What's Wrong With This Picture?

At first glance, nothing. The husband's grilling. The trees are blooming. But, wait for it...wait for it...THIS is what's wrong with the picture!

This sucker was hanging just outside our kitchen. He went unnoticed for awhile. And then out of the blue there he was. I'm pretty sure I yelled 'Holy F!' before scuttling inside to arm myself for battle.
I took a few moments to marvel at his horrendousness. And snap some pictures to document. And then we sprayed the shit out of him.
Can you see him in the stream?
He was completely white by the time we were done. Then he crawled in his hole and died. So I might be able to get some sleep tonight.

A Fox and a Hot Dog

I saw a fox today. Eating a hot dog. It walked right up to the concession stand and snatched it. Sort of disturbing.

Today I offered* to share my Reese's. I'll pause a moment for your applause. Seriously. This was a huge accomplishment for me.

*Thankfully the offer was not accepted. Phew.

Shopping Carts, ATMs and TV Remotes

I am a little bit of a germaphobe. Not so much at home or even out in the real world. But at work I am a fanatic. I wash. I scrub. I sanitize. I try not to wear work clothes around the house once I get home. (Especially after the hubby delightfully pointed out this article). But as soon as I am showered and changed these rules go out the window. Where at work I won't touch my water bottle without Purelling, at home I don't think twice about it. Snacking while on the computer, no problem. Skittle on the floor? That's okay the floor was cleaned, err...last week. I'm careful while cooking, don't want to cross contaminate and wind up with salmonella, but otherwise I don't obsess about cleanliness while snacking around the house. And then I read THIS article.

It's all about common objects you come across during every day activity. Shopping carts, for example. Shopping carts, where you place your food before shuttling it home to eat, have been found to contain dangerous bacterias, with up to 80% contaminated. Self-checkout screens are rife with bacteria that have been transplanted. And ATMs are just as dirty.

A few expected items made the top ten, with recommendations not to share toothbrushes, razors and hairbrushes (although nothing was said about the fact we use them ourselves). But the one that grossed me out the most was the TV remote. It is said to be the germiest item in homes. You don't even think about it. Channel surfing during dinner. Pausing the movie to get some popcorn. Just failing to wash your hands prior to eating. And in your own home is one thing. But what about at a friends house? Or hotel room. The previous occupant failed to wash his hands after using the restroom and deposited E. coli on the remote. E. coli. As in bacteria from fecal matter. This remote is now laying on your pillow as you channel surf while enjoying your vending machine Snickers.

Gross.

Aloha!

Since we last spoke...Exciting news update...I am going to Hawaii!!
Well, actually, WE are going to Hawaii. We hijacked Brandrew's trip and kinda, sorta invited ourselves along. And then nagged and plotted and forced their hands in buying tickets early. A procrastinator in most things in life, when it comes to travel I am on the ball! So booking tickets 9 months in advance seems completely normal to me. We are now all booked for 14 hours of travel. I will be dreaming of palm trees all winter. Palm trees are one of my all time favorite things!

One of my not so favorite things...driving to AND from work in the dark and rain. If it is going to rain it could at least be sunny. And if I have to spend 12 and half hours holed up indoors the sun could at least appear before I arrive to work or stay up long enough for me to catch a peek at the end of my day. It's only September and I'm already missing the long days of sunny summer. I am dreading day light savings time. The dark days of winter are not my friend.

News flash #2: I am a negative person. I was informed of this today by a coworker. Alright, so it wasn't really a newsflash. I am aware that I often choose negative thoughts over positive ones. I like to ponder worst case scenarios. But it's not because I actually believe they will happen. I just like to be prepared. Thinking of everything that can go wrong prepares me when something does. And when everything works out, I'm that much happier. Weird? Slightly screwed up? Maybe. So since virtual strangers are recognizing my pessimism I'm going to attempt a more positive outlook in the future. I'll be a glass half full kind of gal. The grass is greener on MY side of the fence. And since the rain couldn't possibly slow down my AM commute I get 15 extra minutes of sleep tonight. Positivism could work for me. ;)