It started early this evening on my way home from work when I passed by a semi that had flames coming up from under its gas tank. It was a first for me. I had never seen a semi on fire before, in person that is, and never so close and with flames coming up from the gas tanks. My heart was slightly racing as I knew being in the far left lane and the disabled LARGE vehicle was in the far right, being in rush hour traffic, and not having ANYTHING of use in my car; the only way I could be useful was to get the hell out of there as fast and as safely as I could (in hindsight I guess I could have dialed 9.1.1. to make sure some rescue vehicles were on their way).

Instead of calling authorities, when I had the opportunity to use my phone, I texted Geoff, “Semi on fire”. He wrote back possibly assuming I was referring to traffic and a delay in getting home, “Is it bad?”. I read his response and started to think about that question, “Is it bad?”

I wanted to write back initially reiterating, “Semi on fire.” Of course it was bad… a giant semi is on fire. Fire. It’s on fire. Gas tanks. BOOM! Then a quick flash back on my past six months here and that what was new for me was old hat for everyone else. Examples: My heart nearly explodes from the fear of the tornadoes closing in on the area during my first month. For me that was horrifying, for everyone else… “Meh”. Thunder and lightning striking all around while I feel like it’s the end of the world and I want to cower in a back corner until all the bad flashes of light and crashing noises go away. I’m terrified and when I express my fear to anyone local, “Meh.” My commutes are a nightmare, people zipping in and out all around- any given random day I spot at least two crushed over turned vehicles and consider my lucky, like I have a new lease on life every time I pull into my parking space. To me it’s a crazy nerve wracking adventure just to go to and from work, to everyone else here… “Meh.” Months of over 100 sweltering degree weather; where I come from it’s a disaster if we have it more than three days in a row… here it was… Okay, well that was historical for Texas.

I read his question again, “Is it bad?” I honestly didn’t know. By Dallas/Ft. Worth standards it was probably lame. I didn’t drive the other half of the major roads here, maybe there was a semi on fire every hour. It started to hit me that the cars were driving extremely casual, it was almost as if it were just an over turned construction cone to them. While I’m freaking out in my head, “IT IS GOING TO EXPLODE!!!!!!!!!!!” and trying to get as far away as I could, they were very calm and casual. It was like they knew “Well the fire is only minimal, no explosion for at least ten minutes, and by then the fire will go out by itself.

Of course my mind was too busy playing some sort of weird 6 month montage that by the time it ended I was driving at a normal speed and I was unable to respond to the text that prompted all those flashbacks.  I concluded that I was just a wimp and continued home. I walk in the door and said, “I don’t know if it was bad!”

Come to find out he thought it was a situation that was under control and I was referring to traffic. In that case, “No, the traffic was not bad… CONSIDERING THERE WAS A TICKING TIME BOMB!” I quickly logged onto the local news sites and saw no mention of it. Apparently here it is a “Meh.” occurrence.

Okay, here’s some quick Halloween themed shots I took since I don’t have a real costume thought up yet and I may forget to post anything before the holiest of holy days…

Now onto a gem that I happened across (actually Netflix shoved it down my throat via Watch Now, until I watched it), Raising Hope.

I first thought it was going to be a raunchy “Let’s push the envelope with vulgarity and stupidity.” type of show. I was actually quite surprised by how likable the characters are, how gentle the story is and wonderful a show I had been missing for the past year. “Jimmy becomes a single parent to an infant after the mother he had a one-night stand with ends up on death row.”

Without giving much away, it’s show about Chance. It’s a show about families making due with what they have, and what this peculiar family has is a strong bond, deep love and understanding of each other… it’s just the rest of the world that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Anything that initially bothered me about the story/characters/relationships, all started to resolve itself.

Young parents become young grandparents with a coming of age son (who should have come of age years ago) becomes a dad, and they all live in a small little home that is owned by their Alzheimer afflicted Grandma/Great Grandma/Great Great Grandma played wonderfully be Cloris Leachman (Betty White who?).

I am so happy that a night of the mundane brought to view this little gem and I HOPE that this one survives a little bit longer. It’s breath of odd fresh air.

…It gets better.

Current Mood: Thankful & Flirtatious & Crazy!

Yes, green laser bad… cat crashing into cups AWESOME. < -anyone bitching and moaning it's inhumane, get a stickectomy.