I’m patiently sitting in the Dallas Love airport waiting for my delayed flight back to KC. I’m SO tired. However, I probably just experienced as one of my top 3 weekends of 2010, so I can’t complain.
Who am I kidding? It was definitely rated #1 of 2010! (mostly because it lacked a ridiculous hangover that appeared after the previous #1 weekend of 2010: Christie’s Boston Wedding weekend)
Here’s something completely RETARDO. Yup. I used that slang word. So there. Anyway, back to RETARDO. This airport does not have free wifi. WTF?! It IS 2010, right? Silly, silly airport.
I’m writing this post in word with hopes that my usual dorkiness will still be accurately portrayed even while lacking instant posting.
I swear to God, Crystal Gayle would have just envied the hippie chick who just walked past me with her crazy ass long hair.
Anywho, #1 weekend of 2010.
I’ll begin with a little pity party for myself. When you are unemployed and boring, people feel bad for you so they do the nicest things in the world for you. These are the people that you want by your side if you are ever in a bar fight or mud wrestling match. They look out for you and care for you enough that even in your pathetic and woeful dilemma, they are there to give you a hand. Or a plane ticket.
I have been fortunate this year to have two such events occur in my life. It really boosts your ego to know that people want you wherever they are going to be enough to buy you a ticket to get there. True friends? Oh yes.
Therefore, a few weeks ago, a certain high school friend of mine offered to fly me to San Antonio to visit him. I couldn’t pass that up. First, I’ve never been to San Antonio. Second, he’s pretty cool and we have a good time together. Third, my life is pretty stagnant and change is good. With that thought in mind, I flew to San Antonio on Friday to be gallantly scooped up from the airport in a handsome pilot wearing his sexy flight suit. Yes ladies, it was quite breathtaking.
We stayed down in the River Walk area in San Antonio. Our first stop was a beer at Pat O’Brien’s to fight the heat a little bit before a jaunt through the Alamo. You can’t go to SA and NOT go to the Alamo. How un-Texas of anyone!
After the Alamo (totally rock star – and no Gus, there is no basement, but I knew that before I went!), we walked around the River Walk indulging in a Shiner Bock in a plastic cup (dudes, we were sweating bullets) and then a not-so-good crab croquette appetizer with surprisingly pink margaritas on a balcony overlooking the River Walk. After so much sweating, we took some time to shower and were back out in the heat for dinner. But first a cocktail of course at Restaurant Insignia.
Now dinner. Woah. We ate at the Little Rhein Steakhouse and it was phenomenal. I had a petite filet mignon, medium rare and it literally melted in my mouth. I didn’t even have to chew (note that I DID chew). We had roasted rosemary potatoes and asparagus. The asparagus did leave a bit to be desired, but the potatoes were a perfect compliment to our mouthwatering steaks.
And the wine. There aren’t enough adjectives in the minimal thesaurus in my head to describe our wine. It was a Cakebread Cellars ---- and it was so completely perfect that if I had been struck by a bolt of lightning at the precise moment when I finished my last sip and killed by Zeus, I would have been in utter ecstasy. Yeah. That good.
Our only issue was that we had dinner pretty late. Morning came much too quickly!
We loaded up our junk, headed by his place to pick up some plane stuff and headed to the New Braunfels Airport. But not after a stop to get breakfast tacos. Breakfast tacos are the second best hangover food next to just plain old bacon (#1 hangover food). My taco had bacon AND eggs in it. Yum.
So we get to the itty bitty tiny little miniature airplane (I wrote this only to give you a little perspective on the fact that the smallest plane I have ever ridden in was one of those 50 seaters do-jobs). I helped (as much as I could) get the plane ready to go. I got myself ready to go (Less drowsy Dramamine. Check. Xanax. Check. Sea Band Anti-Motion Sick Bracelets. Check. Barf bag with handy tie. Check.) and loaded my sorry butt in the plane.
Then I had the time of my life. I didn’t stop grinning until we landed. We even did a little bit of cloud dodging and my inner ear issue was nowhere to be found! It was exhilarating and fun and so incredible. I have to admit that I was flying with an amazing pilot, so that might have helped too!
We flew to Mustang Island where Port Aransas is located, right across the bay from Corpus Christi. My companion’s friend’s wife picked up us. She was the cutest, tiny lady driving the biggest Ford Excursion. It was adorable!
Since I was a novice at the whole small plane flying thing, she helped cover the plane and chock it while I helped unload. Then we were off to her condo!
She made sammies for all of us while we changed into our bathing suits and then we were off again to the dock! Her husband and his buddy had just bought a sweet boat and we were taking the maiden voyage! After the six of us ate a fulfilling lunch and helped get the boat ready, we took it out!
If I thought that flying in a tiny plane was awesome, then my life became a little more exciting as we took the boat into the Gulf and I felt the spray of the salt-water on my skin while battling some big waves (in my book – it was a pretty fair day though). Fun! No seasickness at all (thank you Dramamine, i.e. meclizine). We saw some dolphins and later, while we were floating around in the water (not in the Gulf – it was too rough), I swear I saw a stingray jump out of the water about 50 feet from the boat! Wow.
We made it back to shore about 6 pm and loaded up back to the condo for showers (goodbye sunscreen, sweat and salt water…the three evil S’s of Port A in August). By 9 pm, we were over at Couple B’s house for dinner and hanging out. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day. It was a day of firsts for me! I ended up falling asleep on their sofa with a Golden Retriever draped across me. It was sweet.
We slept like babies that night.
This morning, we got up after not quite 7.5 hours of sleep (I could have used 10 – easily) and went with Couple A to meet up with Couple B for breakfast. If I thought those post-hangover breakfast tacos were wonderful, I had not yet met Breakfast Taquito to beat the crap out of it in pure yumminess. After breakfast, we went back to the airport to fly back to San Antonio.
No longer a novice, I helped get the plane ready for the air. Then we were in the air!
We did a little more cloud dodging and he surprised me with a barrel roll! I threw my hands over my head and squealed! Surprise! We were upside down! I giggled for five minutes afterwards!
After sweating our butts off, we made it back to New Braunfels airport. I was much more helpful in putting the airplane up this time!
Instead of calling it a day and taking a nap (we were still exhausted), we ended up going to Gruene for a bit. We had a couple of beers at Gruene Hall while watching a very young, yet extraordinary band. The lead singer played the fiddle. They were called the Fireants. Super fun. My companion bought some books at a local antique mall and then we went and put our feet in the water for a little bit to cool off before going back to Universal City for a nap.
That was possibly my #1 rated nap of 2010 too. It was well-deserved.
Then on to the airport to catch my on time flight only to get to Dallas and have to wait for AGES for our KC flight. We are now en route (overly 1.75 late). However, better late than never! I’m ready for bed!
What a superb and memorable weekend!
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