“Why do people feel they need to have children to act like children? Why not eat Cracker Jack in the street if that’s your pleasure? Why not scuff the leaves or romp in the snow? Cut out the damn middleman and do what you want.”
- Kathleen Rooney, Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk
August started with the end of my Coaching Skills Development class and passing my oral evaluation. We had roofers at our duplex the morning of my evaluation and the trip to the library for a quiet space was my first venture back out into the world after my 15-day stent at home with Covid. I am beyond pleased to have passed my evaluation and am so grateful for those in my class that I was able to learn from and with.
My Best Favorite and I loaded up and drove to Austin, Texas for our sixth annual away game. We stopped and saw some family in Oklahoma City along the way and stopped to shop a couple of bookstores so I could catch up on my "22 in 22" bookstore challenge. Although we didn't bring home a win, we did bring home fun memories with fun friends.
It is hot in Texas. So, we took to cool activities. Lucky for us, our friends knew the perfect place to take us. Deep Eddy Pool, Texas’s old swimming pool, gets its name from an eddy formed by a large boulder in a popular swimming area on the river. Cold springs rise from the riverbanks next to this swimming area and fill the pool. Pool Burger is next door, so we made sure to grab lunch while we were there.
Our friends had other friends in town while we were there and one night this group met up for drinks, flat breads, and charcuterie boards at House Wine. My Best Favorite and I were there first to secure seating and then made ourselves at home while we waited for the others to arrive. It was a time of great food and delicious conversation.
One morning we had breakfast at Batch Craft Beer and Kolaches. This was officially the first time that my Best Favorite has ever approved of a coffee drink from anywhere we have visited, so it had to be documented. And this was my first time to eat kolaches. The peanut butter and jelly was especially yummy.
Being from KC, the land of superb BBQ, we had to try some of Austin's finest. Terry Black’s Barbecue was tasty, busy, and reminiscent of Joe's KC.
Per tradition, we also had to check out some local breweries like Lazarus Brewing Co.
It seemed only fitting to go two-stepping in Texas at Sam’s Town Point. Truth be told, we did not actually two-step, but we did watch some friends take lessons, listen to live music, and make new pup friends while we ate dinner from the food truck.
Even just relaxing with our friends in their tranquil outdoor space and catching up was memorable. They have two Frenchies and the Remy twin got to have a sleepover with us. It wasn't so much a sleepover as it was a snoreover. Sleep or no sleep, I know for sure that more Frenchies are in the future.
Back home with our own Frenchie pup and Queenie pup, we enjoyed some fire nights. While it is still hot here, fire nights are our respite and they are back.
August was full of book things. Buying books. Reading books. Organizing books. There are so many books that I had to get a new shelf and this little cart is a fun addition to the book nook. Book tally for the year: 36
Fall is my favorite season, but water is my happy place, so I tried to get in all the time at the swim beach that I could before the end of the season - there's still a little time left!
My full-time job has officially gone remote, and I finally got to bring home all my office gear. Even though I've been working from home for years now, everything feels so official. I adore my book nook office.
My Auntie was home to visit and I wandered around Lowe's being her assistant (mostly it was just me picking up her coffee cup when she sat it randomly on a shelf) while she helped my parents gather inspiration for a kitchen makeover. Any time spent with this group of people is special and good for my heart.
A big bunch of fun people came together to help my mom celebrate her Sweet 61 birthday. There was cake. There was laughter. There was a Queenie dog who jumped the fence to party with the neighbor dog. Other than a torn paw pad, minor bleeding, and an adrenaline rush for me, all is well. Thanks to all who came to celebrate the birthday girl and a special thanks to my pop for quickly jumping the fence to rescue the Q.
And lastly but not leastly, the pups in pictures.
Here’s to cutting out the damn middleman and swimming in cold springs, celebrating sweet 61 birthdays, and doing what you want.
