Friday, October 17, 2003
A Texas Howdy
Forgot to mention that yesterday was the mark of my full first month here in Texas. As you may have observed, if you’ve been reading along, I am fascinated by this state...especially by the high bug population.
Now, I’ve been informed that Texans are friendly and show geniune like and concern for their fellow residents. This has been demonstrated a few times to me already. As an example, my brother told me when I first got here, “You are expected to wave at the neighbors.”
I asked, “Really? Even if I don’t know them? That’s kinda cool!”
He said, “Yes, if you see anyone walking down the street, you wave.”
That statement was confirmed almost immediately upon pulling out of the driveway as two ladies were having their afternoon walk. I’ve always considered myself a very friendly person but I’ll admit, I felt kinda weird waving to people I don’t know. I realized how cold the city of Seattle truly is. This tradition of being friendly happened last week as well as I was coming home from a job interview. I was a tiny bit lost, (of course..heh), and was making my way in the direction of home when an elderly gentleman waved from across the street. Wow! Of course I grinned and waved back. It seems trivial but I gotta tell ya, it feels right nice too.
Except when bugs do it. No, they don’t wave but I just had one come screaming towards my head when I walked outside about 5 minutes ago.
“Hi! I’m a bug! Welcome to Texaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa....”
I side stepped and it crashed landed onto the patio, landing on its back.
Stupid bug.
Course, I’m in Texas now so that means I have to be neighborly. I grabbed a leaf and righted the ugly thing before shuddering and moving on.
Speaking of bugs, in a sense, today I had my first encounter with a disgusting! paook. You all know I hate paooki as it is but this one reminded me of the paooki in St. Louis.
If you will remember, I had driven to St. Louis to drop off the keys to my dog to a family (friends of mine) and they got a hotel for us all to sleep in for the night. My friends brought their 10 year old daughter along and as the evening wore on, she was getting ready to go to sleep. She didn’t want a roll away apparently and was going to sleep on the floor in a sleeping bag. She was playing with my cat, Serenity who was sitting underneath the dresser that the television was on, when she noticed a paook.
Instantly my alarms started going off. My kitty! My friend! They are in mortal danger of paook germs! Must save! So I got all bold and marched on over to the dresser thinking I was going to KILL this thing for threatening my cat and my new 10 year old friend.
That is, until I got one look at it. That thing was fat, black/grey and NASTY! I, in typical fashion, screeched, ran and jumped onto the bed, curling myself into a tight ball. This, of course, prompted my little 10 year old friend to screech, run and jump on ME. We laid there, cringing, freaking out together as her mother looked on.
Finally, my friend, the father, came out of the bathroom and his daughter begged and pleaded with him to kill the thing. Which he did. With no incident or drama whatsoever. Hm. Needless to say, I refused to let my 10 year old friend sleep on the floor that night. She got all nestled and comfy under the covers next to me and promptly thanked me by issuing a loud and rumbling trouser cough in my direction. What a doll.
Anyway, the paook in my kitchen today was an adolescent version of the type I saw in that hotel in St. Louis. Knowing this, I knew it must die. However, it was crawling fast across the floor and my options were extremely limited.
Groan! WHINE! I’m gonna have to step on it! Bleeeeeeeeech!
Shaking, I ran over to it and STOMPED IT DEAD!
It crunched. Just as I feared. It’s still sitting in heap on the floor and I know I have to pick it up before my cat touches it. Not out of fear for her but because I will never recover from the sight.
Just thinking about it makes me feel sick. I need to go lie down.
