Rachel, Aaron=cousins
Miriam, Victoria, Larry=siblings
Chris, Stacy, Nicole, Mike=friends

The original goal of leaving my folks’ place last night was to go hang out at the mall as bored students on winter vacation are wont to do when boredom creeps upon them. So me, Miriam, Victoria, Rachel and Aaron (poor guy, he was stuck in a car full of chicks, and none of them he could date either) pile into the car, a Mazda Protege that was yellow enough to be seen even in the dark, and head out. We get to the mall, and much to our disappointment they’re closing early because it’s a holiday and the mall employees are tired of putting up with whiny customers trying to return gifts for their loved ones that they should’ve never bought in the first place. So we take the back way home.

Miriam calls Larry on the way there, finds out he’s actually awake, and he asks us if he wants to see a movie. We can’t agree on which one to see, so Miriam suggests we meet at the Hollywood Video to rent some flicks instead. Okay, to Hollywood Video we go.

(Minor digression for this leg of the story: There was this short Asian guy there in the following attire: black beanie, baggy khakis, t-shirt, sports jacket. Aaron’s attire: black beanie, baggie khakis, t-shirt, sports jacket. I’m in the drama section and I see something that prompts me to turn to the beanie-sporting dude beside me and ask if he still watches the History Channel. “Um, are you talking to me?” I turn around; this beanie dude is not my cousin. From here on after, Aaron’s lookalike avoids whatever section of the store I happen to be in. Okay, back to your regularly scheduled programming…)

Larry arrives and informs us he’s going to see Antwone Fisher. Rachel and I decide to tag along.

We’re in the theatre parking lot and somebody’s trying to flag my brother down. Enter Chris, Nicole and Stacy, who’ve come to see Catch Me If You Can. We all talk a little bit before parting ways to go get tickets. Unfortunately, Antwone Fisher is sold out. While we’re deciding what to do, Larry suddenly gets a call from Mike, who wants to know if my brother wants to join him in a game of pool. Rachel goes with him, and I stay behind after deciding to see the movie with Nicole, Stacy and Chris.

(Twenty minutes before the movie starts, Nicole locks her keys in her car. Stacy calls her mom for a ride, they go back to Nicole’s house to get the extra key to open up her car, they’re twenty minutes late.)

End of the story: I got to see a movie and friends I haven’t seen for two or three weeks, my sisters get to watch their rentals in the cozy warmth of the house, Larry gets his daily intake of cue and eight ball. Everyone goes home happy.

All this to prove networks work. Yeah!