Tim and Drew from the Mizzou days joined us for jour July 4th festivities this weekend, and it's safe to say no one was disappointed. Not only did we get a last minute invite to our friend Jimmy's lakehouse in the resort community of Horseshoe Bay, we reaped the benefits of Jimmy's years of culinary training in five-star restaurants. (The best baby back ribs ever.)

What a bombshell.

Mr. Stiles's employer asked him to return to Houston after the legislative session ended. Neither of us thought that was very cool, especially considering it wouldn't have been much skin off their hides to let him stay in the paper's Austin bureau.

After dating for nearly four years separated by long car drives or thousand mile flights, we finally got a chance in January to share the same zip code. Then, Stiles' bosses wanted him back.

He went back today, as requested. But in a twist, he resigned. His four years at The Chronicle have allowed him to shine as a reporter, break stories that made people's lives better, and expose issues that allowed readers to better know their community. It's the mark of the man I love. But because we love each other, it's way past time for us to live our lives without the separation of time and distance.

After his final two weeks is over, we will begin an exciting journey together as journalists. But as they teach you in television, you gotta save some of the story for next time.

Just returned from a weekend jaunt to Philadelphia, home of the most historic room in the most historic square mile in America. (That's what our tour guide at Independence Hall told us, anyway.)

Six years after graduating from college, I went to visit my senior year roommate, Fiscus. We were joined by my matchmaker and BFF Sudeep, who has been generally disapproving of my ways since the day I met him.

We ate and drank our way around Philly, winding up at a place called Jim's for cheesesteaks. (My other New England friends sent suggestions ranging from Pat's to some random place in New Jersey, so next time we'll hit up a different locale.)

I really wanted to try a duck salad at a place called Standard Tap, but was talked out of it by, of course, my disapproving friend mentioned above.

Drinking may be my only disappointment - the alcoholic drinks lacked enough of that familiar taste of... alcohol. In the randomly sampled bars we tried, anyway. I suspect there is a reason Austin is consistently-ranked as the hardest drinking city in America... the bartenders generous pourers.

Since Stiles did not come, I was charged with finding him a Benjamin Franklin bobblehead doll. I failed. Sorry. Freedom isn't free. (I have no idea what that means, it just sounds nice.)

-- Dunnam's demonstration of how to properly fold the Texas flag, before then being asked to mime it. "Hence you will find the properly folded official flag of the state of Texas..."

-- Al Edwards missing hat

-- The pun-off between Rob Eissler and Joe Pickett, culimating in the best possible pun of the weekend, "No man is an Eiland."

Another characteristic exchange:

"It's interesting that your water district has a MUD," said state Rep. Joe Pickett, D-El Paso. "Since you have a PUD, you have a PUD in a MUD.... or it could be a dud."

"Interestingly, it started with a HUD loan," said Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands.

-- The Saturday monarch butterfly back-and-forth, where state Rep. Myra Crownover, R-Denton, is then questioned about perhaps having a monarch butterfly festival in Texas

--Voting down the bill making Grapevine the Christmas Capitol of Texas

--State Rep. Aaron Pena, D-Edinburg, using the extra time on his hands to get his name placard changed so it properly has the tilde above it

--Pena describing the quagmire as Pon Farr, perhaps the best metaphor for the weekend

--The childlike fight between state Reps Debbie Riddle, Charlie Howard, Dennis Bonnen and Tommy Merritt over Merritt's not-being-Republican-enough. "I am a member of the caucus," said Merritt. "You don't act like it", said Riddle. Charlie Howard was taping it all with his flipcam.

--Collectively confusing math: the various time calculations of "at this rate, this calendar will take...hours" to complete

--Activities to pass the time: Solitaire on the laptop, curling up under a fleece blanket and reading a book, carefully picking out the best candies from LHB's desk

--'Coffee goes with cream' comment by Senfronia Thompson

--All the side discussions of the various definitions of the word "chub"

--Any one of Kino Flores' near-meltdowns in the name of disabled veterans

Again, there are probably many that I missed, so please add your "most memorable moments" of Chubfest 09 in the comments.

The mayor of San Angelo, Texas resigned abruptly, not "to spend more time with family", as they often say, but "to spend more time with his lover in Mexico".

SAN ANGELO, Texas — The mayor of a West Texas city abruptly resigned Wednesday, picking love over his love of office.

J.W. Lown told the San Angelo Standard-Times in a telephone interview from Mexico that he was involved in a relationship with someone who does not have legal status in the United States.

"I don't want to give his name," Lown, 32, told the newspaper.

He said the man attended Angelo State University and their relationship started earlier this year.

Lown said he didn't want to take the oath of office knowing he was "aiding and assisting" someone who is not a U.S. citizen.

"We had to do the right thing and come to Mexico and wait in line for a visa," Lown said.