Best of 2012

Merry Christmas Wand Wielders!

I got a Dungeons and Dragons shirt for the birthday. Kid collects small baubles and keeps a fairy garden.

Annual list of all things doing, Texas Style. Annual caveat, it's only here if we paid for it. And we didn't buy that much, diapers and new HVAC unit mostly.

Good year for tunes though. Could have gotten more from the Canadians.

Hope you're all plumped, pumped and gassed for 2013. Year of the water dragon, fitness, dentistry.

The first one might be my favorite, the rest are equally contributing.
 

BEST ALBUMS 2012

1. The Men "Open Your Heart"

Thoroughly uncomplicated, like most shit should be

2. Could Nothings "Attack on Memory"

Thoroughly complicated, like good directions should be

3. Thee Oh Sees "Putrifers II"

Because Molly Hatchet didn't put out a record this year


4. Jaill "Traps"

What I practice my flare guitar to

5. Tame Impala "Lonerism"

"Impala", automatic inclusion

6. Woods "Bend Beyond"

Our Brooklyn moment

7. Soft Pack "Strapped"

Hair loss, alcoholism, middling expectations, etc.

8. Ty Segall & White Fence

It Boy + Strange Boy

9. Orwells "Remember When"

Doubt they'll / it will age well

10. Alabama Shakes  "Boys & Girls"

Heavy rotation on the mellow mommy playlist


Moderately hon. mentions: Walkmen, METZ, Menomena, Cat Power, Beach House, Grizzly Bear, pretty sure GBV made several possible listenable records. Trying to get into Converge and shit. Heavy rotation, very unreleased in 2012:

Jim Croce
Van Morrison
fIREHOSE, always
Flatt & Scruggs
Walter Egan
Black Taj
Revolver
War on Drugs
KV
Verbena
Glands
Number One Cup
Grant Green
Bill Evans
Brubeck, all of it
And silkworm


A very decent mix tape:

"Hollywood Forever Cemetery" Father John Misty
"The Match" The Eastern Sea
"Teenage Dreams" Nada Surf
"Everyone's a Bitch Tonight" Jaill
"Sad Pricks" METZ
"I was born in a Laundromat" Divine Fits (cover)
"Open Your Heart" The Men
"No Future / No Past" Cloud Nothings
"Sleeping Ute" Grizzly Bear
"Ruin" Cat Power
"Friends of Friends" Hospitality
"House that Heaven Built" Japandroids
"Cruel Summer" Superchunk (cover)
"Tallboy" Soft Pack
"Home of the Grave" Black Breath
"Pumped Up Kicks" USHER (cover)

- AND -

Jane's favorite song, 2012: "Love Cats" by the Cure.


BEST OF THE NETFLIX'D

Headhunter
Bernie
Safe House
Cabin in the Woods
Kill List
Haywire
Snow White and the Huntsmen
21 Jump Street

BEST MOVIE OF 2012

The Hobbit

(haven't even seen it yet)


BEST SHOWS:

Refused, FFFF
Seaweed, Mohawk
Nada Surf, Do512 Lounge
Thee Oh Sees / Ty Segall, La Zona Rosa
Super Creeps, Bobby John's 40th Bday party
The Men, SXSW
Real Estate, Mohawk
Robert Ellis, Trans Pecos, Marfa
Heartless Bastards, Trans Pecos, Marfa
Johnny Corndawg, Eastside

BEST BEERS I QUAFFED THAT WEREN'T MADE IN SHINER:

Ommegang - Biere De Garde
Ommegang / Liefmans's - Zuur
Russian River - Pliny the Elder
Russian River - Beatification
Jester King - Gotlandsdricka
Jester King - Drinkin' in the sunbelt
New Belgium - La Folie
New Belgium - Shift
New Belgium -  Fresh Hop
New Belgium - Biere De Garde
Austin Beerworks - Fire Eagle
Austin Beerworks - Einhorn
Rogness - Boomslang
Dogfish - Burton Baton
Six Point - Bengali


BY THE NUMBERS:

Jane: 4.5
Mary Austin: 1
Dad: jumped shark
Fly rods owned: 6
Cost to A-man to catch a snook: $3500
Trips to emergency room: 0
Trips to P. Terry's Burger Stand: 30+
Avg. ABV: 6.5%
Dollars accidentally paid for Imogene and Willie Jeans: $260

Meal of the year......

Verdolagas taco at Papalote.

Bam.

Runners up, Beav's turkey burgers, dinner at Gruner in Portland, La Olada, Uruguay.

Send corrections.

A

















 

CHRISTMAS CARD

WE WISH YOU A MARY AUSTIN (1) AND A HAPPY JANEBUG (4 1/2)

THE MCKENNAS OF TEXAS

Ein und getan

Big Weekend in Texas... 

Friday, Mary Austin turned 1.

20 lbs. of fun. Big sister re-gifted the old firetruck. 

She loves it. Cake, not so much.

Mary Austin Birthday Cake Assault from Austin McKenna on Vimeo.

Saturday Night, the tradition continues. The 40th Annual German Christmas Dinner.

Prep

 

 

Decor

 

New mascot this year, Klaus.

Lucky to have a friend who does this:

 

Many Rouladens consumed.

Digestif, Sara.

Lederhosen, Forrest.

 Nightcap, front porch.

Boys.  Brad, Travis, Charles, A-Man, Alastair

 Girls. Sara, Jessie, Beav, Liz, Natalie

 Gute Nacht

Somehow not pictured at all: Ben the Butcher

Special thanks to those behind the scenes: 

Taylor (prep cook, babysitter)

Toby (Underburg)

Mary Margaret (Klaus)

Extras

More from the trip...

Back in TX, Thanksgiving Day

Celebrating A's 40th with new guitar from Trey.

My alter ego.

Klaus, our new German Santa from MM & Josh. 

Rouladen happening next weekend.

Cute kids this week.

BOBO!

Going Huge in Uruguay

After five or so nights in BA, we struck out for Uruguay. I guess I thought Uruguay would be fairly provincial, lower income and less appointed. All wrong. It's totally posh and infallibly gorgeous.

We flew to Montevideo, and rented a car, driving about 200 KM to Jose Ignacio, which is kind of like Montauk meets Nantucket. With Guachos.

Strong hire for those considering a junket to SA. 

 

The junior airport in BA, Manu is ubiquitous

Montevideo from 1000 feet

My favorite new airport

Approaching our quarters in Laguna Garcon, the place appears African

Gold fields

HQ

Los Huelos, the only joint bumping in Jose Ignacio

Lighthouse, Jose Ignacio

I imagine this is what Iceland looks like, on its sunny day

Not for hire

Punta Del Este

Liquid Lunch

Ferry warnings, en route to the nature preserve

Fishing for pickerel with Captain Beto

Beto thought I was nuts

 

The other overnight option, a floating lodge

Proper sea crafts

Hotel horses

Our go-to eatery

Our hosts

Back to BA for one more turn