Meeting General Mills the Makers of Apple Jacks

(To understand the true stress level I should mention that on Thur. and Friday I drove over 100 miles to ride my horse for two hours.)

This has been a family filled weekend. Apple Jacks' parents were in town. They were in the LA area for a conference and flew up to see two of their children that live up here. Now, I haven't even meet Apple Jacks' brother (due to time) so when I hear, "We're going to have dinner with my parents and my brother on Friday." I get a little... excited. Oddly I wasn't worried if the 'rents were going to like me or not, I know Apple Jacks doesn't hold their opinions high in his mind, but I still wanted to make a good impression. I am dating their oldest child.
Friday: Apple Jacks is in a fine mood, not. His brother picked a restaurant that happened to be about as far away as London. His parents ditched his idea on a hotel and picked a lesser hotel right near the freeway in Oakland. And it was pouring rain. I meet the folks, and the term fits them well. Dad was just what I expected: dry humor and quiet. Mom was just quiet. I tried so hard to make conversation in the car ride from the hotel to the restaurant, but we get a little lost and Apple Jacks isn't in a conversation conducing mood. Long and short, we make it to the restaurant where their is no parking. Apple drops us off, that's right leaving me alone with Mom and Dad. We go inside to find brother already there. Brother asks me questions, and we chat about things I expected him to know about me but then I remember how not close Apple is to these people. It feels like 15 min has past, no Apple. Suddenly, the power goes out. The wait staff bring out candles and we keep eating our hore'dervs. Then another 15 min and in from the door is Apple Jacks soaked head to toe and REALLY pissed off. "It's REALLY FUCKING SHITTY OUTSIDE." He says as he sits down. His dad looks at him and goes, "What makes it really fucking shitty and not just crappy outside." At this point Mom, who's been semi oblivious to the banter that had started say, "Oh look, the rain is going sideways out there."
If this didn't make of an awkward enough evening the food we were eating was crab, wear a bib around your neck, use your fingers, sucking on some shells crab. Dinner was... interesting... trying to eat food you can hardly see, and with people you hardly know. We finally finish, wash hands and head outside. The boys go and get the cars and once again I'm left with the parents. We talk weather... which last about three sentences. We are silent more or less the whole car ride home and drop them back off at their hotel with some sort of plan about brother coming over the bay to have brunch. We say our nice to meet you's and Day 1 of the parents is done.
Yes, there is another day of his parents where the conversation has more flow and I care much less about "impressing" them and more about chatting it up with his brother's girlfriend. We said our nice to meet you's again and goodbyes and drive carfully's. I now have an understanding of the makings of the sugary sweet that is Apple Jacks.