In November 2012, I wrote a post called Whiskey, Wine and Root Beer. It was a fan favorite, and still to this day one of my favorite posts. This weekend my family and I made the drive down to Carrizo Springs, TX again. This time it was not for deer or dove season, it was spring time. It was time for all of us to get away for a long weekend. We all need a break from work to recharge our batteries. A long weekend is just what the doctor ordered. Our family needed some time to remind us of what is really important in life.
In a week filled with tradgedy with the Boston Marathon and the explosion in West, Texas, a child’s laughter and my wife’s smile was all I needed to see and hear. Now Carizo Springs hasn’t been known for much other than hunting and its severely hot weather in the summer. Recently, however, Carizzo Springs has become an a oil town where hotels, restraunts, and even a new H.E.B have popped up. Still, to me it is that quiet place where all of us can ride our jeep, see the game, go fishing and drink a whiskey, wine or root beer.
When we drove down it was getting to be lunch time and we were getting hungry so we pulled off to Military Drive, a street in San Antonio, to see where we could eat. There was McDonald’s, KFC, Wendy’s, Sonic, all the fast food chanis you would expect to see in Texas. Then we saw Long John Silvers. Do you remember the last time you ate at Long John’s? Geographically, I don’t know where Long Johns is located, but I can tell you this, if you haven’t eaten there, it is the unhealthiest of unhealthy. Fried fish, fried chicken, french fries, fried shrimp, fried EVERYTHING! It was AWESOME. Now we eat healthy, but this sounded good to us. Something different. Not an everyday occurrance. That set the tempo for the weekend.
When we got to the ranch, the first thing we noticed were the Tractors. Oh man- a 2 year old seeing a tractor must be like me sitting on a beach with a Pina Colada. The excitement in his voice was contagious. DADDY! TRACTOR! Sit in it! Sit in it! “Okay Trace”, said Laura and me. Kennedy, our daughter, was just as excited because Trace was excited. Laura and her broken foot was taking pictures with her camera phone. Memories I won’t forget.
We later got in the pool, took a long jeep ride, went into town to have a steak dinner and then went to bed watching Storage Wars. Oh well, Storage Wars it was. Best we could do. The next morning, we cruised the strip and then went to Wal-Mart. You know every small town has a Wal- Mart. It was awesome. Oh yea, Trace got some Elmo PJ’s and and Kennedy got her dress for $6.89 that she wore all weekend.
We then went to this store called Circle V. I needed to use the restroom, so I told my 5 year old daughter to look after Trace as my wife hobbled into the store on her crutches. Not smart. I came back and words can’t do justice to what I was about to see. My son was screaming, my daughter was screaming, and my wife was trying to hold up a mannequin that Trace had pulled the arm and leg off. It was quite a sight. I tried not to laugh, but it was impossible.
You see, nothing crazy. Just an ordinary weekend. Long Johns Silvers, Tractors, and Mannequin’s can make our lives worthwhile. Times like these are moments I will treasure forever. It seems like something magical always comes out of Carrizo Springs. In a crazy world where people are obsessed with money, power, greed, unhappiness, & sadness, I treasure moments like these. I want to surround myself with people that I love the most, because in the end, that is really what is most important.