Day 6 of my eight-day Chicago stay.

This was my first trip in ten years to celebrate Thanksgiving at home, and any intent to steer clear of gluten or dairy was promptly set aside the minute I set foot in the city. Oh well.

As I'm sure you've all noticed with your parents or relatives, mine have adopted some interesting behaviors since the house emptied out.

For example, in the shower is a bottle of shampoo from Pantene's Relaxed & Natural line, which "gently cleanses African-American hair without over-drying." My guess is that my Dad picked that one up. I call him the Enabler because he allows my Mom to get away with some very pampered behavior.  Earlier this evening she was laying in bed and her cell phone rang. Did she stir? Of course not. My Dad stopped doing the dishes, ran with her purse from the kitchen to their bedroom, and handed it to her.

Speaking of phones ringing, my parents have installed phones in the kitchen, living room, their bedroom, and one in the family room. (My house is not big). While they have figured out how to turn up the phones to full volume, they have yet to sync up the ringtones. So despite the abundance of phones around the house, absolute chaos ensues anytime someone calls because four different songs are playing at full blast until someone answers the phone.

I am just also amazed by the quantity of food in this house. Twenty minutes and two exasperated outbursts from yours truly later, I was finally able to Tetris in a bottle of orange juice, two packages of Brussels sprouts, and a half gallon of milk. I took a picture of the inside of the refrigerator to show you how much food my Mom keeps for a household of two people. Keep in mind that they have another refrigerator just for their kimchi.

Suburbia scares me.