Friends

Friends make the world of difference in life.

Just a month ago I was pretty sure that I would head home to WI away from San Antonio as soon as finances and my roommate would allow me. However, finally, Brooke and I have made some friends, we've gone out and tried some new things, and we are settled in well enough that we are pretty sure we'll stay thru the end of our lease in February!

This is really exciting for me. I was really not liking San An and its quite nice now to enjoy where I'm at and just live.

This past weekend for Brooke and I had was super amazing. We started the evening off by helping one of our friends out by volunteering at a Red Cross Military Muster Gala. We were completely unsure of what to expect and ended up walking away with such a wonderful experience. We were put to work selling raffle tickets and ended up being able to mingle and talk to the guests while also offering the tickets for sale. It was so nice just to chat with the folks there and meet some new people.

We also helped during the Live Auction and handed out bottles of wine to the winners of the items and took down the bid numbers. It was such a neat event with super items for the guests to bid on. One of the items was a chocolate pearl necklace that had a market value of around $5,000. We really enjoyed the evening, met some new friends, and had a lot of fun!

The rest of the evening on Friday was spent going out and having a fun night with the neighbors. On Saturday, we were able to go over to some friends' place for a BBQ. AMAZING! We were served slowly cooked ribs from a woodsmoke grill and grilled corn on the cob. We also watched Toy Story 3. If someone has not watched this movie yet, do so very soon. It is such an incredible movie that is funny with an engaging story and it brings loads of tears at the end. I never thought a Toy Story movie could be so moving, but it truly was a great movie.

I was busy at work on Sunday morning just to come home and relax the rest of the afternoon. It was just so nice to have friends around to share the weekend with and know that there are others around that will be there for you.

Life is going well. Work still keeps me busy and Brooke and I are enjoying our friends! They do make life so much better and more enjoyable!

Chilly Texas

Believe it or not, one can get chilly down here in Texas! It definitely stays warmer longer down here, especially in comparison to my northern home, but it also gets chilly.

We went to a new restaurant last night, Mi Casa Tamales, with some friends of ours. We had gone in order to watch a band play a gig last night that Brooke and her friends knew. It was a beautiful evening, don't get my wrong, but I got cold! The outdoor heater element that was by our table was not in full working order and so my t-shirt and jeans did not completely suffice.

However, we had a great night. The band played good ole songs like, "Purple People Eater," "Build me up Buttercup," and other favorites. I tried an interesting Mexican dish called, Carne Guisada. It is a beef stew served with beans, rice, and lettuce that you put in a tortilla. It was good and it was something new, but I don't believe I will ever be ordering it again!

So as the weather cools down here and I find myself trying to remember a sweater, I still continue to work 6 days a week and hang out with my fantastic roommate. Nothing has changed much after my quick trip home for my brother's wedding and I quickly was back into the swing of things when I returned. The lows here in San An are only around 55 degrees and not freezing like back home, so I won't complain too much and will try to enjoy the coolness of the nights.