Thursday, January 20, 2011

Crazy Stories

There is no place like home – even if it is a tiny little, half-finished house in the middle of a hay pasture in OK. I got home late Tuesday night, and I have so much to tell you. I don’t know where to begin, and some things will have to wait, but I have had some exciting moments this past week.

Yesterday, being my first day home, I had lots to do. A friend called bright and early to say that there had been a stabbing near my house and the police were looking for the culprit. Sure enough, the helicopters were out and there were police at the nearby intersection. Jesse and I don’t scare easily, and we were not too worried. Our house is out in the open – someone would have to cross the open hay field to get to us, and we have big dogs to raise a ruckus. The dogs were quiet all morning, well at least they were until the helicopter showed up. We did lock the doors and set out the big gun. Nothing ever came of it. Apparently, a family member of one of our neighbors was the culprit. He was caught mid-morning, but I have not seen any news on the subject to know what really happened. The rest of the day was pretty normal.

Last night Jes made dinner for us. She made some sort of vegan lasagna that she had eaten and gotten the recipe from my SIL. It was quite tasty. It was the conversation that was really interesting. We were stuffing our faces around the dinner table when Toby mentioned that Jesse had made a pot of mixed beans for him earlier in the week. They had given him terrible gas problems. Jesse then admitted that the lasagna we were eating had given her gas the first time she had eaten it while in Austin. Toby and I both dropped our forks. "Great!" I said with much sarcasm, "We are about to go to church tonight. If your dad and I get up and leave early, you just be sure to follow us out." Jesse replied, "I will follow, but at a safe distance."

Before the meal was over, Jes asked, "Where does tofu come from?" Toby replied, "Austin."

Tuesday, I was traveling across West Texas with my MIL when we stopped to eat barbecue in Dickens, which happens to have pretty good barbecue. My MIL has had some health issues, but eating/appetite have not been an issue. In fact some of the medications she is on make her hungry. We had held out for a late lunch just so we could have barbecue. My MIL took about four bites of her sliced beef sandwich and began to gurgle. Having seen this before, I knew what was happening. I was not too worried because she could still talk and breathe. It was the drink of water she took trying to wash down the barbecue that was a mistake. I did have to do the Heimlich maneuver, which seem to dislodge the food, and we were good to go. No one in the barbecue place paid us any attention or was any help. My MIL was fine after that, and we went on our way. It is important to put on a quiet calm face when something like this happens. It is after the fact that you think, "OMG!"

One other exciting event happened while I was in Lubbock. After a long day at the hospital with my MIL, Toby and I went out to eat and then stopped by the grocery store in Lubbock. It was pretty late, but we needed a few things for the next day. As I was walking toward the checkout line, I saw this large man with a big Santa Clause beard. He was definitely someone you would notice. I came to a stop right before him and said his name. It took him just a second, and he said mine. Then we hugged. It was an old friend whom I had not seen in 20 years. We stood there and talked for a long time and exchanged addresses – of course he does not use a computer – the gub’mint might be watchin’ ya know." It was so good to see H. He was someone whom I had thought of often over the years and wondered about. H. led the most interesting life and had the most unique way of looking at things – never a dull moment with him. I could tell lots of stories on H, but I don’t think he would want that – so I won’t. What were the chances of us being at the same place at the same time and meeting again in Lubbock, TX? Crazy!

11 comments:

joyce said...

I have missed your stories! I am glad you are back safe. wow

Did Jess rinse the first boiling of the beans? That usually helps with gas. Not sure why lazagna would give one gas. Unless it was full of broccoli?

cold here, so it must be super cold there. still waiting on baby James. guess he likes where he is, but they will induce tomorrow (Friday) so we will drive up for his birthday.

Unknown said...

I posted this on HeimlichHeroes.com (in the Twitter feed)

Buck said...

"Where does tofu come from?" Toby replied, "Austin."

Heh. And Beserkeley... and Aspen... and Taos... We could go on.

Welcome home!

As for the gub'mint watching... we KNOW they are, but some of us just don't care. Sorta.

Bag Blog said...

Joyce,
Jesse did soak the beans, but they were an odd assortment of beans. As for the lasagna, it was a vegan - serious vegitarian. Yes, it had broccoli. I told that story just for you and Bob knowing how you like a good fart story.

Iris, thanks, I think.

Buck,
It is so good to be home, but very busy. I feel the same way about the gub'mint. It reminds me of when I was first teaching school. A kid came up to my desk and said that I should not lean over my desk as I was doing because one of the guys could see down my blouse. I must have been having a bad day because I replied, "If he is that hard up, I guess he can look."

Anonymous said...

... bhwahhahaa.... Tofu comes from Austin!.... that is hilarious....

Eric

Andy said...

Glad to have you back, Lou!

I like tofu. I didn't know it came from Austin, though. Nyuk!

Running in to an old friend like that is VERY common in my life. It happens all the time. Once when I was in Orlando, FL I ran into an old friend in a restaurant.

In Manhattan, we ran in to friends from Colorado.

In Hot Springs, we ran into friends from Boston.

In New Orleans, we ran in to friends from Kentucky.

Weird, that.

Buck said...

Weird, that.

I'll second that phenomenon. It used to happen to me ALL the time when I was in the AF and later in life when I spent a lot of time on the road with Ed's Famous Data System. Not so much anymore... mainly coz P-Ville is pretty much the end o' the earth. I mean, you CAN see it... the end... from here.

My weirdest "old friend" moment happened in the street in Amsterdam, late at night... when this booming "Hey BUCK!" shout in a Scottish burr came down on me. It was from an old client, a guy I had worked with in London about six years previous. Off to the bar we went, and it was like ol' times... only better.

Buck said...

And there we go... hijacking Lou's comments. Again.

wv: layroi. It's good to be the king.

Andy said...

Heh! I doubt Lou will give us grief over it.

It is quite interesting, though. Even when I don't run in to someone I know, it's amazing as you talk to strangers how often they'll be from some place where you have a friend or acquaintance, and they end up knowing that person.

In many ways, it IS a small world.

Bag Blog said...

Buck and Andy, you know I love it when I get comments or take-overs. Any kind of conversation is good with me.

Toby and I were walking down the street passing by one of those churches turned pubs in Aberdeen, Scotland one evening when someone hollered "Hey Toby." It totally freaked me out. How could anyone know us? But it was one of the guys who worked in the Aberdeen office with Toby.

family reunions t shirts said...

your story really rocks me!