The Estes "Golden" Family Reunion
April 2002
Tuesday
Wake up to another gloriously pretty morning, clear
blue skies over the
draping dark green firs -- no rain in sight (at least for the
morning!). And another lazy breakfast morning at the lodge's
breakfast room. Steven and I seem to be the first up and out, but
after we eat, Larry comes walking down the driveway with a grocery
store bag of some of his favorite Southern staples -- White Lily
biscuit mix, two kinds of yellow rice mix -- and the latest copy of
Newsweek. When Mom and
Dad stroll in, Steven shows Dad how the
cappuccino machine works, which interests Dad.
The first event of the day is the viewing of the
photos from the afternoon before. Mike the Photographer is giving
us (to keep) the entire set of 4x6 prints from the shoot, and we will
use them to pick out our reprints and enlargements. I go with
Wayne and Rita to pick them up at the photo shop, because I've hit onto
the clever idea of getting mats for the big family enlargement pictures
for each family and have everyone sign them -- an extra personal touch
from the family, inspired by watching the signature session at the
bar-b-que lunch. Wayne helps me choose, pointing out the picture
will need to be an 8x10, and shows me the 11x14 size they're planning
to go with for the print they're giving to Mom and Dad. He also
suggests waiting to decide on buying the mats until later in the day,
when we've had time to think about it after seeing the pictures.
We return with them shortly after 10 and find Mom,
Dad, and Larry waiting at the pavilion. And then the torture
really begins!
"Eyes closed" seems to be the first dismissive trait
among the beautiful pictures -- very good lighting and color. And
then there's the "I look fat!" bemoanment that is on more minds than
will be admitted. I decide that the only way we'll chose the best
photo is for everyone to "don't look at yourself!" (Rita notes
"There're no feet!" since Mike centered on our faces, and it amuses
Rita -- as does the photographic evidence that Jennifer was not happy
with trying to kneel in the stream kids-and-grandkids shot. Her
expression expresses "I'm doing this under duress...").
We continue choosing through process of elimination. It's kinda
like going to the eye doctor, pulling one from two and adding another
for comparison -- "Better, worse? How about this one?"
Larry and I get a couple to keep from the reject
pile. I
especially prefer the "relaxed" family shot at the pavilion instead of
the chosen "official" standing photo with the lake behind it.
More kids step in to see the pictures and
comment.
"Dad, you look like a loser!" laughs Natalie at one
photo.
"Why don't I show you all the ones where you had
your hair in your face
and didn't move it?" Larry counters.
"Where's Debbie?" Mom asks, looking for a chooser
who had been with us
a few minutes ago.
"She dropped the pictures and went to sit in the
sun." We looked
over to see her sitting in the sun next to the lake. "She'd
rather face skin cancer than choose pictures."
Wayne debates pictures they can scan and enlarge
later, but Mike's prices are reasonable and they're definitely getting
the bigger enlargement for Mom and Dad from him. Larry suggests
trying to buy the negatives from him, just so we'll know where they are
(something photographers rarely release), and he's keen to go ahead and
get all the reasonably priced reprints from Mike today (a set of 10
chosen reprints would come out to $4.50 -- "I can afford that!" I
happily proclaim, and Wayne laughs). Final tally -- a set of each
group (whole family standing at the lake and standing at the pavilion;
5-shot of Mom and Dad with me, Larry and Wayne; Mom and Dad; me, Larry
and Wayne; the kids and grandkids; the grandkids; Mom and Dad with the
grandkids; Larry's family; Wayne's family) for the families and an 8x10
of the standing family. Except Wayne notes how much I prefer the
relaxed pavilion shot, so he suggests my 8x10 be that one, and
acknowledges that shot's beginning to grow on him -- Rita marks an
extra reprint of it for them.
They also realize it's early enough in the day,
maybe Mike can take care of most of the reprints before the end of the
day, so we don't have to worry about losing them in the mail.
Wayne and Rita take off again.
Steven begins climbing the pavilion, while others
choose checkers for enjoyment. Everyone bails on having a signed
mat thing, which is fine (they'll be sorry! BA-ha-ha!) and I tell
Mom and Dad I'll just have a mat signed for them and they can decide on
using it later. When I realize the decisions have been made, I
consider calling Wayne at the photo shop and asking him to pick them up
for me, but they're all ready driving back down the driveway.
Wayne tells Larry Mike's response for offering to buy the negatives,
"You want 'em? You can have 'em."
I ask Wayne to get his camera, because we have to
get a picture of Larry and Allison's latest game. They are
totally deadlocked -- all of the middle places are packed with checkers
and no place to move. "This is what happens when you don't take
the jumps," Wayne remarks, and Larry discovers the rule in checkers
where you have to jump the opposing player. He spends the rest of
the day's games surprising his opponent by informing her of this new
rule.
Lunch time!
The debate between deli sandwiches and the burrito
place almost becomes almost intense, so we decide, hey, we have a van
and a car and it's only lunch -- one group goes for burritos, one goes
for deli. Now who goes where? The van for burritos, the car
for deli -- unless more people want deli than burritos, and then it's
the other way around. What do you want? I don't care.
Wherever there's a place in a car. I'd said sandwich, but now I'm
thinking burrito. Indecision prevails, and Mom and Dad go for
deli in their own car, after a seeming car full of girls head toward
Debbie's car. So it's me, Wayne, Larry, Alex and Steven in the
van for Pescado's Highland Burritos!
It's a familiar burrito kind of place with screen
doors and clean
tables, and you choose the type of burrito you want and they add the
extras -- Subway-style -- in front of you. Steven looks over the
menu and notes there doesn't seem to be many choices for fish burritos
(which you'd think, since the place is called Pescado's), and I agree
-- happily (in my five years in L.A., I never had the courage to try
fish tacos, despite being assured they were tasty). These are
huge burritos, and I ask Alex if she'd like to share, but she replies
with shining eyes of resolved assurance that she can eat a whole
one. No problem-o. So we go through the line, the guys
behind the glass piling on the extras of our choice -- grated cheese,
guacamole, sour cream, lettuce, tomato salsa, black olives, jalapenos,
cilantro. We sit together and trade bottles of sauce. Wayne
and Larry discuss the schedule for picking up the photos, how it's
conflicting with the movie matinee that's been suggested for the
afternoon getaway, and I, more keen on getting my mats to be signed,
offer to pick up the pictures if they want to go to the movie.
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