I had posted about having successfully arrived in Texas (LINK), and having spent some time with my Sister in Law (my wife's sister), my Brother in Law (my sister's husband), and his parents (LINK), having made the trip to Austin and surprising AtHomeDaddy (LINK), and the big party (LINK).
Prelude - I had a few more photos to add from the last day, and journey home - but they were taken with the camera on my cel-phone. The same cel phone that I left on top of my car when I drove off to work. The same cel-phone that I never saw again, containing the remaining photos that will also never be seen (or posted here). Come to think of it, that may be the reason I never got back around to finishing this story (at least not until now... )
Well, I say it's about time. Let's wrap up this story... Huh?
Having survived the big birthday bash, including the extended late night of guitar music, surprise guest Maria (in all her velvety nudeness) and all her stories, and the multiple tales of shenanigans that AtHomeDaddy, TheBossLady, and their friends had gotten themselves into over the years - the time had come for us to return to Dallas for one last day with my sister in law.
With a three hour road trip in front of us, we woke early so we could maximize our last day with my sister in law. When we had left for Austin from Dallas, we departed having made a promise that upon our return we would arrive with fresh kolackys from the Czech Stop located in the town of West, Texas. The Czech Stop is known far and wide for their kolachkys! It was sort of ironic that we were stopping for kolachkys while we were in Texas, especially when you consider that one of our neighboring towns back home (Montgomery, MN) was holding their big town celebration that same day... The celebration is called Kolacky Days!
Well, we stopped at Czech Stop, and picked up the requested poppy seed kolachkys, and grabbed some cream cheese and cherry (or was it apple) versions too.
Once we returned to Dallas, and met back up with my sister in law, we shared the stories of our wild adventures in Austin with my sister in law while we sat around enjoying the delicious kolachkys we obtained from Czech Stop!
Since this was our last day in Texas, and it had been busy, Busy, BUSY since we arrived - we wanted to dial it back a bit and have a more "leisurely" sort of day. We had wanted to take my sister in law out for dinner - some place a little nicer - in gratitude for all she had done for us while we were in visiting, and for all the fun she had shown us while we were in town. She said she had a nice place in mind... So, we looked at what else we could do to fill the rest of the day...
We decided to take in a movie.
That may not seem like much for many of you, but for parents of five - seeing a movie that is not animated, have princes or princesses, was produced by Nickelodeon / Disney / Pixar, or is rated "G" , and in a honest to goodness theater - well that's just a special sort of treat. It happens once, maybe twice a year. So it was a just what the doctor ordered...
After the movie, my sister in law took us to the restaurant she had in mind. We arrived at Primo's, arriving "just in time". We got our orders taken and food served up just as the crowds started arriving in earnest. Since it would be one of the last times I'd have a chance to do it, I ordered a tap drawn "Shiner Bock". The food, delicious! The beer, cold! The company (my wife and her sister), wonderful!
It was a great night!!
After dinner we headed back to my sister in law's house (she had to work in the morning). The Mother of Five and I wanted to "walk off" a little bit of dinner - so we let my sister finish up some "take home work" while we drove back to White Rock Lake where we went for a four mile walk. This evening more than any other, I noticed the "Texas heat". Even walking around the lake - and at night - it was horribly warm. I think the lake actually made it warmer by adding humidity to the mix. When the wind blew and you felt the breeze hit your face (expecting a reprieve from the heat) - it actually felt warmer!!
The next morning, we said our good byes with my sister in law as she headed off for work. After a casual morning, the Mother of Five and I packed up, loaded up the rental and headed back to the airport. We checked in, and had lunch at TGIFridays (in the airport).
The return flight was over booked, and it was looking like we were going to get some deep discounts on our next flight (we were top of the list to be bumped) - but when the flight was SIGNIFICANTLY delayed (3+ hours) - it caused other passengers (who had connecting flights) to be bumped - opening up seats on the flight, and eliminating the need for volunteers (and eliminating my chance at two $200.00 vouchers).
We arrived back in Minnesota - and even though my Mom had a nice dinner spread just about ready for us when my dad picked us up and brought us back to our van (which was parked at their house) - we politely turned it down... Despite the delicious food my mom makes (and she does!) I had an overbearing desire to get back to MY home, and see the kids.
We had a WONDERFUL time.
I want to thank my sister in law. She generously opened her home and let us stay with her, fed us, and (this is important in Texas) kept us cool with her air conditioning!! All kidding aside, it's so easy to forget just how much fun it can be hanging out with her - being so far apart. Thanks again sister in law!
I also want to thank AtHomeDaddy, TheBossLady, and the rest of the extended AtHomeFamily!! Going down there to help celebrate his birthday (and, in all honesty - meet face to face for the first time) is a little bit out of my "comfort zone" (ok, it's WAY out of it). But AtHomeDaddy has been such a good "virtual" friend to me over the past few years - when the moment arrived, it did not at all seem like we were meeting for the very first time. His extended family (and his friends) were also so hospitable, and welcoming, and friendly. It made what could have been a nightmare of anxiety (for me) feel like nothing more than getting together with some old friends.
Thank you - To each and everyone that made our trip to Texas such a wonderful and memorable experience!!
Having successfully arrived in Texas (LINK), and having spent some time with my Sister in Law (my wife's sister), my Brother in Law (my sister's husband), and his parents (LINK), and having made the trip to Austin and surprising AtHomeDaddy (LINK) - the time had come for THE BIG PARTY!!
(All photos in this post have been “captioned”. Hover mouse over photo to see caption.)
The day before the party had been a long one indeed... We did not get to bed until after 2am the night before. We had gotten up early for a morning walk, and to start off towards Austin from Dallas (a three hour tour drive). We met up with (and surprised) AtHomeDaddy and the rest of the AtHomeFamily. We spent time at Zilker Park, got the whirlwind tour of Austin before heading back to the AtHomeCompound. After visiting with AtHomeFamily, the Mother of Five and I headed back to the hotel to unpack, clean up, and then reconnect with AtHomeFamily for dinner, and then desert. As we parted ways for the evening. We were invited to stop back out at their house to hang out while they prepared for the party. We went back to the hotel and crashed hard.
The next morning we (unintentionally) slept in (we did not set an alarm). After getting up, we went for a brisk walk to a group of four GeoCaches (LINK) near our hotel, returned to the hotel, cleaned up, and headed down for the hotel breakfast.
MAN - these Texans sure love their state! There are images of Texas, and the "Lone Star" all over the place. They even make their waffles in the shape of Texas! The only "State" shaped waffle iron I could find was the Texas Waffle Iron. (I've checked.. I wanted a Minnesota Waffle Iron).
I do have to admit, the "Texas Waffle" was quite delicious! Was it because of the recipe, or was it because it was shaped into the state of Texas??? You be the judge.
After breakfast and before we headed to the AtHomeCompound, we had a couple of errands we needed to run. Not knowing how late the party would go - we also opted to attend Church services on Saturday evening (not wanting to go to Church on Sunday morning). Since Mass ended just as the party started - the timing was pretty good!.
While we were out running our errands we stopped for a quick bite while at the Lakeline Mall. We wanted something light because TheBossLady was putting out a big spread at the party, and I did not want to spoil our appetites. I had the Tuscany Turkey Panini while the Mother of Five had the Panini Club from Frullati Cafe. I had never tried a Frullati before, and I was pleasantly surprised!
Somewhere during the day, we looked at the clock and realized we were running tight on time. We called AtHomeDaddy and told him that we would not be able to swing by the house before the party. We were feeling a worried about appearing like we did not want to come over – after all, we were invited to come and "hang" with the party prep team at AtHomeDaddy's place... But, by the time we finished our errands, (keeping mass time in mind) there was only one hour before mass started. It was not quite enough time to "hang" back at the AtHomeCompound, yet a little to early to go sit in church too.
So, what did we do with our limited time? Well, there were two VERY SPECIFIC GeoCaches that I wanted to nab before we left Austin - and since they were not far from the church we found to attend - we headed out and made these "special" finds! (LINK)
After making these finds, we headed out to find the Church. We arrived with a little spare time, so we quickly gassed up the Nitro, and headed back into to Church. The Church (St. Louis, King of France Catholic Church) was very nice. I was struck by a couple of observations. The church had been modernized, but despite the modernization, there were still three ropes that came through the ceiling that were attached to bells in the tower. The alter servers actually pulled the ropes to ring the bells. (The bells at our (very old) church are motorized.)
I actually liked watching the servers ring the bells. I also noticed that there were SIX alter servers (as opposed to our two or three), and three officiating clergy on the alter (not sure how many of them were Priests vs Associate Pastors or Deacons). Other than these cosmetic differences, the Mass felt very familiar (one of the things I like about the Catholic Church, but that's a post for another time).
Once mass was finished, we headed over to the AtHomeCompound to join the festivities!
The party was just warming up when we arrived. The first thing I noticed as we arrived was "Irene". Irene is a 1961 Chevrolet Biscayne owned by AtHomeDaddy's friend Kyle. Irene was parked in the driveway. Truly a beautiful car with a classic look and in AMAZING shape!
After admiring Irene, we walked into the back yard through gap in the fence (that cost AtHomeDaddy two hammers to remove) where we were immediately welcomed by AtHomeDaddy (who was chillin’ at the grill), and soon after joined by TheBossLady.
We checked in with the hosts, and visited for a few minutes before I spotted another attendee that I had to say hello to.
It was time to meet MARGE (a 1968 Chevrolet long wheel base step-side 1/2 ton pickup truck that AtHomeDaddy rescued from a family farm, and is in the process of restoring). Marge was parked in the back corner of the yard, and was busy keeping the beverages cool for the partygoers.
Marge and AtHomeDaddy introduced me to what may likely become a "favorite" of mine. Shiner Bock.
I'm usually a fan of the "lighter" beers (Michelob Golden Light being my regular beer of choice – I am, after all, watching my “girlish” figure). But on this day, the Shiner Bocks went down pretty easy. Maybe it was the fun festivities, or the great company I was in, or the Texas heat (or a combination of all three) - but what ever the reason, I truly did like (and plan on stocking up on some) Shiner Bock! I may have found my "specialty beer"! (Assuming I can find this Texas native up here in Minnesota!)
In addition to the cold beverages being dispensed by Marge, there was plenty of good food (BBQ’ed hot dogs and sausage, tortilla wraps, beans, chips, snacks, beverages, etc, etc, etc) – and, if that was not enough – TheBossLady and ThePrincess started walking around with BOXES of home made cupcakes, frosted with TheBossLady’s special home-made buttercream frosting! (I thought I heard at one point that they had made over two hundred cupcakes!!) Oh, and for the record… They were DELICIOUS!!
One thing that was omni-present throughout the party… Chickens.
Yes, live chickens!! You see, the AtHomeFam are urban chicken ranchers. There is a long story behind how they have ended up with the birds they do, and if your interested, you will have to pop over to AtHomeDaddy’s blog and check out the ninety or so posts about their urban chicken paradise by following the HERE CHICKY CHICKY link.)
I hear y’all asking…
What’s better than watching a flock of urban chickens running around a back yard??
Well, I’ll tell you.
Watching a bunch of kids chasing the chickens that are running around the back yard! Yup, those chickens provided the children attending the party a lot of entertainment – which then provided the adults a lot of entertainment by watching the children run around trying to catch the chickens that were running around!
At one point, a cute little gal who had been chasing the chickens around had actually CAUGHT ONE!! She was wandering around the party holding that chicken, with a grin of pride stretched from one ear to the other!! It was adorable!! (The chicken was rather patient and understanding too!)
From there, the party became a whirlwind blur of activity!
(Was that blur due to the Shiner Bock??)
We were introduced to so many of the AtHomeFamily's family and friends.
Everyone we met was so hospitable, kind, and nice!! So many of them knew about our story, and asked us if we were the folks that came all the way from Minnesota! It was almost as if they were eager to meet us! There were so many questions about Minnesota, and a lot of (good natured) teasing about our winters (while we returned fire with teasing about the skin blistering Texas Summers).
I failed to mention (in my previous post) having met "The Mother of the Bride" (TheBossLady's mother) the day before. She was so pleasant to talk to, and seemed so genuinely delighted to have us there! She was truly an example of what I think of when I hear the words "Texas Hospitality”! It was a pleasure to have been able to meet, and spend some time with her! I got to spend some time visiting with her during the party too!
Enjoy an intermission in this long post…
Miscellaneous photos from the party…
All the kids had a blast too! In addition to chasing chickens around the yard, there was Impromptu backyard football games, inflatable bouncers (one somehow got unplugged and started deflating until AtHomeDaddy came to the rescue) and or course, the backyard playground!
Intermission over. Hope you enjoyed! We now return you to the post in progress!
One of the families brought a cooler full of water balloons. Not just a cooler full of water balloons, but a cooler full of water balloons filled with ICE WATER!
They were SUPPOSED to be shared among the kids attending the party (and, in a way they did get shared with the kids attending the party – but not towards each other). Instead, the kids all swarmed AtHomeDaddy and gave him a showering of ice water filled balloons.
And, for those of you who can not see the videos, here are some photographs of what went down!! (sorry they are so blurry, they were live action shots, and it was starting to get darker outside)
By this time, it was was starting to get late, and dark out. Many of the partygoers with kids (that we were NOT one of - for a change) started heading home. The “activity level” started winding down, but a core group of AtHomeDaddy’s friends were still hanging around.
This was about the time that AtHomeDaddy’s friend Peter brought a new guest to the party.
Maria!
Maria is an 18 x 36 inch black velveteen painting of a nude woman. (Censored to keep my “G” rating here on FOF)
Originally, AtHomeDaddy found Maria (in all her “glorious velvety nudeness”) while out one night “Junkin”. Ever since, Maria has been passed back in forth between a group of neighborhood friends (often in quite humorous ways), frequently surprising her new host.
(Many of Maria’s previous escapades can be found HERE.)
It seems that Peter had wanted to climb up on AtHomeDaddy’s roof, and hang Maria (in all her “glorious velvety nudeness”) on a portion of the chimney (Do Texans really need or use fireplaces??) that faced the back yard – so that all the partygoers could enjoy Maria (in all her glorious velvety nudeness)!! At the last minute Peter decided against his plan for Maria’s newest move, due to the presence of so many children. Instead, he waited until almost all the children had left, and propped Maria up against the house – where AtHomeDaddy met her face to face!
There were many stories of Maria shared this evening!
After the excitement of Maria’s arrival wore down, those of us that were still around gathered up some chairs, and sat down and started visiting. At one point AtHomeDaddy brought out a guitar, and his friend Kyle grabbed it, and started playing (and playing well) – he added some nice background music to the party for a while
As I sat and listened to the conversation going on around me between all these friends, it became apparent that they were all college buddies.
Later on (as we were leaving) AtHomeDaddy mentioned to me that he hoped I was not board by all the “college reminiscing” that was going on…
To the contrary, I found it quite fascinating!
As I started listening to AtHomeDaddy (and his buddy’s) college stories, I started thinking about some of my own college stories. I was able to draw comparisons between AtHomeDaddy’s group of friends, and who (in my group of friends) matched personalities within this group of friends.
As an example, AtHomeDaddy’s friend Kyle reminds me a lot of my Best Bud Ed! Very outgoing with a strong personality and seemingly not afraid to try anything!
The stories continued on until sometime around midnight… Folks were starting to get tired (myself and MOF included), and the party started breaking down… We were the last ones to leave, and before we headed out we took a couple of last photos before we thanked AtHomeFamily for being such gracious hosts, for putting on such a great party, and for inviting us!
Attending this party was REALLY a step out of my shell, and I am really glad I did it!!
This party will be one that I will remember for a LONG time to come!
I would like to send a big thank you to TheBossLady! I’m not sure how, but I do believe we managed to surprise him!! This amazing party would not part of my memories had it not been for you! AtHomeDaddy is one lucky fella to have such a wonderful wife who obviously cares so much about him!
A huge thank you to all the family and friends of the AtHomeFamily! It was a pleasure meeting all of you, and you all made us feel so welcome at the party! We had a wonderful time meeting each of you!!
And, of course, a special thanks to AtHomeDaddy – Although it has not been quite “traditional”, I have had a great time getting to know you over the past three years! You have made me smile and laugh when I needed it, and serious when the situation calls for that too. You’ve been a sounding board, and and advise giver, and an ear to bend. I am both privileged and honored to be able to call you “friend”.
I thank you more than you know!
We said our goodbyes and thank you’s, and with “The Big Party” now in the history books, it was time for us to head back to the hotel…
We had to be up early for a morning of travel, with a specifically requested stop along the way.
We were quickly approaching our last day…. Deep in the heart of Texas!
Having successfully arrived in Texas (LINK), and having spent some time with my Sister in Law (my wife's sister), my Brother in Law (my sister's husband), and his parents (LINK), the time had come for the big trip to Austin!
After the whirlwind of activities from the previous couple of days, we started off this excursion a little on the exhausted side. It had been a late night the evening before (2am), so we were a bit on the tired side as well.
We loaded up the car, and headed out to our intended destination - Torchy's Tacos - where we were going to "bump into" AtHomeDaddy and his family. TheBossLady (his wife) and I had been in touch numerous times ironing out the details and planning the surprise. AtHomeDaddy is a Torcy's frequenter - and he and I have had conversations about the place previously - so it was a fitting place to meet up.
We found Torcy's without any problems, and we were already in line (the place had a line that stretched outside the door and through their outdoor patio, and into the parking lot...) when I spotted the AtHomeFam pulling up. We covertly watched as they walked into the patio area and grabbed a table. Once I noticed TheBossLady grab her camera, I knew I was up to bat. I walked over (menu in hand) and said...
"Excuse me, I've never eaten here. Can you give me a recommendation?"
When this first went down, I think AtHomeDaddy thought I was some sort of crazy-man. I got this look like... "Who is this fool...", which morphed into a "Hey, this guy looks sort of familiar to me", into a "Wait, I think I may actually know this crazy-man", which became a "I can not believe what I think I am seeing", and finally ending in a shocked, stunned, confused, but happy sort of look of disbelief. I later learned that it was the shirt I was wearing (I chose it intentionally) that connected all the links.
Handshakes, and hugs were shared which was followed up with about 30 minutes worth of "stunned" conversation. The AtHomeKids had moved to a couple of tables inside, and had lunch together. I ordered the Chicken Fajita, and poured myself a ice cold Dublin Dr. Pepper (they have it on tap!). I can totally understand why AtHomeDaddy likes this place so much. It's reasonably priced, and REALLY tasty!! I would TOTALLY be a Torchy's fan myself - if we had such a thing up here.
After lunch, the AtHomeFamily took us to Zilker Park, and the Barton Springs Pool. We learned all about the area - it's history, geography, and geology. While we did some more visiting, the AtHomeKids spent some time playing in Barton Creek.
After our time at Zilker Park, the AtHomeFamily invited us back to their house. TheBossLady took the kids and went directly home while AtHomeDaddy took the Mother of Five and I on the whirlwind tour of Austin. He drove us by the Texas State Capitol building, and then theTexas UT Tower among various other highlights of the Austin area.
Did you know that there was a bicycle shop that specializes in bicycles for lesbians in Austin? (At least there used to be one, AtHomeDaddy noticed that it had closed) I guess there is not a big enough base of bicycle riding lesbian customers in the area...
I found the Capitol to be an AMAZING sight, but (being a fan of infamous pop culture and serial crimes) it was the UT Tower that truly fascinated me. I could not believe (seeing it first hand) how TALL it really is... I also learned that there are still places where the concrete still shows the damage caused by the rounds ricocheting off the surface. I am familiar with the story, and have seen photos, but they truly do not do the structure justice. I also learned that AtHomeDaddy has a connection with the historic events that the UT Tower is so infamously known for... (No, AtHomeDaddy's last name is NOTWhitman - his connection is more heroic than villainous.)
It was not until I arrived home that I realized I did not get any photos of the Capitol or the UT Tower. I would have also liked to have visited the public viewing area of the tower, and perhaps toured the Capitol building as well. Maybe sometime in the future??
We arrived at the AtHome homestead, and were invited in. After the "Grand Tour" we hung out and spent more time visiting. It was casual and comfortable, and a lot of fun. After spending years emailing, comments on each other's blogs, and (more recently) Facebook messages, it was GREAT actually visiting face to face!
As we were closing in on dinnertime, we decided to part ways a bit so the Mother of Fiveand I could check into our hotel, then we would re-group for dinner and some desert. For dinner, we met at a BBQ place called Pok-e-Joe's. I had the "Two meat plate" - smoked turkey, and pulled pork tenderloin - with the Texas toast, green bean casserole, and (I forgot the second side.. Potato Salad perhaps??). Another delightful meal.
After dinner, the AtHomeFamily, the Mother of Five and myself all went for ice cream. They took us to one of their favorite places - Amy's Ice Cream. We were faced with more ice cream flavor choices that I could fathom. The employees at Amy's (despite their "Punk rock" look) were some of the best service personnel I have had the pleasure to be served by... they were witty, energetic (without going overboard), and helpful. They let us taste several options, and in the end (much like in a bad comedy) I ended up with "Mexican Vanilla" with no added "crush'ns". Vanilla is one of my favorite flavors!
The remainder of the evening was spent in the Arboretum Mall's Garden area - where the AtHomeKids had fun climbing all over the Marble Cows, and the view of Austin from The Arboretum Mall's garden was breathtaking...
Throughout the day, I was so impressed with the AtHomeKids... They were patient, and well behaved, and were so accommodating to the day's events. It was obvious to me that AtHomeDaddy and TheBossLady have done an amazing job, and deserve a lot of Kudos! I was TRULY impressed!
By the end of the day - the Mother of Five and I were beyond exhausted. Both exhausted (from another whirlwind day) and tired (from being up utill 2am the night before). With the day of the big reveal done, we decided to call it a night and headed back to the hotel to rest up for the next day's events....
With the HOW and WHY, and the JOURNEY covered - it's time for the good stuff... Family and Friends!
With the GPS acclimated, and no real idea where we were going - we told the GPS that we wanted to go to my sister in law's new house - and it was immediately telling us where to go, and how to get there.
"Technically" we did have an idea where we were going. My sister in law provided me detailed directions on how to get to her house from DFW - but in the chaos of getting ready (printing out Ticket confirmations, Hotel reservations, Car Rental receipts, and other various bits of information we felt we would need) I forgot to print those directions. Since I knew I was going to need it for other parts of the trip we brought our GPS with us so I was not too worried about it.
We headed off. We watched the GPS as we got closer and closer. We also watched as the surrounding neighborhoods slowly started to "degrade" - until we were driving through an area of town that caused me to wonder a bit about the area that my sister in law was living in. But as we followed the GPS, we passed through that neighborhood, and into my SIL's. Later, I was reminded about that email. The email that says DO NOT follow your GPS here from DFW. Use “this route” (detailed instructions) instead.
The area she lives in is VERY nice - it is definitely an area of "transition" - million dollar homes next to some much older and much less cared for homes. There are also some much older and well cared for homes. My sister in law lives in one such home. It was built in the 1920's, but looks very nice right next door to a newer "million dollar" home! The house is set up with an completely isolated apartment upstairs complete with it's own entrances and balcony. Inside is beautiful hardwood flooring, a fireplace and newly remodeled kitchen.
We arrived, were welcomed inside, and given the full tour. The full tour culminated in a delightful home cooked pot roast dinner. After dinner we spent the remainder of the evening visiting, and getting caught up! We also made arrangements to meet with my Brother in Law (NY resident who happened to be in Dallas on business) the next day.
The next morning SIL had to work, so the Mother of Five and I were left to our own. We went for a morning walk - (put on about three miles). I came home SOAKED with sweat. I have never had a simple (and fairly flat) walk cause me to sweat so much. We cleaned up, made ourselves presentable, and contacted my Brother in Law's parents for lunch plans.
We met at a Jason's Deli. I've never been to a Jason's Deli before, and I was pleasantly surprised!
Personally, I am a fan of Salad Bars (the bigger and more selections, the better). The Mother of Five ordered the Salad Bar, and I ordered a Chicago Club (Made with Herb foccacia with smoked turkey breast, bacon, provolone, smoked red pepper-cilantro aioli, organic spinach, and roma tomatoes.). We then split the salad, and shared the sandwich (which we often do).
My BIL's Parents did the same thing only with the Ruben Sandwich (Made with hot corned beef, swiss, sauerkraut, russian dressing, grilled on rye.)). Both sandwiches were ample and delicious, and the salad bar was wonderful for a "deli". We even joked with a older couple seated in a booth nearby (who also ordered the Ruben) that the sandwich was bigger than grand motherly lady eating it!
Over the next couple of hours we visited, and caught up on our respective families. We spent quite a while with them, and had a WONDERFUL time. It was a truly delightful afternoon, and as an added bonus, having heard about my "antiquated" upgrade into the world of mobile computing, these very kind and generous people (who were ridding themselves of one of THEIR older laptop computers (which was still noticeably better than the one I picked up)) gifted us the laptop instead!!!
After lunch, the Mother of Five and I (upon suggestion of my BIL's parents) drove to the nearby, and brand new Cowboys Stadium, which just so happens to be down the street from the Rangers Stadium! We did not stop in, but got a look from the outside.
We did a little shopping before heading back to my SIL's place. The plan was that SIL wanted to take us out for dinner. My BIL (not related) was having a dinner for his employees - and that we would try to meet up for desert / drinks afterwards. We got back to the house, cleaned up, and headed out to dinner.
SIL took us out for Italian. She had a specific place in mind. She took us to Taverna by Lombardi. Wow! I mean WOW!!
I had the Paglia e Fieno (made with Green & White Tagliolini pasta tossed with Chicken, Wild Mushrooms, Truffle Oil & Cream Sauce), while SIL had the Fiocchi al Gorgonzola e Pera (made with Gorgonzola & Pear filled Pasta with Walnuts, Arugula & Dolce Latte Cream Sauce), and theMother of Five had the Homemade Porcini Lasagna (made with Bolognese Sauce, Bechamel & Parmesan Cheese)
I can not say enough about this meal. The Paglia e Fineo was AMAZING. A perfect blend of pasta, sauce, chicken and (drooling just thinking about them) mushrooms!
After dinner the three of us split two deserts... We had the Budino di Cioccolato (with Zabaglione Sauce), and the Chef’s Special - Taverna Tiramisu. I have seen Tiramisu made (thanks to Buddy the Cake Boss) and honestly, I was intrigued by it's creation. I was not disappointed whatsoever. It was simply amazing!! We boxed up our leftovers (man, was I looking forward to those leftovers the next day) and headed out.
(A little foreshadowing there FOF?))
After dinner, SIL took us for a drive around White Rock Lake before we made it home. Once home, we left a message for my BIL, and waited for him to call us back.
By the time he was done with his party and called us back it was getting pretty late (10pm). SIL had to work again in the morning, so she called it a night while the Mother of Five and I made arraignments to meet BIL at a Dave & Busters. We arrived, and as soon as we walked in the door we heard "last call" being made over the intercom. We called BIL back, and made alternate arrangements to meet up at one of the best late night hang outs ever... Denny's!!
<<Retching noise>> Oops. Sorry folks. I just threw up in my mouth a little there….
There we sat, drinking sodas (neither of us were hungry – especially after that Paglia e Fieno I had earlier, and will be enjoying again later tomo…
…Wait… Did I bring the leftovers back into the house, or did I leave them in SIL’s car?? Dang. I can’t remember.
We visited with my BIL at Denny’s until 2am. By the time we said our goodbyes and parted ways we were both beyond exhausted! Not only were we exhausted, but we had some pretty exciting plans on deck for the next day – and they would require us to be up pretty early.
For as excited as I was for the next day’s events, sleep came easy.
Now that you have the background on HOW this trip came to be (if you don’t and your interested – follow the link), it's time to start getting into the nitty gritty of the trip.
When we first started planning this trip, we had two agenda items to contend with.
A.) Getting together with my sister-in-law, and
B.) Surprising AtHomeDaddy.
So we started planning. As plans started coming together, we realized that there was one other agenda item we wanted to add. We had to fit in a visit to my brother-in-law's parents!
Most of you may look at that a little strangely.. Visiting with your brother (or sister)-in-law's parents? I suspect most folks have met their sibling-in-laws parents once or twice. Not in our family!
My sister moved from Minnesota to Texas to finish College (and, I suspect, to be closer to her future husband - (wink)). Other than her (then) boyfriend, she had no family or friends in Texas. Immediately, my brother-in-law's parents took an instant liking to my sister. They quickly became her surrogate parents, and watched out for her as if she was one of their own (which I will be forever grateful for!) Not only did they take an immediate liking to her, their generous and welcoming nature extended out to include my parents, and my family. Over the years, we have continued to stay close, and have had several opportunities to get together with them. Each time we do, we are reminded what WONDERFUL folks they are. I could not justify being in Texas without taking time out to get together with them!
Adding an itinerary item of visiting with my brother-in-law's parents, we needed to contact them to find a date and time that worked. While we talked on the phone, we also discovered that my brother-in-law (now living in NY) was ALSO in Dallas on Business! We could not pass up an opportunity to get together with him either...
So, from our original "two event" itinerary, we ended up with a "four event" itinerary, and a pretty booked schedule indeed.
Once the tickets were purchased, the car rented, and the hotel booked - all that was left was to wait for the day to arrive. The last couple of days prior to the trip were FILLED with last minute errands, packing, getting the house cleaned, and getting the kiddos' itinerary straightened out cleared up, and o.k.ed with grandparents (who were watching them).
By this point, there were quite a few people who knew that we were traveling to Texas (including AtHomeDaddy's wife), but he still had no idea of our impending arrival. I was certain that he would find out before we had a chance to surprise him.
After what I would consider a pretty stressful last couple of days before the trip (and not being able to vent about it here or on Facebook) - the day of the trip had finally arrived. We dropped the kids off, and got a ride to the airport. Check-in in went off without a problem. Then as we crossed the TSA's security gate, my cel phone (forgotten in my pocket) flagged me, and a bottle of lotion (forgotten in the Mother of Five's purse) flagged her. One cel phone on the x-ray belt and one bottle of lotion in the trash later, we were through the security checkpoint, and free to wander around the concourse. It felt like a mall. Shops, restaurants, specialty stores, and all overpriced! One thing I did catch my eye as being pretty unusual... A Best Buy Vending Machine. Yup! A vending machine that sold high ticket items like iPods, digital cameras, camcorders, and the like... I SO wanted to see someone buy something from that machine, but it was not meant to be.
With extra time on our hands, we stopped at a Chili's and snacked on some chips, salsa, and chili-con-caso dip while the Mother of Five had a Strawberry Daiquiri and I had a Long Island Tea. After exploring the airport, and our light snack - we headed to our gate where we waited to be called to board.
Boarding and the flight were without problems.
We arrived at DFW Int'l on time - but lost some time after sitting at the wrong luggage turnstile. We were redirected to the correct one just in time to see our suitcase pop out and make it's first trip around the carousel. A hop skip and jump down the road later and we were waiting at the at the car rental shuttle bus stop.
The car rental was the only thing that really caused us any problems this day. I had a printed copy of my reservation (showing I paid for the rental ahead of time) - but Budget Car Rental's system had us down for a "reservation" but not having pre-paid for the rental. After NUMEROUS calls between the clerk and various super secret Buget Car Rental phone numbers, and calls to my bank - we were stuck at a stalemate. The best possible solution? We filed a dispute on the original charge with the bank, and had to re-rent the car at the counter. This has resulted in a double billing, but with the dispute on the first charge - I hope to see that credited back on my account (in 10 to 12 business days).
Wells Fargo Bank & Budget Car Rental, are you reading this post?? I had BETTER get it credited back on my account!
One hour (and a noticeable dip into our vacation funds) later we were driving off the lot with our upgraded (for our inconvenience) vehicle - a 2010 Silver Dodge Nitro. (which I was less than impressed with...)
Once our GPS acclimated, and locked on to the satellites, we were off to see my sister in law in her new house!
By now most people know about our trip to Texas. For those of you who do not know, my wife (the Mother of Five) and I took a whirlwind vacation to the other end (North/South) of this great nation of ours. We left our native state of Minnesota to spend some time…. “Deep in the Heart of Texas”. It’s proved to be quite the adventure, and I am looking forward to sharing it here.
I have been known to get a little winded in some of my blog posts, which I suspect bore the living daylights out of most (if not all) of you. I’m going to break this trip down into digestible chunks (so that you won’t get a bad case of gas) and do my best to make my points as concise as possible. This may seem like “brevity” to the FOF diehards, but it may also seem like a breath of fresh air too!
I started blogging over four years ago. The first year my blog was mainly visited by friends family and co-workers. My blog stats were low, and every once and a while I’d get an errant visit from someone doing some sort of odd search that landed them here at FOF.
Somewhere during that first year, I also got interested in finding and reading other blogs… My key interest? Dad-Blogs. I’d stumble across one or two once and a while that would really catch my eye. I started adding these to my collection of “Dad Blogs” that I would frequent.
Then, somewhere around August of 2007 (as best as I can tell by searching my archives) – I stumbled across one blog that REALLY caught my eye. Honestly, I’m not sure who found who first, or who commented on who’s blog first – but (having dug back through his blog) I think I found my first comment on his blog. It was a post about a Commodore 64, and some pretty “weird” shirts (this becomes important later). I also remember this blog sticking out because there was a link to a another blog (I did not yet understand that they were written by the same guy) about a feller who was restoring a 1968 Chevy Pick up truck the owner named “Marge”. Another friend of mine (The King of Clubs) is a huge car guy. I remember sharing the link with him, and it was not long afterwards that he told me these blogs were written by the same guy!
I found myself really enjoying his blog. The way it was written, the author’s sense of humor, the positive attitude, and all from a guy who REALLY loves his kids! Something on AtHomeDaddy just struck a cord with me, and I became an instant lurker, and fan.
Over the next couple of years I kept up with AtHomeDaddy… We became regular visitors and frequent commenters on each other’s blogs. I found myself waiting to see what AtHomeDaddy’s next post was going to be all about, or what he had to say about my most recent blog post.
We both got into GeoCaching about the same time, and have had fun sharing exploits, and comparing notes about caching. Texas vs. Minnesota (debilitating heat of the Texas summer vs the dangerously cold sub-zero temps of the Minnesota winter). Caching with the kids, or flying solo. Our cache stats (the number of finds) were neck in neck at one point (before AtHomeDaddy threw the gauntlet down, and challanged me to see who could get to 100 before the other).
About this time I found myself saying “I’d really like to sit down with this guy over a beer, and shoot the breeze”. Unfortunately, my sister (who had lived in Texas) had just moved to New York and my sister-in-law (who ha lalso lived in Texas) moved to Atlanta (for work) a couple of years earlier. My chances of making back down to Texas anytime soon was very slim. I was a little disappointed, but then again – this guy was a stranger, and I’ve always been challenged when it comes to meeting new folks – so I chalked it up to “never meant to be”.
Yet, as the years continued to pass, I got to know this AtHomeDaddy pretty well. We seemed to share a sense of humor and have similar viewpoints on most of life. Then, I stepped into the world of Facebook. I was on it for a while before it really occurred to me that AtHomeDaddy may be on Facebook too.
After tracking him down, and sending that friend request, I was a little worried that he would think of me as some sort of cyber - stalker. Thankfully, he accepted my friend request, and we continued to keep in touch through Facebook. This added another level of personality to the on-line character I knew as AtHomeDaddy – and only further confirmed with me that had we had known each other growing up, I am certain we would have hung together, and would have been good friends!
Then, about a year ago, I got a FB friend request from AtHomeDaddy’s wife, TheBossLady. Happily, I accepted. I found I enjoyed TheBossLady’s updates almost as much as AtHomeDaddy’s. In fact, in many ways, I saw a lot of similarity between The Mother of Five’s personality and TheBossLady’s!
Then, we started emailing each other… Funny jokes, stories, you know, just shooting the breeze stuff – again adding more familiarity to that original blog persona.
Then, in February of this year it happened… I opened a Facebook Message from TheBossLady. She mentioned that the AtHomeFamily was going to be throwing AtHomeDaddy a HUGE milestone birthday party in July and wanted to let us know early enough so that we could make plans if we were able to / interested in attending.
Honestly, right off the bat, I was apprehensive… It sure seemed a little odd. Why would anyone want ME to attend.. I’m usually the wall flower, the wet blanket, the socially inept weird guy, but it would be so cool to actually meet and visit with AtHomeDaddy.
Not to mention that we had family (Sister in NY, and Sister-in-law in GA) that we had not seen in years. In fact, I have not seen or been to my sister’s last TWO houses… Sister-in-law had been in GA for four years and we had not had a chance to see her yet either… So, we told TheBossLady that in all likelihood it would not be possible. I was watching for UBER cheap flights, and/or considered just going myself over a long weekend (via Greyhound) but it was too hard to justify..
Then, in May – I got an email from my sister in law. The email said that her job is transferring her (again) – back to Texas! The Mother of Five and I talked it over, and decided that given the “two-fer” nature of a trip to Texas would have (having not gone to see Mary in so long AND the invite to AtHomeDaddy’s party) that we would try and see if we could work something out. A lot depended on timing. My vacation, Sister in law’s availability, grandparent’s availability to watch the kids, and the timing of the party.
Needless to say, after numerous hours of juggling, and consideration – we were able to find a way to make all the pieces fit in place. So after confirming everything with my sister in law, we let TheBossLady know that we were indeed going to be able to make it! Her excitement was evident from the first moment. She also came up with the idea of keeping our attendance as a surprise for AtHomeDaddy (which I was ALL IN WITH!)
So we started making plans. Looking for flight / hotel / car rental deals, making arrangements for the kids (did I mention this would be one of the first vacations we have ever taken sans children?) and planning the “reveal”.
Between the blog and Facebook – how TheBossLady, The Mother of Five and myself were able to keep this secret was nothing less than amazing! I kept dropping hints via blog, Facebook and Email that we were not going to be there, and hoping / praying that none of the few folks that did know would not make a slip in a comment, or a status update. I even changed my blog settings to moderate all comments (now removed) just in case!
Finally, the time arrived. We (the Mother of Five and I) were headed to Texas for some long overdue time with her sister, and AtHomeDaddy’s 40th Birthday party – OR SO WE THOUGHT……
My last post was about the “regrets” I sent to the AtHomeFamily after receiving an invite to AtHomeDaddy’s 40th birthday party.
Well folks, that was a “plant”. Yup. I posted that message to add one more element of deception to an already well planned surprise!
See, the truth is that due to a unique set of circumstances – I actually DID attend his 40th – and he had NO IDEA!!
The next 3-5 posts will be about our trip to Dallas, Meeting with family, working with The Boss Lady to surprise AtHomeDaddy, the party, and the rest of the trip… It’s been an adventure to say the least!
So, please forgive me for my lie, and be patient… There is A LOT to tell!! Stay tuned!
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