What a Mothers Day

Before I tell my story, let me start out by saying I love my family from my cousins to my grand parents, it's just that they can be a piece of work sometimes.

Happy Mothers Day everyone. Before I tell my juicy story of my dinner with my family, let me just say that on Friday and Saturday, my mom went on a retreat, so it was a mans weekend with just my dad, brother, and me with the house to ourselves. Hurray for man weekend.

As is the tradition in our family, my in the area family goes out to dinner for mothers day. This includes me, my brother, my dad, my mom, my grandma, my grandpa, and grandparents close friends that are practically family. Now for some reason, food is the single most important thing in the world to my grandparents. I go camping, their first question isn't "did you have fun," it's "what was there to eat?" I went to this big scholarship competition and they didn't ask how it went, they asked what I ate afterwards. The list goes on and on, and I appreciate that they want to know I am fed, but it gets kind of annoying after 17 years. Don't worry this goes somewhere.

So for mothers day, mom told them that they choose where we eat dinner. Well instead of choosing somewhere relatively local, they chose a restaurant that is an hour away and no where near us or them. It's a nice restaurant don't get me wrong, but there are plenty of other really nice restaurants closer. Oh well, watched Batman Beyond, Return of the Joker Uncut on the way there and back on the built in DVD player.

So we get there, say our hellos, and start looking at the menu. It was primarily a seafood that we went to, and not being a fan of seafood, I kind of wondered what I would eat. And let me say that my wonder and there worry are 2 entirely different things. And they always tell me "get whatever you want," but what they really mean is "get what ever you want, as long as it's expensive." I saw a cheese burger and decided that's what I wanted. Everyone was telling each other what they were getting, and I told them the burger, and they weren't happy with my choice. They told me to get this steak, or steak sandwich. But with those "get this" request always comes "I thought you liked (insert food I'm not getting here)." I do, I just don't want that today. But even after I say that, the "get this" continues on. No worries, I stood my ground and ordered my burger. I think it has something to do with the burger being $5 cheaper than the steak. They always want me to get the expensive for some reason, even if I assure them, "that's what I want."

Anyways after that little story, now we actually order. My parents, brother and I ordered our food with little hassle at all. We knew what we wanted and told the waitress. But then comes the time for the older generation to order, and that was a sight. "Now what's the vegetable?" "What does that come with?" "Can I substitute that for asparagus?" Oh asparagus, one decided they want it and the rest start changing their order to get asparagus instead of the mixed vegetables. Then after placing his order, my grandpa changes it after he hears what his friend is getting. So there's more craziness. There were many other things, but I can't remember all of it since I was fighting laughing so hard. Afterwards the waitress asked my parents and my brother and I if we had any changes, and we said no.

So after crazy ordering, we open cards. Nothing really special with that. Then we waited for an hour for our food. No judgement on the restaurant after the ordering.

So now our food gets here, or should I say the soup and salads. My grandma ordered beef stroganouf, and she didn't like it because it was to thick. Not that it didn't taste good, but because it was to thick. It tasted like gravy so I ate it because I love beef gravy.

So then our main dishes get here, and mine was good. What do my grand parents do, they go on and on about how good it looks. I leaned of to my grandpa and said, "How about you try it?" My family teases a lot, so I wasn't being mean, just getting even. So they eat, and we eat. We finish, so then they start passing their food onto us. "Well here, try this. It's really good." Since it was seafood they left me alone this time, but my mom and brother weren't safe. My brother is completely full, and my grandpa gives him the last quarter of his crab cake. He said he was full, even before grandpa offered, but no one is safe from the food passers. Then my grandpa gives some of his shrimp to my mom. He doesn't like the breading they put on, well any seafood from any restaurant, so he peals it all off and places it on a side plate. Mom says "well if I'm gonna have it at least let me have some of the breading."

So now we're at the end when we're boxing up the left overs. We box up our left over fries and meat like many Americans. Restaurant left overs make great lunches. But my grandma has enough left on her plait to make a full lunch. Mom says "box that up," but she says "here take my asparagus." Oh man, the asparagus you fought so hard to get, you are passing it off to some one else. Mom says take it but she says I won't eat it so you take it. A little more back and forth of take it, and mom eventually gave in. At least this time we were all on separate bills so they didn't end up arguing over who's paying. And their arguments never involve "you're paying," it's always "I'm paying." I really don't get my family no matter how hard I try, but I love them either way, and never forget that.

Happy mothers day.