rodeo round-up, rounds 1 & 2

March in Houston means Rodeo Fun for all! I’m telling you it is a whole different ballgame over here in H-Town. I will say that the Houston Live Stock Show & Rodeo is one of the coolest things that the city has to offer. There is something there for everyone to do, see, eat, enjoy, pet, smell, etc. It is also one huge charity event that raises money for a multitude of scholarships-art, agriculture, 4H-as well as organizations like the Texas Children’s Cancer Center. For their mission statement and anything you could possibly want to know visit The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo website.

What is the rodeo, you might ask? In Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, you would find an entry that looks like this:

ro·deo noun \rō-dē-ō\

1: roundup
2: a public performance featuring bronco riding, calf roping, steer wrestling, and Brahma bull riding

In ellen’s dictionary, however, it looks something like this:

ro·deo noun, adjective, verb, adverb \rode-A-O\

1: loud, crowded, fast yet laid-back, appealing to the five senses
2: place where one can find pretty pearl snaps, tons of turquoise, and bouts of big, BIG hair decorating women
3: place where one can find boots, cowboy hats, and Wranglers clinging to all men

Uses:
verb: Are you rodeoing tonight?
adv: Your outfit is so rodeo.
adj: What kind of fun are you having? Rodeo fun!

As I said, it appeals to the five senses (and then some). Allow me to elaborate:
sights: Cowboys, carnival rides, blinking lights, bull-riding, mutton busting
smells: poop, dirty animals
tastes: tornado potatoes, turkey legs, funnel cakes
sounds: “Oink-Oink’s”, country music, screams coming from people flying through the air on the Texas Tornado, “Yee-haw’s”
feel: hot, excitement, dirty

Are you ready to go yet?! I have been twice thus far and have tickets/plans to go two more times!
I got to go this past Thursday night with some friends and had a blast! After eating almost half of my Turkey Leg, we did a little shopping and then headed into the stadium for some bull-riding, chuck wagon racing, calf chasing, and other various sporting events that don’t look like any fun to me.

The group that I was with was very knowledgeable about the various events; they graciously tried to explain to me the skills, strategies, and rules of everything happening in the arena below. It was very entertaining; I only got in trouble once for playing on my phone. Ha!

Rascal Flatts was in concert that particular night! I have only been to the rodeo once before (last year) and that was who was performing that night as well. I enjoyed the concert very much, although I must say I was disappointed in the low amounts of energy that the guys seemed to exert. The music, of course, was amazing though!
On Saturday I picked up my friend, Andrew, and we headed out to the rodeo to ride carnival rides and eat unhealthy food stuffs. It was the most beautiful day, one of those days that make me thankful to have something entertaining to do to keep me outside and enjoying it.

Andrew and I rode every single Haunted House ride and stumbled through any and all fun houses that the carnival had to offer. We also drove the bumper cards; I won’t be riding with him anytime soon!

Andrew was nice enough to sit and hold my purse while I went on this ‘spinny’ ride. I love any and ALL roller coasters and rides that spin, turn, flip, and/or catapult you at 65+ miles per hour.

DO NOT take me on a Ferris wheel, however. I do not like them, I can’t explain it, and that’s all I have to say about that. They are very pretty, though, and a staple to every fair; I love their silhouette and their classic, time-tested ambience.

Since I moved here, I knew the inevitable was bound to happen sometime. When I walk around the rodeo (or the grocery store for that matter) I can’t help but notice that I am in the MAJOR minority simply because I do not have the correct foot attire. Flip-flops are a big No-No :) This was what I wore to the rodeo on Saturday (and Thursday):

My friend, Cassie, (at Rascal Flatts) told me that I needed to be country-fied. I looked down at what I was wearing and didn’t see A THING wrong with my outfit. I told her that where I come from, country is a strand (or 5) of pearls around my neck, sweet-tea in my left hand, and sitting on a dock somewhere. But, as I said, I knew I would cave at some point and on Friday night I did just that; I found myself at CAVEndar’s and walked out with a purchase that I am quite proud of:

I was very nervous about wearing them. Talk about commitment!!! But with the encouragement of Heather and Becca I pulled them on and wore them to church on Sunday. Texan Sunday was last weekend at church and my outfit would have been perfect for that, but as I’ve said before, I’m usually running a little late and behind the times. So now I’ve got them worn in and they are ready for some more rodeo fun!

See you there?!