Hisa and I got to meet up with my brother, Saturday, in Galveston for dinner.
He was there for a trip with his junior high school youth group. We met up with them for dinner at the Rainforest Cafe, which is not the most exciting place food wise, but no one really goes there for the food. It’s a novelty eating in a restaurant decked out like a rainforest, with animatronic elephants and gorillas moving every 15 minutes, and a simulated rainstorm every 30 minutes (complete with thunder and lightning). Yeah, no one goes there for the food. But let me tell you something…
Kids love it.
There were a lot of families with kids there, and my brother with his 30 or so sixth and seventh graders, and the kids were lovin’ it. They had a great time.
I had a great time not because of the vines hanging from the ceiling, the realistic grunting sounds coming from the gorillas, or even the guy dressed up as a giant tropical frog. No, I had fun, because I got to see my brother and talk with him for a good two hours. We hadn’t seen him since he and his wife helped Hisa and I move our parents (and ourselves for that matter) back in June.
It’s always fun catching up. Even if we have to do it at a noisy restaurant with four sixth grade boys sitting at the table with us, electrocuting themselves with a toy that shocks you, and getting way too excited about a guy in a giant frog costume and a brownie dessert shaped like a volcano with sparklers stuck in it.
Ah, fun times. Those boys were pretty darn cute though, I gotta say. It was also fun seeing my brother actually working as a youth director. He makes an awesome youth director (being a big kid himself helps too).
Hopefully we’ll be able to see him (and the rest of my family!) again soon.
Menu Plan for Sept. 17 – 21:
Mon: Shrimp okonomiyaki (Japanese savory vegetable pancake)
Tues: Salmon patties, fried okra, and baked sweet potatoes (I was actually going to make this last week, but I forgot to buy salmon…Ahahaha…)
Wed: Tostadas
Thurs: Inari sushi, miso soup, simmered kabocha (Japanese pumpkin), steamed and dressed spinach
Fri: Pumpkin lasagna and salad
