back home again...

My kids travel well. We spent spring break visiting my parents. Getting there was a 10 1/2 hour drive and another 10 1/2 hours back. And I don't believe in backseat DVD players. The kids have been trained to travel using their own imagination and planning to get through the boring stretches. They brought some reading material, and MP3 players. There was also satellite radio's comedy channel! Yes, there were individual moments of stupidity, but no kid-to-kid arguing, fighting, or loudness. I was proud.

Living away from family is unfortunate, life without frequent interaction between the cousins, aunts, uncles, and grand's leaves a hole. This trip had a few initial cautious moments as they remembered each other, and then the mayhem started.

I think my sis's son, Drake, now hates me, I was the voice of no against video games. I'm a firm believer in play being face to face with eyes, ears, and hands, video games just get in the way of play. However, because of my "no," they had a couple of rousing rounds of tag, made some creative K'next structures, and told some awful jokes and stories. All in all, they had some well-needed bonding time.

Me? I got to drink some beer with Dad, and wine with Mom. When I got home I learned they had given up drinking at home for Lent. So, no sitting on the back porch, drinking wine, sharing stories. Instead we went to a local establishment for adult beverages. Not as much alcohol, but it was a satisfiying opportunity to check in, share updates, bitch and moan about whatever, and just plain enjoy each other's company. And I realized, yet again, that as I grow older, I appreciate them that much more

If there was one thing I could find to complain about, it was that I only had one breaded pork tenderloin. Last summer's trip I got three different, wonderful sandwiches of goodness! Indiana seems to have them on every street corner, yet in Minnesota, which is the nation's number three pork producer, it is damned near impossible to find a good BPT. I wonder if Minnesota eaters would support me opening a restaurant devoted to breaded pork tenderloins. Must be those Scandinavian roots, they can keep their lutefisk...