Two for the Road

There are those out there who know that I am really ‘out there.’ And there are those that think I just think I am really ‘out there.’

But little do they know. If they had to live within the confines of my four walls well then perhaps even after a mere few hours they would realize that the misplaced bottle opener, the half full carton of milk inside the cupboard with the dishes and the dangling pair of mismatched socks in the hall closet are just the tip of the iceberg so to speak.

Try as I might, when my brain starts doodling in a host of dizzying directions the outcome is often hilarious, often unfounded in reality and often, way too often, embarrassing for at least one member of the family.

In a recent episode it was Dear Dear Son (DS). We were meeting friends at the San Diego Wild Animal Park for a photo caravan where we were promised an up close and personal look at white rhinos. We would be allowed to feed them and have a photo taken from the safety of an enclosed truck with a heavy looking deadbolt.

We hopped aboard our trolley of sorts and that is when my gaze drifted downward to the floor of the vehicle. I was scanning feet for some reason unbeknownst to me when I thought what I was seeing was a mirage- so I rubbed my eyes and tried again. In and among a pair of sandals encasing some rather organic looking toenails, a pair of scuffed black boots and a pair of better day sneakers in a washed out shade of salmon, was a pair of sneakers on two legs that I thought was truly creative.

The sneakers, both Nike with the tell tale spiffy Nike boomerang were in two colors. On one foot was a white Nike with a blue boomerang. On the other foot was a slightly dirtier shade of white sneaker complete with a red Nike boomerang.

“How interesting,” thought I. “That is indeed a fresh and new twist to individuality.”

I was musing over this clever and creative take on not being a slave to the fashion masses and let my gaze move upward to the proud owner of this fashion du mode. And that is when I squawked ,“argh.”

Both the tour guide whose name was Jamie and my husband who had been giving me a gentle snuggle as he sat next to me on the bench of our truck looked at me.

My DS was the owner of the mismatched pair of shoes.

At that moment he looked over at me and grimaced.

“Thanks Mom,” he said.

I could share the rest of this story but by now we had reached the innards of Rhino land and I was trying to retrieve my digital camera from the jaws of a very hungry baby white rhino whose mouth was anything but baby like…..

Never a dull moment in my life….