My Lovely Parents Paid Me A Lovely Visit!

My parents visited the other week. I really like them...and I don't like everyone...seriously. They arrived on Monday with a big box. Inside the box: a sweater I bought in Canada years ago consisting of tons of tiny Christmas trees and two penguins holding flippers, a Snoopy kite I bought in high school and have never used, pajamas with holiday cats on them, another set of pajamas (color aqua), board games and lots of beautiful jewelry that my mom had made. They arrived mid-day. One of my mom's favorite things is to clean out closets and organize so she helped me form bags of clothes to donate. My dad took a nap. Being crafty, my mom also fixed some of my dresses which have either stretched out or don't fit me because I have gotten shorter. We trekked to Salvation Army but it had JUST closed so we gave my three bags of unwanted goods to a guy on a street who "works at a shelter". Eh, someone will use them. We then ate dinner. 


Tuesday. Tuesday began with breakfast as every day should. We hit up Jimmy's Diner in Williamsburg. I remembered why I don't go there often. The atmosphere's kitschy but cute  and they play oldies. This I like. Mini donuts=amazing. I also dig the funky food pairings. My mom and I opted for the tater tot bowl. My dad went for a hash thing. The problem is after a few bites, the stomach does not feel spectacular and you start to wonder if you really like tater tots. Still, I'll probably go back. After breakfast, we checked on the cat I was watching (me, watching a cat? shocker...) then hit up the East River Ferry. The parents and I walked around DUMBO for a bit and then boated back to the Burg for some good ol' Meatball Shop. Gotta say, the Meatball Shop in Williamsburg is more spacious and less noisy than the one in LES.  Much like my parents, I am more of a hamburger fan but everyone's gotta try these balls. Not too shabby. The drink of the day was gin and soda with crushed strawberries and mint leaves. Simply divine. I have since tried to recreate. Post-eats, we hit up the new Nitehawk theater. Very enjoyable. The theater is quite intimate with only around 30 seats per theater and was perfect for our viewing of "Midnight In Paris". This was my second time seeing this movie and I'm not super impressed by many films (or much of anything really) but I LOVE this movie. LOVE. 


Wednesday. Breakfast of course, this time at Ella on Bedford Avenue. Had a bacon scramble. It was quite delish. Good meal to prepare us for CONEY ISLAND!!! Only the best place EVER. Of course the train ride there proved to be quite ridiculous.

Captain Spaulding?

This guy starts talking to my dad. I guess it's good my parents were in town so the crazies can speak to them and leave me alone for once? Anyhoo, the guy works in the voice over biz and specializes in horror movies. For the entire ride he talked about the weirdest stuff ever. I wish I had a tape recorder. Ah. So he played a ghoul in one of the "Saw" movies and is really tight with some dude he kept referring to as Captain Spaulding. The guy told us that when his mom passed there was a huge framed photo of Captain Spaulding on her coffin along with tons of black roses. Captain Spaulding is such a dear and he helped to pay for the funeral! Going out to dinner with Captain Spaulding is always a treat. He always throws fake worms or blood in the food to freak people out. He's nuts! Out of his mind! Captain Spaulding always  uses HIS OWN BLOOD in horror movies. None of that fake blood stuff! Not for the captain! One time I had to bleed in a movie and they sliced part of my head open. It really hurt but that's what the captain wanted!!! SO MUCH STRANGE TALK. When he exhausted Captain Spaulding, dude discussed boxing and wrestling with my dad. My dad loved it. My mom referred to the train as the "first amusement ride of the day". 


Coney...Well it WAS fun but it WAS hot. We had to keep ducking in the shade to remain cool. Feeling thirsty, we stopped for a drink along the boardwalk. My mom opted for an icy, I went for the classic h20 and my dad got a Heineken. We sat and savored. Then I threw them on the Thunder Bolt. Spins round and round. My mom enjoyed the music as did I. My dad turned a pale color. A little Wonder Wheel will fix him. Um, no. Just as the car began to SWING my dad admitted he did not feel so well. Oh boy. Only one more time around. My dad sucked on mints and tried to feel better, fervently searching for a banana. THERE ARE NO BANANAS ON CONEY ISLAND. We left soon after. Color eventually returned to my dear father's face. We ate some dinner in the 'hood and went to Big D's.


Sadly, my dad had to go to a meeting in Yonkers Thursday afternoon so they left after breakfast. My mom and I barely touched our eggs. I think we were egged out at this point. Their visit was totally great and I'm sad they left. Sometimes I think I'd be better off if I was just twelve for life.