Summer Days

Happy Friday! Before I start in on today, I'll take you through my last couple of days, because they were the perfect example of what summer should be. First of all, I didn't have to work yesterday, and though I love working at SRD, a day off work (and a day where I don't have to wear real-world clothes) is always appreciated. Two of Dylan's good high school friends came in town Wednesday evening, and another one of his friends was staying with him before attending UT orientation, so we all enjoyed a beautiful view while enjoying a delicious dinner at Hula Hut on Lake Austin. Hula Hut has been one of my favorite restaurants ever since middle school when we would come to Austin for volleyball tournaments, so I always say yes to a trip to Hula Hut.

By the looks of our empty plates at the end of the meal, we all enjoyed what we ordered. I went for the Slow-Roasted Pork Tacos, and they were excellent. I have had them on my mind for quite some time, as I went to Hula Hut with a friend ages ago and she ordered them, making me instantly regret not ordering them. If there is one thing I have learned from living in Austin, it is that I love a good taco.

Yesterday morning started bright and early for me, as I woke up around 7:15am, and was out the door by 7:30am so that I could squeeze in a quick workout before a day full of fun adventures. I drove my usual route down to Town Lake, but before run/walking my usual three-mile loop, I stopped by the Austin High School track to complete eight laps of sprinting the straights, walking the curves. As tough as sprinting is for me, I really enjoyed this workout, and I consider it a good addition to the half marathon training that will start before I know it.

After a quick shower, I threw on a bathing suit and tank top, and drove over to Dylan's house so that we could get an early start to New Branfels. We had plans to float the Comal River, and we got to Texas Tubes rental just about 11:00am. We rented tubes, applied sunscreen (and I still smell like sunscreen), and were on the river by 11:15am. We floated for almost two hours, and I am really sad I didn't have my phone or camera with me, because it was so pretty, and there were some really cute cottages along the river. If you ever need a weekend getaway, I would definitely recommend coming down to New Braunfels, because once you are done floating the river, you can head ten minutes down the road to Gruene.

Kevin, Megan, me, and Dylan

I have lived in Texas my entire life, but I have never been to the historic Gruene, Texas. It is probably the cutest town I have ever seen, and though it is now a thriving community, it was once little more than a ghost town. Gruene Dance Hall is probably the charm of this town, which remained open during the Great Depression when all other family businesses went under. We ate at the cotton gin-turned-restaurant - The Gristmill - right next door, and it was excellent. Everything on the menu looked wonderful, but I opted for the grilled chicken spinach salad, and we all shared a big bucket of baked fries, which reminded me of Hungry's french fries.

Our plates were clean by the end of the meal, and we were all more than ready for a nap, but we managed to find enough energy to use at the San Marcos Outlet Mall. We were there for maybe 45 minutes, but I was somehow able to do quite a bit of damage in that short amount of time. Granted, the purse I purchased was over half off, and the reason I bought it is because I can use it for student teaching. It is very "cutefessional," as one friend coined it, and it will likely last me forever. The woman knew she had talked me into it when I told her to "let me just call my mom really fast." All four of us were pretty successful at the outlets, and we arrived back in Austin around 5:30pm. A long day, but a wonderful day.

When I got back to my house, I ate a light dinner, sat around on Pinterest for a while, before finally lacing up my tennis shoes and heading over to Town Lake. I planned to just end the day with a walk, but as soon as I got to the trail, I felt like running. I ended up running the entire thing, finishing up just as the sun was setting. It made for a wonderful sight, and it was the perfect end to a great day.

I was pretty drained by the time I got back home, so after a shower and a little bit of reading, I was more than ready for bed. I work until 2:00pm today, and then I will hopefully cross off some of the errands I have been meaning to run all week. Have a great Friday!