the folly of fate
Normally on this weekend of the year I am with one of my best friends at the Philadelphia Flower Show.
We always take a bus tour, and since we don’t actually see each other very often, we catch up on the 7 hour bus ride. There is usually wine, chocolate (plus various other snacks) and lots of giggling involved.
We are almost always the youngest people on the bus. By the end of the first day, all the other people are clearly thinking “what’s up with those two nuts?” Sometimes we are even verbally admonished. But we don’t care, we are having fun. That is why we go. To look at pretty flowers, of course, but mostly to let it all hang out, to laugh with absolute abandon.
My favorite all-time trip was the year that my friend stole this really cool egg-shaped pine cone from a display at the public garden we visited. (Okay, obviously I took one, too.) We debated back and forth for a couple of minutes about whether it was okay, and then I said, “it’s just a pine cone.”
As we were walking away with a very guilty look on our faces, the bell tower right next to us decided it was time to chime. Only to my friend’s guilt-ridden conscience, it sounded like an alarm. She jumped about five feet in the air and I had to catch her before she started running. And then I laughed so hard I almost peed my pants. (Okay I did pee, a little). And of course, just then, as I was standing there, bent over, with my legs crossed and tears streaming down my face, the entire rest of the bus tour came around the corner. Lead by the tour director.
Which just made us laugh even harder. They all looked at us with raised eyebrows and gave us a very wide berth as they passed us by.
And we weren’t even drinking wine that day. But all I have to do is think of that moment and I will burst into laughter. Out loud. Right in front of everyone/anyone who happens to be near.
Well, this year, our bus tour was canceled, so we didn’t go.
And as it turned out, my mom ended up in the hospital this past week for emergency gall bladder surgery, and then last night we had to take her back to the emergency room because she has pneumonia. (She is back home now and doing okay). So it turned out to be a good thing that fate intervened and the trip was canceled.
But I thought that I would take this little trip (in my mind) today for old time’s sake, and have a little giggle.
Here’s to best friends.
And laughter.
And peeing in your pants, a little.
March 7th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
Ah… a woman after my heart. Stolen pine cones, peeing ones pants. What a wonderful afternoon!
(Just stopped by from Julochka’s place & I’m glad I did.)
March 7th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
That Julochka! She’s going to get your place humming! I loved this story. Here’s to peeing your pants–just a little. I’ve taken a gander into your history–fabulous photos, and such wonderful writing. Is it OK if I stop by unannounced? I’ll bring brownies… 😉
March 7th, 2010 at 4:37 pm
Please do, you are welcome anytime! (Especially if there’s brownies involved!)
March 7th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
😀
Love your story.
Fingers crossed for next year!
Andrea
March 10th, 2010 at 10:48 pm
Thanks, yes hoping to make it next year…
March 7th, 2010 at 4:25 pm
Hi. I stopped by from Julochka as well. I loved that story! I wish I could spend more time with girlfriends. Hopefully, as the kids get older (13, 9, and 7 now), I’ll have a little more free time. Happy Sunday.
March 7th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
I know, it is hard. My three are grown, but the friend I go with has three similar in age to yours…she might be more upset about not going than I am… Thanks for stopping by!
March 7th, 2010 at 5:38 pm
I think you may be kin to me. 🙂 As a here’s-my-story kinda thing, my MOTHER is the person who sets me off like this – weird, huh? A few months after my father died, we were in a dollar store (yes, I admit it) and the laughter hit and my mom did that peeing her pants thing, but so grateful that at last she had been able to laugh like that.
And they let you drink wine on the bus? 🙂
March 7th, 2010 at 6:00 pm
they do actually, we put it in paper cups, but one time the tour director walked by us and said, “you’re not fooling me with those paper cups.” and smiled. which of course brought fresh peals of laughter…
March 7th, 2010 at 6:14 pm
Well, you made me laugh too. It has to do with the moment, the silliness, and your readiness to laugh. Thanks for the laugh.
March 7th, 2010 at 6:32 pm
thank you for stopping by!
March 7th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
i love this post. the paper cups of wine. we were recently busted, don’t tell the kids, on a flight to costa rica drinking a little tequila shot out of a paper cup. hey, we were on holidays.
March 7th, 2010 at 6:33 pm
sounds like you were having fun!
March 7th, 2010 at 10:39 pm
(still laughing out loud)
Gordon keeps asking me what’s so funny. 🙂
March 8th, 2010 at 8:24 am
I came by on the recommendation of moment of clarity. Glad I did; the first entry was well worth the visit! But I love your previous entry about perfection. I’ll be curious to know your thoughts about it the longer you live with less than in the realm of domestic chores. I really struggle with it–not the succumbing to less than perfection part, just the living with the succumbing to the less than perfection part. I beat myself up pretty much daily on that count. But I am new to blogging and finding it a great avoidance behavior to add the long list I have been compiling–when I am not cleaning, of course.
Mary
March 10th, 2010 at 10:53 pm
as my husband would be happy to tell you it is not the cleaning so much that i am perfectionist about…it is more the letting other people see my imperfections, which may be what blogs are made for…:)
March 8th, 2010 at 9:25 am
The kind of friends you can pee pants with are the most valuable. (and the most fun)
Love this post.
March 8th, 2010 at 11:47 am
I agree! Thanks for stopping by.
March 8th, 2010 at 12:11 pm
what a great story !…..laughter and pee is always so good together !
and I’m glad your mom is feeling better !!
March 8th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
that’s really funny. and i hope that’s The pinecone, because it would be perfect if one of you still had it, tho’ maybe, for the sake of the furniture and your, um, pants, you shouldn’t have it out on display. 🙂
March 8th, 2010 at 8:45 pm
yes, that is indeed, THE pinecone. I do keep it on display, and I never thought of this until just now…but I keep it on a shelf in my bathroom…oh dear…
March 19th, 2012 at 8:40 am
[…] tower, because we have a very funny memory from one of our earlier trips. You can read about that here if you like. (Giggling is good. Just […]