R is for Racoons, rabbits, and... No, not happening...

My reputation as a country kid followed me when I went to college.  I suppose it was when I tried to raise corn on the window sill that it was cemented in that I liked nature.  (Or that I was a nutcase, but I like to think the other...)

This was a two-edged sword, as I was then the "expert" for any animals roaming about.  Especially those that managed to get in people's apartments.  We had a period of time when the landlord was working on people's bathrooms, thereby leaving holes that would lead outside.  At least if you were four footed.  Or not...

Also, quite a few folks, during the spring and summer, would leave the front door, or the back window open during the day.  This lead to my helping someone get a bird to leave... This one was pretty easy, had them turn off all the lights, then open door and window.  Then walk toward bird.  Bird took off, pooping as it went, which upset the person.  I shrugged, explaining, it's what birds do.  I found out she started telling others that I was some sort of  'animal expert'.

I went on to help someone remove: a cat, a couple rabbits, and one opposum.  (You'd be amazed what you can do with a cookie pan and a large blanket.)  A raccoon was a bit more tricky, we managed to do that by closing the door to the bathroom where it came up, and getting some stinky food, (cheese?  I don't remember, but it smelled...) and putting it by the vent nearest that bathroom.  Sure enough, about 10 or so minutes later, the furry bandit's nose was twitching 'round the corner.  After a nice lunch for the critter, we started blocking vents.

Thought we had blocked them all...

I was doing some homework, when there was a knock on my door.  A tiny lady that lived at the end apartment asked if I would help her with an animal in her tub.

Uh, sure...

We walked back to her apartment, one of the last ones to be repaired, and in the tub, nearly as long AS the tub, was a boa constrictor!  Please note, I am not afraid of snakes.  However, this critter was big, and I don't know how to handle large snakes.  I turned, and told her that this was a time to call the police.

I kid you not, she looked at me like I was nuts, and said, it's a snake, not a burglar.  Nonplussed, I replied, yes, but the police know who to contact for animal control.

Oh...

It was rather a good thing we did call the police, as someone a few houses away had called that their pet snake had wandered off while sunbathing.  (!!!)  So, I waited with the lady, who WAS afraid of snakes, and didn't want to be alone, if it got out.  We waited by her front door, until the police, and animal control arrived, soon to be followed by the owner.  This parade went in, the owner came out with said animal.

That's when I decided to tell the landlord I was going to start charging him for animal removal if he didn't get all the holes plugged up in the apartments!

Z is for Thus Spoke Zarathustra.

(Yes, I made it.  Late, and I am not sure how, but I did make it!!!)

College was an interesting time for me.  I have been told you "find" yourself in high school, learning who you are, and your "identity".  I still debate that, I am well out of high school, and am still changing and learning about myself.  That being said, I think that college was when I really started finding what I liked, disliked, and worked on my ideas and ideals.

I found that I could read modern poetry- and actually enjoy some of it.  I started reading Shakespeare in about 3rd grade, (Mom had to nearly whip the librarian to allow me to check it out), and I thought the modern stuff was just going to be fluffy "moon, June" writing, not deep.

I learned I was wrong...  And some of the writing was deep, glorious, thought provoking, and interesting.  Note:  I did say "some"...

I learned that I could stand up for my ideals.  I don't like to get political on my blog, but I supported a protest, and was able to rationally explain to someone why I was doing so.  In retrospect, I don't know that I would do that very same thing today, not that I wouldn't or don't believe the same way now. It just seems like people are more violent about their beliefs.  But I know I could, and can.

My music taste enlarged when I went to college.  I loved country, growing up with it.  But when I went to college, I was presented with many eclectic things, from Alternative to Zydeco, and frankly, found very little I didn't like!  I also first fell in love with Tom Petty's music* about this time, from buying a second hand cassette tape, and playing it on the way to school.  At the time, he had competition from everyone from the Andrews Sisters to Vivaldi.  Wait, never mind, he still does.  But, there is a lot more of his music that I have now!

I also learned humor is a great ice breaker.  We had a common room, and a television.  One of the soaps was on, and the sound turned down.  We then made our own dialogue.  This lead to some belly laughs, especially when someone changed the channel.  A woman had been talking to a man, and the new program had two men talking.  One of the guys sitting in the room piped up, bass voice, "Geez, honey, that plastic surgery really didn't go well, did it?"  I have no idea what people thought of our revised plot lines, but I had some great times with it.

I learned how to get into a frozen car, how to budget, cooking, negotiation with (most) neighbors, make friends, even if they don't speak my language, and the fact that if you inquire about the Austrailan Lottery from a friend, you get a lot of crap in your mailbox. And the title book is something that I made an effort to read, more than once, and really, really, wonder what the attraction is.

Oh, and I learned educational things, too.  But the other stuff was more fun...

* Ok, for my regular readers, you KNEW that I had to get Mr. Petty in there SOMEWHERE!  :)

******

We are having a levy coming up, and Mom and I were handing out flyers, Chinese menu style, hooking them to doorknobs in a community.  (Thanks again for the help, Mom.) 

It was one of those days, I had sort of slogged to awake, and then arriving at the store we were supposed to meet at, we couldn't find the person handing out the flyers.  Finally, found him, and took off.  Went to the street, I thought I was supposed to be on, when I realized my first gear was acting up, and I also wasn't finding the addresses marked I was supposed to put the flyers on.  

I called Husband, and asked if the first gear was a symptom of a problem of the master cylinder, which had been acting up.  His verbose answer, "Yep."  Oh, joy...  So, I wandered around the block a couple times trying to find the right place.  No addresses.  Aaaand the first is getting worse.  

I finally called, asking my Dad, who worked in the area, and we finally established that a) there was a gap between part of the road, one part in the east of town, the other in the west, and b) I needed to get home before I had real problems with the Jeep.  

My third call was to the boss, "I need to go home, and change vehicles, my master cylinder is almost out.  I will then come back in and take care of the flyers."  There was a long pause, and the laughing reply, "That's the best excuse I have heard, go home, be safe."  

Went home, using gears 2 through 5 (Blessing on low geared vehicles...), and parked it.  Picked up Mom and we went out to flyer the area.  Found the right place, and proceeded to do our thing.  

I felt strange.  I was not a regular in the area, but no one came out to see why I was walking around people's places, no one stopped me, or checked why that their doors were rattling, (I had to tie the flyer with a rubber band to the doorknob, and sometimes I made the door jostle slightly.)  It was almost eerie, but also worried me, no one was paying attention to someone walking randomly around vehicles, cars, etc.?  Mom said she had the same response, except for one place, where she said the dogs in the house most definitely noticed her, and were NOT appreciative.  

I asked my Dad, he'd worked doing phone repairs for years, and he nodded knowingly.  Yes, he said, people just don't seem to care.  He said he'd only been challenged to show an I.D. card or proof of what he was doing about three times in... 20+ years!  

Wow.  Just wow.