Tito’s PIZZA!!!!!!, Inside Jokes, and Rock Shops

One of my favorite parts of being a leader is eavesdropping on girls’ conversations while I’m driving them somewhere.  They may think I’m just passively keeping my eyes on the road and tuning them out, but au contraire girls!  I’m listening to what you’re saying!  (Don’t tell them.)

During our service unit’s City Slickers summer camp, we drove the girls to a couple of field trips.  I loved hearing them repeat their inside jokes over and over again, because in my opinion, this is evidence that they are developing friendships and camaraderie with their fellow scouts.  It’s fun too.  It also reminds me of when I was a scout, because Lord knows we came up with plenty of inside jokes. 

Marching bands are also full of inside jokes.  I was in the Redcoat Marching Band during my days at the University of Georgia.  If you ever caught a group of us band nerds talking to one other, our conversations probably sounded like a foreign language with the amount of inside jokes we used in passing.

There were a couple at CS – one was “Nooooo touchy! No touchy,” from The Emperor’s New Groove.  It was from one of the movies we showed one night.  Another one was the “Afro Circus” ditty from Madagascar 3.  We didn’t show Madagascar 3, so I’m not sure where that came from.  Except they did make up a circus skit, so there ya go!

My favorite one was something that probably would have driven someone else nuts, but I found it hilarious.  I would have done it with them, but it probably would have turned obnoxious at that point.  Usually when I start in on something, it goes from funny to obnoxious very quickly.  Go figure.

On our way up to Travelers Rest (this is a real name – look it up), we got stuck in some traffic in front of Tito’s Pizza.  Tito’s has one of those flashing marquee signs.  I wish I had a video of it, but it’s about a 30 minute drive for me.  Maybe later.

ANYWAY!  Tito’s Pizza sign blinked:

Try our lunch specials
New York
New York Style
(and then in very bold, seizure-inducing blinking letters) PIZZA!!!!

One of the girls began reading the board as it changed messages, and soon they all joined in with this “Try our lunch specials, New York, New York Style, PIZZA!!!!!!” chant.  We were stuck in traffic for some time, so they said it about 10 times and became louder with each repetition.  I have a feeling most people would find this annoying, but for some reason, I found it funny and tried not to burst out laughing – because then it would immediately be uncool.  I have been called “the eternal 12 year old,” so maybe that’s why it’s funny to me.

Tito’s New York Style PIZZA!!!!! reminded me of a story (doesn’t everything remind me of a story, you ask?  Yes, yes it does.  Surprise!) from our Trip Out West™.

Mrs. Vickers asked us to keep a journal of our trip.  I think Marla was the only one who really did it.  Marla is a very talented, creative, and funny person, and these qualities were evident even when she was twelve years old.  Many times we sat next to each other in the van because we had the same sense of silly humor and could entertain each other for hours.

While passing through Holbrook, AZ, we stopped at Holbrook’s Rock Shop for some reason.  I have no idea why.  But it was filled with geodes, meteorites, fossils, petrified wood, and all sorts of cool rocks that were from the local area.  (Nothing was as cool as the rock I found in Wyoming, though.)

When we got back in the van to head to Flagstaff, Marla began to write in her journal.  She opined about the day up to that point and wrapped it up with:  “We then stopped at Holbrook’s Rock Shop to look at… rocks.  What else would you find in a rock shop – Mary Lee Flanagan?”

[For those keeping up with the blog, Mary Lee Flanagan was the Executive Director of the Northeast Georgia Council at the time.  We thought the world of her, so please do not take this blog as a slight to her in any way.  As yet another side note, how come we didn’t go to the Rainbow Rock Shop and see the dinosaurs??  Was it around at the time?]

I was sitting next to Marla and looked over her shoulder as she read the journal entry aloud.  I burst out laughing and could not stop.  We had been traveling in the van ALL DAY LONG for a couple of days at this point.  From DAWN to DUSK.  We had already passed the Irritable Stage and had now entered the Punchy Zone.  Or at least I had.  Marla began to laugh too, and it just got worse from there.  I think some of the others laughed initially but then started laughing at us laughing so hard.  I passed the “tears in my eyes” phase quickly and went straight to “OMG everything is hurting and I’m going to throw up.”  Thank the Lord we had just gone to the bathroom.  The van would have been a mess.

After a few minutes, everything died down, and Marla and I started attemping to catch our breath.  But then I said between gasps, “What else would you find in a rock shop – Mary Lee Flanagan?” and the laughing went back up to the “I’m going to throw up” stage.  But we didn’t stop there.  We even moved on to wondering what exactly would you say to Mary Lee Flanagan when you met her in said rock shop and discussing whether or not she would be wearing the official Girl Scout Uniform Scarf.  This went on for a good 30 to 45 minutes before someone finally yelled out, “STOP!  IT’S NOT FUNNY ANYMORE!”  Others pleaded for us to knock it off.  Marla and I tried to reign it in with deep breaths, but if we even glanced at each other, we’d go right back into it.

Long story short (too late!), at random times during the trip, Marla or I would say, “What else would you find in a rock shop – Mary Lee Flanagan?” and the laughter would start up again.

And we still do it TO THIS DAY!  Twenty-eight years later!  Marla and I write it on each other’s Facebook walls along with a few other jokes that I will share later, of course!

FWIW, I had to stop multiple times while writing this because I really did LOL thinking about it.  Just ask my husband.  However, he’s used to me randomly laughing for no apparent reason, so no big deal.  BUT IT’S STILL FUNNY AFTER TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS!!

And now, I leave you with this: