Taco Salad With Vegan Chorizo and a Side of Blogging

Yes, it's lunch time.That means I'll be shoving food into my pie hole in between sentences. Feel free to imagine that lovliness if you'd like to.

Spring break has come and gone. And for those of us in Austin, that means that the craziness that is South-by-Southwest has also drawn to a close. Once again this year I managed to miss out on all things SXSW except for the traffic and close encounters with hipsters that one must endure when she works downtown. However, now that I'm on Twitter (and there were jillions of SXSW-related twees during the week), it was hard not to feel left out of the party. I keep vowing I'll save up and purchase a badge one of these years so that I can go to all of the crazy music stuff I want to. But I'll believe it when I see it.

This past weekend, The Geej and I got the helloutta town and went on a long-overdue trip to the Pine Curtain. The purpose? To see my good friend Lisa and her nearly-four-year-old son, Henry. We also got to see my (very elderly) relatives, Aunt Mary Lois and Uncle Ray. Seriously, I have no idea how old these two are. They've got to be almost 90 if not already there. They've been married since 1940, and they're super sweet. They're also hardcore Pentecostal, but not too hardcore to have a T.V. in the bedroom turned on to Fox News 24/7. And they don't let their Christianity get in the way of their extreme racism either. I kept having to steer the conversation away from how much trouble "The Mexicans" and that "Black President" are causing. After all, there WAS a 6 yr. old in the room. But that's just how they are. I accept and love them even though I don't agree with them.

It is so beautiful up in east Texas right now. Dogwoods, azaleas and redbuds are blooming everywhere. And the TREES! I just don't realize how much I miss those tall pines until I'm standing in the middle of them.

But rather than let me ramble on and on about our trip, let's look at some pictures:

A statue of one of my favorite country and western performers, Lefty Frizzell, in Corsicana, TX.

The Geej taking advantage of some monkey bars at the park where the Lefty statue was located.

This AWESOME kids' park/playscape under the pines in Longview.

The Rangerette Museum in Kilgore. Every single time I try to go here (there's a pic of my grandmother in there that I want to see), it's closed. This time, it was closed for spring break. Sigh.

Classic East Texas Helmet Hair. If you're over 65 and NOT sporting this 'do within Gregg County, you WILL be talked about.

And there they are: Henry and The Geej. Just couldn't be any damn cuter.

Alas, my salad is finished and work beckons. Soon, internets. Soon...