Bug Battle

Most of these letters I want to start out with; so there I was minding my own business when….

Because yes, contrary to what most of you believe, stuff just happens.

I walked into my kitchen the other night and there sitting on the counter was a cockroach the size of a minivan. Now I realize I live in the tropical jungle of Texas and this should be just a normal occurrence as these monsters are very common here. But it still freaks me out. They do not die easily and they are fast, very fast, super freaky fast. They also tend to charge what is attacking them.

 I scream and it all becomes some sort of berserker warrior mayhem. It has been sprayed with a good coating of poison and is trapped under the can I sprayed it with. I have not wanted to deal with it yet. On another occasion I did this and days later the monster was not dead and charged me when I moved the can. 

There I was swinging a broom around my dining room like I had a claymore and was killing Vikings, slamming the floor with it as I shoved chairs out of my way.

I was attacked by fire ants the next day as I sat outside at the hospital. The back of my knee was bitten as I was driving. Then another bite on my thigh and then of course I feel like they are all over me when I realize I am wearing a skirt and BLOODY HELL what if they are all over/under my skirt and I am now caught up in traffic all of us moving at mach 2 down the highway. I could not just slam on the brakes and stop. The bite under my knee was the size of an egg and the one on my thigh was starting to burn and what is that stinging sensation around my waist?

I walked into my kitchen this morning and there is one of those large beetles again. He is now outside.

I put my hand down on the couch bolster just now to lean over and turn on the lamp when I realize there is an odd shape shadow that should not be there. As soon as the lamp comes on I move my hand and there crouched on the bolster is a wolf spider. Adrenalin surged and “crash!!!” I was very awake. My hand was inches (2) away from a wolf spider. Yes they bite. He is dead. I want to move!!! Away to California where there are no bugs. Or Maine, are there bugs in Maine? Scotland maybe, do they have bugs?

I now know more about liver transplants than I ever wanted to know. Nomie received a call Saturday morning that a liver became available and he and Jimi drove up to San Antonio. I drove over to the hospital and Acy and her family were down from Oklahoma for her sister’s graduation and as soon as they could drove up also. Surgery went well; he only went through 6 bags of blood which is below normal. The liver was producing bile less than 10 hours out of surgery, this is also good. His color is good, his blood pressure is good. This morning he goes back into surgery to have all the drains removed and will come off of the breathing machine. I will go check in this evening. Since they only perform transplants and other specialties the hospital is very quiet and vacant. Almost eerie. The staff is calm and good humored a pleasant change from most hospitals. Of course there was a downside which almost had me gone. While the group in the room pre-surgery was all excited and filled with joy somewhere a family was grieving. I just could not bring myself to celebrate.  The liver was late arriving because the family was having a difficult time letting go and saying good-bye.  But not everyone in the room knew that at the time. They probably never will. I do. Acy does. She has been in their shoes also. The goofy kid she was has turned into an amazing woman. Over the past few days I have seen several of her many sides. She is faceted, like a diamond and she sparkles even in the midst of stress.

I am off to mail a letter.

Cheers