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!