Chandler and I are on our yearly weekend sojourn. We call it "Guys Weekend Out". We have been doing this once a year since he was six (2002). This year's version finds us in Clear Lake at Grandpa and Grandma Jan's house. They are in Hawaii for three weeks, so we have invaded their humble abode to hang out, go to Galveston and basically have fun together as dad and son.
We arrived to Clear Lake around 4:00 yesterday. Following a quite mediocre dinner at Rockin' JD's, we played a video game (which I lost of course) and then went off to the mall. I wondered, as I walked through this mall that I had been through a thousand times before when Christa and I lived here from 91-95, if I would run into one of my old teenagers. Sure enough! We walked into Game Stop and I was hailed by Stella Brown (her last name has changed now as she is married). I had forgotten her of course, but once she told me it, I remebered her like it was yesterday. She hung out with Leslie Larking all of the time and went to Friendswood Junior High and High School while I was here. Great gal and she was always a lot of fun to hang out and talk with while I served at Fellowship Bible. A great walk down memory lane.
Once we left Game Stop, I got some coffee at Gloria Jeans (the Starbucks before Starbucks was on the map) and Chandler ate some ice cream from Marble slab. Walking around the circlish (is that a word?) mall, we stumbled upon Ride Makers. Now my mind is totally blown. This place is Build-A-Bear for car crazed boys and girls. They have an entire wall of cars that you choose from to "outfit". You pick your shell (Chandler chose a Viper...yes...I gave in and bought him one!), shound chip (you know...a car has to have sound!), tires, rims, accessories (vinyls, lights, scoops, muffler tips, etc. etc. etc.). Once Chandler was finished accessorising his Viper, he stepped up to the assembly area which was loaded with a power tool to unscrew and assemble the car and a stop watch/clock to time yourself putting together the tires, rims and placing them on the vehicle (yes...very nascar). Chandler's time...an impressive 1:12.
Then it is time to register the vehicle at the computers (yes..just like Build-A-Bear's birth certificate). You come up with a liscence plate (up to 8 letters/numbers). Chandler decided to put "GWO 2008". Quite cool. You even get a box/garage for your car to take it home with you. One more fun part to all of this. One optional purchase for every vehicle is that you can make it an R/C! How cool is that?
www.ridemakerz.com
The pic above is of the mini-cooper. Chandler got the red viper...just thought I'd show that you really can customize it any way that you want.
Well...Chandler is putting on his shoes and both of our stomachs are growling for breakfast. It is off to the Classic Cafe for some breakky and then who knows?
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