Date Night

William Leave a comment

Kyllan and I have recently started a date night and have been alternating who makes the plans for the evening. Last week, Kyllan’s week, we attended Jazz in the Atrium at the Dallas Art Museum and had dinner at the Screen Door. Oddly enough, we were asked if we were newlyweds by a couple at the Jazz event and the waitress at the restaurant asked me if we were on a first date while Kyllan was in the restroom. It’s good to know that while we are quickly approaching our 3rd anniversary, we still act like a young couple very excited to be spending time together. I guess that’s the point of a date night.

34th

William Leave a comment

The weekend before last Kyllan and I attended the 34th annual Williams family reunion in Columbus, OH. Because it was so close, Kyllan’s Parents, grandmother, a cousin and our nephew, who was visiting his grandparents, also joined us. It was good to see both sides of the family. Pictures of the weekend are up on Flickr.

The Williams Family

Costco v. Sam’s v. Grocery Stores

Kyllan 3 Comments

About a week ago, I went to Costco and left disappointed…and it was not the first time.  I often cannot find the brand or item I am looking for.  I have not shopped at Sam’s in a while, but I feel that when I shopped at Sam’s before, the selection was much better.  Now… before you think I am completely crazy… I do agree that Costco in general is much cleaner, more organized, and with certain products like their store made pasta, salads, and other heat and eat items are much better than Sam’s, but I still somehow feel I am wasting my money with the membership.  I think one of the difficulties for me personally is that since we are only a family of two people, I do not have a need to buy many items in bulk.  I typically don’t buy meat or other items in bulk.  I do like buying laundry detergent, paper products (although they did not have my select-a-size paper towels when I went last time) and other items like toothpaste in bulk, but there would be too much waste if I bought much more.  The only food items we make it through without waste are granola bars and apple juice.

My store of choice for the moment is Tom Thumb, primarily because it is MOST convenient (2 minutes away… I have timed it…only b/c I timed my route to work).  Ironically, the Neighborhood Walmart is only 6 minutes away, but the Tom Thumb seems so much closer and is the one I pass almost 100% of the time when I am driving to and from wherever.  Tom Thumb is a bit more expensive than Walmart or Super Target, but they have a decent selection of food and have been very focused on customer service (always asking you if you need assistance, although sometimes too much).  Their meat and produce is always fresh, and the one by us has a sushi bar that is actually pretty decent.

Of course my all time favorite is Central Market, but the closest one to us is 35-40 minutes away, so that is not a realistic option for general shopping needs, especially in the Texas heat.  Not to mention, the prices are definitely more expensive than the others.  Our grocery bill would probably double.

Anyway… just thought I would share my experience/dilemma and see if anyone else has feelings on the subject.

You probably just think this is a corny subject… and it probably is 🙂

Memorial

William

The weekend before last Kyllan and I were in Gainesville, Florida for a memorial service held by the University of Florida College of Medicine marking the 10th anniversary of Caroline’s death. It was a beautiful service and my family was very touched by all the sentiments that were shared. You can read about the service here.