Why I Live in Dallas

I'm only about halfway through my next book.  It's the City of Dallas' fault.  If it weren't so darn nice here, I would have been reading more. 

Here are some of the distractions Dallas has thrown at me this week:

• Rise No 1 - Ben and I celebrated our anniversary by going to a new-ish restaurant here in Dallas.  Rise specializes in souffles.  We tried two--the truffle-infused mushroom and a port and pear dessert souffle.  Everyone raves about the "marshmallow soup"--which was good even though served at the temperature of lava--but they have the best french onion soup I've ever tasted.  If you find yourself in Dallas craving a light but satisfying dinner, I recommend Rise.  As long as you let me come with you, of course.
• Weather - With temperatures hovering in the mid-70s for the past few days, the out of doors has been tempting.  Three kids I'll estimate at 10 years old even joined Ben and I as we tossed around a frisbee at the park down the block from our apartment.  Part of me wanted to warn the kids they shouldn't play with strangers, but hopefully they are just good judges of character.  (Note: I took a class during college to learn how to throw a frisbee.  It was my required "wellness" course, and it met at 11 pm on Thursdays.  Seriously.  It finally came in handy, as I was able to teach the kids to throw the frisbee so it flips upside down; it's a great advertisement for the benefits of higher education.)
• Dallas Stars - Wednesday night we met up with a friend at a team sponsored watching party.  I prefer to watch hockey on TV in the comfort of my home, where the refreshments are free (or at least cheaper) and I can pause the game on the DVR.  However, the benefit of the watching party is that they give away free things.  Ben won a puck autographed by Stephane Robidas and I won a hat and lower bowl tickets to today's game. 
• E-Clinic Emergency Vet - My sister's dog Blueberry cut himself while they were out for a walk on Tuesday night, and there was a night and weekend vet clinic nearby.  He is now recovering nicely. 
• Shopping - There are 25 square feet of retail for each person in Dallas. Sometimes this is a reason NOT to like Dallas, as it is all a part of the materialistic culture.  However, if you are looking for something, you can generally find it at your desired price point.  We hit several stores this weekend, including one of our new favorites (Nordstrom Rack).  Dallas does need to get an H&M though. 
• Proximity to family - Although Dallas is about six hours away from home, it's a drivable distance even for a weekend trip.  My parents and two youngest sisters are coming down for Spring Break for most of this week, and I'm very excited to have them here. 

Perhaps it is all excuses, but part of me thinks that the "random things Darci is up to" posts might be more interesting than the ones about my latest read, if more narcissistic.