… squooshing a pretty big bug?

And by pretty big bug I mean it was pretty, it was big, and it was certainly a bug. Close as I can tell it was a Hummingbird Clearwing Moth and most closely resembled a cross between a bumblebee, a moth, and some of my worst nightmares as a child.

Notice the past tense.

It flew in the front room (see the project from yesterday which I continued on today) while I was scraping paint from the windows and walls and startled me. Which is never a good thing to do to a woman in a precarious mental condition.

And I squooshed it.

Can I blame this on the bleach fumes from earlier in the day when I bleached and Mr. Clean-ed the floor? So as I frantically looked up “scary bug that is a cross between a moth and a bumblebee” the guilt started. Poor big scary bug, er, moth, er, whatever.  And I wondered how long it would take for the Karma to kick in.

As it turns out it took about an hour and forty five minutes … more or less.

You may recall, if you have been reading this blog for a while, that I mistakenly went to a picnic last Sunday … make that I tried to go to a picnic last Sunday. It unfortunately wasn’t scheduled till today.

So I went to pick up my friend Linda … Texas Linda … from Texas.

And off we went with goodies in hand to attend the picnic … in the heat and humidity. Which is nothing to a good old gal from Texas. But is misery to a good old gal from Pennsylvania. But off we went.

Having arrived and introducing Linda all around … “and how are you, Linda?” … “Oh, I’m finer than frog hair split five ways, thank you.” … we sat to have lunch. And talk to the other folks.

Now maybe I mentioned that this was a political picnic. I know I did last week. And we had stumbled into the enemy camp by accident … last week. This week they came to us.

After having our fill of hot dogs, bar-b-que and salads, we were told that the local and state candidates would be speaking for a few minutes. No bad Karma here, right? Just listening. And first up was a long winded gentleman who was representing another candidate. She would not have been proud.

Halfway through his tirade, Texas Linda mumbled in my ear ” My, My. Isn’t he all proud of that one thought he has had all day.”. This was probably not a good sign. I’m just saying.

Once he finished, he introduced another speaker … the gentleman whom I am supporting in a local election. He spoke eloquently and it felt good to know I was supporting someone who was so qualified and genuinely a nice man. And who actually had a chance of winning. Linda wrote a check. This is good.

Next up was a man I could have cheerfully lived without having heard. Without going into details, it made me despair of the fact that we have four more months of campaigning to look forward to. And he sprinkled his speech with numerous disparaging comments to the South. And the ever-popular “Well, he says he is following the Constitution. He fails to tell you its the Confederate Constitution.”

Was that a growl I heard from Texas Linda?

Why yes it was … as she said in a clipped tone “I have READ the Confederate Constitution. I wonder if HE has read the Confederate Constitution.” Uh-oh. Dangerous ground.

As he finally, mercifully ended his speech the floor was turned over to one man who can  be called, charitably, a blowhard. He speaks to hear himself speak. And last year offended no fewer than five people. Out of fifty.

He began to elaborate on how a certain bill in the State was certainly unconstitutional. And how it forced people to spend money where they should not … and on and on and on. Most people’s eyes had long glazed over … when Linda, who had been almost twitching in her seat, raised her hand.

“Excuse me, sir, but I think you are mistaken. There is no charge for that.” To which he replied “Well, of course there is” Can you feel the steam coming out of her ears from where you are? I certainly could.

“No, I know you are mistaken, sir” and she used the term sir loosely, “since I took my friend David to the office in question Friday. And they gave him the document. For free.”

At this point the blowhard glared at Linda and moved on … “Well, no matter …  on that other topic …” amd proceeded to continue boring the audience. I couldn’t hear what Linda mumbled under her breath, but I think it had something to do with his lineage …

At that point his voice rose as he said “And that’s nothing compared to what that village idiot from Texas did back when he was in office. But what can you expect?” That was the straw that broke the camels back.

“That’s it … I can’t take him any more.” she said … loudly enough for anyone to hear … as she rose and stormed from the picnic pavillion. I soon followed, telling those who asked that she was indeed a Texas native … and was not feeling the love.

As we drove down the road, she apologized for having stormed out … but in reality, it was 99 degrees, with humidity pretty close to that. And I really was hoping to leave early anyway.

God Bless Texas!