Having Emily here for 5 days was great -- I haven't eaten out that much since my last business trip! When she first got here, we celebrated with a great sushi lunch. The next day we ate at Hyde Park Grill. Their fries really are all that. Crispy on the outside, and downright creamy on the inside.

Friday evening Anthony was taking the kids to a birthday party, so we girls decided to go out on the town. At first I planned to eat at Sandra Bullock's new restaurant in Austin, Bess. I called ahead, because I knew it was a reservation recommended place and this was last minute Friday night, but I'd also read reviews that said the bar was pretty cool. A hostess assured me that we'd likely get a seat at the bar and we could order dinner there, so I gave Em Em directions, and I valet parked there. However, when I walked into the tiny place, the bar was 2+ bodies thick. The entire restaurant is cozy, and I was getting a bit of a negative vibe for not having a res. I walked a few blocks down to The Roaring Fork. There were still some seats there, so I called Emily and redirected her. We got the last table, and our waittress greeted us at 6:55 and promised to get us happy hour prices (half price food menu - sweet!) if we ordered pronto. Emily let me order, so I got us the green chile pork stew, lamb chops with cheese fondue, and a mixed salad. It was all primo, and the price was right.

Saturday Emily called me on my way home from work to take my lunch order, and she brought me Rudy's Barbecue. Mmmm. Then, since no visit to Austin is complete without a visit to Chuy's she mentioned that's where she'd like to go for dinner. However, I had to go work out before we went there! Chuy's was great as always. Anna and Emily split most of a large bowl of queso between them.

This morning, I made Scones and homegrown eggs and Boka sausage links. Emily got up and said she had a funny dream that Anthony brought her breakfast in bed and said, "This was made from the milk from our miniature cow," and she said, "Where have you guys been keeping your cow? I haven't even seen it!"