Road Trip

The struggle is real if you have teenagers in your house. You most certainly can then understand that they smell food from a mile away. In their room, with the door closed, Xbox on, cell in hand, and suddenly you start cooking and within a few minutes there they are, standing right behind you with a big smile on their face. Just a few moments ago, I started cooking supper, and I felt someone breathing down my neck, almost felt like a scene from a horror movie where the character feels a presence but can’t see it. Well, within a few moments, I realized my son was standing right behind me. When I turned, he had that look on his face, that look that food is coming, and he hadn’t been fed in weeks.

Son “whatcha doing mom?’

Me “what does it look like?”

Son “whatcha cooking mom?”

Me “I’m making a stir-fry”

Son “I like stir-fry’s.”

And then it happens, he reaches his hand to grab a piece of the vegetable, and or the meat and its at that moment you know you can not leave it unattended because, he would literally stand there and eat it all directly from the pan. I swear teenagers have a hollow leg, at least this one does. Trust me he will be out several more times just to make sure the process is moving along smoothly, though not nearly as fast as he would like. But when its done, it will take him less that 10seconds to eat it and then will come for more.

We had to go to Cape Breton recently for his soccer. He looked most forward to the stops along the way so he could pick up some good snacks. (besides the one’s that were packed) they are good enough for home, but apparently for a road trip you need cooler snacks. I usually stayed outside the car, as him and my wife went in the gas station, this was their snack break but my smoke break. Funny to see them both come back to the car as if they had just found treasures. Eyes all big, smiles you could see from the next town it was like they had won the lottery while in there. Funny how I waited patiently for them to get their desired food but when they must wait for me to finish a smoke, its as if the world was ending. “hurry up, we still have so far to go” yeah, well you should have thought of that when you both used a pee break as an excuse just to get food. (and then we would continue about our merry way)

At the hotel my son decided he needed the bed on the right side of the room as it was centered directly with the tv. That’s fine, but if he thinks he is picking the show to watch, then he has another thing coming. It worked out fine, because the show he wanted to watch we didn’t even get the channel, so we ended up watching a family classic The Karate Kid and I love that movie, so even though he had the best view for the tv in the room, I got to watch one of my favs, so a win there for both of us. And where is my wife when all this is happening, well she right next to me sound asleep.

We go out with the team after the game for supper at a nice restaurant. And again, this involves food so he is happy plus he now has a menu in his hand, and I can see his mouth watering at every choice. This is way different than stopping for snacks or ordering from your local fast-food establishments. His eyes are big, he is hungry (as always) So he starts with an appetizer, which is ½ pound of chicken wings, his main coarse is a 5oz rib-eye steak medium rare, with a side of vegetables and what I think was mashed potato. And since we are having a family meal together at a wonderful restaurant he has room for dessert, his first choice was Crème Brulé, but since they couldn’t serve that at this time, he settled for some fancy pastry cheesecake thing. Now my wife and I are shocked at this point, I mean we are both aware that this kid can eat and put food down very easily, but I had no idea he had such and expensive palate. The goal was to get the bill fast before he had an opportunity to order anything else off that menu. I write that with a smile on my face, we had such a great meal, my wife was happy that they served alcohol and she enjoyed her wings also, and the fish for myself was great. Much larger bill at the end but an awesome family dining experience. If we would have listened to my wife, her better way was that we would have picked up pizza from Pizza Hut and ate in our hotel room. But honestly, really, we can have pizza anytime, and he got his thirty-dollar steak, she got her seven-dollar beer, and I got fish. A win again for all.

Back at the hotel for the last night, win again for me, Karate Kid Part 2 is on but also, a win for my son because there is a soccer game on, and this time we get that channel. So, we watch both. I go outside for a smoke, and he comes with me only because it is extremely late and you may wonder where my wife is, well she is fast asleep beside me. So, my son and I go outside, we hear some great music and listen for awhile. We wanted to go investigate where it was coming from. Recognized the songs but couldn’t for the life of me figure out the artist. But instead of roaming around Cape Breton in my Pj’s trying to get closer to the music we went back to the hotel room. The next morning my wife and I went for a walk before checking out time and it was then that we saw a sign saying, " Serena Ryder live in concert ", and that was in fact the music that my son and I were listening to outside our room. If I would have known that I would have gone right to it. We could see the lights, hear the crowd, it was so loud, the sound so clear and that's because it was so damn close to us as well. Oh well…

So, after his last game, its time for that dreaded long drive home, stopping for snacks, arguing about where we will eat, when we will stop, and of course when do I get a smoke break. If I have learned anything from traveling with these two its that, their pee breaks are just an actual snack break, and these breaks trump a smoke break. Also learned that when my wife gambles at the slots, she takes this very seriously and if you ask to have a turn, you will get the most elvish look ever. Now mind you I am very familiar with this look, so I took a turn anyway and won us 60 bucks, that put us at 80 dollars, but we cashed out at 77 bucks instead. And though my luck was good that night, it wasn’t as good the next, but still better than her’s.

All in all, this road trip was an experience, and we get to do it all over again this coming weekend for the same reason, soccer again. So back to Cape Breton we will go. My wife and I are already arguing about who is driving, (I lost to rock, paper, scissors so I’m guessing its her), she messaged earlier today and said she picked up the road trip snacks (of coarse they will also have to pass our son’s inspection) they both have similar tastes, so I’m sure its fine. We just need enough for the two of them.

I’m certain that There’s G2B A Better Way for me to get my smoke breaks in, and I already know how that way is. “stop, I need to pee” to which my wife will reply, that she needs to pee also, and we will stop at the next gas station. (and that will either be an Irving or a Burger King) And no I am not surprised.

Thanks for reading!

Rhonda Roy (There’s G2B A Better Way)(itsnowornever.ca) also check out: https://peacefulvisuals.etsy.com