Sunday Funday

Thinking back to the days when I was younger I can remember always wanting to go to church. See church back in the days for me and my brother was a guaranteed way to eat out. We would count minutes until the father would release us from church at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Colonia. They me and my brother would plan out how to go where we want to eat. More often than not we ended up at Carrow’s, Denny’s or IHOP. One time my parents decided to make a trip out of it and we headed off to Olvira St in Los Angeles. Walking through the outdoor shops and smelling all baked goods gave me an appetite. We found a great little restaurant on the far end (Can’t remember the name but I know how to get there to this day). My taste in food back then was bland at best; I hated spicy or hot foods. Going out to eat was always around me on Sundays mornings. See for some reason food, family and church always came together in my family. There would be a baptism in the family then let’s go the “El Pescador” in Santa Paula. My parents made us go to youth group on Thursday’s then let’s take them out to "Win’s Drive-in" afterwards. It was kind of a reward for being raised Catholic. If you ask me to this day if I remember any of the services I can honestly say “No” but I can remember the place we went after church.

It’s funny how things go full circle when you become older. I’m not a practicing Catholic any more but I attend Christian services because my wife is (Yes this makes me one but I still can’t remember anything). No more Sunday services because we go on Saturday’s now but the ritual remains the same. The Mrs. and I take our 3 little ones out to eat after service. At times I hear my Eleven year old son tell my six year old daughter where to go. The usual spots are “Panera Bread, Eggs & Things, Round Table and Mr’s Olsens”. I didn’t see it when I was younger because I was in the moment but what my parents were doing was trying to enjoy the whole day with us. Food was an extension of the day has a whole family. The edible bribe me and my brother were given was a way to talk about our week or just to see how were doing. I catch myself doing the same thing to this day. Just this past weekend my son was invited to the Monterey Music Festival in Watsonville, CA. Our trip involved dinner at Bubba Gump’s Shrimp in Monterey and El Mirador in Pismo beach, CA. I don’t know if this is something good teaching them about always eating out but it’s a way for me to connect with them because of my work and school schedule. I think I’ve even taken it a step farther by taking my kids out to eat after school. Just yesterday I offered them Costco pizza and an hour passed just talking about my kids day. Since I began this Blog today I think I’m going to try something new and hold off eating out. Who knows I might even go to the grocery store and make something with them? Guess will have to wait and see what I write in my next Blog entry.