Hello. Haha. Narf!
Ξ March 14th, 2008 | → 23 Comments | ∇ me |
If you have known me for any amount of time, you have heard me utter “haha!” often. You might even remember that my phone number used to be 920-HAHA (4242 on the phone spells haha). Or you have seen me around Blogaritaville using hellohahanarf to identify myself. Some of you may understand where hellohahanarf came from, but if not I figured I would take a stab at an explanation.
When I was younger and stupider not quite the woman I am today, I was head over heels in love with a man who was so not right for me. He was right for about six months to two years, but we stayed together for seven and a half years. (Yeah, yeah, I know, I can be a slow learner sometimes. Bite me.) For a long while we had great fun together. He was older, intelligent and gorgeous. He made me feel like a grown up, even though he constantly told me how much of a childlike, happy, rose-colored view of the world I possessed. Considering that he also knew this cop’s daughter could take care of herself on the city streets and was quite comfortable in the woods or under the hood of a car, he appreciated the contrast. One thing I appreciated about him was that no matter how much of a smart & grown up serious man he was, he enjoyed watching the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with me. (Sometimes a girl just needs to escape into cartoons, ya know?) Plus we could watch Pinky and the Brain together and both enjoy it. (There weren’t many shows that we both enjoyed so this was a cool thing.)
Pinky and the Brain was a spin off from the WB’s Animaniacs cartoon show. Both were so well done and without a doubt written for adults. Pinky was happy and carefree, a simple mouse who desired nothing more than to spend time with his beloved friend, the Brain. Brain was hellbent on trying to take over the world. Every night he came up with another complicated plan to achieve world domination, every night Pinky tried his best to assist. The more and more we watched Pinky and the Brain, though, the more I could have sworn the writers watched the two of us before sitting down to come up with each episode. It got downright scary some days.
For example, I missed a show one time when he was able to see it. He told me that he was glad he taped it for me, but wouldn’t tell me what it was about, only that it hit closer to home than ever before. We agreed to watch it together later that day. A few hours later I returned from an outing with girlfriends and showed him the rabbit shaped hair clip made out of silver that I purchased. Happily I exclaimed, “Look, it is Pat the Bunny!” (referencing the children’s book that I had read to a friend’s child the previous week). His face fell. Then he giggled. Mr. Big Strong Intelligent and Serious, giggling like a little girl. There was no way to get it out of him, I was simply led into the living room to watch Pinky and the Brain. In that episode, the one that aired that very day, happy go lucky Pinky wails as Brain runs off their teenager (named Roman Numeral One as far as Brain was concerned, but Romey to Pinky). Romey goes into a bar only to meet a girl named Pat who used to be a Playboy bunny. You have got to be kidding me. Pat the frikken Bunny?!??!
Anyhow, Romey and Pat want to join the circus. Oh so closer to home. Especially if I explain that Romey was actually the child created when the Brain put his DNA into the cloning machine while Pinky was clipping his toenails too close to the machine. Their DNA mixed, producing a child, the same week that we had discussed having children. Yep, the same week that we had agreed that children were not to be a part of our immediate future because of the fact that our kids would be so whacked that they would probably run away to (ah huh, you guessed it) join the circus.
Two vey blatent references to our lives, right there on my TV. Huh.
Needless to say I started to pay more attention to this simple cartoon which used to make me laugh so freely. What I saw was one character who adored the other character, yet never seemed to get what was needed out of the relationship. Sure, it is a little deep to read so much into a cartoon, especially cartoon mice, but damn did it start to freak me out. Mostly because I really did identify with the easy to please Pinky. He was just so damn happy and content. I loved that about him. But Pinky was happy while Brain could never be satisfied. Doomed for failure. But I didn’t want to change my outlook on life so I changed my relationship status. (Wait, does that make me a selfish bitch? Hmmm. Maybe. But I’m cool with that.)
Are you pondering what I’m pondering? I think so, but that was longer to tell than I anticipated and where are we going to find a duck and a hose at this hour? (I need to learn how to do a post that doesn’t take a week for you to read. How long can I blame being new to blogging for my ramblings? I mean, I haven’t even told you about hellohahanarf. Uggggggggh.)
Ok, short and quick… In their Christmas special, Pinky writes a letter to Santa. Laying on his belly on the floor, speaking out loud as he writes, Pinky says, “Dear Santa. Hello. Haha! NARF!” I laughed so hard it hurt. And adopted a new phrase simply because it made me smile everytime I said it. (Come on, NARF is fun to say! So is Fjord! And Egad! And Zort! And Troz!)
on March 14th, 2008 at 12:15 AM
If my world could be characterized as a cartoon, it would without a doubt be the Smurfs.
All those men around, brawny, brainy, vanity, trying to escape the clutches of the evil Gargamel.
(Yes, I know the Smurfs were an allegory for fascism, and no, that does NOT make me Smurfette.)
on March 14th, 2008 at 2:08 AM
jester, ok, you so beat me to the smurfette comment. how about when i was in 5th grade my class had such varied characters that i wrote a list of everyone and assigned them the smurf that most represented each person. i was hefty smurf.
why do i remember this shit?
on March 14th, 2008 at 9:40 AM
I love this story. And it didn’t take me a week to read, just a few hours…so no worries.
on March 14th, 2008 at 9:47 AM
I always loved that Pinky said “Narf!” And of course “pinky” makes me think of vaginas.
Win win!
on March 14th, 2008 at 10:03 AM
mel – i just love your encouragement. and today, on your birthday of all days! thanks! happy, happy day.
avit – just so long as you aren’t thinking of my pink vagina we’ll be fine. dammit, now that i wrote that you probably are.
on March 14th, 2008 at 10:55 AM
Baby darling I am SO glad you valued your outlook on life enough to safeguard it – seriously. I’m kinda there too.
NARF to you too.
(Another funny word – fart. Honestly it has always made everyone in my house twitter and giggle – oddest thing)
on March 14th, 2008 at 11:22 AM
britt’s mom – glad to know you don’t think it made me a bitch to have to leave an unhappy person. it wasn’t easy to walk away.
farts ARE funny. while nothing is funnier than people falling down, farts crack me up. always have. hope they always do.
on March 14th, 2008 at 11:24 AM
You have one of the best outlooks on life of anyone I know! Even if it makes you a selfish bitch (which you know you aren’t – c’mon now!)
I must say – that fist paragraph got a little crazy – I sometimes forget how many things we have in common…
on March 14th, 2008 at 11:25 AM
er, second paragraph… you know what I mean…
on March 14th, 2008 at 11:51 AM
I love finding out where people’s online names come from and your story was cute. I equate my life to many things, including cartoons, so no worries there
.
on March 14th, 2008 at 11:55 AM
sar – yep, i know what you mean. we do have lots in common. which is why it hurts me so to hear when chaos is in your life. because i have been there and know how spectacular life can be when you finally untangle yourself from someone who sucks the energy from you. i love you, cuz. always know that you are intelligent and beautiful and talented and FUNNY and all around amazing. don’t ever let anyone tell you differently! (i’ll always have your back. no matter what. k?)
on March 14th, 2008 at 11:56 AM
hill – i cannot wait to have a drink with you, woman! somehow i know it will be a fun day.
on March 14th, 2008 at 10:15 PM
I knew the instant I saw hellohahanarf where you got it, I love the Animaniacs and Pinky and The Brain and I’m 47 yrs. young.
What can I say, I’m just a kid at heart.
on March 14th, 2008 at 10:15 PM
That wasn’t a long post. I write long posts. I bore people to death with every one. I don’t know how to do short posts. You are just fine! That post made perfect sense to me.
It’s so great that you have such a unique name. Long ago I think I was the first winterheart on the net… but now when i go new places, someone always has my name, even though I’ve had the domain since 1994, and the name since 1986. I doubt you will ever have my problem!
on March 15th, 2008 at 7:08 AM
truk – somehow i am not surprised that you know pinky and the brain. this is a good thing!
winter – you’ll always be my favorite winterheart!
on March 15th, 2008 at 12:15 PM
Hello – You forgot to mention the funniest word of all to say…TORQUE…which I must say multiple times daily at my job. This becomes cow-tittingly hillarious when I begin laughing unfuckingcontrollably. And BOBSAGET it also makes me think of you.
Jester – Avoid the Facism…try the Seven Dwarfs. You can be Snow White.
on March 15th, 2008 at 5:08 PM
torque is not funny, fucker. that is my favorite word ever. bobsaget, don’t go screwing with my word, torque!!!!!
oh, and why does jester get to be snow white??!?!??!!
on March 15th, 2008 at 6:45 PM
Hey, don’t get all torqued off at me! Stop torquing around and go torque yourself! If I had as much torque as you do, I’d think torque was a torqued-up word too. I hope you’re torquing your wine corks and your torquila is tastey tonight. Torque to you later!
on March 23rd, 2008 at 10:53 AM
Did you CHOOSE 920-HAHA? Or was it a quirky coincidence?
on March 25th, 2008 at 9:40 PM
bianca – hey, i just found this comment! man, i gotta get better at this blog thing. sheesh.
ANYhow, i told the lady on the phone that i wanted the last four numbers of my phone to be 4242 or i did not want service from her company. she found 920-4242 rather quickly.
i loved when people would ask “what is your number?” i could simply reply, “920. haha!”
(yeah, issues. lots of issues. shhhhhhh.”
on March 11th, 2009 at 5:07 PM
Amazing!!! My wife and I are cat people and were amazed when we read of another couple in NYC who scratch and miaow at each other at the door and here you are as a big fan of Pinky. So’s my wife – I work as a computer programmer (essentially “The Brain” that keeps this place going) and she’s well, Pinky. A nickname, in fact. I also do a reasonable impression of both voices – they could have paid me and only had to pay one person! Narf! Glad to see that we aren’t the only ones! Poit! Take two narfs and troz me in the morning! And yes, “Brinky” is one of our favorite episodes. “Cheese Roll Call’s” right up there too – I think one of the only episodes starring only Pinky. Thanks for sharing.
on March 11th, 2009 at 9:39 PM
brain -
i enjoyed reading about other folks as crazy over those two mice as i am! thanks for the comment.
brain stem, brain stem!!
narf!
hellohahanarf’s last blog post..Well That Was Unexpected!
on March 12th, 2009 at 2:05 PM
Love the HNT Pics! Naaaaaaaaaarrrrrrfffff!!! If that’s Thursday, I gotta ask, “is it Friday yet?”
If you ever change phone providers, get 739-HAHA! aka SEX-HAHA might as well laugh as you’re having fun! >:)