This One Goes Out to the Old People

Mom (ground beef) & Dad (caramel popcorn)

I should clarify-not to all old people, but rather to my old people.

Mom and Dad you are a part of me, or rather I'm a part of you, or...you know what I mean. You made me, you raised me, and it is because of this unbreakable bond that I find you popping up in my life when I least expect it. Tonight while separating my 3lb package of ground beef my mind was flooded with thoughts of my mom doing this very act at least a billion times every Saturday after returning from our grocery shopping trip to Reams. I felt just like you, and only wished at that moment that I owned an apron so that I could wear it just like you.

Then, just an hour later I was making caramel popcorn for dinner, and Dad, you were the culprit of thought invasion. (Right, I know! Who makes caramel popcorn for dinner?! I'll get to that.) I can remember making caramel popcorn once at my parent's house. Mom and I had popped the popcorn, and made the caramel, and we were just about to do the big dump, when Dad came in and told us to back it up--What about the old maids? You know, the old maids-the kernels that don't pop-well, I suppose mom and I were perfectly ready and willing to risk cracking a tooth in order to get this train moving, but my dad insisted that we wait. He went through all the popcorn and sifted out every last one of those old maids. That is just dad. He likes perfection, and the rest of us just schlump things together and go about our way. (No offense, mom, you are definitely less guilty of this than me, but dad is a little crazy in our defense.) For instance, when I was in biology in 9th grade we had to make some dead bug presentation on foam board. My dad walked in when I was hacking at my foam board with a pair of scissors, leaving a horribly jagged edge, and went and got a razor blade so that I could smooth out the rough edge. I thanked him for the tutorial on how to use it, he left, and I continued with the scissors. It ended up looking like crap--I never showed him the finished product, or the grade I got on it, but I do remember getting an 'A' in the class overall. Big picture--that's my focus :)

Mom and Dad, as I have proven in the above paragraphs, I am me because of you...so, why on earth do I think that it's ok to make caramel popcorn for dinner? Who does that?! I'll tell you who. Someone who is left alone with their kids too much...their husband gets to go to big, fancy dinners all the time with school leaving you to either join your kids in the dinner of Top Ramen that they have enthusiastically requested for the 4th day in a row, and quite frankly, someone who is completely isolated in the frozen tundra without another person to say, "Caramel popcorn? Really?" You see, I don't have anyone to talk me down so to speak, and then I end up eating caramel popcorn for dinner, all by myself, and whistling. That's right, I said whistling. I have been working on my whistling lately. Whistling is a talent that nobody wants to listen to you practice, but when you are all alone, there are no complaints, and let me just say that I have come along way. I can now whistle the whole Veggie Tales CD and harmony parts for each of the songs. No mocking--this skill could prove invaluable at a later date-you never know.