Somebody Stop Me, or Like This Post My Words Keep Going and Going and Going...

I am not very good at not speaking my mind, just in general.  I have a hard time hiding how I feel (ok, I can't hide it at all), and for the most part I say what I think.  Before my trip to California I was not in a great place which made me have even more vocal diarrhea.

Hopefully my friend doesn't care that I am sharing this because she was only tangenantly involved.  Yes "tangenangtly."  She had just had her 5th baby and had a nerve thingy which made it so she couldn't walk.  I knew my ward was eager to help, but one day when I, through our texting, found out she didn't have anything lined up for dinner all week.  After making dinner I texted my Relief Society president to find out if they could set up food for the rest of the week.  Here is my text word for word-

"Just wondering if there were any meals planned for Melissa. All her help is gone and she still can't do much.  I am making dinner tonight but hoping relief society can manage a few more."

 I probably shouldn't have written "manage" because it is one of those word that can take on multiple implications depending on tone of voice.  My Relief Society president kept calling until I answered and was very defensive and here is our conversation:

Her: I have 20 people lined up to bring dinner but Chad said they didn't need dinner this week.

Me: Ok, I just went over this afternoon and they didn't have dinner so I thought I would check on the rest of the week.

Her: Nicole, I checked with Chad on Sunday and he said he took this week off so they didn't need dinner.

Me: I know he didn't take today off because I drove the kids from school and I know he took last week off.

Her: Nicole, Charity is bringing the kids home, Nicole.

Me: ????? Um, well I am actually doing Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays and Charity is doing Tuesday and Thursday.

Her: NICOLE, I know that Charity is taking their kids home.

Me: I don't know why that even matters, all I wanted was to make sure they had dinners.

Her: NICOLE, I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU THINK I DON'T HAVE DINNER PLANNED FOR THEM.  I HAVE PEOPLE LINED UP, NICOLE.  I JUST NEED THE OK FROM THEM TO BRING DINNER, NICOLE.  I KNOW CHARITY IS DRIVING THE KIDS HOME, NICOLE, AND THERE ARE LOTS OF PEOPLE THAT WANT TO HELP.  NICOLE, I DONT KNOW WHY YOU THINK WE DON'T CARE ABOUT THEM!!!

At this point I was severely annoyed, not only by the unexplainable overuse of my name, but by the volume and the fact that no matter how hard I tried to interject and end the conversation she just kept steam rolling over me and wouldn't let me talk.  I had had one of the worst psychological days in my life and this wasn't helping.  I hadn't talked to anyone all day before she called, because I knew if I talked to people I would end up being mean to them.  I was right.  I finally yelled over her

"ALL RIGHT I GET IT.  I WAS NOT TRYING TO IMPLY YOU AREN'T DOING YOUR JOB.  I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THEY HAD FOOD."

And I hung up.

Not a great story, but it makes the next one make a little more sense.

A few days later at Disneyland Ethan and Ella really wanted to go on the Tower of Terror.  I really don't like that ride, but Ella really wanted to go on it for the first time so I agreed to go:

Ella was a little scarred from the amazing spooky ambiance Disney accomplished and was holding my hand and staying close to my side.  We got shuffled into a room where they show you a video about the "history" of the hotel.  At one point in the film a teenager thought she would be funny and yell at the top of her lungs at a particularly intense point.  Everyone jumped and Ella clung harder to my hand.  I looked over and noticed a little girl, probably 4 or 5 and she looked spooked!  At the end of the video the lights go out for a second and that same teen screamed at the TOP of her lungs.  Exasperated, and having no control or filter anymore, I said loudly "You know, there are little kids in here!"  Then I felt stupid, because that is who I am, and I worry constantly about being shot or stabbed when I complain about something in Southern California.  But then two other people said "Yeah!" so I felt a little better until...we were right behind them in line to get seated.

We, of course, were put in the front row, and they were in the row behind us.  Since they had been mumbling and looking back at me I really did not want to sit in front of them.  I explained that my kids were a little scared (ok, maybe it was me) and would they mind switching us so we wouldn't be right in the front.  They debated in some language I didn't understand and agreed.  Then about 2 second later I realized, nope, we HAD been in the back row and had switched them for the middle.  Now we really were in front of them.  Feeling even stupider (if that was possible), and because I couldn't stop myself,  I explained my mistake and asked if they minded switching back.  They really didn't want to but I explained (insisted) that my kids (me) would do much better in the back.

I guess sometimes it pays to keep talking.  We didn't end up getting stabbed in the neck with a turkey thermometer either!