Reflecting on last week’s family vacation:

  • It was the first time my entire family (ma, pa, brother with his wife, me) was together…and we all had iPhones. My pop just got one. I showed him the essential apps. I taught my dad how to text. My brother taught him why– when you don’t want to listen to every little detail about my ma’s day, but for when you need a quick answer…you just text. My pop immediately got that. And the men had a good laugh and a drink.
  • It was the first time I didn’t need to bring a camera– I had the iPhone 3GS. I’m happy with 95% of the photos. The other 5% of the time, I wish I would have had a real camera. But it’s not worth carrying for 5% of the time.
  • My mom said that having her own camera on a family vacation felt empowering. My pop has always been the cameraman. Memories had always been viewed by her from his perspective. Now we all had cameras and could capture the moment from each individual perspective. That made me happy.
  • I saw Inglorious Basterds. It was awesome and renewed my faith in today’s movies. It was just me and my pop at the 10:20 show. It was his first Tarantino movie. I’m glad he asked my mom if he could go with me and she said yes.
  • I visited Cap Rock in Joshua Tree. Gram Parsons, after he overdosed in the Joshua Tree Hotel not too far away from Cap Rock (see the pic above), and his body was being shipped back to New Orleans for the funeral…his friends got a hearse and stole his body from LAX, drove it to Cap Rock, and doused his casket with 5 gallons of gasoline and blew him up just underneath Cap Rock. This happened back in 1973. They don’t have funerals like they used to.
  • Never go to Palm Springs in the summer– especially if you want to experience a daytime temperature less than 113 degrees and/or see anyone younger than 60.
  • Try to enjoy every second you have with your family. All of a sudden you’re 33 and your parents are in their 60’s. Even when it’s 113 degrees in the shade…but not so bad because it’s dry heat. And so is an oven. It’s worth every moment.
  • And sure as hell don’t let your father beat you in golf. That bet you made back when you were 16 about kissing all four of his cheeks if he ever beats you…that’ll hold forever.