturday was a vey lazy, uneventful day. We slept super late and just did errands and chores around the apartment.  We had dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in Houston, Barnaby's, and were home by 9.  David passed out on the couch by ten at which time I grabbed the remote from his hand and immediately cued up my DVR list.  I spent the next couple hours drinking wine and catching up on Dancing With the Stars and some of my Oprah Winfrey Network shows.  Don't judge. 

Sun roof weather- finally!!!

Sunday:
My sister-in-law has been peer pressuring me to run a ten mile race in Austin with her on April 13.  I really really dislike running, but I told her I'd try to keep up a running regimen for a few weeks and see how it went before deciding if I thought I could even complete ten miles.  I started a couple weeks ago with 3 miles, then 4, then 5, and finally ran 6 miles last week.  So I told myself that if I could run seven miles on Sunday, then I would sign up.  When I woke up, I headed to Memorial Park since they have a nice 3 mile trail.  Seven miles was my goal.  I wish I was one of those people that could say "running clears my head" or that I was someone who gets that "I feel so great after I run" / runner's high thing.  Unfortunately, I'm not.  Running does not clear my head.  In fact, when I'm running, all I am thinking about is how much I want to stop running.  How productive and relaxing, right?  And when I'm finished, I don't have a runner's high- instead, I my knees hurt and I am grumpy.  How pleasant!  But all that aside, I met my seven mile goal and even went on to run 8! The reason I ended up with eight is because I was SO thirsty by that point, and I knew there was a drinking fountain at the end of the trail, and I figured I'd get there faster if I ran, so I just kept at it.  That was actually my fastest mile that morning :-)  There's a beer garden at the end of this race, so I'm anticipating that even though I will feel like collapsing, mile 10 will be my fastest :-)  At any rate, I am officially signed up for the race.  It's two weeks away- wish me luck! 

I hope everyone had a great weekend and a good week ahead!  Can you believe April is nearly here?!?!