June 8, 2011

Breathe

Pink Floyd, The Dark Side of the Moon 1973

The worst part is not knowing when the tears will come

(In related news, I am in need of water-proof mascara.)

On Saturday, I was at the post office to send out a package to Vegas. I kept forgetting things in the car and had to go back and forth...back and forth.  The last bit forgotten, the most important, was a pen. I was tired of hiking back to the car and so I asked the man, a priest, across the table if he had a pen.  So there I am at a table with a priest taping up a HUGE stack of packages alongside a girl who was stamping wedding invitations. As if it was the beginning of a joke or something. A priest, a bride and a blogger walk into a post office together.....   I began writing the address on the package and realized at that very moment I would need to address the box to Jolene's husband and not to Jolene herself.

And I promptly burst into tears.

I finished up the package, stuck it in the mailing bin and went to leave.  As I was leaving,  I spied a guy with a Pink Floyd shirt and I stopped him.  I told him about my stupid blog and how I have been using Pink Floyd song titles for post titles and how much fun it has been and he challenged me to come up with a post for the song "Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict" and and I was all like "Dude! Already written!" and we laughed and I got into my car to drive away and I thought how that guy must have a wondered just a little about the freaky Pink Floyd fangirl blogger type with the raccoon eyes.  And I laughed again.  Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion (Quick! Which movie quote is that??!  First to answer correctly wins a fucking PONY.)

Then, I promptly felt guilty for laughing.  AGAIN. How dare I move on with my life?  Right?  Enter random beeping as all the synapses in my brain plot to form a coup d'etat over their host.  Or something like that.

Okay, enough of that. Gentle Reader, I promised stupid, pithy posting.  Here you go, no serious thinking required from here on out.

Over Memorial Day Weekend, my sister Maureen and I headed off to Branson, Missouri to hang out with the parents, check out Silver Dollar City, eat some barbecue, listen to some bluegrass, see some butterflies at the Butterfly Palace and last but not least, commune with the masses in the hotel pool.

Branson, fucking MISSOURI...... Hayseed Heaven...Redneck Vegas....the Shangri-la of Hillbilly Schtick.... an Ozarktopia of Baldknobber's Bliss.

Perhaps,YOUR father might enjoy vacationing in the South of France, but MY father prefers to languish in the south of MISSOURI.  You are SO jealous right now that surely the green is seeping out of your nostrils, is it not?

 ADMIT IT.

Ah, but I kid the south of Missouri.  It is actually a nice, relaxing place to run to for a quickie weekend getaway.

Before this post completely careens off the rails, I am going to throw up some snaps and run far, far away.  If you would like to see the complete set of my glamorous Branson, Missouri vacation which included a lovely sidetrip to a fish hatchery, you can see the slideshow here.

Preview of next week's post? My whirlwind trip to the Carousel Museum in Leavenworth KS last Friday.

You say Flyover State like that's a bad thing.

Cicada!
Hot damn, these guys were just GORGEOUS.  I could NOT stop taking pictures of them.  

Don't It Make My Big Eyes Bigger


Unfortunately, They Don't Sell New Attitudes in the Gift Shop
Anjali was bound and determined that I not get a single picture of her smiling the entire trip.  Well played, baby girl.  You win this round.

Safety In Numbers
I put my cell phone number on each of my kids' bellies.  If they got lost, they could just ask someone to call me. Yes, they both actually know my number, but I was afraid they would blank on it if put on the spot or scared.  Arun spent the whole day coming up to me and saying in a really loud voice "Excuse me, I'M LOST.  Can you call MY MOM?!".  Then, he'd giggle and RUN AWAY.

Bathing Beauty
Is there anything more peaceful than a kitty sleeping in the sun? I think not.

Shopping at the Brits Store in Lawrence KS is Cheaper Than Therapy
My Wallace and Gromit addiction continues unabated......

13 comments:

MLE said...

"Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion" is from Steel Magnolias. Where's my pony? ;)

Christine said...

Steel Magnolias. Which is a perfect movie to watch right now, for the take home message.

After we lost a close friend, at age 30, I remember going to a fair, and frantically wondering if he had been to enough fairs before he died. I was frantic about this point. It does get easier, eventually. It may take a really long time, but eventually you get to that point when remembering just makes you laugh, because that person was so great and such a treasure for the time you had them.

What you did for her daughter was amazing.

Christine said...

Damn it. There were no other comments when I started typing. I still sort of want the pony.

Cagey (Kelli Oliver George) said...

Christine,
Oh, that's nice of you to say, but I don't think I've done much for her daughter at all. However, I know she will be fine. Jolene's husband is kick-ass and rock solid - he is an amazing father and will do right by her.

jodifur said...

I am so, so sorry for your loss.

Unknown said...

Writing your number on their bellies is a genius idea! I'm going to keep that in mind as Jacob gets bigger. I don't believe in child leashes so things such as the zoo could be rather hectic!

Olivia said...

The phone# on the belly is such a great idea, and I love that pic of Anjali.

((hugs)) to you as you mourn your friend.

Anonymous said...

STEAL MAGNOLIAS I claim west coast benefits, because you all freaking post too early for me to read...and I want a pony!

Anonymous said...

wait..I have a store in Lawrence? NO ONE TOLD ME!!!!

kristen said...

I'm going to be pithy and say PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE save that picture of Anjali for her obligatory high school graduation party slide show.

By the way my honeymoon was in Branson. He's lucky I didn't divorce him.

Anonymous said...

Hey- I am thinking of a quickie kid vacation. Have you been to Worlds of fun? I went as a kid-I seemed to enjoy it. I have 4 kids 6 and younger- is it worth the 5 hour drive?

Cagey (Kelli Oliver George) said...

Anonymous,
Hmmmm, I'd say for kids 6 and under, it is probably not worth a 5 hour drive. What location are you coming from?

Anonymous said...

Good to know. We are coming from North of Omaha. Some one told me the Camp Snoopy was geared towards the little ones. Thanks!