Fredericksburg, TX

How to have an awesome weekend:

Day 1: Thankfully get out the door before 7:00 pm and get on the road after a stop at the library and gas station.  Split up the driving and fall asleep during a really exciting part of Catching Fire (book on CD).  Arrive at this creaky, little place and sleep very well:

Day 2:  Wake up at 8:30 and go out into the kitchen where a few Hispanic ladies are cooking up a storm.  Go into the dining room and enjoy the free breakfast spread alone.  Fresh fruit, eggs, biscuits, hash browns, sausage, bacon.  Go back in the room and debate whether or not to just stay at the B&B all day long and watch Wimbledon.  Decide against it and drive to Sea World.  On the way, stop at Dick's to look for suncreen, hats, and towels and leave less than half-successful.  Arrive at Sea World and get a good parking spot. Love the sea lion show and the baby sea lions.  Watch them forever.  Spend most of the day at the water park getting dried up and burned.  Love it.  Buy overpriced but delicious grub and take obligatory self-portrait on the way out.

Drive back to Fredericksburg and then, after changing into appropriate attire, walk a block to this little place.  Enjoy some of the best food and service ever had (steak! chicken! cobbler!) and even leave a 19% tip!  Return to B&B and fall asleep.

Day 3: Wake up a little late and walk into the dining room where 4 other couples are already enjoying breakfast and making small talk that you gratefully avoid by taking the only empty seats which are in the parlor room next door.  Commence gorging.  Then, pack up your things and drive a little way down the street to where the shopping is. 

Elbow other tourists while sampling jams, salsa, honey, and butters before purchasing your  favorites.  Enter every store and peruse the collections of furniture, do-dads, and junk.  Buy a nice leather wallet for Paul, a beautiful scarf for Abby!  Amuse yourselves in the Christmas stores, western stores, artwork stores, kitchen stores, and once again pay for overpriced, but delicious, food.  Become exhausted by the heat and the walking and the spending-of-the-moneys.  Find the car, turn on the Catching Fire CD, rewind the CD because you fell asleep and missed the exciting part, and drive home.

The 4th of July

So I've often claimed that I rarely get to celebrate the 4th of July.  When I say "celebrate" I mean watch a parade, BBQ, watch fireworks, and be with friends, in America.  Isn't that what people usually do on the 4th of July?  But, anyway.  I feel like I need evidence to back up this claim, so, here is a list of how I've [not] celebrated the 4th over the years.

2002: I was in Magrath (Canada) visiting my grandparents and cousins.  They don't celebrate US Independence Day, obviously.

2003:  In Magrath (Canada) for a family reunion.

2004: Parades, BBQ, fireworks, friends, and family in my neighborhood.  Okay, that was some pretty good celebrating, I have to admit.

2005:  In Magrath (Canada) for a family reunion.

2006:  I actually went to Stadium of Fire (alone) that year (funny story) and had a BBQ and went to watch fireworks with my family.

2007:  In Waterton (Canada) for a family reunion.

2008:  This year, I was in Ireland on my study abroad, and DChap overruled our democratic decision and took us to Glendalough.  At least I was with friends!

2009: Annie and I ran a half marathon and went to Tigard High with my parents to watch some fireworks.

2010:  Paul and I drove from Alberquerque to San Angelo in one day.  We arrived just after a storm, got lost trying to get on base, and didn't see a single friend or firework or parade.

There you go!  In the last 9 years I've celebrated the 4th only 3 times.  5 of the other 6 times I was actually out of the country.

Let's just say I'm excited to celebrate Independence Day deep in the heart of Texas!

(And just for the record, I had to look up many of these events in my journals.  I don't have a magnificent memory of holidays I've celebrated.)