A Very Angelic Christmas - D11 - Mall Rats, Hard Rock & MiB

[Angeluk]

Day 11

26th December 2001

Mall rats, the Hard Rock & Universal

Wake up very late today and we feel very tired. Must still be feeling the effects of that lapu drink from last night! None of us want to rush about too much, and we are certainly not very hungry today! It’s very bright out, but looks cold from the hotel window. Today looks like a good day to hit the Mall then I think! All those lovely sales, mmmmmmm……..

Our first stop is a shop recommended to us by Fatman (thanks Dave), especially for Becky. It’s a music shop that sells, loads of guitars and accessories, and we’re lucky as its actually located just up the Idrive from us. Every day Becky has begged dad to stop here and today he gives in. Its only just opening as we arrive at 11 (told you we got up late!) but we manage to spend an hour here. Thanks to a great assistant, Andy, who gets chatting to DD about her music, and happens to play Bass guitar too, so they’re well away. I’m surprised we didn’t all come out having bought guitars, he was an excellent salesman As it was Becky spent some of her Xmas money on an electric tuner, various music score books, and some other bits & pieces. She & DH had fun, I was bored stiff, but was planning on spending lots of time and money at Florida Mall, so I was prepared to give a little

Travelling up Sandlake Road at a snail’s pace later we realised the world and his wife (and neighbours, grandparents and dog by the look of it!) had the same idea about the sales. What should have been a 10 minute journey took us nearly 3 times that. This was worse than going to Mk, and we had thought we’d miss the crowds by coming shopping instead!!! Ha!

Eventually found a parking space in the ‘overspill’ car park, which is amazing if you’ve ever seen the size of this place! Couldn’t believe though that people were being ferried to the doors of the Mall in those little ‘golf’ trams!! It was only 30 –50 yards or so!!! Do you think they waited for the monorail first?? Making sure we had tied our green ribbon our car arial (we once lost our car in this car park!) off we trotted, scoffing at those namby pamby shoppers in the tram. Mind you, by the time we’d dodged several mad boy-racers (no paths you see) trying to mow us down, we realised who was more sensible!

The mall was packed. This is worse than Lakeside at Xmas, I thought! (Joke for you: “Whats an Essex Girl’s favourite wine?……..’I wanna go to Lakeside!’….(whine geddit?…no, oh well!)”

Anyway, first stop was the wonderful Lane Bryant, a great shop for us more curvaceous females by the way, if you haven’t tried it. Beautiful undies too, real bargains, bought loads! Then into bath & Bodyworks for more sale stuff, came out with several bags here too. By now, I was feeling that horrid tingle in the back of my throat (the same one Vince had in his wallet I bet!) and had a sore throat and headache, oh no, it’s the blasted cold from becky….thanks for sharing! Had a mere glimpse into JC Penneys, unlike usual when I spend hours there. Needed sustenance then. Nicked some lozenges and a drink off Becky, then traipsed around trying to find somewhere to eat. The food court was heaving with people, not a chance! Felt fed up now and very whiney I’m afraid. Then we saw Ruby Tuesday’s tucked away in a little corner……yippee, and they could fit us in after 15 mins if we didn’t mind waiting, yes!! Becky’s day was then made perfect by the discovery of her idea of the perfect shop. Its called Hot Topic and is next to the restaurant. If you, or your teenagers, are into punk, metal or goth clothes, do pay a visit. Even if you’re not its worth a look! A tiny place crammed with stuff, 15 minutes was obviously not going to be enough, so we forcibly dragged DD out and promised to return after lunch.

I liked Ruby Tuesday’s, I’ve seen them before but never tried one. Its loud and fun, but the food’s fine, of the burger variety, and lots of it. Nice big cold drinks and free refills of course so that suited my poor throat! However, Becky was frothing at the mouth with the thought of Hot Topic and spending some more Xmas money so off we went. Vince had spotted a CD shop so he was quite happy, just as well as we then spent an hour while Becky tried on every pair of trousers in the shop (and there were loads!) While I waited outside the miniscule changing room (you know the sort, an alcove between rails with a curtain across!!) I got chatting to a very nice lady from Orlando who’s daughter was also waiting to try on the same stuff. Apparently this is about the only store (apart from another branch at Oak Ridge Mall??) that sells this kind of clothes, so we’d been lucky to find it! (Although DH’s wallet didn’t think so)

Eventually escaped the shop with just one pair of trousers and a t-shirt, plus some crazy boot laces and make up…not bad really! The jeans she bought were the widest I had ever seen, and possibly consisted of enough material to clothe a whole nation! Very cool

One very happy Becky after that anyway. (We’ve even found out they ship to the UK, although charge a lot….great!) and once I’d got my flu capsules I felt much better too. Then we went back to the hotel for a rest (DH needed to lie down after all that shopping) before we headed off to the Hard Rock café for our dinner.

How many times had we driven from the Sheraton to US?? A drive of a matter of minutes too….still we managed to get lost this time, heavens knows how!!! We all managed to keep our cool (I don’t think so!!) and eventually parked in our usual place. We’d made a ‘PX’ (Universal’s version of a ps I presume) on the HR’s own computer a few days before, but on entry the staff could n’t find it (doh!), still they just let us straight in anyway, past the queue, which was good as I wanted my dinner!

I love this place and think you could spend ages here just looking at the memorabilia on the walls. Don’t you just want to climb all over the diners to see properly some times though? Becky noticed the Sex Pistols and Clash stuff, as well as Nirvana, so she was very impressed.

I had chicken fajitas, which were lovely, and very plentiful, while Vince had the combo meal of ribs and hickory chicken. Becky had the kids cheeseburger meal (we’ve been before and know how massive these meals are!), she loves the fact that you get apple sauce with the kids meals…strange child! Followed all this with the most enormous banana split between us, which sadly we could n’t finish (Fatman where are you?)….lovely meal!

It was freezing by the time we left and while DD & DH looked around the rock stuff in HR I went into the shop and found just what I needed! A rather nice long sleeve top, so persuaded DH I would feel much ha[ppier when I was warmer! Also bought the HR souvenir book which was in the sale and very reasonable, just the sort of thing that Vince likes to browse through, and this meant we got a free Hard Rock teddy bear too…..bargain!!!

So now I was a bit warmer, we decided to go into Universal for an hour or so as it was open until 11pm that night. Great fun at night, hardly anyone around (well it was pretty darn cold too!) so we did Back to the Future, and then MiB several times in a row……now that’s fun! Vince & Becky both bought little hats (woolly kind) to keep the cold out. That’s whats strange here, one minute you’re sunbathing, then you’re really cold! Still, it is December after all!

We head off into the sunset about 10.30, full of dinner, alien shooting and dreaming of shopping malls……..

…………..What’s tomorrow then, IoA again I think, then maybe a bit more shopping………hmmmmmmmm

 

[Minniespal]

Thanks for the wonderful reports - luv reading them!!!