HOW BIG IS THAT BUFFET?

My parents are visiting today (they live about 45 minutes away) and they've offered to take Heather and I out to dinner. I'm not one to pass up a free meal, so I offered the obligatory "What? No, you don't have to do that." before caving in to their demands.

By the way, has anyone ever changed their mind after the half-hearted "You don't have to do that. Are you sure?" Let's say you're at a restaurant and they grab the check and offer to pay. "Are you sure," you ask. "Hmmmm," they ponder your question before replying. "Actually you're right, you pay half. In fact, can you just pick up the whole thing...I'm a little strapped right now."

My mother asked for restaurant suggestions. I hemmed and hawed and said I'd think about it. I guess I thought about it too long because she called me yesterday and told me they want to take us to that big Chinese buffet up by the Harrisburg Mall. I told her it was called the "Jumbo Chinese Buffet" and from the tone in my voice she could tell I wasn't exactly thrilled by the decision. But what could I do? They were paying.

So we're off to the Jumbo Chinese Buffet today, which is okay because I've been meaning to scout that place because it's the site of our next workplace eating challenge. I'm trying to remember if they have a mongolian barbeque. I don't think they do. But they do have chicken feet on the buffet line. Maybe I'll scarf one or two in honor of Arturo's pig's feet win last week. Oh, who am I kidding. I'm not going near those things.