Fiesta is here in San Antonio. It's around a 10-day celebration in the city where there are more cascarones, meats on sticks and embroidered shirts than you can count. It celebrates Texas, San Antonio, the Alamo and all that is fun. For years, I had between six and seven events to attend. I would plan and shop for outfits. I would have my hair done. I would take vacation days from work.
And, this wasn't something that began as an adult. As a child, we attended the parades and as a teen-aged, I met NIOSA. In college, I continued on my NIOSA journey making it in from Waco to enjoy the party. I've even introduced Chris to NIOSA. He wasn't a fan at the time.
NIOSA stands for Night In Old San Antonio. The downtown area of San Antonio known as La Villita is lined with food booths celebrating the Texas culture. There are also lots of bands and beer. You walk. Just walk. Around and around. You bump into friends who you haven't seen in years and those you see frequently. You stack up your beer cups and laugh off the splashes of beer that spill from those cup towers on to your feet. Sandals are a must (or cute sneakers you can wash).
Nowadays, I'm not as active in Fiesta, but I still try and make it to a couple of events. We attend the family-friendly Fiesta Arts Fair where the girls (and Chris before them) can make crafts and I can eat (and maybe have a drink). The artists sell their paintings, jewelry, sculptures and drawings. It's beautiful and early in the day (not hot, yet).
We also try to go to NIOSA, but now we are those old people who go to the kick-off event on the first night and leave before the crowds get too big. Yes, we go at 5 p.m. and leave by about 9 p.m. I still eat my shypoke eggs and enjoy the scenes. I'm looking very much forward to a lot of cold shoulder and off-the-shoulder tops on all types. And, the shorts, the skirts, the hair. It is a people-watching paradise.
We also have a Fiesta Friday party each year. It's the last Friday of Fiesta where the schools and most businesses are closed. We serve the same food -- ribs, baked beans, Texas caviar, spaghetti salad, Texas sheet cake and G's fried fish. We make the same drinks -- margaritas. It starts around 5 p.m. and goes well into the night. We rent tables and chairs. We buy festive-colored plates, tablecloths and decorations. I start cooking Thursday and am done by mid-day Friday. G starts frying fish right around game time and it goes fast.
I think this is our 16th year to have it. Last year, was the first one in about four years because we were deeply involved in Chris' AAU basketball and always had a tournament that day. I'm glad it's back. It's fun. It's with friends. It's Fiesta.
It's one long fourth part.
It requires a lot of planning. You would think with the same meal year after year, I'd have it down. I wouldn't have to write out a grocery list or build out my run-of-show timeline, but I do. I'm super pleasant morning of and the members of my household are happy to comply with picking up the rented tables and chairs so they can be out of the house.
(By the way, I just rented the tables and chairs today. One week from the party. Every year I do this. I scramble to find them. And, delivery is not available -- or for $100. G Adams isn't paying $100 for table delivery.)
I'll buy the food this weekend -- yes, I will set foot into a grocery store rather than curbside pick up because, well, it's what I do. I'll buy the decorations at a Fiesta store this weekend, too.
There won't be too many fourth parts this upcoming week because I'll be readying for the party. I guess in a way, there will be fourth parts though because I'll be doing something I want to do and like to do. Maybe a fourth part combo meal?
Speaking of meals.
I am on the last day of a five-day sugar detox. Praise. God. Praise. God. Almighty.
Here's the deal. I don't eat a lot of processed sugar. Yes, I enjoy a glass of wine or a cocktail. I also like a bit of ice cream or something sweet -- I've got this great trail mix with dark chocolate chunks in the pantry screaming 'I'm healthy.'
And, I like Easter candy.
But, man, day three was kind of a malaise-y like day. Thursday was even more of a hangover kind of feeling. And, today. It hit me. A dull headache all day. A fog about me, too.
The woman leading the detox is precious. She actually lives in France and I've been following her for awhile. We have a call everyday and a required check-in post every night. Did you work out? Did you follow the meal plan? Did you drink water? Did you post something positive on social media?
If you answer yes to all four, you are entered into a drawing for a prize. I won today. I don't think it is delicious French pastry or wine. It's probably almonds.
The information she provides is on point and there is the thought this is something to maintain. Put these habits into practice. I already work out. I already drink a ton of water. I'm always positive on social media (don't look back to November -- dark time). But. . .
We have two baskets of Easter candy sitting on the counter.
And, I've a bottle of great rose. Chilling.
I've only a few hours left and it has been tough. Because I can't have it? Or because my body is really detoxing? Not sure. I'm ready to have some of those pale blue and pink covered chocolate eggs tomorrow. It's an egg, it's breakfast.
Hard-boiled egg availability has helped this week except yeah, I really don't want one a day.
Going to bed last night, I knew I was off. And, then, my sleep really was, too.
I mean, I slept -- thank you Unisom -- but I had one long, bad dream. When the alarm clock sounded this morning, I was still very much in this dream. It was terrible. No one was killed and I wasn't chased, but it was a storyline that was so true to life. It took one of my greatest fears (not rushing water) and built something around it that hurt and was sad and felt awful. This is a dream. Not real life.
That's what no sugar for four days can do to you. Make something good seem so sad and dark.
The good news is I timed the detox well. See the other thing I do in preparation for Fiesta is try to drop pounds so I don't worry about what I eat or drink during the week. Not healthy at all, but hey, I've been doing this for a while. One of my dearest friends, Rach, and I even talked this week about our annual plan. Somehow we always wait until the week before, like I do with renting tables and chairs.
Not very fourth part-like I know, but hey, I've been on a sugar detox. My brain isn't functioning up to par.
Now, I've got outfits to plan, places to go, cascarones to crack and medals to wear.
Bring on the sugar.
Viva.
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