The Queen's Rambles

I talked to my mom and the funeral was really good, she said. The place was packed and several people got up and spoke. My cousin and her mom made a huge spread for the reception and my mom didn’t have to do a thing. My mom is sounding a little calmer now. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised she’s such a wreck since she was married to my dad for so long, but I am. She was always talking about how happy she’d be when he finally died (he really was a drunken jerk most of the time), so I guess she is probably feeling a lot of guilt now.

Thank you to all who have been lifting me up during this time with comments and cards. Also thank you to those who donated to the Klamath Humane Society in his name. That really means a lot to the family. My mom choked up when I told her.

In less bad news, today was beautiful. The unbearably hot weather broke, so we enjoyed a really nice day down at the Reston Zoo with our MOMS Club. Erik got to ride a pony, which always makes him happy. The kid is such a thrill seeker. He was getting mad at the girl for lifting him up because he wanted to mount all by himself. Not that he could.

Did I mention the carnival we went to in Klamath? My niece and nephew were too afraid to go on any scary rides, but my sister and Erik went on every single ride that they would allow him on. I was having a series of heart attacks and tried to forbid him from going on some of the rides (like the big drop thing), but he would just run up and go. I thought for sure he would get scared and that would be the end of that, but I was wrong. He’d get off the scary rides shouting “Again, again, again!” Who’s going to King’s Dominion with us? Mike and I don’t want to ride a bunch of vomit inducing rides.

Ok, back to Reston Zoo.

We had fun. The kids rolled around in the red dirt. I am hoping red dirt=iron filled dirt. Elsa kept grabbing handfuls of it and shoving it in her mouth. I was stupid and told Erik to wear his tennis shoes because I knew it would be dusty. I guess I have to wash them. Should have had him wear his crocs so I could just hose them off. No idea what I was thinking.

Thank you again for helping me with the obit, though in the end the point was rather moot because the newspaper changed it up some. I guess people are really impressed that I wrote it, which I find amusing because it was honestly not that big of a deal. I had all the facts. I just threw them together. My mom told me I should “start one of those blog things and write about the weird people you meet.” I’ve got a ten year head start on her.

I was also amused that my mom forgot to keep her wedding date a secret. In college I realized that they must have gotten married because she was pregnant with me. Why else would they elope to Reno during deer hunting season and never tell anyone they were married? Her parents found out because one of their friends saw it in the Reno paper when they were down there. The date was 6 months prior to my birth, so now I have confirmation. I think maybe she thought it would hurt my self-esteem or something so she would never tell me even though I have asked several times. Honestly, it just makes me happy to have a logical reason why she would ever marry him.

I’m really rambling around tonight, aren’t I?

I’m participating in a study about food choices, feeding your 4-5 year old, and obesity through the NIH. I have to go in sometime in the next couple of weeks and do a virtual reality experience. I don’t know how much like my idea of virtual reality it will be, but I’m already laughing. My first “virtual reality” experience and I will not be exploring Mars, having a sword fight, or doing anything that might constitute fun. Instead, I will spend my time making up plates of food for my kid from a virtual buffet. Such a mom thing to do, don’t you think? But I’ll get $100, so I can’t complain.