tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58931456081585553862024-02-19T09:55:17.690-06:00Laura and Peter Down UnderAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10580080914880510359noreply@blogger.comBlogger221125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893145608158555386.post-11119153897276039522017-09-05T21:23:00.002-05:002017-09-07T19:17:55.618-05:00End of SummerIt's kind of hard to believe that summer is basically over. It won't feel like fall until at least November here, but Labor Day has passed and school has started so I guess that makes it official! Here's a few thing we've been up to lately:<br />
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A couple weekends ago, Ali, my coworker Nicole, and I went to a concert after work. Before we moved to Austin, I had never heard of Cody Johnson, but now we've been to two of his shows so I guess that makes us official fans?! He's a 'Texas country' singer which is apparently NOT the same thing as 'regular country' but I can't really tell you the difference.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE6TdrBaQi7fpX2XtobRVTZ9ZyaJ5_RZAOs4TLTCcDUz9pDuWdeOyMwMDnObvq6E4qDSuXWN4iRYpQMra_UDfg62DEDhRlbJ5DYq7LBiPhO7mCHfYGMqcIEphbMfrruU4cZdrRLgzpbEDs/s1600/IMG_0122JPG.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="762" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE6TdrBaQi7fpX2XtobRVTZ9ZyaJ5_RZAOs4TLTCcDUz9pDuWdeOyMwMDnObvq6E4qDSuXWN4iRYpQMra_UDfg62DEDhRlbJ5DYq7LBiPhO7mCHfYGMqcIEphbMfrruU4cZdrRLgzpbEDs/s1600/IMG_0122JPG.jpg" /></a></div>
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Most of the other concertgoers looked something like this. We were in the minority and obviously need to acquire cowboy hats asap. </div>
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A sea of unironic cowboy hats. Love it.<br />
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A friend from work sent me a Blue Apron deal for a free week trial. We picked out our meals from their choices for that week and our shipment arrived last Tuesday. We really liked all three meals. The first was some mix of minced beef and peppers, the second a beef, eggplant, and rice dish with Indian flavors and the third meal was baked chicken with sweet potatoes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9E9alYT_jHbCJohyx3rF3WwZtuNfHgcE8TIsmCPZQeFV-vFUbKtESS2cE1kMC8_M3T3ynr4IwArwIqqPvzp22RcFwmceza0f8ciHvdThcfSpDsuB7iUvgqgu58YJBf93VD1C6WmDywFKp/s1600/rsz_52582868751__09f8fcc6-675f-4fe1-8e40-12dabf7b04a2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9E9alYT_jHbCJohyx3rF3WwZtuNfHgcE8TIsmCPZQeFV-vFUbKtESS2cE1kMC8_M3T3ynr4IwArwIqqPvzp22RcFwmceza0f8ciHvdThcfSpDsuB7iUvgqgu58YJBf93VD1C6WmDywFKp/s1600/rsz_52582868751__09f8fcc6-675f-4fe1-8e40-12dabf7b04a2.jpg" /></a></div>
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Some of my friends wanted to know if we would order again and while we really did like the recipes, it's a pretty expensive service ($10/person/meal at full price) and you still have to do quite a bit of cooking. They are definitely not all super quick and easy recipes. I can see this being a great option for people who travel a lot or a single person who would benefit from receiving the exact amount of an item needed for a recipe so there's not a lot of extra leftovers. We definitely won't use this as our primary means of cooking, but it's a fun option that we might try again. Plus, you learn some new flavors, combinations, and techniques so it's kind of fun!<br />
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This last weekend, my dad was in town for a convention in San Antonio. His conferenced ended Friday, but he stayed until Saturday morning in order to have dinner with Peter and me on Friday night. We went to <a href="https://www.wildfishseafoodgrille.com/">Wildfish Seafood Grille</a> and it was quite good. We didn't make a reservation, so the only available seating was outside. I was a little nervous that, like at any point in the last 4 months, it would be unbearably hot. Luckily, it's been cooling down just enough at night that it was actually really pleasant out. I ordered the salmon:<br />
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And since my dad's birthday is later this month, the waitress brought him a dessert on the house. I picked it out, because dessert is my area of expertise, and it was so good. We don't get to see family as much as we'd like living so far away, so it was really fun to be able to get together with my dad even if just for a few hours!<br />
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Ali had friends in town this weekend, so she showed them all of the must-see sights around Austin. On Saturday night we went to Top Golf and despite our lack of skill, we had so much fun. Actually, Ali's friends were pretty good golfers, but Ali and I looked more like this...great form!<br />
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And two memes to end the post, because this is just hilarious: </div>
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I tweeted this while watching Men Tell All and it really is so true. You don't really even have to be a Bachelor fan to understand this one.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px;"> linking up with </span><a href="http://www.gretchruns.com/" style="color: #6d9eb0; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Gretch Runs</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px;"> & </span><a href="http://www.seeyouinaporridge.com/2017/09/august-2017-recap-whats-new-with-you.html" style="color: #6d9eb0; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">See You In A Porridge</a> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10580080914880510359noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893145608158555386.post-51288847799101680932017-08-07T21:13:00.001-05:002017-08-07T21:14:06.756-05:00A Goat and Froyo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This weekend was pretty epic, mostly because of our Sunday activities, which I'll get to in a second. </div>
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I was driving Ali's car the other day and turned around to get something in the back seat and saw this hilariously ironic ice scraper. I try to explain to friends at work the torture that is scraping off a snow-and-ice-covered car in the dark at 6 am, but I'm not sure they could totally appreacite it. I suppose an accurate description would be Texas in the summer, but the opposite. The end of July was BRUTAL, so we're happy that it's been a little bit cooler than normal this week. Today the high was only 89 and that was perfect. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibyEW5jeWhlhuy0-xqPXYzsFFhtRXG3Oe8VsqyrBqSPdV0-sQRD7khOzxApm3m_UyDQCmtJmw_fNKJsNaI79zSm8bCd08XMMirVETMzjYsZEjYrqpyPKwo_5OwF2FLGRrFsXo3FHNNQtDv/s1600/IMG_0001JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibyEW5jeWhlhuy0-xqPXYzsFFhtRXG3Oe8VsqyrBqSPdV0-sQRD7khOzxApm3m_UyDQCmtJmw_fNKJsNaI79zSm8bCd08XMMirVETMzjYsZEjYrqpyPKwo_5OwF2FLGRrFsXo3FHNNQtDv/s1600/IMG_0001JPG.jpg" /></a></div>
On Friday, I went to a work event up in Round Rock to see their minor leauge baseball team play. I'll admit that I went mainly for the free food and drinks, but we did watch a little bit of baseball too ;). It was fun, but when I heard that there would be transportation provided, I pictured some sort of coach bus or something. As one usually does. Wrong. It was a straight up renovated school bus/party bus that did not have air conditioning. WHAT??? To make it worse, I was wearing jeans and the team t-shirt they gave us that was long-sleeved. See below. It was hot, to say the least. If you follow me on Snapchat, you got a glimpse of the festivities.<br />
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This part of the post is going to be wholly uninteresting so feel free to skip over, but I just have to talk about it because it's been a theme of my life the past few weeks. My camera is still broken. After getting a new one put in, replacing the lens, then resetting the whole phone, and finally getting a brand new phone. IT STILL DOES THIS:</div>
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When I went back to the Apple Store today (third Monday in a row- they recognized me this time), they were totally confused and didn't know what to do. Apparently someone at Apple is calling me tomorrow to walk me through a deeper re-set to see if the issue is somewhere in the software on my iCloud. Or something. I have no idea. All I know is I can't take pictures in which there are lights and it really drives me crazy.<br />
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On Sunday, we embarked on a pilgrimage of sorts and it was everything we hoped for. There's a coffee shop out in Lakeway, which is west of downtown, called Civil Goat. This place has become a bit famous on social media lately because they have a cute mascot that roams the premesis. His name is 'Butters the Goat' and he has an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/buttersthegoat/">Instagram</a> account, for those who like to follow animals (a surprisingly large portion of the population). We got there around 10:30 and there was no goat to be found. We ordered coffee and waited a bit, but after about an hour we finally asked if Butters was going to be making an appearance. The boyond-hipster girl working there was not impressed with our questions, but let us know ever so kindly that he would probably show up in the afternoon.<br />
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We decided to move along to our next stop, but had to take a quick lunch break at Torchy's first, because any good pilgriamge includes queso. After Torchy's, I noticed we were about a mile away from a house I'd found for sale earlier this week, so I wanted to drive by quick to scope out the neighborhood. It was such a cute place, recently re-done and sort of modern looking on the outside. If we were ready to buy right this second, it would have been hard to pass up!<br />
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After that quick detour, we went down the road for the second stop of our pilgrimage: Froco Frozen Yogurt. Hear me out. This particular yogurt shop is of interest because it's owned by none other than Teen Mom's Farrah Abraham. I shamelessly love Teen Mom, and since Farrah lives just outside of Austin, we're always on the lookout. Unfortunately she wasn't there today. According to her Instagram story she was in Vegas doing some 'Back Door Teen Mom' event. If you don't know what that's in reference to, I wouldn't google it.<br />
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The poor girl working behind the counter was like 'oh no, more Teen Mom groupies' when we walked in. She can probably spot our kind from a mile away. She claimed to not know who Farrah was before she started working there, which I at first highly doubted. But then I thought about it a bit more and realized that it is entirely possible that a 16 year old missed the whole Teen Mom thing. Further confirmation that I am old.<br />
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Anyway, she took our photo for the Instagram account, and Farrah commented, so basically we're famous now.<br />
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Because we are insane, we decided to swing by Civil Goat one mroe time on the way home to see if Butters had arrived. He had. The hipster was none too thrilled to see us again, basic bitch-ing over the goat, but such is life. Butters was adorable. And I'm now inspired to buy a goat once we get a house. Peter is not on board as of now, so please leave your pro-goat comments below. </div>
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So, that's about it. We saw a goat and ate froyo and it was glorious.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10580080914880510359noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893145608158555386.post-53711278313190256662017-07-31T22:12:00.002-05:002017-07-31T22:12:35.985-05:00The Best Pool Day Ever and a Visitor! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We've been pretty busy around here lately! My step-mom, Loree, came to visit for a few days and we fit in a ton of fun Austin activities. I just noticed while looking through pictures that I took next to zero photos of actual people these past few weeks. Whoops!</div>
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The weather has pretty much constantly looked like this lately:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65xIc-WNMs9mFAzBrqMN6bTkA3g6SKBk294qsN9irZqxcpH6G5oGr5V7buxzZ4NScLddMMsGfCrYCWgHJrj8YGbteMjNpEtSs4a-1ymj1E6QY5tJpP-DgOBRexYPOsBCNJslO5TZmDz2m/s1600/IMG_1461PNG.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65xIc-WNMs9mFAzBrqMN6bTkA3g6SKBk294qsN9irZqxcpH6G5oGr5V7buxzZ4NScLddMMsGfCrYCWgHJrj8YGbteMjNpEtSs4a-1ymj1E6QY5tJpP-DgOBRexYPOsBCNJslO5TZmDz2m/s1600/IMG_1461PNG.jpg" /></a></div>
So we've been doing a lot of this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELGBiZjeMEGv7iZ7SiDRjem_iqUhptflqcIziUUFAeM4UxElmDtBrBE-R9rDMtZzMKSNQ51R4uy5vIn_auEzTzXjwz-2ty-bVgsXkb_d1aY75jis49-alGkxNjAdIe5_ohaXQ1IdDFAGz/s1600/IMG_1476.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELGBiZjeMEGv7iZ7SiDRjem_iqUhptflqcIziUUFAeM4UxElmDtBrBE-R9rDMtZzMKSNQ51R4uy5vIn_auEzTzXjwz-2ty-bVgsXkb_d1aY75jis49-alGkxNjAdIe5_ohaXQ1IdDFAGz/s1600/IMG_1476.jpg" /></a></div>
While Loree was here, she rented out a cabana for all of us at the hotel where she was staying, the Van Zandt. It was absolutely amazing and we all agreed that it felt like a vacation in our own city. We spent the whole day hanging out by the pool and ate and drank a bunch. The cabana rental carried a mandatory food and drink minimum, so we were all happy to "have to" order a few extra drinks!<br />
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I got the French toast for brunch and it was delicious. The hotel has a nice restaurant called Geraldine's that we went to on Easter earlier this year when Peter's family was visiting, and all of the food came straight from their kitchen.<br />
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Ali snapped this picture with a hilariously accurate caption. Peter was pretty much in his personal heaven watching golf in the cabana with a fan pointed at him while eating breakfast. Not pictured: his breakfast beer.<br />
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This was their house mojito. I kind of felt like I was eating a plant, but luckily I love mint!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZGAbecrHjaC30ZK9DrYUlBGLxOvEwIywKJc5aBgvi1LGSLjq8MgKzklo6rvIKmbpKuxpZUL0FUr2IAiRWjvTS98v7SNcvqbGMS8-oFxtDRFITjMHOAnuHGNrL6LBiOYqRoxXeLz6C-0f/s1600/IMG_1496.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZGAbecrHjaC30ZK9DrYUlBGLxOvEwIywKJc5aBgvi1LGSLjq8MgKzklo6rvIKmbpKuxpZUL0FUr2IAiRWjvTS98v7SNcvqbGMS8-oFxtDRFITjMHOAnuHGNrL6LBiOYqRoxXeLz6C-0f/s1600/IMG_1496.jpg" /></a></div>
Kathryn and me in the pool.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicrfJSf_dxGN-L9zyuwZUIyIqThheJB0vuyzqead6t4gJ59hdBa_aJwZifwL1J38r50DM1WXVe6Ytl4zyJA96lUNG2oN1cgRusNkDJKGoPGrn8T8ABtJfQuEuo7qZd8J__uRWCyCPnd8PE/s1600/IMG_1500.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicrfJSf_dxGN-L9zyuwZUIyIqThheJB0vuyzqead6t4gJ59hdBa_aJwZifwL1J38r50DM1WXVe6Ytl4zyJA96lUNG2oN1cgRusNkDJKGoPGrn8T8ABtJfQuEuo7qZd8J__uRWCyCPnd8PE/s1600/IMG_1500.jpg" /></a></div>
It was really packed by late-afternoon, but then rain clouds rolled in pretty quickly and they had to clear the pool deck. We moved inside to the bar and had one last drink before walking around Rainey Street for a bit and then turning in early.<br />
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Loree and Kathryn made the trip up to Waco to check out the Fixer Upper compound on one day:</div>
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We made the trip down to Lockhart again with Loree to eat at the original Black's BBQ one evening. On another afternoon, we discovered the happy hour at Hillside Farmacy. I'd been once before for brunch, but the happy hour deal was amazing- everything was half price including their generous portions of mac and cheese. I highly recommend! </div>
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When Ali and I went for brunch earlier this summer, we had to wait in line for quite awhile to be seated. I loved that the place was pretty much deserted during happy hour.<br />
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Loree made a reservation at Juliet, a cute little Italian restaurant not far from us. The food was really good and we definitely want to go back. Also, note the annoying lens flare (I don' know what to call it?) in the photo below. I got a new phone in the spring and it's been doing this thing where I can't take low-light photos without this happening. So, I took it to the Apple store last week and they put a whole new camera in my phone. That didn't fix the issue, unfortunately, so today I went back and they did a total reset on my phone. I went through the trouble of downloading all my apps, etc. only to find out tonight that the issue isn't solved. Ugh. Luckily it's still under warrenty, so I have to go back later this week to get a new phone. But I digress...<br />
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This isn't really a life update because nothing has happened yet, but we are in the very early stages of house hunting! By this I mean I've been checking the Realtor.com app obsessively and trying to convince myself that the really cool $5 million dollar house on Lake Austin could somehow be in the budget. I've already learned that it's infinitely more fun to look at houses that you can't afford!<br />
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What we HAVE been doing is driving around a lot, looking at houses for sale (actually in the budget) and checking out the neighborhoods. Right now we live in South Austin, but we aren't by any means tied to this area. There are tons of neighborhoods north that we don't really know anything about and a few more traditional suburbs too. It's kind of crazy what you can get in the suburbs and it's a tiny bit tempting, even thought we'd rather be closer to the city.<br />
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So, that's how we ended up in Pflugerville, a suburb northeast-ish of downtown. Fun fact: Friday Night Lights was filmed at Pflugerville High School, which I got a total fail of a picture of below:<br />
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Texas Forever!<br />
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Kathryn finished her internship and left yesterday for Israel, where she'll be for 10 days. We get to have her back here in Austin for a weekend when she returns before heading back to school. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5L_Awx0bhhTvypte2dwcFBiOCZRSFb6HaTQhXPz_KfEjZZW8hyphenhyphenrTSSYR-mNs0eQ7Ddtq4sQaVV-1GidvPPa9IS7Z1EL6HS6AB5OGcVhm3R8WKN0U1TM6E3pBTpvqraKRVvbnLl7CXSR7z/s1600/IMG_1555JPG.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1422" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5L_Awx0bhhTvypte2dwcFBiOCZRSFb6HaTQhXPz_KfEjZZW8hyphenhyphenrTSSYR-mNs0eQ7Ddtq4sQaVV-1GidvPPa9IS7Z1EL6HS6AB5OGcVhm3R8WKN0U1TM6E3pBTpvqraKRVvbnLl7CXSR7z/s1600/IMG_1555JPG.jpg" /></a><br />
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That's about it! I'm still in the process of redo-ing my blog, which is happening painfully slowly. Stay tuned ;)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10580080914880510359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893145608158555386.post-68791028726124302032017-07-17T15:53:00.001-05:002017-07-17T15:54:03.117-05:00Day Trips: San Antonio and LockhartThis weekend, we decided to head back down to San Antonio so Kathryn could see some of the sights while she's still here. It's been so fun having an additional roommate this summer and she's only here for a couple more weeks before she is off to Israel in August before finally heading back to Minnesota for the school year.<br />
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On Friday night, we stopped by Home Slice Pizza, our favorite South Congress restaurant, to grab some dinner. We got a large specifically so we could take some home and reheat it the next day for lunch. Well, that didn't happen. The three of us somehow managed to eat this entire pizza, which is equally impressive and embarrassing. I wish this picture fully conveyed the sheer size of this thing, but you'll just have to trust me that it was embarrassingly large.<br />
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On Saturday afternoon we went down to San Antonio and stopped at the Alamo. I took zero pictures, probably because it was literally 104 degrees and I couldn't think about anything other than getting to the air conditioning asap. We also stopped by Mission San Jose, but there was a Saturday evening mass going on, so we couldn't actually go in to see the beautiful altar. I've been once before and it's truly impressive.<br />
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As you can tell, there was a storm rolling through late Saturday afternoon. On the drive home, it rained a bit and then the temperature dipped to 75! I don't think it's been that cool during the day since March.<br />
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We had a light snack/dinner and margaritas at a Mexican restaurant along the River Walk and then headed back to Austin. San Antonio is so pretty, so old and highly underrated if you ask me.<br />
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On Sunday, we had simultaneously one of the best and worst ideas of our lives. I kept hearing about this BBQ place in Lockhart, about a half hour south of Austin, so I suggested we go for lunch. Peter did a little more research and apparently, Lockhart is the BBQ capital of Texas, and there is a total of four somewhat famous places we just had to try. All in one day.<br />
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Our first stop was Black's, which I think is the most famous of the Lockhart BBQ joints. We were there nice and early and barely had to wait in a line, which I think is pretty lucky. People take their BBQ seriously here and we've waited for hours- not kidding- at some places. Plus, I was really happy this line didn't extend outside, because HOT.<br />
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We decided to try to pace ourselves, so we only ordered one cut of each brisket and a rib, plus a side of mac and cheese. Peter always rolls his eyes when I insist on ordering sides. He says he can't waste stomach space on non-meat items. Okay then! I think the sides make or break the meal.<br />
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The inside...very Texas.<br />
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Our plate.<br />
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Our second stop was Smitty's Market, just down the road from Black's.<br />
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This place had a really cool setup with these huge smokers with open fires in the back of the building next to the counter. I can't imagine working in this back room- it was a million degrees.<br />
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The pitmaster saw us taking pictures and called over Kathryn and me so we could get a better view! YUM.<br />
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One of the funniest things about these BBQ places is that they don't give you actual plates. They just wrap up your food in a few paper placements that you use and hand you a knife and spoon.<br />
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"No forks" was an actual policy in this place. I guess it's a tradition?<br />
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Our third stop was Krewz Market, which a nice local behind us in line told us is owned by the same family as Smitty's. Apparently a long time ago, the sister owned the building where Smitty's is located, and her two brothers ran the restaurant. She raised the rent on them at some point, they got angry and then started a competing place down the road. What a feud!<br />
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Hilarious sign on the door.<br />
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This was the only place we had to wait in line and it took about a half hour to get into the room with the smokers. We planned to hit up the fourth spot, but we were all about ready to burst and ended up taking some of the below meal home with us. I suppose this is a good thing, as it gives us an excuse to head back to Lockhart!<br />
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We all went home, took a nap, and didn't eat dinner. Kathryn and I picked up Ali at the airport- she was at a wedding in Minnesota- and got ourselves ready for the week ahead. All in all, a great weekend!</div>
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Linking up with <a href="http://www.blovedboston.com/">Biana</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10580080914880510359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893145608158555386.post-51255157529953981602017-07-10T12:26:00.001-05:002017-07-10T12:27:18.273-05:00Weekend Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This weekend consisted, as usual, of a bunch of food and hot weather. Story of our summer down here! On Saturday night we were looking for somewhere to get dessert and among the ten million various ice cream places, we found this bite-sized cheesecake food truck. Because that sounded like a lot more fun than ice cream, we headed over to check it out. THEY WERE SO GOOD. The truck is officially called "The Celia Jacobs Cheesecake Experience" and I think we got to talk to Celia herself. We ended up taking one of each flavor they had left, and they were all delicious. </div>
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It was a super cute truck in a kid-friendly food truck park/playground near us.<br />
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On Sunday Kathryn and I met a friend of mine from work for a gospel brunch at Threadgill's. If you have absolutely no idea what this means, you're not alone. I didn't either until a few months ago. Apparently, gospel brunches are a thing here and they're even gaining momentum as a sort of hipster experience. Who knew we were so cool? Basically, you eat brunch and listen to a gospel band.<br />
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Here's my plate of food picked up at the all-you-can-eat $12 breakfast buffet.<br />
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And the band. We were seated right in front, but I couldn't get a very good picture due to the light coming in through the windows. This actually reminds me of an issue I'm having with my iPhone. At night or if there's bright light, like in the picture below, it won't focus and the light always spreads out across the entire frame. Any iPhone experts out there?<br />
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Anyway, It was super fun and the band was good! They played mostly bluegrass type gospel music and we all really enjoyed it.<br />
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That about sums up the weekend. I'm still in search of a new blog name....help a girl out!<br />
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Linking up with <a href="http://www.blovedboston.com/">Biana</a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10580080914880510359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893145608158555386.post-50699927344093147272017-07-06T20:45:00.004-05:002017-07-06T20:47:36.425-05:004th Of July WeekendI'm so slow on this blog revamp it's embarrassing. I'm trying to do 3 things while having approximately zero computer knowledge.<br />
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1) I want to transfer my blog to Wordpress, as it seems like the most intuitive platform for what I want to do. Blogger has been fine, but I'm ready for an upgrade.<br />
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2) I've spent countless hours trying to think of a catchy name for my blog now that we're not 'Down Under'. I come up pretty much blank every time. If you have any creative ideas, please let me know!<br />
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3) I've picked out a new layout on Etsy so I need to make that switch once steps 1 and 2 are done.<br />
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My London and Paris posts are forthcoming, but those take a bit more time to put together, so I thought I'd catch you up on what we've been doing since we've been home.<br />
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We checked out a new winery near our apartment one night, with the hit of the night being the owner's dog. I forgot the name of the breed, but it was basically a short-haired German Shephard that is usually used for police work in Europe. He was SO smart, and it kind of made me want to get what Peter would refer to as a 'real dog' someday. Usually I go for the little white fluffy dogs, which Peter thinks are ridiculous and useless, but there's something to be said for a dog that knows what's going on.<br />
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I saw the below concoction on Instagram, so we had to go get one, especially because it was about a million degrees all weekend. I have absolutely no idea what was in it, but it was delicious. I had to have a bit of help finishing it, though, so I'm glad there were a few of us to pitch in!<br />
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We also hit up Jester King Brewery, which is a bit out in the middle of nowhere, but it was fun to get out of the city for a bit. </div>
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On the actual 4th we started off the morning with a trip to Georgetown, a cute little suburb north of Austin. There was a festival going on in a park along the river, so we hung out there for a bit. </div>
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Kathryn picked up this mini flag and didn't put it down for the rest of the day.</div>
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This particular gathering featured some AMAZING patriotic attire. I used to wonder if anyone still purchased those flag tees from Old Navy and the answer is YES. I've never seen so many in my life. This guy pretty much won the whole day with his flag and eagle shirt.</div>
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And another one. Where do I get one of these?! And the socks!!</div>
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We headed back home for the afternoon and stopped at Kelly's Baking Co. on the way for some 4th of July themed cookie dough cones. </div>
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After resting up and eating dinner we headed out to see the fireworks. We couldn't tell which direction they were launching, so we chose a random spot that ended up being perfect.</div>
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And to close, two of my favorite Independence Day themed memes seen on Instagram this weekend:<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10580080914880510359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893145608158555386.post-82923795172567621262017-06-12T11:47:00.001-05:002017-06-12T11:47:49.553-05:00Weekends Lately<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
We've spent the last two weekends bopping around Austin, showing Kathryn some of our favorite places and discovering some new spots as well. Last weekend we headed over to South Congress to show her the cute shops and restaurants. We stumbled upon this adorable chalk wall on the side of someone's garage. It says 'before I die...' and you can fill in whatever you want. Some of the answers were serious, like 'donate a kidney', and then there were the ones that weren't so serious like 'smoke weed with Snoop Dog'. </div>
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Peter wasted no time coming up with an event he'd like to witness in his lifetime...a Vikings Super Bowl win! You can see Kathryn next to him, trying to think up something to write. At one point she said "I have no goals!" which I thought was hilarious. Not true, of course, but it is pretty difficult to think of one thing that stands out when put on the spot.<br />
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We were happily surprised to spot a Melbourne reference on the wall. Richmond is the footy team Peter 'went for' (not 'rooted for'...never 'rooted' in Australia because it means something entirely different...). They were sort of a perfect fit as the somewhat tortured franchise...much like our Minnesota teams!<br />
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We walked around a bit, and when it got unbearably hot, about 30 minutes into our stroll, we stopped for a drink. It was super sunny and nice when we got there, but by the time we were ready to leave it was POURING. We hung around for awhile longer, had another drink, and then braved the rain and ran to the car. When we passed the chalk wall on the way back someone had already left a note for Peter:<br />
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It says 'not gonna happen' hahaha. I have to admit, I'd be surprised if it did! You can't tell in the picture, but it was written in green chalk, so Peter suspects a Packer fan was behind it. </div>
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Peter was out of town this weekend, so it was just Ali, Kathryn and me. On Friday we decided to check out The Oasis, which is a big bar/restaurant and brewery (more like a compound) out on Lake Travis. Unfortunately, there was a two-hour wait for food and drinks so we just headed onto the balcony to take a few pictures while the sun was setting. There were some AMAZING houses to the right of the resturant. We definitely want to go back, but when it's a bit less crowded.</div>
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Since we still wanted to be by the lake, we headed over the Lucy's and had some dessert and drinks. We had a server who was quite entertaining. He told a few stories of his encounters with Farrah from Teen Mom at the restaurant (she lives close by) and hilariously left his Snapchat name on the bill. Is that a thing people do now? #youths.</div>
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On Saturday we headed to a food truck park for dinner, which was PACKED, and I took a risk and ordered fish tacos. I feel like ordering fish from a food truck is a universally bad idea, but they just sounded so good! Thankfully, they were delicious and I survived. Win-win.<br />
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On Sunday we went to church in the morning, followed by afternoon naps for Kathryn and me while Ali sat by the pool. I'm such a sun-phobe since living in Australia that I haven't spent much time down there yet this year. That, and there's usually at least 15 frat bros acting like they're filming a sequel to Animal House at any given time, so I avoid the pool area like the plague.<br />
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In the evening, we headed up to the Domain, shopped a bit, and then ate at Culinary Dropout, a semi-new restaurant with lots of yard games and activities. It was really good, especially these pretzel bites with cheese fondue. We all agreed we'd go back for those alone! I picked Peter up from the airport after dinner and he was pretty jealous of our weekend food adventures.<br />
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We're off to London and Paris on Wednesday, so it's a short work week for us and we're spending the next couple of days getting ready for our trip. I haven't been to London is years, and have never been to Paris, so if anyone has any must-do activities, please let me know!<br />
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{ Linking up with <a href="http://www.blovedboston.com/">Biana</a> }<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10580080914880510359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893145608158555386.post-85445988789605040682017-05-30T08:39:00.000-05:002017-05-30T08:40:15.265-05:00Memorial Day WeekendThis weekend was a fun one, but HOT. Peter was in Northern Minnesota visiting his grandparents, and Ali had some friends in town. After work on Friday, I met Ali and her friends and we headed out to the bars on Rainey Street. There's a new circus-themed bar that just opened up a few months ago that we stopped at first, and then we headed to our favorite- the Container Bar, made out of old shipping containers. It was super fun but I don't know if I've ever been so hot in my life. The outdoor bar thing is great until it's ten million degrees and all you want to do is take a shower.<br />
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On Saturday, we headed to Terry Black's for dinner so Ali's out-of-town guests could try some Texas BBQ. They loved it so much they went back on Sunday! Peter is a die-hard barbecue fan/critic so he will wait in line for hours to get the best. I'm not that dedicated, and it all tastes relatively the same to me, so I love Terry Black's because the line is never THAT long. Speaking of barbecue, we went to La Barbeque last weekend, which is a much-hyped food truck.<br />
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We only waited for about an hour, but by the time we got our food the line was probably 200 people long, and I can't imagine how long the people at the end waited. There was one lady in line eating a tide-over burrito if that tells you anything!<br />
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We all concluded that it was good, as is any barbecue in Texas, but we definitely wouldn't wait for hours. </div>
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On Sunday, I picked up our youngest sister Kathryn at the airport. If you remember from my last post, she's spending the summer with us. She has an internship at a media company and we're super excited to have another roommate for a couple months! We immediately went to the mattress store to get her a bed (she's bunking in Ali's room) and then picked up some groceries. For dinner, I took her to P. Terry's, which is probably my favorite fast-food burger chain ever. There's one just down the road from us that we frequent a bit too often. </div>
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Monday was Memorial Day, but I had to work a half day. I met some coworkers at Mozart's Coffee, a cute coffee shop on Lake Austin, to knock out a few hours of work. We had been there once before to see the big <a href="https://lauraandpeterdownunder.blogspot.com/search?q=mozart%27s">Christmas light show</a> they put on every year, but I had kind of forgotten about it since then. We sat outside and for once it wasn't too hot, so that was fun! I met Ali and Kathryn at the mall when I was done working and then later I picked up Peter from the airport. </div>
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Everyone is back to work today. I snapped this picture of Kathryn before she and Ali headed out the door for work and her first day of her internship: </div>
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That about wraps up our weekend...I hope everyone else had a great Memorial Day! </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10580080914880510359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893145608158555386.post-11030463585245980682017-05-15T15:34:00.000-05:002017-05-15T15:34:55.103-05:00Mother's Day Weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Happy Mother's Day to all of the mothers out there! We had a great weekend celebrating with my mom, who was in San Antonio for a short vacation. We met up a few times for dinner during the week, and then spent Saturday on the River Walk for a few hours before their flight back home. It's starting to get really hot here, and I hear we're just getting started. I'm starting to think that if I survive my first Texas summer, it will be a miracle. Side note: I went to Old Navy today to try to get some shorts and MAN, that was a rude awakening. Time to hit the gym! Why are flattering shorts so hard to find?</div>
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Here we are at the River Walk, sweating almost to death:</div>
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Watching the boats go by. We took one of these river cruises last time my mom was in town, and it was really fun. I think it was November, though, so it was much cooler and therefore probably more enjoyable. Also, that water is quite the unique shade of...brownish green. Yuck.<br />
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We stayed in San Antonio until mid-afternoon, and then headed home for the rest of the evening. I haven't mentioned this yet on the blog, but we're getting ready to gain a new roommate for the summer! My youngest sister, Kathryn, has an summer internship in Austin so she will be moving into Ali's room in a couple of weeks. It will be a full house, and I'm sure Peter's dream come true ;), but I can hardly wait! After spending two years in Australia and missing quite a few family events, it will be fun to catch up a bit on some lost time with all of us girls in the same city.<br />
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On Sunday, Peter set out early to get a round of golf in with a coworker before it got unberably hot, which happened to be at about 10 am. Ali and I went for brunch at Hillside Farmacy, an adorable little place in East Austin.<br />
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After regrouping at home midday, we decided to trek up to Cedar Park, a suburb about 20 minutes north of Austin, to check out the first Whole Foods 365 store in the country. As you probably know, Whole Foods has a reputation for being ridiculouly expensive. While I can always justify splurging on quality meat and fish, I don't necessarily want to spend $10 on generic brown rice, nor do I care if it's organic, etc. so I usually skip Whole Foods altogether. I know they have been working on a lower-priced store for some time to lure in millenials, and the first one is now open! It mainly features their own 365 brand, and is definitely cheaper than the flagship store. It's a good start, and especially if you're into organic food, but we still feel like H-E-B wins out overall.<br />
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We got a few things, including steaks we (Peter) grilled last night for dinner that were really good. I also discovered this juice, and I can't tell yet if I like it enough to buy it again. Turmeric is everywhere right now and is suppsed to be really good for you. I read awhile back that you should mix a teaspoon with pepper in lemon juice and drink it once a day. I tried it, and then made Peter try it, and we both almost threw up. So, I gave up on it altogether until I saw this juice, which I can confirm isn't horrible.<br />
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That about sums up our weekend. This week is pretty quiet with mainly work and planning our trip to London in June on the agenda. Peter is going home to visit his grandparents in northern Minnesota for Memorial Day, and Kathryn will be coming down that weekend, so we are anticipating a busy start to the summer!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10580080914880510359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893145608158555386.post-82640854350214270042017-05-08T16:07:00.001-05:002017-05-08T16:07:39.843-05:00Day Trip: Fredericksburg <h2>
Blog Revival</h2>
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I haven't posted in forever. Don't fret, though...I'm in the process of renaming/redesigning the blog, so it's not going away anytime soon! For awhile, I didn't post much because I thought my life wasn't interesting enough post-Australia. Which may be true. I work full time now, and my day-to-day life isn't nearly as novel as it used to be. But then I realized that I like having a place to look back on all our pictures and adventures, however mundane they may be. Plus, the blogs I like to read aren't necessarily about earth-shatteringly interesting topics all the time, it's just fun to see what people are doing. I suppose blogging in itself is a little bit self-indulgent, but whatever. If people find it boring or don't care, then they don't have to read it!<br />
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So, I've got a few new names for the blog I've been tossing around (since we haven't been 'Down Under' in over six months) but any ideas are welcome! Please send them my way :) </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Day Trip To Fredericksburg</span></h2>
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On to our latest day trip: Fredericksburg! If you have no idea what/where that is, you're not alone. I hadn't heard of Fredericksburg until a few girls from work mentioned that they attended recent bachelorette parties there. Basically, it's an adorable little old German town about an hour and a half straight west of Austin with TONS of vineyards and wineries. You could definitely make a weekend out of it, but it's also a pretty easy day trip from both Austin and San Antonio. We headed over on a Sunday morning, and since most of the wineries don't open until noon on Sunday, we didn't have to leave particularly early, which was an added bonus. </div>
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Wildseed Farms</h2>
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Our first stop was this adorable flower farm a few miles east of the main drag of Fredericksburg. Ali was googling around and found it somehow, but it's quite the attraction. In the late summer and fall, Wildseed Farms has amazing sunflower fields. According to Instagram, at least. We stopped into the cute garden store to look around and check out the spring flowers. It was the cutest little place, with tons of old people milling around. It was basically a grandparent mecca, and since we're old at heart, we fit right in.<br />
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We mainly saw poppy fields this early in the season. They were so pretty!<br />
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We aren't gardeners by any means. Actually, we've never gardened anything. I'm currently on my longest streak of keeping a plant alive, and I think it's been six months. The point is, you don't have to be a flower fanatic to appreciate Wildseed Farms!<br />
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We drove straight into town and were pretty hungry, so we had lunch at a really good burger place and looked around a little bit. We must have been really focused on food because I took zero pictures. After checking out some shops, we headed to our first winery, Barons Creek. The weather on this particular day was perfect. It was chilly in the morning, and then warmed up nicely in the sun, but it wasn't hot and there was no humidity, which we cherished, knowing that we'll be dripping sweat in a matter of weeks here in Texas.<br />
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Barons Creek Vineyards</h2>
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There were some cute villas in the back of this vineyard that you could rent out, and a really pretty patio area popular for weddings and events. The whole place was only a year or so old, but I foresee it being a popular weekend getaway!<br />
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We did a tasting inside, purchased a bottle of their white wine, and the headed out to the courtyard to enjoy the weather. It felt very Tuscan for Texas!</div>
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Grape Creek Vineyards</h2>
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We headed over to Grape Creek Vineyards as we made our way back toward Austin, and it was hoppin' (that would have been a good brewery pun). There was even a private deck for wine club members, and we are all seriously thinking about joining. These people were LIVING. </div>
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We grabbed a glass and sat near one of the fountains enjoying the weather, admiring the array of dogs people brought, and listening to the live music.<br />
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We then headed over to look at the vineyard for a few minutes.<br />
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It was a great day, and we are already planning a trip back to hit up a few more wineries, see the wildflowers in bloom, and check out an alpaca farm in the area. More to come :)<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10580080914880510359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893145608158555386.post-1242900923020588042017-03-27T16:38:00.002-05:002017-03-27T16:38:46.682-05:00Day Trip: Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last weekend, in keeping with our life goal to visit every drive-through animal park in America, we decided to head down to New Braunfels, which is near San Antonio and less than an hour from Austin, to visit the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch. I sort of kid about this being our life goal, but sort of not. There was a place near us when we lived in Missouri called the Wild Animal Safari, and I'm 100% sure it was not legal. But it was also the greatest place on Earth. You could drive through and the animals were always hungry enough to run up to your car and stick their heads in. You could also purchase raw chicken at the front desk to stick on the end of a pole and feed to tigers, who would often fight over it. Like I said, probably not legal.</div>
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Anyway, thus began our fascination with wild animal parks, and here we are. The Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch is much classier, larger, and probably more regulated than the Wild Animal Safari, which made for a fun day, but sadly not as many animal heads in the car. This was fine with Peter, who was mainly concerned with keeping any form of antlers away from the car, but Ali and I were trying to lure the animals as close as possible, naturally.</div>
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These deer totally DGAF that we were driving a few feet away holding some form of pellet food out to them. </div>
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Looking slightly more interested...<br />
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Finally, some cow/deer hybrid thing made its way up to our car and Ali way overjoyed. </div>
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Not entirely sure what these were, but they weren't too interested in us. Kind of the theme of the day. Part of our problem, I think, was that we visited the park on a Sunday during what we later figured out was spring break for most Texas schools. There was a legitimate traffic jam at one point, complete with a fender bender, so maybe the animals were a bit overfed on this particular day.<br />
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So pretty...whatever it is! Peter was especially concerned with this guy getting close to the car.<br />
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Ali was especially concerned with him walking away.<br />
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The classic giraffe exhibit.<br />
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Some more unidentified species hanging out. This places was HUGE and had some really pretty areas to drive through. <br />
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All in all, the day trip was totally worth it. The landscape was so pretty, and so were the animals, even though they weren't that concerned with us! There's some sort of cave attraction just next door to the wildlife ranch, so you know we'll be back to check it out.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10580080914880510359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893145608158555386.post-81324805320262293892017-03-13T10:36:00.001-05:002017-03-13T10:50:57.975-05:00Weekending: Franklin BBQ and SXSWHello, friends! I'm bringing you a few pictures from the last couple of weekends, including an epic trip to Franklin BBQ, and our first adventure at South by Southwest, which is currently in full swing in Austin.<br />
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The weather has been gross. We've gotten a lot of rain lately and it's been hideously humid at times. We've actually had plans to go to one of those drive-through animal parks for at least four Sundays in a row now, and it's been raining every single week, so we've been putting it off. A couple weeks ago, we decided to make use of the gloomy Sunday and finally try out the legendary Franklin Barbeque. This place is world-famous, at least that's what they say, and regularly has a two-plus hour wait, hence why we haven't tried it up until a couple weeks ago. We hoped the rain would keep the line short, but of course, that was wishful thinking. </div>
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This was the line when we got there. Apparently, those at the front had been camped out since 6 am. Nope. No thank you. I'm not sure there's anything in the world I would camp out at 6 am for, to be honest. Other than maybe Taylor Swift. Maybe. </div>
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Our plate. It was pretty amazing, I must say.<br />
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Franklin is in a little run-down building in an up-and-coming part of town. Read: janky. We arrived around 10:30 am, and I'm pretty sure we sat down to eat around 12:45 pm. So, yes, it was a long wait. But we all had books downloaded on our phones, and they had foldable chairs to sit in so it wasn't so bad. Was it worth it? I'd say if you LOVE barbecue (Peter) and want to try out one of the most famous joints, then yes! If you're like me, and like barbecue but aren't that big on all the hype, then it's something that's fun to do once, but I'm not sure I need to go back. One of Ali's coworkers swears that it's overrated, and the 'real' BBQ is in east Texas. We might be making a pilgrimage out that way one of these days. Peter is pretty obsessed with barbecue and doesn't believe that anything better than Franklin's exists. I'll keep you posted.</div>
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Next up: a pilgrimage to Round Rock Donuts. I'm noticing that we make a lot of food pilgrimages. The big draw with this place is that it was featured on Man Vs. Food and sells a 'Texas-sized donut' which of course we ordered. It was amazing, and I'm sad to say that we finished it within two days. Did we each probably gain 10 pounds? Yes. Do we regret it? No.</div>
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Here's another picture for scale.<br />
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Food pilgrimage #2 of last weekend was a trip to the new Sprinkles cupcake ATM at the Domain. The fact that this exists proves that there is a God. </div>
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Speaking of food, because when am I not, <a href="https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/4498312?sod=w&som=c">Stitch Fix</a> feeds us like queens. We get a catered lunch every Wednesday, and then catered snacks that are pretty much a full meal at least twice a week. I don't know that I've packed more than a handful of lunches from home since I've started working there because there is always so. much. food. The other day our lunch was salmon, roasted cauliflower, asparagus, and potato wedges. It was AMAZING. </div>
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And that bring us to this weekend, which we kicked off at our local brewery, St. Elmo Brewing Co. This place has the CUTEST outdoor space, and some really good beer that I don't absolutely hate, which is saying something. It was pretty packed, but we found a table outside and played Uno for awhile. Ali LOVES games. She's one of the most intense gamers I know. Not like video games, but actual games. </div>
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On Sunday, we decided to venture out to South by Southwest to see what all the fuss was about. All week, more and more people were descending on the downtown area. On my walk to work on Friday, I felt like I was in some alternate universe filled with hipsters wearing lanyards dressed totally inappropriately for the weather. The last couple of days have actually been pretty chilly, but that hasn't stopped some of the hardcore festival goers from acting like it's summer. I was so fed up with these types roaming the streets and making my commute to work more miserable than usual, that on Friday evening, a lanyard-wearing hipster ran straight into me while staring down at his phone, followed almost immediately by a large cockroach running straight into my shoe. I decided I'd rather be bumped into by the roach. I kid, sort of.</div>
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Sunday was cold, so it did keep some of the crowds at bay. I think this is the 'interactive' portion of the festival (whatever that means), and later this week and weekend is primarily the music portion. We didn't purchase a pass, partly because they're upwards of $1,500 and partly because we're not cool enough. </div>
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We did wander around and collect free food and drinks, though! Here we are at the maple syrup party at PF Changs, where they gave out maple-flavored cotton candy, free drinks, and free maple-glazed donuts and chicken wings. It was a definite win, especially because lots of these events are badge-only, meaning we couldn't get in and could only gaze at all the free stuff from afar (I'm looking at you, Twitter and Pinterest parties). </div>
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We avoided downtown and focused mainly on Rainey Street, which had some really cool setups, like this 'awesome' word art.<br />
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There is an app called Gro, devoted to gardening, that sponsored one of the food truck parks. If you downloaded their app, they'd give you a token worth $5 to spend at one of the trucks. Ali and I combined our tokens and split this ridiculously amazing macaroni and cheese sandwich at the Burro grilled cheese truck.<br />
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We also got avocado bowls from a cool ATM-like machine at the Avocado Mexico stand (food ATMs must be a thing right now), but I was too busy eating to take any actual pictures. We will definitely pick another day or two to roam around. It's kind of like a State Fair for tech and music companies, and there's definitely fun to be had even without a badge. Also, you can RSVP to events as they become available and then stand in line and try to get in. To be honest, it's all a little bit confusing and under the radar. There's not a published list, at least that I've seen, that lays out where and when things are happening. I think that's intentional, but also a bit bewildering for those of us who really have no idea what this whole thing is about. </div>
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Oh, and no celebrity sightings yet. On Friday, Ali and I met outside of our buildings to walk around for a few minutes, and there was a lot going on at the Paramount Theatre right next door to us. After returning back to work, a few of my coworkers came running in all excited that they had just seen Ryan Gosling arriving at the theatre. Ali and I missed him by a matter of minutes, apparently. We'll keep creeping, and you'll definitely see a picture if we catch a glimpse of anyone famous. </div>
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I'm working from home all week, because of the traffic and general madness downtown, so I'll probably have some time to post again this week! </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10580080914880510359noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893145608158555386.post-33662251352843143542017-02-13T13:30:00.004-06:002017-02-13T13:31:16.931-06:00Weekending: Watching/Reading/EatingWe have pretty much officially made it through winter without ever turning on the heat. We came close a few days in early December when we were a bit shocked (bummed?) to learn it actually does get cold in Texas. Occasionally. After a few days of 30-40 degrees, it never quite 'wintered' again, and we've now been experiencing 70s and 80s earlier than usual. In fact, we've used the air conditioning more than once this month already. Hey, I'm not complaining! Generally, we've had amazing weather this winter, with most days in the 60s, which is really hard to complain about.<br />
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I haven't really taken many pictures lately, partially because I spend most of my waking hours at work these days, and partially because my phone is forever running out of space and I haven't taken the time to clear out old apps and photos. So, I thought I'd keep it short and recap our weekend/the week in terms of what we're watching/reading/eating.<br />
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Watching</h2>
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I'm obsessed with the Bachelor this season, as always. I actually don't really like Nick very much. He redeemed himself a bit on Bachelor in Paradise last season, but being the best on BIP is sort of like being the best inmate in jail. The bar is super low. So, he's blah, but I do love the drama. Last week when Jasmine went on that rant about choking him? Weird, to say the least. And then the Corinne drama. I actually am Team Corinne. Sure, she's ridiculous but the other girls are mean to her and I somehow find her likeable, especially when she naps through rose ceremonies. Oh, and Nick clearly likes her so that's worth something. If you didn't know, Corinne was in a <a href="http://elitedaily.com/entertainment/corinne-the-bachelor-2-chainz-vieo/1764353/">2Chainz video</a> circa 2011 and it's absolutely worth watching on repeat.<br />
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This is actually the only picture I've taken in the past few days. I'm reading <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Life-Changing-Magic-Tidying-Decluttering-Organizing/dp/1607747308">this book</a>, which I like so far. Between all of our moves in the last few years, we did a lot of getting rid of stuff, but it's kind of shocking how quickly it accumulates when you have the space. I need to start purging stuff again!<br />
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We discovered an AMAZING brunch place on Saturday morning that I can't believe we didn't find earlier. Kerbey Lane Cafe is an Austin chain that's open 24/7 and has all-day breakfast and $2 mimosas. It's sort of like Perkins, but classier. It's pretty much heaven. Again, I somehow didn't take a picture but trust me when I say it's the greatest place and anyone who visits us is probably going to go.<br />
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That's all for now!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10580080914880510359noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893145608158555386.post-30313132429820086362017-01-30T13:01:00.001-06:002017-01-30T13:01:32.706-06:00What We've Been Up ToTurns out having a full-time job greatly reduces the amount of free time you have to both blog about life and to do blog-worthy activities. But I'm back! Here's what we've been up to lately:<br />
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Last weekend, some of Ali's college friends came down to visit for a long weekend. We had so much fun and got to show them our favorite Austin spots and explore some new ones as well. They arrived late on Thursday evening, and we immediately took them to Torchy's Tacos and devoured a bunch of queso. I've started just ordering one taco so I'm not too full to finish the queso, because it's pretty much the greatest. Seriously, there's guac mixed into the middle of it. On Friday, the girls drove up to Waco to experience all things Fixer Upper while Peter and I worked. We had BBQ and then went out on Rainey Street on Friday night and discovered a cool bar made out of shipping containers, where we stayed pretty much the whole night. Peter drove us around the whole weekend, which basically makes him a saint. At one point he endured a car full of (post-multiple-bars) girls yelling Taco Bells orders at him, so that's what he had to deal with ;).<br />
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On Saturday, we explored South Congress and stopped for a drink at Perla's, an oyster bar with a really cute nautical theme. It was nice and sunny when we got there, and then randomly started pouring on us an hour or so later. Typical Autin. None of us minded, though, because sitting outside in January is a luxury for us Minnesotans, with or without some rain.<br />
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On Saturday night we ventured to The Broken Spoke, which is a famous tourist destination for traditional country dancing. Unfortunately, there was a special event going on that evening and the cover was $12, which seemed a bit steep to us. While we were standing in the entryway trying to scope out our next move, we started talking to a couple who was originally from a small town outside the area who told us about another dance hall down the road called Dance Across Texas. We decided to give it a try, and it ended up being the highlight of the weekend. There were tons of people who actually knew how to two-step and a few really amazing dancers who were so fun to watch. I asked some of my coworkers how/why everyone knew how to dance so well, and apparently line dancing is taught in Texas schools. Of course it is.<br />
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We fumbled our way through most of the dances, but it was so fun and Ali and I have declared it our new weekend hang out. If you want to have an authentic Texas experience in Austin, and potentially learn how to dance from a legit cowboy (Ali did!) I would definitely head here.<br />
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We had to take all of the traditional Austin pictures, of course:<br />
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We had tons of fun having visitors, and I just want to throw out the fact that it's currently 77 degrees, so if anyone else needs to escape the winter up north...we have a large couch and an air mattress!<br />
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Other than that, I've been adjusting to work life and finally finished training last Friday. I have Sundays and Mondays off, so tomorrow is my first day 'in the wild'. Ali started a new job last week, and happens to work across the street from me! So we had lunch together a few days last week, which was fun. She is working at Nordstrom for a few more Saturdays, so she hasn't had too much time off lately, to say the least. Peter is in Rochester, New York this week for work, so I'm predicting at least a few large bug sightings and probably some appliance breakdowns ;). Just kidding. But really, these things always seem to happen when he's out of town.<br />
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I am off to run some errands and make lunch, but now that I'm settled into a routine at work, I plan to blog a bit more frequently, so stay tuned for more riveting tales from my life.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10580080914880510359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893145608158555386.post-89487483052223021232017-01-16T22:15:00.001-06:002017-01-16T22:15:46.862-06:00Long Weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We have been enjoying a long weekend over here since both Peter and I had today off of work for MLK day. Speaking of work, I started my new job last week and I'm really liking it so far! It's kind of weird to be back working full time after taking a couple years off, but thankfully the adjustment hasn't been too difficult thus far. </div>
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For those who don't know, I'm working at Stitch Fix in the downtown Austin office. I'm one week into three weeks of initial training and am especially loving the laid back atmosphere of the office. There are snacks and drinks everywhere, multiple kitchens, and lots of couches and alternative work spaces for when the desk life becomes a bit too monotonous. I think I'm really going to enjoy it and I'm eager to dive in post-training and get into a routine. Finally! </div>
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Oh, and this is the view of the Capitol from the terrace at my office building. Not too shabby...</div>
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We have continued to get out and explore everything Austin has to offer- especially the food/drink scene. There's a new office park/condo development/retail space going in down the street from us, and so far the only thing that's opened is the St. Elmo Brewing Company. We headed over last weekend to check it out and really liked it! There were games at every table and a cute little outdoor area under strings of lights, with a fire and a few chairs with blankets in the back. It was a bit too chilly to sit outside the night we were there, but we all agreed we wanted to head back when it warmed up a bit and hang out by the fire. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWg-5XymQbgAYEb1gMsbxUIayhAOD_lmaFIMCdYCoCOgEKx9jZ3eV9V3tjBbn5Nx4xNvz-4aefdzPH4oLGoe35ZHdShSn47mRUhSXM_FSZqUB0ld0nlSainLz1TSw69d4sTY3LcofM8jsk/s1600/IMG_2395.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWg-5XymQbgAYEb1gMsbxUIayhAOD_lmaFIMCdYCoCOgEKx9jZ3eV9V3tjBbn5Nx4xNvz-4aefdzPH4oLGoe35ZHdShSn47mRUhSXM_FSZqUB0ld0nlSainLz1TSw69d4sTY3LcofM8jsk/s1600/IMG_2395.jpg" /></a></div>
Prior to checking out the new brewery, we ate pizza at another new restaurant in our neighborhood, Aviator Pizza, that just opened a few weeks ago. We've driven by this particular retail space a million times, since it's on our way to the grocery store and Target, and have kept tabs on what's taking up residence. There's a place called Super Donut that we've been essentially stalking but sadly there has been little to no progress since October, so we're kind of assuming the project ran out of money. Probably for the best anyway. A donut shop within walking distance sounds like trouble. Especially because I would drive there approximately 100% of the time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy90aidk1lEZPE95jOTzJlvPvtAXBj3UDci7m1BY0yancH3HdgaVTdrig0F_VNDCvm3zjtYiCqOpDpDbVoxd6QwMAwoZfpWzElBS6z-kDxvDDHwUDZGATmyplGvflWoufZ9n1GsGsMdP63/s1600/IMG_2396.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy90aidk1lEZPE95jOTzJlvPvtAXBj3UDci7m1BY0yancH3HdgaVTdrig0F_VNDCvm3zjtYiCqOpDpDbVoxd6QwMAwoZfpWzElBS6z-kDxvDDHwUDZGATmyplGvflWoufZ9n1GsGsMdP63/s1600/IMG_2396.jpg" /></a>The South Congress Cafe has also been on our radar since we moved here, so we finally had brunch there last weekend. We all really liked it, and the mid-morning mimosas didn't hurt either! </div>
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We've done a pretty good job so far this year hitting some of our 'Austin bucket list' destinations and continued the trend on Friday night at TopGolf, a national chain that is best described as bowling, but golf. Plus food and drinks. If you live near one of these, I highly recommend it! It's something different than the usual bar or restaurant and isn't too expensive if you've got a group of five or six.<br />
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Peter was, of course, the best of our group, and the rest of us had fun but decided not to quit our day jobs ;). Our friend Esther came close to decapitating the guy in the bay next to ours. Whoops.<br />
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Speaking of cool business concepts...last night we decided to celebrate the long weekend by roasting marshmallows on our own personal flame at a cute little coffee shop downtown called Halcyon. A few different people have told us about their infamous S'mores dessert, so we (along with a billion other people) decided to give it a try. We waited for what seemed like forever for our tray to arrive, so finally Peter went up to the counter to figure out what was going on. Turns out, they forgot about us so they apologized and took the whole S'mores order off of our tab. Score!<br />
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Does anyone else like their marshmallows burned to a crisp, or is it just me?! </div>
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And that about sums up last weekend and this weekend's activities. Wednesday is my birthday and Ali has several friends coming to visit starting on Thursday so I'm expecting an eventful week!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10580080914880510359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893145608158555386.post-13102649087356306032017-01-05T16:15:00.002-06:002017-01-05T16:16:11.869-06:002016 RecapI thought it would be fun to take a look back on some of my favorite 2016 moments and memories, so here goes!<br />
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January</h2>
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The beginning of 2016 was pretty much a steady stream of visitors, which we loved. In January, Ali and her best friend Jess came to Melbourne for a few days on their tour of Australia, and we had so much fun exploring the city. The highlight of their visit was our trip to <a href="http://lauraandpeterdownunder.blogspot.com/2016/02/ballarat-wildlife-park.html">Ballarat Wildlife Park</a>, where Ali realized her lifelong goal of holding a wombat. We also toured the epic <a href="http://lauraandpeterdownunder.blogspot.com/2016/02/great-ocean-road-again.html">Great Ocean Road</a> and attended the Australian Open. Peter spent the entire month of January working in Kansas City, so it was a bit of an experience living alone for a month!</div>
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<i>Ali holding Patrick, the biggest wombat in Australia</i></div>
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<i>We had a picnic lunch at the Brighton Beach Boxes and ended up getting super sunburned despite the unseasonably cool summer weather! </i></div>
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<i>Jess, Ali, and me in front of the 12 Apostles on the Great Ocean Road</i></div>
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February</h2>
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In February, Peter's parents came to Australia for three weeks. We did the usual day trips to the Great Ocean Road (we took a helicopter tour, our first ever, and it was so cool!) and Phillip Island, and also spent a weekend in Sydney. We had lots of fun with them showing off 'our' city.</div>
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<i>All of us at St. Kilda Beach</i></div>
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<i>Sydney Harbour Bridge</i></div>
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<i> Icebergs at Bondi Beach </i></div>
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<i>Helicopter tour above the Twelve Apostles on the Great Ocean Road</i></div>
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<i>Feeding kangaroos at Phillip Island Wildlife Park</i></div>
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March</h2>
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Our third round of visitors for the year (my dad, stepmom, sister, and her college roommate) came for a few weeks in March. We fed kangaroos and visited the Nobbies on <a href="http://lauraandpeterdownunder.blogspot.com/2016/04/family-visit-highlights-part-2.html">Phillip Island</a>, toured the <a href="http://lauraandpeterdownunder.blogspot.com/2016/04/family-visit-highlights-part-3.html">Great Ocean Road</a>, took in a footy game, and devoted lots of time to exploring the restaurant and bar scene in Melbourne. We discovered what would become one of our favorite Melbs restaurants (high praise!) during their stay: Meatmaiden. </div>
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<i>Feeding Kangaroos on Phillip Island</i></div>
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<i>Touring the Great Ocean Road</i></div>
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<i>Footy game at the Melbourne Cricket Garden</i></div>
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<i>Shrine of Remembrance</i></div>
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<i>Hannah, Kathryn, me, and Peter enjoying a drink at Ponyfish Island</i></div>
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<i>Meatmaiden</i></div>
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April</h2>
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Our first month of the year without visits from family (and the first month without a Great Ocean Road trip for me!) was largely spent enjoying the fall weather in Melbourne and checking out some new restaurants. We did make one significant purchase- a <a href="http://lauraandpeterdownunder.blogspot.com/2016/04/new-camera.html">new camera</a>.</div>
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<i>Ice cream number 24023482 of the year</i></div>
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<i>A cute coffee shop in South Melbourne</i></div>
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<i>Checking out a new burger place near our house</i></div>
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</h2>
<h2>
May</h2>
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<div>
We took an absolutely epic trip to Japan. We hit Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, and Hakone. Peter and I both absolutely LOVED it. We are both dying to go back! </div>
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<i>Admiring the deer in Nara Park</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i> <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Kinkaku-ji Temple in Kyoto</span></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsrHu1VOOTvq9K1TywWJnBaqU55lsANXeQ9oAiGmdNfteoeAC4Sv0PfnOF2BO_OZUe4esD7YGyTd5MpzWkmeq8UyM2XeoXixtIQBV2bVfA53LTkFbIjrd05sxZ_3rA6Wlp4ropwJCscL4I/s1600/IMG_1979.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsrHu1VOOTvq9K1TywWJnBaqU55lsANXeQ9oAiGmdNfteoeAC4Sv0PfnOF2BO_OZUe4esD7YGyTd5MpzWkmeq8UyM2XeoXixtIQBV2bVfA53LTkFbIjrd05sxZ_3rA6Wlp4ropwJCscL4I/s1600/IMG_1979.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>Bamboo Forest in Kyoto</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqciKy7U1DNXdxpVnpxa_bMC84pxG4SQct6fXy5GUY9jiW2hD83C80KOj3ag3vQZ8-Ab6U1GZ8tZ3N5Ek-ZHuSxyyRqEGPiA_BBPTkStlLQd-z80la7EcSiLTSaLfAVxO2UiYgki7WNBX2/s1600/IMG_2549.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqciKy7U1DNXdxpVnpxa_bMC84pxG4SQct6fXy5GUY9jiW2hD83C80KOj3ag3vQZ8-Ab6U1GZ8tZ3N5Ek-ZHuSxyyRqEGPiA_BBPTkStlLQd-z80la7EcSiLTSaLfAVxO2UiYgki7WNBX2/s1600/IMG_2549.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>Peter in Osaka</i></div>
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<i>Temple in Tokyo</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1sMHxGQ8m0Dd190n62Aws4epkK0J1KHrt0zTbTsbXh_Srb26nq7cZqfcHmuac57qkp5Af-oopAGxL1LI8PTQljx031JVuZ6IFMpiPWVqTa9ZGpB9oBHz6LRuOd87p4vbm3IFpv1TSU4D/s1600/IMG_1517.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1sMHxGQ8m0Dd190n62Aws4epkK0J1KHrt0zTbTsbXh_Srb26nq7cZqfcHmuac57qkp5Af-oopAGxL1LI8PTQljx031JVuZ6IFMpiPWVqTa9ZGpB9oBHz6LRuOd87p4vbm3IFpv1TSU4D/s1600/IMG_1517.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>Senso-ji Temple in Tokyo</i></div>
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</h2>
<h2>
June</h2>
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Fresh off the heels of our trip to Japan, I flew home to Minnesota to be in one of my college roommates/best friend's wedding and meet my new baby niece. It was such a<a href="http://lauraandpeterdownunder.blogspot.com/2016/06/my-trip-home-to-minnesota.html"> fun trip</a> and I got to see tons of friends and family all in two short weeks. I think I spent half of June on an airplane, but it was worth it ;). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkleJxOHqr6B4FJhA7NPmp_W2jztB-LL9WlmIIUl_0NpsnPKz-v_8ZBbmSCwR_9GPAFbpxM45nZecMfpMR3cakWFjdHZFsELEHacA_XdpMX6FM3RDNLLOtfQan2lzcOKMVu7EyJJgCJ1ra/s1600/IMG_0278.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkleJxOHqr6B4FJhA7NPmp_W2jztB-LL9WlmIIUl_0NpsnPKz-v_8ZBbmSCwR_9GPAFbpxM45nZecMfpMR3cakWFjdHZFsELEHacA_XdpMX6FM3RDNLLOtfQan2lzcOKMVu7EyJJgCJ1ra/s1600/IMG_0278.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>The wedding party</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4QCH32DzH_PIb49s9sPvCl8zVVNNzaiuLpNdbuUSKCGcbmxMJ8CppfA1ALO7wLM4VVi319K_nn3a6fN3d1pHxu-i7yVTrBlMpGnystbhuH7A7umcI8nIdIMPWYpuYztUAw7U18p1s_Wv/s1600/rsz_img_0450.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4QCH32DzH_PIb49s9sPvCl8zVVNNzaiuLpNdbuUSKCGcbmxMJ8CppfA1ALO7wLM4VVi319K_nn3a6fN3d1pHxu-i7yVTrBlMpGnystbhuH7A7umcI8nIdIMPWYpuYztUAw7U18p1s_Wv/s1600/rsz_img_0450.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>The girls getting ready</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLcPCkmVEdUQQPkYpruzY8oipIcOp_eEXi9cUCqIAd0yYPfngj5enoCsd88Ds4tsl8ACxY1QIFwq84AHzPvNw4g_ZaNnSCMnh1vYiNbfxUy5K7ti00jd43jglfyN4qX3nUTiD_hDjfx-um/s1600/rsz_img_0171.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLcPCkmVEdUQQPkYpruzY8oipIcOp_eEXi9cUCqIAd0yYPfngj5enoCsd88Ds4tsl8ACxY1QIFwq84AHzPvNw4g_ZaNnSCMnh1vYiNbfxUy5K7ti00jd43jglfyN4qX3nUTiD_hDjfx-um/s1600/rsz_img_0171.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>Meeting my adorable niece Hadley</i></div>
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</h2>
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<h2>
July</h2>
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In July, upon learning we would be <a href="http://lauraandpeterdownunder.blogspot.com/2016/08/big-news.html">returning to the States</a> sooner than expected, we took an impromptu trip to <a href="http://lauraandpeterdownunder.blogspot.com/2016/07/hello-from-tasmania.html">Tasmania</a> and wished we had more time to explore Australia's island state. Some highlights were Hobart and Wineglass Bay. We spent our last few weeks in Melbourne soaking up everything we love about the city, including a footy game, a trip to the <a href="http://lauraandpeterdownunder.blogspot.com/2016/08/mornington-peninsula-day-trip.html">Mornington Peninsula</a>, and a <a href="http://lauraandpeterdownunder.blogspot.com/2016/08/one-last-weekend.html">tour of Main Ridge Dairy.</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGAczVydoX1ekp-tu-vxFEG1lXOHbF-EKmd-FnvAy8T5EakmO8EwXV6GvPECkLNmKBfylgF8pOVsBgdvUJzgbXGjj9COeFEFeovzudG5sEOVLDnNwNqlorb2r_5Z71Q5yCf-38q4qYRas/s1600/IMG_0753.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGAczVydoX1ekp-tu-vxFEG1lXOHbF-EKmd-FnvAy8T5EakmO8EwXV6GvPECkLNmKBfylgF8pOVsBgdvUJzgbXGjj9COeFEFeovzudG5sEOVLDnNwNqlorb2r_5Z71Q5yCf-38q4qYRas/s1600/IMG_0753.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>Exploring Hobart's surroundings</i></div>
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<i>Hobart</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmE9jTNoRG69_2bpLHPtGyNAOTo1rf3oCNPG0VaMmBrvxJM4lVWA8XjqG4XuEGEBCEhDrn2H_l9Qfqsd9Z6xCWoDAzZ808RHAb7IEhtiVcqLdqxKXC-u2slF8HB3SS-YZadmpWy6GOqhCR/s1600/IMG_0802.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmE9jTNoRG69_2bpLHPtGyNAOTo1rf3oCNPG0VaMmBrvxJM4lVWA8XjqG4XuEGEBCEhDrn2H_l9Qfqsd9Z6xCWoDAzZ808RHAb7IEhtiVcqLdqxKXC-u2slF8HB3SS-YZadmpWy6GOqhCR/s1600/IMG_0802.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>Wineglass Bay</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgQZPduo5s3OIgLtwdIYIxBadQ0kqPqSXso9QLxQrJIgbS5Q898ZY-wfyO8pls9efyWb6JFFi6JgLbQEppJVIrAj3731dKi48ClFGXf9eNC6bgmExDjLxBimSMHJeIJ8RLYPF__-a3s4c/s1600/IMG_0803.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgQZPduo5s3OIgLtwdIYIxBadQ0kqPqSXso9QLxQrJIgbS5Q898ZY-wfyO8pls9efyWb6JFFi6JgLbQEppJVIrAj3731dKi48ClFGXf9eNC6bgmExDjLxBimSMHJeIJ8RLYPF__-a3s4c/s1600/IMG_0803.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>Honeymoon Bay</i></div>
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</h2>
<h2>
August</h2>
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In August, the biggest change of the year happened when we <a href="http://lauraandpeterdownunder.blogspot.com/2016/08/hello-from-minneapolis.html">moved back to the States</a>. It was a bittersweet move (still is!) but overall we are just filled with gratitude that we were able to live in and explore the fabulous country of Australia for two years. We will look back on those years fondly for the rest of our lives and we are eternally grateful for all of the memories we made while living there, as well as the lifelong friendships we established. At the end of August, the day after arriving back in the States to be exact, we drove up to northern Minnesota to join my family for <a href="http://lauraandpeterdownunder.blogspot.com/2016/09/what-weve-been-up-to-and-where-were.html">a weekend on Lake Vermilion</a>.</div>
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<i>Packed into the car on our way to the airport, with help from Lauren and Matt</i></div>
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<i>Peter paddleboarding on Lake Vermilion</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Ie5txzr1TfV-svu4SNCKV4Daszvf0squLkgi4HqXksxD8-w6ymlhtoRvcysmbJDV9uafAF1J02SPGVAH0z8M9SRQNKtN6xokHsU6Z35nGGVJfOOPiO9UkmsaEzGsINroKCY1uEK1p83M/s1600/IMG_3698.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Ie5txzr1TfV-svu4SNCKV4Daszvf0squLkgi4HqXksxD8-w6ymlhtoRvcysmbJDV9uafAF1J02SPGVAH0z8M9SRQNKtN6xokHsU6Z35nGGVJfOOPiO9UkmsaEzGsINroKCY1uEK1p83M/s1600/IMG_3698.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>Annual family pontoon adventure, which nearly turned extremely eventful seconds after this photo was taken and we realized we were sinking the front of the boat. Whoops. </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9QSIyw8mhu6T61S7NXDLaFPJqEU4_3zZARyDRTF0kUrRkwD8gOSlZN-VKKPH-NEe9JNMtuST1lI_vxyo36A9seokXiyeP9ruHZ2v1sbpA_H1KnjpHPeZZbPSXIaI5ppbT7IiJU8UGjRMP/s1600/IMG_3728+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9QSIyw8mhu6T61S7NXDLaFPJqEU4_3zZARyDRTF0kUrRkwD8gOSlZN-VKKPH-NEe9JNMtuST1lI_vxyo36A9seokXiyeP9ruHZ2v1sbpA_H1KnjpHPeZZbPSXIaI5ppbT7IiJU8UGjRMP/s1600/IMG_3728+1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>Beautiful northern Minnesota sunset</i></div>
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</h2>
<h2>
September</h2>
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We spent September in limbo, readjusting to life in the States and living out of our suitcases between our parents' houses. I made it to the <a href="http://lauraandpeterdownunder.blogspot.com/2016/09/what-weve-been-up-to-and-where-were.html">Minnesota State Fair</a> for the first time in years, and my mom, sister and I took <a href="http://lauraandpeterdownunder.blogspot.com/2016/09/austin-visit-fixer-upper-pilgrimage.html">a trip down to Austin</a> to scout apartments and paid a visit to Magnolia Market in Waco. </div>
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<i>Sweet Martha's Cookies at the Minnesota State Fair with Jess</i></div>
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<i>Waco to see the Fixer Upper sights with my mom and Ali</i></div>
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October</h2>
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In October <a href="http://lauraandpeterdownunder.blogspot.com/2016/10/hello-from-austin.html">we moved to Austin</a>, gained a roommate, and took a trip to <a href="http://lauraandpeterdownunder.blogspot.com/2016/10/san-diego.html">San Diego</a> for Peter's grandpa's wedding all in the same week. It was a crazy month! </div>
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<i>Our new apartment building</i></div>
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<i>San Diego sunset</i></div>
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<i>The wedding</i></div>
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November</h2>
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In November, we devoted much of our time and energy to exploring our new city, celebrated <a href="http://lauraandpeterdownunder.blogspot.com/2016/11/thanksgiving.html">Thanksgiving</a> in our new apartment, and even got to host my mom and stepdad as our first visitors! We fit in a <a href="http://lauraandpeterdownunder.blogspot.com/2016/11/day-trip-to-san-antonio.html">day trip to San Antonio</a> and enjoyed showing them around. </div>
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<i>The Alamo</i></div>
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<i>Riverwalk</i></div>
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December</h2>
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Last month, we finished off 2016 with an abundance of Christmas activities (<a href="http://lauraandpeterdownunder.blogspot.com/2016/12/weekending-christmas-lights-edition.html">Christmas lights</a> at Mozart's Coffee Roasters, <a href="http://lauraandpeterdownunder.blogspot.com/2016/12/christmas-at-silos.html">Christmas at the Silos</a>, and <a href="http://lauraandpeterdownunder.blogspot.com/2016/12/life-lately.html">Austin Trail of Lights</a> to name a few), <a href="http://lauraandpeterdownunder.blogspot.com/2016/12/christmas-day-at-hamilton-pool-preserve.html">a Christmas Day hike</a>, and a trip home to Minnesota to ring in the New Year. I also landed a job (I start next week!), and we settled into our life in Austin even more. </div>
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<i>Christmas at the Silos</i></div>
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<i>Our Christmas Tree</i></div>
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We had a fabulous year and are grateful for all of the adventures and experiences we were lucky enough to have in 2016. </div>
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Wishing you all health, happiness, and adventure in the new year!</h2>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10580080914880510359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893145608158555386.post-36007033409171733492016-12-28T10:28:00.004-06:002016-12-28T10:29:10.560-06:00Christmas Day at Hamilton Pool Preserve<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We had a quiet Christmas over here, complete with 80-degree weather and a hike at Hamilton Pool Preserve. After opening our gifts, we ate some cinnamon rolls and then drove the 20 miles or so west of Austin to the much-talked-about natural pool in the middle of basically nowhere. We passed the most amazing ranches on the way out there, and I love that just 20 miles outside the city you feel like you're hundreds of miles from civilization. </div>
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The hike to the pool is less than a mile, down some rocky steps and then along a crystal clear turquoise river. Despite the fact that most of my pictures manage to cut out any trace of tourists, it was pretty packed. We waited about 15 minutes to get into the parking lot...turns out 80 degrees on Christmas drives a bunch of families out of the house to one of the only open attractions! </div>
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The pool and rocks are beautiful and I love that you can walk all the way around and under the waterfall. You can sometimes swim in the pool, but it's been closed for awhile because of bacteria levels. I'm not too keen on swimming in public pools that lack massive amounts of chlorine, so I don't know if I'd get in even if it were open.<br />
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On our way back to the car, we took a path along the river and actually saw some fall-like colors which is somewhat rare here! It didn't feel a whole lot like Christmas given the temperature and lack of snow, but I'll take being able to be outside all afternoon over freezing to death ;).<br />
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We headed home and Peter made a delicious roast for dinner and we played a few rounds of Phase 10. We are heading to Minnesota tomorrow to belatedly celebrate Christmas with family and ring in the new year.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10580080914880510359noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893145608158555386.post-29889213452892556162016-12-25T11:28:00.001-06:002016-12-25T11:28:31.913-06:00Favorite Christmas CookiesIn honor of Christmas today, I thought I'd post a couple of my favorite Christmas cookie/treat recipes in case anyone needs some last-minute inspiration :). We opened presents this morning and are heading outside this afternoon because it's 80 degrees here in Austin!<br />
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<b><i>Hope everyone is enjoying the day with family and friends! Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!</i></b><br />
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Chocolate Crinkle Cookies via <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/9861/chocolate-crinkles-ii/"><i>Allrecipes.com</i></a></h2>
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We made these yesterday and they are sooooooo good. I had seven for breakfast and I don't regret it. </div>
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Peppermint Bark via <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/chocolate-peppermint-bark-christmas-394114"><i>Food.com</i></a></h2>
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This is my favorite Christmas treat ever. Sometimes I add peppermint extract to the white chocolate if I remember, and I usually just blend a few candy canes in my magic bullet for the topping. The key is to buy high-quality chocolate (I usually use Ghiradelli) and not overheat it when melting or it will get chunky. I read somewhere to also make sure the chocolate has cocoa butter as an ingredient. This one sometimes takes a few tries to perfect, but even if you mess up a bit, it still tastes amazing!<br />
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Andes Mint Chocolate Cookies via <a href="http://www.recipetips.com/recipe-cards/t--2343/andes-mint-cookies.asp"><i>RecipeTips.com</i></a></h2>
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Ali introduced us to these this year and they are amazing, especially if you love Andes Mints like we do. The best part about these is they freeze really well, and the mints solidify on top after they cool which makes them easy to store. </div>
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Classic Spritz Cookies via <a href="http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/classic-spritz-cookies/aa68df04-bd64-4f1b-8421-0df82064bca4"><i>Betty Crocker</i></a></h2>
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I could eat these all day, every day. I made them last week, but we don't have a fancy spritz machine, so they were just circular cookies. They were good, but they didn't look as pretty as the ones Peter's mom sent us! </div>
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<b><i>And a few more from around the Internet that I haven't made before, but look really good :) </i></b></div>
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Red Velvet Cream Cheese Thumbprint Cookies from <a href="http://www.foodiecrush.com/red-velvet-cream-cheese-thumbprint-cookies/">Foodie Crush</a></div>
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Ginger Cookies from <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/17165/big-soft-ginger-cookies/?internalSource=hub%20recipe&referringId=841&referringContentType=recipe%20hub&clickId=cardslot%2019">All Recipes</a></div>
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Mini Cinnamon Roll Cookies from <a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/mini-cinnamon-roll-cookies">Taste of Home</a></div>
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Chocolate Coconut Cookies from <a href="http://www.cravingsofalunatic.com/2014/12/chocolate-coconut-cookies.html">Cravings of a Lunatic</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10580080914880510359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893145608158555386.post-4057500096946824252016-12-23T12:25:00.000-06:002016-12-23T12:25:35.428-06:00Life LatelyTime for a random collection of things we've been up to since I last posted!<br />
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Austin Trail of Lights</h2>
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We've had a lot of Christmas fun this year, including <a href="https://lauraandpeterdownunder.blogspot.com/2016/12/weekending-christmas-lights-edition.html">driving around looking at lights</a>, <a href="https://lauraandpeterdownunder.blogspot.com/2016/12/christmas-at-silos.html">Christmas at the Silos</a>, and most recently, the Austin Trail of Lights at Zilker Park. We kept hearing about this Austin holiday staple everywhere, so we decided to check it out one night last week. The first time we tried to go, the line was way too long and we didn't realize that really the only way to park within ten miles of the thing was to pre-purchase a parking pass. I think we underestimated the extent of the commotion surrounding the Trail of Lights! So we went home, purchased a parking pass for the next evening, and went then instead. It was super fun. Basically, you walk a mile or so through a bunch of light displays sponsored by various organizations and businesses around the city. There was an area to take pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus, food trucks, a mini carnival and tons of other holiday-themed activities.<br />
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Got a hand-roasted s'more at one of the food trucks...first one I've had in years!<br />
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A tunnel of lights:<br />
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One of the cute little displays, sponsored by CLIF.<br />
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The most important food truck ever.<br />
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The Austin Fire Department strung lights on one of their trucks and posed for pictures, which attracted what seemed like thousands of little kids.<br />
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H-E-B is the largest grocery chain here and they had a really cool little display where kids could take pictures with Santa and then were given a free book. We (especially Ali) love to read, so this was one of our favorite displays.<br />
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We attempted a selfie under one of the light canopies, but it wasn't too successful. I mostly just like the fact that we got two other people taking selfies in our photo. Also, why does the person taking the picture (me, in this case) always look weirdly disproportionate and awkward???<br />
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It was definitely worth the $15 parking fee (entrance to the actual trail was free) and we Minnesotans appreciated the ability to walk through a light display in mid-December without freezing to death in the process!<br />
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<h2>
New Restaurants in Austin </h2>
We've tried a few new restaurants in the past few weeks:<br />
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<b>Bribery Bakery</b><br />
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The cutest little place in the world that serves dessert and drinks. So basically, heaven.<br />
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Someone asked me on Instagram what camera I used to take this photo and I was pretty flattered. The answer is my phone! If I were President, I would make a law requiring a sprinkles shaker on every table. #2020.<br />
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<b>Rudy's Country Store and BBQ</b><br />
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This is a staple...somewhat touristy but definitely worthy of a visit. My favorite part is the generous samples they offer at the counter before you order.<br />
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Please note two things here: 1) "the worst Bar-B-Q in Texas" sign on the wall and 2) the glass box hanging above the line that says "in case of slow moving line break glass" and houses a cattle prod. I laughed a bit too hard at that one.<br />
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My portion, before the pulled pork was delivered. Everything we had was really good, which is pretty much always the case when you order barbeque.<br />
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<b>Piranha Killer Sushi</b><br />
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To celebrate me finally coming out of retirement (more about that at a later date) we splurged a bit on a fabulous sushi feast at Piranha Killer Sushi downtown.<br />
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So. Good.<br />
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<b>Spun Ice Cream</b><br />
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Organic/locally sourced/hipster ice cream shops are really big in Austin at the moment, so we went to check out Spun Ice Cream on the east side the other night. It was one of those places that use liquid nitrogen to make the ice cream, so it was quite the show. They also had a blackboard posted that listed the local farms from which they sourced their ingredients and even pictures of the cows on those farms which was cool to see. I'm all for supporting local farmers!<br />
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<h2>
Courtney/Leighton's Sip and See</h2>
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Some of you may know (or at least internet-know) Courtney over at <a href="http://www.alkeksabroad.com/">Alkeks Abroad</a>. They are in Houston for the holidays, and Courtney's friends hosted a little sip and see party last weekend so those who haven't already could meet baby Leighton. I drove down (and brought Ali for some company and another driver since it's a little over two hours from Austin) on Sunday and had the best time seeing Courtney, meeting some of her friends and family, and of course getting to meet sweet baby Leighton! Let me just say that she is one of the cutest babies the world has ever seen...not exaggerating. She fell asleep on me approximately 2 seconds after this picture was taken. </div>
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That's all for now...expect a few Christmas posts coming your way in the next couple days! </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10580080914880510359noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893145608158555386.post-2429398091025466882016-12-14T15:10:00.002-06:002016-12-14T15:10:53.542-06:00Christmas at the Silos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I feel like we've been doing more Chrismas-themed events this year than ever before, and in keeping with this trend, we ventured the 90-ish miles up to Waco last weekend to hang out at Magnolia Market for their Christmas at the Silos event. It was decorated all cute and there was even a Santa in the garden who was unfortunately on a break while we were there, because I probably would have insisted on a picture. </div>
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Ali and me at the entrance. </div>
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Such a cute and festive sign!<br />
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It was actually pretty empty in the afternoon while we were there because the grounds closed at four and then the main event, a concert, took place at night. We didn't purchase tickets, partly because we didn't know who the guy was, and partly because, despite what it may look like in the photos, it was FREEZING (ironically, the last time we were at the silos we just about melted). I didn't bring gloves, which was a huge mistake because I could barely feel my fingers. I saw some pictures of the concert on Instagram and it looked like there was a huge crowd for the night event, but it definitely looked cold!<br />
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We didn't actually see Chip and Joanna, which was slightly disappointing, but we did see the couple from the most recent episode, with the cute kids' rooms. So that's basically a celebrity sighting, right? Ali wanted to approach him, but then we couldn't think of a good introductory line..."hey, you're that guy from that episode" just didn't seem to cut it, so we just awkwardly stared at him from afar.<br />
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I got a grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch which helped to warm up a bit. This is the cutest food truck ever and I sort of want to franchise one of these.<br />
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This guy below in the shorts is insane. It was approximately 40 degrees, which is definitely not shorts weather.<br />
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If you ever find yourself at the silos, don't forget to check out the cute garden center in the back. I hadn't ever been in it before, but there were so many cute gardening accessories and gifts in there!<br />
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I loved this adorable green truck!<br />
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After looking through all the goodies in the shop and grabbing some coffee, we hit the food trucks again for dessert. There's a bakery on site, but the line for that was out the door, so we decided to go for the line-less option.<br />
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On our way out I spotted this adorable little guy playing frisbee in his cowboy boots and hat. Creepy that I took a picture? Maybe, but he was the cutest kid ever.<br />
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Speaking of creepy pictures, we may or may not have located Chip and Joanna's farm and done a drive by. I think there used to be a big arch over the driveaway that said 'Magnolia Farms' but people like us probably started to find it and take annoying photos on the side of the road. Needless to say, we didn't see them, but there were lots of cars in their driveway and they made an appearance the following day at the silos, so let's just assume they were there when this picture was taken ;).<br />
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Tonight we're going to the Austin Trail of Lights, which is the biggest Christmas event in the city. We tried to go last night, but were basically turned away because we hadn't pre-purchased a parking pass. What?? So, we went home and bought a parking pass for tonight and will try again!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10580080914880510359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893145608158555386.post-488596179754101342016-12-05T17:11:00.003-06:002016-12-08T16:53:12.443-06:00Weekending | Christmas Lights EditionIt's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, minus the fact that it's 60 degrees and has been raining for three straight days. I may or may not have casually looked into buying a boat today, you know, just in case.<br />
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Despite the weather, it DOES feel a bit more like Christmas than it has the past two years when we celebrated during the summer in Australia. I absolutely loved being able to go to the beach in December, and grilling on Christmas day in Melbourne with friends, but it's nice to be back Stateside where at least it's winter.<br />
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I ordered some Christmas gifts last week, which is wayyyy ahead of schedule for me. Actually, anything before December 23rd is way ahead of schedule for me. I had this elaborate plan to order Peter's gift off of Amazon in Ali's name because I knew if he was home during the day and a package was delivered with my name on it, he would open it right up. So, as expected, Ali and I were out of the house when the UPS guy dropped it off, and Peter thought nothing of it and set it in Ali's room. The issue was that I had only mentioned my plan to Ali in passing and she didn't remember to pretend the package was for her when she got home from work, so she forgot to play along and I ended up having to tell them both that it was Peter's Christmas gift, and he knew what it was immediately. One of these years I'll pull off a surprise, but this year is not that year!<br />
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On Saturday Peter and I headed to Target to get a small artificial tree to put up and were kind of surprised to find the cheapest one was $80. We decided that was a little ridiculous, so we headed over to Walmart and found <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Holiday-Time-Unlit-6-Wesley-Pine-Artificial-Christmas-Tree/51707509">an acceptable six-foot tree</a> for $20. We put it together and then met Ali over at work and made our way to Mozart's Coffee Roasters for their annual light show, which is supposed to be a pretty big deal. Unfortunately, it was raining so only parts of the show were able to run, but it was actually kind of fun that way and we enjoyed our first Mozart's experience! Note: I am well aware that the following pictures are horrible quality, but turns out it's not easy to take pictures of Christmas lights, especially with my nice ol' iPhone 5...<br />
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So ya, as you can see, Mozart's goes all out. We might even head back in the next couple weeks when it's not raining to see the whole show.<br />
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Afterward, we went home to decorate the tree, of which I took zero photos other than this one from Snapchat. Please note and praise my caption for its trendiness.<br />
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Sunday was rainy again and we only really left the house to get ramen for lunch at a really popular place near our apartment. Sometime during the afternoon I stumbled across a list of Austin neighborhoods with the best Christmas displays. After dinner, we decided to head up to the northern suburbs of Cedar Park and Round Rock, where the bulk of the houses on the list were located. The first culdesac was one huge display with every house absolutely covered in lights. There was even a big tent-like structure in the middle with a place for donations.<br />
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We left wondering what would happen if one of the neighbors moved and the next owner wasn't into participating. Maybe they vet potential buyers?<br />
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The second house was just one family, complete with their own radio station to go along with the lights and give instructions for viewing in the least annoying way for the benefit of their neighbors. Nice gesture, but I can't help but think it would be a total pain to live next door to these people! Maybe I'm just a scrooge, but having my neighborhood be a sort of tourist destination might not be all that great?<br />
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We tried to swing by one final house with a display titled "Elfvis" but they had turned off their lights early due to the rain. We might go out another night this week and see it if it ever stops raining!<br />
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In an effort to continue the Christmas-themed weekend we just had, I made <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/almost-famous-peppermint-bark-recipe.html">this</a> peppermint bark this afternoon and am currently waiting for it to harden in the fridge. We have a pretty normal week planned, with a visit to Waco on Friday for <a href="https://magnoliamarket.com/christmas/">Christmas at the Silos</a>, which should be tons of fun.<br />
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Have a good week!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10580080914880510359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893145608158555386.post-81176659344004476742016-11-30T17:55:00.001-06:002016-11-30T17:55:59.662-06:00ThanksgivingWe had a really fun Thanksgiving last week complete with all of the usual festivities despite the fact that it was just Peter, Ali and me here. Ali and I watched the Thanksgiving Day Parade, during which we recognized next to zero "celebrities", followed by the dog show, while Peter watched football. I'm sort of loving that we have two TVs now.<br />
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It was a beautiful 75-degree day, so Ali and I drove down to the river right across from Downtown and went on a short walk. There were tons and tons of people out walking their dogs and/or jogging. I decided people who jog on Thanksgiving are the worst kind of people. I felt overachieving even going on a walk and then they come and put me to shame. I did take this picture of a fun little map on the top of a hill in the park where we were walking. It shows the distance to notable Texas destinations from that exact spot.<br />
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Part of the reason I didn't really take any photos was because my phone freaked out and starting freezing every five seconds and then randomly deleted all 5,346 pictures on my phone. So that was fun. I actually recovered them via iPhoto so all is not lost, but it was highly annoying and I almost bit the bullet and bought a new phone on Black Friday. See, I still have the iPhone 5, which I'm aware is archaic, but it came free with my phone plan in Australia and I don't want to sign on to another contract until I absolutely have to. That is, until I need a new phone and don't want to buy it outright for 8 bajillion dollars. So, until then, I'll stick with my iPhone 5 and my Straight Talk Wireless plan.<br />
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Yes, there are actual people who use Straight Talk Wireless in their actual lives and not just for burner phones and I am one of them.<br />
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Anyway, we had an amazing Thanksgiving dinner complete with tons of turkey, potatoes, stuffing, corn, green beans, gravy, and an apple pie. We were extremely full after dinner, but that didn't stop us from venturing out to witness the madness that is Black Friday. Around 6 pm we headed over to the mall and wandered around Macy's. I'm sad to report we didn't see any fist fights. One year, Ali and I witnessed an actual fight between two grown women over bedding at Walmart that was discounted like 20%. No joke. Macy's was slightly classier but still pretty hectic. We checked out a few other stores, bought a total of two things, and then headed home. Worth it.<br />
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On actual Black Friday Ali had to work, so Peter and I had the totally original idea to drive down to the ridiculously massive outlet mall in San Marcos to do a bit more shopping. Turns out, several others decided to hit up the outlet mall as well, and it took us approximately an hour to make it into the parking lot and find a spot. We ended up doing one of those things where you spot someone walking to their car and relentlessly stalk them. Again, we left with approximately four items, mostly purchased at the Old Navy outlet, which in itself is a somewhat unbelievable concept. How do you discount a $4.00 shirt? Let me just say, you haven't lived until you've been to the San Marcos outlet mall. It is insane.<br />
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On Saturday, we still had a bunch of Thanksgiving leftovers so we invited some friends over for a retroactive Friendsgiving. One of my college roommates has an old coworker who is in Austin for a few months with her husband working as a traveling nurse, so we have gotten together a few times with them, given that they don't know anyone here either! We had a really fun little dinner and got to finish off the last of our Thanksgiving feast.<br />
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Sunday was the 50th anniversary of the Zilker Christmas Tree Lighting, which is supposed to symbolically kick off the start of the Christmas season in Austin. Later in December, there is a Trail of Lights spanning Zilker Park that's rumored to be really cool, so we will definitely go to that when it opens. I took a few photos of the tree and it really did feel pretty Christmas-y with all of the festivities going on in the park, minus the 70-degree weather of course.<br />
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I apologize for the super-grainy low-quality iPhone pictures, but here's the tree before it was lit:<br />
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And after:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lpOqikulaz_7cnQaH_x0kLmOgyeq-kvp0jiyyINJwJFgiQfzjSHlAC0xQMoW2R8M8B6rUDlVzKSHvmY88GlKxDc41S07ggfqk3Paq1gfNmCeOlnsG6Y89NRqX-NUTV_drpa4tsJPZk4H/s1600/IMG_1992JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lpOqikulaz_7cnQaH_x0kLmOgyeq-kvp0jiyyINJwJFgiQfzjSHlAC0xQMoW2R8M8B6rUDlVzKSHvmY88GlKxDc41S07ggfqk3Paq1gfNmCeOlnsG6Y89NRqX-NUTV_drpa4tsJPZk4H/s1600/IMG_1992JPG.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0uJ5BtCCjoRCl57b-rYz8eqpeWuj-gtxeuZ8K3kUhYOgJ-IxEXTt6kiNT8gFkA2uhJRHbL_gqWuF3r3vWIxNW4d_BLHZutuqEiGIEnqsH7BJmmTaTbkVBI4GqpfcfIR68AOGVldyym4Eg/s1600/IMG_1997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0uJ5BtCCjoRCl57b-rYz8eqpeWuj-gtxeuZ8K3kUhYOgJ-IxEXTt6kiNT8gFkA2uhJRHbL_gqWuF3r3vWIxNW4d_BLHZutuqEiGIEnqsH7BJmmTaTbkVBI4GqpfcfIR68AOGVldyym4Eg/s1600/IMG_1997.jpg" /></a></div>
And a video:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxPuiT5jyjyRB7GtxfDpq_mnhiySTpa66wBFyxL5pQcABONW4J9mt5TykoIqNc_22w7Emqld0y_wDUB9vGR4g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10580080914880510359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893145608158555386.post-124364874994510492016-11-22T11:37:00.003-06:002016-11-22T11:37:26.972-06:00Weekend Festivities We had a super-quiet weekend over here after enjoying having visitors last weekend. On Friday morning, Peter and I ran over to the bank to open up a new checking account (our old bank doesn't have any branches in Texas) and get a few other things set up. I swear I'm technology cursed, because Peter had no problems logging in and out of his account, but we had to reset my password multiple times and then I got locked out, of course. I feel like this happens to me daily. Don't ask me my security questions because chances are I won't know the answer. Anyone else have this problem?<br />
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Anyway, we waiting until Ali was done with work and then got dinner at Home Slice Pizza, which is basically the best pizza I've had in a long time. Afterward, we walked across the street to Hey Cupcake! which is quickly becoming our favorite food truck. Dessert trucks are the best.<br />
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On Saturday, we pretty much lounged around until after dinner, when we decided to be somewhat social and head out to find dessert. We tried to go to Bananarchy, which is the best name for a food truck ever, but it wasn't in its usual place. That's the issue with food trucks...they move. And have really freaking weird hours. So instead, we drove to East Austin to Prohibition Creamery, which specializes in boozy ice cream. I had a really good- albeit strong- sangria sorbet and will definitely be back to try one of their milkshakes. This was the sign outside the shop, which I thought was pretty hilarious:<br />
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We drove around East Austin a bit and were surprised by how many restaurants and bars were there that we hadn't ever heard of. I actually didn't know there was anything over there worth checking out. The east side is up-and-coming, so you weave between sketchy-looking areas and newer construction pretty rapidly. However, if we were to buy a house at this very moment (we aren't), I think that would be the best place to buy. It's fun to live in a fast-growing city and witness all the renovation happening!<br />
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On Sunday, Peter watched the Vikings game (of course) and then we headed over to the Barton Creek Greenbelt for an afternoon walk. The weather was amazing, with temps in the 60s, and there were tons of people out. We only did the mile-long walk since we didn't have a ton of time before sunset, but it would be fun to do the whole 7-mile loop at some point!<br />
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We don't have any exciting plans for Thanksgiving, other than attempting a turkey and some side dishes for our little party of three. Since Ali works in retail, she will be pretty busy this whole week, but we might squeeze in some Black Friday shopping on Thursday evening if we're not too full after our feast.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10580080914880510359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893145608158555386.post-73955209950587481632016-11-17T13:36:00.002-06:002016-11-17T13:36:42.591-06:00Day Trip to San Antonio<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We had a really busy, fun weekend over here showing my mom and stepdad around Austin. We even had time to fit in a day trip to San Antonio, which is just about an hour south of us. I've only been to San Antonio once before this trip when I was about 13, so it was fun to be back and see everything again as an adult. Actually, all I really remember from my first trip was that it was really, really, really hot. This time, the weather was pretty much perfect- high 70s and blue skies. We visited three major destinations and made it back to Austin all before dinner time! </div>
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The Alamo</h2>
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Our first stop was the most famous of the sights in San Antonio- The Alamo. We walked around the grounds a bit, read up on the <a href="http://www.history.com/topics/alamo">Battle of the Alamo</a>, and visited their extensive gift shop- complete with fudge and a bunch of stereotypical Texas merchandise. Shockingly, we resisted and didn't buy anything. There was an older man giving a history talk in one of the courtyards, and he deserved an Oscar for his engaging (and perhaps unintentionally hilarious) performance. I recorded a bit of his talk on Snapchat but sadly forgot to save it to share here and now it's gone forever. RIP. </div>
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My mom and me by the fountain on the Alamo grounds.<br />
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San Antonio struck me as much older than I remembered it 15 years ago, probably because I was so young, and there were tons of beautiful old trees around the city. The Roomie and I unintentionally matched this day...fail.<br />
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The security guard in the non-ironic cowboy hat in the bottom left of this picture is my favorite.<br />
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<h2>
The Riverwalk</h2>
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Next, we headed a few blocks over to the Riverwalk. Because it was a Monday, it was pretty quiet and some of the restaurants were closed. We walked down the river a ways and caught one of these boat cruises. My most vivid memory of visiting San Antonio as a kid was sitting on one of these boats and being so unbelievably hot that I wanted to jump in. </div>
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I didn't know this before our boat tour, but a few scenes from Miss Congeniality were filmed on the stage to the right. Our guide's two daughters were scheduled to participate in dance recitals later this week on this stage, which is pretty much the cutest thing ever. An outdoor dance recital in November is not something we ever could have had in Minnesota! We always got stuck in high school gyms and the recitals lasted the better part of a century.<br />
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We ate at this cute Mexican restaurant with the colorful umbrellas, which are pretty much synonymous with the Riverwalk. There was a mariachi band that serenaded a table near us, but unfortunately never made it to ours.<br />
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Mission San Jose</h2>
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Before heading back to Austin, we stopped at Mission San Jose, about five miles south of the city. This historic Catholic mission was finished in 1768 and is one of the most beautiful churches I've ever seen. </div>
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Photos were prohibited inside the sanctuary, but here is a picture I found online of the front:<br />
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(<a href="https://www.loc.gov/item/2014632664/">photo credit</a>)</div>
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The doors to the mission were so pretty. I was scrolling the tag on Instagram and saw some AMAZING wedding photos in front of these doors. I love that such an old and historic building has been preserved so beautifully over the years!<br />
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That about sums up our day trip to San Antonio...it was definitely worth a visit! </div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10580080914880510359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893145608158555386.post-70134964337151438842016-11-07T14:08:00.001-06:002016-11-07T14:08:15.419-06:00Weekend FestivitiesHello, friends!<br />
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We are settling into life in Austin, which includes doing some exploring on the weekends. On Friday, we decided to start fulfilling our personal mission to eat and rank all the BBQ restaurants in the Austin area and headed over to Terry Black's Barbecue just south of downtown. It. Was. Amazing. Granted, it was only the second stop on our BBQ bucket list (first was <a href="http://lauraandpeterdownunder.blogspot.com/2016/09/austin-visit-fixer-upper-pilgrimage.html">The Salt Lick</a>) but I think Terry Black's is going to hold onto that #1 spot for awhile ;).<br />
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Here's our food:<br />
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I should add that earlier in the day, the exterminator paid us another visit (he's truly the best friend we've made thus far) to investigate the <a href="http://lauraandpeterdownunder.blogspot.com/2016/11/encounters-with-texas-wildlife.html">wildlife</a> that has graced our apartment. To no one's surprise, he told us we are the first people in our entire complex that has had a scorpion inside. Figures. He also got excited when I produced the scorpion (that had been out on our balcony in a plastic bag) and let us know that it was a rare breed that he had never seen in person and was almost never found inside houses. So that's cool. And terrifying. He even asked if he could bring it with him to show his coworkers. We gladly obliged. We've luckily been bug-free since then.<br />
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On Saturday, Ali worked and Peter and I got a few errands done before heading to the driving range. Peter used to golf a lot but the lack of a car made it a bit of a challenge to keep up with the hobby in Australia. Since we've lugged those clubs from Minnesota to Missouri to Melbourne and now to Austin, I'm adamant that he actually puts them to use ;).<br />
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While Peter golfed, I downloaded and started reading Mindy Kaling's book <i>Why Not Me? </i>and it's absolutely hilarious so far. I loved her in The Office, but haven't really followed her much since then, so I'm looking forward to catching up with what she's been doing.<br />
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After Peter finished up golfing, we decided to check out the view from Mount Bonnell, just a bit outside the city on the Colorado River, which is also called Lake Austin. Which is potentially also the same thing as Lady Bird Lake? I'm confused about all the different "lakes" in Austin because they're actually all just sections of the Colorado River as far as I can tell. Anyway, it was too foggy to see much, but you can make out the skyline in the distance.<br />
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We then met Ali at Nordstrom and headed to the Cheesecake Factory next door for some dessert. It was super crowded and took forever to get a table, despite spotting about 238032 empty tables waiting to be cleaned off that sat untouched for 15-20 minutes. I think this might actually be my biggest pet peeve. I was minutes away from volunteering to bus the tables myself if it meant we could order our cheesecake faster. Maybe I'm just super impatient, but I cannot stand when restaurants make you wait and then let open tables sit.<br />
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After dessert, we headed over to a new rooftop bar called Backbeat for a drink. There was a really unique selection and I honestly don't even remember what was in the one I finally settled on, but here it is in all its artistic glory:<br />
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On Sunday Peter streamed the Vikings game from his computer, I lounged around a bit, and then we ran a couple more errands. Fascinating stuff, really.<br />
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We have a low-key week planned, with our first visitors arriving on Saturday! Since we won't be going home to Minneapolis for Thanksgiving, my mom and stepdad are going to come down this weekend to check out our new place and celebrate Thanksgiving a little bit early.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10580080914880510359noreply@blogger.com4