Missing Texas

2 days in a row!  I forgot to publish this post so I'm counting it.  Last time I mentioned I had come up with a plan to cure some Texas homesickness.  We've lived in Spokane now for almost 4.5 years and we love it here.  But I have a longing to be home.  As I was growing up I lived in West Jordan until I was 11. South Jordan for 5 years. Oklahoma City for 2.5 years.  Dallas for a year. And College Station for 5.5 years.  I think that I will forever call College Station home.  Most people have fond memories of college and enjoyed their time there, but they are excited to move beyond that point in there life.  A lot of times I feel the same but sometimes I wish I had stayed there.  The time I spent there made me the person that I am.  I went to school there not knowing a single person.  Other than a good engineering program, I didn't know a single thing about A&M.  I lived by myself for a year and a half while I tried to figure out who I was and what I needed to do with myself.  I played basketball 5-6 times a week for almost 5 straight years, went to 2 Intramural National Championship events and made life-long friends because of that.  It was an amazing time for Noelle and I.  I'm so blessed with the job and life that we have now and I hate to even admit this, but I've had pretty strong temptations to just sell everything we own, move back to Texas, get my PhD, become a professor and live in College Station.  It's stupid and I wouldn't do that to my family but its soooo tempting.  I love College Station. 

The really funny thing is how my mind deals with this homesickness.  I know I'll never be able to relive the pick-up basketball games, engineering classes, poker tournaments with friends or stress-free lifestyle.  But, one thing I can do is eat.  I can sit down in Freebirds World Burrito in College Station and have the exact same beautiful experience as I did so many times while in college.  Once or twice a week I ate Freebirds... this magnificently unique, gigantic, perfection of a burrito full of all the greatness that is Texas.  Just thinking about it is leaving me drooling, hungry and aching for home.  I mean seriously, I tried to get Noelle on a plane this Thursday, fly to College Station, eat at our favorite spots, hit the OU vs A&M football game on Saturday and fly home Sunday before my next chemo.  She almost went for it, until she found out it would cost close to $2000 to do it.  I'd still do it, its only money ;) but I like keeping my wife happy more. 

When visiting Texas, and College Station in particular, there are a few staples that you have to hit.  For us, this is the run down....

At least 2 trips to Freebirds (one for the burrito, one for their killer nachos, soooo yummy)
At least 2 trips to Wings N' More (best hot garlic chicken wings you'll ever eat, period)
C and J's Barbeque
Mi Cocina Tex Mex
Koppe Bridge Burger and Fries
Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen (in Houston but worth every second of the 1.5 hr drive from College Station)

We've tried and tried but just can't reproduce the greatness of Freebirds or Wings N' More at home.  And there is just no way to reproduce good Tex Mex or true Texas BBQ, you just have to be there.  You can't get fresh gulf seafood in the Inland Northwest, not going to happen.  So the only way to get our fix is to physically go to Texas. 

Well, in my drug induced stupor I came up with a way that I can get my fix, if only partially.  I figured out a way to have both Freebirds and Wings every other week!!  We will make one trip to Texas in the Feb-March so that we can hit a few A&M basketball games and one trip in September-October so we can hit an A&M football game.  I need to bring an extra duffel bag style suitcase.  While we are there I will purchase two small styrofoam coolers.  Here is what we need to stock up on...

Wings N' More

A 6 month supply will consist of...
280 HOT GARLIC chicken wings
12 Lg fries
12 Pickle chip orders
12 Lg blue chees sauce side orders


Freebirds

A 6 month supply will consist of...
8 Super Monster burritos with all the good stuff inside
12 Lg sides of their killer queso
2 Bottles of their Bad A** BBQ sauce (truely unique)
1 Bottle of death sauce

Pack each cooler with some dry ice and all the food.  Surround the coolers with new Aggie t-shirts and gear.  Once home, freeze and enjoy as needed.  One week we can enjoy Freebirds and the next week we can enjoy Wings.  It's not quite the same as eating in the restaraunt but close enough for living 2,000 miles away from College Station.  We have a trip planned for hopefully March (my b-day) if we can make everything work.  I'll give it a try and see if it works.  In theory, it's a perfect plan, but you never know.  I'll let you know how it goes.  Well tomorrow, the high is 60 and it will be November 3rd.  I've been feeling so good that I'm going to go play some golf!  I haven't played since July but it will be fun, I'm sure.  Here's to making 3 days in a row tomorrow!