Sunday, August 23, 2009

The Salt Lick; or, Why Life is Funny

Mmmmmm. Excuse me. I'm still thinking about brisket....and blackberry cobbler....

My first trip to The Salt Lick in Driftwood, TX was back in the 1990s. I was living in Indiana and had flown to San Antonio to visit my best high school pal Leila. I know it was a long time ago because I only had one baby and she *only* had four! We hopped in the car one morning and took a memorable drive to visit the old TX missions outside of San Antonio. From there we took the back way through the Hill Coutnry to tiny Driftwood TX to eat the Best Damn BBQ Ever. The old stone building had a huge fire pit just inside the door and the hole place smelled like wood smoke. Leila gently mocked me for wanting to order bbq chicken when we got there, but frankly I was suspicious of this thing called brisket. Long story short: she ordered, we ate, I never forgot it.

Why life is funny: It's a dozen years later and I now LIVE in Texas with my hubby and two kids! And Leila does NOT live here! And I have just taken my best college pal Nancy (who lives in PITTSBURGH with her excellent husband Mike!) on their virgin trip to The Driftwood. My husband and the babies came along ... our teenager even brought her boyfriend.

To my heart--and my nose--this trip was mere days after my first visit to The Salt Lick with Leila. I do feel different than I did in my late twenties when I was last here--I'm calmer now, more level, more contented than I have ever been. But do I feel OLDER? No. Do I feel like twelve years have passed? No. I don't understand time. I don't think I ever will.

But here's what I know for certain:
Life is an amazing and unexpected journey, folks. And along the way, there's great friends, wonderful loves, beautiful babies, AND bbq!

5 comments:

WI_Dilettante said...

Here's something I know about life: as long as there's BBQ, I'll never be a full-fledged vegetarian.

Shannon said...

Better than Jasper's? That's good food there.

DTB said...

Yes. Better than Jaspers! And located in the hill country--great setting!!

Nancy said...

Aww... what a nice little gift here! We had such a fun time, but our visit was just too fast. Like life, I suppose... Kisses and hugs to you and yours!

Deacon Emil said...

Ten years ago in mid-August I did a wedding in San Antonio (in Mission Concecion). That couple is celebrating their anniversary in Spain. When I phoned to make hotel reservations (on the River Walk), the gal asked me if I knew it was hot in San Antonio in mid-August. I asked, "How hot?". She hesitated and then answered, "Come naked!". I loved her for that.