you know you're in Houston if...

you live down the street from the country's biggest annual Livestock Show and Rodeo! And you get to go on a date to the World's Champtionship Bar-B-Que Contest - really, I have the ticket stub to prove it...the date and the contest :) 

We had "free" barbecue dinner courtesy of Mrs. Baird's Chuckwagon. I was quite impressed with the logistics of feeding that many people, they really had it down to a science. And according to Dan, who went back several times for more and talked to the people serving, they have never run out of food. 

And then we did what any good Texan does. Ate fried sweets. My first time, and I was a little nervous. As a group we had fried snickers, fried cheesecake, fried cookie dough (that's what I got!), and the original fried Twinkie. The cookie dough was surprisingly delicious. And definitely no more than a once-a-year treat.

Beth, Chelce, and Gavin and I decided to try a ride (thanks Oscar!) and boy, howdy was it the absolute best ride I've ever been on! We were thrown in every direction possible and Chelce and I were laughing so hard I could hardly breathe. Seriously, I was giggling like a little girl. It made me so happy! The hip didn't love it, and I regretted it later (but only a little!). I will forever be an amusement park ride junkie. 

I'm really glad I ended up going, because it wasn't the original plan for the evening. Now if I end up moving, at least I have experienced the Rodeo! And I can be less impatient about the havoc it wreaks on my drive to Target :)