Friday morning

Mom finally sits down to breakfast.

Mom: You haven't even showered! Don't most people shower before eating?
A.: I don't know what most people do. I don't shower and get dressed until I'm ready to leave the house. Why shower only to get sweatier, or get dressed just to get food stains or cat hair on your clothes? I stretch, have breakfast, read the paper...
Mom: New York Times? That's the worst paper there is.
A.: ...
Mom: If you lived in Russia for a minute, you would understand.

Mom launches into a really long story about how she took a computer class, which led her to this job, which led her to another job, in which she really understood how government has no role in the economy. The market functions best when left alone.

A.: Most of the time. Have I not been railing against farm subsidies for over a decade? But when the economy needs jolt...
Mom: No. This is socialism! The unions! The corrupt local governments!
A.: The latter two are not unique to the last couple of years.

Anyway, this goes on.

Later, we're getting ready to go for a walk. We come in from outside.

Mom: [Ranting about something...] You know, you've gotten... quite... solid. [...continues the rant].