I do not miss people

I know this pandemic has been difficult.  Kids were ripped away from their friends and some people left their offices one day not realizing they wouldn't return for months. And obviously the worst...people died or have debilitating issues because of COVID. 

It's been...weird for us all.  People talk about missing that human contact.  Now I am not anti social.  Actually I am very social so not being out and about to me has been downright awful but I can say with 100% certainty I am fine with not being in an office environment. 

I had to venture in the other day for reasons and it made me realize I DO NOT MISS IT! 

You know why?  Because people are f**king gross! 

First of all I was hoping to be the only one there but I had company.  This person is someone I consider a friend and care about immensely. 

This particular day they made coffee for both of us (I brought my own but felt obligated to have 1 cup since they made it). 

This was by far the WORST cup of coffee I have had in quite some time.  I attributed it to it being a different brand...the water...it being weak...I dunno  But something didn't sit right.  It was REALLY bad and I ended up dumping it.  

I left for a meeting but ended up coming back before heading home.  I was the only one there ...hmmmm......so I went about closing up shop, so to say.  That's when I realized the kitchen hadn't been cleaned.  Coffee was still in the pot, grinds were in the basket and sugar spilled on the counter.  

I wasn't planning on coming back and my coworker doesn't come in everyday....soooooo that would have sat there for days....DaYs!!!!

Then it hit me.  Like a f**king freight train hit me.  

That's why the coffee tasted so bad!!!! Because the pot is never cleaned.  It sits there with cold stale coffee that probably molds. And the grinds sit & ferment...and probably mold in the basket for DAYS!!!  Lord knows the last time the water was purged from the tank.  

I am pretty sure I drank mold brewed coffee with a hit of sugar. 

I needed to cleanse my palette when I got home.  

Who me...?

 

So we were at an "event".  Like a small socially distant event.  But not like something you would dress up for...or look even close to your best.  To be honest I probably looked a little like death.  No makeup and very little sleep.  

As per our usual we were taking photos.  On the way out we saw there was a backdrop to take pics in front of.  One of my girls and I were about to selfie when I heard someone say "please let me".  When I looked up there was this stupidly attractive guy.  He kinda looked like a cross between Jake Gyllenhaal and Chris Hemsworth.  Not tall but extremely cute with crystal blue eyes and a full beard.  Um okay....sure.

So I gave him my phone to snap a couple pics.  This turned into a 10 min, multiple picture photo shoot.  

"okay now you do this"

"Now look that way"

"No masks, lets see those pretty smiles"

We were cracking up.  He was CLEARLY having a good time making us giggle. Then my husband walked up.  He froze for a split second and was like

"we need you in there, sir, get in the middle"

So many more pics but not quite as silly.  He smiled almost shyly and handed me back my phone. 

It was one of those rainy days so we bolted to our vehicle to go home.  When we got to the car my girl was like "I don't know which one of us he was flirting with but he was obviously flirting with us...right?!"

Yes ma'am 100%.  Hubs was like, I can't leave y'all alone for 5 min. 

When I looked at the pics they were great!  We looked so naturally happy because he was making us laugh.  There were close ups of both of us individually and together.  Some with our heads back cracking up or bent over belly laughing. 

So I am not sure if he was hitting on one of us or just a really nice, funny guy but he made our day.  Plus did I mention he was really really cute so I guess if he was flirting, we were flattered.

Eleventy

 I have no idea what that means but I woke myself up saying that.  Like I literally jolted awake saying "Eleventy". 

At the time I vaguely remember, remembering more of the dream but now its just that word.  A word as far as I know I've never heard!  Okay maybe I've heard it...maybe but I don't recall and I really want to know why my subconscious woke me up saying that.  

I said 2021 needed to chill, not FREEZE the South!

So obvi with COVID still running rampant Mardi Gras was cancelled.  Well the parades and formal parties were canceled and I get it, but b**ch you cannot take MY holiday!  

I love holidays but Halloween and Mardi Gras are my FAVORITES.  So even if I can't parade and get silly with my family & peeps, I am still celebrating...in place.  

On Kings day I decorated.  I have Purple, Green, & Gold lights, a Mardi Gras Wreath, and countless beads and Mardi Gras  stuff all over.  It makes me happy.  I mean 80% of my decor was caught from floats over the years but it works.   

We are still doing the King Cake thing because who the eff cancels King Cake?!?!  And on Mardi Gras  Day we had plans to sit on a porch and people watch because although all the $hit is shut down you know there will be people roaming the streets looking at House Floats and other decor.  And we were probably going to go looking for House Floats ourselves.  

Oh right and that's something we did too.  We couldn't go to parades so THOUSANDS of houses became floats you can visit on your own time AND City park did a reverse parade.   Floats in the Oaks, where you drive past the parade.  Look you can "officially" shut it down but you can't kill our spirit.  Mardi Gras is our holiday, we will figure out a way to still have SOMETHING!

I mean look at this, this is SE LA.

But wait...look at the US.

It all over the world. Not as much as down here but look at the Mardi Gras spirit everywhere!!! God, I love my City...sometimes haha

https://www.kreweofhousefloats.org/map

Moving on.  We've had cold Mardi Gras.  We've had years where just catching a pair of beads caused immense pain because your hands were basically frozen.  But this year is about to be a record year for cold.  As of right now when we wake up on Mardi Gras Day it will be 26 degrees with wind chills in the upper teens.  Pardon me but do we know we live in the South?  Like the DEEP SOUTH!  

So Monday we will be shut down for Icy Roads..again.  Hopefully not this far South but only 20 miles west of us they will have possible snow so WTAF Mother Nature?!?!?!

Like I said 2021 needs to...let's go with calm the f**k down! Whatever, I am celebrating something so happy Mardi Gras y'all!

It's like a nest of vampires!

As I was cooking dinner, I noticed Thing 1 and Thing 2 rubbing their faces on something in the yard.

So I go out to investigate and see something white in the grass.  

That's about when the white blob was yeeted at me.

So my fearless "hunting" dogs caught another f**king opossum!  

I thought for 2 seconds it was one of the ones from the other night but no.  This one was not massive but also not small....it was somewhere in between....

Speedy not wanting to leave his prize is circling like a shark.  Lil bit went to the door when I screamed.

I dragged Speedy to the door and threw them inside.  I went back out with a flashlight.

That's when I saw the blood

Wait did he actually injured this one?!  So I knelt down and saw it was breathing *whew*.  Is it *whew*, I don't want it to suffer....

I came in to call animal control since its hurt and of course check my idiots for injuries.  Both are fine but neither have blood on them.

Went back out and it had moved a little but froze when it saw me.  I got closer and could see the blood was on its side by the back leg.  I don't think the dogs did it.  Speedy had it by its neck.  I got closer, it looked like holes...like maybe a BB gun or something.  F**king A, someone shot it!!!

Okay now I'm mad.  I am almost positive an injured opossum came into the yard because some dip$hit shot it!  

My dogs are acting on instinct to catch prey.  They are rough but generally don't injure or kill.  But a human shooting an animal in a residential area, come on.  I get they are "pests" to some but it was hurt.  If you are gonna be a dick at least finish the job.  I called back animal control and left that on the VM too. 

He/she is gone now, hopefully it's okay.  

That Sir, is not a toy!

So my Speedy, oh Speedy has a fondness for proving to me he is in fact a hunting dog, even if he is scared of his own shadow.  

The other night I was trying to go to bed early because I had a race the next morning, which meant I decided at 9:30 it was a wonderful time to clean my house.

Around 10:40 I let the pups out to potty before bed and went about finishing my cleaning.  As I walked to throw something away I happened to look into the yard.  All I saw were two dog butts poking out of the bushes and wiggling.  

I opened the door and just before I can hollar, Speedy yeets something furry out of the shrubbery.

Now I'm running and he is pouncing on whatever it is, when little bit comes trotting out gently holding something else furry in her mouth.

So I start yelling.  She drops it and comes to me, "good dog".  He on the other hand is circling his "kill".  I am freaking out not knowing what they caught, but as I got closer .......

It was a GIANT F**KING OPOSSUM and its baby.  

No really, it was HUGE!  Speedy is literally tossing a 20 lb opossum around like a rag doll as lil bit ran around in panicked circles and I yelled for him to drop it.  

Everytime he starts to go towards the door, he doubles back and pokes it with his nose, like he's trying to get it to move.  Finally someone hears me and comes outside to tell me to stop yelling like a crazy person before going "HOLY $HIT!"  Yes, I know, help me!

So I am standing over something like this....but WAY bigger....covered in dog drool....

....an ugly stinky marsupial with freakishly sharp teeth and its baby...playing possum...trying to keep my dog from murdering it further.

We finally get Speedy to leave his "kill" and go inside.  During the commotion the baby waddled off but momma was not moving.

So we poked it with a stick and it hissed "whoo hoo it's alive".

When we got inside we checked out the pups for bites/scratches (all good) and realized he smelled AWFUL!  I didn't really know opossums smelled funky but I guess that makes sense.  

It's like this musky, dirt smell.  

So at like 11:30 Speedy got a shower and we got maybe 5 hours of sleep.