I can't believe my vacation is over. It went so fast! First I was picking up my parents from the airport and rushing them through lunch, so I could get on a conference call that ended up starting 2 hours late.... And the next thing I know, mom and dad are safely tucked away in tornado land, and I'm here at my computer. How did it happen?
In case anyone was worried, we all made up yesterday. There was no bickering to be had. We drove from Salinas up to Napa and back to the city. Okay, we actually went back to the airport because my parents decided they didn't want to sleep in my closet. They didn't come out and say it, but I know that was the reason. There were claims of them not wanting to force me out of bed at 6 o'clock in the morning, but I know why the caged bird sings. You don't have to tell me twice. Instead of my closet, they slept in the noisiest room along Hwy 101. Man, that place was loud! They were on the 5th floor facing the highway, and between the sound of traffic and the high winds, you would have thought they were sleeping on the Bay Bridge.
Hopefully they slept. They didn't call. Hopefully they got home. They didn't call. Hopefully their home wasn't swept away by tornadoes. I know nothing of it.
I'm sure I've got a good story in me somewhere. Well, actually I do. Here's a classic line from my mom. Last Friday, we were looking for a place to eat. My dad (surprisingly) suggested Chinese. He wanted to go to Chinatown. Mom didn't. I decided to either take them to a place in my neighborhood or in another neighborhood. (Just as an aside, I chose to go to the place in the other neighborhood and regretted it because, although the food is good, I forgot that it is way too bright, way too cold, and the waitstaff is way too pushy and rude. My neighborhood joint is delicious WITH friendly service...and it's warm.) As we were leaving the downtown area, Dad suggested that we go to the Empress of China (a favorite of his). I was all for it. I really had no problem turning the car around. Mom, on the other hand, pulled one of her classic diversion tactics. It goes like this.
"Oh, no. You don't want to go there. They've changed hands. The quality has really gone downhill. It's not like you remember it. It's very different. Really unfortunate."
Uhh...what newsletter does my mom get that tells her this information? She pulls this ALL THE TIME when she doesn't want to go somewhere (usually because of convenience). Apparently, this source is always telling her when any restaurant in the country changes hands and subsequently loses ground in the quality arena. To be fair, sometimes she's right. In this instance, I'm pretty sure she's not. Surprisingly, though, it totally worked on my dad. Unfortunately, the meal we had (albeit tasty) did not live up to his expectations. We should have gone to the Empress of China.
No wonder I'm such a weirdo.
Oh well, the trip is over. Hopefully I let them know how much I appreciated it and had fun (despite the blow-ups). Maybe one day they'll come back.
I miss them already.
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