AUSTIN TEXAS!!!!!!!

I've been in Austin for days now and I'm lovin' it :-) I haven't been here to visit the kids since September 2002. Things have really built up around here, the trees in the neighborhood have really matured.
On Saturday we hooked up with one of Mary's friends and her 7 year old daughter. We went to this really really expensive yarn shop...boutique...they had some really neat sock yarn but no way Jose on those prices. Then we walked around a bit and then went to this really huge thrift store. I got about 7 pair of jeans in really good condition for $39. Three pair I can wear now and the other four pair I can wear in about a month or so. The ones I can fit in now are 16s!!!!! and the others are 14s!!!!!!!!! I am really jazzed. I got Eddie Bauer; Ralph Lauren; they are all brand name jeans. Oh! and I got this really neat RED corduroy shirt, I have three now...one turquoise, pink and now red. I love these things and the prices have been right on all three.
I don't know what night we are going to circ de sole but I know we are going. I am really jazzed about that too. Me and Mary are going to Fredricksburg which is a major tourist destination but we will go on a week day and hopefully miss big crowds. I think it is based on a time period and has lots of fun shops to look at. I am also working on my second pair of socks out of this really neat bamboo yarn, I love it. I only have less than a half inch on the ribbed cuff and then i start on the heel. I should have them done in the next couple of days. I really love making socks! Mary has this great book on making two pair at a time and we are going to this "half price book store". Hopefully I can find it, I can see how great it would be to make two at a time althou I have not had a problem with the "second sock" syndrome.
Mark spent the weekend at Libby's in Chicago. They really had a nice time together. He just wanted to spend time with his girl and he got that good quality time with her. I am happy for them. It has finally started to snow in earnest up in the UP...it sure has come late this year. I have never flown in the snow so that should be interesting. When I flew down here I knitted the whole way and it really kept my mind off flying...I was pretty mellow instead of being freaked out. I am not sure what I will knit on the way back up. Maybe I will get some more sock yarn.
Mary has given me her old laptop. Her newer one is about half the size of this one. This one weighs about 5# while her new one weighs about 1.5#. It comes with a bog and charger and everything. They gave me some anti virus software for my HP at home and Vista wouldn't take it and it came in real handy for this one....loaded right up. Now this is one current protection. It did take hours for the many Windows updates. But it is working great!
OMG!!!! I just got a call from this place Mark put in an application months ago. Thay just called and have a different position available for him, I hope it works out. He needs a job to feel better about himself and with it comes full benefits. I am praying on this one...pray for us....we need this sooooooooooo bad!
well, lots to do