Another New Restaurant!

No. 63: A New Restaurant!

I've said it before and I'll say it again. In our house we 200% get stuck in a rut when it comes to eating out. One of us doesn't like change, leaving the area, anything unfamiliar.

So usually I have to depend on the kindness of friends to adventure out to new restaurants. 

And I did just that last week. 

Been trying to reconnect with a friend from junior high/senior high for a while. She doesn't live that far but we are both busy and it just hadn't happened. 

But finally! 

And we went some place new to both of us... Cedar Creek Bar and Grill. It's in the Heights area of Houston, an area near where I spent the first five years of my life. My grandmother lived in the Heights for years until she passed away at the age of 100. It was an area that went into decline but has since reimagined itself. I love that kind of story.

The sign says Austin, Texas but I promise we were in Houston. 

Cedar Creek is one of the four "Creek" restaurants owned by the same group. It's got a fabulous patio (but no dogs allowed-we aren't in Colorado-although there is  Onion Creek which does allow dogs outside) and a funky bar/restaurant inside. The sign says "Welcome to the Hill Country" even though the actual Hill Country is a good 100 miles away. But it's got that Austin vibe which is not a bad thing.

A great patio for lingering.

I had crab balls with chipotle dip, my friend had a sandwich. Food was good.

Me with Tricia....older, wiser and better looking. 

And my friend?
Tricia found me in 7th grade when I was as homely and awkward as a kid could get. Huge glasses. Short hair. (NOT a good look for me.) Braces. Shy.

Seriously. 

How did she manage to see past this to want to be my friend? 

We had gone to different elementary schools so she was a whole new experience. I was so amazed that someone so fun and so crazy wanted to be friends with me. She opened me up to a whole new group of kids and a whole new kind of fun. I spent four years of my life practically living at her house. (Except when she was at mine.)

Tricia at my house learning to macrame.

1974

And what happened? Why did we lose touch?
What do you think?
Boys.  (sigh)

One friend ran off with another's boy and there was a domino effect of girls switching guys and guys switching girls and I don't even really remember anymore exactly what happened but typical of girls that age....friendships were damaged. 

However....

Years later there were apologies and water under the bridge and we all ended up getting ourselves guys that were more reliable (and not as likely to dump you for your best friend) and we realized that guys come and go but a true friendship weathers. 

So Tricia and I spent about 4 hours "having lunch". Such a fabulous afternoon. 

I hope we can do it again soon.

And if you need to "waste" away an afternoon chit chatting with someone dear, try one of the Creeks.

No. 35: Part Two: That 40th High School Reunion + a Birthday

No. 35: Part Two: The 40th High School Reunion Pics 

I went to my 40th High School Reunion. But first I reminisced and posted lovely high school photos of some of my friends from 40 years ago. While I was at the party Saturday night, I did my best to get pics of those same people.

Some comparisons....

Curtis in 1974

Curtis

(With Lisa Laird Married Name that I Don't Know) 

and Brown

 And here's Brown in 1974 

with Carol that is no longer with us.

Brown and I talked about how much we wish she were still here. 

So both of these guys are looking pretty good. The hair isn't as long but at least they still have some!!

Right? 

Me with Mary in 1974

Me with Mary now.

I think Mary looks almost exactly the same, just shorter hair. And both of our faces are thinner. 

What's up with that? 

Me with Emily.  

Wish I had gotten a better pic of her. 

I swear she looks better now than then.

Half of Brown, Me, Emily and Kevin, back in the day.

Here's Bobby/Bob and Kevin now. 

They are just as adorable as ever except with, again, shorter hair. 

And Bobby then. We need to know his secret. 

You know, the "never age secret". 

 Sally, Me, Liddy- 1974

Me, Sally, Liddy- 2014

Sorry we are a little blurry- cell phone pics.

I believe we have all gotten blonder. 

Imagine that!

 Tricia then.

Me and Tricia now.

This was about the 7th selfie we tried taking...I had to break out the reading glasses just to see what we were doing. Both of us were pretty close to hysterical.  For some reason we just 

couldn't get it right. Some alcoholic beverages may have been consumed at this point.

Anyway, same smile, same fun person.

Tricia with Martha/Ann

Lynn, Peggy, Martha now Ann, Allison, Anne, Liddy, Me

And in the back middle we have Martha/Ann again, looking not one day older.

Did Robert E. Lee have something really magical in the water fountains? 

And just because- me and Liddy enjoying the night. 

We were good at that then, 

still good at that now.

The guys haven't aged. The girls haven't aged. The years have been good to all of us.

Thank goodness. 

Love them all. So happy I got to visit.

Thanks for indulging my stroll down memory lane.

No. 35 is officially complete.

AND.....

Today is 9/11.   For most that day is a day of remembrance, a sad day when many lives were lost senselessly.
For me it is my middle child's birthday along with my handsome soon-to-be-wed nephew's birthday.
A reminder that while there is evil in the world, there are also reasons to rejoice.
Happy happy birthday Belle and Brian.

Hard to believe that this baby...

 Born with a full head of black hair...

became this baby...

and turned into a natural blonde. 

Life is full of surprises.

Throw back Thursday: In Honor of No. 35, Go to My 40th High School Reunion

Throw Back Thursday: Whereby I Post Embarrassing Photos of Friends from High School


It's going to be a high school reunion. No. 35 on the list.
Forty years.  That's a long time.

So of course I had to find me some old photos...you know, to jog my memory of how darling and cute we all used to be.   As opposed to how mature and dignified we all look now.

I remember pulling up to the building at my 30th reunion. There was a valet parker. As we waited in line to get to the valet, we watched people exit their cars. I turned to the hubs and asked "Are you sure this is the right place? There are only old people here."  Yep, it was the right place.

This time I know what to expect.

But first- a stroll down memory lane.

The dances:

 A Cotillion dance with Dale.

He didn't go to our school but friend Liddy and I both dated him at different times.

And the same dress (quelle horreur) but a different date- 

this time with Curtis.

How come I can't convince my girls to wear the same dress twice? 

Mom's wonderful photography skills.

Half of Brown, Me, Emily and Kevin.
I loved that outfit but how ...homespun... these dresses look.

And Senior Prom:

This picture has been removed because 
I got tired of the "cast fetish" attention. 
But it was me, with my date, and my leg in a cast. 
My date looked like Napoleon Dynamite.
Use your imagination.

My how Prom dresses have changed. 

See here and here for Belle's prom dresses.

Makes mine look pretty tame.

(Also Bunny looked at this picture and said "Looks like Napoleon Dynamite". Yep.)

A Senior Spring Break trip to San Miguel de Allende  on the train:

 Mary and Emily

Me and Mary

The highlight of this trip might have been the flasher who stood outside our 

train compartment window while we were stopped in Monterrey.

He exposed himself while one of us (not naming names) stayed glued to the window, blocking everyone else and squealing 

"O My! Don't look! O my! O! Don't look what he's doing now!"
For about an hour.

Bobby, now Bob, sitting in my room.

Why, O Why did I have a poster of Raggedy Ann and Andy in there? 

Although I do love how Bobby/Bob color coordinates with the room. 

 Sally, Me, Liddy and that black spot on the right is our French Poodle, Eaugarte.

Studying, I think.

 Tricia, learning to macrame´ .

 Me, Charlie, Liddy

We basically all three have the same hair cut.

A particularly beautiful picture of Liddy taken in San Miguel.

And from Tricia's birthday party:

Tricia and Martha

Brown and Carol.
Sadly she is no longer with us.

Billy, Mark and Gwen 

Kevin, DeeDee, now Dee, and John

Ok. So now I'm ready to go the reunion. 

I'll recognize everyone as long as the guys still have shoulder length hair and the girls are barely wearing any make-up.