a not so delicious start

This morning we took off to Corpus Christi for the day...again. The kiddo and I went last month with my dad but my husband wanted to go this time, with the promise that we would go to the U.S.S. Lexington and more importantly, Joe Cotton's.

The last time I had been to the Lexington or Joe's was in the 5th grade during a field trip. I remember 3 things from this trip. (1) I was extremely accident prone and fell several times in front of my very handsome teacher; (2) My klutzy tendencies, in addition to my spaciness lead me to walk head first into one of the planes on the Lexington; and (3) Joe Cotten's had the best barbeque ever.

Many years and countless barbeque plates later, I'm curious to taste the food again. I just remember fantastic brisket and huge dill pickles. So while I wasn't exactly excited to see the Corpus Christi aquarium again after seeing it only a month ago, I was looking forward to seeing the big ship and stuffing my face with barbeque. I even sat for an hour at the dolphin show just so we'd have a seat. I sat next to loud, obnoxious kids, men with curly mullets and open shirts, and many ghetto-looking guys with wifebeater shirts, bearing tattoos honoring the "loving memory" of their cousin Benito. When the dolphin act was finished, I jumped out of my chair and headed for the door. All of us, my mother-in-law included, were exhausted after spending the day walking around looking at fish. That meant our trip to the Lexington would be sacrificed. No reuniting with the small plane that left a bump on my head (but not on my memories. aww.) I was a bit disappointed but I had to admit I was very tired from the trip and just wanted to sit somewhere and eat. So on to Joe's!

As we drove up to Joe Cotten's my heart (and stomach) sank when I saw an empty parking lot. A sign at the front said the restaurant was closed Sunday and Monday. I wanted to cry, but instead I pouted like a child. Even my 8-year-old took the disappointed with dignity and grace. "It's okay mommy," she said with an encouraging smile. "We'll just eat somewhere else when we get home." Did I take her sweet words and positive thoughts to heart? Nope, I put on my sunglasses and looked out the window like a sullen teen. If my mother-in-law were not in the car with us, I might have even let out a drawn out whine. Intead I tried to sleep the rest of the 3-hour ride home.

I wish I could say I felt better after I ate (which is usually what happens in my case) but for some reason when I got home my stomach started making strange noises. No not from hunger. The rest of today has been spent staying close to the restroom. I'm trying to figure out what made my stomach upset from what I ate today. Was it the special K bar at breakfast, the biscuit for lunch, or the carrot and payday bar I had for a snack? At least if it were barbeque I'd say it was worth it.