Well I got to eat a corn dog this weekend. And it was delicious. Even though it was thirty degrees outside at the rodeo and I kind of felt the pressure to eat it before it froze solid.
And then I couldn’t even think about eating a funnel cake because it was just too cold to stand in line. So apparently I will choose not getting frostbite over a funnel cake. Of course later I discovered that they were selling funnel cakes inside the AT&T Center but it just seems wrong to order a funnel cake inside. Everyone knows the real funnel cakes are the ones being sold outside next to the roasted corn and the chicken fried bacon.
That’s right. Chicken fried bacon.
That’s either a new high or a new low.
No one in our group ate it. Mainly because we tried it last year and it was kind of delicious but you can’t help but feeling like you’re eating a heart attack in crispy form.
Anyway, we all went to the rodeo because that is what Gulley’s youngest son, Will, wanted to do for his seventh birthday. And he wanted Caroline and I to have a sleepover at their house. You have to admit that is WAY better than Chuck E. Cheese.
So after Caroline’s basketball game, we got dressed and packed up for our big night on the town and headed to Gulley’s house. But before the rodeo, Will had to open his presents.
He was a little excited.
And then there was a pinata. Because this is San Antonio and a child really can’t turn another year old without beating the heck out of a papier mache object.
It took them 3.2 seconds to destroy that cowboy boot.
Finally it was time to leave for the rodeo. But I wanted to get a few quick pictures of Caroline and the boys.
Poor Caroline. I hope she overcomes her fear of the camera.
And then Will jumped in.
And finally I got Jackson to get in there with Lloyd and Harry.
By the way, this is what they looked like four years ago before we left for the rodeo.
Time. It flies.
Our plan was to walk around the stockyards for a couple of hours before the rodeo began, but we didn’t realize the temperature was going to drop into the vicinity of miserable and I can no longer feel my toes. Even so, we persevered long enough to go through the Wildlife exhibit so the kids could see the vast display of venomous Texas snakes while I made plans to pack my bags and move somewhere that isn’t full of reptiles.
They took their time viewing every single snake for as long as possible but it worked out because there was a man in line in front of them drinking a Corona tallboy who was even more enamored of the snakes than they were. He stopped at every display case and took a long sip of his beer as if pondering each snake thoughtfully.
After the wildlife exhibit we decided it was time to grab some quick rodeo food and get inside. I can’t tell you how happy I was that Caroline decided to order an ice cold lemonade and then ask me to hold it for her. I’m sure I’ll be able to use the fingers on my left hand again someday.
We all sat and ate our various assortment of corn dogs, sausage on a stick, and Texas twister chips while we shivered violently. And in the end we were all finished with our food and waiting on Caroline.
Granted, it takes longer to eat your corn dog when you eat it like it’s corn on the cob.
Finally we went inside and waited for the rodeo to begin. Gulley and I decided to get a glass of wine and learned a valuable lesson. It’s best to not drink wine when the choices you’re given include “red” or white zinfandel. It was akin to drinking grape juice with a splash of vinegar. Of course that’s probably why people in the know drink Corona tallboys at the rodeo.
Then right as the steer roping competition started, someone texted Gulley to let her know Whitney Houston had died. And Gulley and I discussed how weird it is that Madonna is really the only pop icon of our growing up years who’s still alive. Which is probably a big commentary on success and having everything in the world and still not finding real contentment and peace.
I just know that there was a time in 1987 that I played that Whitney cassette in my Honda CRX until the tape broke and no amount of pencil erasers in the world could have helped it.
(If you were born after 1985 you have probably have no idea what I’m talking about. The CD made the cassette obsolete.)
Anyway, the kids had a great time and cheered loudly for all the bull riders and barrel racers and steer ropers. Then it was time for Keith Urban to play and Caroline decided she was tired and ready to go home and spent the last hour sitting on my lap trying to go to sleep in a very loud arena while I wondered if Nicole had made the trip with Keith and if they were going to eat Mexican food after the show.
By the time we got in the car everyone was on the verge of a full meltdown. Will’s tummy didn’t feel good and I feared that if he went down with the carsickness I was going to be right behind him. But he made it and I was spared the horror of repeating my Ecuadorian bus exploits.
Then we all got home, crawled into bed and Caroline announced she could feel that she was on the verge of getting sick and she definitely felt warmer than usual to me. So I worried about her all night, afraid that the flu was on its way.
But then Will popped his head in our room at 9:30 Sunday morning to see what kind of donut she wanted from Shipleys. Caroline yelled, “CHOCOLATE SPRINKLES” and then didn’t even look at me as she hopped out of bed announcing, “EVERYONE’S AWAKE! I’M GETTING UP. PEACE OUT, SUCKER!”
Which I think is a sign that she felt just fine.
And that I thought she felt warm because my hands were still so cold from holding her lemonade.