Tea and a movie

Over tea, from out of nowhere:

Mom: So, is that your usual hairstyle now? Do you always wear that hairstyle these days?
A.: [Shrug.]
Dad: Her hair was different two days ago when we Skyped.
A.: This is true.
Mom: Huh.

***
Mom said she had a headache because she'd slept poorly, so I suggested that she go to bed. Instead, she looked over my shoulder and told me I was using too much water to wash the dishes. This is a mom classic, but I get less of it than anybody else, because I try not to do dishes when mom is watching. When I went to Australia and visited a family friend, she asked me whether mom lets me use water to wash dishes. She also told me a story about how mom excoriated her, in their younger days, a day or two after she (the friend) was hit by a car and badly hurt. And she told me this in a very "nice" way, i.e., not to say, "your mother has issues," but to say, "sure, your mother has issues, but that's just the way she is." But I digress.

After the dishes, I moved to the living room and took to channel flipping. I don't have a TV at home--and mom is always harping on how do I get by without a TV--so mindless channel flipping is a rare, guilty pleasure for me. My brain is particularly fried this weekend, and I shouldn't have to justify my attraction to lowbrow entertainment to anyone. Anyway, there was a bunch of nothing on TV (the default channel is Fox News), so I eventually settled on Iron Man II, because that's perfect brain-dead entertainment. It's not my first choice; I can't stand Gwyneth Paltrow in an ironic way: it's so trendy to hate on her that I would like to be more original and actually admire her, but I can't do it. Also, that kale analogy is totally off; kale, like arugula, is an easy-to-grow, easy, healthy thing; it may be trendy, but it's not overrated. But I digress.

So here I am, trying to watch Iron Man, when mom comes in and starts running commentary:

Mom: Oh, something ominous is going to happen now. I can tell by the music. What's happening now? Who's that? Oh, I think he's going to fight with someone.
A.: Mom! Do you need me to leave and watch this somewhere else?
Mom: Oh, am I interfering with your very serious movie?
A.: You are interfering with my movie, for what it's worth. It's no masterpiece, but I'm watching it, so just let me watch it.
Mom: It looks dumb.
A.: I'm not watching it for intellectual stimulation.
Mom: It sure seems that you are.
A.: Does it matter?
Mom: [Shrug.]