when family comes to town

My family arrived in Texas safe and sound last Sunday afternoon. After extensive commentary on the temperature (and heat, and humidity, and how hot it was in Houston) we had a brief tour of the big city, which involved lunch, some light shopping and a trip to the Cockrell Butterfly Center, located in the Houston Museum of Natural Science. The butterflies were definitely the best part of Houston for my mom and sisters (can you blame them?) and by the time we got to Nacogdoches everyone was tired, happy and glad to be in the comfort of my air conditioned apartment.

Over the course of the next week, I did my best to introduce my family to the unique delights that Nacogdoches has to offer. This included, but was not limited to: the local movie theater, where they chose the flick (The Proposal - you already know the ending, trust me) where the movie lost sound half way through, played for 20 silent minutes until sound was restored, and then was rewound so we could hear what we had already seen. Classic; dinner at Nijiya, the best ever sushi and hibachi restaurant where diners can bring their own beer (we did, naturally): swimming at both Ratcliff Lake and the pool at Bullfrog's, a local bar; a yoga class at Morning Glory Yoga Studios; tofu for dinner (but only once - I let them off easy); and shopping in Lufkin (surprisingly entertaining, plus my mom bought me many items of clothing).

Of course my sisters and I fought a bit - we always do, and it is usually due to the temperament of one sister in particular. We argued about what to eat for dinner (carnivores vs. vegans), I forbid them to buy paper plates and cups, my sisters got bored when Nathan and I went to bed by 11:00pm, and my mom cried when I dropped her off at the airport, causing me to cry too and curse all the distance between New York and Texas (seriously, Tennessee. Damn you). But over all, the trip went well, it was very cool to show my family where I've been living for the last five (five!) years, and now that they're back on Long Island I already, honestly miss them.

Thanks for the visit, and I'll see you at Christmas!