Parent Palooza

Chad and Dawn have been planning to come to visit the 19th-22nd of February for sometime now. My parents have had a hard time trying to figure out when they can come and planned their trip about a week before coming. Somehow, they ended up on the SAME flight here! Tara and I were offered the night before our parents came off in exchange for picking up an extra night the next week. So we were ready to go when we went to pick them up at 8AM on Thursday morning. My parents rode with Tara and I, and Dawn and Chad rode with Jana.



Tara looked at my dad since he had never rode with her before, she said, "Randy, I'm a fast driver and although it may not look like I'm going to stop, I will stop." My dad laughed, agreed and I'm pretty sure looked the other way. However, about 30 seconds later we hit a HUGE pot-hole that could ruin the average car's suspension. The car ahead of us hit it and then we did too, sending us all soaring through the roof and LAUGHING hysterically. At least she warned him!

Welcome!! Do you like our signs?

I had wanted to check out the JFK exhibit in Dallas. The Holldorfs went to check otu historic Fort Worth in the Stockyards where they did a cattle herding demonstration. Above I had to take a photo of the touristy look!

We're going in!

This is where Oswald shot Kennedy, the window all the way to the right, second from the top. A great exhibit!

By the time we all met up again, we went for a quick dinner and back to the house for a few night caps :-)

The next day we all went to downtown Grapevine for a little shopping.

...and happy hour :-)

What winter? Lovin the patio!

I think my roommate Tara is pretty funny and entertaining. I think her and Chad together could have their own reality show.

Friday night we went to the Stockyards for dinner and Billy Bobs to watch some two-steppin!

If you're a Meat n' Potatoes type of a person, this is the place for you!

Cowboys everywhere... well and my dad Randy

A great country band and a great familiy weekend!

Dawn and Tara

(Groupies)

Our favorite groupies Danny and Jana

Danny, how did that happen to you, TARA?!

Aw Cute!

Tara, why do you have 3?!

I don't care how old you are, Mom time is the best time!

Danny is Dawn's first cousin. They haven't seen eachother in about two years!

One more family photo...where is Trisha, Nate and Zaiya!? Can't wait to see you soon!
Who needs a disco ball when you have a saddle?

We watched the two-steppin for hours! There was a 7-year old girl who could do circles around me! I was trying to upload the video but it wasn't quite working. I'll try again soon...

The next day I had to drive my parents back to the airport, only to pick them up again because their flight was delayed! But they had to leave :-( I can't wait to see them again in a few weeks! That day, John, Tara, Danny and Chad went golfing (or were in the club house, we're not quite sure!?) We had a big family dinner that night with filet mignon wrapped bacon and a BIG salad! So great! John and I learned how to play euchre with Chad and Tara. It really was a laid back weekend, very relaxing but fun!

John joined the fun!

Heeeey Laadies!

The Katie's

You will all be blown away. I'm going to blog EVERY day for the next 3 days.

First I must apologize to my sister, my mom, my cousin Kelly, Katie Madsen, Grandma Grump and Grandma 8-ball, Dawn.....I'm sorry it has taken me this long to blog!

I need to go back to February 14th, Valentines Day weekend for our first weekend of company. Our friend Katie Madsen came to visit as well my sister, Katie. "The Katies" weekend was a blast...what we did??

We hit up a Mexican Restaurant with plenty of chips, and CORONA!

We did Tequila shots! But only because Jana made us :-)

This is the after photo...look below for the before. We were posing for the first group photo of many and Tara was pushing her beer in Katie's face. Katie, turned around and jokingly opened her mouth for the beer. Tara attempted to pour beer in my sister's (very large..what?) mouth. You can see how successful she was by the big dribble down Kate's neck ;-)

Mid-pour.

On Friday, Katie Madsen came in at about noon. We had worked the night before and I needed a nap. Tara, plugged through like a champ went off 2 hours of sleep, drinking all day with Katie Madsen. So needless to say, when I went to pick up my sister at 10PM we found Tara and Katie Madsen celebrating pretty hard at Papa G's, the neighborhood bar.

It's Saturday night! After a day of shopping, we grabbed a hotel so no one had to drive and hit up the Stockyards (It's like cowboy country with a whole lotta bars). It's Valentines Day! Spread the love!!

Eric met us out, and good thing he did because he taught the ladies how to two-step!!

Katie is in tehmiddle of the photo, she has perfected the dance and has moved onto another partner... Look out Patrick Swayze.

My sister's turn. What a pro!

Katie Madsen, do you need a water break? Beer break?

Overwhelmed by Demullings

Out on a Sunday night... We had another long day of shopping, a HILARIOUS dinner at a favorite restaurant called Snuffers and just a few cocktails to finish off the night. Oh and to keep everything interesting, I took a BIG digger off a high curb on the walk back to the car. My knee is still skinned up!

Thanks ladies for coming to visit!

Come back tomorrow for Parent Palooza!

Vamos a Mexico!!

About 9 months ago, Tara and I decided we needed a vacation on a Friday morning. We booked our trip that day and then left for Cancun on the following Monday. About 2 weeks ago, Tara and I decided that since we weren't going to the Duluth conference we go to every year that we would take a trip back to Mexico. We left on Saturday and came back on Tuesday, just enough time to get a good tan, a few memories, a few lost memories and some rejuvination.

However, we need a rejuvination from our vacation! Although we're outgoing people, we tend to hang by the pool while the sun is out and then go out at night with some people we meet at the hotel. We have never done the ATV thing or snorkeling or whatnot, we'll save our energy for the night life!

Our flight left on Saturday at 6AM, which meant we had to be there by 4AM. So rather than having to get up that early, we decided to go out and stay up instead. The rodeo is in town at Fort Worth and it is crawling with rodeo cowboys so that's where we went ... until bar close. My poor roommate Tara was dragging my butt outta here as I managed to hit everything on the way out with my luggage.

Our first day in Puerto Vallarta was relaxed and Tara met a group of people from Canada who were originally from Italy. A VERY nice group of people who we hit it off with, invited us to move our lounge chairs to poolside with them, and then that night went to Senior Frogs. Every night was a party with them and on the last night, Tony and Pierro made a true-blue Italian dinner in their suite and invited Tara and I. I don't think I'll ever be able to cook that well! So great!

Only one downside to the weekend, Tara took all the photos with her camera and it was stolen our last night in Mexico. I snapped a few on our last day but we had about 200 amazing photos that are now gone :-(. It might be a good thing that there is no proof! haha!

But here is what I have:

The Beach!

Baywatch audition... :-)

We were in the ocean for as long as it took us to take this photo, then back to the pool!

Awww....bring me back!

Whataburger

When I was in college, we had the beloved Buzzy's Pizza which made mac n' cheese pizza, and New York Pizza and Deli which served gyros and other terrible for you things for after you left the bar. Lately, Tara and I have taken a liking to the after-bar Whataburger. Whataburger is a burger chain in the South. EVERY night after going out, we have stopped and it has taken it's toll. I made Tara promise me we wouldn't go anymore after going out.

Danny and Jana took us for the first time to Whataburger a few weeks ago and insisted we try Taquitos, a wrap of egg and meat of some sort. We didn't and hadn't tried them until this last weekend when Danny persisted that we HAVE to have a taquito and then asked us to bring him some home and put them in the fridge for him to have the next day. I told him, no way Tara and I had made a deal that no more whataburger!!

But of course, after the Glass Cactus club on Friday night, we ended up at Whataburger again. We got our burgers and bought Danny his flippin' taquitos. When we got home, I was starving and told Tara we should try the Taquitos that Danny bragged about. WE ATE THE WHOLE THING! Danny got up the next morning....no taquitos....looked in the garbage....taquitos wrappers. NOT a happy Danny!

But I'm not a happy Char either. That stuff makes me feel like crap, binds me up and makes me feel like taking a nap. It however, has the other effect on Tara.....see below.

Tara

:-) We're going to Mexico this weekend!!!!! Puerto Vallarta!

Just to keep Katie quiet....

Hey Bloggers...

I have zero excuse as to why I haven't blogged and I have been getting a pile of sh*t for not blogging, so I'm back. Well Tara and I are back. I'm sitting in the bathroom while she dries her hair asking her for inspiration as to what we have been doing, because it's been so long that I can't remember!?

I hope everyone had a great New Years! We did....AT WORK! haha. I counted down with one of my patients and I think Tara might have as well. Oh well, we were off the next day and had a marathon of Guitar Hero Rock Band (for 8 hours!) I was the bassist, Tara was on drums until she quit the band, she forced me to try the drums.....uh uh! I don't know how anyone could keep up with that! I was lost, quit too, returning to the bassist, Danny on drums, Tara guitarist and Jana on vocals. You can't move on from one song until you master it...I NEVER want to hear "Beastie Boys, No sleep till Brooklyn." ever again!

We've been exploring more and more. Tara and I have this tradition where on our third day of work for the week, we stop at a bar in the morning. So we've been asking every Texan and nurse at work where there is a bar that serves in the morning. You should see the looks we get!! I thought one girl was going to hand me a 12-step program brochure! But leave it to us, without any help to find a place that serves burgers and beer at 8AM! We haven't lost our Wisconsin Skills yet!

You may think that since we're in the southern-most state that it would be very warm. Not true! It's been ranging between mid-30s to 60's for the past week. Brr!

Perfecting our 2-steppin!

Out with some friends...

We even met someone who invited us to play softball last weekend. Like i said, it's been chilly so I didn't stay for the whole tourney! I did however pick her up from the last game. She's been drinking all day and in true Denucci-form, did not want to go home. And those of you who know me, I'm a freeze baby so we weren't standing outside anymore! So I brought her to the nearby bar where we met some people who wanted to play shuffle board. This whole day was just not Tara's day. All on Saturday she managed to:

-leave her check card at the bar twice

-strike out

-burn her jacket on a heater melting it

All in good fun kids....we're heading to this place:
http://www.grapevinetexasusa.com/Portals/0/Glass-Cactus-sml.jpg

Our friend Eric

We met a friend here named Eric whose friend is having a birthday party and invited us. Tomorrow who knows?! Maybe Austin? Maybe a day spent in bed? Not sure but I will try to blog more!!!

TEXAS!!

We've been in Texas since December 13th and I'm sorry that I've been a bad blogger! So Tara and I will bring you up to speed...


First things first, our roommates:
Danny and Jana are Tara's cousin's that live in a neighboring town of the hospital. They have been brave enough to bring Tara and I into their home. Not sure if they quite knew what they have gotten themselves into!! Tara and I each have our own bedroom in their g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s house. They have taken us out drinking (a favorite passtime), introduced us to Danny's harley friends (who taught me how to two-step and told Tara she's cuter than fish turds), and had a minor dance party in the living room




Jana has taken us shopping (thankfully!) and to watch football on Sunday afternoons. And speaking of football, our gifts from them for Christmas were Texas Longhorn Sweatshirts, Shirts and Cowboys shirts! My mama thinks I'm a trader to the Packers! NEVER!

Our happy family :-)

Me, Danny, Jana and Tara!

But you may be wondering about the hospital (ya know, the reason why we're here!) Well, it's not what we expected, and less than enjoyable. We're down-right not happy with it but there are 33 days left there and I'm okay with knowing that it is not forever. On the plus side, we can pick our own schedule and we're thinking that we will be taking a few trips home, around Texas and to Mexico! So there are upsides to everything and everything is wonderful....when we're not at that blessed hospital!



Finally, things that you learn about Texas:
*Ya'll is truly what you think it is. Everyone says it, and thinks we're crazy for not catching on. Never going to happen.
* The intersections here are out of control. HUGE! Tara and I have almost ended up on the wrong side of the median many times.
* Everyone LOVES the cowboys...gross.
* There are beer barns! These are drive-through liquor stores that you literally drive in, ask for what you want and they put it in the car for you....why didn't Wisconsin invent this!?
* People really wear cowboy hats.
* Thank you always preceeds a ma'am or sir. I have never been called ma'am so many times in my life.

Lovin' the hats

Last night Tara and I went to dinner and a movie (a real date night!) then for ice cream (Lord, we sound so in love!) and then onto a few after dinner/movie/ice cream drinks! We met a few people who were celebrating their friends birthday. We ended at a bar in Fort Worth teaching these guys how to play Big Buck Hunter. We're bringing some 'Sconi to Texas!!! Look out!

Our first Big Buck Hunter pupil...not a bad shot!

Look at all the beers I drank. Look how unimpressed the girl is in the back :-)

An eventful day...

Madison, Wisconsin

Many of you know that we were supposed to leave today...

However, nothing is dull in our world and last evening Tara found out that Texas has not issued her a license yet. So, Tara had to rush her Wisconsin license today. Wisconsin needed a form from Tara's school and told her that if she gets it to them via fax it would take two weeks to get her license from Wisconsin. (If you have a Wisconsin license, you can also work in Texas).

THEN Tara mentioned, if she drove it to the department of licensing today, how fast could she get a license? The lady at the licensing place said, "If you're crazy enough to drive to Madison, then I'll give you your license today."

So we drove to Madison and back today. We leave at 5 AM tomorrow (Saturday) to drive to Texas...we're spending too much time in the car!!!

Back on the road again kids!! We'll be in Texas tomorrow :-)