Over the weekend, we finally went to see “The Hangover,” the very funny movie about some guys who wake up in Las Vegas after a wild bachelor party and must do some detective work to reconstruct what happened the night before. Not everyone’s cup of bawdy tea, to be sure, but I laughed so hard that I hurt myself.
Then we took a Sunday drive down to Berkeley to enjoy some cooler weather (sunny and 74) and to lunch with our pal Selma at a splendid Persian restaurant called Alborz.
Shortly before we got home again, Kelly called our 17-year-old son. Just checking in. He reported that all was well.
A few minutes later, we arrive and find the following:
-The coffee pot is still on.
-The patio door is unlocked. The big fan on the patio is still going, and the chairs have been arranged in a circle. A half-glass of water sits beside one of the chairs. The ashtray is suspiciously clean.
-There’s a large brown spill on the dining room floor and all the chairs are pulled out from the table, as if ready for a seance. Mom’s laptop is open on the dining room table, displaying a game she’s never played.
-The living room furniture has been rearranged to accommodate the gaming module that has been hooked up to the big TV. Various food and beverage containers decorate the room.
–More dishes sit around the kitchen and in the sink. Things in the refrigerator seem out of sorts, and someone drank half the water from the bottle Mom carries to Zumba classes. Remnants of spaghetti and sauce squiggle the countertop.
–Beer and wine appear untouched and the towels by the pool are dry. (We count our blessings.)
So, all you detecting parents out there, examine the evidence and pronounce your verdict: Just how fast did those kids go flying out of here when the parents called?
Mystery Blob a Hit: The Corner Booth that appeared over the weekend, “Mystery Blob Menaces Alaska” got many more views than my columns usually receive, and I have two theories about why:
1) People thought I was poking fun at Sarah Palin again.
2) The headline got picked up by Google’s rambling robots and reposted all over the place.
If it’s the case that 2) is true, I’d just like to say:
Mystery Blob Menaces Alaska
Mystery Blob Menaces Alaska
Thank you.
DVD We Watched: “The Lucky Ones,” a delightful independent film that also features Las Vegas. Three veterans come home (Tim Robbins has mustered out, and the other two, a young man and a peculiar young woman, are recovering from wounds) and end up driving cross-country together. Good stuff.
Tips appreciated: Send news tidbits to steveb.anewscafe@gmail.com.
