Our House
June, 2011
DH channeling Austin Powers
This is the face of a woman having a good laugh. It was a gorgeous summer day. My hair was working, my face (as the kids say) was beat, and I can proudly say that orthodontia works wonders.
When was the last time you had a really good laugh? I mean, the kind that leaves you breathless and glassy eyed from the tears rolling down your cheeks? Sure, the girls do comical things that elicit chuckles. The stuff that comes out of their mouths, the way they imitate the mannerisms of my parents or me and DH, that’s funny. But what about gut-busting?
Though I’d never tell him for fear of inflating his already large ego, my brother is hilarious. He has this way of telling a story, particularly any involving members of our family, that will leave you holding your sides and wheezing for breath. He throws out one-liners and makes observations with a Seinfeld-esque ease. And when situations call for solemnity, he’s handing out quips to lighten the load.
I took him as my guest to a wedding about 3 years ago. Christopher and I had the pleasure of standing behind this guest at the buffet line, who was sporting a rather loud looking suit. The back was embellished with some kind of peacock-turkey-eagle hybrid or something.
“You gotta take a picture,” Christopher says to me. “No one will believe this.” But we were in the midst of mixed company. How am I going to just snap a photo of this fashion disaster without it looking so obvious that I am making fun of this guy.
“Okay, okay,” say Christopher, “Here’s what we’re going to do. Give me your sunglasses. Now take my picture, but fake it.”
Every time I look at this picture, I crack up. The jacket. That Risky Business look Christopher is sporting. Again, the jacket. Epic fail.
What gets you start cracking up so badly that even trying to explain it to someone else leaves you dissolved in a puddle of gasps, hoots, and “Hang on, hang on. I’m going to get it together?” Please share, ’cause I always enjoy a good laugh.