Friday, September 28th 2018
Lake Conroe, TX
It’s 1pm CST and my parents are picking me up at the Embassy Suites in Houston, TX. I just finished working the Grace Hopper conference and am exhausted and so, so hungover. My Dad immediately grabs my bag and offers my a chilled, coconut-flavored La Croix from the Yeti cooler in the back of their Explorer. I am grateful.
Our first stop is Starbucks. My Dad recently got on board with the Keto diet and has discovered the joy of high fat coffee. Once we grab our drinks we return to the back of the truck where he produces a pint of heavy cream from his magical Yeti cooler of hangover-cures.
Our next stop is brisket. We stop at Pappas and it’s as Texan as you can get. The food is served cafeteria-style, followed with a self-serve onion and pickle bar and complimentary soft serve ice cream. I eat slowly and tell my parents about how my coworkers insisted on eating sushi for most of our trip.
Per my suggestion, we have rented a condo on Lake Conroe for the weekend. The plan is to sit by the lake and eat BBQ. We make one last stop at a small grocery store. We grab steaks and broccoli for a late dinner and finally check into our condo. The entire complex is silent and our unit is decorated as though Whole Earth Provisions was having a yard sale. I am part charmed and part offended. There is a large balcony that protrudes over the lake and the screen door is covered in little bugs.
Once we get settled, we spend the early evening catching up and then cook a light dinner paired with a really nice Cabernet and cheese plate. Around 11pm we are finally ready for bed. We agree to sleep as late as we want and I have never been so happy to fall into bed.
