Come on San Antonio...Let's Rodeo!

What could be more authentically Texas than a Rodeo?! Ricky and I were very excited when the rodeo rolled into town earlier this month bringing cattle and cowboys for our enjoyment. We were even more excited when Ricky won two tickets via a Kens 5 (local news channel) Twitter promotion! Every year the rodeo tours, much like the circus, visiting the major cities in Texas. To kick off the big event, all the cowboys participating in the rodeo ride their horses from Austin to San Antonio. They are then greeted at the Cowboy Dance Hall at 7AM on the Friday before the rodeo begins. The Cowboy Dance Hall hosts the "Cowboy Breakfast" where everyone in San Antonio is invited to have breakfast with the cowboys...FOR FREE! Unfortunately I had to work the morning of the big breakfast but next year I will be taking the morning off to get my free breakfast tacos! Mmm...

The rodeo takes place at the At&T Center, also where the Spurs play their home games. Over 10 tons of dirt are brought into the center and spread out over the floor to make it rodeo appropriate. In an effort to be "green", the dirt is cleaned and recycled for use every year. I'm not sure where they store tons of dirt or how they remove all the animal droppings from it but whatever, at least they try.

Rodeos consist of a series of events that occur daily. At the end of the 3 weeks, winners are chosen from each category based on their performances. The only group to get awarded daily trophies are the little tykes that participate in mutton bustin': 4-6 year old boys and girls who hang on to a sheep's back trying desperately not to fall off. It was, by far, the best event. Other events include: barrel racing, bull riding, calf roping, goat tying, saddle bronc and bareback riding, steer wrestling and whip cracking.

There is also your traditional carnival that takes place on the grounds outside. Rides, funnel cakes, petting zoos and games are in abundance. Ricky and I stuck to the actual rodeo as it was 2hours long and I've had my fair share of carnivals. There was also a musical performer after the rodeo but we decided to leave before that too. In all, the rodeo was a fun experience that I wouldn't mind doing again.
The little girl who won MVP for mutton bustin' on display on the big screen.

The kind of creepy rodeo clown...I liked to call him Fisbo.

Cattle waiting to be released...only to be tied and put back in their cages.

Everything's Bigger in Texas!

Texas has been such a fun state to live in. I have never met people who are so proud of where they live. Although the abundance of Texas decorations can be a bit annoying, Texans definitely take pride in making their state the best one in the US. One fun aspect of Texas is its oversized food. While watching Man Vs. Food (http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Man_V_Food) I saw an episode about Texas featuring San Antonio and Austin. San Antonio is home of the biggest pizza in the US...the 42 inch monster at Big Lou's pizza. Big Lou's is a small, family owned restaurant that specializes in Italian food. They made the monster pizza as part of a promotion a few years ago and it was so popular that it was placed on their regular menu. One slice is approximately 16 inches long and can be topped with whatever your heart desires. Their specialty is the BBQ brisket pizza (typical Texas cuisine) but we had a half cheese and half pepperoni sausage and vegetable pizza. We attempted to tackle the pizza with our friends Nandini, Ted and Kila. We quickly found out that we needed about 3 more friends. We all finished two slices (I am still not sure how) and had six remaining. I am glad I can say I tried the monster 42 inch Big Lou's pizza because I never want to try again!