I woke up the other day and it was already March. March! In mid-February I went to visit my sisters in Texas, but it already feels like a long time ago. Time is flying by. Since the trip is becoming a mid-winter tradition, it must be recorded for posterity:
Picked up from the airport and whisked off to brunch at Farmacy, an old pharmacy converted into a farm-to-table restaurant. Clever little spelling pun.
We were seated outside, at the furthest possible table from the rest of the patrions. They took one look at us and knew we'd obnoxiously take pictures of everything.
It was 70 degrees and sunny, but not muggy. Gotta love winter in the South(west).
Mmm, waffles. I asked for only the berries, but when my plate arrived it came with bacon. I gave up meat for Lent--a whole separate post, by the way--so I gave the bacon to my sisters. (Relevant because my future Lent post will fully illustrate how far I have fallen.)
Food and coffee pictures are a dime a dozen online, but they're extra special when your sister takes them. I am the only person on Earth who doesn't have instragram, so I just take Ronni's. I'm going to print out the one above and put it right next to my work computer because it's so prettayyy and it makes me happy!
Yes, a half marathon also happened during this trip. I'm tellin ya, it's a tradition now.
Funny story about the hat. During another race, I noticed a female runner wearing a ski cap with her long hair down. At first I was all, "Isn't she getting hot? How is her hair not sticking to her neck? Is that not annoying?!" But she looked cute and I was all, "I wanna look cute while running too!" I picked up this discounted beanie at the Expo and tried to wear my hair down during the race. It was not pleasant. The hat kept riding up and giving me a gnome-head. I'd readjust the hat for the photographers so my race pictures (which I don't buy anyway) would look less ridiculous. Lessons learned: 1) The hair will not be denied, 2) Just...no. Ponytails exist for a reason.
More pictures! In the parking garage!
Playtime with phones.
Ronni collects lucky cats and she was sitting, cross-legged and shoes off, in front of her little collection. Like she was worshipping at an altar of lucky cats. It was weird.
Race day! I do love this event, but maybe in 2014 I'll run a different half in Austin. Last year's race is still pretty fresh in my mind because it's my best race so far. I remember all the details--the hills, the location of the mile markers, where I started to struggle. It was impossible NOT to compare this year's experience with the previous one.
My time was about 30 seconds slower than last year's. I'm happy that it's not too far off my best, but I was also hurting a lot sooner (like mile 5!)and literally had nothing left in my legs at the end. But I'm glad I did it--during these things I always wonder why on earth I put myself through this torture. I suppose because I love it so.
And for the food of course. The day after the half, we ate at the cutest restaurant in the world, Elizabeth St. It's a Vietnamese place, but not really. It was cute though.
Breakfast bahn mi and Vietnamese coffee. I could've sworn I took more pictures here.
Continuing our gastronomic tour through Austin, my sisters, Ronni's boyfriend Frank, and I went to Gourdough's, a donut place. But not just any old donut place; it has donuts with bacon, fried chicken, burgers with donuts as buns. It's one of those places which could possibly show up on the Food Network. Maybe expectations were too high, but I wasn't blown away. However, I can now cross off "Eat a salad with a side of donut" off my bucket list.
Christina and I went to Ikea. Enough said.
Wouldn't it be awesome if all cafeterias looked like an Ikea cafeteria? I think so.
I visited Austin during my brother-in-law's last week at Uchi, where he's worked since forever. On to bigger and better things! But not before one last sushi food coma for me. Grilled prawns with truffles. They were delicious. My first time eating truffles.
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| Clinton the HBIC |
I can't talk about this trip without mentioning this book, Cutting for Stone. The night before the half marathon I slept horribly because my mind was on this story! One of my coworkers gave me a copy as a Christmas gift, so of course I had to read it--mostly because she kept asking, "Have you read it yet? Have you read it?" Lately (like the past 3 years) I've shied away from fiction because I just get so crazy invested in the characters, the story-- it's exhausting to get so wrapped up in something which isn't real. It's easier to read non-fiction. Anyway, I fell head over heels for this book. Like a crack addict who has been sober for awhile and was led into a crack house.
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| This is the book cover that I have, but I like the other one with the two boys much better. I think the first one is the hardback version. Why give the paperback version a crappy cover? Discrimination! |
The story is about orphaned twin brothers who are raised by surgeons and a hospital community in Ethiopia. I know next to nothing about this country, but the writing was so good, by the end of the book Ethiopia felt like home. There's a lot of medical/surgical detail (some of it kind of squeamish--won't lie) but the author is also a surgeon and it's pretty obvious he is passionate about his profession. I am in love with all of the characters. I think I fell in love with the main character. Is that possible? I finished the book on the plane to Austin; the combination of an early flight, lack of sleep, hunger, the story, the end of the book and the experience of leaving this place I'd come to love...it was overwhelming and I sobbed--controllably, with restraint and dignity-- on the plane. I could sense the concern in the flight attendant's eyes, and also the discomfort of the girl sitting next to me. But whatever! I tried to leave this book with Ronni to read, but took it back at the last minute. I must buy this book for others and force them to read it because I need to talk about it!
