Five Tomatoes
My mom drove the three of us back to her place.
The Firecracker explained she grew up in places that looked very similar, although every home was on an acre of land.
Boy: How big is an acre?
Me: 43,560 square feet.
Him: Is that like 10 miles?
Me: Do you know how many feet are in a mile, kid? 5 Tomatoes.
Him: 5 Tomatoes?
Me: Yeah. 5, 2, 8, 0. A mile has five-thousand, two-hundred, eighty feet. “Five Tomatoes.”
Firecracker: I’ve never heard that before!
Me: And…now you have.
Once we got back home, I introduced the Firecracker to my sister and her kids.
Everyone seemed to get along pretty well as my sister and she chatted for a bit, while my mom cooked.
My sister got a bouncy house as a gift and asked we could help set it up for the kiddos.
I figured out how to inflate the thing and set it up while the Firecracker hammered the stakes into the ground.
Afterward, we borrowed my mom’s car for a drive but we only made it two houses when the Firecracker noticed an open house just a few doors down.
Her: Let’s check it out!
Me: Sure, I’ve always wanted to know what other houses looked like inside.
We stepped in and checked it out. Since she’s from the south, she’s much more about big houses with yards than tiny apartments in the concrete jungle.
It was a pretty house but I’m still hoping to stay in my apartment, somehow, despite the massive increase I pay every month.
We got back into the car and we took a drive out in Long Island because the weather was just perfect.
Ended up at a Barnes and Noble that I used to go to every single day to study for the LSATs.
I think that was one area where Alison and I differed on what a perfect day was. She always liked to keep busy while I liked to sit and read in cafe.
Used to spend entire days there reading and having coffee but haven’t done that in over a decade.
Me: Are you ok with sitting here, having a cuppa coffee and reading for a bit?
Her: That’s my love language!
Afterward, we took a slow drive back. My mom had made a bunch more Taiwanese and Chinese dishes, which the Firecracker also loved.
Mom: Do you want to take some home?
Her: Yes! If that’s ok.
We stayed for a little while longer, just lounging around the house, while the kid continued to play with his cousins until it was time to go.
The Firecracker found the note above the aquarium ridic funny.
Before we knew it, it was time to head to the station to catch the train back to the city.
The trains are rarely late but this time, they were delayed some 30-40 mins, so it was pretty late once we got back.
The Firecracker got out at our station but immediately walked home because she had work the next day and a lot to do at home.
So, the kid and I went home.
Me: Did you have a good day?
Him: Yes! What are we doing next weekend?
Me: Not sure yet, I’m sure we’ll think of something.
Location: Koreatown, with some of my oldest friends and a crapton of food – alla which I ate
Mood: stuffed
Music: we should jump right into the personal facts (Spotify)
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