Billy Wardle Happenings

 Johnny's is in South Omaha on L street.  It is a bit confusing to get to.  You turn like you are getting on the freeway and then there is a sid road off of the freeway entrance road that takes you to the restaurant.  When I visited Johnny's the South Omaha air was present from the meat packing operations; but not inside the restaurant.  Johnny's is a well known steak house.  I was with a presentation so the steak was not offered.  I had the Prime which which is a French dip with sliced prime rib.  The sandwich and the au-jus were excellent.  The salad had a vinaigrette which made it too something for my taste.  The fries were also sort of bland and not even ketchup could rescue them.  I would like to go back and have prime rib or just ribs.

 Bomb Tacos is located in the Dundee neighborhood of Omaha on the corner of Underwood and 50th.  It is the location of a bomb exploding in WWII which had been sent on a balloon from Japan.  The bomb did not injure anyone but a similar device did kill someone in Oregon. We visited Bomb Tacos on a Tuesday after a volleyball game put us in the area.  It was Tuesday taco day so street tacos were only $2.  Aheri and I both had tacos which were very good, carnitas and carne asada are both very good.  I also had elotitos, street corn, which was very good.  Sheri ordered chis and dip.  He had mixed chips, but corn and wheat.  I especially like the wheat ones.  Sheri didn't like their salsa but I enjoyed it.  We brought a burrito home to Tony which he enjoyed.   There are two other Bomb Tacos, on in Papillion and the other in west Omaha on Maple Street.  

 I have found another library to frequent which is close to our home.  It is only a couple of miles.  I like to visit South Omaha.  The down fall is that being a non Omaha resident it cost me $100 to get a card.  They have a greater selection of books, especially Native American history which I like.  They also have a more liberal policy with regards to movie rentals.  You get the movie for three weeks and then can renew.  They also have a larger collection.  I can put things on hold from the entire Omaha library system.  There are 13 Omaha libraries with another set to open next month.  I will probably visit the new library which will be on Dodge.  The South Omaha library is also the Metro Community College South Omaha library.

 I went to Jimmy JOhn's for the first time.  I was really hungry after a day at the temple.  Sheri and I both went.  We also got a sandwhich for Tony.  Tony and Sheri both had Country Club--ham and turkey with Provolone cheese.  I had the Caesar chicken wrap.  Both cases were nothing to write home ab out and Sheri and I have both decided that we will not go back.  The seemed to have only one choice of bread.  I was looking for Philly cheese steak which they don't have.  I guess it is Jersey Mikes that has Philly cheesesteak.  I will remember next time.

 Charity turned us on to this restaurant downtown off of Jackson at about 12th street as a place to go for good French onion soup.  Sheri really likes French onion.  I go for the salmon--but the salmon dinner is too expensive so I have a salad with salmon.  The dinner salad and the salmon are both excellent.  I will also have soup there.  Sheri really likes their French diponion soup and I think that is all she has ever tried.  Tony when he went had the Salmon dinner.  I would not give this restaurant the highest of marks but pretty close.  

 This is an urban sculpture park dedicated to the pioneer spirit of those departing from Omaha for parts west.  It is affiliated with the Nebraska's Wilderness park a couple blocks away.  Together they make the largest bronze and steel sculpture park in the United States and one of the three largest in the world.  The pieces are meant for interaction as you imagine what the pioneers may have been going through or thinking.  You can also interact with the animals.  They are mostly buffalo and geese. Pioneer Heritage Nebraska's Wilderness

Traveling through to Elkart I was able to spend considerable time with Charity in Nebraska.  These trips of course included the zoo.  We also visited the Winter Quarter Visitor Center and the Kanesville Visitor Center.  It is always fun to spend time with the Halls.   Baby elephant

Two really unique things about this River Edge park in Iowa, the big tall alien.  It is actually called a humanoid.  It is 33 feet tall.  Sculpted by Tom Friedman.  It is title "Looking Up."  The other thing is the pelican themed playground.  Charity's kids like this, especially Owen.  

 We went to Omaha for Thanksgiving ho0ing to be qable to meet Charity's new baby.  Riley did not cooperate and was not born until the Monday after Thanksgiving.  We had to go home so Tony could go to school.  Sheri stayed to meet the baby. During the weekend we saw Wicked at the theater, went to a park down by the river; it was very cold, walked through Fontenelle Forest which was also cold but had a neat place for watching the birds, and to the zoo.  At the zoo we mostly went to indoor areas as it again was cold, aquarium, the jungle and gorilla house.  We also went ice skating. Thanksgiving Grandkids Outside the theater where we saw Wicked Park down by the river where there was a crazy swing The zoo Mama rhino Toltec statue Baby rhino under the water leaving

 A couple pictures of Riley as I passed through Omaha coming home from Indiana.  She is two months in the pictures.