Texas, Where I Ate A Whatnot

My baby refused to talk to me while I was gone. He gets all teenage-daughter on me when I leave him.

Avee licked my big toe when I got back. I might be embarrassed to admit that I'm related to someone who does stuff like that---but it's all part of the package. She's adorable and completely crazy. I actually had to say the words, "I can't let you down there looking at my toes if you are going to lick it again." The worst part of that was-- it was in public. I don't have any problem laughing at and being grossed out by my own kids. In the privacy of our own home. But when perfect strangers have to witness it? That's just wrong.

I focused on leaving "Mom" behind and living up the "Nobody" identity. Well, not really that identity. If you know my real name, you can replace it. I think I did a good job. Aside from the times I tried to comb Tori's hair and help her find her jammies. And then there was the time I tried to help No Cool Story find her mama. True story.

I had a wonderful time in Texas. I got to see my "old" friends and spend time with my more recent internet relationshipal friends. Relationshipal is too a word.

I stayed a night with this friend. And DUDE that girl can make me laugh. I enjoy every second I get to hang with her.

Then I walked over to this friend's house. She's on bed rest but the sweet girl moved to the living room just for me. I've known her for about 13 years and every time we get together, it's like we've never lived apart. I love having friends like that.

Then this friend joined us for pedis the next day. It was very fun. They asked Beckie uh, about 7 times if she wanted her eyebrows done. Weird thing is, her eyebrows really did look fine.

But that's okay, my pedicurist out of nowhere said to me, "I'm sorry we don't have any food for you." I guess my "resting face" is actually more of a "hungry face".

I had Pho. Best pho ever. Tori's a big vietnamese chicken and wouldn't try any. Ironically, she had the chicken. Okay, that's not ironic. And she's not vietnamese either.

We got lost a lot. The only two people in the world with a sense of direction as bad as mine, were with me, as we tried to find places and things and people. It was kind of funny sometimes. Other times, more nauseating. You never realize how hard on the stomach all that turning around can be. Until you live it. I.Lived.It.

I slept for 3 hours before I flew out Monday morning. I was really really tired at 1 AM but I just couldn't give it up. Going to sleep that early would just make the trip shorter. So I started talking. Nonstop. NCS humored me with sweet little responses now and then. "Oh that's hordeeble"
"Wow."
"It is." And whatnot.

Three. Hours. Later.
Tori woke up and said, "Are y'all still talking!?" When we said that we were, she yelled, "I AM the third wheel!" It was really funny. Because I'm not sure I've ever had a more drama-less, easygoing, pleasant, communion with two friends for 4 days, like what we experienced. I really tried to find a different word than communion, but that's all I could come up with. Anyway, I thought it was funny when she said that.

Then she joined the conversation and I promptly fell asleep. It was 5 am. I just couldn't help it.

After J picked me up at the KC airport (he and the kids stayed and played with our families) we headed back up to Iowa. My sister called me and after we talked for about 2 minutes (I was in a
drunken stupor from lack of sleep) she said, "Well, I guess if you aren't going to give me any details, I'm hanging up now." I suddenly realized I should be telling her about my trip.

But how does one glamorize "I ate, we talked, we got lost, we went back to our hotel room by 8 o'clock, we slept in and we ate and talked and ate and talked?"

I love Tori and NCS. They is good people. There was not one minute I didn't enjoy or wish I was somewhere else. I'm not sure they could say the same, but this is my story.

Sunday night, Tori's husband made dinner for us. He is every bit as wonderful as she writes that he is on her blog. And they are very cute together. But anyway, where was I? Oh yeah---I had gone about 4 days without doing anything for anyone but myself, so I offered to serve up her 5 year old's plate of food. I asked him every little thing he wanted and he told me and then when I put the plate down in front of him he said, "Uh, I didn't order this" pointing to a portion of food. I thought that was hilarious and then Tori said, "It's hard to get good service these days, isn't it Taj?"

You know those kind of homes you go into and you immediately feel comfortable? And when you were a kid, if you went into that home, you wanted to be adopted into the family? And if there was a kid your age in the family, you followed them around and stole sweaty clothing from their gym bags...oh just kidding.

Tori's home is like that. We immediately felt comfortable and welcomed, and NCS became Liv's new best friend. I was a rejected food server, but NCS was an immediate bff. Whatever. 'Sall good.

I won't bore you with the minutiae of my trip. I will say it was every bit as wonderful as I hoped it would be, and I had very high hopes.

I've always wanted to use the word minutiae.

I'm thankful for good friends who brighten my days. And fill my nights, with song.

Thank you to my wonderful husband who did such a great job of keeping the kids alive and happy. Thank you to my mom who helped keep them fed. And thank you to my sister for letting them invade her house. That just isn't easily done when you are 9 months pregnant.

I have to go now. Avee just offered me "some hugs and kisses" if I help her make a fort.