Christmas Card and Newsletter

                                                          The Yellow Brick Road







We are connected now all the time so the annual Christmas letter is a thing of the past right? Some of us are still not on Facebook and do not tweet on twitter so this Bud is for you Mr. Throwback to the days of leather football helmets, carbon paper, and white out.


2010 is drawing to a close and looking back I think it will be remembered as the year of the iPad. If you do not have one, you will soon. I think we can safely assume that there will be more iPads than people by 2020 and Steve Jobs will be the world’s first Trillionaire and Apple will have a GDP bigger than the Eurozone.

The cover of this year’s Christmas card portrays the Wizard of Oz characters: Jac as the Tin Woodman, Luc as the Scarecrow, Champ as the Cowardly Lion, and little Bonnie as Dorothy. In previous years Kelly, Kacie, Chelsea, and Charlie starred in those roles. Now that they are not cute enough for cover material I assume they are cast as Munchkins or Winged Monkeys. I presume Cherry is the Good Witch of the North or the Wicked Witch of the West depending on the day, and I remain as always the man behind the curtain, the Wizard of OZ.

Our story begins in London last Christmas when we celebrated a Dickens Christmas. It was a magical time starting with our flight into London and the red dawn illuminating the chimneys jutting out of the snow covered roof tops. With Rachel Wise, our niece from Georgia, joining us we explored the city and its attractions, enjoyed the play Oliver and the Jack the Ripper tour, dined at the Texas Embassy and finer restaurants, and attended a Christmas Eve service at the Church of Scotland (walking distance from our hotel). Cherry and I returned to Houston Christmas Day on a similar schedule to the “underwear bomber”. The Yellow Brick Road obviously stretches across the Atlantic in order for our story to continue.


Charlie is our youngest and was the original Cowardly Lion. Charlie’s search for the Emerald City took him through Duncan, Oklahoma and Cincinnati, Ohio. Charlie worked a year in the Oklahoma oil fields for Citation and learned how to keep oil producing in lightning, extreme heat, and frigid temperatures. These are old fields operating on a tight budget and requiring constant maintenance. Charlie made some good friends in the field before following his heart to Cincinnati where Kai is pursuing her degree. Charlie was able to visit Kelly and Richard in Dublin briefly before his move. You can read more on Kelly’s blog but I understand it rained the whole time he was there. Charlie landed jobs at Pottery Barn and the Bose Store and rented an apartment and has registered for courses at the University of Cincinnati. Cherry and I spent a few days before Christmas with Charlie in the Cincinnati white winter wonderland and enjoyed it very much. The Wizard recognizes Charlie for his courage in pursuing his dreams, and maturity he has shown navigating his way down the Yellow Brick Road.

 Chelsea, formerly Dorothy, lives in Los Angeles and works as a graphic artist. Chelsea bravely left the security of her position at Tokyo Pop to free lance as an independent business person. She is recognized by many of her peers as a creative and talented designer. Recent commissions include Hasbro’s Mr. Potato Head and My Little Pony projects, and Sony’s Eat Pray Love film. Chelsea took me to Wurstküche in Los Angeles while I was there on business and we ate rattlesnake, rabbit, beef, and pork sausages and washed them down with German beer. I am thankful Chelsea abandoned her vegetarian lifestyle. Chelsea also joined us in Scotland and provided much entertainment acting out Monty Python and the Holy Grail and falling into nettles. Chelsea and her friend, Joe, joined us in Dallas for the Texas-OU game and the State Fair of Texas. Chelsea has opted to spend this Christmas with Joe and his family in Bakersfield. The Wizard recognizes Chelsea for having the courage to start her own business in California and for channeling her creativity into commercial enterprise.






Kacie, the Tin Woodman, and Jason followed the Yellow Brick Road from London to their very own first home in Houston. Kacie works and is pursuing her degree in interior design and has won several scholarships. Jason started a new job at Spark Energy and spends his free time fixing up their home. Bonnie spends most of her weekdays at Powderhorn with Cherry and the dogs. Jason and Kacie spent Thanksgiving in Ohio and will stay in Houston for Christmas. The Wizard recognizes Kacie for her hard work and dedication to the pursuit of her dreams.






Kelly, was our Scarecrow, and maintains an active blog describing her and Richard’s life in Dublin and their travels throughout Europe. Their time there is drawing to a close as they plan to transfer back to Austin in August 2011. Their life in Ireland has enriched all of ours as we visited and explored our ancestors’ roots. We enjoyed their time with us in Scotland in August. Nassy is the best traveled stuffed Snoopy doll on the planet (see Nassy’s blog). TJ has had it a little rough and does not enjoy his Irish allergies or the cold weather. Mackenzie Grace is a snow dog and is enjoying another white Christmas. We are all looking forward to welcoming Kelly and Richard’s son into our lives early next year. Cherry and I plan to be there soon after he arrives. The Wizard recognizes Kelly for the courage to start a family and the love her heart will feel for her new baby.


Cherry and/or I have followed the Yellow Brick Road from London, to Texas, Florida, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Wyoming, New York, Ohio, China, Japan, and Scotland. The road to Austin had a lot of loose bricks and potholes this football season and it is currently under repair. When you are on the road this much you learn that your home is where your heart is and we are thinking of our children and appreciating their love for us whether we are on a Kauai beach, a Scottish loch, or in a hotel in Beijing.






Merry Christmas to all!

Come and eat me you will!

I think I may have started a Star Wars collection. I have always been a fan of the movies and have enjoyed them with my family. Several of our children know the movies line by line and not long ago I received a Star Wars PEZ dispenser set. I have never been a big PEZ eater so it was not difficult for me to maintain it in mint condition so that I can sell it for $50 less $10 shipping and $15 EBay fees in twenty years or so. However, this Christmas Kacie gave me a set of Star Wars pancake molds and a pancake batter dispenser made for neatly filling the molds and writing in script. When the kids were young I liked to cook pancakes or waffles and the pancakes usually included an apple shape or Mickey Mouse shape pancake or two. So it makes me happy that they have made the connection from those early days.

It is important to seize the opportunity to use a Christmas gift soon after it is received so everyone knows you truly appreciate it. I have never been good about that and have sometimes been asked how I like the wireless camera card that I received for a birthday at which time I would try to remember where I left it. (I did install that card after only a month of shelf time and it is pretty cool.) This morning I was determined to use my pancake molds and my Breville hot chocolate maker.


Krusteaz has a recipe for 6 to 7 pancakes and I thought that would make two sets of my Yoda, Darth Vader, and Storm Trooper set. I made the batter a little thick and ended up with only four pancakes including the Yoda I saved for Kacie and transmitted her breakfast invitation with a picture and Yoda's words "Come and eat me you will!" Kacie showed up around noon and I had already poured Irish butter over Yoda so she needed only to remove it from the refrigerator and microwave Yoda to the proper temperature.


I had finished off the other pancakes dressed in Irish butter and Log Cabin maple syrup with three strips of crispy bacon. Then I test drove the Breville. It is useful for frothing milk and making double espresso macchiato drinks. I am not a coffee drinker but I do enjoy my hot chocolate on a cold morning. I still had a bag of hot chocolate chips from O'Conaill's Chocolate Shop in Cork so I added half a cup of chips to one and one half cups of milk and made a silky smooth cup of chocolate. It worked quite well with marshmallows on top. It is important to have a good breakfast to start the day and I think I had made good progress toward balancing Buddy the Elf's four main food groups: candy, candy cane, candy corn, and syrup. At least that is true if you count a candy or two from the Christmas stocking.

Windlinger Christmas #1A

The Windlingers gathered at the home of Joan and Mark Mateker for Christmas once again in 2010. Four generations led by Angie & Jerry (Granny & Gramps) enjoyed fajitas cooked by Mark and a variety of brews. The youngest present were Fred & Alice. Their second cousins, the Vines, were missing in action with an illness in San Antonio. We also missed Jim, Julia, Kelly, Kacie, Chelsea, Charlie, & Tyler and significant others this year.  

We wish all of you a Merry Christmas from Granny, Gramps, Susan, Frank, Clair, Jerry, Cherry, John, Maura, Tracy, Joan, Mark, Louisa, Laura, Will, Fred, Alice, Elise, Chris, Jane, John, Jason, Natalia, Brian, Misha, Brittany, Rachel, Ryan, Sarah, John, Elle, Matt, Greta, Craig, Kevin, and Joe.

Windlinger Christmas #1B

Sent from my iPad

Windlinger Chritmas #2

Windlinger Christmas #3

Windlinger Christmas #4

Natalia, Greta, Jason, Sarah, Granny

Sent from my iPad

Windows NYC December 5th Foodie Holiday Part II

More windows from Bergdorf Goodman

White Christmas in Ohio

Cherry and I flew into CVG in Northern Kentucky on December 19th on an Embraer RJ145. It is easier to see outside the windows of the smaller planes. As we descended toward the cloud deck we saw the full moon almost like a watermark against the still blue sky. We descended into the clouds and then into the white and gray world below. Only the main roads were free of snow. The country and building roof tops were covered with a foot of snow from Thursday's storms.

Cherry had carefully packed her cases of presents with love and care,
For she was playing Santa in the cold night air.
Her Santa cookies were baked and iced in red and white,
And she would see her son tonight.

He should know that a mother's love,
Naughty or nice is coming from above.
Charlie will have his Christmas,
With a mother's hug and tenderness.

Charlie and Cherry pictured in the Westin Cincinnati lobby.

Windows NYC December 5th Foodie Holiday Part I

The window pictures at Bergdorf Goodman in NYC are presented here especially for Kelly and those who have dreamed of running their own five star kitchen.

The Big Apple - December 3, 2010

The lure of the Big Apple coincided with the need to get away from it all, Cherry's birthday, anniversary #35 just days away, and the premature demise of the Longhorn football team. New York during the holidays is at its best.  The air is crisp and you can wear those winter coats and sweaters rarely used in Houston.  Once you have been to Battery Park and the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, Ground Zero, & Metropolitan Museum of Art your visits focus on food and drink, holiday decor, shopping, and Broadway Shows.

Cherry and I arrived on Friday in time for an early dinner at Insieme and the show Jersey Boys at August Wilson Theatre.

Insieme ($$$) is Italian for "together" as it pairs modern and traditional Italian cuisine. We started with the Tonno Marinato Bluefin Tuna and Agnolotti Ai Quattro Formagi  Pasta and a bottle of Etude 2007 Pinot Noir. Cherry had the Halibut Picatto and I had the Contrafiletto Invecchiato Sirloin Strip and we celebrated Cherry's birthday, December 3rd, with a Tartufo al Cioccolato Amaro Truffle for desert. The sirloin strip was served as four or five slices about half an inch thick and was the best quality lean cut of perfectly prepared medium rare steak I have had. This cut was second only to the melt in your mouth Wagyu filet and strip I experienced in Tokyo.

The Jersey Boys story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons is a great show and we had front row seats at The August Wilson Theatre. Finding a falsetto who can sing the range of notes Frankie hit has to be a difficult task. The hits: Sherry, Big Girls Don't Cry, Walk Like a Man, Can't Take My Eyes Off of You, and more took me back to high school days. John Lloyd Young was a great singer and the cast with all the Jersey accents and jokes were great telling the story of struggles, stardom, and personal conflicts behind the scenes.

On the way back to the hotel we stopped at the Irish Pub for a snack and drinks. They served Irish sausages rolled in pastry dough not unlike a kolache. That and a Guinness hit the spot. Best Guinness I have had in the US. And yes that is a Middleton Whiskey in the photo following our viewing of Elf on Sunday night.

Elf was new to Broadway and Cherry and I love the movie because it is all about believing in Santa.  The actor who played James Caan's role was good casting.  They left out Bob Newhart's Papa Elf role but it was a decent adaptation of a movie and we enjoyed it.  Prior to Elf we dined at  Picholine on the upper West side.

Picholine was entertaining and expensive.  We had five courses: Prelude, Princess, Truffles, Daddy's Girl, and the Main Course.  Luckily we had no time for dessert. 

Prelude: Cherry had a giant salad and I had the Warm Maine Lobster in fried vanilla milk, Endive, and Gooseberries.

The Princess was there for our entertainment and was with her husband and six older relatives.  She was an expert on everything and she could have played Barbara Streisand. Her husband said nothing all night and probably not for the rest of the year.

White truffles from Alba (M/P) were served as a mid course over risotto.  We should have realized that  we were working new territory when they brought the truffle to the table in an armored car surrounded by soldiers with automatic weapons.  They apparently shave truffles on to your dish until you tell them to stop like pepper on a salad.  We never said stop so they shaved quite a few.  We would understand better when we received a bill.

Daddy's girl had emailed her allergies to the restaurant before arriving at the restaurant.  Daddy wanted to kick the chef's kiester early on but his daughter convinced him to keep quiet.

The Maitre d' came out and talked to us for a while.  I suspect he wanted to meet the people so heavily invested in truffles and talk to normal humans. 

The last course consisted of Wild Pheasant shot in Scotland and  Sea Bass.  Both were great.

Picholine was quite entertaining and the food was great.  Just need to be careful around truffles.

Competitive Toasting in Beijing

I landed in Tokyo's Narita Airport after a few days in Beijing. I am struck by the blue skies after the smoke filled skies I left. For all the global warmers out there, you need to spend some time in Beijing and learn about the 80/20 rule. You can clean up 80% of the pollution for 20% of the money by shoveling it out of the air in Beijing. 

My stay was brief but I took away some impressions. Beijing is a modern city with new cars everywhere.  Foreigners do not drive there as they are automatically guilty if there is an accident. Police are very strict about drinking and driving. They can walk up to a car at random and stick a breathalyzer in your face. Penalty for intoxication is fifteen days in jail.  Driving is a constant game of chicken with pedestrians and bicycles as well as cars. Lanes are just general guidelines and are not viewed as restrictive. 

The Chinese love America's lifestyle. They listen to our music, dress western, study English in school, and volunteer for any assignment in the United States. They have difficulty traveling to the US and generally require three months to get a visa. They admire American oill companies above others in the world and consider them to have the best technology and people.

The Chinese are capitalist and it is expensive to live in Beijing. A 3000 square foot flat costs about $1,000,0000 for a 70 year lease.  No property taxes though since they do not own the land.

The first thing you notice at Beijing PEK airport is the arched seiling with wood slats soaring high overhead giving a clean contemporary feel.  The surprise was finding Santa and his reindeer.  Christmas decorations are everywhere. They enjoy the holiday and time off from work. Of course, it is not religious but the same can probably be said for most of America. 

The Chinese people do not know what brother and sister means because they do not have them. Still they remind me of growing up in a large family. They are very aggressive about everything just like driving. Getting on an elevator is like a rugby scrum. 

The thing common to all cultures seems to be gathering with friends and associates for dining, drinking, and competitive toasting.  The Chinese typically dine in large groups so you do not see our kind of restaurant with multiple tables of two to four. Everyone dines in individual rooms with large round tables seating up to 12 to 16 people. There is a large glass lazy Susan on the table that might be up to 8 to 10 feet in diameter. Dishes are served on the lazy susan perimeter and spun around to individuals to allow them to serve themselves.   Most of the food you will not recognize. Soups and teas are delicious and chosen for their health benefits. Some dishes are strange to our diet such as sea cucumbers that look like an octopus leg and are chewy. 

I tried a beer from a brewery built by the Germans on a Chinese seashore in the early 20th century. Tsingtao is a good lager. Most of their wine is from the US, Europe, Australia, Argentina, etc.  The national drink is Maotai, distilled from the waters of the Chishui and sorghum grain.  Chishui means Red River which is the name of another river dividing Oklahoma and Texas.  This clear liqour is served in minature goblets. It is 53% alcohol and has a taste that changes with each drink and later on starts warming you and evaporates from your pores. The best Maotai sells for about $300 per ceramic bottle.   It goes down the hatch in one swallow following a toast finished with "Gam Bei" literally "dry glass" or as we say bottoms up. One toast begets another in a competition of toasting and drinking.  If you are standing and holding your empty glass a young woman swoops in and refills it. The only escape is to put your glass on the table far from where you stand. 

We had fun at our two dinners with Ramsey and Lily from our Beijing office, our friends from Deutsche Bank, the Chinese company we were visiting, and our asset and business development team members.  

Sent from my iPad

Central Park

New York City was cold and blustery when we arrived on December 3rd. The fall colors were still clinging to few trees and carpeting the side walk. I caught this shot of a grandmother to be on her way to shop for baby Harris.

Polar Express

This has been an amazing travel year. Hawaii in the Spring and those amazing drinks like the 7-11 and the margarita with a Serrano pepper kick, Jackson Hole on 4th of July with a roaring fire warming our backsides as fireworks exploded above Snow King Mountain, trips to Tokyo and Kyoto with the tuna market and Golden Pavilion, eating at Wurstkuche in LA with Chelsea, chasing Harry Potter flying broom style around Hogwarts Castle, meeting the three bears in Colorado Springs, celebrating holiday style in New York City, and now here I am headed to Beijing via the North Pole.

Now I know the cynics are questioning whether the Old Man has suffered a little too much from the Christmas Spirits served in Business First on the 777. Perhaps the magic of last year's Dickens' Christmas in snow clad London or seeing Elf on Broadway has permanently altered Dad's perception of reality. Yet here I sit looking at the flight map from New Jersey's EWR. To Beijing's PEK and we are flying straight north over Baffin Bay just west of Greenland at 600 MPH. Soon we will fly over Santa's Workshop at the North Pole before turning back south over Siberia on route to Beijing. Riding the jet stream at 35,000 feet I may not be able to see the Polar Express clearly in the blowing snow but I know it is down below. There are only three ways to actually go to the North Pole and see Santa: the Polar Express, Santa's Sleigh, and hiking guided by Elf. Most of us will not get to go there but you still have to believe in the Magic of Christmas. We have all experienced something in our lives that give us that feeling.  For me one example is walking out of Spring Valley's City Hall after the Lychner Memorial Statue was approved one December night and snow began to fall from the sky. Next year it will be watching little Harris in his red pajama's and Santa hat.

Wait, I think I see Santa down below working on his list.......and it looks like Mack Brown has moved onto the naughty list!  I guess we should have expected as much.

When you read this let's hear about why you believe in Santa.

P.S. I cannot wait to complete my travel year next week when we meet Charlie in Cincinnati.

Sent from my iPad and I still cannot append pictures to this blog!

You can feel it!

You step out the door in the morning and it is there. The first day of fall. Summer is over. The morning is crisp. For Houston it was September 16th this year. It was a day I was driving to Austin. You go to a meeting and folks are talking about how great it was to take the dog on a walk. Joggers have an immeasurable boost of energy. The sky is blue and the Texas Purple Sage is in full bloom. It is time to dine outdoors. You can walk back to your hotel wearing your tie and jacket in the evening and not break a sweat.

A few weeks ago the bats were cartwheeling in the sky as they fed above the tree line in the breaking dawn. The hummingbirds came searching for nectar so you know the new season is coming. You watch the aerial combat as the hummingbirds defend their feeders but the windows are dripping with condensation so you are still living in the tropics. The hurricanes are still churning the warm waters far out to sea.

Now the dew point is 70 degrees and there is a cold front that almost dropped into Texas. Tailgaters, fire up your smokers and tap your kegs! Let's get ready for some football!

Hook'em horns!

Good night moon!

As I walked back to my cottage from the Broadmoor bar in the wee hours of Sunday morning I could not help but notice the full moon's light diffused by the water vapor in the Colorado sky much like the mist in a G Harvey painting. It was peeking just over the roof of one of the hotel buildings and was reminding me of the readings of "Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown illustrated by Clement Hurd" that was our standard procedure before our children's bedtime.

This week I was lucky enough to see Chelsea in California and Charlie visiting Powderhorn from Oklahoma. Perhaps that is why the old stories come to mind. Chelsea is pursuing her dreams in LA land and after stepping off the plane from Houston I can see why - 20+ degree temperature difference. Chelsea always takes good care of me and she picked me up from the Westin Bonaventure and drove us to Wurstkuche over by Little Tokyo. Chelsea and I navigated to our destination much like a falcon zeroes in on its prey, circling, and circling, and then pouncing on it. Blame it on the GPS. In any event Wurstkuche is a must visit with its variety of natural sausages and German & Belgian beers. The atmosphere reminds one of the bratwurst joints near Wrigley Field in Chicago. Austin Blues tri-pepper was the winner although the buffalo & pork with chipotle pepper was close. Rattlesnake, rabbit, and jalapeño pepper is OK if you like turkey sausage, otherwise I would pass. Chelsea dropped me at Chavez Ravine for the Giants vs. Dodgers. The Dodgers won 2-0 but like most skybox business outings there was not much game watching. It is a great stadium but there was a sparse crowd. That is understandable as I do not think there are any good baseball teams left and certainly none that are capable of capturing the imagination of the fans. I was entertained by the best air guitar show I have seen by a young Dodger fan on the fan cam during the seventh inning stretch. Charlie thinks it is Guitar Hero training - maybe so.

I slept a little late this morning after a tiring week of travel. I left Houston for Tokyo on Sunday morning around 10 AM and returned by 2 PM Tuesday. One night in the hotel and 28 hours of flying out of 52 hours gone. After a couple of hours of business discussions we ate sushi and Kobe beef at Teppanyaki and drank beer, wine and sake. By 10:30 PM I could not keep my eyes open but by 4 AM I could not sleep. After a walk around Tokyo I went to the Okura museum where there was a special exhibit of Japanese steel. If you are a Kill Bill fan you would love this exhibit.

Are you a dreamer? Quote of the day from the old lady advising her young friend, Alex, in the Flashdance movie.

"Dreaming is great but it is time to do something about your dreams."

The most quoted line from the movie is "When you give up your dreams you die." These lines came from different characters but I think I would summarize: Dream, Act, Persevere. And that is from catching ten minutes of a movie and not even under the influence.

The seven words you do not want to hear shouted from a distance as you step out into the dark in the mountains are: "There is a bear over there, sir!". I spent a great deal of time discussing politics, golf, Tour de France, etc. with the Broadmoor bartender over a few beers tonight. Essentially I left beers for bears as I immediately saw a tipped over trash can. It was too dark to see very far so I went in the direction of the voice and the employee said that a mother and cub were behind me but that I could walk in the direction of my cottage. I headed that direction while I heard the occasional bang of garbage cans. The cottage is off a dark path along the 18th fairway and when I reached the cottage I decided to watch to see if the bears would pass the cottage. After a few minutes a dark shape and two small shapes emerged out of the dark and turned to approach me. At that point I thought it best to unlock my door in case a more secure position was needed. I had left the TV on and as soon as I opened the door some roaring and growling emanated from the room. That seemed to stop the bears from approaching and after a minute they disappeared into the night.

And that is the story of the Three Bears. So I begin my blog with a children's story and end it in a similar fashion. Good night, sleep tight, and live happily ever after.

Purple Mountains Majesty

There are no more impressive mountains than the Grand Tetons. They rise mightily above the Snake River valley floor to the east and the Idaho potato plains to the west. You do not cross them, you go around them. Cherry and I escaped the heat, humidity, and the depressing news of the BP oil spill and fallout thereof to spend a long weekend in Jackson Hole.

Although we have not been to the Tetons together for a while, these peaks are woven into our family history. In 1969 Cherry and her mom's dad, Daddy Clain aka Charlie McClain, sat and watched television reports of men landing on the moon in a motel on Broadway Street. It was July 20, 1969 when Neil Armstrong as commander of Apollo 11 spoke the first words from the moon: "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.".

Later Cherry returned with me in 1977 on a trip with her family. We camped at Colter Bay in Grand Teton National Park while Cherry's parents, Janey and H, and her sister, Stacey, travelled in their RV, the Jimmy Mini. We also had our Cairn Terriers, Kilty and Loche, and Jodi the poodle accompanying us. That was the year of the great dehydration hike as Cherry, Stacey, and I ascended a trail to an igneous dike outcrop which required scrambling across numerous talus slopes. We did not carry nearly enough water and by the time we descended it was every man for himself as we hurried down the trail to quench our thirst.

We stopped in Jackson on other trips to Glacier National Park and beyond. When we made an overnight stop in Jackson, we liked to stay at the Trapper Motel near the town square. It was reasonable and clean and close to the daily shootout and other activities. One trip to Yellowstone circa 1990 was when Charlie was a toddler. Yellowstone has great short hikes and interesting sights but the camping is not that memorable. Before the Yellowstone Fires of 1988 that burned nearly 800,000 acres the park consisted of dense Lodgepole Pine forests that blocked the breezes that cool off campers. In many ways the fires improved things with more open areas, wild flowers, and breezes. This is the trip where the battle of Fire Hose vs. Dog House occurred and that I recounted in an earlier blog. I digress but on the return trip we decided to spend the Fourth of July in Jackson. We ate dinner on the deck of Louie's restaurant with a view of Snow King mountain. All six of us enjoyed the cool night air as we watched the town fireworks display and ate some of the best BBQ ribs in the land. We talked of returning to Jackson Hole for Independence Day on many squalid July 4th backyard barbecues in Houston and this year Cherry and I decided to do just that. It has been a great trip and we have enjoyed stoking the memories of previous visits.

One such visit has become legend in our family and has been dubbed the Hike from Hell. Circa 1993 we arrived in Jackson and checked into the Trapper Motel. Our objective was to tent camp at the Jenny Lake Campground. Jenny Lake is a beautiful area with a luxurious lodge catering to high end trail riders. It was definitely out of our budget but Jenny Lake Campground put us in the same place but requires a dawn arrival to secure a first come first served camp sight. We drove to Jenny Lake the night before and scouted sights and found several campers preparing to leave the next morning. In the pre dawn hours Kelly, Kacie, and I left the Trapper Motel and arrived at Jenny Lake and soon found one of our scouted sights vacated. We placed some of our camping gear on the table and lit our lantern until first light. Kelly and Kacie stayed behind to hold the sight until we could register with the ranger. I drove back to Jackson and retrieved Cherry, Chelsea, and Charlie (the three Cs). We had a great spot in Jenny Lake but had some adversity when the water pumps failed and no water available or toilets. We made do retrieving water from nearby.

The Hike from Hell started with a ski lift ride to the summit of Mount Rendezvous at 10,450 foot elevation. The idea was to take a nice long day hike descending rather than ascending the steep mountains. Cherry and I were in good shape since we were regular runners and running 10k races. Charlie was five years old and I had no interest in carrying him four miles as I did the year before in Glacier. We parked at Teton Village and rode the lift. It was fairly smoky from forest fires in Idaho and I had an altitude headache. We decided to start our descent to get to a lower elevation but the weather quickly turned against us. There was a danger of lightning and we knew we needed to get to lower elevation and off the bare alpine slopes. Kacie could not go any further without a trip to the outhouse. With the threat of lightning we decided Cherry would help Kacie and I would take the other three kids down the trail a quarter mile to some scrub and wait for them to catch up. Before we turned to look for Cherry and Kacie they witnessed a bolt of lightning hit the trail about half way between us. At that point the rain started. The safest thing to do was to go down the trail to a lower elevation which we did and the rain let up and the lightning no longer threatened.

The trail was poorly marked and was used by horses as well. At one point we were a mile from pavement and I suggested going down and letting me hitch a ride to the parking lot and I would return to pick everyone up. Cherry thought we should stay together and so we used the gondola towers to orient and stayed on the most traveled trail. We met a man named Tim from Idaho hiking in sandals and using a walking stick. We made our journey together. When we came to a horse pasture with a gate and fence we decided we were past the point of no return and with Tim's help climbed the fence and passed children over the top. Horse pastures not surprisingly have horses in them and the stallion in charge of this particular pasture challenged our presence with a great deal of foot stomping and whinnying. We kept moving and ignored the grass snakes crossing the horse trail.

Charlie was five years old and as such his poncho was too long and was dragging through horse manure. He became quite the sight much to the girls amusement. We made everyone keep quiet about that as Charlie was very particular about things like getting covered in horse manure in those days. Eventually we made it to Teton Village and found a hose and hosed everyone down. I found some ice cream sandwiches aka Fat Boys in the store and everyone had one. That was the Hike from Hell!

It has been years since the family has been together at Jackson Hole. I returned in 2008 to host investors in Anadarko's Drill Funds for a golf and fly fishing outing. We stayed at the Snake River Lodge in Teton Village, fished on the Snake River with Jack Dennis outfitters, and goofed at Teton Pines and Jackson Golf & Tennis Club. We also had dinner at the Amangani Hotel up Spring Gulch Road which is one of the nicest hotels I have visited. I checked into staying there for this trip and decided $1000 per night is a little rich for me. A souvenir from that trip is the G Harvey oil painting hanging in my study. I put my name in a drawing and was able to purchase it below auction price.

We have three days in Jackson on this trip. The first day was driving north to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone. We stopped at Jackson Lake Dam and took pictures of the mountains in the morning light. We stopped and took pictures of the bison as we drove through the Tetons. We stopped at the grocery store at Lake Yellowstone where mosquitos swarmed us in 1990. We visited Old Faithful and were surprised to not meet anyone we knew as we had run into Cecelia Troegel and the Parkers on earlier trips. They are building an Old Faithful Discovery Center scheduled to open in August although it looks behind schedule. The G&W Discovery Center was interesting but a little sad since the habitat is fairly small for animals that range miles each day. Orphaned and rogue bears and wolves have no other choice other than being destroyed. I think the center makes a good effort to simulate their natural environment. We drove back to Teton Village via Idaho and saw towns like Driggs and passed nearby Rexburg. I recognized these towns from Five Guys potato of the day signs and there are miles of potato fields here. It looks nothing like Ireland which is curious as Ireland is also spud crazy and home to the best French fry ever at Darwin's restaurant. It should be noted that Teton Pass between Driggs and Wilson Wyoming has 10% road grades so take that into account if you ever think of staying in Driggs and driving to Jackson.

Cherry and I played golf at Jackson Hole Golf and Tennis Club on our second day. The scenery is outstanding. When I played here a couple of years ago we had a visit from a fox. This year we saw marmots on one hole critiquing our drives. We did not see the local moose on hole 11 but we talked to an artist in town later who lives on hole four who had a moose calve in her backyard. We spent the rest of the day in Jackson touring the art galleries and ran into an Astoria Galleries exhibit by a sculptor named Brent Lawrence whose work we had seen in Sedona. Brent does multiple three by two patina steel plates with herd animals stampeding across. We also saw a great Longhorn sculpture by an artist named Joshua Tobey. He also has a smooth patina finish to his sculptures. The bronze longhorn and other sculptures are infused with human characteristics. We returned to Hotel Terra and had dinner at the Gamefish restaurant in Teton Village and watched a great fireworks display.

Today is the fourth of July and we are going on a long walk and then plan to spend the day in Jackson at the music festival, rodeo, and fireworks. It has been revitalizing to be here in Wyoming where Americans still believe in our country and are fiercely independent and have faith in their own resourcefulness. The people here do not look for handouts or believe in them for others.

There is a book titled "Yellowstone - Rebirth by Fire". I have not looked inside the cover but I see the forests full of ten to twelve foot trees replacing the old forests. The trees are young and healthy and not as susceptible to pine bark beetle as the old trees. When you see the restorative powers of nature it gives one optimism that we can overcome bad things that happen whether it be spilled oil or bad government.

Signing off from Jackson Hole. Happy Fourth of July!

The world's worst professional golfer.

Happy Birthday Charlie

I am celebrating Charlie's birthday in Denver and my room on the 12th floor of the Westin Westminster looks out on the still snow covered peaks of the Rockies. The sunrise behind me casts a beautiful light on the peaks. Down in the lobby a chocolate labador retriever named Westy is sleeping in front of the registration desk. This is a good job for a dog if you can get it. I am reminded that Charlie's early goal in life was to be a dog and he spent some time doing dog imitations.

The Strawberry Shakes are thinking right now that they didn't get a birthday blog and they will have to wait until 2011 as I let a busy work month distract me this year.

Charlie was born partially as a result of a taunt from my brother and partly due to a weak moment and a bottle of wine. Weak moments usually follow a bottle of wine. John called us nine months prior to Charlie's birth and announced that they had produced a son which as odds would have it we had not done in three pregnancies. I was always happy to have a healthy child of either sex but we are happy we have Charlie.

I tend to reminisce on the times when the kids were young and one of my favorite Charlie memories was driving through Yellowstone National Park when Charlie was still too young to read. A small dog house clearly labeled "fire hose" was on the side of the road and Charlie proudly exclaimed "dog house". The girls cried "fire hose" in unison and the chant went back and forth until Charlie was crying in frustration.

Now on the day of Charlie's birth a problem developed when Cherry decided that having babies was a difficult and uncomfortable process and that she did not think she could do this one more time. I told her I thought we were past the point of no return and she better get a better attitude. It all worked out well and we are glad we have Charlie. Have a happy birthday Charlie and thanks for all the fun times growing up. Looking forward to many happy days ahead.

Love, Dad.

It is time to get crazy!

Did you ever get that feeling that Thelma & Louise got before they took off across country? Sometimes there are enough things going on that the only possible option is to go a little crazy. Vladamir Obama is feeling it, kicking Tory ass and firing generals who do not believe in him. Tony wants his life back. Kevin is just "perversely" happy his $24MM centrifuge is finally needed. Republican appointed judges are screwing with Vladamir's vacation from the spill at the ball game and on the links when they rule that somebody is being arbitrary and capricious. Really! Not this president! Pop quiz for the liberal media (excuse the redundancy): what is the difference between getting your life back and going on vacation? You are not the president, you are a groveling villain and you must pay. Speaking of paying let's do the math. First the facts. 97% of the beaches are clean and have no oil on them. Tourism in the four state oil spill area is doubling every week and is now estimated to be valued at $30 billion (this comes from the same folks who are selling swamp land in Florida). Have you noticed the booming economy? So let's multiply the spill effected area by the annual tourism economy: 3% x $30B = $0.9B assuming full year impact. Let's add five years of the entire Gulf Coast seafood industry at $900MM being shut down so that is $4.5B. We have a total of $5.4B. Let's round that up to $20B. This is the same way we figure out bail out packages.

Or we could just take it easy. I took a picture of the lobby dog at the Westin Westminster. His name is Westy. Go figure. This dog would be perfect as a mascot for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management formerly owned as the MMS.

iPad will not allow picture insert so imagine a brown lab laying on his side up against the check-in desk - not sure he is even breathing.

Kauai sunrise, world cup, LongHorn Baseball

Last day in Kauai and the sun is shining and the breeze is light. I started the day in the spa between building 6 & 7. If you stay at the Westin in Kauai ask for building 6 with ocean and pool view. The Kauai sunrise is one the angels stand to admire every morning like in the Nicholas Cage movie. Half a dozen Nene were on the roof of building 6 also welcoming first light. The water in the spa was hot and the jets were providing the therapy I needed after a toss and turn night. Wait who is the old guy on the balcony? He is looking for the quacking he hears on the roof. Quick go inside and put some pants on over those skivvies. Wait a minute you are back and no pants. Throwing bread to the Nene and now all the birds are coming over due to your disturbance. Even the chickens who can't fly are waiting for some crumbs. Oh no, grandma go back inside your second floor unit and quit feeding the chickens. Look what you started old man.

After recovering from my outdoor adventure I performed the duties of Coffee Boy. This morning was different - Grande Americano with an extra shot of espresso. After breakfast and watching Texas whip TCU 14-1 in the NCAA Baseball playoffs we turned on World Cup. USA vs. England, oh yeah, Obama - shut the hell up as you have already done enough to damage the relationship with our closest ally with your xenophobic diatribe. USA gave up a quick goal and with good goalie play on our side and bad goalie play on their side we held them to a tie.

That is pretty much it. We had late checkout which essentially gave us an extra day. Now it is back to Houston and try to hold on to the beautiful scenery, gentle breezes, and signature golf holes. I am going to work on my new drinks: the 2-11 and the margarita with Serrano pepper and cilantro. I think I can duplicate those and enjoy my vacation a little longer.

Aloha.

Russian Forts, Smoke Monsters, and a Coconut Named Bob

We took a day off from golf to drive to the other side of the island. If you watched Lost or Gilligan's Island you know that going to the other side of the island is a required activity.

It is a long way to the other side of the island at speed limits as low as 15 mph. Our first stop was Kauai Nursery & Landscaping (aka The Orchid House on Lost). I went inside and looked at the orchids certified for export to the mainland. They claim 2-day Fedex shipping brings orchids in full bloom. The prices were reasonable and they had some rare orange oncidiums so I decided to give it a shot. While I was inside a brief deluge ensued which is why the nursery is where it is.

Next stop Poipu, a condominium and resort community on the sunny southern side of the island. The water is blue here and the waves are big when you have 15-25 knot winds. The Poipu Bay Golf Course is closed for major reconstruction. We played here two years ago and it seemed like most of the holes had ocean hazards. Kauai Lagoons near Lihue airport is also partially closed starting now for reconstruction. It is a Nicklaus course and is supposed to be really good when they are done. They were supposed to start this project two years ago but the collapse in tourism has put everything on hold here. Best golf for now is Makai and Prince on the north side near Hanalei. Golfers should avoid the resorts to the south for now.

There is one shopping enclave in Poipu that has some nice clothing stores, Na Hoku & Black Pearl & XAN jewelry, and gelato. It was warm and time for lunch so I dipped into a cherry chocolate swirl macadamia nut vanilla in a chocolate dipped cone. Enough said.

We continued our journey to a 19th century Russian Fort named Port Elizabeth after the czarina. It was built of lava rock at the mouth of the river providing fresh water and safe harbor. Cherry and I were the only visitors except for a Serbian couple from New York. It sounded like Russian when they spoke and they said the Slavic languages are similar.

Barking Sands beach is at the end of the highway and requires four wheel drive to get to the beach in Polihale State Beach Park. We opted not to drive in to the beach. We suspect that this road is not well maintained due to it's proximity to the Pacific Range Missile Facility. The PMRF is used for missile testing and I suspect they like the isolation.

MacArthur Park is named after MacArthur Dela Cruz and not the famous general. He was a community volunteer who dedicated his time to improvement of Kekaha Beach. It was on this beach that I met the smoke monster who looked very much like a sand filled whirlwind. Photo to be added later.

How I met Bob:
The day before our trip to the other side of the island we hiked down the trail from the Westin Villas to Anini Beach. The trail is steep and the tropical tree limbs intertwine off the trail into an impenetrable barrier. A stream trickles twenty feet below but will roar with the next rain. The beach below is not crowded partly because a small stream bisects the beach with limited parking off a small road on the other side. There are two houses of note. One is at ocean's edge and the other is set back in the tropical forest across a meadow. Not tsunami proof but great locations. A coconut lay beached like a whale or spawned by the stream from an inland location. He seemed healthy enough and I did not want him to end up like those white painted driveway coconuts so I heaved him into the ocean. As he bobbed happily away I knew his name. If you see Bob on his travels around the South Pacific say hello and give him an assist when needed.

Aloha from the Big Kahuna on the Garden Isle of Kauai!

Birds of a Feather.....

I have been in Kauai for about five days and I like the birds here. I met Mr Albatros this morning while I was playing golf. I hit my drive near some trees and I thought at first that my ball might lie beyond the trees. It was not but I found an unmowed section of rough with little signs warning me to stay at least 15 feet from the albatross. Standing in the middle of a roughly 30 foot diameter area was a fuzzy headed albatross. Yes, he looked like the doodle of bird world. I suppose this dark grey/black creature was immature as he seemed unlikely to fly away and the picture of his mom was a pure white bird with a much better figure. Note: I called him he and that is surely a form of ugly bird profiling.

Right now I am sipping on a new concoction called the 2-11 which I promised to research in a previous discussion. As I sit here grilling some rib eye steaks I have had two visitors. A previous occupant of my space has left some food on the table. My first visitor was the Northern Cardinal. I am sure he has a hell of a story about how he ended up in Hawaii but he joined me less than a foot away for a nibble. My grandfather, Poppy, used to have a cardinal that would sit on his finger in his back yard. A second visitor was the red crested cardinal. One of those guys hopped in my golf cart a couple of days before.

This morning my spa time was interrupted by ducks and chickens walking through the pool area. Other visitors this morning were zebra doves and mynah birds. Mynah birds are all over the place here. I seem to remember a TV show starring Arthur Godfrey who had mynah birds for pets on his show. He usually wore Hawaiian shirts and played a ukulele. I think the Mynah birds could talk like a parrot. I am sure they would be offended by that comparison.

Good night.

What makes a plume?

There is much being made of a dangerous underwater plume in the Gulf of Mexico. Apparently Obama's experts have found 0.5 ppm of oil below the surface of the water. How does this compare to other plumes? Let's consider the fecal matter in the Potomac River. EPA consistently measures 10-20 ppm of fecal matter in the Potomac River. During heavy rain there is up to 3000 ppm.

So there is 20 to 6000 ppm times as much poop in the Potomac as there is oil from the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Which body of water do you want to swim in.

Of course the Potomac is close to the White House so the source of the pollution is non stop and no one has the technology to shut it off. At least the oil spill will be stopped this summer and the water will be cleaned up.

The Prince is the Dragon

Every Monday should start this way. Wake up without an alarm at sunrise. Get your coffee and breakfast and head over to the golf course, in this case the Prince Course at Princeville. The course is named after Prince Albert, decended from Kamehameha the Great, and was designed by Robert Trent Jones. The Prince has numerous five star and number one rankings in Hawaii. After playing it you may agree that it is the dragon that needs to be slain. It has at least seven carries over ravines, narrow fairways, greens guarded by orange volcanic sand, jungles, streams, oceans, lakes and streams. The Wai'ala'ale and Kawaikini peaks tower overhead with water from the high elevation Alaka'i Swamp dropping over the precipice as a series of water falls. The average annual rainfall is 430 inches per annum making these misty peaks the wettest land on earth. The peaks provide beauty and a reference for which way your puts will break. The water carved out the terrain that provides the ultimate challenge in golf with monster uphill, downhill, down wind, and up wind shots required. Severe doglegs and ravines add to the challenge.

Cherry played her first round in a year and once again came through with a par 3 on her scorecard. Jerry played from the Ke'oke'o white tees and shot a 98 on par 72.1 slope 133. The dragon that lives in the land of Hanalei is still alive but we look forward to the next match.

The dragon slayer lives! Aloha!

Mai Tais and Other Concoctions

Sleeping late in Kauai is great. We woke up at 6 AM which seems early except it is 11 AM in Houston so it was really sleeping late. It was also Sunday so no emails from work to deal with. We went to the Westin store where we acquired a cup of Starbucks for Cherry and Jerry jumped in the spa. The spa was big enough for a dozen folks but we had it all to ourselves.

Shallow pools with spouting turtles look like fun places for the little people to play. I have a policy against getting in those pools for obvious reasons.

Last time we were here the Westin had just had a soft opening. The Princeville hotel where we stayed was set to close for a remodel and rebranding as St Regis. This hotel has a location that is hard to beat. Beautiful beach next to the largest coral reef in the Hawaiian Islands offers incredible sunsets over the Napali coast line. Now that I think of it, what a great place to watch the sunset and blog on your iPad.

We wanted to see what they had done with their $79MM renovation so we walked over to the St Regis. It was 5.2 miles round trip so it was a great way to start the morning. St Regis is spruced up but it was hard to see where all the money was spent from the lobby. We entered the lobby at ground level which is floor 9. You take the elevator to the fourth floor, switch elevators and proceed to floor 2. That is how it works when you build your hotel on the side of a volcano.

The St Regis really spruced up the pool with nice tile and flagstone. Mother nature provided the scenery which is still awesome. We decided to stay and enjoy the setting with a beverage. I would have to give the St Regis Mai Tai a thumbs up. Not sure why but they just taste better on the beach in the islands.

I called the Makai golf course and reserved a tee time for 2:30 and we walked back to the Westin. Cherry dropped me off and I played 18 holes in the sun and the wind. Makai is very open off the tee but it has lots of white sand. I shot my normal 15 good holes of golf ranging from pa4 to double bogey and three bad holes and did not break 100. It is a 127 slope rating but I would say 140 in the wind.

We had reservations at Nanea for prime rib night. The food was good and we had a nice Malbec with dinner. Our waitress was named Olena which is the name of an ancient Hawaian flower whose root is used for healing. Olena was BOI of Kauai. She has a three year old daughter whose Hawaiian name means "First Light of Heaven". Olena was college educated and very passionate about native rights. She grew up with her father living off the land and sea: night diving for fish, snaring wild boar, etc. She told us about the bones of the ancestors that were being found as people were building their multi-million dollar homes on the coast. The islanders want the jobs from the wealthy residents and tourism but want more repect for their culture.

We had such a good time talking to Olena that we stayed for another round of drinks after closing our check. Cherry had another glass of wine and I spotted a drink called the 2-11. It was invented by the Nanea's bartender and it has tequila, Cointreau, and a Grand Marnier float. But it is the fruit juices that make the drink. It is all natural and I plan to research the drink more later and bring it to the mainland.

Aloha!

Kauai: Dragon Slaying and Other Adventures

Random thoughts from Kauai:

Kacie, thanks for getting up early and taking us to the airport. It makes travel so much easier.

When will we go on a trip and get more than four hours of sleep the night before? At least it makes sleeping on the plane easier.

IAH to LAX and LAX to LIH (Lihue) is a great way to get here. Breaks up the trip into 3+ and 5+ hour flights and Presidents Club has wi-fi.

Taking the dogs to the kennel: Jac & Luc got dog biscuits at the dry cleaning pick up on the way to be dropped off. Lesson learned kids: do not get in a vehicle and leave your mother when a man takes you for a ride and offers you treats. Champ was boarded at Petsmart and I ran into a business associate. It took Alan an uncomfortable second or two to recognize me. Come on Alan - fedora style golf hat and a big ungroomed doodle and you do "not recognize me out of the oil patch".

iPad: do not travel without an iPad. You can eliminate laptops, books, magazines, and newspapers and wear earbuds to listen to music and not the lady next to you or the infant crying 10 rows back.

OK, I was just kidding. You need a magazine because you have one hour per flight when you cannot have your electronic device turned on. Bring a copy of Wired magazine from home. It costs $10 per year to subscribe. Apple thinks you should pay $5 per copy to get it as an iBook. This will change although the people buying this are the same ones who put the idiots in Washington who decided the people with healthcare should pay for healthcare for people who do not want to buy it or work for it. Who can afford healthcare when you need another $600 per year for 3G and the WSJ app. But it is so cool and I get to be a couch potato.

The magazine on the plane reminded us that we are on an island and life is slower here. A 30 mile drive to the hotel is about an hour drive. It is a nice drive because everything is green and the mountains have high clouds while we are in the sun and a gentle breeze. Still I had time to contemplate the price of gasoline about 50% higher than Texas. It is a good reminder of what happens when you live on an island with no natural resources and everything is imported. We should carefully consider these things when we react to rogue behavior whether it is BP, Skilling, Madoff, or Sanford. Washington politicians are like the poor souls on Lost who were constantly fighting over leadership and believe in magical energy sources at the heart of the island. I think we should lock them in a cellar and tell them to punch a button every hour or they will blow themselves up. Let them fight over that and keep them from destroying our way of life with their political tinkering.

First whale sighting in Kauai. She was blubbery and had packed on enough fat for two females her size. From across the parking lot we heard her blow F!$&, F!$&, F!$&......until a male of her species came to her rescue. She was inebriated and sunburned and a reminder of how not to spend your vacation.

Hawaiian pigeon: I forgot that chickens were everywhere on this island. I much prefer them to the pigeons you see in most places. Since they live on the ground there is no danger of being bombed by a pigeon as I was in Piazza de San Marco.

Tiki torches: they really set the mood. I was tired last night so I had a Sapporo beer and went to bed. Tonight I am thinking Mai Tai under the wavering light of the tiki torches blowing in the gentle breeze.

Shotgun Willie gets an iPad

So what if it is 1:00 AM. Shotgun Willie has a new iPad. Sitting around in his underwear and learning how to pilot this thing. I knew the Pit would need one. I told her to get one before our next long plane ride this Saturday. She had me reserve one at the Apple store near work in case her order did not come in. Well she found one and they emailed me that my order was in. Obviously they are shooting these babies out of the factory like crap through a goose. I looked at the size of her iPad and the books I was bringing on the trip and said sign me up Mr.Jobs. You are the king of cool. If wifi is not good enough and everyone 3G's there way into connectivity than AT&T is going to implode! Mr. Jobs is going to sell a ton of these and make the WSJ a ton of money to boot.

Now Chuckles I know this is a lot to digest. You knew your Mom would have to gadget up. You never thought that your Dad would give up on Balmer and Gates and the boys. Bill should be paying more attention to his business because Steve just lapped him on market cap. He might lap him again if the billion or so customers in Asia want one of these things.

Signing off from the apple orchard,

Shotgun Willie

Mitsui Group

My hosts in Tokyo and Anadarko's partners are Mitsui. According to Wikipedia, Mitsui started in the 17th century as a pawn shop and later as a kimono shop in Edo which is now called Tokyo. This artist depiction from wikipedia bears the following description:

Surugacho (Suruga Street) (1856), from One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, by Hiroshige, depicting the Echigoya kimono and money exchange store with Mount Fuji in background. Currently, the Mitsui Main Building (三井本館), which houses Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Mitsui Fudosan, The Chuo Mitsui Trust and Banking Co. and Mitsui Memorial Museum, is located on the right side of the street. Mitsukoshi department store is on the left side.

Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant – Marunouchi Building, Tokyo

Two dining experiences worth having are being served wine from a wine shooter at Cyclone Anaya’s in Houston and Eight Treasure Tea service at Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant in Tokyo. At Cyclone you need a bib to catch the spill, but the tea server never spills a drop as he shoots hot water into your tea cup from across the table. The tea is the best I have ever had and the refills are just as good. The ingredients are: Chrysanthemum, Organic Green Tea, Honeysuckle, Licorice, Red Date, Haw, Dried Tangerine, and Rock Sugar. This restaurant is located on the 60^th floor of the beautiful Marunouchi Building located between the train station and the Imperial Palace. This building is only two years old and is home to 150 fine shops. All the food was good but you will love the shark fin soup.

Orchid Bar & Sazanka Teppanyaki

...............................We departed Houston 10 AM Saturday and arrived Narita airport around 2 PM Sunday. After electronic fingerprinting and pictures in customs, private cars transported us to Hotel Okura. We met in the Orchid Bar for drinks with our hosts after a shower and change of clothes. That was my first Sapporo beer and it was good. Kato-san, Desaki-san, and Iijima-san hosted Daniels, Cooling, Rudderow and I at Teppanyaki. Teppanyaki is the home to the best Kobe style beef. It is Ohmi beef from the Wagyu breed that is raised under the shadow of Mt. Suzuka drinking the clear water from the Azumi River. Their diet consists of corn, barley, and beer. Daily massages have been part of raising Ohmi for over 400 years.

Our dinner began and ended in a sitting area near the table surrounding the teppanyaki (iron cooking) grill. We had a champagne toast from Kato-san and he showed us the article on our deal from the Japanese newspaper with the map of our Marcellus Shale Play. The meal was prepared Benihana style with a talented chef with sharp knives. First we had the seafood courses accompanied by a chardonnay. There were smelts, a small fresh water fish, served with carrots and sprouts. Next we had a trout dish and a salad.

The Ohmi beef choice was filet or sirloin. I asked for filet cooked medium rare. The cook used a paste on the grill and brandy. He cut it up in bite size pieces. This steak literally melts in your mouth and is the best beef I have ever tasted. A really nice red wine accompanied our beef. The fatty portions from the sides of the steaks was cut off, and then diced. This meat was cooked until the fat sizzled away and then fried eggs, onions, and rice were added to create some of the best fried rice you have ever encountered. The fried rice was followed by mushroom soup.

We moved back to the sitting area and had some great ice cream that is pretty close to Blue Bell quality. Then off to bed so we could make our 5 AM tuna auction meeting time.

Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺- Kyoto, Japan

This temple is a World Heritage site and it dates back to 798. The present buildings date back to 1633. It is named after a waterfall that has run continuously for over six hundred years. The name means “clear water”. The waterfall is split into three streams. Matsui-san said each stream stands for wisdom, longevity, and beauty. Others think health instead of beauty. The main hall has a huge veranda supported by tall pillars with fantastic views of the city. Japanese have a saying “to jump off the stage at Kiyomizu’ which means “to take the plunge”. It is only 40 feet and there is historically an 85% survival rate. It is prohibited but if you try it shout “Geronimo” for the most dramatic effect. This is a must see site with a nature walk, great views and cool breezes. This was one of our last stops and my camera battery was dead, but I have a ticket with a picture. I saw pictures of this temple covered in snow and it quite beautiful. There were also many cherry trees and when they bloom it would be stunning.

Japanese Apricot - Ume Tree

Prunis mume flowers in January and February. Plum blossoms are often depicted in Japanese art and it is indeed hand painted on the kimono I purchased for Tane Sakura. Although it is called a plum it is actually an apricot tree and it originally came from China. Ume juice is extracted from the fruit and is sweet and tangy and served chilled. Ume liquor is also known as plum wine and is sweet and smooth. The Ume blossoms are a symbol of spring and were originally preferred over the cherry blossom tree.

Tenjin (天神?) Sky god Temple- Kyoto, Japan

Tenjin was our second spot on the Kyoto tour with Matsui-san and Hitoshi. This is where we combine plum trees (Ume) and prayers for scholarship with orange temples and statues of bulls. Sounds like University of Texas with a plum orchard.

Michizane, a poet, died in 903 in exile. When he died there were many natural disasters from rain, lightning, and fire and the emperor decided Michizane’s spirit was angry and ordered temples built with his favorite tree planted on the grounds, the Ume Tree. February is bloom time and exam time so the blooms were associated with scholarship.

The parents come to this shrine before their children are accepted into universities to pray for a favorable outcome. Prayer cards are hanging on nails as shown in the picture. Hitoshi’s mother went to Tenjin before he was accepted into one of the universities in Kyoto.