Once on a long weekend drive with the family we stopped and started to eat lunch at a picnic table under a cluster of giant trees. My daughter said something jumped on her. Then my son sort of freaked out. Then it became apparent ticks were dropping onto us from the trees above. Into our hair and clothes. We all ran screaming to the car as the ticks rained down from above. Inside the car we stripped frantically and helped each other get rid of all the crawly’s. Strangely everyone lost their appetite and just wanted to go home after that.
I like bugs but have a hard time with parasites. [shudder]
When I was a kid one set of grandparents lived in BC. Rather than pay for four (super-expensive) plane tickets, we would all climb into the family station wagon armed with a cooler full of sandwiches and apples, then drive west for four days.
We did drive across Canada once, but usually went through the USA because there were more frequently placed gas stations and rest stops. One time we pulled up for lunch at this park. It was scorching hot, yet the picnic tables in full sun were all taken. There were rows of picnic tables under the trees, all empty.
My parents immediately realised something was up, but hoped it was something they could mitigate. My dad went to take a look.
He came back within a couple of minutes, with so many mosquito bites there were blood spots on his shirt. I think we wound up having lunch in the car.
He was more the quiet type. If I’m remembering it right, he just walked up, said, “Too many mosquitoes. Roll up the windows until we’re on the highway,” and got into the driver’s seat.
Your dad was more cool than mine. Mine frequently got over confident or pissed off at something inanimate (just assume day drinking of cheap beer) and things would end poorly. I can recall exactly one time when such antics went his way.
We were doing spring yard maintenance one Saturday. After the winter the lawn mower wouldn’t start. He fiddled with the spark plugs some and just kept pulling the cord and getting more and more angry. Suddenly he picked the lawn mower over his head with a roar and then slammed it down onto the driveway. He gave the cord a single pull and it started right up. He gave me a big grin and then pushed off to mow the lawn.
ETA: Just imagine Chevy Chase in Christmas vacation but with more beer and less common sense.
After a short exchange of posts somewhere else with @tinoesroho I have decided to stop being childish and reinstate my account. Thank you @ChickieD.
I would just ask people please to extend the same courtesy to those of us who happen to be born English that you would to a number of other ethnic groups, and not blindly lump us together with our politicians or our ancestors - especially those who emigrated to spread racism, religious persecution and genocide. To the best of my knowledge nobody in my family line was involved in the Potato Famine, the Clearances, or the Maori Wars. Just as none of my Jewish relatives have ever driven Palestinians off their land or bought shares in settlements. I’m afraid I can’t speak for my Mormon relatives but we haven’t actually had any meetings, as far as I know, since my great great great uncle set off on the Trek. On the other hand, my Huguenot ancestors were kicked out of France.
And now I will drop the subject.
The good news is that this didn’t actually happen. The bad news is I’m kinda pissed off you still think it did. Now I wonder what the point of attempting to clarify that misunderstanding was.
Anyway, I apologise for saying something it was possible to misconstrue in that way.
My comment was that Theresa May epitomises everything I hate about the English, and that was taken to mean that I hate the English because they’re all like Theresa May.
