Recent goings on.

Last week ended with the arrival of the Austin City Limits music festival. For the 5th year in a row, I decided to take a pass. I almost regretted it when I saw how gorgeous the weather was going to be on festival weekend, but then I remembered how much I hate crowds, Phish, and port-o-potties, and I got over it lickety split.

Instead, on Friday night, I went with The Geej, Dah, and Dah's fiance (yep, Dah's getting hitched in April) down to watch the mighty Wimberley Texans whoop up on the Blanco Bandera Bulldogs in some 3A Texas High School football action. (My stepsister's son plays for Wimberley.) It was Wimberley's homecoming, and the game was packed. In fact, we had to sit on the visitor's side because the bleachers on the home side were filled to capacity.  

There's something so charming--so reassuring--about a small town football game. Granted, it's familiar territory for me having spent almost every football season Friday night of 10th, 11th, and 12th grade in the stands for Pine Tree High School's football games. But still, even if I didn't have my own experiences to draw on, it would be hard not to be sucked in by how much these games MATTER to those playing them, and those watching them play.

We stayed for the halftime show, and Blanco's Bandera's marching band inexplicably had some of these on the field during their performance:

Yep, those are those wind sock people. On a football field. I have no idea why... Their school is so small, that one of the cheerleaders picked up a flag and marched with the colorguard, and two of their football players took off their shoulder pads and helmets and marched with the band (one on alto sax and one as drum major). Awww...

We left after halftime because Wimberley was killing Blanco Bandera so there wasn't much of a game to watch. The final score ended up being 52 - 0. The Geej went home with Dah (because they hadn't gotten to hang out in a couple of weeks), and I went home.

Satruday was spent sleeping until 10:30 (awwww yeah), running errands and doing laundry. One of my errands was dropping off some donations at the ASPCA, and OH MY GOD Y'ALL, there were adorable, sweet kittehs EVERYWHERE!! But I managed to come home sans new kitteh, which is a good thing because Doug, Diane and BH would've disowned me.

Saturday night BH and I went on a real, honest-to-goodness date. A couple of weeks ago, I won a $50 gift certificate to a fancy schmancy restaurant, so we decided to redeem it. And although the food was good, it wasn't outstanding, which was kind of a disappointment. But still: A date!! At a restaurant that didn't have a kid's menu or crayons!! Whoo hoo!

Sunday I went to the grocery store, washed my car, did more laundry, and went to see Get Low. By myself. One of my favorite things is going to the movie by myself. I get a small popcorn (no butter) and a bottled water or Coke, and just get lost in the movie. Get Low was a good one to do that with--a wonderful cast, a great story, lovely soundtrack. I really enjoyed it--especially after I figured out who the actor was playing the character of Buddy. It was the kid from Sling Blade! All growed up!! (Man, it was driving me CRAZY trying to place that face and accent.)

After the movie, I went and got The Geej, and was able to surprise her by telling her we were going to dinner with one of her most favorite friends, Daschel. She was SO excited. They've been best buds since they started Montessori together (she'd just turned two, he was a few months younger, and they were literally inseparable from day one). They hadn't seen each other since the last day of school, and so it was quite the reunion. I know they're only 6, but it's like they really do love each other.

There they are with Dachel's dad (and Geej's former teacher), Mr. Gabe. We've got to get these two monkeys together more often.

On one final note, Diane received a new box to sit in.

She seems quite pleased.