Exploring Texas

This past week was my last week (hopefully ever!) of getting up early Saturday morning to teach dance. I have struggled through more than 20 of those Saturdays, and am beyond relieved to be done! This Saturday was also special because my boss unexpectedly gave me Saturday afternoon off at Capezio. I've never had a Saturday off that I didn't ask off for a trip or for work at the dance studio, and I was so surprised and grateful! Teaching Saturday mornings is hard enough, and then going to work at the store for 5 more hours on the busiest day of the week is killer!
Anyway, I got home Saturday before 1:30 with no plans for the whole afternoon, only to see Travis packing a bag. "Are you going somewhere?" I asked. "We are going somewhere," he replied, with that special Travis face that accompanies plans. He wouldn't tell me where we were going, just that I should pack for the whole day. I was so excited, since I love surprises and dates with Travis, but hate planning!
Our first stop was Casey's Snowballs. I'd been once before, last August, and couldn't wait to try another flavor. Also, my family stayed at the Keep Austin Weird House (yay!) right down the street from Casey's the week before the wedding, and I lamented that it was closed for winter every time we passed by. But Saturday it was open! These are not Viking Fest snow cones, with really crunchy ice and barely any syrup. They are cups of icy cold deliciousness you eat with a spoon, soaked in so much syrup that the bottom is like an icee. Travis had coconut and cherry, and I had blackberry and strawberry. My mouth is watering right now . . . good thing I have a snow cone date with Tiffany from church Wednesday morning!
The next stop was the outlet mall in San Marcos. One of my sweetest Saturday students and her wonderful mom gave me a gift card to Ann Taylor after class, and Travis wondered if there was an Ann Taylor outlet at the mall there. And of course there was! (The outlet mall in San Marcos is literally miles long. Every. Store. Has an outlet there.) I'd never been in to Ann Taylor before (because I knew I couldn't afford it!) but at the outlet and with my gift card I was able to get 3 lightweight summer shirts. I am so grateful, since my large collection of sweaters and long-sleeved t-shirts has been sitting untouched in my closet since March. It has been in the high 90s and low 100s for at least a week straight, maybe 2!
Then we headed down to the cool (but hot!) little town of Gruene, TX (pronounced green) to go exploring! It was such a blast; I don't experience much authentic Texas here in the city, but Gruene was like something out of a movie (The Muppet Movie and Blues Brothers both came to mind).
After exploring, it was off to a mystery restaurant for dinner. I had been wanting to go to the Salt Lick, a famous bbq restaurant out in the middle of nowhere, since we considered it as a wedding venue last summer. Travis went with church friends a few months ago, but of course they had to go on a Wednesday night when I was teaching! As we drove further and further into rural Texas, I was getting more excited that we might be headed there! Sure enough, we pulled up and enjoyed the best bbq of my life! The whole place was very Texas- big unfinished tables in a metal and wood slat building, a huge pit of meat by the front door, live music outside (a man who sounded just like Tracy Chapman- at first I thought he was playing along to her vocal tracks!), and a bring your own alcohol policy, which meant everyone but us had coolers of beer!
We finished off the night with a visit to Travis' family to take Stephen his birthday presents, some vintage Coke memorabilia from an antique store (including a bottle of Coke from May 1992, when Stephen was born!)
All in all, one of my favorite days in a long time. Pictures to come, as soon as I can get some videos uploaded and my computer stops being sooooo slooooow.