Hi Everyone, and Happy 67!

Two weeks ago at Pumacasú, after the Cork Guru explained to us the history of the Thomason corkscrew, he asked me what I was doing now, and I told him that I am going back for my master’s to teach. He replied enthusiastically that he was trained in the Montessori Method and used it in his explanation. I was intrigued, so I did some digging.

While it appears that the Montessori Method is heavily focused on children’s education, there are notable similarities to what I have learned about critical pedagogy, most specifically, relating to the rejection of the banking model of education (Freire, 2000), where teachers deposit knowledge into students’ brains and emphasize regurgitation of the material through tests and quizzes rather than deep engagement with it. While Critical Pedagogy is primarily concerned with conscientization, or the development of critical consciousness as described by Freire, the Montessori Method (Montessori, 2004) focuses on students as the main drivers of academic discovery, encouraging exploration of the world around them, and teachers taking on the role of an observer before educator. In this example, he saw what wine-antique we were interested in, and then gave us an educational story to go along with it.

I also think there is something to be connected between Montessori and my literature review a semester ago about Fun and Play alongside Critical Pedagogy. Montessori’s focus on learning outside of lectures and emphasis on didactic materials (tools designed to facilitate learning) for hands-on exploration and engagement seems to overlap with the fun classroom activities and examples I reference in my paper. It has me thinking about how parts of the Montessori Method could be used for adults as well. It’s something to think about.

Anyway, with that said, let’s find out What’s Up With Will…

At long last, the annual Delta Sig vacation is once again upon us!

The morning after arriving in Austin, Texas, we pulled up to Franklin BBQ for some (you can probably already guess) good old-fashioned BBQ. This spot, which opened up in 2009, has garnered quite a reputation with multiple celebrity endorsements, a place on the Michelin guide, and a testimonial from the national magazine of Texas as the “Best Barbecue in the known universe”. However, that notoriety has led to this place’s outlandishly long lines. I had read horror stories online about people waiting for hours for Franklin's world-famous brisket, only to reach the counter and discover it had already sold out. Since that’s the kind of memory that gives you nightmares, I was fretting about getting there before the line got too long. We ultimately drove over an hour before the place opened, and thankfully, there was a line of only 20 people ahead of us. 

The moment we stepped out of the car, the smell of barbecue permeated the air, and as soon as we stepped in line, one of the servers came up to us to ask us what we were going to order to estimate when they would run out, because, as the woman said to us, “We will run out”. After an hour that was reminiscent of a college tailgate party on the outdoor patio (optional lawn chairs were provided), the doors finally opened, and I got to order myself a darn-good Tipsy Texan, their signature sandwich piled high with brisket, smoked sausage, cole slaw, and their BBQ sauce. 

Was getting to a BBQ spot an hour before opening weird? Maybe. Was eating BBQ for Breakfast even weirder? Perhaps, but that’s Austin for you, known for its incredible food scene and embracing the unconventional. After last year’s Delta Sig Chicago trip, there was much deliberation to pick a place that would be equally awesome, and everyone decided that Austin would be that place. Yes, the city’s unofficial slogan is “Keep Austin Weird,” but it was popularized in 2000 to preserve the city's “unserious” nature. What really is weird, though? Standing in this line for breakfast barbecue, I had a feeling we were about to find out. Truth be told, what is unfamiliar and foreign to one person might be pretty freaking awesome to another, and after visiting Austin, the latter is definitely the interpretation that I am taking for that word going forward. That, or maybe I am just a little weird too….

After a mighty fine meal, we were driving down the interstate from Austin towards the San Marcos River. Fed by a massive aquifer, the river is known for its crystal-clear waters, year-round consistent temperature of 72°, and a recreational activity we were eager to try: tubing. On the drive over, things were looking bleak weather-wise. We caught ourselves in a torrential downpour, which would have been less than ideal tubing conditions. By the time we arrived at Texas State Tubing, though, the sky cleared up, as if Mother Nature recognized that we were about to be outside for the next couple of hours and wanted to give us a break. We grabbed our fluorescent neon-colored tubes from the company’s mountain of flotation devices (as well as a few coolers) and proceeded down to the hop-in point. 

The original plan was for Rylee and I to tie our tubes together and coast down the river together, but I held to the philosophy of letting the river take me where it wanted me, and Rylee wanted to swim around a bit more freely, so a few minutes in, we untied ourselves. Thankfully, John floated by and shackled himself to my tube to keep me company for the remainder of the time. 

At one point, John asked, “What do you think the animals think of when seeing float down the river?” Personally, I think that they did not want me there in any capacity. Over the course of the trip, I encountered biting ants that attacked my feet, a snapping turtle that swam too close for comfort, and bugs that I could have sworn were mosquitoes that landed on me, but Rylee informed me that they were harmless dragonflies. I was starting to wonder, “What am I doing here?”, yet despite nature doing everything in its power to antagonize me, I couldn’t help but appreciate the great vibes. I was hanging out in the pristine waters, surrounded by great friends and lush greenery, with a drink in my hand. Not a lot can beat that.

For our final activity of the day, we rushed back to Austin to another BBQ joint known as Terry Black’s BBQ because it only felt right to end the day the same way we started it. Run by a 4th-generation pit-master, this Texas chain that started in Lockhart (which is supposedly the BBQ Mecca of Texas) has quite a reputation for itself too. In fact, in the Uber from the airport, our driver even said that they liked Terry Black’s over Franklin, which sounded almost blasphemous after our meal there, but it warranted further examination.

Even at 7 PM, they still had barbecue to spare. I grabbed myself a sliced brisket sandwich for comparative purposes, which was piled with pickles, onions, and barbecue sauce. While this was excellent barbecue, it was a far cry from Franklin. Here, the sauce was a tool that took an active role in helping to make the dish better, while at Franklin, it played a synergistic role, part of one cohesive and delicious dish. However, my side order of cream corn might have been the best decision I have ever made!

While yesterday’s theme was BBQ, today’s would be Tex-Mex. On our way to Phoebe’s Diner, we stopped at the Desnudo Coffee Cart for our mandatory caffeination. I grabbed a shoyu butterscotch latte, a delicate balance of sweet and salty umami, and it came with a literal cherry on top. At Pheobe’s itself, I ordered a Green Chorizo Hash, which, to my surprise, had actual green chorizo. It immediately brought me back to reading Green Eggs and Ham as a child.

From our brunch, I was able to rally a squad to putt-putt it up at Peter Pan Mini-Golf, a BYOB mini-golf course that is over 75 years old. Over the years, they added several whimsical large-scale sculptures featuring ants, armadillos, and, of course, Peter Pan himself. Many of those remain on the 18-hole course we were playing on today. 

Our party of 8 split off into two groups, so Rylee, Tyler, and Jenny became my opponents. Despite being handicapped with a drink in one hand and a tote bag on my shooting shoulder, I was consistently hitting it in 2. That being said, the competition was fierce. Tyler and Jenny were keeping pace with my swings, and just when I thought I could count Rylee out, she hit a couple of hole-in-ones to keep her in the game. However, as the final ball rolled in and the score was tallied, I was victorious.

Peter Pan epitomized the “I’m not like other mini-golf courses” stereotype. It’s quirky and light-hearted, which is everything that a mini-golf course should strive for. You can’t take yourself too seriously whacking a golf ball between the legs of a giant dinosaur.

Our next stop was something that I felt was on par with mini-golf. Imagine an arcade where you have an unlimited pass to play games. Now imagine that this arcade was also the site of a local cidery. That is Cidercade, and it might just be the best place in the whole world. I Dance-Danced a revolution, Fast and Furious’d my way to first place, and ski-balled to my heart’s content. It turns out it’s so easy to get better at arcade games when you aren’t re-upping a play card every five minutes. While sipping on my butter beer cider, I was also playing Pabst Blue Ribbon Perfect Pour, and honestly, pouring virtual drinks at a cidery felt like the beverage equivalent of Inception.

As we pulled up to Curra’s Grill, I noticed the bright neon sign saying, “the Mother of all Mex”, and I figured our dinner would be in good hands. In addition to some bomb quesabirra with consommé, Curra’s seemingly invented the avocado margarita, so Rylee Jacob, Anne, and I grabbed a pitcher to split. Before you bat your eyes at the sound of it, the avocado simply provides a rich, creamy texture to an already amazing marg. If that didn’t sway you, it is also the winner of multiple awards.

Our final day in Austin started with a bang at PanIQRoom Escape Rooms.

Escape Rooms are adored by my fellow Delta Sigs. You know engineers love a good problem to solve. In fact, I don't think I've seen a room yet that our group couldn't beat. Tyler, Jenny, Rylee, and I entered our room to find ourselves transported into a Bermuda Police Office. Reports traced a crime cartel’s movements back to this office, and we were tasked with finding evidence to put the boss behind bars for good. However, the local authorities could only let us snoop around for an hour, so time was of the essence. 

After hacking into a 1990’s computer and deciphering an evidence board, we unlocked a safe that took us to a secret laboratory. We had to start up the machinery to find the combination to another safe that contained the evidence we needed. I don’t want to brag, but we finished the escape room with 24:31 left to spare. We all work well together, and that’s good to know in case we ever get locked in a room and need to escape it for real.

After our escape room, we realized that we hadn’t really gone out in Austin yet. We all knew we needed to fix that, so we drove down to Sixth Street, Austin’s epicenter of bars. To fuel ourselves, we stopped at Hopdoddy Burgers, where I grabbed a classic burger (with everything made in house, including the bun) and paired it with a comically large Double chocolate brownie shake with hazelnut liquor. It does appear that the phrase “Everything’s bigger in Texas” rings true. Don’t worry, though; I finished it.

Then we walked to Zilker Brewing Company and Taproom. I grabbed myself a michelada to much protest of everyone there (I still can’t get them to experience the wonders of this drink), and we sat down for an intense game of Phase 10 to finish the night. 

We somehow got on the topic of Shrek on our trip and it unlocked the core memory of the American Idol featuring Simon Cowell rip-off in Shrek 2’s bonus features. It porbably stands the test of time as the best bonus feature ever. Have you seen this before?