2nd Annual Hot Springs Weekend

This weekend was our 2nd annual weekend to Hot Springs, Arkansas with our good friends the Wasson's. Kevin and I count down the days for this annual event. My in-laws watched Z on Friday and then he stayed at my parents (Grams & Poppy) from Friday night until Sunday afternoon. Zachary loves this weekend as much as we do, because it gives him lots of time with his grandparents. Thanks Karen, Marv, Mom, & Dad for watching him. Also a shout out to Aunt Rachel, Uncle Matt, & Elliott for playing with Z on Saturday night.

I am going to share photos from our trip. Most of these photos need some explanation because we witnessed some events that you could not even make up. Friday we drove all morning to be at Oak Lawn Race Track by 12:30. We raced all day and then had dinner reservations at a German Restaurant called Hot Springs Brau Haus. No one knew what to expect from dinner, however, we never expected what we saw. The dinner was great. Good food, good company. During dinner a husband and wife duo got up an played the tuba and the accordion. It was the strangest thing I have ever seen. Check out the photos. You can also see more at www.polkayoureyeout.com Seriously, I can't believe what we saw.


Saturday was a wonderful day, despite the rain. Mel and I went to a wax museum in the morning. Again, this was a strange place. We felt so weird going through this dark, wax museum. Very eerie!! Then we hit some local shops and boutiques. We hit the race track around 11:30 to get filled up on hot dogs, nachos, pretzels, fried oysters, French fries. Definitely, not a Weight Watchers day!!







To fill you in on Kevin and my philosophy on betting at the races...Kevin and I go to the horse races knowing that we are going to lose. We are there strictly for the entertainment similar to going to a movie and dropping money for a non-tangible item. It is purely for fun. Therefore we do not bet big. Kevin spends most of his time "studying" all the previous stats and times. I usually pick my horse by its name, color, or its attitude. Check out this photo of Kev studying by himself in a private corner.
On Kevin's behalf, he won a little bit each race. He did it the proper way and was very methodical about his picks. GO KEV!
By the 9th race I was down. I only had $4 left of my budgeted money. I spent it on a horse called "Funny Girl Rachel" (after my sister, Rachel). I knew after this race I would be out of my money. But, to my surprise and everyone around me I won....$48.00. It was SO exciting. Then I decided to bet on the 11th race. I won again...$68.80. I redeemed myself and came out ahead.

After the races we hit a Japanese hibachi grill. It was so nice to have a good dinner out with friends. Since Zachary's birth, it is hard to enjoy dinner out because he eats in 2 minutes or less. When Z is done, he is done. Let's just say we have not been to a hibachi grill since his birth. So it was nice to eat somewhere like this. After dinner we went to listen to live music. Again, we ran into interesting people and had a great night. Unfortunately, I did not get any photos. All in all, it was a wonderful weekend to relax, unwind, and hang out with Mel & Wasson.