TX/OU Weekend

This past weekend, Ryan, Chris and my mom went to see the Texas Longhorns take on the Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl here in Dallas. For those of you that aren't big college football fans, this is one of the biggest games of the season for UT (and OU, too), therefore the tickets are hard to come by.

Whataburger is a big UT sponsor and since Ryan is the Marketing Representative over the Austin area, she was able to snag us tickets to this year's game! When she gave me the news that week, I couldn't believe it- it took everything I had not to squeal with glee while sitting at my desk at work. I immediately called Chris to give him the great news! Ryan knew that she, Chris and I would be going, but she still had one ticket up for grabs. I threw out a few friends' names here in Dallas, but when my mom mentioned she wouldn't mind driving up to see it, Ryan and I were all for it (plus it helped so that none of my friends felt snubbed).

Both Ryan and my parents arrived in Dallas Friday night. Once everyone unloaded their belongings, we headed to Pappadeaux for dinner and then to a bar for some karaoke! Ryan, Chris and my dad all went up there and performed like pros (well, Chris was the showman and Ryan and my dad were great vocalists). I wish I would've thought to take pictures. :(

The next morning was the big game! We left the house at 8:45 AM so we could make sure we got into our seats by 11 AM. Thank goodness we left with plenty of time because we got to our seats with only ten minutes to spare before kickoff!

The game was an ugly one with both teams only scoring one touchdown each and the rest of the points being field goals. The first half felt like it was the longest in college football history, lasting a little over two hours (a typical college game lasts 3 hours for all four quarters). I can't complain, though, because we still had a great time. The weather was beautiful- sunny with cool breezes periodically. We all got a little burnt, but it was worth it. WE WON! Final score 16- 13! Like I said, it wasn't a pretty win, but I'll take it! :)

(Click to see the enlarged version)

I couldn't decide which pictures would best showcase what a great time we had at the game, so I decided to make a collage with some of our photos from both the game and the fair

Chris and I during the game

Ryan, mom, Chris and I celebrating right after the BIG WIN!!

After the game, it was time to hit the State Fair of Texas! It was so packed with all the people leaving the game. We had to fight our way out of the vicinity of the stadium to get some walking room, but once we did that, we were able to make our way to my favorite fair treats- funnel cakes and corny dogs!

Eating our Fletcher's corny dogs! :)

After having our taste of fair food, we took Ryan and my mom to see Big Tex because you can't go to the fair for the first time and not see him.

Me with the first time fair-goers, my mom and Ryan, in front of Big Tex

After that, we were ready to head home to keep my dad and Shamrock company. Later that evening we all went to Pappasitos for dinner and then called it a night. The next morning everyone left and we were off to our photo shoot of Cohen Jones (more on that in the next blog entry).

Ryan- thank you for thinking of and taking us along as your guests!!!! We had a fantastic time and it's all thanks to you! :)

Mom and Dad- So glad you could make the trip up to Dallas to watch the game and hang out with us! Love you!

We Bleed (and EAT!) Burnt Orange

In honor of the Red River Rivalry game (Texas vs. Oklahoma), Chris and I made Longhorn cakes! I found the cupcake and cake molds for the longhorn shape a few weeks ago and couldn't wait to see how they turned out. I was so worried about the cupcake horns breaking when I removed them from the mold, but it was all for not as they held their shape perfectly (as you can see below).

I decided to make them strawberry flavored since I couldn't use chocolate (for color purposes) and I don't like white cake. I then turned to food coloring (using the red and yellow) to give me the orange color I was seeking. I think, for my first attempt with these molds, these cakes turned out gr-r-r-reat! :)

Chris is the "Biggest Loser"!

I completely forgot to share the great news with everyone! Christopher is his department's "Biggest Loser"! He and his co-workers began their weight loss competition in June and it ended on September 24th.

The winner was the contestant that had the greatest percentage of weight lost out of the group. There were ten people competing for, not only the title of Biggest Loser, but also to win the prize money. Every person participating had to put $20 into the pot, so the winner received most of the buy-in (second and third place got a small portion of it, too).

Chris ended up losing a total of 22.5 pounds for a result of 12.7% in total weight loss percentage. He managed to beat out second place by .8%, to earn his cash prize and bragging rights. The money definitely came in handy as we were able to put it to good use at ACL. :)

Congratulations, babe! Awesome job!

PS- Chris only worked out a handful of times. He gave up drinking sodas and cut back on eating out for lunch, subbing Lean Cuisines instead. Yup, you read that correctly- that’s all it took for him to lose 22.5 lbs. Let me hear it, ladies- SIGH. ;)

Austin City Limits Mud, I Mean, Music Festival

ACL's Music Festival was held this past weekend at Zilker Park in Austin. In case you haven't heard of it, ACL is a three-day outdoor music festival where great bands and up-and-comers alike perform. Chris and I were one of the lucky few (thousand) people in attendance for the big event.

We arrived on Friday afternoon just in time to catch one of the bands we've been wanting to see for quite some time- Phoenix! Even though they didn't play Christopher's favorite song, he still had a great time as evidenced below:

Yup that's him on the big screen taking the photo of himself! :)

Chris and I have been to quite a few ACLs. This was the first year they've held the festival in October and it made ALLLLL the difference on Friday- it was sunny, mild, with a cool breeze (as opposed the the usual sweltering heat). I read that Austin spent $2 million on putting new grass so that festivalgoers (and other visitors to Zilker Park) would have a more enjoyable experience. Chris loved the grass so much, he decided to walk in it barefoot. :)

More photos from Friday:

Val and I at the Phoenix show

Chris at the John Legend Show

Chris and Michelle enjoying their beverages at the Kings of Leon show

Now Saturday was a different story. Chris, Ryan, Michelle and I arrived to ACL and it was cloudy, muggy and had rained a little before our arrival. After being there for about twenty minutes it started to rain...and it kept raining for a couple of hours.

Chris and his Jack Johnson album cover impersonation.

It wasn't what I would call a downpour, but it was a steady rain that led the beautiful grass beneath our feet to slowly become mud. Not what I would describe as the ideal situation for an outdoor concert, but we tried to make the best of it:

Ryan, Me and Michelle in a pose from our Tigerette days

(PS- we were watching Mos Def perfom at this time. He was pretty boring so we had to entertain ourselves.)

So, the condition of the ground got worse as the day went on and one of my favorite bands, Dave Matthews Band (DMB), wasn't performing until 8 PM. Our legs were throbbing, we were muddy and tired, but once DMB came on...it all went away. Dave had an awesome performance, reminding me why I love them so much. :)

Dave Matthews Band!

On Sunday, Ryan, Chris and I headed over to Hula Hut for lunch because it's not a real stop in Austin without a trip to my favorite restaurant. :)

Ryan and I leaving H.H.

After eating, Chris and I headed back to the festival. No rain, but the ground was MUCH worse. We watched the Arctic Monkeys (a band Chris was really excited to see), went to the tent to watch the Cowboys lose another game at the last second, and then The Dead Weather and Pearl Jam to end ACL.

Photos from Sunday:

View of part of the festival with the Austin skyline. Yup...all of the brown ground is mud.

While we were waiting for Pearl Jam to start.

The end of ACL '09! Time to head home...

A big thank you to our dear friend, Ryan, for allowing us to stay with her for the weekend! And another big thank you to Chris' mommy for taking care of Shamrock while we were away. :)

Longhorn Legend

Tonight Chris and I met Earl Campbell! In case you don't know about him or his legacy at The University of Texas at Austin, here's a brief history lesson:

Earl Campbell is one of the most notable running backs to ever play college football. In 1977, Campbell won the Heisman Trophy and led the nation in rushing with 1,744 yards. He also graduated from UT in 1977, the same year he was the number 1 draft pick by the Houston Oilers and was voted Rookie of the Year as well as Most Valuable Player. By the end of his professional football career he had amassed 9,407 yards rushing, 806 yards receiving, 74 total touchdowns, and 10,213 total yards. He ranks tenth on the all-time rushing yards in the NFL and has appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated six times.

So now that you've been schooled on "The Tyler Rose", hopefully you can appreciate our excitement meeting him. :)

I stumbled upon the event when I was scrolling through the Dallas Texas Exes Chapter events a few weeks ago. I had no idea they were opening a UT Co-op here in Dallas! When I saw they were having a grand opening with a guest appearance from Mr. Campbell, I immediately told Chris and he quickly agreed we should attend.

The grand opening event included dinner at Blue Mesa and an autograph by Campbell on anything we purchased from the Co-op. Chris and I decided on a couple of UT pennants to have Campbell sign. The  plan is to have them framed and placed in our game room. Below are photos proving this story is true. ;)

Chris giddy about meeting Earl

Getting my pennant signed!

So excited! It's not everyday you meet a Texas Longhorn legend! :)