Texas Lou

Archive for the ‘Travel’ Category

Good morning!  Spring is actually FINALLY here and we’ve been having beautiful weather so that is definitely something to be thankful for!

In addition to my gratefulness that spring has arrived, I’m also thankful for the following:

1. I’m so thankful that Ben and I close on our new house this week!  I can’t wait to live in a house again…it’s been 8 years since I’ve lived in an actual house!  So long apartment living!
2. I’m very happy for my cousin Jennifer and her new husband Eric.  They got married in Florida this weekend and I’m extremely thankful for Facebook and all of her friends and family who posted pictures of the beautiful event and lovely family so that I could share in the celebration.
3. I’m thankful for the new friends I’ve made at work who have made working here feel much more comfortable and happy.
4. I’m thankful for all of the wonderful people who have offered to help us move and fix up our condo to get it ready to rent.  We are lucky to have such kind and generous people in our lives.
5. I’m thankful that in less than two weeks, I will be a first-time home owner AND I’ll be in Texas visiting my family!
6. BONUS:  I’m thankful that the Farmers Market is finally back in season.  I went early Saturday morning to enjoy it and missed it so much!  I’m glad its back for another 9 months!

 

Have a wonderful and beautiful week.  I hope everyone is lucky enough to enjoy some warm and beautiful spring weather (sans allergies of course)!

Good morning and welcome to this week’s thankful post!

I was in New Orleans this weekend for my cousin Jennifer’s bachelorette party and I didn’t get back home until yesterday evening so this week’s post is on Tuesday.

Here’s what I’m thankful for this week:

1. I am beyond grateful that I was able to spend the weekend in New Orleans with so many amazing and fun ladies!  We had such a blast and I made so many great memories on the trip, caught up with family, and even made some new friends!
2. I am so thankful that I got to catch up with my aunt and cousins.  I’ve missed them so much and being around them was as if no time had passed at all.  My aunt was my second mom growing up and my cousins were more like sisters so getting to see them and spend the weekend with them was very special.
3. I am very thankful for an understanding husband who was not only totally cool with me going to New Orleans for a girls weekend and spending the money on the trip while we are trying to by a house, but he also genuinely missed me and wanted to spend all evening with me when I got back yesterday.  I even got an “I love you” text from him while I was gone and he NEVER texts!
4. I am thankful that I will get to see my family all over again in June for my cousin Jennifer’s wedding reception.  It made it less sad for the trip to be over knowing that we have plans for the future.
5. I’m thankful for a wonderful boss and flexible work environment that allowed me to take the day off yesterday so I could enjoy a longer weekend with my family.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I am truly blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful people and have such a nice life.

Have a great week!

Good morning and welcome to the first Thankful Monday post of March!

Here’s what I’m thankful for today:

1. I’m thankful that the inspection on the house we are trying to buy went very well.  The inspector was quite impressed with the quality of building and the upkeep and maintenance done by the current owners.
2. Again I am thankful for a weekend full of family, friends and fun times.  Friday night, Ben and I had dinner at Panera Bread with Ian, Sarah, and Meghan and then we all went to Four County Players to see their production of Into The Woods.  Then Saturday, after the house inspection, we spent the day with Ben’s parents.  Sunday morning, we had a great seven mile run with Deb and Becky and then that night, Sarah and Ian came over for dinner and Walking Dead.  I am blessed to have so many wonderful people brighten my life!
3. I am thankful that I will be going to New Orleans this weekend to celebrate my cousin Jennifer’s bachelorette party!  It’s going to be so fun to go to New Orleans again and I’m really excited about seeing some friends and family there that I haven’t seen in way too long!
4. I am thankful for the opportunity to sleep in a warm and comfortable bed every night.  My days would be difficult without that good night of sleep and I am very lucky to have a safe environment to rest.
5. I am thankful for the wellness program at work.  We are learning to meditate and it has been very eye-opening so far.  I really think that meditation will help with some of my stress and anxiety.

Have a great week!

P.S.  Happy belated Texas Independence Day (March 2nd)!

Last weekend, our good friends Robert and Crystal invited us to spend the weekend with them at their time share in Washington D.C. .  We stayed at the lovely Wyndham in National Harbor which is just across the Potomac River from our nation’s capital.

The weekend started out Friday night with Robert and Crystal picking us up and heading to dinner at the Bavarian Chef, a delicious German restaurant in Madison.  Bavarian Chef, which is authentic German food in a traditional German atmosphere, complete with the servers dawning lederhosen, used to cater our lunches about once a month when I worked for VGT and their food was always spectacular.  I ordered the Karlsbadener Sahnegoulasch, “a combination of tender pieces of veal, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, and fresh cream” with a German style beer.  Both were AMAZING!  After stuffing ourselves, we headed north to DC.  We didn’t get to our hotel until after 11 PM, so we got to bed so we could rest up for a long and exciting day in the capital.

Saturday morning, Ben and I went to the hotel gym for a quick workout while Robert and Crystal attended an owners’ meeting.  After getting showered and dressed, we headed to Ketchup for breakfast and then caught the bus to the city.  It was a beautiful sunny day, but the wind was blowing strong which made for biting cold weather.  At least we had the sun to keep us a little warm.

First, we stopped by the capitol to take pictures.

Ben and I in front of the capitol building

Crystal and Robert

Afterward, we headed to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, where we spent several hours viewing exhibits, artwork, and readings.  The lobby of the museum had this beautiful prism that reflected sunlight into all of the colors of the rainbow.

After touring the museum, we walked to the Washington National Monument which is still closed for repairs due to the earthquake we had back in August 2011.

I wanted to visit the Texas pillar of the World War II Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, so we kept on walking.

This sight brought me happiness!

Texas Represent!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We headed back toward where our bus dropped us off and decided to stop into the very crowded Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History to see the Orchids of Latin America Exhibit.  Our next stop was to grab some lunch and then a quick walk around Union Station as we waited for our bus.  Upon arriving back at the hotel, we rested up before walking to Harrington’s Irish Pub & Kitchen for dinner and drinks where Crystal tried (and LOVED) her first Guinness!

After dinner, I had some friends that just happened to be celebrating a birthday at Bobby McKey’s Dueling Piano Bar right across the street from our hotel, so I made the quick walk over to join them.  If you’re ever in National Harbor, I highly recommend checking out Bobby McKey’s and get there early because when I showed up around 10:45, there was standing room only!  The bar was a blast with several piano players singing some mainstream music as well as familiar tunes with their own creative lyrics.  They did an amazing 1980s-1990s rendition of Billy Joel’s ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire” and a pretty hilarious version of “Hey There Delila”.  Toward the end of the night, what I assume to be a very drunk patron bought a round of shots for the ENTIRE bar!  I will definitely be revisiting Bobby McKey’s in the future!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I finally got back to the hotel around 2:30 AM and was exhausted from the full day of friends and tourism so I crashed right away! Sunday morning, we checked out of the hotel and had breakfast at a cute little diner in Old Town Alexandria.  After filling our tummies, we drove to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles Airport.  This was by far the largest and most comprehensive collection of air and space memorabilia I have ever seen!  My favorite parts were the Discovery Space Shuttle and the Flight Simulator that we got to ride in.

A view of just a few of the historical airplanes that the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center has on display.

The flight simulator that we got to control/ride in.

It was an awesome trip and a very full weekend and we can’t thank Robert and Crystal enough for their hospitality, generosity, and friendship!  I can’t wait to go back and see even more!

Good morning friends and welcome to my weekly Thankful Monday blog post!

I’m thankful for the following this morning:

1. I’m thankful for a wonderful weekend and for generous and good friends that invited us to DC to share the weekend with them and stay in their time share.  Again, I am so lucky to be surrounded by so many amazing, fun, and wonderful people.  Thanks Robert and Crystal for a great weekend! (More on the trip in another post.)
2. I’m thankful for the possibility of a little clarity in the house hunt.  I won’t say much for fear of jinxing things, but rest assured that when we finally find our home, I’ll be shouting it from the rooftops and this blog!
3. I’m thankful for the opportunity to fly home in April, as well as the flight technology and cheap airplane tickets I found that will allow it.  Ben and I are going to Padre in April to spend a long weekend with my mom and brother at the beach and I really can’t wait!
4. I’m thankful that every week I feel a little less anxious about my job and a little more comfortable with my daily responsibilities and skills.  It’s been a tough transition for me and feeling more confident is something I’ve waited months for.
5. I’m thankful for my kitties.  It’s always no fun coming home from a long exciting weekend, but having our kitties there waiting for us gives me so much to look forward to!

 

Hope you all have an AMAZING week!

Good morning and happy thankful Monday!

This week, I’m thankful for the following:

1. I’m thankful for the opportunity and affordable plane tickets to travel to New Orleans in March for my cousin Jennifer’s bachelorette party!  It’s going to be AWESOME!
2. I’m thankful for another great long run with a new friend on Sunday.  We ran 8.3 miles!
3. Again, I am sooooo VERY thankful for the option to work from home.  We have had ALOT of winter weather in the past week and I am very lucky to be able to stay warm and safe while working from home and avoiding the accident-prone roads.
4. I am thankful for wedding gift cards and the lovely friends and family that gave them to us.  They allowed us to buy a new Breville Juicer this weekend while only spending $17 out of pocket (after gift cards and a 20% off coupon).  Juicing is my new favorite thing, especially after watching the touching documentary, Fat Sick and Nearly Dead.
5. I’m thankful for living in a country where I can go to the grocery store any day and buy most fruits and vegetables at a decent price to use with my new juicer and stay healthy and energized.

 

Have a great week and don’t forget to remember to be grateful!

A couple weeks ago, I joined my dad, brother, and sister for an impromptu trip to New York City to see the Houston Texans play the New York Jets for Monday Night Football.  It was an amazing trip and I absolutely loved getting to spend a weekend with my family.  The only way it could have been better was if my mom and husband were there but mom had to work and Ben was on a fishing trip in North Carolina.

We all met up at the airport on a Saturday afternoon.  Mikey flew in from Columbia, South Carolina, I flew in from Charlottesville, and Dad and Carrie flew in from Houston.  After a wild goose chase around Laguardia Airport and bumping into some other Texan fans in town for the game, we made it by taxi to our hotel in New York City.  We got settled in and then sat down at the hotel bar to discuss the evening’s plans over drinks.

Since the Longhorns were playing West Virginia, we decided to find a pub to watch the game.  Mikey had heard about a place in New York called Hill Country Barbecue Market that Texas Exes go to watch the games so we headed that way.  Let me tell you, BEST.DECISION.EVER!  This place was straight outta Texas, complete with Shiner and Lone Star beer, Blue Bell ice cream, tons of Texas decor, and authentic Texas barbecue!  Mikey and I, having not lived in our dear home state for years, were in HEAVEN!  They even had their own Texas flag, a Pearl Brewery sign (located in San Antonio where I went to college, I attended one of the most amazing parties of my college career there), and the waiters all wore Longhorn shirts for the game.

We stuffed ourselves with barbecue and cheered on the Longhorns over 4 buckets of Lone Star beer!  Unfortunately the Longhorns lost, but man was it a good game and you never would have known you were in New York by the inside of that bar.  Almost every person was sporting burnt orange and after each touch down, the entire bar was yelling the University of Texas Fight Song at the top of their lungs.  Mikey swore we could have won had he thrown more chairs!

The next day, it was raining so we picked up some cheap, broken umbrellas.  Of course we didn’t know they were broken when we bought them.  Mikey found a disgusting green paperclip on the streets of New York City that was just what he needed to MacGuyver his green umbrella to stay open.  Since it matched the umbrella perfectly, we dubbed it the “Green pooperclip of destiny”.  Pooperclip was the appropriate term since that’s probably what it had on it after laying in the streets of New York.

After standing in like in Time Square, we bought tickets to Chaplin on Broadway.  It was our last choice (if you ever go to New York, make sure to buy your Broadway musical tickets well in advance), but the play was spectacular and we learned alot about Charlie Chaplin that we hadn’t known.  We had time to kill before the play, so we headed to an Irish pub near Time Square called the Pig ‘n Whistle where we dined on appetizers, drank beer served by an authentic Irish bartender, and watched NFL.  We then headed to see Chaplin at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre which was amazing and I’d highly recommend to anyone looking to see a Broadway musical.  Afterward, we found McGee’s Restaurant and Pub which is the bar that MacLaren’s Pub in the show How I Met Your Mother was based on.  There we had more drinks and then headed to Stand Up NY, a famous comedy club where tons of comedic actors got their start doing stand up.  There was a 2 drink minimum so we drank cocktails and laughed until we cried.

The next day we all put on our Texans gear to represent our home team.  Carrie wanted to see the 9/11 Memorial and the Empire State Building, so we navigated our way through the subway to get to Manhattan.  I hadn’t been to the site of the World Trade Center 9/11 terrorist attacks since 2005 when they were still cleaning up debris so I was blown away by the memorial that now sits in its place.  Although it is still not complete, the memorial and north and south pools were quite a site.  It was humbling to see the spot where thousands of innocent Americans died and I was thankful for the opportunity to honor them.

After that, we headed to the Empire State Building where we did what my dad would describe as a lot of standing in line.

We finally made it to the 86th floor after all of that waiting and it was definitely worth it.  I went to the top of the Empire State Building back in 2005, but that was at night time so it was cool to go up during the day and see the city from so high!  We splurged and joined the 102 club, going all the way to the 102nd floor!

After all of that elevator riding, we were famished, so we walked to Keens Steakhouse for lunch.  Keens has the largest collection of churchwarden pipes in the world and their ceiling and walls were lined with them!  The food was amazing too and we were stuffed after dining on steak and a fine Cabernet Sauvignon.  After that, dad needed a rest before the game, so we headed back to the Doubletree to relax for a while.  I took advantage of the downtime to enjoy a Saint Arnold’s Oktoberfest that my awesome sister brought me all the way from Houston (you can’t get Saint Arnold’s beer outside of Texas or Louisiana).  I also attempted to help my dad log into his iPad, but he forgot the password and I have to say it was quite comical watching him try to remember it!

Soon it was time to head to see our Texans beat the New York Jets at Met Life Stadium.  First, we headed to Stout to pre-game where we met some fellow Texans fans going to the game.  After seeing some other patrons doing Irish Car Bomb shots, we decided to do one as a family and convinced my dad it was a good idea.  Then we headed to Penn Station where we took the train to New Jersey where Met Life Stadium is located.  We met more Texans fans from Houston on the train and had a great time talking football with them!

When we got to the stadium, everyone was pumped.  There were alot more Texans fans there than we expected so there was lots of cheering and shouting of “Go Texans!” every time we passed other fans in their Texans jerseys!  The game was great and the Texans beat the Jets 23 to 17.  It was a pretty close game, but our undefeated Texans pulled through!

It was an amazing weekend and I’m so thankful for the opportunity to make such great memories with my loved ones.  A special shout out goes to my dad for footing the bill!  I can’t wait for the next Elsaifi adventure!

Translation: Oh My Gosh Thank God It’s Friday YAY!

I’m so excited today and here’s why!

• It’s Friday and the beginning of the weekend…DUH!
• We are going to the Top of the Hops Beer Festival tomorrow where we will get to sample many awesome beers and spend time with lots of friends!  We went last year and it was a blast!
• I feel like I am doing so much better at work.  I’m feeling more comfortable with my job, tasks, and asking my coworkers questions plus I am meeting new people and getting involved!
• The weather has been wonderful and it is supposed to stay that way through the weekend.
• I was really good this week at keeping up with my healthy eating and exercising (ran over 11 miles!).  I’m trying to remind myself constantly that this is important to keep me positive and help me mentally and emotionally in addition to keeping my body healthy.
• Lastly, I found out that I MAY be able to spend a weekend in October with my brother, sister, and dad in New York AND go to a TEXANS game (special thanks to my awesome boss for giving me the time off)!  It’s not definite yet, but we’re working on it!

I hope everyone has a FABULOUS weekend!

I realized the other day that I just passed the 7 year anniversary of moving to Virginia.  I believe I moved into my first Virginian residence on August 9th, 2005.

I remember how weak and sad I felt when I got here.  I literally kicked and screamed part of the way here and could think of nothing else more than to get back to Texas ASAP!  I never dreamed that I would still be here 7 years later.  Even though I still wish I lived in Texas and I miss my friends and family terribly, I wouldn’t change the past.  Had I not left Texas and moved to Virginia, I don’t think I would be as strong and independent as I am today.  Had I stayed in my comfort zone close to mommy and daddy, I may have never really gotten that push out of the metaphorical nest that I needed to truly become an adult.  Living close to my parents was always a crutch that I could take advantage of.  What if I had a flat tire? What if I got in a car accident?  What if I can’t figure out how to cook something?  Mom and dad were always right there to fix things for me.  Of course now they are only a phone call away, but being 2000 miles away from them made me realize that I needed to be able to rely on myself like an adult.

Another reason I would never change the decision I made 7 years ago to follow my college boyfriend to Virginia is that I would have never met so many amazing new friends and family.  I would have never fallen in love with and learned so much from Ben.  I probably would have stayed in an unhealthy and manipulative relationship and not morphed from the shy introvert into the outgoing extrovert (most of the time) that I am now.

I would also probably never get the chance to appreciate a more rural environment.  When I first moved to Charlottesville, I certainly had culture shock!  I spent my whole life living in HUGE cities like Houston and San Antonio.  Not having a gas station on every corner was pretty scary to me…it made me feel cut off from the rest of the world.  Now I LOVE living in a less urban environment.  It means that there are less traffic, less pollution, and less crowds to deal with.  And Facebook, cellphones, email, and this blog certainly keep me feeling connecting to the ones I love who are far away.

I’m so glad that I have traveled the path that lays behind me now.  It certainly wasn’t easy and it’s been filled with some sadness, heartbreak, and loneliness.  But it has also been filled with joy, surprise, adventure, learning, love, and amazement.  I know the future will definitely hold the bad and the good but it will also be shaped by the 7 years I’ve spent here and the decisions that led me here as well.  I just have to remember that in order to experience something amazing, I’ve got to take a risk, endure the negative, and keep a positive outlook on things.  Had I not left Texas, I wouldn’t be the person I am today and that would be sad, because I really do love who I am!

This weekend, Ben and I drove 366 miles to FINALLY visit my brother Mikey in Columbia, South Carolina.  The drive wasn’t bad at all…we drove through Lynchburg and Danville, Virginia, Greensboro and Charlotte, North Carolina, and finally made it to the beautiful state of South Carolina.  We made the trip in under 6 hours and that was with two stops for gas, bathroom breaks, and snacks.

When we got to Columbia on Friday evening, Mikey took us to one of his favorite brewpubs, the Hunter Gatherer, for dinner and drinks.  We each had delicious gyros and many microbrews.  We also finally got to meet Mikey’s South Carolina entourage (or part of it).  Ross, Katherine, and Josh met up with us for drinks and shared lots of crazy stories!

Saturday morning, we got up and went for a run around the University of South Carolina campus.  I did about 4.5 miles, but couldn’t keep up with Mikey and Ben who at a much faster pace, ran around 7.  It was really cool to see the campus and I also got a taste of the USC Gamecock school spirit from Mikey’s awesome roommate Katherine.  After our run, we hit the farmers market in Columbia, but soon it started raining, so we detoured to the Cock n’ Bull for what Mikey deems the best burgers in Columbia!  He was right…we all had delicious burgers while we watched the Olympics.

Later that afternoon, we got dressed up in our Texans gear and headed to Charlotte with Mikey’s buddy Josh who was gracious enough to drive us.  We stopped for sushi once we got to town and then continued on to tailgate before the game.  Much to our surprise, we realized that drinking on the streets in Charlotte on game day is legal accepted by the local police so we met up with some of Josh’s friends and enjoyed a few cold ones.

The game was great!  The highlight was in the first quarter when Trindon Holliday scored an amazing touch down!  The night couldn’t have gone better with the Texans beating the Panthers 26 to 13.  Even though it was a preseason game, we made sure to out yell all of the Carolina Panthers fans surrounding us in true Texas spirit!

Sunday morning, we met up with Mikey’s friends for brunch at the Thirsty Fellow where I sampled the bellini, mimosa, and a bloody mary (the Sunday brunch trio)!  Food was great, drinks were awesome, and the company was the best.  But like all great weekends, this one had to end, so Ben and I loaded up the car and headed back to Charlottesville.  The trip was so much fun and I was sad it had to end.  I love getting to spend time with my brother and it was really cool to meet his friends and see where he spends his time.

I can’t wait for another trip back to South Carolina.  Next time I’ll make it a three-day weekend (or longer) and we’ll check out Charleston!