Thursday, July 26, 2007

The Randomness! How it Burns!

Zowie, lots of things have been happening! This is going to be another hodge-podge post, because there are simply too many activities orbiting my head all at once.

We were in Minnesota earlier this week for Jason’s grandmother’s funeral. She was a lovely woman and I’m sad I didn’t get to know her better.

When we stopped to refuel on the way home, I was accosted by an adolescent waving a five dollar bill, loitering outside the service station: “Ascuse me, Ascuse me, ASCUSE ME, I lost my ID. Would you buy me a pack of Newports?”

Come on, kid. I look like a cross between Gidget and a librarian from the 1940s. I was in a 4-H club, Brownies, and the parish youth choir as a child. I wear sensible shoes, carry an insulated lunch cooler to work, and bring my own canvas bags to the grocery store. A pack of Newports for a minor…What do you think, Einstein?

I also left my wallet at a Boston’s restaurant in Minnesota—containing my driver’s license, credit cards, insurance cards, and the all-important discount club card for my grocery store. Luckily our server found it and raced to the parking lot to give it to us before we left.

Alas, not every human does the right thing (shocking, no?). An eleven year-old boy in my city had set up a lemonade stand to raise money for a camping trip with his grandparents. Unfortunately, a bully came along and shoved the young entrepreneur off his chair, punched him in the face, and stole the boy’s lemonade money as well as his wallet, which contained his student ID and library card. You’ll be glad to know police have arrested the 17 year-old perpetrator and charged him with robbery and physical abuse of a child.

I’m not even going to comment on this one, because I’m dying to know what all of you think.

The coming weekend is packed with my sister’s baby shower and a going away party for good friends. I KNOW I’ll have some dishy blogging material next week.

Update on book-related items: Riding with Larry Resnick has officially entered the production pipeline! Next phase: copyediting.

Update on the Monarch Ranching: We have eight lovely chrysalides! My wine rack has been recommissioned as a chrysalis staging platform. Aren’t they purty? They’re like melon jellybeans with gold trim. And from these little alien beans will hatch adult monarch butterflies, probably by Monday.

The ones that look like wedding favors were moved from their original inconvenient locations. Indeed, you CAN move a chrysalis...who knew?


Welcome to the Jungle! This is my backyard.
Learn to live like a chick-adee, and you won't go far.

17 comments:

  1. That poor little lemonade boy!
    You'll notice I don't post pictures of my shockingly overgrown backyard. Yours looks GREAT to me!

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  2. Your back yard is so pretty. I am such a loser - mine needs weeded something fierce.

    And you had me laughing at your description of yourself. Gidget and 40s librarian... good stuff.

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  3. Jess, your garden is awesome. I like Jungle! I'm fascinated with your Monarch ranch and look forward to seeing more. Your book is becoming a reality! This time next year...?

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  4. the kid who "lost" his id...priceless. you should have quickly asked him what year he was born just to mess with him.

    and nice ranching skilz!

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  5. Your garden is stunning!

    And I can't wait to see the butterflies.

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  6. Anonymous1:05 PM

    Hey! There is nothing square about having an insulated lunch sac. That is just good common sense. Why I bet all kinds of trendy people carry these things. Take me for example.

    Go butterflys!

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  7. Anonymous4:35 PM

    Wow, you were busy. Whenever do you find the time to read? :)

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  8. Your backyard is beautiful. Seriously. It looks like something from the pages of Better Homes and Gardens.

    The way you described being asked to buy smokes for a minor cracked me up. You go, with your sensible shoes. You go.

    My condolences to Jason...

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  9. asscuse me!! your backyard be da bomb, yo!

    Please to post hte recipe for such jungly goodness, because lord do I want a space just.like.that.

    Also! Chrysali! How exciting!

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  10. Did you hear about the two kids who got swindled out of their money at a lemonade stand by a quick change artist who gave them a fake $50? When did opening a stand become dangerous?!

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  11. Anonymous8:54 PM

    What made my heart go pittypat about this post was your correct use of "chrysalides" as the plural of "chrysalis." thanking you for your precision...

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  12. Love your garden.

    Whenever I find a wallet I mail it to the person if I can find ID. I know I would want someone to do that for me!

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  13. So you weren't kidding when you said you were in my hood the other day. If you ever come though again make sure to let me know in advance, because I would SO love to have you buy me lunch. IF you can hang on to your wallet that is.

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  14. Glad they got the punk.

    I had to stop by after I laughed so hard at your comment on my blog that my wife had to pause Last Comic Standing.

    I hope it's not true, btw. Because that would be sad.

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  15. Your backyard actually looks awesome! I'd love to spend some time back there with my camera in macro mode.

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  16. So wait...

    Did you buy him the cigarettes?

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  17. Anonymous10:03 PM

    Your backyard looks fabulous.

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