of three dumb deer, motherly mini vans, constellations, and canyons...16 states

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beware of length...


it all started with a beer in my hand, a smirk from my mom, and a slight jeer from my dad, "would the consumer like anything else?"

"connoisseur," i corrected him, "and as a matter of fact, dessert sounds delicious!" surprise, surprise, right? no.

actually, rewind....it starts several months ago on my way to disneyland when i realize that the "end" button, which conveniently serves as the power button for my phone, stops working. luckily, i have an ever-so sweet razor flip phone. to end a call, i simply flip my phone closed. to turn my phone off, i simply remove the battery. to turn my phone on, i...well, i can't...usually.

which explains why, at 3,000 ft or so, the ringing in my bag began.
fortunately, my ninja-like reactions (i'm half-japanese...i think my ninja skills are genetic) kept the flight attendant from capturing me and my ever-so sweet razor flip phone, which has great reception, obviously.
unfortunately, my ninja-like reactions fail to remember the little power-button problem until after turning my phone off by simply removing the battery. oops.

....inevitably, my luggage is always first off the plane. lucky me, right? no. first off the plane means first on the cart, which means last off the cart, which means last on the conveyor belt, which means i stand around for far too long for a piece of luggage that could've fit in the overhead compartment except for the fact that my toiletries serve as potential terrorist threats......anyway.

while waiting for my one piece of luggage that eventually places second-to-last in the race reuniting owners and possessions, my phone miraculously turns on revealing the message left by the caller who i hung up on while attempting to silence my ever-so-sweet razor flip phone at 3,000 feet elevation: "janean, our flight's delayed. take a shuttle to the hotel, and we'll meet you. love you, bye!"

i love you, too, mom.

$1.25, 2 subway rides, 15 minute walk with rolling luggage in-tow, i make it to our hotel. family's enroute, i'm hungry. s urprise surprise, right? no. after nearly 20 hours of traveling, i assume my family's appetite will match that of mine.

turns out, their appetites exceed my expectations, which explains why they picked up fast-food on their way to the hotel, which explains why none of them were hungry when they arrive at the hotel, which justifies my initial frustration as they expect me to help them unload their luggage further fueling my irritable hunger...which doesn't explain why they didn't get me something to eat. thanks, family....

fast-forward two hours: beer in hand, motherly smirk, fatherly jeer...dessert -- enroute.

two brothers, one sister, one mother, one father, one janean (thank god, right?), one dessert. all at one table. three hours lapsed since they arrived at the hotel to meet a hungry, frustrated me.

irritable hunger quenched. initial frustration passed.

fast-forward two weeks: three dumb deer almost die, motherly mini van houses six family members across 16 states while gazing at constellations during star parties, hiking into desert canyons under the summer sun, exploring hills and history, eating, eating, eating. driving. driving. driving.

we sleeping, arguing, laughing, singing, conversing, playing eatingdrivingsleepingrunningtalking. we having a good time.

how often does me get in the way of we?