cruuuuuuisin' on a friday afternoon

i got to spend a bit of much-needed quality time with my friend quirky the other day, despite that it was driven by the fact that i was totally using her for notary services.

the teen, the bean and i are headed off on a weekend cruise to mexico with my family for the holiday weekend. the hub, on the other hand, would rather yank out his tongue with a pair of pliers than go on a cruise. so while we're gone, he's off fishing with his folks. everybody wins!

i'm super stoked for the trip, despite the fact that i'm embarrassingly bummed to be missing out on bacon '09, happening this saturday. but hey, the bean's celebrating it in her own way:

anyway, when you take kids out of the country solo, you have to bring a signed letter from the other parent giving you authorization to do so. and if you're making a run for the border (the mexican border, that is), that letter has to be notarized. ugh. what a pain in the ass! i totally get it, with the crazy parents out there who'll snatch up their kid(s) and disappear forever, but sheesh. and lucky me - i get to tote two letters. one for each offspring, signed by the respective baby daddies.

gross. i feel so "jerry springer" or "maury" just typing that.

but there was a fun bonus in it for me. the teen is with her dad this week, but i got to pick her up from school and take her with me, since quirky's office is sorta in his 'hood. we had fun chatting and catching up as we drove along, and after a quick stop at starbucks, breezed into my old office. i worked there for almost six years in different capacities, and had formed a wonderful bond with quirky during the last three or four of those. it's also where i met my BFF MommyBelle - i guess that hellhole was good for something, at least. i managed not to twitch as we walked in the door, and headed right into quirky's office.

it was great to see her, and we chatted and laughed for a few minutes until the ex arrived. and it was totally awkward when the receptionist poked her head in and said "i think it's...your husband? here to see you." bleh. i haven't used the "h" word and the ex in the same sentence in almost ten years. so bizarre. but at least we're on a much friendlier basis now than we were before. that makes it a lot easier, especially for the teen, who no longer has to feel like she's stuck in the middle.

he came in and we made small talk as quirky did her notarial magic. he eyeballed the bean and told her "wow, you look just like your mother!" and while she played shy at first, she eventually gave him a smile and handed him one of her crackers. such a giver, that child of mine.

as soon as he and the teen were out the door, i hopped on the phone to the hub to let him know the coast was clear. he and the ex have had minimal contact, obvs. always polite and pleasant, but definitely not a regular thing. and as we waited for him to arrive, quirky and i giggled over how he might be announced: "um, your...other husband's here?"

he decided to enter through the back door, saving me from having to stammer out an explanation to the receptionist, and the bean ran right into his arms. "daaaaaad!" she shouted joyfully.

we'd taken up enough of quirky's time, and so as soon as that second letter was stamped and signed, we bounced outta there. the hub went back to work and the bean and i headed back home.

now, if i could only get my lazy bum up and get packed. but no - instead, i'm just hanging out and taking bean pics.

créme!

it made her giddy.

toes!

"smile!"

"frown."

okay, that's all i got for now. i've gotta get some laundry done before i dive into packing for me and the bean for four days. and because i'm super sappy, i miss the hub already.

yeah, we're not even packed yet. heh.