Trips to Austin.

Two out of the past three weekends we have headed up to Austin.  Our first trip was for Sawyer's first birthday party!  On the way to Austin that trip, we stopped off in Lockhart for two things:  (1) Barbecue at Kruez Market (one of the top 5 places in Texas for BBQ); and (2) a little antique shopping.  I ended up scoring one of my favorite finds ever -- here's a not-so-subtle hint.  It's so swoon-worthy, it deserves its own post!

We went back to Austin last weekend for a friend's wedding.  The wedding was early in the day on Saturday, which left us the rest of the weekend to enjoy a city that we love so much (and to try out some great eats too).  We went to dinner at La Traviata, which was wonderful.    

(photo: la traviata)

It was such a nice night, so we took a stroll down to the Capitol after dinner. 

Of course, the Capitol itself is amazing, but it's also special to us because we got engaged there.  Justin proposed right by the rose garden (over 8 years ago).

After our romatical (yep, that's a word) walk around the Capitol, we were in the mood for something sweet.  Actually, I was the one craving dessert, and Justin knows it's better just to go along with it rather than fight it.  So he was up for getting something too.  After some quick searching for the best place, we ended up at Gourdough's.

I'm almost too embarrassed to admit that they serve massive donuts loaded up with more super unhealthy things like icing, bacon, brownie batter, cake batter, candy, etc. (not all on the same donut though -- please, let's not get carried away here).  Check out their menu.

(photo: gourdough's)

The next morning, we walked around UT's campus and enjoyed the beautiful weather.  It was so fun to cruise around and reminisce with Justin (and to see all of the changes around campus).       

(note: the water in the fountain is usually not green!)

After our campus tour, we stopped by Uncommon Objects, which is a pretty amazing vintage store.  I could've spent hours in there browsing around, but I knew Justin had cookies on his mind. . . . When we were in college, we ordered tasty chocolate chip cookies from Tiff's Treats, a place that would deliver warm freshly-baked cookies to your door (with milk too), which is nothing short of heavenly when you live in a dorm room.  So before we headed home, we stopped by to enjoy them for old times' sake.

We've been having beautiful weather here!  Hope you have too.  I'll be back with my fab find! 

Austin Trip.

Several weeks back we headed to Austin for a quick trip.  We got to town in time to watch the UT game at Ruby's parents' house with a bunch of friends.  (Thanks for hosting, David and Emilia.)  It was one of the few games we've actually won this season!

We love any excuse to go to Austin, but this time my best friend, Lauren, and her husband, Jacob, were in town!  It is always great to see them.  I can't wait for the day that they move back to Texas!

Later that evening, we went out for cocktails and dinner at East Side Show Room.     

The next day, we met up with some friends including Jeremy, Meagan, and Sawyer and Zach, Carrie, and Porter for brunch.  It was great to visit with them and see their cute kiddos.  After eating brunch and grabbing shaved ice at Sno-Beach, a group of us headed to Town Lake for a little kayaking.  

(photo: here)

I wanted to bring my camera along so badly, but Justin said it wasn't the best idea in case it got wet.  I am so glad I listened to him.  After being out on the water a couple of hours, we were getting tired and decided to head back.  Everything was going along just fine until, before I knew it, our kayak was upside down and we were in the water!  We still don't know what happened.    

Our friends, Kevin and Chris, came over to see what happened and to help us get situated back in our kayak.  Our two kayaks were right next to each other at that point, and I have no idea what the heck happened, but the 4 of us ended up in the water again!  The first time I was shocked, but the second time, I just had to laugh.  Thankfully my flip flops and Justin's shoes floated.  Sadly, Chris's free chipotle shirt and Kevin's converse and treasured Astros cap did not.  They are now at the bottom of Town Lake.

After getting cleaned up (and buying Kevin another pair of shoes), we enjoyed a hamburger at Hut's before heading back to Houston.  We had a wonderful trip and had a great time seeing everyone (and getting the full experience on Town Lake)!       
   

Proud to Be a Longhorn.

I would be lying if I told you that I wasn't a little disappointed that Texas lost to Alabama in the national championship game. But frankly, I have never been more proud of our team.

(photo: chron.com)

Basically the worst thing that could have happened to our team happened -- Colt McCoy was injured early in the game. This sounds immature, but it's not fair. He deserved more. Colt is an amazing player and a great person, and I was looking forward to seeing him shine during his last game, which also happened to be the biggest game of his college career. I can only imagine the disappointment he felt when he couldn't return to the game.

Here is a great story about him and the new QB, Garrett Gilbert. The imagine of Colt trying to throw the football to his dad again and again to no avail is heartbreaking, and not one I will soon forget. Here is a video clip of Colt's interview after the game. Maybe I am a softy, but I still tear up when watching that. What a class act he is.

(photo: texassports.com)

Our team gave it their all in the face of their worst nightmare and came pretty close to beating Alabama. And Gilbert was impressive considering the fact that he is true freshman and hasn't played more than a few minutes this season. I definitely am looking forward to seeing him play next year. Above all, our team showed great character and strength. While we didn't win the
game, there is a lot our team has to be proud of.

Hook 'em horns!

Good Gracious.

The game wasn't pretty, I don't understand what happened the last 30 seconds, and I missed seeing Colt and Jordan work their magic like normal, but Texas won the Big 12 Championship game in a nail-biter. It came down to the last second (literally).

What a great game (I can say that now that it is over, and I have recovered from my 3 heart attacks). Hook 'em horns!

(photo: chron.com)

Minimum Requirements.

I mentioned here that we recently went to a UT football game. During the game, I came to the conclusion that there really needs to be some minimum requirements to be able to get a ticket. I am not talking about a high bar for admittance, but there should be some basic safeguards in place, especially for high-demand games.

As a disclaimer, I bleed burnt orange. For example, as a baby, I had a longhorn onesie. I have probably been in front of the TV for the majority of UT games my entire life (even if all I remember was my dad yelling at the refs).

In any event, we had a heck of a time finding tickets to the UT/Tech game. We were constantly scouring craigslist and would contact the seller almost instantaneously, and the tickets would already be gone. It was crazy. We finally found some tickets (after several people before us flaked on the seller). So with that background of being totally consumed with trying to find tickets (and we were willing to pay what I consider to be a premium), I was a little perturbed with the people I saw in the stadium. That led me to think about some requirements UT should have in place to get high-demand tickets.

1. You have to have at least a basic understanding of football. I am not talking about having to know all the hand signals used by the refs or the height, weight, hometown, and middle name of each player on the team, but merely a working knowledge of how the game is played. The boyfriend of the girl sitting next to me had to explain what downs were and that after 3 of them, if the team doesn't get 10 yards, the other team gets the ball. Puh-lease. I am pretty sure my mom understands that concept (no offense, mom).

2. You cannot even think about bringing a book, newspaper, or have your cell phone out during the action. Someone sitting near us was texting almost the entire game. She was paying absolutely no attention to what was happening on the field. Even when the person she was with tried to get her engaged in the game, she was having none of it and continued texting away. That brings me to point 3 . . .

3. You have to appreciate either college football or UT athletics. The same texter mentioned in number 2 sent the following message: "OMG. These people are crazy. They are yelling." (Yes, I have no shame -- I read her text message.) Are you kidding me chick, you are in a stadium with over 100,000 longhorn fans at one of the biggest games of the season. You better believe we are yelling Texas Fight!

Perhaps if these requirements were met, it would give people who are actually fans of the game a better shot at getting tickets. It's a win-win, really. People who don't understand football, don't care about UT or college football, and who would rather read a book or text a long lost friend can do so in the privacy and quietness of their own home without all the crazy, longhorn fans around disturbing them.

Austin Trip.

I am way behind in my posts, but last weekend we went to the UT/Texas Tech football game. We paid way too much for tickets last minute from craigslist, and then Justin pricelined (yes, I just made that a verb) a great hotel for cheap the afternoon before we left. It was well worth all the craziness trying to get everything lined up (even for a type A personality like me).

We got into Austin on Saturday and went to the Salt Lick for some delicious bar-b-que with some friends from my office. After we recovered from our meat coma, we headed to the game.

Thankfully it was an evening game, but it was still hot! The game was great (and was even better since we won)!


After the game, our friend Chris picked us up and took us to Tiff's Treats. They make cookies and deliver them warm to your door (with milk). Pure genius! They also have a pick-up location, which is where we headed. I hadn't had them since I was in college, and they were just as tasty as I remembered.

We then met up with Jeremy and Meagan at Kerbey Lane. Yes, that's right -- we had some delicious cookies and then went for some dinner/breakfast. You have to eat the cookies while they are still warm (and drink the milk while it is still cold).

Here are me and Meagan waiting for our table:

And the boys (Justin, Jeremy, and Chris):

Sunday afternoon on our way out of town, we met up with Chris, Jeremy, Meagan, Zach, and Carrie for some great food at Matt's El Rancho.

Good food, good football, and good friends make for a great weekend!

Texas Fight.

This College Gameday video with Mack Brown cracks me up:



"We don't freestyle Texas Fight, big boy." Love it!

(I am currently keeping my fingers crossed. I just found some "reasonably priced" tickets to the UT/Tech game on craigslist and am hoping the seller calls soon!)

Football Fashion.

One of the things that got my attention during the UT and Wyoming game yesterday (besides UT's slow start) was the Wyoming coach's outfit. Don't get me wrong, I know a football game isn't a fashion show, but his outfit was downright terrible.

(photo: espn)

First thing, what's up with the necklace? You can't see it in this picture, but there was also a tag on it in the back. Is a big necklace some Wyoming tradition?

The other thing, the mismatching khaki colors of his sweater vest and pants are a disaster. I get that yellow and brown aren't the most flattering colors, but the varying khaki shades selection was not a good move.

He is a new coach at Wyoming, so maybe it will just take him several games to adjust his wardrobe to the new team colors. But, he did just came from Missouri, whose colors were yellow and black.

Oh, and Hook 'em!

Texas Fight.

Heck Yeah!! I am totally rocking my burnt orange shirt at work tomorrow.

Hook 'em Horns!

Hook 'em Horns!

Dear Cameron and Connor,

Thank you for being ballers. Nothing like a walk-off home run with 2 outs. You both provided a great end to an otherwise generally crappy week.

Thanks,
Emily

P.S. I like your names.

Hook 'Em Horns!