I'm dreaming of a [green] Christmas.

I'm going to keep this brief tonight because it's 10:09pm and I'm sleepy.

So here it is, three things I love about Austin:

1) Trails. Running trails. Biking trails. Awesome trails. I ran on one today. Three whole miles. It's day one of 1/2 Marathon training. I shouldn't tell you that because maybe I won't stick with it, and you'll all be disappointed in me and stop reading my blog and stop being my friends and then I'll end up being sad and alone.

Aww. Don't do that to me! I'll stick with it, I promise.


2) Wine bars. Vino Vino in particular, with its walls and walls of wine:

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I only had one glass, I promise. I chose the Palagetto. ("well balanced with edgy acidity, soft and creamy with long, honey filled finish"). It was delightful. I went with a friend of mine from back home, though we weren't really friends back home. We happened to meet when she rode with me from Northern Michigan to Indianapolis one Christmas, set up by mutual acquaintances. Then we were Facebook friends. Then we both came to Austin. Yes, the world is just that small.

I told her the secrets of Texas. Like where you can find cowboys and how Blue Bell is the best ice cream ever.


3) I should have a number three, right? Good things come in threes...so, um...I've got nothing. OH! How about this? It just cracks me up. Christmas decorations and events WITHOUT SNOW. Since it's almost December, things are popping up all over the place.

This is my second winter south of the Mason-Dixon, and it's still super bizarre to me. This is what Christmas SHOULD look like:

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And this is Christmas in Texas:

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People. Polar bears don't belong on green grass. They need ice and snow and cold things. That just looks all kinds of not natural.

Nonetheless, this Saturday is the lighting of the Capitol Christmas Tree. Cheesy? Yes. Odd? Absolutely. Going? You better believe it.

Want to come? You should. You know you want to.



Crud. Now it's 10:43 and Bennet wants to go out and I'm still not in bed. Fail.