Oh, Austin! Merry Christmas to You, Too.

This post is dedicated to Austin, the city we love and again call home. The city that inspires us to describe the wacky, the funky, and the outlandish as "so Austin." The city where discarded liquor bottles and beer cans will, most likely, be turned into art. The city with pizazz, pretension, and Christmas light displays featuring hammerhead sharks fashioned out of foil.

Saturday night we grilled some burgers and headed over to 37th St. for Christmas lights. (Not just your grandmother's "nativity and icicle lights" displays either. Think recycled trash. Think over-the-top creativity. These people are serious about keeping Austin weird.) We hadn't been since the Vowells introduced us to this Austin tradition four years ago. This was our first time to go with Samuel (who we knew would just LOVE it), and our friend Heath came along for the fun.

Bailout Boardwalk, a fusion of American pop culture, Obama worshipping,* and jokes about our ailing economy:

*The bright light behind me is a cardboard cut-out of Obama carrying the plunging economy. Awesome.

Papa and Sammy, at the "Stuffed Animal Petting Zoo." Not making this up, guys. It really was quite charming. Best quote of the night? Little girl walks over to the "petting zoo," looks around, and asks her mom, "Why does the giraffe have a neck brace on?"

There was actually a nativity. But it looked like this. A million points to the person who can tell us who WHO the lady (child?) is in the red. And, yes, that's a baby Obama in the manger:

Oven-turned-Christmas-display:

We had a great time, and Samuel was in heaven. (There was even a display featuring a ceiling fan, so you can imagine how ants-in-your-pants excited Sammy was!) Sunday afternoon we headed over to Town Lake (or Lady Bird Lake, whatever) for a three mile jog/walk. It was lovely outside, and we thoroughly enjoyed Austin's lakeside beauty. Highlights of the run: we saw two elderly women who had been ridiculously--ahem--"enhanced," a man riding his bike in nothing but a thong (thanks, Will, for making sure I caught that), and a whole fleet of people dressed as reindeer riding their bikes. Ahhh, Austin.

Tonight we braved the cold--and I mean COLD--to go check out Austin's Trail of Lights at Zilker Park. We left our warm car and bundled up Sammy (he had plenty of warm clothes and blankets on him) for the 1.25 mile "wonderland of light painted on the canvas of nature" (not my words, unfortunately). It was beautiful and perfect and COLD. I think I lost all feeling in my ears, lips, cheeks, fingers, and right leg. Yeah, it was that much fun. Samuel seemed to be enjoying himself, but we really weren't sure. We pushed him along in our stroller, and he hardly said a thing (we thought he might be freezing) until we left the Trail of Lights and Sammy saw (a) a shuttle bus and (b) flashing red traffic lights. Then, and only then, did he holler and point and spaz. My thoughts at that moment: "Really, Samuel? Really? That's what does it for you?"

We came home, thawed our frozen appendages, and made wassail! We have a TON, so if you're in Austin and want a warm drink, please stop by. Because we'd love to see you. And because wassail is so Austin.