A couple of weeks back, my mom and I went to Texas to visit family.  I was at my father’s mother’s house one afternoon and I got to see my cousin, M.  We were first introduced when we were about two years old, and her mom was engaged to my dad’s brother.  The story that I hear says that we looked at each other from across the room for a minute or so, and then we simultaneously started to giggle.  We have been best friends ever since.  We spent a lot of time together growing up and were generally in trouble with our parents the entire time.  I have lots of favorite stories that have to do with her.  They range from sneaking off to meet the cute boys at the campground bathrooms at 4 a.m. during one of our (always camping) huge family reunions and listening to her say, "It’s FOUR O’CLOCK in the morning," over and over and over, to the time when we were sneaking some Bluebell (you live in Texas?  you know what I’m talking about) Cookies and Cream ice cream from our grandma’s freezer in the middle of the night and my dad coming into the kitchen and her opening one of the high-up cabinet doors and helplessly trying to hide herself behind it, while I ran away and my dad saying, in his sternest, most disbelieving voice, "RUN???????AND GIGGLE?????" 

We STILL say that to each other every time we are together. 

This time when we saw each other, it had been over two years.  No letters or phone calls.  Not even an email.  But, once we are together again everything is like it always was and there is never any weirdness about the non-contact.  This time, when we got to see each other, I was all hot to show her my Flickr page.  So, you know, I could show off my kids and everything. 

Now, I thought that my grandmother had been on my flickr page before, but I think (looking back) that really all the photos she’d seen were ones that I’d emailed her.  I love that I email with my grandmother, and that reminds me, I owe her one.  Anyhow, I went up to the little bar and typed in "fli" and waited for the machine to do my work for me.  Nothing.  So, I thought, okay, then, I’ll just go log into my account.  I typed in "flickEr dot com"  (not really with a capital E, that was to show you the moment where things went horribly wrong)

Oh shit. 

There, on MY GRANDMOTHER’S computer, was a page that ought not to have been on her computer or the computer of anyone she knows and loves.  I almost died right there.  And we looked at each other, my cousin and I, and we just cracked up.  And I was whispering in that loud, desperate way you do when you are trying to be quiet while totally freaking right out.   "OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH NONONONONO!!!  MAKE IT GO AWAY!  HELP ME!!!"  Once we stopped laughing, I got to the right page and showed her my cute kids, which, frankly was sort of a let down after all the drama.  Then, we cleared every imaginable thing from her computer.  It probably doesn’t even work anymore.

And, honestly, I’m still a little afraid to call my grandmother or email her back.  Cause, what if she knows???