Weekend - Austin

We love Austin!

  

Here's the weekend rundown...

Saturday - 

So this past weekend Lockstep and I packed up and headed to Austin.  We had to leave early Saturday morning because I had a 10:30 hair appointment.  We took the Westpark Toll I-10/Hwy 71 route and stopped for taquitos at Whataburger in LaGrange (a pro of being up before 11 on a Saturday morning). 

Expo Salon - I love Expo Salon.  Vo (hair) and Lily (nails) are awesome.  I've been going to Vo for cut/color about every 8 weeks for slightly over 3 years now.  She does a great job and we get along really well.  It doesn't hurt that she gives me an incredible deal.   So I usually stick to blonde and brunette and a trim.  This week I decided to throw in some red.  I really like it.  It's a good shade for autumn.  I'm thinking of moving towards Strawberry Blonde? 

DK Royal Stadium -  The Texas Longhorns played the Missouri Tigers on Saturday at 7 pm.  ESPN College Gameday was there and the game was televised on ABC.  Lockstep and I sat in the student section with my brother and the rest of our usual crew.  The stadium was PACKED before 6:30!!!!  We haven't seen the stadium so packed and fired up since the Ohio State game a couple of years ago.  As the #1 team again everyone decided to come out for the game.  The first half of the game was so fun!  My adrenaline was pumping the whole time.  It reminded me of the National Championship game (see photo at the beginning of this blog).

Here are some photos from the game scene - 

Lockstep and I got there early: 

Solo photo:

The next three photos are around 6:30 (game time was 7). 

Notice how the stadium is PACKED !!...

Pre-game the Alumni side:

Pre-game the Student side:

Pre-game the Student side during the "Eyes of Texas":

During the game...

We had just scored... getting ready to kick the extra point:

As Texas fans we pride ourselves on good sportsmanship and being considerate and nice fans towards the opposing team.  The UT Athletic Department and Texas Exes have a campaign called "Texas Fans Make Us Proud."  That aside, you'd think that people on the same team/school would be nice to each other, too.  Well, it seems there are people sitting in the Texas student section who don't understand the rules of the student section. I'd like to take a moment to review this concept. 

1. It's the STUDENT SECTION.  Not everyone (actually, no one) sits in their ACTUAL SEAT that is printed on their ticket.  (People sit with their friends and shuffle around the whole time).

2. If it's a BIG game, then get there EARLY.  This is especially important if you do actually want to sit in your actual seat. 

3. If there are people sitting in "your seat" when you get to the game, and there is an open seat just in front/down the aisle/behind "your seat", then you sit in the open seat area.  (You don't kick people out of "your seats"  when there is plenty of open space close by).

4. If it is a BIG game and you get to the stadium late and there are people sitting in "your seats" and those people sitting in "your seats"  move down/scrunch in/make room, then you COOPERATE with them and find a solution to make it possible for you to all fit.  (You don't just kick people out of the seats when there is obviously no room because the stadium is packed).

5.  If you are upset because people are in "your seats", then yelling, threatening to call the guards/police, and violence (pushing/hitting) is NEVER a good solution. 

So, in summary, at Texas and in the student section we try to make room for everyone... people stand sideways, their personal space is cramped, and we all stand and cheer and enjoy the game together. 

Let's just say that my crew had an unfortunate incident with some not-very-nice graduate students who thought they were entitled to their seats.  Let me emphasize that they have not been to a single game (we sit in that same area every game and have never seen them), and they were LATE to the game.  Do you remember how I started this topic?.... THE STADIUM WAS PACKED.  Those of you who know Lockstep know how awesome he is with scenarios like this... working things out with people (he's a rockstar when it comes to anything customer service related).  Well, these people were the opposite of cooperative, and they were angry.  

So, we got physically pushed out of the seats. 

Remember now... THE STADIUM WAS PACKED.  Where the hell are we supposed to go now?  

It all ended up ok.  We all found seats.  Lockstep and I actually found a really great place to stand and watch the game.  I loved where we ended up sitting (technically, everyone stands up for the whole game).  

The Longhorns played an awesome game.  I'm so proud of the team.  

Final Score: 56 - 31. Texas!

After the game we (our usual crew) headed back to the bus (Lockstep supports public transportation).  The bus was going to take another 20 minutes, and we were hungry so we walked towards Posse East and Double Daves.

Double Daves - We decided on pizza, Sportscenter, the end of the ACLS baseball game, and College Gameday Final.

Sunday - 

Slept in... awakened by the cell phone alarm clocks telling us to get up because the Dallas Cowboys game was on TV.  (Ummm, yeah the Cowboys should have just stayed home instead of playing the Rams.  Not a good game for the 'Boys). 

Maudies - We ALWAYS (except this one time) go to Maudies on Lake Austin Blvd after the football game, but since the game didn't start til 7 this week Maudies was closed by the time the game was over.  Bubs, Lockstep, and I went to Maudies for breakfast tacos to get our Maudies fix for the week.  

Lockstep and I took the 290 route back to Houston.  Took a nice little drive thru Brenham.  It takes about the same amount of time from Houston to Austin on either route.  The route you take should depend on what part of Houston/Austin you are going to and from.