adjusting to our new locale

Please forgive the following, which will probably sound like an excerpt from a Texas travel guide.

OMG ya'll, Dallas RULZ!

Since we've been here, I've been indulging in all the things that Dallas has to offer that I couldn't find in my previous zip code. On Friday, Husband and I geared up for our weekly Date Night, and went to eat at Gloria's, a Mexican joint that Brother Robby introduced to us when he still lived here. After we ate, Husband started looking a little sneaky, which usually means he is going to try to talk me into going shopping. I know how much he loves this bike store in Dallas, how he would rave for tens of minutes about how awesome it was when he would visit Brother Robby, so I calmly suggested that perhaps he might be willing to take me to his bike store? So, off to Richardson Bike Mart we went. I think he started to regret bringing me along when I started asking stupid questions about the bikes, along the lines of "SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS?!?! FOR A BIKE?!?! My Nissan Sentra cost less than that!!".

I know, wild and crazy party people, right? Bike store on date night? Oh, just wait my friend. Wait for it.

On our way home, we were nearly in an accident when some crazy person in our car suddenly shrieked, "WHOLE FOODS!!!!!!!! WHOLE FOODS!!!!!!! PULL OVER NOOOOOOOOOOW!". Now, because Husband has saintly patience (and, let's face it, has put up with me for this long already), instead of killing me, he simply pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car while attempting to ignore the protruding vein pulsating in his forehead.

You know you are old when you actually enjoying walking through all the aisles at Whole Foods when you're on a date.

But, I have to say, we actually thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I'm sure we must have been hilarious to watch, two grown people cooing and laughing at vegetables and fresh herbs and the fully-stocked fish case. I was nearly drunk with joy at the sheer variety of things available. I have always been irate at hosts on the Food Network who make snarky comments about how "you can find anything at your local grocery store these days." NO, INA GARTEN, NOT IF YOU LIVE IN THE MIDWEST, YOU CANNOT. However, now I know the secret! I'm in on it! You can literally find ANYTHING you would ever want at Whole Foods. I found fish there that I'd never seen except on tv.

This was particularly exciting because I have been in a major food rut lately. I have been making the same 5 to 8 things for probably 6 months. I can't remember the last Monday we didn't eat tacos. So, I am proud to announce to the Internet that my food rut officially ended as I was standing next to the fish case at Whole Foods. I saw some beautiful sole (one of those fish I'd never seen in real life) that I decided to make for dinner and POOF! So long, food rut!

Husband could hardly contain his rejoicing.