10 more things i learned yesterday

1. my mom has not lost her touch at the guilt. i learned all my guilt tactics from her -- she's quite the master! what is it about asian women that makes them this way?? seriously, when i was growing up she took every opportunity to get all joy luck club on my ass. ugh. but it seemed like she was mellowing in her golden years. that is, until i called her from the park yesterday.

"hey mom, just checking in to make sure you're doing okay with natey."

"we're fine! he keeps looking around for you, though."

"mom, he's only one. i doubt he's 'looking' for me. did he nap?"

"yes. he whined a little, but fell asleep pretty fast. he was really tired."

"oh good. i was worried about the playpen thing. so how long did he sleep?"

"about an hour-and-a-half. i kept peeking in on him and the last time i checked he was just sitting in the playpen not making a sound and looking around. he was looking for you."

"he WASN'T looking for me! he was just checking the room out since he's not used to being there. so he ate okay? his poor gums are really bothering him."

"he had a bottle, but he kept stopping and crying and looking at me and looking around the room. he wanted to know where you were."

"SIGH. okay mom. i'll call you when we're leaving. you know, maybe he wouldn't have such a hard time if you spent more time with him." [ha! take that!]

"okay, we'll talk to you later. oh and he threw up a little, but i'm sure he's fine."

*click* damn it! she got the last word in! and see how she totally ignores my attempt at guilting her?? she's a pro, i tell you.

2. there are still women in the world who get kinky, 80s-style poodle perms. they're rednecks, but they DO exist. my sister is one of them.

"dude, your hair looks HORRIBLE."

"no! it's just because i just got it done and i can't wash it or style it yet!"

um, yeah. right.

3. whack-a-mole is a pretty damn fun game.

4. corndogs, REAL corndogs with beef hotdogs inside, RULE. oh my god. it's gotta be more than a decade since i've had one! we like to get the morning star farms veggie corndogs -- you know, 'cause we're all healthy and shit -- but they are a pathetic substitute for the juicy, beefy goodness of a real corndog.

5. it really is possible to spend a day at a theme park and not get funnel cake! who knew??

6. if i may be so shallow and snobby, king's dominion is like wal-mart with rollercoasters. i guess that would make busch gardens more like target? yeah, busch gardens is defiinitely more about the culture, what with the different countries and all that. heh.

7. my sister hates our father even more than i do!

8. seeing jack and natey smiling and laughing together fills me with indescribable joy.

9. natey likes the smiths! i swear, as we were driving to my mom's house, he watched me very intently as i warbled along with "best... vol. 1", and did some impromptu yodel/hum-type stuff along with the music! heh. i'm just glad to have one son who appreciates their genius. if i put it on when jack's around he says, "mommy, this song doesn't rock enough!" indeed.

10. i'm really a 16-year-old girl trapped inside a 35-year-old housewife. as natey and i were listening to morrissey wail a part from"rubber ring",

but don't forget the songs
that made you cry
and the songs that saved your life
yes, you're older now
and you're a clever swine
but they were the only ones who ever stood by you

i got choked up! like actual tears welled up in my eyes! i felt like i was 16 and huddled in my room thinking about how unfair life is and how i'll never know real love and how a 20-something, asexual man from manchester is the ONLY person who understands me and where can i possibly find black nail polish when it's not halloween (yes, the days before hot topic were brutal)!?! wow. that was unexpected. the power of music, eh?