Big John and I were invited to the Houston Rodeo by a really good friend from school. And by "school," I mean grade school. We go WAY BACK! June has done pretty well for a Palacios girl, and she is always so sweet to invite us to join her at many events in Houston. Big John's schedule often interferes, but we made it to this occasion. And we had a fabulous time!
(the above photo was taken with the new camera - on point and shoot mode, so nothing really gained yet)
June invited us to pick any show we'd like to see. After checking all schedules - mine, Big John's, the Rodeo's - we settled on Jason Aldean on the last night of the rodeo. We're both big fans of his. In fact, you might be listening to a Jason Aldean song right now - turn your speakers up! We decided we'd make a little getaway out of it, and I took off from work today. June hooked us up with a hotel room and we were all set!
Reservations were made for us at a pretty swanky hotel, right smack in the middle of the Houston Museum District - Hotel ZaZa. It's rumored that Keith Urban stayed at the ZaZa after his gig at the rodeo just a couple of weeks ago! We didn't have any celebrity sitings during our stay. In channeling one of Pioneer Woman's (http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/) themes, I snapped photos of the hotel room.
Notice the claw feet on the bed - wow! There was a HUGE flat screen TV mounted on the mirrors above the table. You can almost see the reflection of the $4 bag of peanut M&Ms that called my name all night long. They tried, but they didn't break me!
I think Big John's camo overnight bag adds a touch of country charm to the otherwise ultra chic urban decor. And yes, that is a naked lady in the picture above the bed. Big John spotted it the second he walked in the door. Go figure. I just ignored her the whole night. I think she was there to remind me I'm on a diet.
Once plans were underway, June also invited us up for brunch before the rodeo. I must admit, I don't do brunch all that often, so we gladly accepted. Reservations were made for Benjy's - a hot spot in the Rice Village area.
I was so excited to see two other old friends (not OLD old - from grade school old) Wanda and Michael, as well as June's beau, Scott. What a treat! Here's a picture of us girls.
Boy did we liven that place up! We had such a great time reminiscing about P-town and the good ol' days! It really was great to grow up here.
We ordered - I got a salad, which I'm sure wasn't as diet-y as I'd hoped.
Big John went the omelet route, since he's never allowed to eat eggs at home. He made sure to tell everyone that! Apparently, Big John wasn't dieting at all.
Once we'd had our fill at Benjy's we all headed back to our hotel, dropped off the vehicles, and caught the metro rail to the Rodeo. This was my first time riding the train in Houston. (I did almost turn into an oncoming train downtown once, but that's a different story.) This was a lot like the airport trains in Atlanta. I don't get out much, so that's my only point of reference. It's NOT like the trains that go through La Ward. Whole different animal! It was pretty quick and a much cheaper way to travel than by cab or paid parking.
We were a little early for the rodeo, so we headed to the shops. Oh darn. Due to my impending lack of salary, I felt compelled to buy something - while I still can. And yes, I see the flaw in that logic. It made perfect sense at the time. We stumbled upon Ann's Turquoise, a shop I've drooled over in the pages of "Cowboys and Indians." She carries gorgeous jewelry, which I couldn't afford, as well as Double D Ranchwear clothing, which I also can't afford. But guess what? Last season's items were ... ... ...
HALF OFF!!!
Woo hoo! Nothing says 'spend' like a half-off sale on Double D Ranchwear!
I settled on this jacket. Sooooo cute!
And I'll include this photo for Su.
My first piece of Double D - one of many more to come!! (Made in China? I'm a little disappointed in that.)
And I found this cute little summer top in another nearby shop.
It will look great 11 pounds and a good tan from now!
I also had time to get my favorite pair of Lucchese's shined. They were in desperate need of some love and attention.
I could do this myself at home, but it sure feels nice to be pampered. And they look fabulous!
Once inside, we honestly didn't see too much of the actual rodeo - we were too busy visiting. But we didn't miss a second of the concert. Jason Aldean came out and sang every one of my favorite songs of his. He even threw in a Colt Ford song! That was cool and unexpected.
In the words of the two ear-piercing, screaming girls sitting behind me, "WE LOVE YOU, JASON!"
It was a GREAT show! And a great time with good friends. After all the stresses from work and family estates - it's been a very long year - it was a much needed distraction. I think this little breather will help get me through the next month or so. Thank goodness for good friends and good times!
THANK YOU, JUNE! We had a blast!!
Ok, so why put a naked woman above the bed?? And yeah, the camo bag goes really well with the "urban" vibe of the room!! Sounds like ya'll had a blast - definitely better than going to school for the day. I get a kick out of your posts! 2 cameras! Ya'll should take a picture of ya'll taking pictures of each other.
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