So, this is a bit of a novel. I have a lot to say. If you aren't in the mood for a bunch of words, feel free to scroll to the pics.
As we get back into life before the pandemic, hanging out with other families, playdates, etc., I'm reminded that I actually have people. I have friends. At times since March of 2020, it has felt lonely. It was just me and my kids a lot of the time. And now that Dan and I have been vaccinated (along with half of the population), it feels safer to hang out with people.
But I wanted to take a minute to say to those of you who still feel lonely and are ready to start socializing again, go for it. Just start reaching out. I would say 80% of the time I'm hanging out with people, I've invited them. I'm usually the one to reach out. Just because people don't ask you to hang out doesn't mean they don't want to. Some people just aren't good at planning, thinking ahead or even putting themselves out there for fear of rejection. And a lot of the time, the answer isn't yes. I don't take it personal. And if you're still wearing a mask and stearing clear of everyone, set up a social distance picnic meet up at a park or something. Just tell a few people you're going to be there and see what happens. I'll go with you if you want. I just hate to think that anyone I know is lonely and craving human connection and feeling bad about themselves. So please reach out anytime. I mean it.
Anywho, we entered back into the world of the living and the world of the crazy. I feel like the last week has been pretty interesting, to say the least.
First, Angus nearly drowned. Next, a motorcyclist passed out on the sidewalk in my normal walking route. I had a strange stranger encounter at Costco and then we found a baby rattlesnake in our backyard.
Angus didn't really nearly drown. BUT I did have to jump in the pool with my clothes on to rescue him from drowning. A floaty full of kids fell on top of him. I looked to see if Mya or Winter were close enough to rescue him but they were not. So, with my non-waterproof phone in hand, I jumped in, grabbed him with one hand while holding my phone up in the air with the other. He was mildly traumatized but got back in the next day, so I guess that means he's over it.
The next day, going for a walk down the busy street of Siera Madre, I came upon a young man lying in the middle of the sidewalk with his motorcycle helmet next to him and his new scratched-up bike parked a few feet away. There was a lady on the phone with 911 explaining where to send an ambulance. She had a baby in a stroller and a dog in tow so I stayed with her until the ambulance arrived in case she needed to leave. I guess what happened was that this man crashed his bike up in the canyon, got back on his bike (through pure adrenaline) and rode down to the closest major street and proceeded to pass out on the sidewalk. He was in and out of consciousness until the ambulance arrived. I'd like to think he was okay once he received medical care.
That same day, I went to Costco and an older gentleman got in line behind me and asked if he could go ahead of me since I had two carts worth of groceries packed into one cart and he only had about 10 items in his. I looked around at all the other lines with people in them including the self-checkout and apologized but I couldn't let him go ahead of me. I was already running late for an appointment. It was Friday afternoon at Costco. Probably the worst time to shop in a hurry. Normally I'm the person that asks people if they'd like to go ahead of me. He proceeded to ask lots of personal questions including the nature of the appointment I was late for, how many kids I had, the occupation of my husband, the gender of my kids and whether or not I was a good mom. He was appalled that I don't really cook, being a mom of 4, told me he hoped my son didn't grow up to be a sissy having 3 older sisters, then confessed that he got in line behind me so that he could talk to me. He told me all about his siblings, most of whom sadly passed away, and how he now lives alone in Laughlin, Nevada and drives all the way to San Dimas Costco because they have the good vitamin water.
I don't mean to brag but this is not the first time I've been hit on by a man in his 70s. It has happened more than you'd think. Probably because I do most of my shopping during the weekday mornings, the same time as the retired crowd. But this guy was pushier than the usual older dude. After loading all my groceries on the counter, I walked to the register, hoping there would be too much distance to continue the conversation... but he followed and continued to talk. Then after I paid, I walked around the corner of the counter and waited by my cart, hoping again that there would be too much distance but he followed again. I told him to have a nice day and turned my back to him and answered a text message. He kept talking to me. I was literally trapped. I know that some of you more aggressive ladies would have told him to back up mind his business but I couldn't. He was harmless. The Costco employees gave me looks of sympathy and after a minute or two more of politely smiling at this poor lonely older dude, I waved and pushed my cart quickly toward the exit and then toward my car. I loaded up my groceries, looking over my shoulder, half expecting the guy to be parked close by. He wasn't. I escaped and returned home barely in time to unload the groceries and make my appointment.
Speaking of males trying to get my attention, I came across this guy on my walk last Saturday. Did you know that the male peacocks are the pretty ones? The females don't have those pretty feathers. But they can fly. Males can't. So when they have an encounter similar to my Costco one, they can just fly away.
Sunday, we had some extra kids over. So, we went to the pool (the best place to take a bunch of kids). When we returned home, one of the kids walked out into the backyard to hang her towel up to dry and saw a snake a few feet from her. She jumped back in the house, closed the door and said, "There's a snake out there!" Figuring it was a little garter snake, I casually opened the slider and peered over where she had said it was. To my surprise, a baby rattler shook his little tail at me as I gasped and quickly closed the door.
I called Dan at work and asked him what I should do. There were 7 kids in the house and I'd never encountered this type of emergency before. He called the local fire department and they came over and took care of it. And by that I mean they chopped its head off with a shovel and took it away in a plastic bag. All of the kids got a front-row seat to the action through the sliding glass door. I thanked them and they were on their way. For the record, the black bumblebee in my car was still way more terrifying.
R.I.P. little guy...
God was watching out for us as usual. I rarely keep Otter inside when I leave the house because she has been known to leave me presents upon my return. But on this day, I kept her inside on a whim, probably because it was a bit warm out. Had she gone outside at all, she would have been bitten for sure. The snake was hiding out right next to her water bowl. (pic above) And Angus has been playing with his trucks daily right next to the place where the snake was. But today we went to church and the pool so he didn't have a chance to play outside.
I pray all the time for the kids' protection and I never know what that means until I see exactly how He answers my prayers. That includes me seeing the second Angus needed me in the pool too. I can't physically keep my eye on them every second they are in there but I always seem to catch the seconds that count and I know that's my Heavenly Father.
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