MANGO SMOOTHIES AND FRIED RICE

Tonight we took a culinary adventure to enjoy another gastronomic experience in Romeoville: China House II.  It is exactly the type of place Marty would be crazy about.  It had mango smoothies and fried rice.  Unlike the haute cuisine he chose when we were in San Diego, Soup Plantation, tonight's meal was not an all-you-can-eat cafeteria line feast.  It was how our Moose wanted to spend his Sunday dinner, and we are lucky that we can join him.

The four of us ordered our meals and then I asked Marty a few questions to catch up on how his week went.  I was unable to attend his games this weekend, and he is off to Virginia next weekend, so, like any mom, I wanted to check in.

I poured myself some hot tea and pried into his life.  I asked personal questions such as, "So how is College Writing 2 going?  Do you fly out Wednesday or Thursday?"

Rosemary interrupts, "Holy 20 Questions!"

Marty and I burst into laughter.  I cannot think of more benign questions to ask of my son.  Rosemary continues, "What? Is this an interview?"

That's as far as I got before I was characterized as the Spanish Inquisition. One question about a class and one question about a plane departure.

Marty brushed it off and gave us the important information I was looking for.  "My College Writing class is awesome  The teacher is from Indiana and cancels classes all the time."  Now there's one point of view of what makes a class "awesome."

I went to Northern where I would have to leave my dorm at 7:20 am to snowshoe across the barren fields of DeKalb to get to my 8:00 am class, and my profs were always present.  I never had such luck.

We continued with some good conversations about his Spanish classes, arguing over the subjunctive tense and whether it was fun to learn or punishing.  Marty is a Spanish major who plans to double major in Psych, but he has waffled about majoring in Poly Sci instead of Psych.  He said he has even thought about going to law school.

"That's awesome, Marty!  We will absolutely support you going to law school!  Not financially.  But emotionally and mentally," I encouraged.  Bill almost spit his tofu across the booth as he burst into laughter.

I had many of those passing thoughts in college, too.  Instead of English I was going to major in journalism.  But I stuck with English.  I thought about minoring in Spanish.  Then, I, too, thought about going to law school.   I obviously ended with an English degree and a secondary school teaching certificate, and I blew off the last three classes I needed for my Spanish minor.

I wonder if Marty will change his mind a few times, too.  I know Rosemary is sticking with her Baking and Pastry decision.  I love how Abe Lincoln summed up one's vocation in life.  "Whatever you are, be a good one."