The Roar From the Core

Well, I've been working late or schooling late, so I haven't had much of a chance to hang out with the family lately, so there's really not too much to say tonight. Papa Vinny has been taking Emily out to the park (with Chippa), and to eat (Long John Silvers), so she's been having lots of fun with him and Chippa lately. However, I just experienced something that was too good to not mention here...

Not ten minutes ago, in the living room, we were sitting watching The Office. Leslie has been trying to organize all of Emily's old clothes for a garage sale on Saturday, so there's tons of clothes everywhere. I had finished with class, and had just come home from mom's (she just got a new iPhone, and we've been having some 'issues' with it [I bricked it last night... let me tell you how much fun THAT was, all is well tonight though] so I went over to make sure everything was okay) and I was eating dinner on the couch. Benjamin and Emily had been in bed for some time. Now that the scene is set...

As I was sitting there watching The Office, a "strange disturbance in the force" began to erupt from Leslie a few feet from me. Since I can't remember if I've mentioned this or not, before I continue this story, let me back up to one of the FIRST times I ever spent time with Leslie ------

It was in her dorm room at ECU a long time ago, in what seemed like a galaxy far, far, FAR, away... Mayberry, what I have always called it. I never understood how people could just walk down the middle of main street in front of cars, stop squarely in the middle of the road, and chat it up, while traffic just stopped and waited. This seemed the norm, nobody had any issues with it, and it drove me absolutely bonkers.. I felt like I was waiting for cattle to cross the street. "Hay thayre Bob, howe's work been treetin ya?" and such...

Anyway, Ada, lovely town that it is, was home of ECU. Her dorm room differed DRASTICALLY from my experiences with OU as well. As I walked in the dorm room, the "security [boy]" stopped me and asked me no less than twice the number of detailed examining questions of the Spanish Inquisition. After we were done with my life story, he then asked me (EACH TIME I WAS THERE... SAME KID... EVERY TIME... SAME QUESTIONS.. EVERY TIME..) for usually sixteen different forms of identification, and then usually held six or ten of them for ransom. I would then pass through about four stages of inner security doors before reaching the rooms.

Anyway, there we were in Leslie's dorm room, eating pizza and drinking cokes or whatever. I would like to think she was as nervous as I was on those first few encounters, but nonetheless, she was the first to break the "belching" ice. Just like a few moments ago, the rumble began deep in the pits of her soul, creeping slowly upward, generating more and more resonance as it reached her throat, then finally escaping through her mouth in a sound I can only relate to a Harley with a little bit of water stuck in it. About thirty seconds later, when she had finally ended her sonata belcho, she smiled pleasantly at me, and continued to eat her pizza. I was astounded for many reasons, some of them being:

- She belched in front of me before I did in front of her
- The volume rivaled any I had ever "mustered" up
- She was a girl... and was burping..
- She had me at "BOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH"

Anyway, the best part of this particular story was after she was finished, a faint sound from about six floors away echoed through the halls, "Good one Leslie!"

... Not only did they hear that.. They knew who it was.

Back to this evening... She let one go, and now, after 8 years of this, I've grown quite accustomed to it. In fact, I don't think it really even registered that she had done it, even though my drink had vibrated off the coffee table and spilled all over the floor. The best part of THIS story was what echoed from deep inside the back bedroom (echoing through the monitor from our room):

"Excuse you mommy!"

... Not only did she hear that.. She knew who it was.

The love grows more every day. You had me at BOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH, you had me at BOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH.