The Dark Side?

I still haven't fully recovered from our trip to Austin. I spent the weekend talking (a lot), drinking, and eating too much yummy food. On the Sunday drive home, I felt bloated and a little sick. Over the past few months, Nate and I have made an effort to eat healthier, which we usually do. So indulging was fun at first and then felt kind of gross.

One of my attempts to be healthier also has involved cutting out coffee. For the past three months or so, I've been drinking black tea in the mornings. If you know me very well, you realize what a huge statement that is. I LOOOOOOVE coffee. So much that I really do have a hard time drinking it moderately. I mean, I used to drink 8-10 cups a day. But Austin lured me back to the java and I’ve been drinking coffee in the mornings almost every day since the trip. This morning, I found a note on the coffee maker. Nate had written, “Welcome back to the dark side.” Gah! Must. Fight. The. Coffee. (But I’m having a cup now, petting my mug and whispering, "Oh, I missed you. My precioussssss.")

Austin was good. I always love seeing how old friends are doing, hearing about their lives. There have been some changes. At my dinner party, there were three children and one on the way. Also, some new loves and one friend who is applying for top security clearance with the government. (“I put you down on my list of references. Don’t be surprised if the FBI contacts you,” he said. “Everone else has come home from work and found a guy on the porch waiting for them.”)

Nate and I found some awesome jewelry by Robin Albachten while we were shopping on SoCo (I can never say “SoCo" without thinking how silly it is, especially since I remember South Congress as the place where you used to be able to solicit a prostitute and go to the XXX theater). I found some gifts for our nieces and a cool bag for my sis-in-law at Parts and Labor (where you can find a ton of cool, locally designed clothes, purses, and jewelry). Outside, Robin had a booth and I stopped to look at her jewelry because it was so striking. She has different kinds of pieces, but one of the things she does is find old, vintage glass and then recasts them in new jewelry. I found a cool ring that I bought for myself as a birthday present, and admired a necklace. But I convinced myself not to buy both, since I had already spent quite a bit of cheddar and I was still shopping for other people. I saw Nate sort of bite his lip and walk away. While I was in the next store, Nate went back and bought the necklace. What a sneak! (But a generous one.)

I did manage to get one run in while we were in Austin. On Saturday morning, I dragged myself out of bed and ran in the rain. The rain kept most of the crowds away; I saw only a few others out there. I was soon soaked, but I love running on dirt and crushed granite trails. I got all muddy, which is always fun, and I loved seeing the rain hit the river and hearing the water in the trees overhead. It’s those moments that make me miss Austin.

But Dallas is good. Even if the Mavericks break your heart. Even if the Arcadia burns down.

Update: Some pictures of the fire.