I just KNEW what had happened...

Mistaken identity!😂

Last week I told you about my Mum's antics with her drinking some coffee as I drove over a hump. This week, it's another car tale...

I popped in to see my parents after work a few weeks back. After, I had to go and turn round as I was leaving as there's always limited spaces near them.

I went and turned around but there was a small black car coming out from a garage forecourt, so I let it go.

When I then got up the road to my Mum, she was waving but laughing to herself and rolling her eyes. I just KNEW what had happened... She'd waved at the black car and lady that I had let go instead!

I was crying with laughter on my short drive home and arrived home to a text from her saying to phone her.

I phoned and she was still laughing - me too! I said I had guessed what had happened, and she said that she wasn't just waving, she'd been dancing thinking that it was me and that it would make me laugh! Whoops! What a lemon!

She then said that she really thought it had sounded like my car and that the woman had looked back in her (using the mirror) probably thinking what a weirdo!

I said that she might have realised it was meant to be for me as I had let her out and in front of me.

Have YOU ever had (or made) a case of mistaken identity?

I cried with laughter at this...

Whoops!

A few weeks back Mum and I were out and it was another of those days where it was warmer than expected for the time of year.

We treated ourselves to a cold coffee and I drank mine (via the straw) before driving off. Mum, however, hadn't finished hers... Nor does she use the straw. She peels back the foil lid and drinks from the cup.

Background: ever since 'Covid times' she has sat in the back of my car and we both prefer that now tbh as I am used to driving solo more than I do with a passenger and she is happy in the back. 'Chauffeur driven' she calls it!

Anyway, we were leaving a retail park car park where there are the TALLEST speed bumps/humps EVER! I can't even find anything on the web that even looks like these ones.. They are like mini mountains, seriously. The one on the final exit (or entrance if you're going in) is the worse as it's onto/off of a roundabout.

So...there I am, following the small queue in front, awaiting my turn to carefully angle my wheels, go over it as slowly and carefully as possible to avoid track rod damage etc. 

I go over it, and then hear a splutter from the back! As we were waiting behind another car to enter the roundabout, I quickly turn around to look at Mum, asking if she's Ok (thinking she's swallowed the wrong way etc) and find her now WEARING her coffee!

This is how the conversation went as I was then driving off and entering the roundabout...

"I'm soaked!" - There was a swear word in this too!

"What were you doing?"

"I wanted another sip!"

"But we were about to go over the hump!?"

"But we'd stopped, and I sort of forgot where we were and didn't expect to move straight away!"

By this point, I was crying with laughter as she kept finding where the coffee had also gone - all over the chair, the seatbelt...what a mess!

I still couldn't understand why, of all places, she'd chosen to have a sip there!

We then popped into a supermarket nearby shortly after and despite her trying to wipe her top, the white butterflies on a blue background were distinctively brown - and in an area where it was rather noticeable too. 

She zipped her fleece up and we laughed and laughed about this that day and since. I've laughed typing it up too!

I've another funny Mum story for next week too!

Oh dear, they have done it AGAIN...

 Watching TV in a different way!

In my blog post on 25th April this year, I told you how my parents had managed to watch an entire TV series in the wrong order!

On Saturday, when I spoke to my Mum she said that they'd been silly again and I asked why.

Recently I re-taught Dad (I had shown him when they first switched to a newer version of Sky - other companies are available and this isn't sponsored!) how to use the magnifying glass button to search for shows.

Now, they are having a great time finding showings of things that they first watched years ago. On this occasion, they have been watching some old shows of Cracker with Robbie Coltrane.

Anyway, when I asked Mum what had happened, this is what she said:

"We watched another two-part Cracker and really enjoyed it, but thought it had a funny ending. It wasn't until we started another one that we realised that the other two-part one actually had a third part. So we've watched that now and it made much more sense!"

I think they only saw the third episode in the list as they had scrolled past to get to the next episodes that they had chosen. Oh dear...

I did explain that is usually says 1/2 or 1/3 at the top and that episodes should set to automatically download and stack up (mine do) but I am wondering if Dad has turned that setting off as Mum didn't seem sure as she said things, "Sometimes do that..." I didn't ask him as I won't get a straight answer... I am just going to look when I next go round there!

Aside from laughing at them (again) my reaction was...

Oh, and in other news - I went to the supermarket that kept having people in character costumes there and it was safe! Yay! 

When life throws you a curve ball...

 When things don't go to plan...

This week, I've decided to talk about curve balls. Sometimes life throws them at you, to you, perhaps even for you when you least expect them!

For example, last week I told you about my panic attack. Funnily enough, it's proved useful since. It taught me that sometimes you have to listen to your body. No, I don't like Storm Troopers, BUT I think that my general sense of being was unsettled that weekend and that the dislike of Storm Troopers and costumes gave an outlet for my unease and allowed the panic attack to occur.

This weekend, I saw Pepper Pig. Same supermarket, this time IN the store... I'd thought it was safe as the entrance had been clear. Oh no... 

Initially my reaction was to walk in the other direction whilst half swearing to myself and half wondering what else might be lurking. Thankfully, I was again with my Mum. She came over to where I was standing and I reasoned it out. "I'm not actually afraid of Pepper Pig. I don't like the costume, I don't know who is underneath it, but it's not as bad as a Storm Eater..."

Yep, notice what I said? "Storm EATER!" So, I clearly wasn't still functioning quite properly (if you haven't read last week's post, then you will see the relevance of muddled words) but I WAS trying to take control. And I did. Go me!

I manage to get relatively near, look at it and carried on shopping. I didn't go over and put money in the bucket - it was the same charity that we donated to the other week and nor did I think at my age, I should go and shake its hand (erm, trotter even) - even if it would have proved a point to myself. Knowing my luck one of the kids from where I work would see me and tell everyone I had been shaking Pepper's Pig hand!

I'm going back to the SAME supermarket next weekend so who knows what/who will be in there then!

Now, my curve ball of late hasn't just been people playing dress up (and fundraising) it's been a whole heap of other things too. Therefore, it got me thinking that sometimes you just have to ponder things, let things sit in your brain for a while and extract them into something more meaningful when ready. And that is EXACTLY what I have been doing.

I will tell you more about them another time as I am currently in the equivalent of my own ball pool of curve balls, deciding which to throw out, and which to keep in. So check back in next week to see how I am doing!

Help!!!!!!

 

I don't like it!

I thought that I would tell you something that happened the other weekend, I had a panic attack! Whoops...

 

Basically, I have never liked people in costumes/masks since I was a child. I don’t even like motorcycle helmets unless I know who is under it.

A few years back before the Pandemic, there was a festival in a local town, and there were two people dressed all in blue – face paint too – and I hated it! Thankfully, I was with my Mum. I was very nervy, but we stayed out of their way. It involved an unscheduled McDonalds lunch and me failing to look before crossing a side road. Oh dear!

Anyway, somehow, I made it home alive!

Another time, we saw Titan the Robot in a shopping centre. There were large crowds watching it and I kept walking, didn’t get near and was fine – although I didn’t like it.

I have seen other costumes etc and managed to walk away from, not be near etc.

 

However, on approaching the entrance to a supermarket the other weekend, there were two white Storm Troopers and a black one too – maybe Darth Vader (I’m not sure) and I was like “Oh no, I don’t like it...” my Mum pushed me out of the way (it’s not the largest of areas when busy) and we got into the store.

They were there fundraising.

I was a little emotional at first as it had taken me by surprise; I welled up but got myself back under control – although had no idea what I was viewing around the first two aisles of clothes, whereas I am usually very visual and could tell you exactly what was where.

 

I was cautious going round the top part of an aisle as I had seen one walk in, but Mum said it probably was only in the doorway and wouldn’t be allowed in the store. Thank goodness for my Mum – even at my age!

By the face aisle, I had still lost the plot as I said to Mum (much to her amusement) that a cleanser had been ‘cheaper in McDonalds’ –  I had meant Superdrug.

When it was time to exit the store – which I was dreading – I’d make jokes about hitting them with a cucumber, using the Fire Exit instead, but we had a plan. Mum put money in the bucket, me push trolley and keep head down and stay together.

As we were queuing to pay, I couldn’t see any over to the right door, so we had decided to use that one to exit.

 

As we got to the right door, there was a red one that we hadn’t seen on the way in (that TOTALLY threw me) and then this is what I think happened:

Mum was at my left side, went to a bucket (I wasn’t watching as I was pushing the trolley around the small red one that had people in front of it) then a white one started walking towards me so I walked in front of it with my head down, as quick as I could, and got out of the store.

Only, this wasn’t what had happened. The red one wasn’t small – it was someone bending down and the white one wasn’t anywhere near me and not facing my way!

Apparently, I was nearer the black one which I hadn’t even seen this time! Mum had wondered why I had disappeared although she was trying to keep the black one from being near me as she went to the bucket!

I was outside and she caught me up and I was hyperventilating and crying. She asked if I had a bag (paper) on me and I didn’t as I haven’t ever carried one on me to be honest. I know some relaxing techniques (learned through taking control of a different phobia) but wasn’t able to use two of them, but I did eventually managed something.

 

I have no recollection of getting back to my car – apparently Mum pushed the trolley back (we’d shared one as neither of us wanted much in there) as I asked how I made it over a lip in the pavement that we often forget is there. Mum said I hadn’t and that she had taken the trolley by then.

Mum didn’t understand why I had left her and gone straight out until I said it was walking towards the way I needed to get out and she had said: ‘It was nowhere near!’ This really shocked me, and she could tell I was convinced by what I had ‘seen’ yet I had imagined it.

Even now, looking back, as I replay it, I can still see me leaving the door, seeing the red one, going round it and the white one moving from left to right and me just getting in front it and out of the door in time. But this isn’t what was real and not what happened!

I think that it was too much for my brain – four of them, other fundraisers, shoppers and a small area… Argh!

I did say to Mum after, ‘And this is why I am never short of a blog post!’

 

p.s It’s worth noting that I am Ok with them on the TV/screen etc. I just don’t like them being NEAR me!