Parrot

This morning there was a bird making a ruckus outside our front window.  Ben was bothered by the noise and began yelling that there was a parrot outside and to make him stop making that noise.  John, in his all knowing way, said that he couldn't stop him from making noise because that was the way God made him.  Joshy, without a pause, cues in with "You can kill him with a gun".  Ben: "We don't have guns" Joshy: "Yeah, but daddy makes swords"  Ben: "I don't like parrots". 

At least we are clear on our options.

Think I'll pass...

New Restaurant 1: Greek Food

A group of people at work have started a new tradition of going to lunch every Friday somewhere "new".  Not new to everyone, but not one of the regular fallbacks.  The goal is to have tried every restaurant in the area at least once.  Last Friday the pick was Zorbas.  I had heard about it plenty from those who raved about their lunch salads and while I am neither a fan of lamb nor cucumbers, I wasn't thrilled at the choice but game.  It is, after all, the nature of the "try something new" beast.  Still, when I opened the menu...well...it was Greek to me...literally.  I had tried a bite of a gyro (yee-rho...the menu instructed) before, but wasn't too impressed.  So, I decided that I would go with a chicken skewer on rice, as it sounded safe and cucumber free.  The waitress we were bestowed was less than thrilled to be at work and upon receiving my uncertain order, began to rattle off the types of rice I had to choose from.  She didn't even say basmati which was the one in the description.  I looked back and forth from the menu to her, looking for some written rice list, feeling absolutely lost and somehow pressured by her clear displeasure.  At this point I can't remember any of the words she had said and was scared to move ahead into the sauce options if I had, so I blurt out, "I want a chicken gyro".  I don't want a chicken gyro.  I hate gyros.  And their GY-ros.  Not yee-rhos.  Saying yee-rhos just sounds dumb.  Like people who say burritos with the rolled r or try to use English words like loo.  The more seasoned had ordered an appetizer of humus which basically looks like albino bean dip.  Outside of the random olive and the questionable liquid drizzled on top, it wasn't too bad when smeared upon pita.  I wouldn't say I loved it, but at minimum it was a Like Minus.  Then came the salad.  It is hard to explain as it was definitely not lettuce and was chopped.  As though you had diced lettuce into small pieces and then ate it with a spoon.  The gentleman who ordered it offered me a bite.  The best way to describe it was that it tasted like something that was meant to go into something else.  Like cream cheese.  Now, that would be good on a pita.  The panic ordered gyro was not great but I liked the fries, the least Greek thing in the place.  At the end of the day, I am just not an adventurous eater.  It is not the different culture thing, but more the complicated thing.  I don't want something in a paste or with an olive or with a meat whose fleece was white as snow.  I just want a piece of normal meat and some plain rice.  Maybe some mashed potatoes or sweet potato fries.  The chicken on a stick would have been great...I would guess.  I mean, it is reserved for only those well versed in rice and you just can't get more elite than that. 

The History of Rap

John, this one's for you...

Zoo Day

Last Saturday promised to be unseasonably warm and so we decided it would be great fun to get out of the house and take a day trip to the zoo.  Hard to believe Joshy is in short sleeves in January.  We got there around 10am and although the parking lot was hardly full, only one ticket window was open and outside it a 20+ person line.  Jess and Ross were meeting us there and so I went ahead and bought everyone's ticket simply because I get annoyed when I have to wait.  The idea of standing in line for 15 minutes and then waiting for them to arrive and then waiting another 15 minutes made me feel grumpy at best.  Our first stop was the Children's Zoo.  Being January, most of the attractions inside were not running as they involve water.  John was not in the mood for the Lorakeets as they generally bite his ears and I couldn't convince Joshy to go with me to feed the goats.  All Ben cared about was finding turtles.  We actually spent the longest time watching the coi swim.  They were giant and beautiful and reminded me of Nijo Castle, a hibachi restaurant we were taken to as kids.  You crossed over a coi pond on the way into the restaurant and I remember standing there and watching them swim back and forth beneath the little bridge.  By the time we made it out of the Children's Zoo and through the herpatarium, I was thirsty.  Thirsty, hungry and in a bad mood.  The bad mood born of the thirst and hunger.  Some people don't do tired.  I don't do hungry.  Pizza and diet coke to the rescue.  In the aquarium, we watched the Sea Lions and each said why we wish we could be one.  Joshy wanted to turn circles while he swam.  I wanted to breathe underwater.  Yeah, I know.  Sea Lions don't breathe underwater.  Donned on me about 10 minutes after I said it.  We rode the carousel and Joshy wanted me to ride on the animal next to him.  Now, I have gained quite a bit of weight since the fall, courtesy of stress and chocolate cake, and as I stared down that monkey, my fear was two fold.  First, breaking a zoo merry-go-round seemed less than appealing.  Probably not good for the ego and who knows how much mobile monkeys cost nowadays.  Second, I am well aware that what goes up must come down and as the ride slowly comes to a stop, all you can think is Oh Lord, Please let me get off of here gracefully.  Gravity is not the chubby man's friend.  Luckily, all was well and Joshy did not have to wrestle me free from the child's amusement ride.  He just sat on his tiger and we pretended to race.  I love the conversations that we have.  After the last stop at the bats and carrying Ben what seemed like a mile, we called it a day and headed home by way of Chilenos, where Joshy learned he liked enchiladas and Ben ate his weight in chips.  It was nice to be out of the house.  Nice to spend time with the boys.  Ben and me cheering on the sand turtle trying to climb the rocks.  Joshy instructing me on how flamingos sleep on one leg and which types of frogs are poisonous.  Ben on John's shoulders, leading him by pulling on his ears.  Random men touching Hadley's face.  It was a good day.

(More pictures from the day are availabile on Jess's Blog.  My camera died about 10 minutes in.)