Every time Richard emails me I invariably have something I need to get off my chest.

He writes me this last night:

[Do you know] how much unrealized bitterness (sadness? regret?) I feel for my parents ordering cable, which came with MTV as well as the Korean channels, and then canceling it once Chicago got free over-the-air Korean channels.

I so feel your pain Richard. That is exactly how I felt when my father took me and my brother to Raging Waters in 90 degree weather. Note: We did NOT go into the water park. We drove 2 hours to SIT in the PARKING LOT and watch families go up and down the water slides. He brought ham sandwiches and he got the flyer from the front desk detailing all the fun that could be had inside which included tubing, a wave machine….and churros. I was 10, my brother was 5. It was the rudest thing my father ever did to us as kids.

I’m older now so I completely understand this was probably a financial decision. We didn’t have a lot of money and my father probably thought “hey if they can’t go inside, at least they can see it.” I really wish the 35-year old Elaine could have tapped on my dad’s shoulder and said “Seriously, this just aint cool.”