First Thursday

During First Thursday at the Pearl Brewery complex the shops are open late and there is some sort of live music (this Thursday was a DJ). Pearl is one of my favorite parts of SA because of its pedestrian-friendliness and fabulous stores and restaurants. A hotel is opening there in the spring so if you are planning a trip to SA, I am pre-recommending it (I will scout out when it opens - because I care about you! And, cocktails).

I seized upon this First Thursday as the First Outing Solo with Kids after the First Solo Daycare Pick-Up. (People with two+ kids, I can hear you snort-laughing through the Internet right now). But it's hard! Getting them in car, unfurling unfamiliar stroller, wrangling that stroller through doorways (btw, thanks but no thanks for all of your help, fellow San Antonians. It's not like I ask people for huge favors but hold the door open and help a mother out, huh? Jeez.) Luke is gone more and more now, meaning I have to embrace solo outings because OH HAY-ULL NO we will not be cooped up in the house. Fall and winter are the only reasons to live in SA - so you can eat fish tacos on a patio while your Yankee friends shovel their sidewalks.

We shall sally forth!

This was the debut of the double stroller. The shot in front of the majestic, circular Stable building was good...

But the close-up is much better.

Bakery Lorraine opened today at Pearl. We had a lemon blueberry muffin (mu-ah, Clem said and signed) and a spinach and goat cheese panini that contained 25% cheese and 75% gobs of delicious wilted spinach - yum (but did not get a mu-ah from the tiny diner).

 Space hog.

We strolled around a bit (trying to get those 10,000 steps). Stopped in Twig and had my hands on Lena Dunham's new book, but as I'm trying to downsize, spent a ridiculous whoopsie-daisy amount on hair cut/color/keratin treatment that very morning, and will eventually get it from library (though I'm number 36 in the queue), I couldn't part with another $28.

Assisted waving: C was shouting BYE-BYE! BYE-BYE to people (and cars) and I asked her to 'help Josie say bye-bye'.

Bike World has some great signage.

My beautiful bike from Bike World, in the garage...

Back to car, click into the car seats, fold up stroller, drive home, put Wolf 1 to bed, give Wolf 2 the two-hour bottle while watching Nashville while wondering why I watch Nashville, it's completely unwatchable (I think it's a hate-watch, like Scandal; see also: the Instagram hate-follow). The First Thursday outing was a confidence builder for me.

The stroller reminds me to tell you about my friend and very fine writer Amy George Rush, and the book that she wrote about 9-11 responders, Under One Flag. Buy her book! (She gave me the stroller - thanks Amy!)

Another babely patriot friend, a veteran herself, is featured in the philanthropic Pin-Ups for Vets calendar - she's Miss April and is featured here on the Huffington Post. Go Shannon!