Goodbye to Austin that is...
Ander and I took a well deserved small vacation to Galveston Texas this past weekend. We both needed it, although I don't think Ander realized that until we got there. I kept thinking to myself, "Why do I feel like I need this vacation? I just went home for Christmas and that was only four months ago!"
REASONS WHY THESE LAST FOUR MONTHS HAVE BEEN SECRETLY SORT OF AWFUL:
1. I usually go home to Utah at the beginning of each April. That's when my mom's Spring Break is. I've gone home to spend that time with her for the last three years. This year Ander and I are going to California in June for a week, so we couldn't take a Utah trip this month.
2. Brooke, one of our busiest Lash Stylists just up and quit out of the blue. Brooke was pretty much booked solid most days, and usually for weeks at a time. We had nowhere to put her appointments.
3. Jamie, another one of our busiest stylists found out she was pregnant and had the worst morning sickness she had ever had. She called in sick constantly so therefore we had to constantly reschedule her appointments. Her whole entire first trimester was that way.
4. We hired on a new stylist, Stacy, and her training was pretty bad. She just wasn't getting the technique... she just didn't have what it took. She was very dramatic about everything and made mountains out of molehills on a daily basis.
5. We hired two more stylists, Kayla and Rachel, that have actually worked out! But I still had to train them and check their work for two weeks.
6. Stacy broke crushed her thumb knuckle bone completely, ending her career at the Lash Lounge.
7. Kayla found out she was pregnant and also got really sick. She is now currently working part time. She also had to quit smoking cold turkey and went through major nicotine withdrawals.
8. Kayla's older sister died in an accident and Kayla had to go home for a week. When she returned not only was she still suffering nicotine withdrawals, but she was grieving, pregnant, sick, and stressed out.
9. We hired yet ANOTHER new stylist, Emily. And she has been a delight, but I still had to train her and check her work for another two weeks.
10. I've had to address client complaints regarding almost all of my technicians for one thing or another, which is exhausting because I hate having those depressing conversations with my techs.
11. My sister has been struggling a lot in her life, just crappy things happening at crappy times. I worry about her a lot.
So one Saturday night I had a meltdown. I couldn't really handle it anymore. I was tired of putting everyone else's fires out, and trying to balance my church duties, my duties as a wife, my duties as a Master Stylist, my duties in the home... and Ander being the sweet husband he is told me that I needed a vacation.
So we took one.
We took Ander's truck because on the way back from Galveston we were going to pick up his new (used) Legend bass boat. I'm sure we used twice as much gas then we would have if we would have taken my car, but whatevs... the seats are bigger so May-May mostly hung out on my lap. And in case you're wondering, she's 55 pounds.
We stopped in Houston for breakfast at Denny's. Why is it that I have a feeling that Texas is the ONLY place that is offering bacon desserts? Ander said they could be good, but I decided to steer clear. And another thing: Denny's breakfasts really aren't that good. I prefer IHOP.
Full stomach = happy husband.
Ander and I thought it was funny that everything on the bridge to Galveston island was wavy. The dividers, the street lamps, even the road was a little bumpy. I guess that's Galveston saying WELCOME TO THE OCEAN.
We left Austin around six in the morning, so we got to Galveston with plenty of time to hang out at the beach with May-May before we checked into our beach house. May-May did not know what to think of the waves. Well, that's not true. She hated them.
This is a totally relaxed couple NOT thinking about work.
This is the cute beach house we got to stay in! The lady that lives there rents it out for the weekends for $125 a night on the weekends. We were able to bring May-May and not pay a pet fee and we got the whole house to ourselves. And it was only a block away from the beach!
On our way to our beach house we passed Pleasure Pier. Galveston was ripped to shreds a couple of years ago by a hurricane, and they apparently rebuilt this pier to be even cooler than the last one. We tried to walk in with May-May on her leash and the attendant told us no pets were allowed. "Can you imagine if we let people bring their pets in here?" she asked, "it would be an absolute zoo." True story. We decided that since we had brought May-May with us to Galveston there was no reason to leave her at the beach house. Why would we have brought her to leave her alone in a strange place? Naw, we never went to Pleasure Pier. The roller coaster looked scary anyway.
As we were walking across the street to get to Pleasure Pier I tripped on a metal track running down the road. I almost went down to the ground THREE different times, but I magically kept myself up. I probably looked like a complete idiot to all the cars waiting at the red light. When I finally got my footing I raised my hands high above my head as if I had just won a gold metal. A group of people walking
We saw a bunch of people fishing out on a jetty, Ander couldn't help himself, he had to go and ask them if they were catching anything yadda yadda yadda. Ander was so sweet, he didn't bring ONE SINGLE fishing pole on this trip. He told me this trip was for me, not for fishing. But he did tell me that the next trip we take to Galveston he will totally be bringing some fishing stuff. I guess it's all well and good since I just want to read and get some sun on the beach anyway.
Wind makes May-May look like a fruit bat.
Ander took me to the Rainforest Cafe for lunch. This was the only time we left May-May at the beach house. You definitely don't go to the Rainforest Cafe for the food... but the atmosphere is cool. We sat next to a giant waterfall and the animatronic gorillas a couple tables down from us made a commotion every ten minutes. Thunderstorms happen every 30 minutes. I had never eaten at a Rainforest Cafe before.
Sunday morning we headed back out the beach for the earlier part of the day. Ander bought a boogie board and spent his time in the water with May-May while I caught some rays and read a bit. The weather was absolutely perfect. Breezy, sunny, and warm. I wish I could do this every weekend.
On our way to grab lunch we saw the coolest colored dog we've both ever seen in our lives. Black and white face with a perfect line down the middle. This jeep stopped next to us at a stoplight a little later. I told Ander to ask the guy what kind of dog it was but Ander said, "No, he probably gets that question all the time." Lame. I'm sure it was a mutt, but it was a beautiful one at that.
The woman that owns the house we stayed in was kind enough to show us this article right before she handed us the keys. Apparently this wreck happened right in front of her house just a few days ago. Literally. That car that is parked to the right of the picture is her car. That wreck missed her car by inches. Some guy was intoxicated and going 90 miles an hour down this quiet little street while running from the cops. He crashed into another car and obliterated both vehicles. It was unnerving walking around the block and finding pieces of car everywhere. Every stop sign we came to I said a little prayer, "Please bless that no one is going 90 miles an hour down this road this very moment so we don't die..."
Saying goodbye to the ocean for the time being. Headed to Houston for a boat and then back home!
Waiting on 'Merica, Ander's new bass boat. It's purdy.
Texas is famous for it's Blue Bonnet flowers. We drove past a huge field of them and decided to stop. They were beautiful. These babies are a staple for family photos in the state of Texas.
May-May was pretty exhausted by the end of our weekend. The first night we stayed in the beach house she stayed out on the couch and woofed and barked at every noise she heard. Thank goodness for ear plugs. As much as I appreciate her being a watchdog, it got old. Fast. So the next night I put some white noise on for her through my laptop and she didn't make a peep!
Sleepy puppy.
After our weekend we both felt rejuvenated. And my work week was actually somewhat slow so it was a nice transition. Buuuuuuuuuuuut I would go back to Galveston in a heartbeat. It wasn't the nicest city I've ever been to, but it was definitely worth it. We had a blast! Now we have a Father's Day weekend trip to California in June to look forward to!
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