Los Angeles (CNN) - Former first lady Laura Bush had her audience LOL (laughing out loud) at a women's conference in Long Beach, California Tuesday. Nearly 14,000 women attended the gathering hosted by California's first lady Maria Shriver. Mrs. Bush addressed the overwhelmingly female crowd, taking a bobble head doll of herself to the podium.
"As for me, it's come to this," Mrs. Bush said of her life after eight years in the White House, placing the doll on the glass plate. "This is the Laura Bush bobble head doll. I got this from a friend of mine who found it in the gift shop in the constitutional center a few weeks after the election. It was on the clearance shelf. He said he couldn't resist sending it to me, I told him he could have tried a little harder. But I'm kinda glad to have it."
She joked about the surreal nature of living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
"When you live in the White House and are a bobble head inside a bubble, reality can get a little warped," Mrs. Bush smiled and said coyly. "Sometimes you have to work hard just to recognize yourself."
Then the former first lady mused about how she and her husband, President George W. Bush, are adjusting to their post-presidential life.
"I'd like to report now that we left the White House and moved into our home in Dallas. Our lives are back to normal. But I think I may have forgotten what normal is," Mrs. Bush said.
She joked about the new normal, where her husband doesn't get as many breaks.
"When you're married to the President of the United States, you don't worry too much about him leaving his wet towels on the floor," Mrs. Bush said. "But in Dallas, things are different. Memo to the ex president, turmoil in East Timor is no longer an excuse not to pick up your socks."
From CNN Politics
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What a classy lady, and she is proud of her country.
Mrs. Laura Bush is a classy, elegant lady. I miss having her as our First Lady.
A first class lady and a darn good First Lady. Mrs. Bush, thank you for your service and steadfastness. You are appreciated and I can't tell you how proud I am of you.
Laura Bush is a class act and authentic. She never felt the need to tell the American people that she was "giving" them her husband and they had to watch his back. She doesn't wear the pants in the marriage and never felt the need to put her husband down in public.
I love Laura Bush! She has grace, class and a sense of humor! And I like Michelle Obama, too
They're both great in their own ways.
Thank you for your efforts to remain connected to we the people.
She was the one good thing about the Bush administration.
I didn't like her husband as president, but I like her alot and actually I like George as a person. I wish them both the very best in whatever they do.
I usually vote Democrat, but Laura Bush is a classy lady and very funny!
So graceful. I miss Laura Bush.
This former First Lady is a CLASS ACT through and through!!!!
I like Laura Bush – as a matter of fact – I like all of the First Ladies and sympathize with them because they are in the background and have to deal with every BASH – whether it is true or not – coming from the outside. And it's heartbreaking because they have to console their husbands and remain SILENT!!!! I feel for them!!!
Michelle – hang in there – you are tough and you can take it but I know you are 'WAITING TO EXHALE!!! Laura you are fine and will be fine because you are now on the outside and can BREATHE!!!
This is T'SAH from Virginia and I admire the First Ladies!!!
Very classic lady!
Good sport. Appealing & she does excellent work for women of Afghanistan.
Clearly she is the better half of the marriage.
This woman has a sense of humor. And she has grace.
Laura is one truly classy woman.
I'm a Democrat that happens to think Ms. Laura Bush is cool. She was a great First Lady.
Rock on Laura. . . you are the best and always will be the ideal First Lady!
She is such a bigger person than George W. I am sure that every day, he wonders why she ever chose him!
Republican or Democrat, I often think the First Ladies are the best part of the deal we get when we elect their husbands. In fact, I sometimes think they would be the better Presidents.
Mrs. Bush was an admirable first lady. She made the adjustment to White House pressure without ever losing her poise, and she never made negative remarks about our nation.
"turmoil in East Timor is no longer an excuse not to pick up your socks" Sweet.
She is truely a beautiful and professional lady. She represented our Country well. Thank you Ms. Bush.
Amazing how a gracious lady with an abundance of class just gets better and better.