Browse Author: beakatude

Austin – Day Two


After our meal at la Barbecue in the morning, we walked back to our hotel in the noon heat. By the time we got back, we were ready for something indoors.


So, we went to the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema that is famous for having table service at your seat. At the ticket counter, we purchased out movie tickets for Mission Impossible along with our first drinks.


Once we sat down, a server came by to show us how to order in the middle of the movie. What a fun experience and great way to cool off.


Right outside of the theater was a mini shopping area that had an ice cream shoppe called Lick. They had SO MANY flavors to choose from.


I ended up going really simple with salted caramel and coffee scoops.


We did a little more walking back toward the Colorado River. We crossed the foot bridge to check out the paddlers below and the graffiti all along the railroad tracks.


Our next stop was Lambert’s Downtown Barbecue where they had Happy Hour specials. I had a giant glass of ice cold water and then a glass of white wine with a frito pie! Yum.


By the time we finished, there was just enough time to walk over to the Congress Avenue Bridge to check out the bats that come out at dusk. It was quite the sight.


We were lucky to have perfect timing on our arrival. By the time we made our way down toward the underside of the bridge, it was just minutes before they all came out all at once. What a unique way to end our day!

Austin – la Barbecue


This morning, we got up in time to get to La Barbecue before it opened (~10:30am).


Here’s the menu in front.


We made it to the first part of the line and waited until it opened at 11. It was nice to be able to wait indoors where they were running the A/C. They also served drinks before the meat counter opened.


When we got to the counter, we ordered a beef rib, sausage, and brisket.

We also got their beans, pickles, and jalapeno slaw. They also threw in a couple slices of white bread.


Jesse had been looking forward to this trip in hopes of tasting a really good brisket and he was not disappointed.


Look at that smoke ring! It was tender and had a nice bark.


Here’s the beef rib. It was HUGE and equally delicious.


This was my perfect bite: white bread, a little bit of tangy sauce, and some of the beef rib with bark. Yum.

Austin – Day One


We sent the kids down to Southern California for a couple weeks so Jes and I took the opportunity to take a non-kid trip to Austin! We had an early morning flight and checking in was so simple without two little ducklings tagging along.


We had one stop at Phoenix mid-morning with a 1-hr layover so I had some morning bubbles. Heh heh.


When we arrived, one of the first things we did was something that has become sort of a tradition now. Jes had forgotten his sunglasses AGAIN so we went to the mall to buy him some new ones.


When we checked into the hotel, they gave us a corner room that had a view of the capitol building.


After a dip in the pool to cool off in the 95-degree heat and humidity, we went out to 6th Street to take in the sights and sounds. We stopped at The Library, which had a one-man band who played his version of popular songs.


We also found a taqueria that has really unique (and spicy) tacos and some pretty tasty margaritas.


When it got dark, we found a bar called SanJac that had a live band getting ready to start. We ended up staying the rest of the night to enjoy the music.


What a fun night!

Utzutzu

We had dinner at Utzutzu this evening. It’s a little Japanese restaurant in Alameda that’s tucked away in the upstairs “apartment” over a store on Park Street. It’s not marked and they seat only 10 people per night.

The menu consisted of a pre-planned menu that was a mix of small Japanese dishes with two hefty courses of sashimi and nigiri. The sushi chef quietly prepared all our fish dishes and it was so fun to watch from the bar.

Shishito Nibitashi

Fresh Oyster

Chef’s Sushi Selection

Asari Sakamushi

Snow Powder Watermelon

Chef’s Sushi Selection

We got braided fish! Haha.

I was also very happy when he brought out the uni. Yum!!!!

White Peach Compote with Crystal Nectar

After dinner, we stopped at HobNob for a drink before calling an Uber.

Alameda 5K

I ran a 5K this morning and it was so close to home that I was able to ride my bike over to the course.

Some of the Arete girls also ran and other came to cheer us on. The course was flat and scenic but got pretty warm at the end.  I felt pretty good and managed to run a little faster than I expected since recovering from my foot pain.

Henry also ran the Kid’s Run and looked so happy on the course.

Here’s group shot. Jesse rode his bike with Peanut in the backseat while KK rode her bike too. It was fun to see them at the finish line.

The post-race festival served free beer and was so refreshing.

Teresa placed 3rd overall among the ladies and I also managed to place 3rd in my age group! Not too shabby for this old lady.

Whole 30 Complete!

Whole 30 is done and I celebrated with a walk to the local boba shop during lunch. I think I ended up with a good sugar high in the afternoon and it was so worth it.

Jes enjoyed a cold beer on his ride home on the ferry.

In the evening, we had hot pot and I enjoyed a glass of wine…aaaaahhhh.

Summary:

  • I have a greater appreciation of roasted vegetables.
  • I really know how to use a spiralizer now.
  • I lost 8 pounds.
  • I was dreaming a lot more than usual.
  • I didn’t crave sugar but realize there’s sugar in EVERYTHING that I usually eat.
  • I enjoy flavored sparkling water even more now and San Pellegrino drinks are WAY too sweet for me.
  • I didn’t notice much difference in my skin or energy level. Too bad.
  • Whole30 is very time consuming and our oven got a lot of love this past month. I also felt like I was either eating, planning, or cooking food.
  • In a bind, my go-to breakfast was a Lara Bar. Favorite flavor: Key Lime Pie!!
  • Would I do it again? Probably not.