Let's Rodeo Ya'll

I have lived in Texas pretty much all of my life (minus 5 years) so I am very much a Texan. Even living here my entire life though, I have never considered myself a very "country Texan." But, I have to say that when the Rodeo comes to town, I become a very "when in Rome person"…in the same way New Yorkers embrace fashion week by wearing the best clothes around town, I embrace the Rodeo by wearing my cowboy boots, denim shirts, cowboy hat and finding anything else country related I can wear to embrace this time of year.

San Antonio Rodeo: 
Growing up in San Antonio, Rodeo season was marked by western day at school along with the city wide "Cowboy breakfast." It also meant dance performances at the tents of the Rodeo wearing country costumes and tap shoes made to look like cowboy boots. Some years it even meant a field trip.

Houston Rodeo: 
Now I live in Houston. I am currently experiencing what Houston fondly refers to as "Rodeo Houston." The Houston Rodeo is San Antonio Rodeo x 10. I have been amazed at how the entire city embraces the Rodeo and for three weeks, the big conversation and plans you make with your friends revolve around livestock, concerts and cowboys.

Last year Gregg and I took advantage of the Rodeo, and our need to begin to look for potential apartments in Houston, by coming up to see Blake Shelton with our good friends R & T. Needless to say, based on the TV screens in our hotel lobby, we realized very quickly how big of a deal the Rodeo is to the entire city:

Mooooo. Welcome back to the hotel.

This year though, this year we live here. As Rodeo season kicked off, I didn't have any serious plans to attend anything "rodeo-related." But here it is mid-March and I am now beginning to understand why people look forward to the Houston Rodeo with such excitement and how much fun it is to embrace your inner Texan this time of year:

Go Texan Day: where the entire city wears their cowboy boots to kick off the Rodeo. Also the same day I watched the Trail Riders arrive in Houston from around Texas riding horses and buggies down the road outside my office, while I sat on a conference call.  

This past week, just as I wasn't sure I'd be attending any concerts, Kristina's friends, who have adopted me as one of their own, invited me to attend Reba. REBA. I love Reba. I knew she was coming but didn't think I'd get to see her. I have not seen Reba since I was 12 years old at the San Antonio Rodeo.

We enjoyed drinks and snacks while watching the rodeo competitions. My favorite event was at the end, mutton busting, where little 5-6 year olds hold on to sheep for dear life as they run across a specified area. I asked how you get your child to do this and C said, you should probably sign your nonexistent child up now…it is more competitive than getting your child into NYC private school. Now we know. Then it was time for Reba...

When she drove out to the center in her black SUV, took the stage and this happened…
 I nearly died. Died. 

Kristina's friends who let me tag along to see the Country Queen…and even bought me a souvenir Rodeo koozie to mark my 1st experience as a Houstonian.

Reba brings out people our age, people younger and also people older than us….and let me just say that the older crowd (who is not really that old) they want to sit and watch Reba in quiet. We want to sit and watch Reba like this:

Pretending we are back up singers. 
A woman in the row in front of us turned around, put her finger over her lips, looked at S and "shhhh'd" us…teacher style. Then she proceeded to give glaring looks to the girls a few rows back from us and the girls a few rows in front for singing and dancing along. I am not kidding. We had to resort to lip syncing our performances, which if you read this you understand that was not a problem. However when "The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia," "On the Radio" and the finale "Fancy" came on I am pretty sure she wanted to kill us. You just can't sit still during those songs. C said at one point the woman put her fingers in her ears. Regardless, it was such a fun night! I have had Reba songs my head for days.

Then literally as I was waiting for Reba to come out at the Rodeo, my good friend A texts me to see if we want to go to the Rodeo Saturday night to see Chris Young. I was like a kid at Christmas thinking I didn't think I'd go to the Rodeo one time this year, let alone two times. So Saturday we headed to the Rodeo- we explored the grounds, saw baby chicks, saw baby sheep, saw big cows and saw the insanity of the Rodeo carnival. Then we headed inside to our fancy seats, courtesy of A's boyfriend J, and enjoyed sitting in the club level of Reliant Stadium watching Chris Young. 

Fancy drinks with A. 

Always a great time when we are together! 

Fireworks, cowboy boots, rodeo arena competitions and a concert every night…and it's all still going on for two more weeks! Yeehaw! Let's Rodeo Ya'll!