They're Trying To Get Inside

I'm exaggerating, you say? Consider the facts...

1. This room is on the second floor.
2. That growth sprung up over the spring. It's not even trying to be subtle.
3. You and I both know it's searching for a weak spot.

Yes, I've seen Dr. Terror's House of Horrors and its 'Creeping Vine' segment several times. Okay, a dozen times. That doesn't mean I should simply shrug a shoulder in the face of this overt intimidation.

But that's not even the whole story. I haven't gotten to the bees. Yes, beeees. Oh, they put on a good show. As if they're only slurping nectar from burgeoning berry blossoms - dedicated to pollinating (and sweetening) the world for our benefit. Like they're our friends.

So what if The Outer Limits episode, 'ZZZZZ', traumatized me when I was nine? I've caught these buzzers in the act of bouncing against the glass, attempting to bust their way in!

Go ahead - shake your head at the 'crazy' woman. But when the hostile takeover of an unsuspecting populace is complete, we'll all be paraphrasing Kent Brockman... 'Welcome, our plant and insect Overlords!'

~~~~~

As The Gap Grows

Once again, I've been reminded of the baffling design of women's public restrooms. Specifically, that worrisome gap around stall doors. I swear it's gotten bigger. Or is it that peering eyes give an exaggerated sense of scale?

I used to have nightmares about such things. I say "used to" because, with shrinking privacy in the real world, that horror has transferred to waking life. So now my brain has switched to zombie outbreak scenarios for its somnambulant thrills. Which are a hoot, actually, but that's beside the point.

I know they can be done better. I've visited establishments (higher end than Target, admittedly) that have restrooms memorable for their thoughtful features. And I've had friends visiting from other countries who were appalled by what U.S. women are putting up with.

Apparently, the average Jane on a shopping outing doesn't warrant the basic dignity afforded to cleaning supplies. Think about it; are there peek-a-boo strips around the doors of janitor's closets? Hmm? And it is basic. After all, we're talking about a necessary process that occurs not just every day, but multiple times a day. And that's assuming Jane isn't in the first two weeks of a low-carb diet (Hello Hershey Squirts!). Surely, more than a passing thought should go into designing these spaces.

I'm not one to condone thievery. Heck, I'm usually the one alerting the authorities. But I wouldn't blame a gal for stealthily pocketing a roll of two-inch (one-inch isn't enough - trust me) wide blue painter's tape on the way to the facilities.

What? I'm just sayin'.

Extenuating circumstances, your Honor!

~~~~~

Romantic Disneyland

With my thoughts on Autumn (blame these ninety-degree temperatures), I was reminded of the trip my partner and I took to Disneyland last October. The air travel anxiety. The crowd chaos. The sunblock slathering. But such complaints are trivial in the face of joys found in that most magical fantasy world.

Although we'd each visited before, that was our first time together. And I, for one, was surprised by — and enthralled with — the romantic evening ambiance. I now understand why some say that after-dark Disneyland is the best Disneyland. What is charming and fun during daylight takes on an alluring mood and mystique at night.

The change in atmosphere is not only due to artful illumination. It also comes from the feeling that people are less harried and more 'come what may'.

Admittedly, we are fans of the park. Which was why we spent our entire five-day vacation there. No one-day rush-through for us. There are enough stresses built into a park visit without trying to cram the experience into a twelve-hour hit-it-and-quit-it. Thankfully, we were on the same page regarding the slow and steady, smell the roses approach.

So, while I wilt in an unusually hot Pacific Northwest June, I daydream of a Southern California October. The one that comes with magic, romance, and the leisure to savor it.

~~~~~