oh the places we'll go.

i went to the east nashville Y this morning. and i do realize this is not a confessional, and i am not catholic, but i feel the need to confess. why am i so anti change? i have been going to the bellevue Y for years now and it is just not condusive any more for me to go there, but still i went. i love that place. today i broke down and gave in to the east side. my heart is in bellevue, not gonna lie. but my running shoes are in east nashville.

end confessional.

at noon i met my parents. mom had a minnie pearl documentary to record (she's a bog deal if you didn't already know) and dad i had some father-daughter time and drove around. since dad's health has been declining, he is even quieter than he was before. we drove around for about an hour...

jessica: well, daddy. i gotta stop right up here and get some gas. i think i will wash the car too. (jessica gets out to pump the gas, reopens the car door and looks at dad) need anything?
dad: naw. (that's no for you city folk.)
jessica: you sure?
dad: you could go get us some snacks.
jessica: okay. (i am smiling, because i am thinking about the rest of our loooong 45 minute journey for which we will need snacks.)
-i get trail mix and peanut m & m's, dad is satisfied-
dad: (eating his trail mix after about 15 minutes.) they sure do keep the lawns pretty in nashville.
jessica: they sure do. how ya feeling, daddy?
dad: i feel okay.
jessica: like a million bucks?
dad: not quite.

and that was the extent of our long drive together today. it was nice.

then we picked up mom and headed to shoneys. (yes, you read that right...) the mecha of restaurant land in nashville and we go to shoneys. you just don't say no to your parents...even if you are the driver...

mom and dad order the stir fry to split which comes with the salad bar. mom preceded to bring back the largest fried chicken breast i had ever seen. she, knowing that it is not part of the 'salad bar' but "it looked so good, i could not resist."

cue the waitress.

mom grabs my napkin from my hand and covers her chicken. like the waitress was gonna see it and take it away.

waitress leaves.

mom continues to devour her large breast of chicken from the salad bar. bones and all in the bowl, i tell mom she might need to cover the bones so the waitress will not see it. problem solved, throws the napkin neatly over the chicken - kinda tucks it in neatly even.

dad being oblivious to the chicken scandal that has erupted at the table because he IS eating his salad...

grabs the napkin that mom had just neatly covered her trail bones with and uses it to wipe his mouth. mom looks at him like he had slapped her, grabs his napkin that she had tucked around his neck ascot style and re-covers the bones.

cue the waitress.

cost clear.

we are at shoneys. so you have to order their strawberry pie. that was the main reason mom requested that we go there... she asks dad what he wants...he says, "i think i want the strawbe..."

"oh look at that hot fudge sundae roy."

cue the waitress.

"ma'am, we want the hot fudge sunday."

dad looks at me. i look at dad.

what just happened?

"well, jessica. looks like we are getting the hot fudge sunday."

"MOM??? dad wanted the strawberry pie!"

we had strawberry pie AND hot fudge sundae at two o'clock on a wednesday afternoon.

as i drop my parents off back at their car. my mom says, "jessica. did you know your tags were EXPIRED!? you need to get that fixed. i wish i would not have seen that" (as she shakes her head in disapproval of her rebellious 34 year old daughter.)

"I wish you hadn't either, mom."