Long day, today.
As my last day before starting my vacation on Monday, today was non-stop. Had so much going on, and some of it at all at once. Just: busy. Someone who had been out on leave returned this week, though, and I was able to transfer some of my projects to her, which felt good. And I know she'll be responsible for things while I'm gone, which makes me feel better. Trying to wrap up everything, and write notes, and keep track of all the shit I'm supposed to be keeping track of: I think I've said it before: my job is not difficult, but it is time-consuming, heavy on details, and usually involves dealing with people who aren't very helpful.
Anyway, it's over. After work, I headed up to Culver City to have dinner with my mom and dad, and to help them out with something related to their credit report. No biggie, just this problem they've been having with the hospital and the insurance company, getting them to pay a bill. The insurance company paid; it's just a bit complicated, and my folks don't do complicated.
Neither do I, to tell you the truth, and neither do any of my siblings, but somehow I get to do it when it's my parents. I see my mom's stress level go up with stuff like this, and I try to make it all nice and easy for her; I end up stressed, too, even though I think I hide it. I doubt I succeed, but I have to try.
We went to Cora's for dinner. Cora's was the best Mexican restaurant in Culver City (in my opinion) for years and years - my parents would eat dinner there just about every Friday night. They were treated like royalty, and because they were, I was too, when I'd go either with them or on my own with my friends. When I say "royalty," I really mean: like family, with the free bowl of guacamole, with extra tortillas, with friendliness and familiarity. Then, a couple of years ago, they changed locations, and things went south in a hurry. For awhile we blamed it on the stress of moving; after awhile, we couldn't ignore the attitude change we all encountered, the lousy service. Anyway, everybody had crap experiences there, and finally, after my birthday lunch there last year, we all decided to stay away.
Tonight was my first meal there, since then.
The service has improved. No complimentary guacamole, and the waitress/owner who used to treat us so wonderfully was nice again, but treated us just like any other customers. No chit-chat, no niceties beyond "thank you." Just nice.
My salad was terrible: only three choices of dressing, tonight: bleu cheese, Italian, and thousand island. The thousand island was clumpy and sort of tasted like orange bleu cheese: not appetizing. My dinner plate was fine: the beans were perfect, my Chile relleno was fluffy and tasty, my taco (wasn't chicken, like I ordered) was fine. But the portion sizes have shrunk. And that salad was smaller than usual, too. Or the bigger plate just made it look that way.
Anyway, it was better than the last trip, but nothing like I remembered the old Cora's being. Still. It's nice to be treated like family. I miss it.
P.S. This might be the most boring thing I've posted in ages. Fuck it, I'm going to bed.
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