What Have You Done for Me Lately?

I've always wanted a reason to quote Miss Jackson (if you're nasty) on my blog, and today I've got it. Check that one off the list. On to this morning's adventure...today's theme: Snakes, blood, and my growing desire to move back to Cambridge.

Running friend Anne earned her Top Friends status on Facebook this morning by driving out to the deep, dark wood to run 6 with me. I've kind of lost my running mojo lately, and a run with Anne is always a good bet for a good run, but who knew we'd have such a thrill ride?

Let's just say from the start that Anne is all things great. She's refined, smart, and most important for a spoiled brat like me, she is supportive. We head out through the garage so I could show her my new bike, and inside the back door I see a darling baby snake wiggling around. And by 'darling' I mean, "Holy Hell, Anne! What do I do?! Are there more? Oh God. Oh God. Oh God."

Anne grabs a shovel and tries to cajole the snake onto it, but now the little guy is freaking out. "Uh, hello, you're in my house, Snake. I think I call dibs on freaking out."

So Anne grabs a hoe, deftly scoops him up and flicks him out the back door.

"You need to move to Lexington, my friend," she says. I had to confess to her that last month when Brian was in Vegas, I had to call a neighbor to empty a mouse trap that Brian had set before he left. Maybe I'm not cut out for country life.

Anne, Anne, wonderful snake-wrangling Anne, how can I thank you? How about by taking you for a trail run on which you do this?


Wicked gorgeous quad, my friend.

It's official. The forest hates me and is spreading its animosity to my loved ones.

A tree root jumped up and attacked my friend.

Two years after I had Lyme, a tick gave its cooties to my husband, who is now on meds for the disease and hobbling around in awful back pain.

Snakes are moving into my house. (Incidentally, Brian's response to the snake? "At least that will help with the mice.")

I miss Harvard Square. Sure, we were robbed twice in 18 months, but were there any snakes in our 1200 square foot apartment?

I rest my case.