Morning Surprises

This morning I made the obligatory pre-trip visit to the parental units, which went well. No guilt trips about being abroad during the holidays for the second year in a row, so perhaps they’re becoming accustomed to my new tradition. This is a good thing, as the tradition is going to continue with Philippines tentatively scheduled for next December and a probable return to Thailand the following year.

Christmas? Bah! I’d rather be cavorting about in the tropics.

Such a cold, heartless son I am.

I was happy to hear this morning that the parental units are going ahead with some long-overdue home improvements/renovations in the very near future. What they’re planning sounds rather extensive and I’m looking forward to seeing the finished product. As it stands now, their house remains virtually untouched since construction in the late 1960s, with the same floors, cabinets, tile, etc. all original. It’s in remarkably good repair, though the forthcoming work will certainly add a fresh, new atmosphere to an otherwise tired environment. This was surprising news as the parents rarely ever do anything out of the routine, let alone anything as drastic as this.

What was even more suprising was them showing off their first-ever passports, which means that they actually intend on attending my sister's destination wedding in Scotland next September. Quite an event for them as they've never flown before or been abroad. This means that I've probably lost the wager with the future brother in law about them actually going through with it (OK...I'm being a bad son again as I had absolutely no faith in their fortitude and suggested they'd rather view the wedding via webcam broadcast). Perhaps now that they're in their retirement years, with the 9-5 workday long over, they're beginning to realize the full potential of life.

Certainly a remarkable morning.