The weekend of 'no pictures' (OMG!)

Up to this point, I've always (well mostly always) had a visual or two (or ten) to go with my commentary.  But not this weekend.  Why?  Well, maybe it's because I almost always keep my camera in my purse but recently...Ang has been 'jackin' my camera and not returning it to where it belongs!  This is why you won't get the pleasure of seeing my very p,o.'d face when, on Friday night, Ang and her BF K kept changing their intended plans...every 15 min. or so until I was just about ready to blow and scream "NO!  NOW YOU GO NOWHERE!"  Because I hate, hate, hate the fact that they never seem to be the ones dictacting the plans.  And how they are always the ones who are just going along with everyone elses' plans, no matter how many times they seem to change.  Plus, I had my step-son coming over to visit post-surgery 'Husband-of-Mine' and he was visiting around dinner time so....yeah, I had to actually have some sort of dinner prepared. 

So, Ang and K come home from school and the (original) plan was that everyone (in the world, apparently) was going to the movies together to see The Grudge 2.  Okay, fine.  That 'fine' was my assuming that they (the whole world) were going to the 7:30 showing.  But suddenly, after ten phone calls, it seemed that they (the whole word) were in fact going to the 9:35 showing.  Which is when I was all "Oh, hell no...!  Because all I could picture was me having to drive  an hour (round trip) to drop them off, (which would entail our having to leave our house at around 8:15 so they could get there early to ensure that the show wouldn't be sold out) and then making another hour long (round trip) trek back to pick them up, and we wouldn't get back until somewhere around going on midnight and...come on!...I was already tired, what would I be like at that hour?  (And to all of you who are saying to yourselves, 'What's the big deal?  You never post anything until after midnight anyway!"  I only have two words for you...SHUT UP) 

BUT, by some miracle, my daughter springs a "how far is so-and-so theater from us?" at the last minute, and, as it turned out to be the same mileage away, but in the opposite direction, and it started at 8:10, I was all, OKAY, I'll take you there...final offer.  So, apparently, everyone was able to secure rides to the same show. 

So,  dropped them off at the theater but I wasn't sure if they were sold out yet (because...remember?  The whole world is seeing the movie this weekend!  Duh!) but I waited around back where they have this whole glass enclosed exit and you can get a clear view of the lobby and the ticket lines and the snack bar.  ANYWAY, since I had a clear view of them exiting the ticket purchase line but I had NO IDEA of whether or not they had actually been able to purchase tickets, I tried calling Ang on her cell.  But, apparently, we have bad service in that particular area because it kept going right to her voicemail (hate, hate, hate that!). 

So, as I could see her inside the lobby (from my car), she could not see me outside (since it was dark) and I'm so sure that she didn't expect me to be stalking her from afar (which I wouldn't have been doing except for the fact that I wasn't sure whether or not the show was sold out and I didn't want to have to double back after I had already reached home!), I was able to see her meet up with her other friends. Which is when I noticed (immediately) that one of her friends, put his arm around her shoulders.  And, as I watched for a few more minutes (yes, alright!  I was so cursing the car that had pulled up in front of me, paritally blocking my view.  Want to make something of it?) as she was walking towards her girlfriends, he put his arm down around her waist.  OH WHAT?  Which lastest only about a minute, because then she was off in one direction to talk to her friends and he was off in another direction to hang with his.

BUT, you can be sure, because I am so (okay, not) the coolest mom around, I couldn't resist trying to call her one last time on her cell.  And, it was a miracle...it actually went through.  

Me: "Hey, were you able to get tickets?"

Ang: "Yeah, we're good."

Me: "Okay, great.  Who's there?"

Ang: "Um, a bunch of people"

Me: "Okay." (And now unable to control my 'gotta know' disorder..)

       "So, who was that guy with his arm around you?"

Ang :  "WHAT?"

Me:  "The guy...who is he?"

Ang: "Mom?  What?"

Me:  "The. Guy. Who. Had. His. Arm. Around. You.  WHOWASHE??"

Ang:  "Oh!  He's just one of my BFFLs! (Pronounced: 'Biffles') (Which, translated, means 'Best Friends For Life'.)

          See...I really am a cool Mom because I know these things.  Ahem.       

Me: "Oh. (Clearly not expecting that answer)  I don't remember hearing of him before."

Ang: "That's because I just met him last weekend at homecoming..duh!  Just kidding...love you Mommy.."

Me: "Oh, okay...you just met him last weekend and already he's a biffle?

Ang : "Got to go Mom, we have to go get a seat,. Love ya 'G'!"

Me:  "Yeah, go ahead..love you too...just behave, 'kay?"

But the phone was already disconnected, and I could see her heading off with her girlfriends...with no (male) BFFL in sight, but then again, my sight was limited from my spot in the parking lot (thanks again black car partially blocking my view!).

And I sat there another minute because...I remembered what it was like to be fourteen.  And I want her to have her freedom.  But then again, I know what's out there these days.  And I know that what's out there now is a lot worse than what was out there when I was growing up.  But I can still smile.  And still maybe relax a bit.  Because I also know that what she (at fourteen) and 'C' (at just turning seventeen) are doing, and what I had been doing at their at their ages are very different things. 

Thank God for that.