Where, Oh Where...?

Have you ever experienced what I call the
'Poof' Syndrome?
One minute you know what you want to say,
and the next minute--poof, it's gone!
That happens to me sometimes.
I also forget where I've put something, and spend
needless time searching for it.
Which brings me to my husband, Tom.

Tom has a good memory.
He can bring up dates from 30-40 years ago,
knowing exactly where and what he was doing
on that date.
It's like he has a mental logbook.

Tom was an airline captain for 30 years.
Punctuality and attention to details were
of the utmost importance.
He was an amazing pilot--one you would
have enjoyed flying with.

We took some very interesting trips.
Tom lost me once.
He always felt the need to venture off to
find something to eat--usually fruit.

We were sitting in the train in Frankfurt, waiting for departure.
Tom had the sudden urge for an orange or banana.
He got off, leaving me.
"I'll only be a minute," he said, wandering off.
We had less than 10 minutes before the train
left the station.

Minutes later, I looked over to the adjacent train,
and there was Tom making his way on to the wrong train.
I started banging against the window by my seat,
hoping to get his attention.
Tom finally looked over, spotting me.

On another trip, in Norway, his punctuality
didn't matter too much.
He got off the tour bus during a short break.
Tom huffed his way down the road, hoping to find
a vendor. I stayed behind with everyone else.
Of course, the driver, Jorgen, wanted to leave!

All the tourists refused to leave without Tom.
Soon, he was bobbing up the trail with a bag of fruit.
Scrambling aboard the bus, we could see that
Jorgen was drunk.
He'd had extra time to guzzle half
of his 6-pack.
Our tour guide, who I called Blue Boots--
because of the iridescent colored boots he was wearing--
told us this was normal behavior for Jorgen.
Jorgen loved his beer and link sausages!
We sure felt secure knowing that...

There have been some funny twists and turns
during our marriage.
I'm always walking in the opposite direction of Tom.
Maybe that's what's meant by "opposites attract!"
My sense of direction isn't good, and map-reading?
Not good!

Yes, we all have our moments when our brains
take a detour...
I'm still looking around for the car keys.

One Leg Or Two?

Florida is a great place to live.
Some people may , and do, disagree.
We don't have seasons to speak of.
It's shorts and sandals weather most days of the year.

One thing for certain is once you visit or move to Florida,
the bugs will find you--the welcome mat being exposed arms and legs.
It doesn't matter if you're a tourist.
Suddenly, new blood is discovered.
Mmmm...good.

When we first moved to Southwest Florida, I'd feel the after-bite--
an intense itching.
I discovered that I couldn't even see WHAT was biting me!
Like the Far Side cartoons, you'd need an electron microscope to see the sand-sized critters nibbling your ankle .

Floridians call these pepper-colored specks No-See-Umms.
Once bitten, your itch-reflex kicks into hyper-speed.
Whatever the critter left behind, be certain of this: you'll be feeling it for months to come.

Mosquitoes, on the other hand, are dreaded, too.
Their numbers are squelched during the summer when
mosquito abatement takes place.
Planes fly over the preserves spraying for the intolerable insects.
I can deal with the skeeters.
Which is worse, of the two?
Almost head-to-head, No-See-Umms are the clear winners.


I think I've passed the time period of being an inviting newbie to the bugs.
There are tourists arriving here everyday..
nice and yummy, too...