Ian and I have been visiting my parents since Saturday. We're having a great time, although both of us miss Dave. Ian's gotten to see his Uncle Cha Cha and Aunt Li Li (I told them they sounded like pandas). and it's so much fun watching Ian have a ball with my parents. Pop-Pop's tractor - not a hit like we thought it would be (too big and noisy). Pop-Pop's super awesome electronic piano with tons of buttons - big hit. I asked Dad whether that meant Ian was destined to be a musician and not a farmer. I'm sure the tractor will be cooler next visit though.
Today, Ian and I went to mine and Dave's alma mater, Florida State University. It's a great place with tons of history for the two of us. It's where we met, where I got my bachelor's and where he got his Ph.D. The 'Noles were the first football team I ever loved and it was the first college I ever wanted to attend. So to say it was pretty cool and just a little emotional to realize that I was walking our son through some of the same places that Dave and I walked many years ago was an understatement. Of course, phrases like "there's Mommy's old dorm" or "this is where Mommy and Daddy used to study together" or "this is where the Hari Krishnas used to annoy the evangelists" didn't have much meaning. But I hope to take Ian on a little tour of FSU every time that we come down and have him bleed garnet and gold too. And if we can afford the out of state tuition by the time he's 18, I'd love nothing more than to attend his college graduation in Tallahassee.
The campus has changed (duh) since I graduated in 1998 (dang, I'm old!). It's pedestrian now, and where the outer edge of campus was the recreation center, now there are buildings all around it. I didn't recognize anything between Doak Campbell (we parked in Egypt) and the Leach Center. There's even a new chemistry building, a med school, a new biomedical research building. And then I saw that the buildings I spent so much time in were still there and in use. Fisher lecture hall - site of so much organic chem angst. Dittmar - where I spent countless hours studying and hanging out with my friends and brothers in Alpha Chi Sigma. Dirac library - probably should've spent more time there. But the campus is absolutely beautiful. There's a new brick path that is just gorgeous. They haven't made the place into a concrete jungle - I saw more benches, trees, and flowers than I remember. Landis Green (popular site for sunbathing) has a beautiful fountain. So pretty, so much history.
Lunch was great. Dave's former major prof (who is also a good friend of mine) took Ian and I for some of the best Chinese food I've ever had. Very fun, albeit too-short lunch. I really would have loved to have caught up more, but John needed to get to work and Ian was reaching the limit to his good-boyness. He actually fell asleep before we got out of Tallahassee.
So that chronicles our visit so far. Apparently, I timed it just right this evening - I went to Walmart and the 6.85 pounds of edamame he ate at lunch exited. The grandparents had fun with that one. :)
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