Of Sugar Highs and Simple Math

I did it. I lived the dream. Or rather, relived it.

Today I went off to Chinatown with my 70-something-odd grandmother and the 83-year-old man who's in love with her. She told me a few months ago that he's a great guy, but she's "not ready" to consider a relationship with him. In the meantime, he's happy to use his knee replacement surgery as an excuse to take her arm while crossing the street.

I didn't know what it'd be like wandering the crowded streets with a couple of senior citizens, but I figured it couldn't be that bad. Though I felt a little nervous when I spent the BART ride to the city teaching "O'Neal" how to program contacts into his cell phone.

Come to find out, one comment from the waitress at the Oriental Pearl set the mood for the day:
"Injoy yuh time with yuh babee girl!"

You remember those days? The times when you were spoiled, before there were younger siblings/cousins/kids for the adults to obsess over? Back when you were cute?

Yeah, that's what it felt like.

O'Neal, it must be said, has a pretty hefty pocketbook. And I didn't realize that until today, when he offered to buy nearly everything I pointed at. Of course I didn't take him up on it all, but as my aunt so nicely put it, "He's very chivalrous, and will insist on paying for lunch."

Not only that, but he insisted on sponsoring my efforts to get souvenirs for my family, which brought me from "I'd love to, but I'd have nothing in my checking account" to "Oooh, look what I found for Mom!" in about five seconds. No longer feeling like a poor college student, I scoured the trinket tables with gusto.

And I got paper lanterns for my room. I'm SO excited.

Then we went for ice cream. It was a lot, but I ate it anyway. While throwing some of my waffle cone to the pigeons for them to fight over, of course.

As we waited for the cable car, I gawked at the massive buildings. Talk about feeling short. I kind of liked the sensation, though. Just like the sugar buzz that made me babble on about nothing for an hour. I think I may still be on it, which is why I wrote such a long post.

Conclusion? I like college. And being grown up. And pseudo-rich-uncles probably don't do much to build my character.

But nothing makes a relaxing spring break like being a little kid.