Saturday, June 17, 2006

So Why Are You So Chipper?

You know those people who just LOVE to share bad news? Like, you never hear from them unless they've got some tragedy (usually someone else's) to tell you about, and they always sound so farookin' cheerful when they're telling you. My mother is one of those people. Here's the phone message I just had from her:
"Hi, Jen - it's Mom. Mr. F died."
No preliminaries, no warning, just boom. The father of people you grew up with (they were our next door neighbors - back when people actually knew & spent time with their neighbors) is dead. She went on to say he'd had a stroke some time back, and this and that, laid out the wake/funeral plans (I live 2000 away, people), then talked about her shopping plans for the condo she's moving into, etc. until the answering machine timed her out.
And the whole time, she just sounded so tickled. Sweet Jesus!
You know, my Aunt (who she never liked much) is in Hospice care right now. (My sister told me). If my mother is the one to call me to tell me when she dies, the conversation might just get ugly.

6 Comments:

Blogger CP said...

Oh Jen...I know I shouldn't be laughing, love. But I can't help it. Welcome to my world. You sincerely understand me and my relationship with the beast. My mother ALWAYS times out my answering machine. ALWAYS. And she LOVES to be the bearer of bad news, without any preliminaries.

I truly feel your pain, Jen. You crack me up.

CP.

6/18/2006 12:11 AM  
Blogger CP said...

Jen girl,
Meant to ask you...what part of Florihell are you in?

CP.

6/19/2006 6:42 PM  
Blogger Just-Me-Jen said...

I'll e-mail ya! :-)

6/20/2006 6:24 AM  
Blogger dirk.mancuso said...

Sounds a bit like my mother. Who takes pictures at FUNERALS. Don't ask.

6/21/2006 10:07 PM  
Blogger Just-Me-Jen said...

OH my.

6/22/2006 5:38 AM  
Blogger Just-Me-Jen said...

OMG - that's horrible!!! (but I laughed - does that make me bad?)

6/22/2006 3:39 PM  

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