A Shopping Extravaganza!

Last weekend I went with my mother-in-law and two sisters-in-law on a shopping weekend. This is something they've done for a few years and this year invited me to go along. I was not sure I could shop for that long, but I did my level best to keep up. The pocketbook is now very light.

The hotel room.

I couldn't seem to get a photo in before I turned down the bed. But, you know, I guess, to prove that we stayed in a hotel, there's a photo.

Prime Outlets from the northbound service road.

Prime Outlets last Friday in San Marcos, TX

We drove down to San Marcos, TX on Friday morning. We stopped in Temple, TX for lunch, checked into the hotel when we arrived in San Marcos, and immediately set out to shop at Prime Outlets. This was a tactical decision made by the more informed shoppers in the group. You see, in San Marcos, sitting right next to one another, are two gargantuan outlet malls. This one, apparently, is the more popular of the two, so it was decided to hit it on Friday, when less people would be around.

My sisters-in-law and mother-in-law heading into do some serious shopping.

Friday shopping in nice weather.

This outlet had a lot of high end retailers in it - many of whom really had no great sales or "outlet" pricing. My sisters-in-law did a good deal of baby clothes shopping. After several hours of shopping, we went to Cracker Barrel for dinner.

My niece and fellow shopper, Alexandra, at dinner.

I also planned to take lots of photos. I took my big camera and all my lenses. This didn't really happen. I never even got the big camera out. I got hooked on the shopping drug and forgot after a few hours. All photos that did get taken were done with the purse camera and the camera phone.

Early in the trip, when I actually remembered to try to get some interesting shots.

Some cute snowmen I did not purchase.

Apparently, also at this outlet mall, they used to charge money to give gondola rides up and down this fountain. Can you believe that a) they thought to do that and b) people paid money to go up and down this cement fountain in a gondola? Or, maybe they didn't. Because there were no gondolas in the cement pond this time.

Former site of gondola rides.

I also spent a big chunk of time Saturday going to Austin to visit with my former boss, Bob and his wife Nell. I was very excited to see them, as it had been several years since we last saw one another in person. And, I had plans to take lots of photos of that lunch. But, I got there and got so involved in conversing and catching up and just spending time with such lovely people after such a long time without seeing them that I not once got out my camera. What's more, I talked to them about my blog - I brought the blog up in conversation - and this didn't remind me to take photos.

The only photos I have are the two below - 1) of the restaurant sign from out the car window on the way out of the parking lot and 2) what I think is Bob and Nell in the car in front of me as we left. I can't even be certain of this. It could have been some other patron of the restaurant who got in between us. Which, given this fact, makes that photo a little "crazy person stalker" creepy. I took it in desperation when I realized I had taken no photos of our meeting and needed something to post on the blog. It is a stretch, I know. Just go with it and make me feel better.

1) Cruddy camera phone photo of the restaurant sign through the truck window.
I love and miss this restaurant and appreciate Bob and Nell being willing to eat with me here.


2) Maybe Bob and Nell in front of me as we left.

After lunch, I took a little drive down memory lane before heading back to the shopping mecca. Here is what I captured, while driving myself around town.

This one is for my mother-in-law.

This photo is of the U-Haul place where we rented the world's largest U-Haul (not the plan) to move me back to Dallas and she had to drive it to my apartment in torrential rain because it was a stick shift and I can't - I've tried, and many people have tried to teach me - drive a manual transmission. We rented a smaller automatic transmission model. When we arrived, they had nothing of the sort, and if we'd like any truck at all, we'd better take the manual monster sitting out front. She did a great job. But, it was one of those days.

Then, I drove over to my old apartment complex. When I lived here, it was brand new, and on the edge of nothing- no development around it except cow pastures and a driving range.

Monterrey Ranch, my old stomping grounds.

The only thing that was nearby when I lived there - a driving range.

My apartment - that one, on the bottom.

I know, again, out the window, with the creepy stalker thing going on. But, I had to get a photo for you, my blog reading public, of my old home.

Anyway, now surrounding my old digs is a school, two gas stations, a Garden Ridge, a Target (which had opened before I moved) and a whole new retail development with lots of chain stores and chain restaurants in it. It's a different place.

After stalking my old apartment for a while, I decided to take the scenic drive back to San Marcos via Wimberly on HWY 12. It was scenic.

View through the windshield of the scenic drive.

Another view from the car.

And a third view.

It was so nice that I didn't ever, once feel like actually stopping the vehicle to get a decent photo. Go figure. So, you'll have to use your imagination with the photos above, and trust me that it was a nice drive.

An added bonus of the drive was I got to drive right by my old college roommate, Cathy's apartment when she lived in San Marcos for grad school. I stalked it, yes, again, and emailed the photo to her. I am full of wonderful things that I do for others, yes?

Cathy's grad school apartment. That one, on the top.

Once I made it back to San Marcos, the girls were at the other outlet mall across the street. I caught up with them for a little more shopping before we ate dinner at Outback and called it a day.

Incidentally, my mother-in-law, Cheryl's, good friends were also on this shopping weekend with us. We just kept missing them. Her friend Linda and her daughter-in-law Tiffany were shopping until they dropped as well. We did visit with them Saturday night for a while. Otherwise, we passed like ships in the night all weekend.

On Sunday, the shopping fun was not over. We checked out of the hotel and headed to Round Rock, TX, where there is another outlet mall. We shopped for several hours at this one as well.

Chelsea Premium Outlets in Round Rock, TX

As you can see, this one is laid out differently - it's more like a "regular" mall in that it is in an enclosed square - or enclosed with canopies overhead, at least.

Another view of the Round Rock Outlets.

We were in Round Rock so long it was time for Alexandra to eat again. So, Kim and Brooke fed her outside on a bench. Here, she's sporting a good deal of whatever vegetable that is on her face.

Brooke, Alexandra and Kim

After wrapping up this last outlet mall, we headed for Dallas to recuperate.

I am happy to report, while not as adept at an entire weekend of shopping as my in-law relatives, I was able to scratch several people off my Christmas shopping list - I found some nice things for those I'm buying for this season, which made it a useful outing, for sure. Additionally, it was nice to spend time with the others on the trip, to visit with Bob and Nell, and to enjoy the fabulous weather we're still having this late into the season.

Happy Birthday Rick!

Rick and his son, Nathon, circa 2004.

Today, my second oldest brother, Rick, turns 44. It's not an "0" or "5", but it's another year, and I'd like to wish him a good one. And, I want to wish him the very best for the year ahead. I know the past year hasn't been the best in history, so I especially want to wish him all the good I can possibly muster on today, his birthday.

In honor of his big day, following are a few images I've captured of him and his family from the past few years and some random things I'm sitting here remembering about him.

Family photo, (Rick, Ryon, Nathon, Jessica, Kim) Christmas 2006

When Rick was in high school and I was in grade school, his room was directly under mine at our house. Every morning, he'd get up and blow his nose. Let me just say, when Rick blows his nose, you hear it. It's loud. It's not dainty - he gets it done. Anyway, this noise would travel up the air vent to my room. It was my built-in alarm clock for a few years. No need to set one. I knew when I heard Rick up, it was time to get moving.

Hanging out, Christmas 2006

Rick took me to see CATS in Indianapolis one year when I was home on break from college. It was the first time I'd seen that musical, and I still remember that production. And, the fact that he took the time to take me.

Nathon and Rick, 2005

Rick, while he looks like a thin guy, can stick his stomach out to a perfect basketball shape. We all have special talents. This is Rick's. When he does it - he looks like he could be pregnant or something. It's the strangest thing. He's got it perfected.

My brother Bob, me, brother Steve, and brother Rick, August 2005

Another talent of his is he can eat very slowly. Especially if he's eating a piece of fudge. He can make a one inch by one inch piece of fudge last something like 2 weeks. No kidding.

Rick throwing a ball with his son Ryon, September 2006

He's also a great and resourceful "from scratch" cook, and he sources his own wild mushrooms (I want to call them morel mushrooms - and I fear I'm getting that wrong) in the spring of the year for a special treat. He also loves to golf, apparently with a bunch of really old geezers, but doesn't get to head out to do that too often.

Rick at Nathon, September 2006

When I was very small, he and Bob used to love to tease me, of course. They still do, of course. But, when I was small, they thought it was hilarious to get me to say "green one" and this made up word, spelled for pronunciation, "pop-er-oh-shun". There are audio tapes of them trying to get me to say those things and them just laughing and laughing when I did. They used to also tell me I did everything "like a girl." They'd say, "You run like a girl." Or, "You throw like a girl." It was a long time before I realized that, since I was a girl, it was OK I did things like a girl. Brothers. Oh brother.

Rick at Ryon just last week at McCormick's Creek on my visit to Indiana.
(Ryon is in character for Halloween in this photo.)

He loves his kids, too, and enjoys spending time with them.

Rick with Nathon May 2003

Family photo (Jessica, Kim, Rick, Nathon, Ryon) after a ballgame, May 2007

And, I'm glad he's my brother. And, again, I wish him the very best!

Happy Birthday!

Rolen

Me and my great-nephew, Rolen

So, we're going to continue with kid week here at Ate Up Amateur because, well, I know lots of kids, I was just home in Indiana where I have gads of kid relatives, and I have several photos I'd like to share. At some point - if I can ever get caught up on my photos - I plan to also post about other things. Buildings, leaves, butterflies, general photos of stuff I'm doing, etc. You know, the usual. So, if you're not a fan of cute kids, hang in there. We'll move on eventually.

My oldest niece is Amber. She is the daughter and oldest child of my oldest brother Bob and his wife Sherri. She recently became a mom herself, - to Rolen Alexander. That's right - that makes me a Great Aunt. And my brother a GRANDPA. We're all pretty spread out age-wise around the family, so there are always kids around, it seems. A new generation has begun.

And, while I didn't have the pleasure of visiting with them when I was up last, I did get to see their little guy for a few moments because he was hanging out at Steve and Terri's house when we swung by before heading out of town for the day. Since he's only almost three months old, I can pretty much include all the photos I have from his entire life in one post at this point. So here we go.

When I was in Indiana in May, Amber was still pregnant with Rolen.

Amber in May - taken with the camera phone.

By the time I visited in August, he had just been born. He was about a week old, I think. He's named after baseball player Scott Rolen, who is originally from Jasper, Indiana. This Rolen's father, John, is a huge baseball fan, I understand. Hence, the name.

Newborn Rolen, resting in his Grandpa's lap.

Amber's younger brother is in high school, and a proud uncle. Austin, of course, is also my nephew.

Rolen and Uncle Austin

He was incidentally, the ring bearer in our wedding. He was the right age for ring bearing, so he was the ring bearer at my younger brother Steve's wedding a year before ours. At their wedding, we asked him to be in our wedding. He said, "Oh no, not again!" But, then, S promised him a basketball and that sealed the deal. Bribes work on small children. Amber was one of our house party at the wedding as well.

Rolen and Austin napping later in the day.

I remember when Austin was born. I was in college. He was born in January when I was home for winter break so I got to go to the hospital and meet him. It was so cool. I went back to school with tons of photos of him, telling all my friends all about my new nephew Austin James. When I see my friends from college, they often ask about him - that's how many times I hit them up to check out the photos. I always tell them he's fine and how old he is at the moment. And, then we all feel old for a second. College could not have been that long ago, could it?

S and Austin bonded early in his life. Austin and S used to carry on long detailed conversations when he was like 2 or 3. I remember, when my grandmother died that S entertained Austin in the corner of the funeral home for hours, just talking things over. I have no idea what sorts of things they had to talk about for hours on end, but they both seemed to enjoy it.

Amber and Rolen

One summer a few years ago Amber came to stay with us for a few weeks. As it so happened, during her stay, I had a trip to New York for work, followed by a gala benefit at work that I had to attend. So, Amber jet setted to New York with S and me and we made a long weekend of it, then returned to Dallas for the soiree.

Amber, Rolen and John

Amber got all dolled up and was a favorite of the camera crew at the event. She was the belle of the ball. They snapped her all night long. But, we had to tell her over and over that jet setting to NY for the weekend and attending fancy galas was not a normal set of circumstances in our lives. We did not do that all the time, or really, ever. She just happened to hit it exactly right. Most of the time, we lead pretty boring lives, which I am pretty sure she still doesn't believe.

Amber, Rolen, John

I remember when Amber was born. I was in Middle School. And, I couldn't wait to see photos of her and meet her in person. At the time she was born, my brother and sister-in-law were living in Arizona. Bob was in the Air Force, finishing up a four year gig. He lived in Germany for the first two years, and then moved to Arizona where he met Sherri. I remember writing to him when he lived overseas and even when he lived in Arizona. It was so cool to have a brother in Europe and in the Air Force! He wrote us back, too. And, when you're a little kid, nothing is cooler than getting mail.

While Amber was still a wee one, they moved back to Indiana. Since she was the first grandchild of her generation, she had lots of attention and the whole family thought she was pretty much the cutest thing ever. And, of course she was! She visited me once when she was in grade school and I still lived in Austin. That was a fun visit too - no trips to other states then, though.

As I mentioned, when I was in Indiana last week, Rolen was down at Steve and Terri's for the afternoon while mommy and daddy Amber and John ran some errands. The kids had fun just looking at him. (Veda was at school.)

Deacon, Rolen and Cora

Rolen checking out Cora

It is a universal truth, I think, that little kids thing older kids are cool. Even almost three month old Rolen follows this truth - look at him checking Cora out up there!

And Cora thought he was pretty cool, too.

Rolen checking out the big kids again.

Here, he feigned interest in whatever it was I was doing over there.

A little laugh - the photo's a little blurry, but it was a cute face.

After a bit, we turned him over on his stomach for some tummy time. Boy, was he holding that head up and looking around! I got on the floor and snapped a few head-on photos.

Holding that head up.

He was telling us all about it here. I love this one.

And, the very familiar, "Hey lady - do you ever put that camera down?" look.
I know it well. I know how to ignore it. Look at those blue eyes!

He got hungry, as little ones are apt to do, while he was visiting, so Terri, my sister-in-law, fed him a bottle.

Terri and Rolen

Terri, Rolen, and big helper Cora

Then, Cora fed him too. I know he appreciated it.

That wraps up all the photos of Rolen in one post. He'll grow and change before I see him again in December at the holidays, so I'll update you on the little guy again after the first of the year.

Memorization can be tricky

When I was in Indiana last weekend, we had lunch on Sunday with my brother Steve and his three children. They were preparing to go to their weekly AWANA meeting. This is something new their church is doing, and they are all participating. They told me it is sort of like Christian scouting.



Each of the kids, as part of this preparation, tried to memorize a Bible verse that they would then recite for some sort of merit at the meeting. Each of them, because they are all different ages and levels, had a different verse to learn. And, each of them took some time to do so.



But, Deacon had a harder time of it. Perhaps because he wasn't paying attention at the get-go. But, the conversation that ensued between him and his father in order to learn this verse was priceless.



As you know, I love to catch good conversations with the camera. The photos say so much. So, I snapped away as Deacon twisted and thought.



The verse was, "Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures." It's in I Corinthians 15:3. I didn't have to look this up. After hearing it so many times last Sunday, I've got it memorized. Now, ask me what the girls' verses were - no clue.



Except that Cora's was in Luke - she recited the verse for me and I said, "Now, where is that in the Bible?" because she had left off saying the "Luke" part, and 4 year old Cora said, "In the middle." Fair enough.



So, Deacon had a few issues with this verse. First, "according" was a new word. He got that pretty quickly. Second, using the term, "Christ" instead of Jesus was problematic.



Then there was this issue of the verb. He kept leaving out the verb. He'd say, "Christ for our sins." His father found this part rather exasperating. "He did WHAT for our sins? Had a party, ate a sandwich, what? You don't say, 'Daddy on the couch.' You say 'Daddy SAT on the couch.' Where's the VERB Deacon???"



Then, there was the whole issue of saying, "Corinthians." You might remember from my interview with him that the sound the letter "r" makes is not his thing. So, saying that long word with an R and a TH in it was tough.



He got it though, finally. He worked on it for a while, stood there and paid attention and finally got it.


He's a sharp cookie, when he wants to be. Now, as to what transpired at the meeting, and whether he received whatever it is they receive for actually reciting a memorized verse - I don't know. But, in the living room at my mom's house, he got it. We all cheered.



Either way though, he's a cutie, isn't he?