Hello, Monday. If that’s your REAL name…

Due to surgery recovery, I am sliding into Summer Sloth Syndrome.  Resistance is futile.  I am done.

Case in point?  Two nights in a row I have been up until 2:30 a.m. watching Law and Order SVU reruns.  Well, it’s either that or one of the freakish reality shows on TLC or A&E.

Hopefully, this week will turn the tide.  Yesterday, I got out for a bit on my own for the first time.  I met Shawn for lunch at Chuy’s.  We had a good long chat about life, love and other mysteries.  Her husband is having a gastric sleeve surgery today, so I’ll head out in a bit to sit with her (because I’m incredibly entertaining, you know).  I also went up to church to watch the kiddos do their summer musical.  I was super proud of everyone involved in the production and it was great to see some of my favorite people also.

By the time the musical was over, however, I felt puffy like P. Diddy Combs and I knew I needed to get home and lie down.  If I thought I busted a suture line before, I REALLY thought I was about to burst last night.  It was a good reminder that I might feel like going and doing, but I still need to take it easy for healing’s sake.  It was also a good reminder that my body shape is not settled.  I was pretty freaked about the fact that none of my pants will button at the moment.  Well, actually they WILL button, but it feels like a noose around my waist.  Over the next few weeks, surely I will be back into my work appropriate pants!

What else is going on this week?  Tomorrow I’ll be getting together with Kaitlin.  We decided to try bulk cooking together and trade out half of the results.  I am ready to get back in the kitchen and be creative.  I’ll be making beer braised chicken thighs that will hopefully make any Texan proud.  On Wednesday, I’ll be back in choir practice.  Thursday and Friday are questionable, but I’m hoping to get some people together for SOMETHING.  Saturday is my BBGC support group (oh yeah, I need to do some planning I guess).  Sunday is our World Music oriented worship service and a get together for a friend.  And then…  Next Monday?

I turn the big 33.  I guess I am ready for it?  32 has been a mix of good and not so good.  I suspect 33 will be same.  I am experiencing some emotional and psychological things as a post-op that I once believed I had dodged a bullet on.  Well, it just is not true.  I guess I’m a late bloomer?  Statistics point to most of these changes in friendships and other relationships happening within the first two years.  It really has hit me like a ton of bricks in the last little while, because I believed that almost all my relationships were on solid ground.  I now am finding this not to be so.  I don’t know where to start, really.  I guess I am just about ready to go back to counseling for help!  I believe all weight loss surgery patients should be in mandatory counseling with some kind of regularity during the first two years.  I didn’t do that and I think all I did is sweep my dirt under the rug.  Now guess what?  The rug is filthy and I need to clean it up.

Another anniversary is coming up.  I mark 10 years of living in Texas in just a few weeks.  It’s hard to believe that the girl who really was kicking and screaming about moving back to Tennessee is now perfectly content to stay in Texas and loves the Lone Star State.  If airfare to Tennessee would become more affordable, it would be perfection.

Swollen

The new normal.  I ain’t there yet, but I’m beginning to accept it, appreciate it, and even be excited about it.

I went to the doctor yesterday.  It was an unplanned visit, due to a ridiculous occurence.  I was changing clothes when I noticed a 1 inch length of scab from the incision had come off.  Attached to a suture line, no less, and it was bleeding slightly.  I panicked, called the doctor, got a work in appointment and gingerly covered the area with neosporin and gauze.  I was feeling puffy, tight, and grumpy.  I was just sure I had overdone it and caused the happenstance.  The doctor removed my stitches and seemed very unconcerned.  When I finally pointed out, once again, the area of unraveling, he examined it.  Pulled it.  And exclaimed, “That’s not a suture line!!  That’s a hair!  *crickets chirping* And it’s red!”

I guess I am shedding?  Due to trauma?  Stress?  Hot weather?  I think it was 105 degrees here yesterday.

Well…  *I* thought it was funny…

I really felt quite ugly yesterday, but I remembered what my friend Michelle told me.  Her mother says something like, “Get dressed, put your makeup on, and you’ll feel better.”  Sorry, Michelle.  I know that was a poor paraphrase.  So, that’s what I did.  I put on my makeup.  Oh hey, my face has color!  I put on a new sundress I picked up at Costco.  Hmm.  Not happy about it.  All I could focus on at that point was my swollen belly and hunched back.  I concluded that I resembled an 80 year old prego.  However, I did feel somewhat better than I did in the Snoopy pajama pants and 15 year old tshirt I had on before.

I think what really put things in perspective for me was comparing the before with the now.  Even though I am swollen and still healing, the difference is astounding.  I can hardly wrap my brain around it!  I asked the doctor for copies of the pictures he submitted to insurance.  He gladly gave them to me, and I had a hard time reconciling what I was seeing in those pictures with what I am seeing now.  I already know that even when I am perfectly healed, I will not have a completely flat tummy.  However, I did not really set out to become bikini ready.  That is unrealistic for me.  All I’ve ever wanted is normal.  This?  Is on the road to normal.  It took Kaitlin pointing out to me, “There is a reason that Spanx has such a huge market, and it isn’t because of weight loss surgery patients,” to remember that almost ALL women have body image issues.  Am I going to let this hold me back?

Now for a few shout-outs. 

Many thanks, first of all, to Kaitlin.  She has gone above and beyond in the last couple of weeks to check on me, take care of me, and keep my spirits up.  She has hauled my sorry, pathetic butt around to keep me from dying of cabin fever, repurposed my refrigerator contents and leftovers to avoid massive waste, walked my dogs, and talked me down from irrational to almost rational.  And she brings me diet strawberry limeades from Sonic.  I’m sorry my dogs ate your red bell pepper (stem and all), kiwi, and Rainier cherries.  Want a cupcake?

Thanks to Michelle for hauling me to the doctor earlier this week!  Thanks to my Wilshire friends (bunches of you) for checking on me, keeping me fed, and walking my dogs.  Thanks to my parents for double cleaning my apartment, changing light bulbs, babying me, and funding me a little bit through a really strange and traumatic time.  Thanks to my BBGC friends for the constant texts, calls, facebook messages, and reminders that this is a temporary phase.  I know I am a tough, strong, independent woman, but it sometimes takes a village to keep Shana from going under.  Thanks so much for not letting go.

Now to get my comeback on…

Great Expectations

I had my follow up appointment today.  I have mixed emotions.

On the one hand, I am healing GREAT.  I am able to get around my apartment fairly well to take care of minor things.  I still won’t be taking out the garbage, doing my own laundry, or doing anything that involves a great deal of stooping, bending, or reaching up high for a little while.  When he removed the bandages, I saw for myself how well everything is healing.  There is one place on the incision that looks a little red, but he said it was not abnormal.  He did remove my drains today, which was probably my biggest aggravation of the last week.  I immediately felt more mobile as soon as the drains were removed.  He also removed the belly button stitches, and I’m pleased with how that looks.

However, I am not 100% pleased.  Because I had a panniculectomy, I feel that there is still too much excess skin on the abdomen.  Indeed, even the surgeon made a comment about “taking more off later.”  I kind of shut down when I saw how it was with bandages removed.  I had nothing to say, so I said nothing to him.

I texted my BBGC friends and called my mother and had my full fledge meltdown.  I felt angry, and then I started beating myself up and wondering if I had asked all the wrong questions in the process leading up to this.  What did I miss?  How could this have happened?  It was a huge let down.

Michelle drove me to and from the appointment.  She was the right person to have along as she just let me go into shut down mode, didn’t question it, and let me have my cry.  I was finally able to take a shower and wash my hair, so I excused myself, knowing that would help me feel a bit better.

So.  I looked in the mirror while standing in the bathroom.  Taking it all in.  Poked at it.  Studied it.  What did I see?

Definitely at least an 80% improvement.  Definitely still some swelling.  Definitely still some healing left to do.   So, I definitely took a big yoga breath.  In and out.  It will still continue to improve.  And even if it doesn’t, I’m better off than I was.

Finally taking a shower was an eye opening experience.  Not having that hanging apron of skin to deal with?   It’s amazing.  Quality of life improvement?  Definitely.  Improvement in appearance?  Definitely.  Was I expecting to have a bikini bod?  Definitely not.

So I’m going to take a few more deep yoga breaths, pray a few prayers of thanks for my speedy healing thus far, and work on my attitude and my patience.

Oh and take something for this stress headache…

Slowing Down

Well, you would think that by now I’d have three books read, have caught up on all my recorded TV shows, and contacted 20 long lost friends that are overdue for a phone call.

I haven’t.  Been too groggy.

The pain has been quite low, but I am intentionally staying on top of my medication schedule per the advice of others who have been through plastics.  Probably the most irritating or bothersome thing at the moment is the point where the right side drain comes out.  The tubing pulls and is getting on my nerves.  A lot.  The other thing getting on my nerves, surprisingly, is the tip of my tongue.  It is numb, but it’s kind of starting to wake up.  It feels like a gigantic canker sore.  Burn.

Results?  Well, I keep going back and forth on how I feel about it.  I still am kind of worked up about the conversation that occurred just before I was put under.  Everything he did is obviously an improvement over what I had before, but I am looking at the swelling, the scarring, the leftover hanging skin, and feeling a bit of buyer’s remorse.  Why go through this if I still have to work so hard at disguising it?  But really, when I’m being rational, I see what a vast improvement it is.  I am medicated, moody, and cranky.  I need to just rest and try not to think about it too much.

Also noteworthy, my surgeon does not require binders.  So, I just have a hodge podge of bandages.  I really want to peek at my new belly button.  I thought it was pretty impressive looking the other day at first glance.

My parents left early yesterday, and honestly my place looks better than when they got here.  I’m able to get around the apartment enough to do things like go to the restroom, fix myself a protein shake, grab a bite, etc.  But I have to walk hunched over, so I don’t get very far.  My lower back is quite sore.  I’m still depending on people to help me do things like walk the dogs, take out trash, etc.  I am hoping to get the drains out on Monday, which should help me be more mobile right away!

Speaking of drains, I have to empty them and measure them every 8 hours.  The science nerd part of me that wanted to go into medicine as a career secretly loves this.

Many thanks to friends who call, text, message and keep me occupied that way.  Also thanks to my Wilshire friends for keeping me fed and to Kaitlin for keeping me entertained.  You guys are the answer to the question when I’m asked whether I will stay in Texas or move back home.  Love you all!

So Good to be Home!

Yesterday morning, I went in for my first reconstructive procedure.  I believed I was signed on for an abdominoplasty.  Well, let this be a lesson to you all…

I showed up, checked in, and then one of the nurses started going over my paperwork with me.  On a page I had signed, no procedure was listed.  They didn’t write it in.  They asked me what I was having done and I responded “abdominoplasty.”

When my surgeon showed up to do the markings, he informed me that it was not going to be an abdominoplasty, only a panniculectomy.  In other words, no muscle repair, but the skin would be pulled down to give me the best result possible.  I said, “I am not okay with that.  I feel like your office staff has been less than clear with their explanations.  I asked repeatedly if this was an abdominoplasty.”  Then I told him that I suspected I had a hernia that would REQUIRE muscle repair.  He said that he would give me the best cosmetic result possible and do any muscle repair that was needed.

So let me go ahead and tell you, I am happy with the result.  I am very swollen, but I think I basically did get the procedure I was hoping to get.  I do still have some sagging skin on the side, because what I really needed was a total lower body lift.  He removed about 4 pounds of skin, did a hernia repair and I have a new belly button.  Still, let this be a lesson to you.  I showed up for my pre-op appointment and did not see the doctor.  Please insist that you speak to your surgeon to be sure you know EXACTLY what is going to happen.  It is not fun to wake up and wonder if you are any better off than when you started.

Again though, I am very happy with what I see so far.  Don’t misunderstand me.  My surgeon is a rock star.  One bikini cut incision, FTW!

My pain has been very manageable.  I asked for liquid pain medication due to the absorption issue.  This has worked out quite well.  However, the pain medication does have side effects.  It does cause constipation, so I am working on taking in some protein shakes with a dose of Miralax.  I did have some trouble voiding in the hospital.  This seems to be typical for me post-anesthesia.  In fact, even after I was able to void twice, I had to be recatherized because I had problems after that.

Speaking of problems, I was supposed to be a one day surgery patient.  However, my JP drains had large clots in them and I was bleeding quite a bit.  They kept me overnight and there was even mention of having to go in for surgery a second time because of it.  The surgeon came at about 9:30 p.m. to check on me and did not seem overly concerned.  Still, I became alarmed for myself when I got up to use the restroom and nearly fainted in the bathroom.  My blood pressure was running 75/45, 85/55…  Very low.  Very scary to me.

Foodwise, the surgery center did okay.  I guess.  Lunch yesterday was a ham and cheese sandwich with some grapes.  I took two bites of the bread and discarded the rest.  The nurse noticed this and talked to the chef.  I got a personal visit from the chef who wanted to know what I would eat.  I told him I preferred to be low carb and low sugar, so he suggested pot roast.  Yes, please!  Of course, then they forgot to bring me my dinner tray.  Yes, they did.  When the bleeding issue occurred, they made me NPO in case I needed another surgery.  They finally heated the tray for me at about 10:30 last night.  It was decent.  I’m sure it tasted as good as it did because I was so hungry!

I am pretty sure that eating so late, and getting up so quickly to go to the restroom contributed to my fainting issue.  I have not been lightheaded at all since that incident.  I am getting around pretty well on my own.  Mom and dad are here helping me get positioned, taking care of the dogs, apartment, etc.

Weird things:

• I had some bad luck getting blood drawn today.  Their scanner wasn’t working right, my veins weren’t giving up blood, the nurse accidentally yanked the butterfly out…  Had to be stuck 4 times for just a tiny bit of blood. 
• I think I really am powered by caffeine.  I felt like a new woman after they brought me coffee and diet coke this morning.
• I am catching up on Hoarders.
• The tip of my tongue is numb.

Thanks to everyone who has called, texted, or otherwise been checking up on me, praying for me, etc.  I appreciate you all more than you will ever know!

 

 

Edgy Eve

So, my tummy tuck/abdominoplasty is tomorrow.  I just took one more look at the hanging skin on my abdomen and yeah…  can’t fathom what will be left at the end.

I am nervous, excited, anxious, and all that good stuff.

Mom and dad are here, doing what moms and dads do.  Dad changed some light bulbs and set up my TV.  Mom cleaned the kitchen that I already cleaned, cooked dinner, and bought me groceries.

Friends near and far have sent their prayers and good thoughts and I know my God is near me all the time.  I guess I should finish sucking this glass of water down and try to get some sleep.  See you on the flip side!

Support me in the Walk From Obesity!

For the first time ever, I will be participating in the Walk From Obesity.  My fundraising goal is a modest $100, but I would love to SMASH that goal with your help.  Please consider making  small donation, as this cause is near and dear to my heart.  Or if you like you can join my team, Bariatric Bad Girls Club – North Texas.  We need to be the TOP TEAM IN DALLAS, PLEASE!

Dallas, TX – 2011 Walk from Obesity

Join us on: Saturday, September 24, 2011

• Online registration is only $25
• On-site registration will be $35
• Children under the age of 12 are FREE
• All registrations include a Walk from Obesity t-shirt

Walk Location:
Cooper Aerobics
12200 Preston Road
Dallas, TX 75230

On-site Registration Will Open At: 8:30 AM

Walk Will Begin At: 9:00 AM, finish by noon

Walk Information: Stay tuned for more details!

The Going Gets Tough

Here’s the short version.  I’m having surgery on Tuesday.  I’m having an abdominoplasty and I will continue to insist on calling it a reconstructive procedure.  My insurance has even deemed it medically necessary.  I am thankful for that, because the self-pay on this is fairly cost prohibitive.  I was approved with one letter from the plastic surgeon.  I’m guessing the pictures were scary enough for the insurance people.

Now, had the doctor’s first letter failed to get an approval, I would have had to produce documentation that the excess skin on my abdomen is causing medical issues.  I do have this documentation through two of my other doctors.  I highly recommend, if you are planning to try to use insurance to pay for your procedure, that you start your documentation as early as possible.  Go to the doctor every time you have a rash, pain, or anything related to your excess skin.  Get a prescription for any rashes and go back so you can document when those prescriptions fail to resolve the problem.

I know, I know.  I am not telling you anything you don’t already know.  Just do it.

Also, I know what your next question is.  I would post the before/after pictures, but then I would have to kill you.  Ain’t.  Happenin.

I think people are surprised that I was able to prove medical necessity.  Being a petite size 4 or 6, I guess most people don’t realize how much excess skin I really have.  Let me just put it this way.  I wear the most restrictive shapewear I can find to attempt to disguise the problem.  I am tired of it.  I hurt and I’m sore and I’m, well, just uncomfortable.  Minus the shapewear, I feel deformed.  I am very much looking forward to see the results of this procedure.  Have I ever had a flat tummy?  No.  The idea that I might have one at the conclusion of this is pretty exciting.

I am NOT excited about the procedure itself.  I believe the pain will be fairly incomparable to anything I’ve experienced before.  I do not know what to expect.  I mean, I kind of do based on what other people have said.  However, my perception is that the recovery from plastics can be very individual.  What if I’m one of the ones who has a major issue?  Oh boy, do they amputate your belly if you get MRSA?  Doubt it.  Oh lordy, I hope they give me plenty of antibiotics.  And what if my altered guts don’t absorb the pain medication adequately?  Yikes!  Can’t dwell on that though.  Que sera sera and all that good stuff.

So, what am I doing to prepare?  Glad you asked.

• Rearranged my storage so that the most needed items are accessible at waist level.
• Asked for help from trusted friends.
• Increased my protein shakes and water intake.  Protein and hydration are extremely important for healing!
• Adjusted my food intake and um, other stuff, so that my guts will hopefully cooperate in spite of heavy pain medication.  If you get my drift.
• Prepared a high protein lentil soup that I can freeze and/or eat on for several days.
  

  Simple crockpot creation: Lentils, ground turkey, bag of frozen green beans, yellow onion, can of crushed tomatoes with basil, fresh basil, pesto, garlic, and chicken broth. Serve sprinkled with parmesan. It's definitely comfort food. Nothing fancy.

• Prepared a yummy fruit salsa that I can use to top my Greek yogurt or cottage cheese.
  

  Fruit salsa using items that NEEDED to be used up: Carton of sliced strawberries, can of pineapple (drained), juice of 1 lime plus the zest, splash of Triple Sec and a splash of Davinci sugar free strawberry syrup. This turned out WAY better than I expected it to. Yum.

• Lined up some books I’d like to read and TV shows to catch up on.
• Borrowed wedge pillows, as I will not be able to lie flat for a while.

My mom and dad will be here starting tomorrow, but just for a few days.  Still, I don’t get to see them enough and I’m grateful that they will be here.

In addition, I have some other personal challenges going on that will make this recovery process a little more scary and daunting to me than it might have been even under better circumstances.  I would appreciate your kind thoughts and prayers.  Also, thanks to my friends who have been in my space and in my face, supporting me and keeping me busy.  You know who you are.  I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.

Spontaneity – Part 2

(Note:  It’s a lot easier to food blog when someone has their good camera and is willing to take a gazillion pictures.  Thanks to Kaitlin for the pics!)

After having so much fun on our impromptu road trip, I was more than happy to let Kaitlin kidnap me yet again this afternoon for a little pajama shopping.

Why pajamas?  Well, I do have plenty of cutesy pajamas, but they all pull over the head.  The surgery center gave me instructions to find jammies that button or zip rather than pull over the head.  I also determined that they will probably be ruined (and I don’t really like that style), so I didn’t want to spend very much.  What’s a girl to do?

Goodwill!  Heck yes.  Even though it’s summer and I’ll be missing my pool time, I can soak up the sun in my genuine Hawaiian imitation muumuu.  Score!  I also found a cotton set of PJs with blue and pink stripes.  Bland.

Next up, we hit the Garland Road Thrift Store.  Red jammies, hot pink jammies, and lavender.  Good.  I can still feel like a girl.

Kaitlin wanted to hit the Vitamin Shoppe, but we got a little turned around on our way.  We ended up.  At.  Whole Foods. Again.

Well, why not just make a night of it and make dinner? It’s been a while since I blogged about cooking anyway.

Dinner fixins: Alaskan sockey salmon, ruby red jasmine rice, fresh mozzarella, basil, peaches, lime, red onion, yellow kiwi

After Whole Foods, we really did make it to the Vitamin Shoppe. I picked up some Oh Yeah! Protein Wafers. It’s a good girl’s answer to the Nutty Buddy, I swearz it. I also picked up a couple of Isopure Smoothies. I have heard so many of you raving about how tasty they are. I decided to pick two up for the days immediately after surgery when I don’t believe I’ll feel like eating. After doing some minor damage to the bank accounts, we headed back to my place to get started on dinner.

First, Kaitlin got the rice started. We both spotted the Ruby Red Jasmine rice at Whole Foods the other night and were looking forward to trying it. Kaitlin sauteed the rice a bit with some garlic before letting it cook. It stayed on the stove for at least 45 minutes. Meanwhile, we busted out the moscato.

Banrock Station Moscato

Yummy rice!

I got started on the salmon. I made a marinade of extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, fresh basil, garlic (is there such a thing as too much garlic?), salt, and pepper. I love to work with fresh basil. It’s one of my favorite smells!

Mmmm... salmon

Not a chef, but I play one on this blog when I feel like it.

OH look! A food stalker!

Heeeeeeeeere, fishy fishy!

Waiting for the broiler now!

After putting the fish together, I started on the peach mozzarella salad. I made a dressing of EVOO, lime juice, lime zest, fresh basil, garlic, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper. Whisk it all together, and pour it over fresh peach slices, chunks of mozzarella, and chopped red onion. Yum.

Dressing for peach mozzarella salad

Millions of peaches, peaches for me...

Fresh mozzarella is a treat!

Get ready and....

Whisk it! Whisk it good!

And again... the food stalker.

Mommy, I'm not begging. At. All.

By this time, we needed to broil the fish. Ten-ish minutes later = perfection!

YUM!!!!

What dinner is complete without an iPhone?

After dinner, we decided we were bored. There’s no TV at my place right now. I loaded up the boys and we headed over to Kaitlin’s place to stream episodes of Obsessed on Netflix and be entertained by the terrorism of Mia, her cat.

Meeting Mia

Friends?

Mia is NOT pleased to meet you!

Kaitlin and I agreed that we need to have a dinner club or something. We put together a very tasty, healthy meal using fresh ingredients in less than an hour. The teamwork and friendship made it even more fun! Who’s coming to dinner next time?

Spontaneity – Part 1

(Note:  If the photo isn’t grainy, it’s because I stole it from Travis Waddell’s blog)

In just a few days, I will be having my first round of reconstructive surgery.  My insurance has approved me for an abdominoplasty, which is scheduled for Tuesday.  More on that later, but with a fairly rough recovery period looming, I have been anxious to squeeze as much fun in as I possibly can before I’m stuck at the house for a while.

That’s why my response was “Why not?” when Kaitlin suggested we take a day trip to Austin, TX.  We hit the Walmart for some road sustenance.  How can you go wrong with cocoa dusted almonds, 100 calorie packs, and these:

Splenda ring pops!!!!

I'm so dang kewl.

Kaitlin is kewler.

After picking up my dogs from the groomer, we hit the road.  We made a pit stop to take advantage of the Sonic Happy Hour (Diet Strawberry Limeade) and grab some lunch.  Have you tried the Chicago dogs?  You had me at hot peppers and relish.  Uh, yeah.  I am a model bariatric patient indeed.

*scratch last paragraph?*  Nope.

When we finally arrived in town, I demonstrated my prowess as a navigational failure.  Not only did I have difficulty hearing Travis on the phone, but I could not mentally process the directions even when I COULD understand what he was saying.  Shana is a visual learner/kinesthetic learner/musical learner.  Let me see it first, then do it, and then I’ll make up a rap about it.

Still, we finally found Le Casa de Travis and Jina in Pflugerville.  After some introductions (Jina and Rocky) and the grand tour (I don’t know if you know this, but Travis has guns and went to Hawaii recently.), we set off for Austin.  Travis suggested Shady Grove, which is a pretty casual place with an amazing patio.  I had the Half Hippie Chick sandwich with a side salad.  Grilled veggies, mozzarella cheese, and chicken breast.  Yes, please!  We shared chips, queso, and good conversation.  I don’t think we solved any of the world’s ills, but how much can you really accomplish when there’s chips and queso around?

Shady Grove menu

Random Road Trippers, FTW!

Bariatric Contraband

Afterward, we tooled around Austin a little bit and I became acquainted with the meaning behind the phrase “Keep Austin Weird.”  The city and its residents really pride themselves on their independent spirit!  I saw all kinds of little places I’d like to explore when I have some time.  But for all my talk of independence, where did we end up?

The mother ship.  Whole Foods.

Uh, yeah.  We have those in Dallas.  Didn’t matter when you have Former Fatty Foodies.  Take me to your leader.

Say Cheese!

Uh yeah. Just because we were there: Havarti cheese, moscato, and an oreo cupcake.

After the Whole Foods excursion, we walked on the grounds of the state capitol very briefly. Amazing! I can’t believe I’ve lived in Texas for 10 years and have never seen the capitol. Well, now I have, but just from the outside. The building is pretty awe-inspiring, even before the native Texans start telling you that it is almost as tall as the U.S. Capitol. I definitely want to go take a legit tour at some point.

Amazing!!! *Close your ears, TN friends* I FREAKIN' LOVE TEXAS!

Jina, Kaitlin, Moi

Thelma and Louise

Kaitlin had to work the next morning, so we hit the road again late in the evening and made it back home at…  undisclosed number a.m.  Both of us agreed we would do it again in a heartbeat!  The freedom of the open road!  Frankly though, I’m glad we went in Kaitlin’s car.  She has a hybrid and gets killer mileage.  And my car needs a wheel balance.  I travel with my own percussion section.

Thanks to Travis and Jina for dropping everything to entertain us!  You guys RAWK!

Final note, now that I’ve had my picture made on the steps and I’m marking a whole decade out here, can I call myself a Texan?