The Old Man is Snoring

It's been raining since Tuesday...it rained and rained and rained and this caused a lot of flooding out here in the swamp. So much so that people were actually traveling around by boat. This was not just a spat of rain, it was a torrential downpour augmented by massive jolts of electricity and tornadoes. "Cats and Dogs" did not describe this rain, "Lions and Wolves" didn't even cut it.

It was funny. Tuesday afternoon, when my parents and I stood in our driveway and stared at the black cloud of death that hovered in the distance, coming closer as the seconds passed; my father said: It's only going to rain for, like, 5 minutes...it's not going to rain forever.

It rained 5 minutes. It rained the rest of Tuesday, all through the night...and continued raining until today...although we're still expected to get showers.

Now, if you've read this blog before, you might ask: But this is so unlike you, why are you telling this story?

I'll tell you why.

As I said before, all of this rain caused a lot of flooding. When an area floods, things from below tend to float up. Correct? Well, not only is there and abundance of septic tanks, but also a poorly crafted sewer system. When these areas flood...reader...what do YOU think comes up into the water?

That's right, the flood water is no better than a wet port-o-potty.

Do you know what most of the children and a lot of the teenagers and many of the young adults here happen to do when there is a flood?

THEY PLAY IN THE FUCKING WATER!

I can understand the children; clearly, there's no one paying enough attention and they don't know any better. I can even go so far as to say I understand the teenagers who probably weren't listening if they WERE told. (Being 18 and therefore still, technically, a teenager...I am aware of my capacity to not listen XD)

Here's my problem. I have a friend who just happens to be 22 years old, she's lived here her entire life and she STILL PLAYS IN THE GODDAMN FLOOD WATER! The scarier part is that when she was doing this, one of her friends was doing it with her and he caught...SCABIES *shudder*

Do you have any idea how horrifying the IDEA of scabies is? It's fucking MANGE! People are out there catching MANGE because they want to play in disgusting flood water.

If you don't know, scabies is a skin infection that occurs when tiny mites burrow into your skin. They leave little "s" shaped tracks in your skin as they move around and they create BURROWS.

Here's a mite:

Pretty goddamn scary isn't it? Think about that disgusting thing and ALL of his family members just a crawlin' away under your skin...AND you can see them just havin' a ball!

Now, my 22-year-old friend...(after having played in the flood water and after seeing her friend catch this awful...terrible...mortifying infection; AND, after knowing that it's quite a common thing to happen to people playing in the flood water)...well, she had only one thing to say about the whole situation:

"There's nothing wrong with it, I've been playing in the flood water my whole life!"

Which, in and of itself, is a statement that proves...beyond a reasonable doubt, no less...that all of the sun and humidity here in Florida is ACTUALLY frying important brain cells.

On a final note:
If the scabies were not frightening enough to make you stay out of the flood water, surely the possibility that an alligator would come and take you as it's dinner would make you stop right? Reader?

So I took a bit of a hiatus...

I know it's been a while since I've written here...I'm sorry to those who look for the updates. (If there are any XD)

But there's good news generated by the hiatus...it actually made for a blog post!

Originally, the hiatus had occurred because I was busy babysitting during my most active hours: night time. So posting had become a little difficult. But once the baby sitting thing was over another problem arose...a problem that was a veritable stake to the heart of a vampire...for me.

My internet went down!

I was doomed to what felt like endless hours, minutes, seconds of mind-numbing-brain-cell-frying-agonizing-drawn-out boredom. If it is possible to die from boredom...I came the closest anyone's ever come to actually doing so. There could have been lab studies on this scientific conundrum.

And the worst part of it all was that the boredom was augmented by a lack of TV and telephone. I was delirious with stagnation!

However; as you can see, I was saved...unless, of course, someone can explain how I could possibly blog from the grave.

That would be pretty cool. XD

Anyway...now I'm spending all my time on the internet again, so there should be some more blog postings in the very near future.

In the mean time...why don't you buy a cup of signature tea and relax?

Cayenne Pepper

Now, I mentioned previously about how I'd caught some kind of cold not to long ago. I caught it from a friend of mind and have since gotten over it completely. However, I'm sure you are aware, sometimes when you get over a sickness there are lingering symptoms. The straggling battles your body is fighting to kick the last of that filthy virus out. A cough, a soreness in the throat. Little things.

Well I had a leftover sore throat from this cold. Not too bad, just a nagging pain. I get impatient sometimes, so I went looking for something to help me out a bit. I prefer to stick to home remedies and things like that...quite frankly, because they tend to work.

So I found one.

A glass of warm water
A teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
A bit of salt

Mixed all together and gargled. You have to do the whole glass.

Lot's of people said it worked almost instantly and even helped loosen congestion and leftover cold sinus gunk. So I tried it...doubting that it would work as fast as people said.

I was wrong.

That stuff worked damn near instantly on me. I could feel it working with the first gargled sip. By the end of the glass I was amazed.

Way to go Cayenne Pepper!

Feelin' Kinda Bummed

Have you ever had a seriously depressing mood just kind of sweep in and take you over? That's what happened to me last night at about 1:30 am. I can't explain it...I mean, I know what the mood is and I know what the problems are that have brought on the mood...but the part I don't understand is:

The problems aren't exactly new news. They are the same problems that are always in reserve just waiting for the timing to be awful and hit me with a bummed out feeling. But right now I'm feeling like I used to when these issues first came about. Not that I expect to get some wild sympathy out of putting it here on this blog. That's ridiculous. In fact, in putting this here I'm only perpetuating the horrid habits of people I tend to make fun of...what with their Cryspace and Live Journal emo-ness.

Just knowing that for this one moment I am part of that problem makes me shudder.

But you know what's even worse? The thought that this post might be read by some teeny-bopper-emo-drama-queen-high-school-attendee and that this person is all offended because I just made fun of all that and is saying to the screen that I "just don't understand how hard it is whine, whine, whine, cry, cry"

And at the same time that makes me laugh my ass off because those people make me giggle. I mean, despite the fact that I'm feeling under the weather and started out my blog post with those sentiments...I kept it short and to the point and moved on to a more lighthearted posting.

So, to all you high school drama whiners: Suck it up!

And to the rest of you: Party on!

Cube out.

Hamthrax

Alright, I want to take a moment to talk about this swine flu.

Now really: I realize that this is thing is only one step away from being a pandemic...which of course means that we should all flee to Madagascar. (Sorry, I had to be a dork for a second)

But really, it's almost a pandemic, which implies a certain level of seriousness be applied to the situation when thinking about the flu. I mean, at this point the choices are:

1) Walk around and behave normally as if there is nothing wrong, probably catch the thing...and possibly die.

2) Walk around with one of those masks on, look like an ass, and remind everyone of SARS. You'll have a lesser chance of catching it, but you still might and therefore still might possibly die.

3) Become a complete and utter hermit while the virus is going around. Avoid human contact and survive.

My mother is seriously looking into number three...however, I see holes in this plan. Someone would have to buy groceries eventually.

And then there's this whole issue with the schools closing down, which I do agree with because those places are disease breeding grounds. But really, the school system is in bad enough shape that they should take this opportunity to revamp the whole thing.

A little multi-tasking never killed anyone.

I'd also like to point out that I hate the term H1N1, not just because it's stupid, but because part of the reason they had to start using it was because people were starting to kill off pigs because the flu is called "Swine Flu". Are you kidding me? Sometimes people really amaze me.

You know, originally people were told to "dial nine-eleven in an emergency"...that had to be changed to "dial nine-one-one".

And you know why?

Because people said that they couldn't find the "eleven key" on the phone.

Come on people!

It's Been a While

I haven't posted in a longer time than I had really expected to let this thing slide.

Why? You may ask.

Well I caught a cold, conveniently just before this whole pork flu issue made the news. My parents went haywire. My dad and brother kept bothering me and telling me I had it and I was confined to a bed for a while.

It was all insane.

Anyway, what I really wanted to talk about was people who pretend to be "helpless".

I'm sure that every one of you knows exactly what I'm talking about. We all know someone that just can't seem to do anything for themselves. Recently, it has been one of these extremely annoying people that has been giving me problems.

Two months ago I got a new cell phone, and after not having one for over a year, I was excited. So with a new contact list in tact and after spreading the word to the people I felt like telling...it was smooth sailing.

Well, so I thought. I have this friend that, while she is three years my senior, can't seem to do a damn thing for herself. Sure, if you bring it up with her, she'll argue like mad and rant about how she's an adult. But as soon as responsibility rears it's head she starts texting and calling and acting like a bird that can't leave the nest.

Why do we put up with these people?

I mean, most of us say that we don't, and yet we can all still say that we deal with these people that can't do anything for themselves?

I don't have the answer. All I know is that I once answered a phone call at 9am on a Saturday morning only to have a friend ask me how to fry eggs because he had never done it before.

I've simply come to the conclusion that I should spend more time blogging and less time answering lame text messages. Which means that this blog will be getting more attention...YAY!

Cube out!
(P.s. Check out my signature teas)

A Strange Place for a Musical

The last five days or so...for me at least...have been a bit of an on-the-road marathon. Now don't get me wrong, I love to drive...it's almost crazy, but I'd probably be happier living in a car than in my room. This theory has already been thoroughly put to the test...especially in these last few days.

It started on Thursday.

A friend and I went to go pick up another friend at the train station 110 miles away. (Mind you...there was a train station 40 miles away...however, our friend would have had to make an 11 hour stop for what we can only assume to be NO FUCKING REASON so close to where we live...it was, quite frankly...a mind fuck)

Anywho...My friend drives on the way and I drive the distance back.

Friday:
I just got my car fixed, however, it has been sitting for so long that it needs two doses of fuel injector fluid run through it before it stops stalling out due to low RPM's. On Friday, I had only had the first dose in it and needed to run out the rest of the tank so that I could administer the last of the fuel injector fluid.

So I decided to drive around aimlessly with my little brother to kill time and gas. After a few hours I still hadn't gone through the half a tank that was in there so we decided to head back home after driving along the beach for a bit. I was getting a killer headache as it was anyway. I was going to head over to an arcade with some friends, but arcade+headache=phail.

Saturday:
I made a second attempt at driving out my gas...I got a good chunk out of it (not enough of a chunk, but a chunk nonetheless) and actually found a couple parks around the area that I'd never seen before. I'm not saying that the day was wasted...but it was hot, sticky, and basically stressful due to phone calls that I will get to in a moment.

Sunday:
It was time for my friend to head back to the far away train station. No one wanted him to go, honestly, I don't even think he wanted to go. But we drove over there anyway...and he bought his ticket...and then we waited.

And then the train was delayed 6 minutes.
12 minutes.
18 minutes.
22 minutes.
26 minutes.
45-60 minutes.

Let me explain, the train station we were at...was the first stop the train had to make after leaving it's starting point station. The station it was supposed to be coming from was 4 miles away...I could have, literally, driven to it in 5 minutes.

So the question appeared: How the hell could this train be late!?

Still, we were waiting...and seeing as how boredom is the root of all strange ideas that make most normal people scream out "WHAT THE FUCK!?"...the three of us started talking about writing a musical. Not just any musical...one about people waiting for a train.

It get's scarier...
We started coming up with lyrics...and characters...and a name for the musical.

Scarier still...
This musical WILL be written.

After waiting at the train station for two hours...yes, that's right...two hours; we decided that our only feasible option was to drive 110 miles back home and go back to the train station the next day when it wouldn't be Easter Sunday and there would be more trains running. That night, I was informed that we would have to leave at 9am to get the car we were using back in time for my friend's mother...which wasn't a problem for me because I had to be up at 6:30 to drive my brother to school.

Monday:
I called my friend at 7am like she asked after I had taken my brother to his brain enhancement facility. She was dog tired..."groggy" doesn't even scratch the surface. However; we did manage to leave on time...unlike any other attempt...signs were good.

We drove to the train station, taking part in a silly sing along during the car ride because the radio seemed intent on us doing so, and my other friend got his ticket...still no bumps.

As we waited for the train (having a 20 minute conversation about the triforce...epic phail) we all knew that the plan would go off without a hitch...but no one really wanted that.

My friend left, I made the drive back again...and got back so tired I felt like just dropping dead asleep at the front door.

Tuesday:
Phone calls, drama...driving...tornadoes...more phone calls and a lot of text messages.

Now...the story you've heard so far is the part of the story that I like. A hectic but happy memory. However; there is a darker, more annoying, part of this story running alongside the whole thing. Obviously, you can see that there was a lot going on...lots of driving, and a soreness that lingers in my legs and very little to eat most of the time because everyone was running around like an energizer bunny. Quite fitting for Easter I suppose.

The whole time I'm being pestered and prodded and annoyed by text messages and phone calls all having to do with the kind of stupid drama that one would only expect to find on some ridiculous teen show like Dawson's Creek. BLEH!

The people making these calls and messages had the situation explained to them thoroughly...I was busy, and that I wouldn't be able to deal with the drama until later...preferably MUCH later.

Do they listen?

Fucking...never.