Vacation Destination

One of my best friends from law school flew in from Chicago for a weekend of fun in my new hometown. She had never been to Austin, so we had to give her a good sampling of its shopping, food, and general quirkiness. Friday involved a stroll around the boutiques of South Congress, Amy's ice cream for lunch, El Arroyo for dinner, a mix of 4th, 5th, and 6th street for some night life, all capped off with a stop at HEB for a nice bottle of wine to sip out on my back deck while talking until 2 a.m. (Proof that you're old: looking at your friend twenty minutes into your clubbing experience and realizing you'd rather split a $20 bottle of wine in the comfort and quiet of your own home than pay to yell at each other over your over-priced drinks. I used to find that really fun.)

On Saturday we went to the Lake Austin Spa and Resort for massages. I had a nearly expired gift certificate from my in-laws and my friend was up for a little pampering. WOW is that a nice place- the Hill Country location was beautiful, the robes were plush, the massage was badly needed, and the plethora of complimentary organic fruit and teas made me feel detoxed from my queso overload the night before. I had never been to a real spa and I can't imagine having the money to be blase in the face of all that luxury- we were nearly overcome with giddiness at every new sign of plushness. We finished our day of detox with pizza, brownies, ice cream, caramel popcorn, and another bottle of red wine. You know, just to keep our bodies in balance.

Sunday began Kerbey Lane, a quick stop at work to complete an assignment for a partner flying out for a deposition tonight, and a trip to the Lady Bird Johnson wildflower center where I finally got to play with my new camera (that I still have no idea how to operate):

This isn't a macro or zoom lens, but the petals are still pretty sharp


A test shot with my fun fisheye lens


A very helpful "what to do if you encounter a mountain lion" poster.
Turns out you should not run away, but instead wave your arms and speak loudly. Yeah.

Afterward there was a bit more brownie eating before driving to the airport. It was absolutely wonderful to spend time with her and it made me realize with a blow just how much I miss that amazing group of women I was lucky enough to meet in law school. They really must all move here.

P.S. Landon was an excellent host as always- full of charm and giggles and even helped feed the cat so I wouldn't have to. I really cannot tell you what an easy, loving, joy of a toddler he's become, there are just no words.