Sorry for the lack of updates! We have been out having too much fun. =)
The semester is in full swing and I am getting bogged down with teaching, writing publications and preparing for scientific meetings. Dan is also busy paying his dues at work with overtime and other such excitement. BUT! He got a pretty awesome RAISE today!! And got recognized by his parent company for all his hard work. I'm so proud of him! I'm so thankful he has been able to find a job in Texas where he can excel, do meaningful work and continue to grow professionally.
In other news.. My mother came to visit us for an extended weekend early this month. We did a lot of adventurous cooking and became utterly addicted to our new favorite card game: Dou Di Zhu. (Taught to us at our community game night by some Chinese grad student friends). Warning: If you come over to our house, we will probably make you play with us!
Sadly, the weekend after she left, Waco held a Cultural Arts Fair complete with potters and folk singers. You would have loved it, Mom. We had some great conversations with artists and finally got the scoop on the best pottery shows to attend throughout the year. We even picked up a new piece for our living room.
Dan especially enjoyed the closing folk group, Trout Fishing in America. Apparently his High School choir warmed up every class to some of their songs. It was a fun walk down memory lane.This weekend's adventure was our 6 hour road trip to Lubbock, Texas to celebrate the marriage of one of my lab-mates. Of course, no road trip is complete without some road trip snacks! We found these local treasures (both made in small Texas towns) at one of our first gas stations.
Chick-o-Stick. The name alone begged for the purchase. It was a very strange crispy, then excessively chewy peanut butter and coconut creation. The bright orange color and the.. texture.. were a bit alarming. But not too bad. (We were really hungry..)
Let me warn you to STAY AWAY from the Super Peanut Pattie!! Smushy peanuts sunk into a bright red bed of corn syrup. Yuck yuck yuck! When we were desperate for protein during the drive, we took to excavating peanuts for this semi-hard red puddle. Never again!
The wedding was very low-key and intimate -- and for the reception we all met at a cowboy bar to hear some live country and watch brave souls dance the two-step. (Hopefully before we leave, we can learn how!). Instead of turning around and driving straight back to Waco the next morning, Dan and I decided to pick some apples at an orchard just outside of town.
That 5 gallon bucket was very deceptive. We thought we were picking in moderation -- until we weighed our haul. 8+ lbs for two people. Yikes! Anyone have good apple recipes?And lastly, a few pictures from the drive home. It was a gorgeous drive. I especially enjoyed watching the oil rich scrub land surrounding Lubbock gradually gain more trees and hills and we approached the Waco hill country.
Right outside of Lubbock. No trees, plenty of oil rigs.
A few hours east -- Sweetwater, Texas. World's biggest wind farm area. Starting to see a few squat little trees.
Green grass, beautiful green trees.
Welcome to hill country! This is our new dream house.
Almost home! If you are lucky, maybe we will take you to the Burger N Wok when you visit ;) -- We don't really want to go, but aren't you even the least bit curious?
ahhh... you know that's me... a day (week) late and a dollar short! i did have a great time. LOVED the card game and thoroughly enjoyed the cooking experience. miss you both so much!
ReplyDeletelove you,
mom