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!