sleeping with my mother

Last weekend I made a road trip to Northern Massachusetts for my friend Leroy's bridal shower. In tow with me were my mother and my mother-in-law. The three of us stayed together in one hotel room, because it seemed silly to get 2 rooms when we'd be so busy that we'd only use the hotel for sleeping.

Obviously, I slept with my mother (as it seemed odd to sleep with my mother-in-law, and ever weirder for MY mother to sleep with her). Before embarking on our trip I warned my mother: "MIL snores, just so you know."

"Please. I'm used to your father every night. It will be fine."

Ah, famous last words.

Now, I love my mother-in-law to death. But boy, could that woman saw wood!

My mother and I were able to get about 1.5 hours of sleep in the entire night.

After catching up on email from my phone, counting sheep and making mental lists of things I have to do in the next 5 years, I couldn't take it any longer.

KK: "Psst! Are you awake?"
MOM: "Yes, I'm awake."
KK: "I TOLD you she snored."
MOM: "No you didn't."
KK: "Yes I did. I said, 'MIL snores, just so you know.'"
MOM: "THIS isn't snoring. This is amazing."

five minutes later...

KK: "Hey."
MOM: "Shh!"
KK: "Shh? What? Am I going to wake you?"

seven minutes later...

MOM: "I should've brought my little blue pills."
KK: "There aren't enough blue pills in the world."

twenty minutes later:

KK: "Should I wear my hair up or down?"

twenty seven minutes later:

((Mom gets up and nudges MIL, and ends up scaring the crap out of her. MIL jumps up and yells "What?!"))

one hour later:

((KK giggling))

one hour and ten minutes later:

MOM: "Will you shut up?"
KK (still giggling): "Are you talking to ME?"

two hours later:

KK: "I'm going to be SO tired tomorrow."
MOM: "Try and go to sleep."
KK: "Oh! Good idea. Why didn't I think of that?"

three hours later:

KK: "Hey! The sun's coming up!"

three and a half hours later:

(MIL stops snoring for 20 minutes. I'm too stressed with the pressure of trying to fall asleep that I'm even more awake than I was before. Can't. keep. eyes. closed. Wait. I'm almost there. Yes! I feel sleep within my reach! Just give me five...more...minutes...SNORE! Dammit!)

five and half hours later:

(alarm goes off)

MIL: "Wow. I slept great!"

seriously

is there anything worse, than those paper gowns, with the opening in the front?

ugh.

pretty to look at...

photo from simply recipes

...and delicious to eat!

they are delicious in the spring, either when eaten alone, in a salad or as a side dish.

check out simply recipes for a bunch of yummy ways to cook them!

GORGEOUS!

I would very much like one of these Swarovski Nirvana Flash rings, pretty please.

Or maybe even one for each finger!

from the mouths of babes

setting: Mother's Day brunch, my house

My grandmother sees my cousin's 3 1/2 year old daughter reaching for a glass of champagne, so she tells her great granddaughter: "That's not for you to touch."

The little one stops, turns to my grandmother and says, "Nana, you just worry about yourself."

speak your mind much?

I just finished listening to the woman across the hall from me rip the car dealership a new asshole. She was relentless. And scary.

(Part of me is like "go on with your bad self!" and part of me is rethinking if I've ever pissed her off...)

This past weekend Mr. KK and I were having "date night" out at a little bistro near our house. We were seated by the door – which was open – because there were diners outside and it was easier for the waitstaff to bring food in and out. However, Connecticut encountered 40 mph winds on Saturday night, and there were huge gusts of wind ripping through the restaurant. Finally, I asked if they could shut the door because we were shivering. They were totally fine with it and moved us to a new (warmer) table.

If it were up to Mr. KK, we would have sat there eating dinner with our coats on. But I just couldn't stand it any longer. We were PAYING to be there and we were uncomfortable.

What about you guys? Do you speak up when customer service is bad/something is bothering you?

the end of an era

In May of 1997, I bought my very first car: a green 2-door Toyota RAV 4. Sure, I had had other cars before, but this was the very first car I bought on my own.

The day my father and I went to pick it up, it was pouring rain. "It means 'good luck'," the salesman told us. What else would he tell us?

My new car had a CD player (oh yeah, I sprung for extras), and I had brought my Hootie and The Blowfish CD to make sure it worked.

Soon after purchasing the car, I moved up to Boston. And boy, was my little green RAV the perfect size for fitting into tight on-street parking spaces! She was mostly driven to and from Connecticut, but I loved her just the same. Double payments enabled me to pay her off early (because for some reason when I was single and going out of every night and making no money I had more money than I do now). And I truly OWNED her. ME. Not the bank.

A few more moves around Boston, and then finally a final move back to Connecticut. She was getting on in years, and my long commute didn't seem like a good fit for her. So Mr. KK drove her to his job 1.5 miles away (jealous!).

Then, Mr. KK's dad got a new pick-up truck, and gave Mr. KK his old one.

Now we had 3 cars, and only 2 drivers.

So the little RAV would sit in the driveway – undriven – while we drove the other 2 cars.

But it seemed silly to pay the insurance on all 3 cars. And when we mentioned to the mechanic we might think about selling her, he said his cousin was looking for a car for his daughter.

And then everything was moving so fast. And I was traveling a lot.

And then one night, while I was on a plane home from Detroit or Minneapolis or Chicago, Mr. KK took one last ride in the RAV before handing her off to her new owners.

And it ripped my heart out.

Mama will miss you.