:: Leavin'... ::
... for Los Angeles in about an hour's time. It'll be my first time back in over four years. My little brother, who's getting married in July, is having his bachelor party in Vegas and we're flying in to L.A. and road tripping over. While that'll be huge fun and all, it'll be good for the family since my brother, our parents and I haven't sat down to a family dinner in a long time.
I'm viewing this trip with mostly anticipation but also some trepidation.
Not so much about Vegas. Even though I talk to my parents once a month I'm not exactly looking forward to the barrage of question I'm going to be inundated with. My dad, who's never been one to give me the benefit of the doubt, asked me a few weeks ago how I was doing. "I'm well. Everything here is good."
"How's your health?"
Wondering where this is going; "I can't complain."
"Are you... [pause to search for the right word] chubby?"
[My own "WTF did he just say" pause.]
"What? [My own "WTF did he just say" pause.] Are you kidding me dad? The hell kind of question is that?!"
(For the record I'm only 5 pounds heavier than when I left. I've been working out, dammit.)
[Laughing] "I'm just asking how you are."
"By asking if I'm chubby? Seriously? And you wonder why I haven't been home in four years?"
(I may not have actually asked that last question out loud.)
It'll be good to see my family again, regardless. And it'll be especially good to see my little brother again. I feel like I've missed out on a good chunk of his life and at least this is one way to catch up.
It's odd that even though we're anticipating a pretty good time in Vegas, for me the main thing on my mind is our first family dinner together in four years.