I love to laugh! I enjoy that feeling of laughing so hard you can barley breath and laughing until tears are falling down my cheeks. Those are the times when I feel truly alive! Second only to my family, laughing is one of my favorite things!
I appreciate a person who can laugh at themselves and I enjoy being around someone who is quick witted, fortunately most of my friends have those qualities. Shawn is certainly no exception to my mix of self deprecating, quick witted friends!
While I was at Shawn's house, we got to do all the stuff we used to do when we were neighbors. We sat on the back porch and drank coffee, we sat in the living room and drank wine, we ate Chinese food...(yikes! I just figured out why I gained weight in LA and it wasn't the pregnancy!) We also went to a birthday party for one of her friend's daughters, way out in Abbeville! If you're from Louisiana, especially Lafayette, you realize that Abbeville is way out in the middle of nowhere! Seriously, it's probably only a thirty minute drive but it seems like days! There's one stretch of road, through Maurice, where the police are like Carmel police on steroids! Seriously, if you even consider speeding you will be ticketed! I don't know how they know, but they do!
We were driving to Abbeville and Shawn was talking about this amazing gps ap on her iPhone, she typed in he address and away we went. We'd been driving along doing zig zags and figure eights when we got to a road that was closed. There had been a caution sign alerting us that the road was closed but the gps didn't acknowledge it so neither did Shawn. (I started realizing how those nut job people end up driving in rivers when the gps tells them to-those aren't just tales! sorry Shawn!) We got to the part of the road that was closed and realized that it was really closed, not just under construction...the drawbridge was out. So, we turned around and made a long trip even longer. Secretly I was very happy because I was having a blast riding through the backroads of LA hanging out with Shawn (oh, and quite possibly because two year old bday parties just aren't my jam.) But, mainly because I was having fun with Shawn!
Then we get to a part of the road when the realization hits Shawn that we could've been there already if we'd gone the "normal" way and not the "gps way." So, picture this (oh how I wish I'd had a video camera rolling) Shawn is looking down at her lap, while driving, muttering a string of profanity that would make a sailor blush.
I couldn't help myself, I looked at her and said "what is wrong with you? Do you have turrets or something?!"
Instantly, Shawn in laughing until she's got tears going down her cheeks. (the good ones, I didn't hurt her feelings!)
We laughed, hysterically the rest of the way to the party and when we got there, one of Shawn's oldest friends and Shawn's husband were there. She told them about the turrets diagnosis and throughout the group there was and aha moment! It's like everyone who knows her has been trying to put their finger on it and now the riddle has been solved! She's not a foul mouthed woman, she's a previously undiagnosed turrets patient! I asked if that diagnosis would come with a special parking pass and we all thought it might be a great thing at Christmas! Another friend of Shawn's made the comment, via facebook, that "this diagnosis will get you away with some shite!" I'm thinking there may be a bit too much excitement about a mental disorder!
We survived the birthday party, just barely, and went home, exhausted. However exhausted we were though, we were all now enlightened to Shawn's condition.
The morning before her diagnosis, we were on a mission to find food. It was a bit of a busy weekend in Lafayette so every restaurant we went to was packed.
Finally, I said "we're going to Old Tyme, I don't care what the wait is. I'm hungry" (yeah I get a little grouchy when I'm hungry!)
So, we pulled into their average sized parking lot (remember this, it will make sense in a minute) and Shawn pulls her car into a spot...sort of. Then she backs up and straightens it up, only she doesn't. So she backs out and pulls back in, equally as crooked. Next she backs out and pulls in so close I can't open my door-at all! After that she pulls out and pulls back in so close she can't get her door open. Finally, she pulls the car out and puts it in the spot and I can't help myself but to say "OH MY GOSH. JUST PUT THE CAR IN PARK!" Seriously, it was a twenty minute parking attempt that ended with the car still being cooked! Fortunately, Shawn knows she's a terrible parker, (honestly her driving isn't nearly as bad-as long as you keep her going forward and not backwards.) and she laughs hysterically!
Later that night we are getting ready to go downtown to Festival International and Mike and Shawn are discussing who's going to drive and I couldn't help myself but to inject "I don't care who drives, but Mike HAS TO PARK!"
The icing on the cake was a couple of nights ago when Shawn calls and says "you're not going to believe this, but I tore the rear view mirror off my car this morning on my way to work."
Not surprised, I say, "no kidding, how did that happen?"
Who knows what she really said but basically it was "oh, I'm just a terrible driver! but, I called Mike on my way to work so he had all day to get over being mad!"
Good call, Shawn! Good call!
Later on she posted this picture on her facebook page (hey Shawn, you might want to check your security on FB, I had no trouble stealing this pic at all!)
"damn, I miss that mirror!"
In response to Shawn's caption, I'd have to say "I don't know why...clearly you weren't using it!"
Love you Shawn!
Oh yeah, I stole this pic too!
LMAO!!! I am an excellent fucking driver!! I just spend to much time looking at the damn gps and google didn't put my stupid ass garage door on the map!!
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