Sunday, February 14, 2010

She Says, We've Got to Hold On to What We Got

My mom when she was a little girl.

Soooo, I'm going to wish anyone who celebrates it, a happy Valentine's Day. Currently, it's a holiday that doesn't really apply to me, so I'll just celebrate the fact that it would have been my mom's 78th birthday. I still can't imagine her old. All I can do is feel lucky that I had her the 10 years I got. She is definitely responsible for my love of literature, my appreciation of music and the outdoors. All of those things that pretty much saved me after she died.

This weekend was very long, but in a good way. Friday off was amazing. I got some stuff done, but most importantly, I got to hang out with the girls for at least a few hours without having to run somewhere or do chores or homework. Originally, we were going to eat at the Bluebird Diner, but it was packed when we got there, and Stinky wanted to make it to a basketball game at 7. So, instead we got take-out sushi at Oyama and Coadster and I watched The Hangover. It actually turned out better than sitting in a busy restaurant.

There was a lot of errand running on Saturday. I took all my recycling in, while Stinky went job hunting. She stopped in at 126 to see if they needed a hostess. My friend Amo was working and was really happy that Stinky wanted to work there. Amo called over the current manager, who said she remembered her from when she was little and I used to pull the girls around in a little red wagon. I'm sure my girls are so tired of hearing that story. But when they were little, it was so much easier to put them in a wagon where they could face each other and wasn't quite so big and unwieldy as a double stroller. Apparently, people found the image of them in the wagon quite charming.

Me covering my face. One of my favorite pics of myself.

Just so you know, you might not want to start reading The Road right before you go out, because you could get so engrossed that you won't want to leave your house. I did end up going out, and I was so glad I did. I guess I was in the mood to get really silly, and that's exactly what I did. We played a lot of goofy music on the juke box and danced around. One of our very flamboyantly gay male friends came down and was WAY over the top.

My friend finally brought her new guy down for us to meet and he seemed really cool. Poor guy. Us girls really put him through the wringer. At one point he asked me if I was the friend that stalked him on Facebook, and both G. and I said at the same time, "We both did."

As usual, right around midnight, I decided it was time to go home, but right before I did, someone said something that was a song lyric, and I started singing that song. Everyone around us started singing it too and suddenly, all kinds of people we didn't know and most of the bar was belting out, "Livin' On a Prayer". It was hilarious. Of course, I knew the night couldn't get any better so I took off.

9 comments:

rel said...

Churlita,
That breaking out in song is one of my favorite things to do. Not always appropriate, but fun none the less!
rel

j-dub said...

oh I've been really wanting to read the road, too. I don't think I care to see the film, though. Too intense, perhaps.

Pamela said...

Seriously sounds like a Cheers bar.

Johnny Yen said...

My daughter loves "Living On A Prayer," which she discovered while playing Rock Band.

I had big plans to take advantage of the three day weekend (we got President's Day off of school today), but I was too exhausted after work Saturday night and last night. Came home, had a couple of glasses of wine and conked out.

Mnmom said...

I've been away from IC too long. I don't recognize any of those businesses. I break into song every single chance I get.

booda baby said...

This counts as a classic Churlita post, paragraphs of soooo good stuff. Happy Your Mom's birthday. Moms are so good at giving us gifts.

Churlita said...

Rel, One of these years, we'll meet at a pub and sing songs all night. It will be awesome.

JWilliam, I'm sure I'll see the movie...Viggo Mortenson's in it.

Johnny Yen, A couple of glasses of wine and conking out sounds very nice.

MnMom, The Bluebird Diner is where Gilpin Paint store used to be. Across the street from the Foxhead. Oyama is in a stip mall by the Sycamore mall. Does that help? Breaking into song is awesome.

Booda BAby, Thanks. It's true. I hope I give my girls good stuff too.

laura b. said...

Your mom gave you everything she had, just as you do you with your girls. Y'all are doing something right.

Sounds and looks like a fantastic time! Take my hand and we'll make it, I swear! Ohh-woahh...

Tara said...

We had to read "The Road" in college in the "Spirit of the 60s" course. I don't remember finishing that book, but maybe I would be able to appreciate it better now that it's not an assignment.

That's such a great photo of your mom!