Not My First Rodeo
I know Valentine’s just passed but we’re gonna talk about a love affair - two, really - and how they intertwined to bring about my future. These two love affairs I speak of?
One is with my husband, and one is with...the rodeo. Sometimes I think my love for my husband was fueled by rodeo, and sometimes it was the other way around. He introduced me to this brave new world, and whether or not he knew what he was doing, he knew what he was doing. Grizz and I were friends for many years before we ever dated. Like 7 long years. These years didn’t feel as long to me because I was busy dating other people. He was busy loving me from afar and just inadvertently used rodeo to rope me in. (See what I did there?) He always looked out for me, danced with me, made sure I had a cold beer in my hand (duh, ulterior motives), but I didn’t care - I had a beer-drinking, designated-driving dance partner - what more could a girl ask for?? I already associated Grizz with fun, but linking himself with rodeo made this positive association even stronger. So when I thought of rodeo and my love for it, I thought of him, even when I didn’t know I loved him yet. That sneaky bastard.
After seeing the benefits of volunteering at the rodeo from Grizz, I decided to become a volunteer myself. My coworker was on a team, and she recruited 4 of us from the office. I was young & single when I first joined my committee so dancing, beer, and boys were some of my top priorities. I was a proud Gatekeeper for 9 years. As the name suggests, we manned the gates. We scanned tickets for entry & greeted the guests. In those 9 years I made a lot of friends & worked a lot of shifts. Sometimes shifts were fun and fast, and sometimes they were terrible. Like monsoon freezing rain that prompts you to ask a stranger to button up your pants after your bathroom break because your fingers aren't working properly. #truestory #fastfriends #Godblessher
But even with all the standing and being out in the elements, Wendy, a friend of mine & former chairman would say, “My worst day at rodeo is still better than my best day at work.” Plus, let’s be real. Shifts are just a means to an end. A glorious, beer-drinking, boot-scootin end.
This is what a typical day looks like during rodeo season:
Wake. Work. Drink, dance, rodeo. Buy more drink tickets.
Weekends only slightly vary:
Wake. Don't work. Drink, dance, rodeo. Buy more drink tickets. (What? It’s for the kids!)
There's a lot to love about rodeo season, and to channel Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music, these are a few of my favorite things:
Jumbo corn dogs – self explanatory
Tamale pie – tamales in a bowl, pie style. Enough said.
Milk punch - delicious concoction of milk, half and half, and probably a million shots of whiskey that I’ve tried to replicate but can never duplicate
Steer Auction – people pay big bucks for big cows while you watch & drink the aforementioned milk punch for free and eat Chick fil A sandwiches (if you’re lucky enough to snag one)
Chute Club – committeeman's club inside NRG stadium where you can hear the concert and sustain solely on peanuts, popcorn & cocktail garnishes until your drink tickets run dry.
Stockman’s – another committeeman's club in the Horse Arena in which we danced with such fervor back in the day that one of the bartenders said to my dance partner and friend Zach, “I thought you was gonna spin her right out tha window!”
The Hideout – massive tent for dancing & the site of my husband’s all-time best line. After dipping me way too low, aka nearly dropping me on the floor he said, “I’ll never let you fall. And that’s… a metaphor… for life.” (Bold statement as we weren’t even dating at the time, but now, after 7 years of marriage, so far, so good!)
Despite all these amazing things, I stopped volunteering four years ago when I was pregnant with my first baby. Now that I stay home with 2 kids & am pregnant again, I’m beginning to think five 8 hour shifts away from my house doesn’t sound so terrible. I could bring a chair, probably get a lot of sympathy from the golf cart drivers, plus I could eat my weight in funnel cakes. Which as it turns out from my last doctor's appointment, is a lot.
My cowboy for life.
A little post-shift celebrating!
However, as the old adage goes, some things come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. And in this particular season of life, I've hung my hat. Both figuratively and literally. Like it was too tight on my head when I tried it on last week. (Is it possible my HEAD has grown this pregnancy along with the rest of my body??) But even if your volunteering days are over, you can still head up to NRG as a pregnant patron. The walking and not drinking kinda blows, but it does provide you with some excellent opportunities to fool people. See below.
Also, since you know those tiny fools at home will be up at the crack of dawn, pregnancy can play in your favor - you won't stay out as late & won't be hungover. Plus, you won't spend as much money. (Who are we kidding - any money you *think* you save by not drinking will be spent on the sitter, who probably costs more than drink tickets ever did!) "Wait!" you say. "Can I pay my SITTER in drink tickets?" You can with somebody who loves the rodeo!!
For those who are now going to the show in my stead - make this preggo proud - tack on the turquoise, leave no drink ticket on the table, & dance like you gotta resole your boots tomorrow. Go big, go now, go rodeo!
No additional caption needed.
