They asked, I answered

For this week’s Theme Thursday, myself and other bloggers are answering several questions that have been posed to us.  Some answers may be predictable, some might be surprising, and a few might be better read after you’re done eating.

Questions:

1.What’s the dorkiest thing that gets you excited?

The Dewey Decimal System!  There’s something about its order and predictability that just turns me on.  As a teenage, I spent many Friday nights at the library.  While most girls were on dates, running their fingers through their boyfriend’s hair, I was running my fingers through the card catalog.  As I got older, I would only date guys that were librarians because they knew how to turn me on – they’d start with my ankle…then my back…over to my chest…”Oh god, yes!  Alphabetize me!”

Then I discovered wine.

2.  What hidden/odd talent do you have?

I think this video sums it up. I’m available for birthdays and bar mitzvahs. (P.S. My best Marilyn Monroe impression)

Ankle Idol

3.  What’s the worse job you ever had?

I was an appointment setter for a door to door meat man (insert your own joke here). I sat in a 5×8 closet, making cold calls to people, selling them on the opportunity to possibly buy frozen meat. But you know, that still wasn’t as bad as the week I spent as a waitress.  They had 50 burgers named after famous people (Laurel and Hardy burger, the Catherine Hepburn burger, the Cheech and Chong burger…) and I was suppose to memorize them all during my free time instead of going to the bars with my friends.  Well, after day 5, I said “stick this job up your Three Stooges ass”.

4. If your readers met you in person, what would surprise them most about you?

That I don’t curse much in person, and never in front of my children.  It’s true god dammit!  What, you don’t believe that shit?

5.  Is there someone you wish you could apologize to?

Dear Denny’s staff in Burlington VT,

I am so so sorry.  It was an ill attempt by a very drunk person to hover over the toilet seat while peeing.  I really don’t remember the incident but my friend tells me that it was quite a mess. And that is why we suddenly took our Over My Hammy meal to go.

Sincerely sorry,

Kim

6.  What’s you guilty pleasure?

That’s easy, wine and chocolate…and giving back to my community.

7. Which skeeves you out the most: vomit, poop, snot, or pubic hair?

Vomit, no. Poop, no. Snot, if it’s smeared and dried. Pubic hair, intact – no, laying on the toilet – yes!  In fact, I even have problems eating the grain quinoa because they leave these little things behind when they’re cooked that look like mouse pubes.

8.  Is there anyone you’re secretly jealous of?

Pretty much anyone that gets paid to do what they love.  Of course, I would never wish them otherwise, I just want that too!  Don’t we all?

9.  What’s the grossest thing you found in your food?

I was once in a Vietnamese restaurant enjoying some kind of shrimp dish in some kind of weird sauce (Vietnamese cuisine sucks).  While I was chewing, I bit into something hard.  I pulled out of my mouth, what looked like a tiny tibia and femur bone.  I was horrified, but I made it do a little jig before I called the waiter over. He says, “Oh, haha, no worry. That just a frog leg.”  Then he walked away. Just. walked. away.  I think he considered it a bonus, like finding a diamond among shit.  He probably added a damn dollar to my bill.  Needless to say, I did not return.

10.  What do you want on your tombstone (the actual stone, not the pizza)?

I thought long and hard about this…

Here lies Kim

she made us laugh

a wonderful person

with a mighty fine ass.

 

Pop in and check out my friends’ responses. Click on the links under Theme Thursday, over there ——->

Poetry Corner with Mr. Bojangles

Good Morning by Mr. Bojangles

 

I like to start my  morning

with a long awaited crap,

then roll around in deer poo

til it’s smeared down my back.

 

I wriggle in that stank shit

until I hear my momma yell

“God dammit Mr. B,

you’re going to doggy hell!”

 

She pushes me in the shower

’cause I’m way too fat to lift

my furry ass gets lathered

as I raise my leg to piss.

 

After my hair is styled

we head down to the kitchen

She’s getting on my nerves

jeez lady, quit your bitching!

 

The kid has got a pop tart

and it’s sitting in a bowl

I take it when she looks away

ha ha ha ha, asshole!

 

Everyone is screaming

while I’m scarfing on my treat

I look at them like, WTF?!

Can’t you see I’m trying to eat?

 

My momma gives her another one

so I steal that pop tart too

Man, this kid’s an easy mark

she hasn’t got a clue!

 

I’m escorted behind the baby gate

and on this side it’s quite boring

I know…I’ll bark incessantly

’cause it’s how I start my morning.

 

Ode to the Bone by Mr. Bojangles

Oh bone, rawhide bone

your marrow has me weak

for in your cartilage

my tongue does nest

and taste buds make me weep.

 

Some would urge

to have you buried

but in my mouth you’ll stay

and I will bite the god damn hand

that tries to take you away.

 

Oh bone, rawhide bone

my love for you is rich

shit, here comes the kid

that screws with me

“Grrrrrrrrrr

back off it bitch!”

Date Night – fairy wands & crabs

Our gym offers a wonderful program called “Kids Night Out”, which is an evening that allows parents to drop their kids off from 6-9pm so that they (the parents) can spend 3 hours actually talking to one another without interruption or wiping an ass.

Prior to this past Friday, we had only done this once before. We sold our 8 year old on the idea by convincing him that it was an opportunity to go swimming, to play soccer, and to meet new and exciting friends. But when we picked him up and asked him to tell us about the cool things he did, he shoved this in our faces…

Make a wish! What? You wish your parents didn’t suck?

Unfortunately, he was an 8 year old among 4 year olds and as such, he was pressured into coloring fairy wands with broken and chewed crayons. I responded with “that stinks, but hey- you did a great job staying in the lines”. I think this only agitated him further because he walked away, leaving my high five hanging.

So it came as no surprise that we needed to do little bribing to get him into “Kids Night Out” again with minimum bitching. Ana, on the other hand, was happy to go. Here she is on the way to the gym…

An eye for an eye mom, an eye for an eye…

Yes, she’s reading the New Testament again. Though maybe “reading” is the wrong word, it’s really more like staring at me while turning the pages. I’ll be honest, it scares me a little. I keep waiting for her head to spin around and pop tarts to start spewing out.

So we dropped the kids off and headed to a nice wine bar/restaurant. We engaged in real conversations, composed of complete sentences and the occasional bad word. It was lovely. Then I happened to offhandedly mention a change in our weekend plans.

Brian: “What?! You’re dropping this on me now, while we’re out at dinner?! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!”

Me: “My god, I’m sooorry, I didn’t think it was that big of a deal. Jeez, it’s not like I’m saying ‘I have crabs!’ ugh.”

Well, my retort wouldn’t have been so bad if I hadn’t of raised my voice on the second half of that last sentence.

This is what the other diners witnessed…

Me- “I HAVE CRABS!” (while doing jazz hands, no less).

I think our friends (oh did I mention we were out with another couple?) were a little uncomfortable. I’m not sure if it was the sudden tension between Brian and I or the crabs announcement. The husband gave a nervous laugh and his wife opened her menu to hide her face, muttering something about trying the Schnitzel. What the hell is Schnitzel?

The meal concluded with my friend and I going to the bathroom. Instead of the usual stall set up, it was one of those big single bathrooms that’s decorated like a mini family room with the toilet in the center. This bathroom was clearly meant for entertaining, so she did what any good hostess would do, she invited me in to relax on the chaise while she peed. And then we traded places. I admit, it was a little weird. I mean the whole chaise thing was weird, not the peeing in front of each other. In fact, once you’re a mom, peeing in front of other people is the norm, it’s almost lonely otherwise.

After dinner, we picked up the kids. I breathed a sigh of relief that Collin wasn’t as pissed as last time. Apparently, the teachers took pity on him and let him kick a ball in the gym in lieu of macaroni art.

So, despite my crabs announcement, I consider it a successful date night…but maybe not for the couple that came with us, they probably have higher standards.

Free Advice Friday! Places to quietly cry.

Dear Kim,

I’m the stay at home mother of two young children. Some days I feel like I’m going to go nuts and I just need some alone time to regroup. Do you ever feel like this? If so, what do you do?

Heidi in Crackinupton, FL

 

Dear Heidi,

You’re not alone sister, I often feel that way! I think every mother does at one point or another. What defines us is how we choose to handle the situation. Oh, and by “regroup” I assume you mean “cry”.

Have you tried sitting your children down and explaining to them just how you feel? When using this approach, I find it’s helpful to use examples from children’s literature and television programming. Phrases like “Remember that time Christopher Robin was up Pooh’s ass?” or “Wow, that Caillou is a whiny bitch. Don’t you find that annoying?” can really parallel your feelings and aid your children in grasping the fragility of your mental state.

However, if after talking with them, you find your kids lack either the empathy or the desire to leave you alone, you might want to go with Plan B (which is now my Plan A).

 

Plan B – HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT

There are two ways to accomplish this and they both require a little preparation and planning. But trust me, it’s worth it.

 

Method #1 – Undercova Motha (trademark pending)

Supplies:

a twin bed sheet

basket of old clothes

sewing machine

non-toxic glue

Preparation:

Begin leaving large piles of unfolded laundry in the hallway on a regular basis. This step must be done a least one week prior to your first “hide”.

Steps:

1. Lay the twin sheet out on the floor. Sprinkle the clothes liberally across the sheet in a haphazard manner. Rearrange the clothes until only small areas of the sheet can be seen.

*I tend to use more cotton-blend clothing as they breath better than man made fabrics.

2. Once you have the clothes arranged to your liking, tack all the clothes in place with glue. Then, using your sewing machine, go back and reinforce each piece with a few stitches.

*It’s important that you not skip the sewing step- and you’ll want to because you’re exhausted and beat down. But keep in mind, you need this cover to last until your children are well into their teens. Besides, tears stain and your Undercova Motha will need to withstand multiple machine washings.

3. Throw you actual clean clothes in a spare closet. Lay in the hallway covering yourself with your Undercova Motha, curl up in a fetal position, and quietly weep.

This is where I go to be alone.

*refrain from crying to the point of body shudders. Your children will notice their old pj’s moving and the jig will be up.

 

Method #2 – “It’s a Cinch”

Supplies:

33 Gallon black trash bags with drawstring tie.

Preparation:

Tell everyone in the family that you will take on the household responsibility of taking out the trash. Everyday you must leave a full trash bag sitting out in the kitchen or laundry room, throwing it away only when the children go to bed. Much like the preparation for the Undercova Motha blanket, you’ll need to begin this at least a week prior to your first “hide”.

*If you’re the outdoorsy type you can also use this technique in your yard with a bag of leaves.

Steps:

1. Throw your actual bag of trash in a spare closet.

2. Step into a 33 Gallon trash bag and pull the drawstring shut, leaving a small opening for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

3. Curl up in the fetal position and weep.

Note: keep your hand inside bag.

*use caution when getting out as the tears may create a slippery surface.

Heidi, I hope this was helpful and just the kind of advice you were looking for – because it’s all I got…well, except for the “Panic Room”. You can find those directions here.

See you in bad parenting hell,

Kim

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