Text messaging - bridging the generation gap since...2010?

Do you text your parents or people of an older generation?

Living with my parents has worked out mostly swimmingly. My mom and I hardly fight anymore (although when we are both in the kitchen trying to "cook" things can get a little tense). I actually think a lot of our ability to communicate better now has to do with the fact that we never HAVE TO speak to each other, all we do is text now. Living with them is like living with roommates who you have established the perfect routine with. I have my own space, privacy, no real restrictions and the rent is cheap. I really have no complaints, but I think that the fact that we only text and hardly talk anymore make it so that my parents NEVER seem to know where I am (even when I'm in the house) and thus resort to texting to locate me (or my car). 

For example on Sunday night:

Dad: You back?

Me: Yes, and I have been for over an hour...I said hello.

There have been instances where I have been home a whole weekend and they were convinced I wasn't in the house. As a matter of fact, since my dad and I share my car now, he's often more concerned about the vehicle than me.

Last night at 11:42pm he messaged me (I was in Queens at the time canoodling)

Dad: Hello dear. Will you and the car be coming home tonight? Just planning my day with Jill tomorrow.

(Jill is my aunt in from Florida in town for two days, by the way)

Me: Yes. I'll be home late, but so will the car.

Dad: Ok. Love you

I guess he's gotten used to me disappearing for days at a time and not seeing the car, but at least he still loves me! I'm thankful I don't have those overprotective parents, but geez, do you really only want to know where I am because you need the car tomorrow?

Tomorrow, as I've mentioned, I'm going to Bermuda and my dad was supposed to get me a digital camera for my birthday (in January). Mind you, we're not really the celebrating type. This year I didn't even get my mom a card for mother's day or her birthday (I did go pick up the Carvel cake on request - because it's tradition to eat ice cream and cookie crunchies on birthdays). We haven't been gift/celebration people since I turned about 13 because at that point we were just buying whatever we wanted for ourselves. In fact, for my birthday this year my parents said that if I wanted anything I would have to specifically tell them what I wanted, pick it out and potentially even buy it and they would reimburse me! Seriously? REIMBURSE ME FOR BUYING MY OWN BIRTHDAY PRESENT? Come on people. Last year I got my mom an awesome, thoughtful, and expensive gift, and they couldn't even follow through with making the physical purchase of an item of my choosing. I've been a little bitter...if you can't tell. But I digress...

Anyway, I've been using my parents' digital camera, but it's old and shitty and I would really like a new one but I really have NO time today and about a million things to do once I get out of this office, so this was the conversation I had with my dad via text.

 This morning:

Me: If you feel like getting me a digital camera today while you're out with Jill that would be pretty amazing {smiley face}

Dad: Yes, that WOULD be amazing.

Me: And you ARE amazing...

I guess I'll find out later if he actually IS amazing.

When my parents text it kind of cracks me up. I mean it's the easiest form of communication for us because none of us are phone people. My mom can't seem to figure out how to use the swipe function on her smart phone though, so she often types like a slightly retarded (sorry for not being PC) pre-teen (or maybe younger than that because kids have become proficient at smart phone usage by about age 6 now), it's getting better though. When she has something really stupid to ask about, she always calls though. Without fail, if the question is irrelevant to anything that's going on, has no purpose, can be answered at a later juncture...etc, she will call and call until I answer so I can answer he stupid question while making the "WTF?!" face.

All in all, my parents are pretty awesome/funny, and I desperately need a new camera before tomorrow (along with a pedicure, needing to pedicure and taking the Bodyguard out for her birthday)...it's going to be a long Friday.