Christmas Cheer: "Finding the Light" - Music, Laughter, and Holiday Reflection

Merry Christmas 2024

Friday night, Carrie and I had the pleasure of attending "Finding the Light: Event and Reading." We went not really knowing what to expect, but it was so fun. It was a production of readings, music, and fun. The plot revolved around guests attending a Christmas party and the troubles or issues that arise in life while trying to navigate the holiday season.

The performance made us laugh, shed a tear, and feel reflective about the Christmas holiday. It was something I would see again next year if they produce it again. I would love to take my family and friends to see it too. We heard about it from Erin and Greg, as the people who wrote the original musical were, or have been, involved with the Topeka Civic Theatre located in Topeka, KS. Our friends, Jason F and Jason D, were in the band and sounded fantastic! It was a fun night, and I hope they do it again next year as we would definitely see it again.

This was truly the first Christmas celebration outside of work that Carrie or I have attended this year. A little unusual, but it was nice to hear some original songs alongside some of the familiar Christmas carols. It was a special and enjoyable evening.

Selfie in Front of Christmas Tree

We took some time to take pictures in front of the beautifully decorated Christmas tree that was set up. They offered some delightful drinks to enjoy before, during, and after the event concluded, along with some light snacks. It made for a perfect evening of entertainment and truly put me in the Christmas spirit. 

As we approach the final full week before Christmas, I can hardly believe that 2024 is coming to an end. It will soon be Christmas 2024, and the year will be over a week later. Yes, I say it every year, but the years seem to be flying by faster and faster. You blink, and suddenly the year is over. I have a lot to do this next week at work before wrapping up 2024. I am looking forward to some time off to regroup and prepare for 2025.

Have a great week, and make sure to savor the build-up to the Christmas holiday.

Capitol City Charm: A Des Moines Weekend

Trip to Des Moines, Iowa

We left for Des Moines, Iowa on Friday morning. We dropped Oliver off where he would stay through Sunday and we were on the road by 7:30. We drove to Des Moines with Erin and Greg and then met up with Laura and Jason where we had lunch and stayed at a Airbnb. We had a great time! We toured the capitol, went to antique place, did a lot of walking, and then we ate and drank a few different places. So much fun! Carrie and I were so tired when we got back home that we both took long naps Sunday afternoon into the evening and likely going to bed early this evening.

State Capitol in Des Moines, Iowa

We met Laura and Jason at El Bait Shop and then we headed to the capitol to look around. Carrie and I had been there before (back in 2016), but we wanted to show the others the beautiful capitol in Iowa. The clear blue skies made the capitol stand out against the dark blue background. It was fun going through and seeing the different areas of the capitol. We toured all the floors we could access which was cool. We decided doing a guided tour and looked around on our own which is what Carrie and I did back in 2016 when we toured their capitol.

Drinks at Speak Easy

Oysters on the Half Shell

Group Selfie

We finished the weekend Saturday night at a speak easy. A few of us had a wild night on Friday, so it was low key on Saturday night. The drinks were good and we had a good time hanging out together. We are already looking forward to our next trip back to Des Moines, Iowa and talked about going earlier in the season. We lucked out with the weather for our trip as it was sunny while we were there. A random rain shower moved through on Saturday late afternoon, but that was about it.

Great time and Des Moines was good to us once again. I look forward to going back in the future.

Battling the Elements: A Rainy Homecoming Adventure

Rainy but we have a tent

Saturday was Homecoming at Washburn University. The forecast for the day was rain all day long. That did not stop Carrie and I from going out to tailgate and watch some football. Carrie was a judge in the parade, so we had to get her out there at 9:45 to get instructions on judging. Yes, it rained the whole day and at times it poured so hard it was difficult to see the scoreboard or south end of the end zone. We persevered through the rain and stayed almost to the end.

There were three weather delays because of lightning strikes. We made it through the first two weather delays. However, the third delay occurred with about one minute and forty-five seconds left in the game, with the Ichabods facing a third down and trailing 14-13. When the third weather delay occurred, we decided to head home and listen on the radio. We got everything packed up and we were almost home when we listened to the end of the game.

Cold Carrie with Lots of Blankets

While it rained the whole day, I did not get cold until about the fourth quarter. My feet started to get a little cold after standing in puddles and mud in our corner.  We had to try and keep Carrie warm, so we gathered all the blankets and put them on her for the second half. She is a trooper going out to games with me this year. We had a blast tailgating and cheering on the Ichabods and I think Carrie enjoyed a parade for the first time in her life. She has never been a big fan of parades, but I think she liked judging and being actively participating in the process.

Carrie Judging the Parade

There was a good turnout for the parade even with the rain. The kids that did show up had all the candy they could collect. As we were leaving the game at the end of the day, I could see candy that had been thrown out during the parade on the ground, so it had not all been collected. It had been a while since Washburn had done a Homecoming parade. It was fun with around 95 entries and there was a good crowd around along the route. It was good to see and fun to see others out for the parade.

This will be out last game of the season. We will miss the game on November 9, so we said our good-byes until next season to Jonny who has been our tailgate neighbor for as long as I can remember. We told him there might be others in our spot for next week, but we would miss it. 

A frustrating season for sure for the Ichabods, but we had a great time tailgating and cheering on the Ichabods all season. We even made it to another stadium to watch them this year. We are ready for basketball season to start.

Until next time, have a great week!

Celebrating Love and Football: Our Anniversary Tailgate

Family Day at Washburn University

Saturday, September 21 was Family Day at Washburn University. This day also happened to be the 22 wedding anniversary for Carrie and me. We talked about staying in Lawrence, or Kansas City, for our anniversary, but made the decision we would attend the tailgate and game instead.

It was a hot day, but we had a good time. The game was exciting and it is always good to see friends at the tailgate. We had our spot set up with some new items which included a box fan to give some air movement in our tent, a new rug that we received as a gift for our anniversary, and then many pictures of us throughout the years that Erin did for us. We had a fun time and our corner spot was full with friends and family throughout the afternoon. It was perfect!

Box Fan for Cooling

The box fan for cooling our tent worked well. I am not sure we could have stayed throughout the afternoon if not for the box fan. Erin had seen pictures from people using this method for tent camping and we thought we would try it for tailgating. Game changer! It worked great with our chairs below and kept the air circulating through the tent. Carrie and I bought a larger tent which barely fit in our spot by the flagpole, but it worked out well. 

Beverage Station

We had a beverage station going that started our day. We got out to our spot about 9 am and while we did not have breakfast prepared, we did have the beverage station along with donuts. Carrie said at the next home game she will make us breakfast, so that is always a good way to start the day.

We lost 39 - 31 to Pittsburg State. Once again we were in this game throughout and had a chance to win, but a few stumbles and we lose again. It was a fun game with a lot of scoring, but could have used the win. We are now 0 - 3 on the season and playing at Missouri Western State University next weekend. 

Pictures of us to celebrate Anniversary

Selfie on 22 Wedding Anniversary

Brenda Joined our Tailgate

We had a fun time even with us losing. Joan and Eddie came out to join us for the tailgate and game. After returning home, unpacking the Pilot and putting things away, I took a nice long nap. I then went to bed early as it was a long day but so well worth it.

Happy anniversary, Carrie. I love you so much! Thank you for wanting to tailgate and watch football on our wedding anniversary. 

The Thrill of the Chase: A Washburn Football Thriller

Washburn University Marching Band

This past Saturday marked the first home game of the season for the Washburn University Ichabods. We faced the School of Mines out of Golden, CO. We started our season away two weeks prior at Emporia State and really did not play wall on the road for our first game of the season, so I was not expecting much from the first home game against the School of Mines who are ranked number five in the country. We used to play the School of Mines of every year to start the season out in Golden, CO, but this would be our first time to play them at Yager Stadium. 

The day started off cool and overcast but by game time, the clouds cleared and the sun was out. It got hot watching the game through the afternoon. We had a good crowd for the game and good amount of visitors to our tailgate spot. We did put up the canopy to help protect against the sun but it was still very warm.

Ichabods Ready to Take the Field

I love how prior to game time the band marches through the tailgate area and then a little bit later the team goes through the area too. They start at the top of the hill on the north end and then stream down the hill to the field to get started.

The Ichabods hung right in this game throughout to the end. We had a chance to win the game and then another chance to tie the game, but ended up losing 31-28. Facing the #5 team in the country, I did not think we were going to score let alone be close in the contest. However, we hung right with them and give me hope for the remaining games.

Ichabods on the Field

We were down three at the half and ended the game down three following both teams scoring a touchdown. We could not make up that last three points to win. Still, it was a fun day and it was great to be out at Yager Stadium to see our friends who were already tailgating when we arrived. 

Looking forward to the next home game on Saturday, September 21. This date also happens to be Carrie and my twenty-second wedding anniversary. Carrie is planning to decorate our area for our anniversary. I believe we are going to have some different food but we are still working through exactly what we will have on our special day. We play Pitt State on Saturday at 1 pm.

Today is Sunday while I write and I am looking forward to two events today. The Kansas City Royals play at 12:35 and the Kansas City Chiefs play at 3:25. It is going to be a good Sunday. I hope you enjoy your Sunday and have a fantastic week.

Summer Fun at the Ballpark

Royals Game Friday Night

Friday night found me at the Royals game. Erin and Greg were planning to go into the game and asked if I wanted to go when Carrie had to work that night. I took them up on it and go my ticket. They were in another section with another friend and no seats available around them, but I was able to get a seat a section away and it worked out perfectly. About the third inning I was able to move over to where they were sitting and sit right in front of them for the remainder of the game. 

Selfie at the Game

We watched a fun game with the Royals winning 7 - 4 over the Phillies. A beautiful night for a game with a cool breeze blowing most of the night. We picked a good night to go into a game with the temperatures rising on Saturday through Thursday. Not to mention on Saturday the Royals lost 11 - 2 which I watched from home in my lounge chair. We had a great time at the game and it was good to be able to sit with Stacy, Erin, and Greg and topped off with a Royals win.

Friday Night Fireworks

Friday also happened to be fireworks night. We watched as we walked back to our car where we hung out watching fireworks, chatting, and snacking. They put on a good show after the game although I did not get any photos they were fun to watch.

While we were at the game, Carrie was working. She checked in with us through the night and it even sounded as though she was following the game. We got back to Topeka late. She confirmed when I got home that the event went well.  This was my fourth Royals game to attend on the year and I think Carrie has attended two. I am hoping to get in 2 - 5 more Royals games before the post season. 

It was good to be able to go to the Royals game after a long week. Our AC is working again as of last Tuesday. Classes started and that is always a busy time. It was a good first week of classes though although still hard to believe that the fall semester has started again. 

Until next time, have a great week! 

Hattitude and Happiness: A Royals Fan's Perfect Sunday

Showing Off Our New Hats

Carrie and I attended the MIAA Day at The K game on Sunday, July 21. We had a great time. We got our new hats (pictured to the right) that have the Royals and Washburn on them. It was fun seeing other MIAA attendees with their hats. It seems as though Fort Hays State University had the most people attending the game as I saw their hats everywhere. It was a fun day and I am glad that we decided to go somewhat last minute (the day before the game).

The hats are really sharp. We tried to get additional hats but we were told they are not available. Sold out or something, but later I saw boxes of hats as we were leaving the game. Could easily put those on a site to sell them as they look great representing the Royals and Washburn.

The day was beautiful even with our seats in the sun but soon the clouds moved in and provided the perfect ending to the day. We met up with the Mosers' briefly before the game to have a quick beer. Plus we saw the Ybarras' in the ball park.

Section 248 at Royals Game

Our seats were good sitting in section 248 row MM. Good crowd on a Sunday afternoon which was good. It has been fun watching the attendance continue to increase as the Royals continue to win. This was my third Royals game to attend this season and so far the Royals are 3 - 0 when I attend their games. 

We need to find our next game to attend. This next week we play on the road the whole week. We are back in Kansas City starting August 5. Probably good we are away this next week as high temperatures are back in the area starting tomorrow.

Royals Win!

The Royals won 4 - 1 this day. Got a little burnt on my knees but overall it was a great day. So fun to go in for the Sunday game and back in time for Sunday evening relaxing. As I mentioned, we need to do more of these when it is a Sunday afternoon game. It is easy to get into the games and we are having fun watching our Royals play ball.

Until next time, have a great rest of your Sunday and a wonderful week. Go Royals!

Air Supply, Hurricanes, and Ham Sandwiches: A Weekend in Houston

Rainbow on way to KC Airport

Carrie and I made what was supposed to be a quick trip to Houston, TX to see a concert and also see our friends. We left for Kansas City to stay at a hotel Wednesday evening; on our way, we saw the rainbow stretching across the sky. We actually saw a double rainbow, but the second one was a little difficult to see in our picture. It was beautiful. The rainbow was forecasting that we would be stuck in Houston after the weekend due to the hurricane.

Cash and Cooper

We arrived in Houston Thursday morning following connecting flights on American Airlines from Dallas to Houston. No direct flights on American Airlines to Houston, so we wanted to get points to and stayed with American Airlines for our flights which was actually cheaper than trying to do another airline that was a direct flight. We had the chance to meet the newest member of the Flora family, Cash (pictured in the background to the right), and of course Cooper (in foreground to the right). Cash is about six months old and full of energy. We had a fun time getting to know Cash. It reminded me of Oliver when he was a puppy with all the toys everywhere. 

Tommy Cooking Burgers

On Saturday, we were able to enjoy a pool party at Tommy's house where he cooked us burgers. It rained most of the morning but cleared off enough where we could get in the pool. This was just a rain storm moving through and unrelated to the hurricane that was moving into the area Sunday evening and Monday morning. We had a great time spending time with Tommy and then Chuck and Melissa also were able to join us that day too.

Selfie at Air Supply Concert

The purpose of our trip to Houston was to attend Air Supply on Sunday night. The hurricane was due to move into Houston Sunday night into Monday morning. As the days led up to Sunday, we wondered if we should leave Saturday or Sunday morning, but then flights started being canceled and the decision was made we would attend the concert. On our way to the concert, it rained like crazy and we debated about turning around although it was a rain storm and not the hurricane, it was intense.

Air Supply

The concert venue announced earlier in the day that with the hurricane moving into Houston, the concert would start at 7 and end by 9 pm. Sure enough, they started at 6:57 pm and with one encore, the concert was done by 8:45. We had a great time with a good crowd considering what was moving into the area. This was the second time Carrie had been to an Air Supply concert and my first time attending an Air Supply concert. We had a great time and it was fun singing to so many songs we had heard for so many years. Our friend Javier was supposed to join us, but he was unable to make it because of work. 

Encore by Air Supply

I am so glad that we made the trip to see Air Supply. Good idea by Corrie! We wondered prior to leaving Topeka if we would be stuck down there, but we were hoping for the best. We had a great time at the concert and left the venue to blue skies, birds chirping and no rain on our way back to the house.

Monday morning I awoke about five-thirty or six as there were a couple of power blips that caused the fans to stop for a brief moment. Luckily I got up, checked work email, and send a couple of messages saying we were delayed because a short time later, internet was knocked out and our cell phones were not getting any signal either. By six-thirty, the rain and winds were beating against the window and causing the power to flicker every now and again. We never did lose power at the house but the wireless in the house was out and would remain out until after we left.

Tommy lost power at his house, where we had the pool party, and so he came over to Corrie's house. We spent the morning watching the news of reports coming out of Houston from flooding, trees down, etc. So many people were stranded in locations where it had flooded and had to be rescued or they just left their car where they got into trouble. The reports of power outages grew through the day with over 2 million people without power. 

Tommy and John Eating

The reports were not to leave the house unless absolutely necessary, so we remained at the house. Corrie had stuff at the house for us to eat, so Carrie made Tommy and me dinner of grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. They were good! Following dinner, we went back to watching the news to see what was happening. Tommy got a hotel to stay in so he could have internet for work, so he left us to head to the hotel.

Our flights had been rescheduled to Tuesday and then we received notices that those flights had been canceled and rescheduled for late Tuesday. We did all leave the house to eat out for lunch on Tuesday. Many places still without power, no wireless at the house, and phones not working, we had to drive around to get cell signal to call places to check if they were open or when we were driving we would see which spots were open. As we were finishing up eating, we checked that our flight for later that afternoon was still on schedule and through conversation, we realized that instead of IAH airport we were now at Hobby airport. Good thing we checked and Corrie said something or we would have gone to the wrong airport.

Drinks at Airport

Following lunch, we went back to the house for a while before Corrie drove us to the Hobby airport. We hung out at the airport as we got there a few hours before our flight not knowing how busy security would be to get into the airport. We found a spot to have some drinks, read, and I caught up on work email with the available wireless. On our way to the airport, it was crazy to see all of the places in Houston without power. Gas stations that looked like parking lots with cars waiting for gas and cars going down or around the block waiting for gas. 

We were again flying from Houston to Dallas before arriving in Kansas City. We arrived in Kansas City after midnight and got home around 2 in the morning. A crazy final ending to our trip, but glad we were able to fit it in to make the concert, see our friends, and have stories to tell.

Until next time, have a great rest of your weekend and a wonderful week.

Celebrating Javier's Journey to Citizenship

Javier in 2009

Our friend Javier recently achieved a major milestone – becoming a United States citizen! We've known Javier since his days attending Washburn University to get his MBA and then after he graduated with his MBA, he got a jot at Frito Lay. Back in 2009, we even went the extra mile to help him out with his house and finances while he was back in Costa Rica, ensuring things ran smoothly as he completed the process to work legally in the US.

Javier in 2024

Fast forward to April 27th, 2024, and the big day for Javier's citizenship ceremony finally arrived. He let us know on Thursday, and we surprised him with a trip down to Dallas, Texas to celebrate. But we weren't the only ones with a surprise up their sleeve – our friend Corrie from Houston also made the trip to celebrate with Javier! We managed to keep it a secret, making the reunion even more special.

Group of Friends to Celebrate

Javier got us a limo to take to the ceremony that then dropped us off at Rodeo Goat for a late lunch. With Corrie coming in Saturday morning and it being a surprise for Javier, we had to ask that the limo pick Carrie and I up at the hotel which was really so Corrie could ride in the limo too. Carrie, Corrie, Jess, Brock, and Kim all went to the ceremony to celebrate Javier becoming a citizen. We all had to remain outside as the event space was small and one hundred people at a time become citizens, so there is not a lot of room available within the swearing in location. We all stayed outside of the main doors and cheered when Javier, and others, came out after becoming citizens.

Javier and John Selfie

I am excited for Javier to have this completed. He can now vote in the United States elections. He is able to know that his retirement will go to him and not be seized by the government through future changes. He also keeps his residency to Costa Rica which is still in our plans to some day retire to Costa Rica, so I am glad that he keeps his residency to his home country. 

Javier, Hat, and Limo

It was an incredible experience to witness hundreds of people from all backgrounds taking this important step. The excitement was contagious as they exited the ceremony, waving American flags and met with chants of "USA! USA!"

Congrats Javier on becoming a citizen of the United States.

Merry Christmas 2023! Have a Happy and Safe Christmas!

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A post shared by Carrie H. (@carrieloulou)

Merry Christmas Eve and Merry Christmas! I am using a post Carrie made on her Instagram page of our Christmas tree as I thought it was perfect for a Merry Christmas greeting. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas. It is hard to believe that 2023 is coming to an end as it seems like the year just started, but here we are at the end of the year. 

Enjoy the day and be sure to reach out to your family and friends this holiday season.

Quick update on our trip to Texas last week with fun in Houston to celebrate friends graduation...

We flew down to Dallas, TX last Thursday which is the reason there was not an update on Sunday per usual. We went down to celebrate a graduation for our friend Corrie's son. We flew down to Dallas and then drove with Javier to Houston, TX where the party would take part. We had a great time! The weather was good with some rain, but it did not deter from the fun we had while in Houston. We even got some pool time in before the celebration on Saturday night. 

You will not be surprised that I did not get many pictures from the graduation party but we came away with some good memories and enjoyed spending time with our friends.

The last time we were in Houston was back in December for New Years and at that time we had our dog, Oliver, who joined us. The picture to the right is Cooper and Carrie with Cooper getting a belly rub. I am pretty sure that Cooper was happy Oliver was no where around his house.

A quick trip flying down Thursday and then heading back on Sunday. Our flight Thursday morning left at 7:30 am and then the return flight was scheduled for 8:20 but ended up being later which got us home to Topeka around 11:30 Sunday night. 

Short trip but a large time was had in Texas. It was good to fly down this time instead of driving which we have done the last few visits to Texas, but I also like taking my dog with me when we travel, so he was missed.

I did not get this posted on Sunday, or Monday, as I was exhausted after our trip and went to bed early Monday night. Finally feeling back to normal after traveling and a lot of fun.

Until next time, have a great week!

Merry Christmas 2022! Have a Happy and Safe Christmas!

Christmas seemed to really sneak up on me this year. Like the year flying by, the holiday got here quick and we are celebrating Christmas 2022. Wow! Looking forward to being with family during the holiday weekend. We had a wintery mix with cold temperatures as we headed into the holiday weekend.  

Back in April 2022 I won some auction items at a Washburn Athletics fund raiser and we were able to take advantage of one by staying the Cyrus Hotel in downtown Topeka. We were able to take Oliver, so he was able to enjoy the time in the hotel. Since we were downtown, we wanted to have dinner at White Linen and we were able to go with Greg and Erin who had not been there until this visit. We went to the hotel Thursday afternoon and had dinner that evening. We had a wonderful time and it was so good to eat dinner and then head back to our hotel room to relax. Oliver loves hotels, so he had a great time even though it was bitterly cold outside, he did his business quickly so we could get back to the room.

Christmas Eve we are in Lawrence to see my Mom and some family who will be able to make it in that day. On Christmas Day, we will be at Greg and Erin’s for the day. We were closed at work on Thursday do to the wintery mix that moved through. I find I am all mixed up on my days. It felt like Friday on Thursday and I am not sure what Friday felt like, but it certainly was not Friday. 

Have a happy and safe Christmas!

50 Birthday Celebration in Fredericksburg Was a Success! Great Time in Wine Country!

We started planning my 50th birthday celebration back in December or January. Narrowed down the locations from remote beaches, sea side in the United States, to wine country locations. I made the decision I liked wine and we would revisit Fredericksburg (Fred), Texas. We had visited Fred back in 2020 prior to COVID occurring and had a great time, so it seemed like a good place to visit and have some fun. We decided on a VRBO house after going through a few dozen or so locations that we all reviewed, gave feedback, etc., but finally decided on one that could hold six of us and it had a pool.

Our trip was scheduled for when my birthday would occur, so we planned for July 20 through July 26. During our trip we took a lot of pictures. I picked out some for this update, but others can be seen on my Flickr site. Yes, we took over 280 pictures although some are duplicates, there are a lot of photos of our fun and wineries we visited. Below, I will attempt to outline what we did each day and some of the wineries or restaurants we visited.

Wednesday, July 20

This was our travel day. Erin, Greg, Carrie, and I left Topeka bright and early this morning. We loaded up the car and we were on the road a little after 5 am. Oliver being watched by my mom. We thought about taking him, but it would have been too much for him, so I am glad we left him behind.

Uneventful trip which was good. Greg and I split up the drive, so it was not bad at all. It is around an 11 hour drive to our house. Really, the trip was not bad at all and when making the trip with others that can help with the drive, it makes it go by quickly. 

We arrived late afternoon and checked out our house for the week. I was so happy with the house we selected. After reviewing many different houses in different locations, I am so happy we decided on Sunny Oaks TX. So, we arrived, checked out the house and then went to get something to eat. Javier and Corrie meeting us on Thursday, so we were on our own for finding a place to eat. We went to Hondo’s On Main which Carrie and I had been to back in 2020. We had a spot near the bar and really good food and drinks. Had a good time for our first night in Fred before heading back to the house later that night. Of course we had to get in the pool when we got back to the house where we hung out until it was time for bed.

Thursday, July 21

I woke up earlier and rode the Peloton for a while. Javier and Corrie were arriving to town today, so we were a little excited. Originally, we were going to meet them at the Hill Country Distillers, but plans changed and we would meet Corrie and Javier at the house. Greg and I were like little kids watching for our friends to arrive. I think I checked the front door a dozen times and then as the time approached they were supposed to arrive, we were both looking out the front door for their arrival. After their arrival, taking in their things, saying hello, and showing around the house, we left to go grab lunch.

We stopped by a place none of had been for lunch which was really good. High’s Cafe and Store with really good sandwiches and soups. It was a good way to lay a base before we started having some gin and whiskey at the distillers.

After lunch, we headed to Hill Country Distillers that Corrie, Javier, Carrie, and I had been to previously, but first time for Greg and Erin. I realized we only took one picture while we were at Hill Country Distillers which I think was due to our enjoyment of the variation of drinks. Good spot that I highly recommend checking out if you are near Comfort, Texas.

For dinner Thursday night, Corrie and Javier selected the spot and paid for our dinner. Thank you! It was a secret until the day they arrived and it was excellent! Crossroads Steakhouse & Saloon was the selection. It was wonderful! Everything from the drinks down to the dinner was excellent. I had the bone-in pork chop with Brussels sprouts. Oh my! Prior to dinner I had a classic martini and then Corrie and Javier got the table two bottles of wine. Fantastic spot for dinner and to start off our weekend of fun.

Following dinner, we went back to the house to get in the pool and enjoy some drinks around the pool in the Texas evening. It was wonderful!

Friday, July 22

This was our first day of visiting wineries, so we had to get a good base before we started. We went to what has become a tradition of visiting Mr. Gatti’s Pizza which is pizza buffet and salad. We went there back in 2020 and decided it would be good to go before we started the wineries. Following pizza, we had three wineries on the itinerary.

Augusta Vin is one of our favorites. Corrie, Javier, Carrie, and I had been there back in 2020 where Carrie and I have been club members since that first visit. We changed up our delivery to have a mixed wine box delivered four times a year. Previously, we had only reds delivered, but changed up the delivery to be a mix. All of their wines have been delicious and I have enjoyed their white wines when we visit, so decided to switch it up. We sat out on the VIP balcony and enjoyed a tasting followed by a glass of wine we shared. Enjoyable first day of visiting wineries. 

Heath Sparkling Wine at Grape Creet Vinyards was our next stop. We had tried to stop here back in 2020 not knowing they had just opened and it was by reservation only. This was sparkling wines paired with food. We all agreed we would go there to eat if the chef would do full meals. 

 The pairings were perfect and we learned the process of sparkling wines while we sampled. We did have a brief time where we were not sure if we were going to get in as there was some confusion with our reservation, but they grouped us together with two other ladies and everything worked out just fine. 

Following sparkling wines, we went back to red and white wines at Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa which was a cool spot. Wine was good and had a huge outdoor area for events, cornhole, or just hanging out enjoy a glass of wine. There was also a brewery on the grounds which had some good beer which I enjoyed after an afternoon of wine. 

Saturday, July 23

The schedule was set with four wineries and a driver to take us around. It was so fun! Nick was great! He was a college student that drove people around on the weekends for wineries. He took good care of us checking us into the various locations and getting us to and fro safely.

Excited for the day and to get it started, we had a breakfast casserole that Corrie had made. Again, it provided a good base for us for the day of visiting wineries. I think I also had a Bloody Mary, or more, to start the day before enjoy wines. So exciting to have a driver picking us up and not having to worry about getting from one place to the next. We were ready to head out…

Our first stop was Slate Theory which as an amazing location and winery. The wine was delicious and their cellar was so impressive. Below ground and a nice cool temperature for wine, we sampled wines and looked around their production area. The concept for Slate Theory was cool as their label was about mental health and attempting to remove the stigma regarding mental health from their label to the various names of their wines (i.e. Insomniac and Schizophrenic to name a few). We all enjoyed our time at Slate Theory.

Second on the agenda was Hye Meadow Winery where we also had lunch. They sat us outside which was very warm. Not bad while we did the wine tasting, but once our food arrived, we were all ready to go inside. I enjoyed the wines at Hye Meadow Winery, but we did not buy any wines or sign up for any clubs at this one. 

William Chris Vineyards was our third stop of the day. A nice little stop where at first we thought we were going to be outside, but they moved us inside to a counter where it was cool. It was a little loud from “woo girls” in the tasting room and our host was a soft speaker, but we had a good time.

Hilmy Cellars was a fun last stop. Again, they wanted to put us outside, but Carrie got them to keep us inside at the counter. I really enjoyed the wines at Hilmy Cellars and we were able to enjoy a glass after the tasting while we waited for Nick to come pick us up. We also had some good flavored popcorn, which was much needed after various wineries, to tide us over until dinner time. 

What a great time of having a driver to take us around town, enjoy great venues, and wines, and to have fun in Fred. Nick picked us up from Hilmy Cellars and took us back to the house. We spent the evening around the pool, eating burgers, and continuing the fun.

Sunday, July 24

Our last day to do wineries, so we had Grape Creek Vineyards which is located at the same location/area as Heath Sparkling Wine that we had visited earlier in the week. Although, we had reservations at JenBlossom Cellars. JenBlossom Cellars turned out to be a private tasting which was amazing and some of the best wine I have ever had. No, we did not buy a membership here, but we wanted to do so. Instead, we bought one bottle which is the most expensive bottle of wine we have ever purchased. Saving it for a special occasion, we cannot wait to have it one evening.

A great way to start the day with JenBlossom Cellars, we left and headed to Barons Creek Vineyards. Our fun continued at Barons Creek Vineyards where we had a good person serving us wine and some snacks to tide us over for the day.  Carrie and I took home a couple of bottles from Barons Creek Vineyards and then also ended up for a membership. Carrie said later she did not want to but I was happy on wine and decided to join another club. “That’s how they get you!”. 😀

Our final stop for wine was Safari Winery. A fun location with a good host, but none of us bought any bottles from this location.

Finally to finish out the day we needed food, so we decided on Panda Chinese Restaurant which was some of the best Chinese I have had in a while. Put down a good base so we could head back to the house to play games and enjoy the night.

Monday, July 25

 The plan today was to stick around the house. Greg and I stayed around the house. The ladies went shopping and then to Augusta Vin to take advantage of our VIP status.  

While it was hot, it was not bad at all outside. I was outside for the morning and majority of the afternoon. Even though I applied sunscreen multiple times, I got burned on my shoulders and back. All good though and well worth it as I had an amazing day celebrating my birthday.

After the ladies returned, we all spent time in the pool and then Greg did steaks on the grill. They were so good! We had some difficulty figuring out the Traeger Grill the night we did burgers, but no issues this evening. The steaks came off perfectly cooked and paired nicely with sides and a nice glass of wine. Perfect pairing after spending the day drinking beer around the pool. 

A great way to finish off the long weekend with good food, drink, and fun in the pool. I am the first in our group to turn 50, so I cannot wait to see what the others all plan for their 50 celebrations. I recall some discussion happening between Corrie and Carrie that we might be in California for their 50 celebration. I cannot wait!

Ending our Trip

It was sad to pack up and leave on Tuesday morning. Corrie and Javier had to leave early to get Javier to the airport. We ended up having to take all the wine with us and meeting Javier at the airport as he could not ship his wine from UPS and of course could not check all of it at the airport. Worked out well though as we were able to meet his friend who pick up his wine from us as we passed through Forth Worth, Texas. 

I invite you to view all pictures from our trip by accessing my Flickr site. I would like to thank Corrie, Javier, Greg, Erin, and Carrie for making my 50th birthday celebration a memorial event. I think I will be talking about this celebration for years to come although I look forward to seeing how the others out do my 50 celebration. Thank you everyone!

Thanks to everyone who called, texted, or spoke to me directly to wish me a happy birthday. It was so fun!