Tower of the Bergmericas

 

On Sunday we visited the Berg Ranch for the Packer game / fashion show.  The girls showed off an impressive array of costumes while we ate queso dip and played with Legos.

Here is the first attempt at a tower to the heavens.  Notice the leaning.  It leaned even more when Maddy walked across the Lego table.

We needed a better foundation like the Lions needed a better defense.

All hands on Legos.

The girls had the best time using the elevator shaft that I built into a later tower. By “using,” I mean stuffing princess action figures down the elevator shaft.

This one stood for a few minutes before raining down on the heads of little girls.

Stayin’ Alive

 

Here is Sue in deep concentration as we approach 281 South from the east on 1604.  This was our first time using this particular fly-over ramp that was built a few years ago.

It’s a high one.  Sue said she didn’t like the curviness of the ramp and the fact that she couldn’t see the end.

The top layer of a five level interchange is pretty high.  Fortunately there was no ice!  Today, our wake up temp is 32 degrees with today’s high forecasted to be 41.

Here is our descent down to 281 South.

We were on our way to meet the Bergs and five sixths of Elaine’s Fort Worth family at the roller rink for some good old fashioned roller skating complete with disco balls, “Eye of the Tiger”, and glow-lights. $3 admission and $3 skate rental.

The twins got some skates for Christmas.  Here is Liz with Lauren using one of the kiddie training wheel-type walkers.

And here is blond Maddy.  I’m not a good skater but I enjoyed having people zip by me and crash all around me without tripping me up.

Then we all went down to the Riverwalk to The Iron Cactus for dinner.  On my right is Matthew (19) who is now a sophomore in college.  On my left is Maddy, Emily (13), Jarret (16), Bella, Lauren, Steve, Liz, Michael, and Elaine’s hair.  Oldest daughter Kimberly (22) is in Germany with her boyfriend.

Here you can see Michael and Elaine better.  Michael is the rocket scientist who travels to Europe for NATO meetings.  Sue wants that job.  The girls loved to climb on Jarret and play with his hair.

We strolled the Riverwalk a bit it was pretty cold and windy – 45-ish degrees

Here I am pretending to soak my sore skating muscles.

On the Riverwalk

Hell On Wheels

 

Sue and I went to Rudy’s BBQ (the world’s worst) which is housed in a gas station/smokehouse on the I-35 frontage road on the northeast side.  The brisket was good but the smoked turkey was the best.

Then I fired up the mower to cut the December growth.  I’m not sure if there is another tenant coming before the Bergs arrived in January.

Today was the nicest yet with sunshine and temps in the high 60s, maybe even 70.

And then after meeting the Bergs and the Mitch at the Alamo Ice House, Sue and I took the Segway Christmas Light excursion that Steve and Liz gave us for Christmas. This photo is from Travis Park in downtown.

 

Before the two hour tour, we were given a short lesson on how to ride the Segway.  In a nutshell, this is what you do: nothing.  You just lean forward ever so slightly to go forward and un-lean when you want to slow down.  You tilt the handle bar like a joystick to turn.  If you try to “do” too much you wobble uncontrollably.  It is tricky to get on and get off but our guide Amanda, a college student at The UTSA (The University of Texas San Antonio) helped with saddling up and dismounts.  She also warned us when we were approaching steep ramps or other obstacles.

As we passed several groups of pedestrians, I said:

“How you doin’? We’re from the future.”

The eight of us led by Amanda took a route through downtown on the sidewalks that was meant for us to enjoy the Christmas lights but all of us were rookie Segway-ers so we mostly had fun doing figure eights, getting the hog up to top speed (12.5 MPH), and trying not to run anyone over or bump into each other.

 

We got off the hogs for a short ten minute rest in the Mexican Market area.  Four members of our group took this opportunity to slam a beer.  Sue and I were well-behaved.  We snacked on a pumpkin empanada.

 

When we began the tour, everyone was very tentative and riding really slowly.  By about ten minutes into the ride we were passing each other and zig-zagging every which way.

That’s the Alamo Christmas tree, by the way.  Thanks for the great Christmas gift Steve and Liz!

After the tour, we walked down on the Riverwalk a bit to see the lights which seem different than three years ago when we were last here at Christmastime.

The walk was not overly crowed but there were huge lines for the boat tours and most of the restaurants were pretty crowded.

Merry Christmas!

On our drive home from downtown—about 30 minutes—we stopped for an appetizer and a Margarita at Chuy’s on 281.

Bring Your Own B and B

 

We made our way out to Driftwood, Texas, a few minutes from Austin to visit Sue’s favorite BBQ place in the entire world: The Salt Lick.  I think we forgot how popular this place is because when we arrived at 2pm on a Saturday afternoon, we were told it would be a one hour wait for a table.  Fortunately, Steve thought ahead and we brought in our own cooler of Robert Earl Keen Honey Lager.  It was cold out but they had the heat lamps on and there was some indoor waiting for the thin blooded.  Steve took the girls over to the outdoor play area.  The Salt Lick doesn’t have a liquor license so patrons are encouraged to BYOB--bring your own beer.

After awhile, Sue and Liz walked over to the winery’s tasting room (where they do sell wine and beer) and came back with wine in hand.  Note the sign that forbids soft drinks!

We had a fun time waiting around for our table for exactly one hour.

They also sold Buckets ’O Beer in the wine tasting area.  There was also some live music happening on the other end of this crowded holding area.

Off in the distance you can see some guys huddled around a heat lamp where they had set up and tapped a barrel of beer.  They brought in their own barrel of beer for lunch!

And then the man they said was John the Barbecueist appeared.  He came out of the woods like an apparition clothed in camel hair, a fur collar, and with a leather belt tied around his waist.  He had given up eating locusts and wild honey for a taste of the BBQ sauce, the potato salad, and the tapped micro beer carted in all the way from Austin.  He was the voice crying out in the wilderness (I will paraphrase him here): “Already, the ax is laid at the root of the tree and every tree that does not smoke good barbecue will be cut down and given to Bill Miller’s to smoke average barbecue.”  Bring your own beverages and barbecueists.

Finally we ordered and the smoked brisket, turkey, and sausage arrived quickly.

After we ate, Sue and I shared a peach cobbler with ice cream. 

The Smoker Pit

Capital of Texas

 

 

In Austin we headed for the hill, capitol hill.

After waiting for about 10 minutes outside in the security line, we wandered around the capitol.

Note the angelic back-lighting. The girls all wanted to just go up and up the steps.

There were lots of tourists speaking a variety of languages.  It was a Saturday so maybe that’s why the tourists were out in great numbers.

Neither Sue nor I enjoyed looking over the low railings at how high up we were but the girls wanted to look!

Mouth closed, mouth open, mouth open wide

George W. was governor of Texas from 1995-2000.  We did not run in to Rick Perry.

In the senate chamber with Lyndon Johnson

The House Christmas Tree

 

Two blocks away from the Capitol is Austin’s Cathedral where Brooks Whitmore is the organist.

Sue and I walked to the Cathedral just to see if Brooks happened to be practicing.  We walked in right as a wedding party was getting ready to walk down the isle.  There was organ music being performed.  We passed by the bride and her father and climbed the stairs to see if it was Brooks playing.  It was.  He saw Sue but maybe didn’t recognize her.  So we wouldn’t disturb the wedding any more, we slipped out the door. . .

. . .on the the Salt Lick.