Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Killer Fiction’s Kick off the New Year Contest!!!

By Robin "Red Hot" Kaye


There’s nothing better than a contest to kick off the year! Here at Killer Fiction, we’d like to thank all our readers for a fabulous 2010 and kick off 2011 in fine fashion. And what better way to kick off the New Year than with free stuff? All the rules for the contest are on the sidebar, so read up and make sure you’re entered to win great prizes.

IMPORTANT NOTE: All contest winners will be drawn the weekend following the end of the contest. So if you didn’t hear about the contest right away, don’t despair—you can still go back to previous blog posts and enter.

For my blog day, I’m giving away a $25 egift card to Amazon.com or BN.com—winner’s choice and a copy of one of my books, I have Romeo, Romeo, Too Hot to Handle, or Breakfast in Bed--winner’s choice.

Now, for my official contest post…

I can’t believe I said that!

I don’t know about you but have you ever listened to someone and laugh about how an otherwise highly intelligent person could sometimes say or do the dumbest things?

My mother is one such intelligent person. Years ago, when I was going to college and she was getting her masters, she walked past my bedroom door on her way to the garage and told me she was checking her oil. I wondered why she was telling me this. Did she want me to alert the media? I smiled encouragingly and said, “That’s nice, Ma.”

About ten minutes later, she came back and said she was a quart low. I resisted the urge to make a joke, and nodded thinking nothing of it. I’m a girl who would crawl under her car and change her own oil regularly without a problem until I got married and put my DH in charge of all automobile maintenance. Just because I can do it doesn’t mean I want to. But that’s a topic for another post.

My mother returned to the garage and I returned to whatever I was doing. A good ten minutes went by and I looked up to find my mother standing in my doorway holding a dipstick. “All done?” I asked. She shook her head. “I can’t figure out how to get the oil in that teeny-tiny hole.

Needless to say I laughed so hard, I almost peed my pants. Back then, in my early twenties, I thought I was so far above ever doing something that ridiculous. I used to call what my mother did “pullin’ an Angi.” since her name is Angela.

Several years later, I was married, had a few kids who were, unfortunately, old enough to remember. My husband was driving down a road in Boise, ID that I traveled daily. I sat in the passenger seat and was looking over at a pasture where horses grazed. I did a double take because the horses looked strange. They were short. Their bodies looked to be about the average length, so I knew they weren’t miniature horses. Stupidly, I opened my mouth and pointed at the misshapen animals. “Honey,” I said. “look at those short horses.”

My husband took one look at me and laughed. “Rob,” he said, “They’re not short, they’re just standing in an irrigation ditch.” I laughed so hard, I cried. I still do every time I think about it. I had turned into my mother. I had pulled an Angi! At the time, I laughed too hard to be mortified. That came later and said mortification revisits me every time one of my kids brings up the short horse story.

So tell me, have you turned into one of your parents or ever said anything as inane as “Hey, look at those short horses!”?

105 comments:

Danielle said...

Robin, I hate to admit it but I make a lot of "my mother's" comment.

Robin Kaye said...

Dnielle~ I know what you mean. I actually called the house one time and left a message. When I got home much later, I checked the messages and I thought the message I'd left was my mother. We sound exactly alike it's scary and now I'm afraid we're even acting alike!

yvonne said...

Yikes, so others also sound like their Moms. About a year after my Dad past away , my young 38 yr old Mom had a number of solicitors. I was known to let them chat with me thinking it was her. Hey, I was 16 and curious. :)

krisgils33 said...

Unfortunately, I say stupid stuff all the time. But there is comfort in knowing I'm not alone!!

Christie Craig said...

Robin,

My mother regularly pulls a ginger. The last really big "ginger" was when she called me to tell me she lost her teeth . . . on Continental Airlines.

While I still have my teeth, I'll admit, I'm regularlly find myself in situations that I'm not sure just anyone could fall into. LOL.

CC

Robin Kaye said...

@Yvonne~LOL Conversations like that could sure be interesting! I bet your mom and her boyfriends weren't happy with you.

@Krisgil-Glad I could be of service.

@ Christie~ LOL That's too funny about your mom. And yes, I can't count the number of times my DH has shaken his head and said "Only you!"

JoanneR said...

I have found myself sounding more and more like my mother with age. She is extremely superticious and I sometimes find myself referring to those thoughts, even though I am not that way myself. Every time, she is the first person I think of.

Rebekah E. said...

I haven't found myself sounding like my mom. But I have looked in the mirror and thought my mom was in the house.

Margay Leah Justice said...

Oh, yes, I've done it. All the things I swore I'd never say to my own kids, I have, like the infamous "Your face is going to freeze like that" when they scowl at you. Turns out, Mom knew what she was talking about!
Margay

Lynn Kellan said...

Robyn, if I didn't repeat the silly things my Mom used to say, I'd have absolutely no idea how to respond to my teens! :)

CrystalGB said...

My husband says that some things I do is just like my mom. He jokingly calls me her name when I say or do something like her.

mary sullivan said...

Robin, I blurt out weird things all the time ;-) They're always good for a laugh. My daughter loves it when I say 'questionable' things. As long as we're entertaining our friends/families, it's all good!

Susan Mo said...

I think we all have those moments. Something stikes you are odd, and before your brain processes it, your mouth opens. I'm sure my husband could remember a lot of these moments, but I can't seem to think of one right now. :-)

Robin Kaye said...

@Joanne - Moms really shape us so much. I'm seriously worried about my kids! Especially my youngest, she's like mini-me already!

@Rebekah - I should be so lucky! My mother is drop-dead gorgeous. Unfortunately, I take after my father.

@Margay - I've actually yelled at my kids "Don't look at me with that tone of face." My middle child, Twinkle Toes, can give you a look that makes you want to sleep with one eye open!

@Lynn~ LOL me too!

@Crystal - wow, that's harsh!

@mSullivan - Well, we certainly do that! The trick in my house is getting through a meal without losing food or drink due to laughter. It always shocks guests, though I can't imagine why. My family is just as crazy away from the table.

Robin Kaye said...

@ Susan - Exactly, that explains the short horse thing...but I still can't come up with an explanation for the oil thing. LOL

Margay Leah Justice said...

Robin, in my family, we call that the hairy eyeball.
Margay

susan1215 said...

I find myself saying things my Mom said to me like "treat others how you would want to be treated"

s2s2 at comcast dot net

saracat said...

I know exactly what you mean Robin.
I was sure I saw a kangaroo sitting by the curb a couple of years ago. Turned out to be a bag of garbage but for that few seconds before my brain realized it just COULDN"T be a kangaroo, I was elated. I think of him everytime I go down that street:)

Rita Wray said...

My Mom and I had a special connection. I would call her just when she was about to pick up the phone to call me.

Anonymous said...

My mother is so smart, graceful and funny.
But as smart as she is, she often mispronounces words. Hey - we're Southern. We mangle words to fit our needs. Don't judge. LOL! I love to tease her about it.

Several years ago, while studying for an exam, I was reading my notes. My hubby overheard and asked me to repeat a word he had heard me say several times. "PoTo Mack," I said. "What?" "Po To Mack." (Sounds like ToTo Mack) He busted out laughing. "It Potomac, dear. As in the Potomac River."

Color me red.

Jenn!

petite said...

All of my Mom's expressions that she used when she was alive, I use now. I also think the same way and would never have believed it.

traveler said...

Mothers have so much to give their children but it is often too late in life when we realize this. I have found that these past few years I say things similar to what she did and I used to think when she did, not again.

Virginia C said...

I come from a long line of dramatic, intelligent, piercingly humorous Southern women. My all-time favorite movie is "Show Boat" (1951), with Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson. When I was a kid, my mother, grandmother and I would sing along with the movies. Mom had the high voice, mine was lower, and Gran did the "silly singing". On a nonmusical note, my mother was totally enamored of the film "Gone With the Wind". I have truly lost track of the number of times that we saw it in the theater, and then again when it started being shown on TV. She thought Leslie Howard, who portrayed Ashley Wilkes, was quite a hunk! My most vivid memory of our "Gone With the Wind" experience was when it was shown at our local theater during my senior year in high school. Mom and I had to go, and we ended up sitting on the front row with two friends of mine from my high school class. We three girls spent as much time watching Mom and her expressions and taking in her comments as we did watching the movie. Many times through the years, my friends have told me that Mom made the movie memorable for them! I can still see her face, lit with an almost childish delight, and illuminated by the images on the screen.

My mom was superstitious. She believed in following "signs" or portents of things to come. She had "weather" headaches", which are actually caused by changes in barometric pressure, but she was very accurate at predicting the weather. Sometimes my grandfather would look at her with a wry grin and say: "Well, Sis, is it gonna rain today, or do I have to water the garden?"

Mom also strongly believed in the "things happen in threes" rule, and I have to say that one has stuck with me. I always wait for the third thing to happen before I start to breathe a little easier.

gcwhiskas at aol dot com

Robin Kaye said...

@Susan - your family sayings were so much nicer than most of mine. May you die in a pool of blood comes to mind followed closely by May the earth open up and swallow you whole. LOL I don't think they really meant them...

@Saracat - OMG! That's too funny! I love that your mind went there. What an imagination.

@Ingeborg - My mom and I have a special connection too. Her name is Millie and she's a psychic. Whenever she knew I was getting in over my head, she'd call my mom and rat me out. I grew up thinking there were people following me around. Now I have Millie do the same things with my kids. She's very good to have around.

@Jenn - that happens to me too! More frequently than I care to mention. *shakes head*

@ Petite - the older we get, the smarter our parents seem. Strange, isn't it?

Robin Kaye said...

@Traveler - too true!

@Virginia - That's so wonderful!

@

J.D. Faver said...

Too funny, Robin. Unfortunately, as time goes by, I find that I sound more and more like my mother. The worst thing was when I thought I knew everything and later realized my mom was pretty smart. My daughter probably feels the same way,
~June

Leslie Langtry said...

The only thing that reminds me that I haven't completely turned into my mother is that she is 5'1" and I'm 5'10".

Suzan Harden said...

AH, RObin, I think we're all doomed to become our mothers.

But I can stick my foot in my mouth all on my own.

Wynne68 said...

I have use the comments that my Grandma has said but not my Mom. My Grandma's favorite: Don't cry over spilt milk.

oklanannie said...

One of my favorite "inherited" traits is the eyeballs in the back of my head routine. My kids just didn't get it until they began using it on my grandkids. Ummm - thanks mom for all the great memories and inherited traits. If I'm half the mom you were, I've succeeded. I just wish I could get the holiday nutbread recipe to work for me!

Robin Kaye said...

@ Dragonfly - My kids still think I'm dumb, but then they're still young teens.

@ Leslie - We shrink as we age but I don't think you can pull of 9 inches so you're safe!

@Suzan - Yeah, I'm pretty good at that myself.

@Wynne - My grandmother was the one who said "He's not gonna buy the cow if he gets the milk for free..."

@Oklanannie - That's soo cool about your kids and grandkids. Good luck with that recipe.

Anna said...

I have a reasonably good one about my aunt, if you have a strong vocabulary.

My mother had been reading Peter Rabbit stories to my brothers and in one of the stories, the bunnies eat carrots and feel soporific afterwards. One of my brothers, who must have been about five, had a big meal at my aunt's house, put his hand over his full belly and announced with a sigh, "I feel soporific." To which my aunt responded, "Isn't that cute? He made up a word!"

sonya said...

you have to laugh at what we do or say. This shows us we are not perfect and that we are enjoying our lives. great post

Robin Kaye said...

@ Anna - That's soo cute. I'll never forget when my kids were little my youngest would always put her hands on her hips and tell her older sister "Stop vexing me!" Can you tell we watch a lot of Pride and Prejudice?

@ Sonya - Yes, I'm far from perfect but I always have a great time!

Mo said...

It is amazing what is obvious to most people sometime just isn't to someone. Luckliy my hubby and I take turns being that special someone.

JeanMP said...

I frequently put my foot in my mouth and say something absurb, while my husband looks at me strangely before bursting into laughter.

Robin Kaye said...

@Mo - Very well said!

@Jean - obviously, I'm right there with you, babe!

Diana Cosby said...

LOL Robin! Yeah, I earn what I term the 'dork' award with regularity. Good to know I'm not alone. *G*

Unknown said...

While driving around during a visit to my in-law's new home for the first time, I pointed to all the white fences up and down the hills. "It looks so much like Virginia," I said. "Glenda," my mother-in-law said, "we live in Virginia now." "Oh, yeah, that's right," I said, and blushed.

Robin Kaye said...

@ Diana - It is comforting, isn't it?

@ Glenda - Too funny!

Kima said...

If I want to tick off my older sister, all I have to do is comment on how much she is starting to sound like mom or act like mom. That really gets her goat and I giggle everytime I do it because she has kids and I don't! Hallmark even has a birthday card with just that sentiment, which I have given to her several times now as an added annoyance. I love being the younger sister!

Anonymous said...

I so don't want to tell you about this. I was visiting home (D.C.) and my friend and I went to Annapolis where we decided to eat at a quaint LITTLE restaurant. I went upstairs to use the ladies room and was standing outside waiting. I looked at the door and said, hmm, I wonder what language that is. THe door said, "estroo". It would have been okay if I'd just asked myself but I asked the nice looking guy who exited the restroom.
(hiding her face so you can't possibly recognize her)

Kima said...

OMG Leslie, that sounds just like my mom and me. I take after my dad who was 6'4" and my mom is only 5'2". Lucky me I married a man who is 6'7" so I can wear my highest heels and still be the short one!

The Scarf Princess said...

I love moments like that that make the day funny and memorable. And it's actually my dad, more so than my mom, that make comments like that.

joderjo402 AT gmail DOT com

Brandy said...

My Mother and I had totally different personalities. (She passed on almost 9 years ago.) The only way we ever sound(ed) the same was our voices. *g* Now my Daughter sounds exactly like me! *g*

Val said...

Yes, I do a lot of my late parents quirky mannerisms,and my sis tells me so.

Susan P. said...

My MIL is from Cuba and mixes up American idioms all the time. We laugh about it.

donnas said...

We really seem to say inane comments all the time. And of course make fun of whoever it was. Its usually the silliest thing too, but really raises quite the amusement level of the day.

Cynthia.Richardson said...

I always find it's best to laugh - especially when the joke is on me!

Cynthia.Richardson@azbar.org

Judy said...

Goodness, I have done this all my life. My husband has told me several times that I sounded like my mother. My daughter, who is now 40, tells me that she finds herself sounding and doing things like me:) I Love It!!!

Cricket said...

Like many of the other commenters, I fear we are all doomed to turn into our mothers. Luckily for most of us, that doesn't seem to be a bad thing at all :)

Terri Osburn said...

This reminds me of something my aunt said once. She swears she was being sarcastic, but no one believes her.

She and my uncle were driving down the highway when they passed a deer crossing sign. In a very inquisitive, innocent voice, she turned and asked, "How do the deer know where to cross if they can't read the signs?"

Within a month or two, someone bought her a deer crossing sign for her front yard.

libby said...

I can relate to both sounding like my mom and saying stupid things...at least we're not alone.

loving62 said...

I loved that story... my mother makes comments sometimes that makes me just shake my head. I think my daughter feels the same about some of the things I say - I know I do wonder about some things she says - think it's hereditary?

catslady said...

I'm sure I have a ton of them but the first thing that came to mind is a comment from my dad. We lived where there was a small woods behind our house and one morning he was all excited and said, "look at all the peasants" - and from that day on that's what they were called and to this day I have to stop and think when using the word peasant or pheasant lol.

Jane said...

I think we've all been there. Sometimes I wish we had filters that can save us from saying anything stupid or embarrassing.

bison61 said...

we do turn into our parents-I have said so many things that sound like my mother

tiramisu392 (at) yahoo.com

Refhater said...

LOL, I think our mom's must have been seperated at birth. Mine does and says funny things like that all the time. And sadly, I think it's genetic because I've caught myself and our 3 and 5 year old girls doing the exact same thing.

Thanks for everything.

Unknown said...

Yes we all say and do stupid things at times, I call them brain farts. I also act and look like my mother did and the older I get the worse I am. I guess its just the cycle of life.

Robin Kaye said...

@Kima - You're too cruel!...Now where did you get that card? My older sister's birthday is on the 13th.

@Marley - OMG! That's soo funny? Tell me, was he one of those hunky guys in uniform. I can't go to Annapolis, I drool too much.

@Joder - Oh, I've got it from both sides. My father has some great ones too. I'm doomed!

@Brandy - My youngest is a regular mini-me. She's got the personality, the looks, everything. It's scary!

@Val - I know what you mean!

@Susan - I grew up with my grandparents, I still say open and close the lights instead of turn them on and off. I get laughed at regularly.

@Donnas - Yeah, they certainly keep me laughing...at myself.

@hofken - LOL - I have so much practice doing just that!

@Judy - It's almost eerie isn't it?

@Cricket - Not such a bad thing at all.

@TerriOsburn - OMG, that's priceless! She's never gonna live that down!

@Libby - It's universal!

@Loving62 - Definitely!

@Catslady - LOL I used to have lots of peasants around my house too! LOL They'd run to the road...and then slowly walk across so you'd have to stop. I don't know how many times I was tempted to hit them and have peasant for dinner! LOL

Robin Kaye said...

@Jane - A filter would be sooo nice!

@Bison61 It's impossible to avoid.

@Refater - It's scary, isn't it?

@ Virginia - Brain farts indeed!

Adele Dubois said...

Robin--I can relate to your post. Sometimes the antics at our house resembles a situation comedy.

Best of luck with your new release!

--Adele

Maureen said...

My kids are always very willing to point out the stupid things I've said but I tend to forget them because, along with the ability to say ridiculous thing, my memory is awful.

Estella said...

I think I am my Mom sometimes!

Tori Lennox said...

LOL! I can't think of anything specific off the top of my head but I'm sure I've done something similar. :)

Jana DeLeon said...

LOL Robin! We've ALL pulled an "Angi." It's just us humor writers go around admitting it. :)

dhenry said...

I say things my Mother said all the time! I think you are hard wired for it.

dhenry said...

I say things my Mother said all the time! I think you are hard wired for it.

dhenry said...

I say things my Mother said all the time! I think you are hard wired for it.

Jeanette J said...

I'm sure I must have said some silly things over the years but thankfully my mind has totally blocked them. Thank you for the stories...and the smile they gave me.

Barbara E. said...

Oh, of course I've turned into my mother and my son never lets me forget it. I say ridiculous things all the time, but I get him back occasionally too - I guess he's like me too, LOL.

aarbaugh said...

Oh my gosh! I really needed a laugh today. In my family, there are so many stories like this. Our fav way to "get" my mom is by mentioning the "flying dogs". It's from Dec 1977. You know the story's good when it sticks around that long!

Judy T. said...

Seems like the older I get the more I find myself sounding like my Mom...funny how that happens :)

robynl said...

I am my Mom, lol. In many situations I say "if Mom were here"(she's passed away). I didn't always agree with her thinking but find myself thinking like that more and more.

Anonymous said...

So funny, Robin! I can't remember any off the top of my head, but I'm sure it's happened. Hee.

-Abigail

Diane said...

We find ourselves doing or saying something in the middle of the day an then it hits us: we've become our own mothers!

TheWaldos said...

That is so funny!

Thank you kindly for the laugh. I so needed it!

JC Waldo
castlewaldo@gmail.com

Robin Kaye said...

@ Adele - I know what you mean. I think my family is kind of an Italian/Polish version of the Cosby Show

@ Maureen - I now have something to look forward to!

@Estella - It's kinda scary, isn't it?

@Tori - I try to forget them too.

@Jana - Ain't that the truth!

@ DHenry - I guess I am hard wired...

@Jeanette - My pleasure, sweetie!

@ Barabara - It's a great thing when we can get one up on our kids!

@Aarbaugh - Now that's one story I really want to hear!

@ Judy - If you had my mom, you'd know that is down right scary!

@ RobynL - I know what you mean.

@ Abigail - I probably wouldn't remember either if I didn't have 4 people constantly reminding me.

@ Diane - You know it!

Robin Kaye said...

@ JC Waldo - My pleasure!

Gwynlyn said...

Hi, doll. Yes, I have, and no, I won't elucidate! {{{Hugs}}}

Kristi said...

I just got Romeo Romeo for my Kindle and my Nook. The dipstick story happened to my mother and I, the only difference is that neither of knew where the oil went and the guy that worked at the gas station was laughing at us.

Kammie said...

Oh, I can so relate. I often find myself saying things my mom did. Some of them are good, some not so good. lol I love those kind of stories that you told. They make for great memories and lots of laughs.

ezmerelda said...

I sometimes say something and my husband will look and me say "Did you really just say that?" and will know that I am seriously channeling my mother. But what is really funny is to hear my little nieces do it.

ezmerelda(AT)mail(DOT)com

Robin Kaye said...

@Gwynlyn - And I was so looking forward to one of yours stories!

@ Kristi - I hope you enjoy the book! So it was both you and your mother? Looks like the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, eh?

@ Kammie - Life is definitely full of laughter around here!

@ Ezmerelda - Mother channeling seems to be something we all do.

Sue A. said...

I'm guilty of this too. I think I just spout out my thoughts without giving myself time to formulate or censor what I'm about to say.

Robin Kaye said...

Sue - That's exactly what I do!

Cherie J said...

Unfortunately, I too have said and done things that have made cringe for a long time afterwards. I think we all have had moments we would rather forget.

LMcLendon said...

There’s nothing better than a contest to kick off the year!

Gotta love em' - Mothers that is!!

n2itivrose said...

Great topic Robin!
One habit I'm trying to break is repeating phrases I say a few times in a certain tone...my mom's tone. LOL The other day we were with my mom when she did the same thing. My kids gave me quick side glances that said, "That's where you get it!"

Jenyfer Matthews said...

My mother was famous in our family for misunderstanding song lyrics in the most hilarious ways. There are still songs I hear that make me chuckle as I think of what my mother *thought* they said!

Me? I never say anything stupid. Nope...

rrshep said...

Thanks for the great laughs at your stories! I really needed it.

Robin Kaye said...

@Cherie - Oh yeah, I cringe regularly and often.

@ LMcLendon - Great! Thanks for dropping by!

@ S - Oh yeah, that tone....

@ Jenyfer - Sure...a huh.

@ rrshep - My pleasure.

Cassy Campbell said...

I sometimes say things (usually when I'm tired and the brain-to-speech censor is running a little slow) that I hear as I say them and wonder "Am I really that stupid?" Usually people are laughing hysterically, so there's no need to come up with a justification! Glad to know I'm not the only one :)

Anne said...

I'm sure I probably have, but can't remember any.

I have had arguments with my parents where one of us has abruptly stopped and asked,"What are you talking about?" And we've realized we were in an argument about two separate issues. One time my dad was yelling about my getting my mother a cat for mother's day and she thought he was getting upset over a scrimshaw pen knife she thought I had bought her. She thought he's lost his mind yelling over a knife.

BTW, he and the cat quickly became best buddies.

emmad said...

When I was a child about oh 9 or 10 I woke up from a deep sleep and asked my mum where my hippopotamus's were. I'd been training them in my sleep and wanted to know where they had gone.

Anonymous said...

Oh boy! I haven't had one of those moments... Yet. Knock on wood! But my 16 yr old does ALL the time!

Lauren said...

Gosh I quite often sound like my mother. Although most of the time when it happens I'm getting on my kids about something. LOL

David L Rattigan said...

Count me in. :)

Rylee Myst said...

I am too much like my mother and I find the older I get, the more I sound like her

slehan said...

Today, listening to The Car Guys on NPR, I heard one of them say
"Gluten Free Motor Oil"
and I laughed so hard I nearly drove into the curb.

Thanks for the contest.

Anonymous said...

I remember being about 5 years old. I led a very sheltered life. Our family was coming home from church, and I asked my Parents if a person wssn't Catholic, if they were public. You see, there was just a Catholic church and a Public school by our house, and I thought those were the only two Religions that existed. My Parents and Sisters got a kick out of it!

bettycd said...

There must be something like Murphy's Law that covers this. The more we try to be different from our parents, the more we become them in the end. Maybe some of it is even aging process where the old memories become more easily remembered than the new.

Cathy M said...

Oh yea, definitely turning into my Mom, and my hubby is properly horrified at the idea, lol.

Janean said...

Oh Yes, the older I get not only do I look more like my mom I act like her too. I can see it and so can my family. Happy Reading, Janean

Unknown said...

Yep sometimes I say some pretty crazy things and yes I do believe I'm becoming like my mom. I already talk like her. My uncles think I'm her when I talk to them on the phone. I have to tell them it's me. lol