mahjong madness

My sister moved up to San Francisco for college a year and a half ago, officially making my parents empty nesters. Well my brothers practically live down the street, so they aren't completely void of all offspring contact, but boy did they go wild with their freedom. The transition slowly began when I moved out, and my parents decided to turn my room into a library. That's right, my parents read so much that they needed an entire room dedicated solely to house all their books. Not to mention neither can resist a good Border's Rewards coupon, which if you're a Border's rewards member you know they come weekly, so I'm pretty positive my parent's might actually be recognizable regulars at the Ridge Borders.

It wasn't until my sister moved away that things got really out of control. I blame the great economic crisis for what happened next. I can only assume in an effort to spend less money going out, my parents and their other couple friends took up mahjong. What's this you ask? Well it's that game you play with tiles, I myself am not completely sure of the rules and regulations, I only know that the only people who really play it are senior citizens. Which my parents most definitely are not. Not only have they taken up a board game common in the 75 and over crowd, but they went completely balls out. I am talking their very own mahjong set, complete with special table, and sleek carrying case.



Ever since I was younger my parents have always gone to bed fairly early, because they both have to go to work in the morning. Being the rad popular college student that I am, I feel like I never remember to call them until it's like 9pm, and too late. Well to my surprise, when mahjong is involved, my parents can stay up til the wee hours of the evening. My sister and I were home for a week or so back in June, and we went to a late movie, only to be shocked when we arrived home at 11:30pm and there was commotion coming from the dinning room. We crept in to find my parents, and their other mahjong couple friends, sitting at their special table, noshing on snacks, and just having a grand ole time.

All I have to say is mahjong must really be a hardcore sport. I mean my parents get pretty heated about it. The other night I made the mistake of calling during their monthly mahjong evening, only to have to sit on hold, listening to my parents argue over the legality of a "tile move." I guess it's good my parents got started early, that way when they finally reach the senior citizen age, they can sweep all the mahjong competitions. Hopefully they can get some gambling involved, old people love to gamble, then they can supplement their retirement. We just can't put all our eggs in my basket, I could grow up to be a big failure. Come June though, my parents are going to have to pick up a new sport, something that can be played with five people, because their favorite roomie will be moving back in! I've been preparing to conform myself to my parents wild lifestyle, and I can already tell it's going to be a rager. I knew that the end of my college education would bring upon exciting new adventures.

picture found here