Suddenly *Not So* Single Journey

Right between the eyes…

Author: thenicknick

It used to be something of an expression, right?  Well, it is until you live it.

See, Wednesday was one of THOSE days.  I ended up leaving work later than I expected.  The only redeeming part of the departure was running into the new guy and snagging a kiss.  Score!  Then we had to go our separate ways.  (Have I mentioned how amazing he smells?  I had some of his lingering scent on me as I went to the car and…well, damn!)

I digress.  For a change.

Anyway, we talked the entire time I was running my errands, returning a movie to the Red Box and picking up the three cheese loaf that we’ve grown to love, a bag of Caesar that’s become a staple, and I headed home.  The new guy and I are in a great place with our conversations.  We seem to have achieved a balance of sharing about our day and learning something new about each other at the same time.  So good.

Well, I sat on the couch and finished my conversation with him while the kids pulled out all the ingredients we needed for dinner.  Ahhh.  My five minutes to unwind.  Then we did what we usually do.  Everyone chipped in to help with a part of the meal.

Keenan went to work on making the salad, which was just his speed.  And he still asked some questions.  It was cute.  Rachel went to work on making Kool Aid.  And I was slicing tomatoes and nuking broccoli for the garden couscous.  (Yes, Kimberly, the pasta so good they named it twice.)

Somehow, even though we normally work together pretty well, Rachel was all in the way tonight.  It amazed me because, let’s face it, her contribution to the meal was three ingredients: Kool Aid packet, sugar, and water.  Well, in the process of pouring the sugar, she managed to knock over the couscous.  Little pasta beads were all over the floor.  And I was tired and frustrated.

me: Uh.  Rachel!

Rachel:  Relax.  We have a broom.

me: Yeah, well, I’m not convinced you  know how to use it.

That may have been where I made my mistake.  See, there are so many uses for a broom.  And I should have been way more specific.

She grabbed the broom and began sweeping up the mess.  Part of it she swept ever so neatly onto the dust pan and deposited in the garbage, but some…didn’t quite make it.  I turned in time to see her using big sweeping strokes to brush the offending debris into the carpet.

me: Rachel!  *giggle* This is what I’m talking about!

Rachel covered her face, knowing she’d been caught.

Rachel: I was going to vacuum it up.

me: You broke the vacuum and I haven’t had time to fix it.

Hmmm.  I’m beginning to see a pattern emerging here.

Well, she started to walk away to return the broom to the closet.  She had been texting Justin…the boy she’s been in love with FOREVER, but had set the phone down while her hands were occupied.  It had been virtually forgotten, until she rounded the counter and it chimed.

I can see it now…in slow motion.  I was reaching for the phone, chuckling.  She came tearing around the corner, broom still in hand, determined to get the phone.  I was focused on the message as I raised the phone toward me.  And that’s why I didn’t see it coming.  BAM.  I took a broom right between the eyes.  It made a sound.  Keenan stopped tossing the Caesar and rushed to me, Rachel snatched her phone from my hands, tucked it into her pocket and wrapped herself around me.

There were a lot of ‘I love you, Mommys’ and ‘I’m so sorry, Mommys’ and ‘it was an accident, Mommys.’  There was some finger pointing.  There was also some snorting, which made me doubt her sincerity.

me: I’m swelling.

Rachel: Ummm…no, you’re not.

me: I’m swelling.  I can feel it.

Rachel: Uh, no.  No, you’re not.

And suddenly it was like that scene from Tommy Boy where they are at the diner and he has that huge mark on his face from the 2×4.  You know the scene I’m talking about.  She’s clearly David Spade which makes me *gulp* Chris Farley?  Really?

So, I’m Skyping tonight.  And I can only pray that the poor resolution and even poorer lighting is kind.  Even if it isn’t, I know my friend will be.  Apparently, that’s more than I can say for Rachel.

Quick Karma:

• speak calmly instead of yelling

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 4th, 2010 at 12:10 am and is filed under Just Sharing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.