THE WOMEN OF RESTON
(Thanks to Siouxie)
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(Thanks to Siouxie)
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First--to have not read it yet.
Posted by: pete | June 30, 2007 at 11:43 AM
She is something!
Take it, it was a small gator but I wouldn't be messing around with it either.
*runs the other way screaming like a little boy*
Posted by: Siouxie | June 30, 2007 at 11:48 AM
I'll bet that shook up the guinea pigs.
Posted by: pete | June 30, 2007 at 11:52 AM
Good God, Reston? Glad she caught it -- a 10-mile waddle down the Dulles Toll Road and it'd be in my back yard!
The poor thing was probably just lost trying to get back to Florida. Y'all need to crank up the power on the Weirdness Magnet.
Posted by: Richard the Weasel-Hearted | June 30, 2007 at 12:00 PM
Oh, what am I worrying about? I'm sure it couldn't have paid the tolls -- no pockets to carry the change.
Posted by: Richard the Weasel-Hearted | June 30, 2007 at 12:21 PM
She was thinking, "NEW SHOES!"
Or, maybe, "new wallet," since the gator wasn't very big.
Posted by: Just Ducky | June 30, 2007 at 12:36 PM
He looks like he just ate the other 700lb block of cheddar.
Posted by: Bethie | June 30, 2007 at 01:14 PM
HOw did that rogue post get here?!
Posted by: Bethie | June 30, 2007 at 01:19 PM
She tried it because Steve Irwin (the LATE Steve Irwin, I remind you!) did it on TV?!?! Well, then! Let her watch a little surgery and she can save a bundle taking out her kids' tonsils!!
Idiot.
Posted by: DeskDiva | June 30, 2007 at 01:30 PM
Richard,
I'm not far from Reston, either. Thank Gawd I can carry my weapon on my afternoon walks!!!!
Posted by: Mikey | June 30, 2007 at 01:45 PM
When I saw Reston I had to laugh (yes, I sent it too, Siouxie) because I can picture it going to the tony Malls and restaurants and everyone running out screaming.
Posted by: Jeff Meyerson | June 30, 2007 at 02:38 PM
"At first the gator dashed away..."
WTFBBQ? Gators are dashing these days? For some reason, they seem to me to the be lumbering type. NTTAWWT. IYKWIM. ISIANMTU. WTFBBQ.
Posted by: casey | June 30, 2007 at 03:18 PM
Steve Irwin never threw guinea pig cages at gators... that I know of.
Posted by: CJrun | June 30, 2007 at 03:20 PM
casey - let me tell you - those suckers can MOVE!!!! They are not slow and lumbering. They are 100% muscle. And when they want you, they can overtake you. Don't be fooled!
Posted by: DeskDiva | June 30, 2007 at 03:36 PM
Oh, it was just a little bitty baby gator! No big whoop.
Posted by: Suzy Q | June 30, 2007 at 03:41 PM
Well, yes, Suzy, but their tails are pretty damned powerful, too!
Posted by: DeskDiva | June 30, 2007 at 03:45 PM
"It's unusual — but not unheard of — to find an alligator in the suburbs,..."
in the city is another story. they're all in the sewers. be very afraid...
Posted by: crossgirl | June 30, 2007 at 03:45 PM
Heh, cg. I still remember the one on my neighbor's front walk in Punta Gorda. Only that weren't no baby. He was a 6-footer.
Posted by: DeskDiva | June 30, 2007 at 03:50 PM
better a 6' gator than a fist sized tree frog.
Posted by: crossgirl | June 30, 2007 at 04:00 PM
*SNORK*
Oh, and if you hire me, I'll take care of the tree frogs for you. ;-)
*finishes packing, puts up "for sale" sign on house*
Posted by: DeskDiva | June 30, 2007 at 04:05 PM
HIRED!!!!!!
Posted by: crossgirl | June 30, 2007 at 04:14 PM
Gator tail is powerful... good eatin'!
Posted by: CJrun | June 30, 2007 at 04:22 PM
I KNEW that would do it!!! ;-)
Posted by: DeskDiva | June 30, 2007 at 04:22 PM
Yep, CJ - that it is. And oooh, look! I got a simul with you for once - on the subject of TAIL no less! Well, then. My Saturday is lookin' up. ;-)
Posted by: DeskDiva | June 30, 2007 at 04:24 PM
MMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, gator tail. Good, good eatin' with some Cracker sauce.
DD, I was being sarcastic. I was born and raised in Florida and have visited many, many of our states and seen many alligator & crocodiles in their natural habitat. I actually got in trouble with my third grade teacher for not only correcting her description of an alligator vs. croc, but then drawing a picture on the chalk board about how to tell the difference at a glance, then carefully explaining to the class the habitat and other differences between the two. Seems I was smarter than my 3rd grade teacher and she thought I was some type of smart-@$$ and called my dad in for a parent-teacher meeting. My dad listened to her for a while then carefully swept everything on her desk onto the floor and 3 months later had her job.
Poor woman, she simply didn't know that I was reading by the age of 4 and studied field guides of every state I ever visited and could give the scientific and common names, diets and habitats of almost every creature found in the wild, plus plant life, depending on which state I was visiting at the time.
Unfortunately, I never did learn how to spell.
Posted by: casey | June 30, 2007 at 04:49 PM
Well, case, I should think you're a whattamacallit naturalist. At least the Latin stuff is easy to spell!
Posted by: CJrun | June 30, 2007 at 04:57 PM
Oops, case. Color me pink!!! :-)
And may I just say - I LOVE your dad!!!!!! What a man!!
Posted by: DeskDiva | June 30, 2007 at 05:43 PM
isn't naturalist another name for nudist?
Posted by: crossgirl | June 30, 2007 at 07:03 PM
isn't naturalist another name for nudist?
No, but "naturist" is.
Posted by: markhh | June 30, 2007 at 07:31 PM
naturist, naturlist, nudist, I've been called worse!
Posted by: casey | June 30, 2007 at 07:55 PM
casey - love your story. My eldest (10) was also reading at 4 years old. (I probably was, too.) One of his prized possessions is a Field Guide to Weather. He retains knowledge like nobody I've ever seen, and he's corrected teachers, so we've been down your path. We recently got his standardized test scores - it says he's ready for college-level math. So his teacher asked me, "What's his problem? He won't do his math work in school." I told her that is wasn't HIS problem, but hers. So I love what your dad did- defending your thirst for knowledge.
Posted by: Annie Where-but-here | June 30, 2007 at 08:44 PM
Annie, I hope your boy doesn't suffer thru school like I did! I spent many a bored day in school. But I always had my science books and encyclopedias at home to keep me busy after school. My parents refused to put me into any advanced classes (which I appreciate now). Stick up for your kids (which I know you already do). I pretty much let mine make their own choices. My daughter begins high school this year taking ALL honors college prep courses. Even her electives are college prep. My son is definately her peer intelligence-wise, but like me, he is lazy and doesn't care for the extra work required in the advanced classes, so even tho he tests much higher than his grade level, he chooses not to take the advanced classes and is only a mediocre student. I support his decision, tho I do try hard to teach him responsibility.
I admire my dad too. He is the one that taught me to read and he is the one that hiked with me and helped me catch snakes, butterflies, salamanders, toads, examine mushrooms and flowers and identify and learn everything I could about each one, no matter what state we were in. He HATED that bitch of a third grade teacher and he put her in her place. Funny thing is, I never learned of what happened between the two of them until after I graduated high school. He thought his experience with her was between him and her and never felt that I should know about it.
Posted by: casey | June 30, 2007 at 09:04 PM
casey, I too love your story and KUDOS to your Dad for sticking up for you. You not only are smart, but beautimous to boot!! Both my girls were early readers and have been great students and I've had my share of run ins with their teachers throughout the years.
so what if you can't espell rite!
Posted by: Siouxie | June 30, 2007 at 09:12 PM
I have an 9 yr old granddaughter just now heading back to AZ after 3 weeks, that skipped a grade already, taking piano lessons (that the teacher said has already surpassed 4 year students in her 4 months), and can recite all states in alphabetical order on demand, not to mention singing, art, etc... any advice?
Posted by: SandyEgo | June 30, 2007 at 09:21 PM
Cool story, Casey. I've found that doodling in class helped me deal with the boredom and still let me listen so that I could learn when the teacher said something that I hadn't already heard before.
Diva, I totally agree with you. What kind of idiot wrestles even a baby gator just because she has seen the late Steve Irwin do it. Didn't she read (or can't she read?) or listen to the part that is probably on that show about not trying this unless you know what you're doing?
Posted by: Kristina L. | June 30, 2007 at 09:31 PM
Sandy, it sounds like she's extremely bright for her age. I always had my girls in "gifted" or Honor's classes just to challenge them. They did well and kept up with the workload as well as being in the art magnet programs (that entailed a LOT of art projects). They both did that in HS. My oldest graduated cum laude from her art HS (took AP courses there) and is now at Ringling School of the Arts in Sarasota -finished her first year at college with honors. My youngest will graduate next year from her Magnet art school and is also taking AP courses. We'll be looking at colleges this year. All I can say is keep her challenged so she doesn't get bored at school. She will do well.
Posted by: Siouxie | June 30, 2007 at 09:33 PM
I can attest to the brilliance (and beauty) of Siouxie's younguns!
Sandy, gifted children seem to have unique ways of making themselves occupied if not given creative outlets for thier brains. Keep her as occupied as possible with extra-curricular activities. On the other hand, like my son, they tend to rebel if they are not willing to take on the extra stuff handed to them. Gently guide them towards the right path but respect their uniqueness and allow them to make their own decisions, as long as their safety is not compromised.
My son is intelligent but lazy. I gently push him behind the scenes and I know that soon, his future will become more important to him and he will start taking on more educational challenges.
My daughter talked about college when she was 2. I've never had to push her. Quite the opposite, I've been known to try to talk her out of the extra stuff she wants to do so she won't become neurotic!
Posted by: casey | June 30, 2007 at 09:43 PM
casey, I just read what you said to Kristen (the youngest) and she's like...awwwww she was soooooooooooo nice!!
Posted by: Siouxie | June 30, 2007 at 09:58 PM
And she is so cute and smart! What a combination!
Posted by: casey | June 30, 2007 at 10:02 PM
And Suz, by the way, their antics at the Potting House and the Cool House at the Biltmore gardens had me laughing for days. You are a cool mom and you have extremely cool kids!
Posted by: casey | June 30, 2007 at 10:04 PM
jes she is thank you! they both thought you were great, btw!
Posted by: Siouxie | June 30, 2007 at 10:11 PM
"Kemp didn't give up. She picked up the guinea pig pen again and threw it over the gator."
************
Richard Gere's commode would have worked just as well.
Posted by: Appletonian | July 01, 2007 at 01:33 AM
Today's Washington Post, in addition to noting it was 2.5 ft, also said it weighed 5 lbs. Is it just me, or does that sound low?
Posted by: Richard the Weasel-Hearted | July 01, 2007 at 02:50 PM
Remember, that five-pound gator's hide is destined to make a fine suitcase. Maybe that suitcase is empty at the moment. And we haven't taken into account the weight of the hinges, handles, and locks--many of which probably haven't been installed on the little guy yet.
On the other hand, had it consumed the woman, the 2'6" alligator might have weighed 159 pounds. Where would you find a prison jumpsuit for such an odd-sized body? Then, too, if she had been wearing alligator shoes or carrying an alligator purse, we might be charging the gator with cannibalism as well.
I think the scales of justice will conclude that the five pounds sound just about right.
Posted by: Appletonian | July 01, 2007 at 06:58 PM
How come fun stuff like this never happened when I worked in Reston?? Humph.
Posted by: Renee (the First) | July 01, 2007 at 08:29 PM