OLDEST SON BECOMES A CONNOISSEUR OF FINE FOOD

Another memory of our time in Utah was the visit in spring 1987 of my eldest son D1. He was excited to be with us and provided a few comical moments. He was about 16 at this time. We had promised him a trip to Las Vegas, LA and Disneyland. Shortly after his arrival, we piled in the car and headed south into Utah’s canyon lands. He may have been going to LA, but not without putting up with us, looking at some sights first. He sucked it up and didn’t say much. However, his sister Ron made up for it, and voiced her displeasure at the delay to the action, basically from the outset. I always told them “a little bit of culture wouldn’t hurt you kids any, before the fun starts”. Ange didn’t say much just rode along and pretty much mimicked what her sensei did. It was good to have D1 along because it distracted Ron from picking on me for a while.

We struck out for the sights and after sufficient whining from the back seat, turned west and headed for Nevada. Once in Las Vegas we found a hotel. Because it was already coming night, we needed to find food immediately. We decided on Circus Circus for our dinner. This place was spectacular, especially for the kids. It was like everything a child could have wished for, and far better than what one would have dreamed about. A combination of State Fair, Disneyland, Christmas and the last day of school, all rolled into one. I have to admit having seen it for my very first time, I was amazed. They never had crap like this when I was a kid. Well we settled in for a lite dinner.

This place advertised the 144 Item Buffet for $12.95. D1 couldn’t help but have that. I told him go for the shrimp, bacon and steak. Make it hurt them. Not him, he just started at one end and grazed his way to the other and then back again. He ate until I hurt! Then he passed by the dessert buffet and thought he had died and went to heaven. Both him and Ron did some damage to that decadent buffet. Everything, known to man, that was bad for you was piled up high, just begging you to try it. At the end of this display of gorging, he plopped down on his chair, tilted his head back, got a misty look in his eyes, patted his distended sides and said “Dad that was the greatest meal I had in my whole life”. Then he sighed and sat there content. Geezus! I bet no one has ever accused Circus Circus of great food, the most food maybe, but great was a stretch.

Next day off to Los Angeles and Disneyland. We stayed at a hotel right by Disneyland which Deysi had found for us. It came with everything the girls needed; that being, a rooftop pool. They could have slept standing up as long as there was a pool. We arrived in the afternoon, so the first order of business was “let’s see the ocean’! We went to Newport Beach for a look and a possible swim. Even though it was still spring, the kids were up for a swim in the Pacific. D1 had never seen the ocean, except in movies so I don’t think he was prepared for just how spectacular it was. We parked right up next to the beach. Once again there was not many people because we were early in the year. Well out jumps ol’ D1 in his full headbanger or goth regalia (I not quite sure what phase he was in at this time), and heads for the ocean, waving his arms, jumping and running and yelling and screaming. Across the beach he goes and straight into the Pacific Ocean. It was a sight to behold. Any people nearby, probably, thought we had kidnapped him and he was making a break for freedom. We just politely pretended that we didn’t know him. Although I must say that it was great to see him this excited.

Well all of that exercise in the Ocean leads to a big appetite, so we started to scout out a place to eat. D1 had heard about Mexican food (not really a staple in central Alberta, at that time) and asked if we could have some. I told him, well we are still a little north of Mexico, but maybe we can round up a Cantina and try a round of some real food. Of course finding a Mexican restaurant took us about 30 seconds. In we go, Deysi orders us a round of Burritos and the appropriate hot salsa. D1 one, fresh from swimming the ocean, tucks right in.

After a couple of bites he gets the full introduction to hot sauce (at that time in Canada, mustard might have been the hottest thing we had on the menu) and he sits bolt upright like someone had lit a match. He says “boy that’s hot”. Might have been his biggest understatement of all time. He continues to eat and about halfway thru his burrito he asks me, “hey dad, what’s in these”. I looked at him with an all knowing smile and say “well they are not called BeefRitos are they? Where do you think the name Burro-rita came from?” He thinks about it for a minute and decides he might slow down his gobbling of the Mexican food. You could hear the gears grinding, he’s thinking “naaaaww they wouldn’t, no way, well maybe, they are Mexican after all, and other such things. And that’s how the oldest boy started on his culinary journey.

I am attaching a video to this post which shows snippets of some of the video we shot. The whole movie is 1.1hr long, so I just took chunks of it. D1 is on the camera and narrating some pieces. Enjoy.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvoS5_iGis0[/embedyt]