Saturday, July 21, 2012

One Very Gross Moment

Today was just one of those days where Mistress Fate decided to have a little fun with me. For various reasons, I've been unable to "mow" my lawn for many weeks so I was excited - well, more like groaning - when the weather and my schedule lined up and I could get out there to do it this morning. Now, the first thing you have to know is that my lawn is really a small field that sits down below my house and that it's used as the septic drain area. That means my grass grows REALLY well but also sports these funky clumps of crab grass and islands of growth that makes it hard to mow with a regular mower so I've always used a weed whacker. It takes longer but cuts better. The day slowly went from good to bad; the weed whacker overheated first, cutting out on me constantly because of the thickness of the grass (and unbalanced mix of oil to gas, which I realized later), and then the storms rolled in. They were pop up thunderstorms though so when one hit, I'd duck under cover, ride it out, and mow as soon as it passed. Of course, the more it rained, the wetter the grass got and the slicker it was to walk.

After an hour or so of this, I was hot as Hades, my body was sore and I wasn't as eagle eyed as I usually am.....which is, of course, when the gross moment came. As the string of the whacker hacked away at a clump of grass, it hit something big which exploded on impact. Turns out it was a nice big clump of dog poop, left by my lovely pooch. Normally I spot them in time but I failed on this one and paid the price as the gooey, steaming clump of poop splattered all over me, getting on my shirt, my gloves, my face and in my hair. Yep, you heard it, I was a walking piece of crap! Somewhere out there, Mistress Fate was laughing her butt off today at my expense and, admittedly, I was laughing about it myself...after I'd had my shower.

So, tell me, what is one of the most gross moments of your life? 

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Bees, oh how I dislike them!

For as long as I can remember, I've disliked bees of any kind with a passion. I know those tiny little buggers play a vital role in our agricultural industry, among other things, and it's for that reason that I've done my best to come to terms with them over the years. Some say I fear them but I don't think that's the case, though I fully admit that their buzzing sound creates an immediate response from my body, as if I was somehow traumatized by bees at some point in my life. My parents told me once that on a visit to the beach, they set me down on a blanket for a moment and when they turned back around, I was covered in black sand flies (or some sort of fly related to the beach) from head to toe. There were so many, their buzzing was supposedly very noticeable. Perhaps that left an imprint on my mind, one that triggers an immediate fight or flight response when a bee buzzes my head but I'll never know for sure. I do know that when one buzzes me though, they've signed their life away. The battle is on.

So where is all this leading, you ask?  Well, today on the drive home from the dump, a little bugger decided that my left arm was the perfect place to sting, not once or even twice but a few times. I almost lost control of the car when the pain hit and my first swat only pissed him off. I ended up having to stop in the middle of the road in the opposite lane (where I'd swerved) and finally kill it. By the time I got home, my arm was swollen and sore. A dose of Benadryl and a nap and the swelling has come down some but its still red and sore. If this was their opening assault for the summer, I can tell that I'll need to put on my battle gear and get ready :)

So, tell me, what little bug from the animal kingdom do you hate the most? 

Monday, July 2, 2012

The Fury of Storms

Wow, you know I'm tired when I manage to publish a blank blog post...

Ok, so on to tonight's post before I do something equally as stupid as that last one :)   There's a lot happening in the country right now, from the fires in Colorado and other states to the insane heat everyone seems to be experiencing.  The northeast got hit with their own little bit of "fun" this past weekend with freak storms that swept through the area unexpectedly, wiping out trees and tearing down power lines.  I have a lot of family living up that way and almost all of them managed to lose power for a few days, with some just now starting to get it back.  Even here, we managed to have a storm sweep in from out of nowhere and pound us with hail that was slightly smaller than a marble for about a half hour.  It doesn't happen often and I had to go out onto the back porch and watch it fall for a few moments, listening to the way it hit the roof of the house and the vehicles, marveling at the fury of Mother Nature at times.  I can only imagine how miserable my relatives were enduring 100 degree heat without air or running water and it makes me wonder how those that came before us managed to do it all those years ago.  We think life is hard now, with all of our issues and stress, but imagine having to do what we do with no electricity, no central air, no computers or phones.  Life was simpler then but it was just as hard, if not harder I think.  Definitely gives me pause from time to time.

As for storms, well, no matter how nasty they get or how destructive, I still can't help but enjoy the chaos of them.  It's simply energizing.  I love the sound of a raging thunderstorm and the flash of lighting; it's art at its best.  If I'd lived in the midwest when I was younger, I'd have become a tornado chaser in a heartbeat, no doubt in my mind.  Even now I'd love to do it and I'm older and wiser - or so they say.  So the next time a storm comes up in your area, take a moment to enjoy the beauty of it and if it wipes out your power, just remember that we were bested by something far more primal than us.  Sometimes, that puts things in better perspective for me and it just might you also. 

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Official Launch of Blog

It's official, folks!  My author blog has been launched!!  With this blog, I will keep you updated on my writing and on industry news, share market opportunities for authors and aspiring authors, share author interviews, and occasionally bring you contests and participate in various blog loops.  If you'd like to see me feature additional things here, please let me know!