Bad Romance

My dad and I drove home together from NYC back to New Jersey to attend Night #1 of our Passover Seder. When I opened the passenger side door of my dad's car, I was quite surprised to hear Bad Romance by Lady Gaga blaring inside. "Hey Laur, (he said) we should really go to a Lady Gaga concert sometime--you and me, what do you say?" Oh em gee. (Is what I say). If you know my dad...Craig, better known as Craig David (or Doodles to some), then you may just find this about as perfect as I do.

My fifty-nine year old father, dressed in his business suit, was belting out the lyrics to Bad Romance. Even better, is that my twenty-one year old sister, burned the Gaga CD for him. While at times, my dad can certainly be funny, silly and raunchy. (Especially raunchy). Craig David (Can you fill me in?) also has a very serious side, one that Lady Gaga just does not quite match up with. We listened to Lady Gaga the whole ride home. (And needless to say, we did not fight once about the radio, and thus it was a dream car ride).

I recently mentioned to someone that in every group of friends I have, I am constantly the butt of all jokes. Whether I am with my college friends (who affectionately nicknamed me Speed bump), my camp friends, (who affectionately nicknamed me whore, and have various chants about me), or my high school friends (who affectionately refer to me as Melissa Joan Hart in Can't Hardly Wait--ya know, the girl who wants everyone to sign her yearbook). It is a role that I have come to accept, and even sometimes one that I like. I must admit that 83% of the time, I deserve the ridicule. (I tend to overshare--mostly about bodily functions and strange sexual experiences.) And, I have done a number of things over the years that have easily provoked this teasing.

From, refusing to admit that it's not 2002 anymore, to being caught blowing my nose into my comforter at sleep-away camp, to being pulled over 18 times in the span of fourteen months, to having an earth-shattering clap, to having a diet that consists solely of frosted flakes, Hershey bars, grilled chicken slathered in ketchup, with watermelon on the side, to making out with my high school friends, long after high school had ended, to looking like an Asian 92% of the time, for driving on the wrong side of the road, (more than once), for using my brother's drumsticks for my own personal pleasure and for carrying a homeless man sized bottle of Bacaaaadi with me at all times, I certainly have made it easy on my friends to find good material to poke fun of me for.

I wish I could say that it was different in my own family; but alas tonight at our seder, things were no different; as my dad and brother took turns making fun of me. (Heatzbabi was at school, and Little Mimi would never dream of making fun). Even though, I kind of love the teasing, and know that it is out of love--one thing is for sure...I am writing a book, that I hope will be published one day, and I'm pretty sure that I just may have the last laugh on all of you, after all. (Muhahaha).