On the way home from Storymakers 2012

My mom died on May 3, 2012, and with the support of my family, I attended the Storymakers writers conference anyway. It was two days of blissful fog with wonderful friends and an awesome roommate. I was completely distracted and I now realize what a blessing that was, because reality came crashing back down quickly enough.

ANYWAY, the 2nd night of the conference (which was after the Whitney Awards, one of which I was nominated for but lost to a dear friend, so it's ok) my awesome roommate's husband picked her up and my husband took her place, so we had a nice evening together. The next day on the drive home, I was reminded of why I laugh so much with him. It went something like this:

I plug in my iphone and start my shuffling playlist for our listening pleasure.
Mark: You're older than I am. Just so you know.
Me: What?
Mark: Phil Collins? That's like easy listening.
Me: It is not. It's retro.
Mark: He was easy listening back when he was big.
Me: Fine. We'll skip it.
Mark: What is THAT?
Me: It's Il Divo. The hot opera guys Simon Cowell put together.
I turn the volume up.
Me: How does that not give you chills?
Mark: What? I'm sorry! I can't hear you--there are too many people yelling in here. And if this is what we have to listen to in heaven, you'll have to find someone else.
Me: Pffft.  Whatever. Here.
Mark: Ok, that's better. Queen I can listen to in heaven. pause I'm pretty sure Freddy Mercury isn't there, though.
Me: Hey! We don't know that!
Mark: I'm pretty sure he had sex with animals.
Me: sputtering We don't know why, we don't know what he was dealing with...
Mark: It was that overbite.
Me: For crying out loud.
Phone rings. It's Anna.
Mark: We're on our way home right now.
Anna: Why aren't you answering your phone!?!
Mark: We stopped for a snack and I must not have heard my phone in my pocket.
Anna: It's Sunday. You guys are hypocrites.
Mark: We're on the road.
Anna: Anyway, you can call Bestie and tell him you're going to be late for dinner, because I'm not going to.
Mark: Anna, we're not going to be late. We're on our way home right now.
Anna: Whatever! Mom said you would be home an hour ago.
Mark: I did not tell Mom to say that.
Me: Anna, I'm sorry. I didn't know.
Anna hangs up in a huff. I am afraid.
Me: Ah, here we go.
The dulcet tones of Sting waft through the car.
Mark: eye roll
Song shifts to "No Stars" by Figures on a Beach
Mark: Who is this? No, don't tell me.
Me: You'll never guess it.
Mark: Yes I will. Ok, who is it?
Me: Figures on a Beach.
Mark: blank, flat expression.
I'm not surprised, because it's off a sample album "Just Say Yo" I listened to ad nauseum in the early 90s. He didn't much care for it then, either. Was also irritated that I overplayed Toad the Wet Sprocket's "Walk on the Ocean" in those days.