May 6, 2005

I took a stroll at lunch today to welcome the spring weather that has finally arrived here in lovely Upstate New York. It’s amazing the things you discover as you walk the city streets.

• Being a true melting pot, we now have billboards in Bosnian. Not many Upstate N.Y. cities can boast that.
• The protesters in front of Planned Parenthood were a welcomed change today. Instead of the religous conservative “Pro Lifers”, it was a large group of “Pro Choicers” from Hamilton College. I gave them a round of applause.
• Even in this economically depressed city, a street with *some* people walking is better than a city street with *no* people walking on it.
• A busy locally owned diner always looks better than a boarded up Burger King.
• An elevated heart rate from walking chases away hunger pains.

Happy Spring!

So after my bike ride tonight, I took a shower and threw on a pair of jeans and a shirt I had hanging over the clothes hamper. I put on my work boots and decided to go run some errands. While I was out and about, I decided to stop at Taco Bell for supper, what with it being Cinco de Mayo and all.

So as I’m walking into Taco Bell, I feel a sharp pain in my upper left leg, right near my crotch. Then a second. Then I felt a sharp pain in, well, the part of the crotch of my pants that isn’t leg. I was a bit startled because the pain was stinging something fierce.

I flew into the bathroom, which is located next to the entrance thank God, while rubbing my crotch like a fiend as it was really starting to hurt.

I ripped off my workboots and stripped off my pants, and out flew a hornet! There was a hornet in the crotch of my pants and it had stung me three times!

I put my pants and boots back on, after assuring everything was bee-free and not swelling up beyond recognition and proceeded to get in line at the Taco Bell counter. Thank goodness I didn’t have an allergic reaction or anything, but man is it sore down there.