Too Much Time

Some people have way too much time on their hands.

I have to admit that this is cool, though!

Crazy Rube Goldberg Device


And That's What I Think.

Homecoming

A couple of weeks ago, we went to visit my mom and brother. It had been five months since I had been to my old home town.

We really didn't do anything and had no plans. It was just nice to visit and hang out.

That's really all that we did that weekend.

And That's What I Think.

9-11

Today is September 11, a day that will live forever to so many. Six years ago, the terrorists brought a new war to our soil, killing 2,996 innocent lives and affecting countless others.
Please visit my tribute to Vladimir Savinkin. He was lost to us on that fateful day not so long ago.
Take the time today to honor those lost and be thankful for the emergency crews that cleaned that horrible mess that was the World Trade Center aka Ground Zero.

To help ease your pain, try this site.
And That's What I Think.

Labor Day Part 2

SUNDAY
We got up Sunday morning, ate a quick breakfast at the hotel and headed for Galveston Island and Moody Gardens.

I never heard of Moody Gardens until last year when some friends told us they went there. Since we were going to be in the vicinity, we might as well check it out.
Moody Gardens is an educational wonderland. There are three pyramids, each with it's own theme and theaters and more.

We started out in the 4D theater. If you don't know what a 4D theater is, you're in for a surprise. I first experienced 4D at Sea World. I won't spoil it by telling you about it, I'll let you figure it out on your own.
From there we went to the Rainforest Pyramid. Live animals from all over the Rainforest were here; birds, lizards, sloth, fish, bats and lots of little mammals.
After the Rain Forest, it was time to watch the 3D Imax Film, Deep Sea. This was a very informative film. You get to see sea life as they act in nature. Cool!
When that finished, we were off to ride the Colonel, a big paddle wheel boat. The one hour trip took us around the inlet on the north side of the island.
When the boat docked we went into the Discovery Pyramid to check it out and watch the ridefilm. In the ridefilm, all the seats are on a platform that moves along with the film. It was neat and we were chasing dinosaurs. Layce wanted to watch it again, but they weren't showing it anymore that day.

From there we went into the Aquarium Pyramid. This was the best, yet. We got to touch different sea creatures and, of course, there were aquarium tanks everywhere. We saw seals and sea horses and sharks, oh, my. The largest tank had a tunnel right through it for us to walk into, with fish and sharks all around us, it was exhilarating!
There was also a beach there, but, alas, we didn't bring out swimsuits and it was time to go. Another full day of fun.

We did happen on an authentic Greek restaurant before we left the island. Talk about good. The Olympia Grill served us Gyros and Greek salad, roasted potatoes and fresh fruit followed by baklava, ice cream with baklava crunch and pumpkin cake with walnuts. What a surprise to find such good Greek food in Galveston.

MONDAY
This was pretty much a free day, in other words, we really didn't have any hard plans.

We got up and went swimming in the hotel pool for about an hour.

Then we checked out and headed back to the island. Once on the seawall we found a place to park and hit the beach. It's amazing how shallow the gulf is, you can walk/swim all the way to the end of the pier and still touch bottom.
While looking for shells, Jenny found another ring. It's white gold 14K with diamonds. She is the most ring findingest person I've ever known!
After we pulled the kids out of the water, we had time for one last boat ride. There is a ferry that goes from the island to Bolivar Peninsula. I thought the kids would get a kick out of a third boat ride, so off we went. I was surprised at how many dolphins we saw swimming in the gulf. I think I counted a total of 15. I don't think I had ever seen dolphins in the wild before. There were also two old ship wrecks out there. I'm sure they left them there to create reefs for the sea life.
Then it was past time to head back, but before we parted ways we ate at Acapulco Mexican Grill in La Marque.

What a great time with my family!

And That's What I Know!

Labor Day Part 1

Officially the last weekend of the summer, I decided to take the family on a much needed vacation (for me). Last year at Grapefest, we found out about a place just south of Houston, called Kemah Boardwalk.

Since it was Patrick's birthday and he and Mom weren't sure where to go, I invited them along as well.
SATURDAY
I knew this would be a good weekend when I was able to get a picture of the huge statue of Sam Houston in Huntsville. I've wanted a picture of this behemoth, the largest statue of an American figure, since I first saw it many years ago, however, you cannot stop on the highway for safety reasons.
Since there was no planning this spur of the moment trip, we were headed to a vacation area on a three day weekend with no reservations. Mom got to the area about 30 minutes before us and began to secure rooms for us, with no luck. As we got close, we just decided to try the first place we saw. The rates were outrageous! However, Jenny, with her past hotel experience, was able to get us a rate that would work. As soon as we unloaded the cars, we were off for fun.

Kemah Boardwalk is much like Coney Island and/or the Atlantic City Boardwalk. It is on the waterfront, has rides, games, shops and restaurants and was a lot of fun.
Growing up is Southern California, I love the water, so you can imagine my level of excitement here. Unlike many places though, and much to my chagrin, parking was free.
The first thing we did was walk up the boardwalk so we could start at one end and not miss anything. There was a large open area where kids could play in water sprouts and there was a live band.
Lacye was eager to go near the water, but I had other plans, as I had checked out the place on the internet before going. The previous two years we had gone to San Antonio and Sea World, where we had pet the dolphins. At Kemah, you get to pet and feed sting rays! Way cool and a little creepy.
The next thing we did, was follow the boardwalk around to The Boardwalk Beast, a multi passenger speed boat. This colorful boat is operated by Joe's Crab Shack on the pier and the captain will do everything he can to make sure you get wet. This was a lot of fun and if you've ever eaten at Joe's, the music and dancing that goes on in the restaurant, is on deck as well.
After the boat ride, we continued around the boardwalk and arrived at the amusement park. We got armbands so the kids could ride as much as they wanted. However, you can pay per ride also. We rode the train, which tunnels under several of the restaurants and runs the length of the boardwalk. We went up in the tower and learned some of the history of Kemah. There were lots of other rides, the Aviator (a swing type ride), the Pharoah's Fury (Lacye's favorite ride - she rode it 12 times!), Crazy Sub (Patrick's favorite), The Bouncer (Johnnie's favorite), Balloon Wheel, Carousel, Red Baron, Ferris Wheel, and the new attraction, the Bullet roller coaster.
All this riding made us hungry, so we headed back to where we started for Jenny's restaurant pick, the Aquarium, an underwater dining adventure. On the way to the restaurant, we ran into a couple of clowns and then watched a street performer do juggling acts with everything from fire to bicycle wheels.
The Aquarium Restaurant has three levels. There is a 35 foot tube aquarium that runs from top to bottom and a 50,000 gallon aquarium on the level that we ate at. There were also smaller aquariums throughout the restaurant. The atmosphere was awesome, the service was great and the food was exceptional.
As it started to get dark, we headed back to the amusement area for more fun. Also there was a boat sinking just off shore I wanted to look at again.
As the boardwalk was about to close, it was time to head back to the hotel.

Part 2 coming soon!

And That's What I Think!

Star Wars Nerd

Simpsons Star Wars




So a couple of weeks ago, we went to the Star Wars exhibit at the museum downtown.
They had actual props from the six movies. I'm talking about blasters, light sabers, costumes, ships, it was awesome.
They also had interactive things. The first area showed you how to make your own land speeder using magnets. It was cool. The next area had a screen and camera and you built your own spaceport or Ewok village. This technology was awesome! Then there was the build your own droid area. This kept the kids entertained while the parents could check out the props.

To wrap it up, there was a movie that compared Star Wars droids to todays robots.

While at the museum, the kids went into the digging pit where they can dig to find bones.

This was followed by a hands-on area for the kids to play. The largest play area I think I've seen of this type. There was a fishing area and a (sort of) stream to play with little boats. There was a full grocery store with shopping carts and scanners and registers to check out your groceries. There was "party line" phones through out and "voice tubes" that spanned the room and so much more for them to do.
After all that fun, we walked over to the National Cowgirl Museum. It was interesting.

When we left there, we ate at a deli that was really surprising to me.

Then, the piece de resistance. Let me explain, Lacye has been saving her allowance for about a month or more to go to this place in the mall called Libby Lu. Basically, it's a make-over for little girls. They have different packages to choose from. She chose to have her hair, make-up and nails done, plus she got to bring stuff home. She was very excited!
Over all, it was good family time.

And That's What I Think.

The Big Ketchup

Ha, ha.

Well, I've really been falling down on the job with keeping you updated on our weekend activities.

Three weeks ago nothing much was done on the Kalmativities list.

Jenny took a four day weekend and took the kids to visit her parents. The kids had a good time swimming every day and Jenny got to eat at her favorite restaurant in the whole world.

I got to stay home and work. Yea!

They made it back into town at about 6:00 PM and I met them for dinner.

And That's What Happened.