texas musings

things i had never heard of before moving to texas?

farm to market roads - abbreviated FM roads.  these are secondary roads off of larger highways, and i love the name, because it tells you exactly what they were used for.  they are everywhere.

charro beans, which i don't order because i have assumed (and now confirmed) that they are stewed with bacon.  every mexican restaurant in texas that is worthy of its name has them as a side item, and they were served in our school cafeteria today.

ice houses (this article gives some information on how ice houses evolved in texas, and the one they reference is just down the street from me!), which are awesome open-air bars where you shouldn't order wine or a cocktail - it's a BEER place.  my local ice house has picnic tables and a basketball hoop and a ping pong table and a few outdoor TVs; people bring their dogs and their kids and buy tacos from the taco truck across the street.  it's a casual drinking spot for people from all walks of life, and i love it.

i may only have a short window left to remember all these unique texas things before they start to seem normal and i forget how different some aspects of houston are from any other place i've lived.  i now can sing along (and know when to clap!) when "deep in the heart of texas" is played, so i've clearly made some progress since moving here!