keep austin weird

One of my goals after my half marathon was to run 4 runs before the summer was over. I am close to accomplishing that goal! (My mile time has also gone down, another one of my goals.) I've done the Run to the Sun, Bun Run, and this weekend the Keep Austin Weird 5k. (Although I don't think I'll be counting it as one of my four...you'll understand by the end of the post.)

Before the run at 7 pm, in June, in Texas with 100+ degree heat, they have a festival. People dress up, there are bands that play, and there are a lot of vendors selling food, drinks, and things made by locals. Crissy and I went as Hooters girls (Rebecca said our outfits were oxymorons) and Evan, Crissy's husband was Hulk Hogan. Before we left we youtubed different Hulk videos so he could see and practice things to do and say. Evan was planning on staying in character the whole time. As we were walking to the festival we must have been there a little early because we didn't see anyone dressed up and Evan was starting to freak out. All of his fears were quickly gone.

I loved that Crissy was standing outside the port-a-potties with her phone ready to take a picture. That's not weird for the other guys coming out or anything.

Evan was THE hit of the festival! The moment we walked in people started asking to take pictures of him!! We decided to take a tally of all the pictures he was in, and we finally stopped counting when he had taken 30 pictures, and was interviewed for a Dallas radio station (hopefully they will post it soon, and I'll of course share with you), the Austin American Statesman (the link doesn't work anymore), Austin 360, and some news station. The best question the radio guy asked was "Do you always have to flex when you talk?" 

We ran into one of his wrestling rivals! We wanted Evan to pick him up and hold him over his head, but he wouldn't.

See that crowd surrounding him? Each one of them took turns taking pictures with him. 

When the race started, everyone was running like normal. After a water and gatorade station we were all starting to feel the heat and drinks we had had, so we decided to stop running at mile 1. From there on we walked like half of the other "runners." Normally throughout the route you will have water and gatorade stations. This one had that, along with a game stop, 2 photo booths, 2 vodka shot stops, a wine stop, pizza, and Amy's even had a stop where they pass out scoops of ice cream. Walking the last 2 miles was the best idea ever!

They had to have been hot.

Of course we stopped at the photo booth! People kept yelling at the Hulk as they walked or ran by.

It was the most fun, and slowest 5k I think I will ever do! Now back to my real running to get ready for my 4th of July 5k.

the talking club

A few girls and I from work decided that we needed to become for real friends and get together over the summer. Somehow we decided we needed the pretext of watching the Bachelorette to get together. After 3 weeks of putting the show on and talking through it, we finally decided to call it like it was and stop watching the show and just talk. This week everyone came over to my place, and I got a little carried away with the food. I even realized after they left there was more food in the fridge that I forgot about.

Roasted, marinated artichoke hearts from the Barefoot Contessa, and marinated mushrooms from my dad.

Bacon wrapped chicken.

One of the best things about this is that I am trying a bunch of different gluten and dairy free recipes that I've been wanting to make but haven't. So far everything I've made is delicious! Hopefully that luck will continue.

my first turkey

After leaving Shreveport, I went to Dallas to spend the night with my friend Pat. Something must have been in the air because a lot of strange things happened while I was there. We decided to get our nails done, and the ladies who did our nails did an....interesting job. My fingernail polish was uneven and you can see the lines. Also she decided to trim my toenails which I didn't mind. However, she decided to trim some, and not others. She also decided to trim one at an angle making my toe look crooked. As we were paying and getting ready to leave someone started getting their face waxed. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STORE. Obviously I took a picture because I didn't think anyone would believe me.

After that we went and had dinner at a Mexican restaurant. I loved their music, it was a blend of tejano and japanese pan pipes. After that we met her cousin and his wife to go bowling. I love to bowl, and am awful at it. There aren't many games I will play knowing I won't win, just ask my friends. (I can be a little competitive, although it has calmed over the years.) Pat and I decided to try new throws: left handed (I almost fell over), granny roll, spin rolls, and the correct way to bowl. (That last one was mine, I don't have the correct leg forward when bowling.) 

On our last game we noticed a large angry bowling lady. She was throwing her bowling ball like she wanted to kill it, complete with an angry face. Right when Pat's cousin made us aware of her, we watched her bowl and then walk towards her table and throw a drink in her friends face! During this Pat threw a strike and was mad we were more enthralled in the angry bowler throwing a drink in someones face. The girl stormed off and left with her bowing shoes on. 

Somehow that angry bowler changed my game. I had my best game ever because of her! I even got a turkey!! I rarely get one strike, let alone 3, in a row! I usually just barely break 100, and this game I got a 151! Again, I didn't think anyone would believe me so I took a picture.

Apparently lots of drama improves my bowling game. Next time I go bowling I'll make someone throw a drink in someones face that way I'll get another turkey. 

busted!

Last time my parents were in town they stumbled upon one of the great finds in Austin gas stations:

It's basically a listing of everyone that's been arrested in Austin with their reasons for being arrested. There's even a code on the inside to let you know what it all means. For example, POM= Possession of Marijuana. I love how happy and excited some of them look getting their mugshot. If I ever get arrested I plan on making the most of it. Who wants a crappy ugly picture taken of themselves? Not me, that's for sure.

I also love the lady at the top left. The caption underneath her beautiful mugshot was "Adriana Sanchez was allegedly trying to fight everyone and their mother after being arrested for beating on a local pedi-cab driver..."  She does look pretty tough. I wouldn't want to get into a fight with her that's for sure! She looks like she would fight dirty. It's pretty funny because they have little stories on different people inside just like they did for Mrs. Sanchez. 

I was familiar with this delightful publication because my friend Wes got it awhile back and was drawing their portraits. I even grew up with someone that not only was in it, but decided she was so proud of being published she decided to add her picture from the paper to facebook. I have some classy friends.

So I was in Shreveport this weekend visiting family, and my parents brought Busted so my Aunt Diane could read it. She loved it! She kept making comments (in a Louisianian (is that a word?) accent) like, "Well she looks very normal, what did she get arrested for?" "I need to keep a finger on this code page so I know why these people were arrested." "Drugs? Oh yeah, he's still on drugs look at him. Look at his hair!" 

It sure made for a fun afternoon in Shreveport listening to my aunt crack up at these people and their pictures.

baseball

Let me start off by saying I have never really been into baseball. My high school was known for their baseball team, and I honestly could have cared less. Because of this, I don't really know much about it, and I have a lot of comments and questions. (I have been to Astros games, and I did go to some high school games, I also got tickets to a UT game last year from one of my student's parents, so I'm not a total idiot when it comes to baseball.) So Sunday my parents (who are really into baseball) got tickets to the UT vs. Arizona State baseball game. Before we got to the game I asked what this game meant, and who we were playing. (These seemed like things I should know before going.) So if we won the game we were going to Omaha and would play in hopes of becoming champions of...the world I'm guessing. National Championships? Honestly, even now I don't really know and they told me. Like I said, I don't know anything about baseball and don't really care. Why go if I don't care? Why not. I'll watch a live baseball game if UT is playing. And the game seemed like a big deal.

Let's start with the fans. They are CRAZY! Constantly yelling at the players and the other team's players. The saddest and funniest was when the ENTIRE stadium started booing the Arizona pitcher. There was one old dude up front that kept trying to get the stadium to yell Texas fight, and it only worked about twice. 

In the first inning a lady got beaned in the head by a foul ball! It was crazy. The entire stadium yelled "oh!" when it happened. They even had to have the EMS people come down and check it out. She didn't leave so she must have been fine. I also love that the crowd always cheers when someone gets the foul ball like they tried really hard to get it. Do you think the crowd still cheers when it's some old beer bellied dude grabbing it from a kids hand?

Also why do people change seats all the time? This one dude kept going from sitting in front of us, to about 5 rows in front, and then back. Other people would start out in one seat, go get drinks and go to a different seat, and then move again before they finished eating their food. Why is this allowed? Your ticket says what seat you need to be in. Why do you have the need to move when you aren't even moving to a seat that's much better?

During the 7th inning stretch we sung Take Me Out to the Ballgame like always. Afterwards they put on some Cotton Eyed Joe sound alike song and some big dude pulled out the wimpiest water gun and started spraying it in the air in time with the music. It was really weird. If I had been near him and he squirted me I would have been annoyed.

What's up with half of the stadium wearing headphones? You are at the game! Use your eyeballs and you won't need the headphones. Also why are you writing down the stats of the game? Again, use your eyeballs and look on the scoreboard! 

Proof my dad, an OU grad, truly loves UT

Omaha bound!

Not only was it a really fun game and we won, but more importantly we were on the jumbo tron! It was my first experience on one of those things. It was a pretty cool thing to have happened. See you again next year college baseball. Maybe. If I get free tickets.

glitter shoes

Angie and I like to craft together. She told me last year she wanted to make glitter shoes, and this summer it happened! She found someones blog that we used as a reference and then went shopping. We bought our shoes at Payless (originally $16, I got mine half off because I bought another pair of shoes), and then headed to Hobby Lobby where we bought glitter, brushes, and spray glaze. I already had Mod Podge so in all I only spent $17.50 for everything to create some awesome new glitter shoes. 

All of my supplies

You have to mix glue with a ton of glitter.

It looked really weird.

Before...

After!

Angie and I took about 5 more pictures of us and our feet in different places and positions. Halfway through the glittering we had to go back to Hobby Lobby for the glaze spray, and while we were there I decided I needed to glitter more things, so I got a $4 frame and glittered it!

Angie and I are now both a little glitter crazed. We couldn't stop talking yesterday about all the other things we can, and should glitter. We almost bought a lot of stuff during our Hobby Lobby run to glitter. Get ready, because you might be getting a little present in the mail that's been glittered!!

i will haunt you from my grave

I was running errands today and found myself at Walmart when Target didn't have what I needed. Now I am rarely in Walmart so I was wandering around for a long time trying to find the right section I needed. That's when I found it. Tucked between two arts and crafts aisles were memorial flowers you could buy.

They sure are pretty! The ribbon behind the flowers say Memorial in case you were unclear what they were for. And look at that price! Originally $10, they're now only $2.50! Now that's a deal!! On closer inspection the flowers were the crappiest plastic flowers I had ever seen. Someone had also tried dusting them off but didn't do a great job. Now I don't plan on dying anytime soon, but if anyone buys me flowers from Walmart for my funeral, they're gonna get it! I will come back and haunt you from my grave. That is a promise.

rainbow cakes and a baby shower

I found this really awesome cake recipe for a rainbow cake and have been dying to try it! I even blogged about it the first time I found it saying I couldn't wait to find a reason to make it...well it happened! We threw Nichole a baby shower at the Hyatt Lost Pines. It is such a cool resort! So Friday I spent the day baking these rainbow cakes. I made 2 test ones and then the rest. All in all I was baking these things for probably 4 hours. I also made gluten free brownies so I could eat something, and in case the cakes didn't turn out ok. It was hard because I made the icing from scratch and I couldn't test it to make sure it turned out ok, so I was a little nervous. 

Mixing the batter (I used a box mix so I knew they would turn out ok.)

About to tint the batter. I found neon food coloring which looked awesome!

My first two...not a good sign the way the batter came up the sides.

For the next batch I tried tilting the jars with each new color to try to distribute it better. I also used less purple in case that was a factor. They weren't layered like on the recipe, but they looked cool and tye-dyeish!

View from above.

All iced, sprinkled, and bowed up!

I was told they were delicious!!! They looked really cool on the inside too. The colors were super vibrant. You can kind of tell from this picture, but not really.

So there were 7 of us and we all stayed in one room! We also all brought food, magazines, etc. so most of us had multiple bags even though we were only staying the night. I had 3 bags, the present for Nichole, and a sleeping bag. Heather had the same, plus a cooler and a blender! It was pretty hilarious because we were probably the cheapest people at that place. 7 people in one room, we all brought food so we didn't eat dinner there, and we brought our own drinks. When the bell boy came up for the 3rd time with all of our bags Heather told him that we were poor teachers and not to tell anyone what he saw. He thought that was pretty funny. He also said he was an education major so he totally got it.

 Also Laura came in town surprise Nichole!!

Sleeping arrangements. Heather almost slept on that chair back there, leaving a king bed for Nichole only. We had to force her to share the bed with Nichole.

Good thing Laura and I are such good friends, otherwise this could have been awkward.

I want to go back already! Spending the entire day with amazing friends at the pool laying out, reading trashy magazines and going on the lazy river is not a bad way to spend your first weekend of summer!