So simple yet so confusing

Even through this afternoon, I had pretty high hopes that it would be a non-blog-worthy weekend. There were a couple of things before then. I mean, rest assured, I knew I would blog about the kids sitting next to me on my Calgary-Denver flight-- that's coming up on a minute... but mom was being really... nice. I gave her a stone I bought in Canada and she actually said thank you and acted like she liked it... didn't complain about the space it would take up (which would be ridiculous because if I had space in my luggage for it, anyone has space for it), didn't say it wouldn't match her decor. This may be the first gift I've ever gotten my mom that she liked or pretended to like. She even... are you ready for this?? She even didn't say that the dress I'm planning to wear to the wedding I'm going to this weekend was the ugliest thing she's ever seen (mind you, it's not in front her yet):

Mom: Is your dress in the luggage [which was delayed]?
A.: No, a friend is bringing it.
Mom: What dress is it?
A.: The same one I wore to Julia's wedding [Julia is a family friend].
Mom: Oh, as I recall that's a beautiful dress.

Seriously, I got worried. I wondered whether my mother truly wasn't feeling well, wasn't herself. Luckily for me, she later made a point to tell me that she didn't like my hair, so I was reassured that she's fine.

Mom: I'll be ready to go for a walk in a few minutes.
A.: I'm not ready now... I'm in the middle of a workout.
Mom: Well, hurry up.
A.: I'm going.
Mom: Wait!
A.: What?
Mom: I don't like your hair like that.
A.: Okay, well, it's okay that you don't like my hair like this.
Mom: No, it doesn't look good on you.

Also, she muttered something this morning, with the news in the background, about how I need to put aside my political correctness and see the light. I'm not sure what she was referring to. She did say, as I was uploading my photos, "you know, there are places like that in the U.S., too... like Montana." Well, yes, Glacier is driving distance from Canada. We picked Canada this time around, it wasn't a political statement.

The piece de resistance was after dinner. I requested that she not turn on Glenn Beck because I find him repulsive. She said I had to watch him to stay informed, started telling me about some story about border guards being arrested for doing their jobs, and this story, which was exposed by Glenn Beck, was important to know and the fact that I hadn't heard of it indicated that I wasn't well-informed. She added with shock that I hadn't heard about something that happened yesterday; when I told her I was in planes all day yesterday, she said that was a poor excuse. I couldn't take it so I took my teacup back to the computer and continued to work on my pictures. She starte4d screaming at me from the kitchen to come back because I HAD to hear what Glenn Beck was saying... I asked her to kindly leave me alone, but here's the upside: my dad said, "you can't force her to watch it," and she didn't yell at him for spoiling me and making me the monster that I am.

I worked on the photos on and off during the day... she was pretty gracious about sharing her computer most of the time (let it be known that I was gracious about sharing mine when she visited me). Elisabeth was in some of the pictures she saw, so I presumed that's who my mom meant when she asked me about "her."

Mom: How do you know her?
A.: She and I were in Geneva together, and she lived in D.C. for a while. I actually stayed with her once when I was visiting grad schools.
Mom: Does she live there now?
A.: No, she's in Florida now.
Mom: Oh, how awful.
A.: Yeah, that's much of why she suggested a hiking trip.
Mom: No, not her. The friend whose wedding you're going to.
A.: Oh, I'm friends with the groom.
Mom: How do you know him?
A.: We used to work together.
Mom: You don't know the bride?
A.: I've met her...
Mom: You don't work together anymore?
A.: No...
Mom: But you became friends.
A.: Yeah.
Mom: Why?
A: Because?

Mom: And the groom lives in Florida...
A.: No.
Mom: Here?
A.: No, it's that the Antiochian Orthodox Church is near here.
Mom: The what?
A.: I think it's a form of Catholicism.
Mom: Is the groom also that?
A.: No, I think he's just Catholic.
Mom: Is he the one bringing your dress up?
A.: No, that's another friend.
Mom: Who's also going to the wedding.
A.: Yeah.
Mom: How does he know the groom?
A.: Also used to work with him.
Mom: And they're still friends?
A.: Yeah.
Mom: Why are they still friends?
A.: Mom!!!
Mom: This other friend also lives in D.C.
A.: Yeah.
Mom: What denomination is he?
A.: I have no idea.
Mom: Which one do you know from Geneva?
A.: Neither. I know Elisabeth, with whom I travelled in Canada, from Geneva.
Mom: Ohhhhh! I get it now!