Another weekend of rest and relaxation — and a little gluttony on the side. Jon got a nice bonus at work on Friday, so we were rather indulgent, food-wise.
On Friday night, after errands, we went to Threadgill’s. It’s the ultimate place for heavy, fried Southern food. I don’t think there’s a healthy thing on the menu. We started with an order of fried green tomatoes (my all-time favorite Southern food), and then I followed up with chicken fried steak, macaroni and cheese, and cole slaw.
After dinner, we stopped at Half Price Books, and then went home and had a chill evening. Jon was starting the first Saturday shift of his new schedule and had to get up at 5:45 in the morning, so we turned in a little early.
While Jon was at work on Saturday, I got up and went to Torchy’s. I don’t usually go without Jon, but it was my last chance to get the Ace of Spades taco until 2013, and I couldn’t miss out. While there, I finished Sandra Cisneros’s Loose Woman, which is one of the best poetry collections I have read this year. With the rest of the morning to myself, I mostly worked on poetry, and resumed work on my math lessons after slacking for a solid month.
In the afternoon, I went to a dance lesson, and then Taletha and I worked on some planning for Austin Rocks, the swing dance event she’s putting on in October. Then at 4, I was off to Round Rock for Iliana’s birthday. I can’t believe how fast the year has gone by! I know everyone says that about babies, but seriously. I swear it was like two months ago that I was holding her, and she weighed 5 pounds. Now she’s walking. There was some sadness, of course. I can’t stop thinking about how unfair it was that Reesa didn’t even get to see her daughter celebrate her first birthday. But all in all, it was a happy day.
After getting back from the party, we took Maxwell for a late walk and hung around the house for a bit until it was time to go to the Geeks Who Drink pub quiz at Opal Divine’s Marina. This week, we dared to sit out on the patio so Maxwell could tag along. He was mostly well-behaved, and generated quite a fan club among the other patrons, but he’s a high-energy dog, and keeping him calm was a little exhausting. We’ll probably bring him again, but not every single week. Maybe after a little more training.
Our team took fourth place. Not too shabby! Not good enough to get a discount on our bar tab, but also nothing to sneeze at. I’m pretty much always content with placing in the top ten. Also, everyone on our team except for Jon was from Ohio. And Jon sort of counts because he went to college in Ohio. How cool is that? Go Bucks!
On Sunday, I slept late. Really late. I mean, I needed it, and I felt great, but I so rarely sleep in that it’s always a weird experience. After Maxwell got his morning constitutional, Jon and I were off to Perla’s to have our real celebration of his bonus. It’s definitely not an everyday restaurant for us, and therefore it was perfect for celebrating our windfall.
And we were indulgent, indeed. We ordered oyster shooters, followed by the best Bloody Marys in town (Perla’s is the only place where I will choose a vodka-based drink over a mimosa or something made with gin). And of course, there were oysters on the half shell. And after our entrees, there were more oysters for dessert.
After the best brunch ever, we got home just in time for me to chill out for a bit before heading out to the Kin Cities literary reading at BookWoman. The Kin Cities series is a joint venture between Austin and San Antonio. The readings, held three times a year, are hosting in alternating cities, with poets from both in attendance. I had a great time listening to everyone, and, as I always do, came away inspired.
Once the reading was over, I was pretty much done being social for the weekend. Jon and I made a grocery run, and then hung out for the rest of the night. And watched Mad Men, of course. The perfect ending to a perfect weekend…well, at least until Breaking Bad comes back on the air.
Poetry and Practice 