About... Roadkill.
Growing up in California I missed out on learning a lot of things my own kids already know. How to pee behind a bush. That you shouldn't step in a mud puddle when you are walking in the woods because chances are, there will be one or two snakes waiting for you right there in that puddle. What you can eat out in the woods and what you can't. At their age, I was busy hanging out with my girlfriends at disneyland or knotts berry farm every weekend when it was too cool to be at the beach. We were perfecting speaking the language that is a cross between the valley girl "grody to the max," and "fur shur" and the surfer chick's "wow, dude. that totally rocks." Some days I forget that when I get onto my kids about their southern talk and redneck jokes.
That crazy little girl is still inside of me, even though I'm 37 now and have to be a grown up most of the time. I always find her when I'm driving, the innocent wonder of the unknown is exciting to me. A couple years ago, the first time I saw a real live racoon running across a pasture in front of our ATV, I was so excited I shrieked. But the very most bestest thing of all I've discovered, is roadkill. You see, they don't have things like that very much in the SoCal freeway (which is the same thing as an "interstate" down south...).
The first few years we lived in the south, I must have driven my hubby crazy. "Wait! What WAS THAT???" Each and every time we drove past a pile of guts and fur in the road I would have to know what kind of animal it was. You can't hardly go a mile in this part of the country without seeing several different kinds of animals splattered across the road. It's really sad that the animals have to die, but looking past that, it is totally cool the many animals you get to learn about. Coons. Possums. Squirells. And lots of others that I can't always readily identify. Perhaps the reason I love seeing the animals, even if they aren't alive anymore, is because up until this point in my life, you had to pay good money to see critters and spend all day walking around looking at them in cages and pens at the zoo. I had no idea that you could see them right there in the middle of the road while you were driving by, unless you were on the drive-through tour at wild animal kingdom, of course. I've seen two baby spotted fawns dead on the side of the road and that was absolutely horrible though. I didn't like seeing bambi dead. They are supposed to grow up.
It's been fun learning how to cook southern dishes. Grits. Gravy. Fried chicken (yep, I just learned how to make fried chicken five years ago, and only learned to do gravy this past May!) okra and tomatoes... fried corn. I'd never even HEARD of a black eyed pea before a few years ago, go figure. Sometime my family isn't always on board with my first attempts at making these new dishes, but they're learning. Maybe it's because now that I am getting better at figuring out which animal is which as we are driving past the roakill each week, I've learned to holler out, "Stop! Wait a minute! That looks fresh... I need to go back and pick it up for dinner!" which sends my kids into hysterics and causes my husband to roll his eyes and keep driving. You know you can really buy something here in the sauce section of the grocery called "Road Kill Sauce" ...I've never bought any but it's fun to think about... what WOULD they do if I did? HAH.
EDITED 9:37: Perhaps it is my childish behavior at the moment which has made me write this post. The sec and I have not spoken in 24.5 hours and it has been wonderful. She really pissed me off yesterday, because after the other events that I posted, she took a 1 hour 45 minute lunch and all I had time to do was run around the corner and grab a coke since she was so damn inconsiderate, again. After all her other b.s., I heard her pick up her purse at 4:30 and rattle her keys, but I already had my stuff shut off and was waiting for that. I ran out the door ahead of her and slammed it in her face. I am not used to being mad for the entire day, and felt kinda awful about it. I had to stop and really pray when I got home so I could let it go. Now, ignoring each other is a good thing. My boss is ignoring her as well, so it's awfully quiet here again today. Hopefully now I can deal with things better and not let her get to me so much, I'm trying...
That crazy little girl is still inside of me, even though I'm 37 now and have to be a grown up most of the time. I always find her when I'm driving, the innocent wonder of the unknown is exciting to me. A couple years ago, the first time I saw a real live racoon running across a pasture in front of our ATV, I was so excited I shrieked. But the very most bestest thing of all I've discovered, is roadkill. You see, they don't have things like that very much in the SoCal freeway (which is the same thing as an "interstate" down south...).
The first few years we lived in the south, I must have driven my hubby crazy. "Wait! What WAS THAT???" Each and every time we drove past a pile of guts and fur in the road I would have to know what kind of animal it was. You can't hardly go a mile in this part of the country without seeing several different kinds of animals splattered across the road. It's really sad that the animals have to die, but looking past that, it is totally cool the many animals you get to learn about. Coons. Possums. Squirells. And lots of others that I can't always readily identify. Perhaps the reason I love seeing the animals, even if they aren't alive anymore, is because up until this point in my life, you had to pay good money to see critters and spend all day walking around looking at them in cages and pens at the zoo. I had no idea that you could see them right there in the middle of the road while you were driving by, unless you were on the drive-through tour at wild animal kingdom, of course. I've seen two baby spotted fawns dead on the side of the road and that was absolutely horrible though. I didn't like seeing bambi dead. They are supposed to grow up.
It's been fun learning how to cook southern dishes. Grits. Gravy. Fried chicken (yep, I just learned how to make fried chicken five years ago, and only learned to do gravy this past May!) okra and tomatoes... fried corn. I'd never even HEARD of a black eyed pea before a few years ago, go figure. Sometime my family isn't always on board with my first attempts at making these new dishes, but they're learning. Maybe it's because now that I am getting better at figuring out which animal is which as we are driving past the roakill each week, I've learned to holler out, "Stop! Wait a minute! That looks fresh... I need to go back and pick it up for dinner!" which sends my kids into hysterics and causes my husband to roll his eyes and keep driving. You know you can really buy something here in the sauce section of the grocery called "Road Kill Sauce" ...I've never bought any but it's fun to think about... what WOULD they do if I did? HAH.
EDITED 9:37: Perhaps it is my childish behavior at the moment which has made me write this post. The sec and I have not spoken in 24.5 hours and it has been wonderful. She really pissed me off yesterday, because after the other events that I posted, she took a 1 hour 45 minute lunch and all I had time to do was run around the corner and grab a coke since she was so damn inconsiderate, again. After all her other b.s., I heard her pick up her purse at 4:30 and rattle her keys, but I already had my stuff shut off and was waiting for that. I ran out the door ahead of her and slammed it in her face. I am not used to being mad for the entire day, and felt kinda awful about it. I had to stop and really pray when I got home so I could let it go. Now, ignoring each other is a good thing. My boss is ignoring her as well, so it's awfully quiet here again today. Hopefully now I can deal with things better and not let her get to me so much, I'm trying...
posted by Kim at 8:01 AM
13 Comments:
Never really thought about it. Probably bc I grew up here in the south. I did spazz the first time I saw an armadillo, those arent around Atlanta.
Have you made gibblet gravy yet? that was a thanksgiving favorite of mine- and then I found out what all was in gibblet gravy- but I figured I had been eating all those years and liked it- so finding out what all was in it shouldnt really change the fact that i like it.
Getting to be close to the time I repost the Redneck Thanksgiving
I love that post Sara! No, I dont' eat or make giblet gravy. The inside stuff that comes out of the turkey is promptly deposited in the trash. I don't know what I'm going to do when DD leaves for boot camp, she's taken the guts out of all my turkeys since she was 3... I can't do it!
I can pretend I dont know what all is in the gravy (there are also boiled eggs in there too) I have always loved it and I will just not think about it...until there is no one to make it but me....then Im in trouble.
And dont feel bad about the sec. and Im very proud of you for jetting out before her- you never got a lunch- she shouldnt get to have a 2 hour lunch and leave early
You're right, especially when she came in an hour late AND left for 45 minutes as soon as she got here. Ok. I don't want to think about her any more, I'll just get upset all over again.
OK I will go get some breakfast now! NOT!!!! not talking to her is a GOOD thing, Keep it up.
We used to have a restaurant up here called Road Kill Cafe. For some reason us Yankees didn't buy into it.
Take Care
Michael
Re: roadkill. My trashy cousin with the lazy eye and the big boobs once hit a rabbit in her little purple pick up, stopped and tossed it in the back and took it home to fix for dinner. I shit you not.
As for the sec, I bet she quits soon. Something's gonna snap, I can feel it.
Jaye - I'm trying
Michael - I would definitely have to stop at someplace like that, at least once.
Romani - LOL!
You know what you won't see as roadkill? Those nasty little woodchucky things that crawl out of the Kudzu, stand on the side of the road and snarl at the passing cars.
They're too smart to step into the road and we're too scared to aim at them.
Two years ago a deer was hit in our neighborhood, right in front of the total redneck's house. We were just waiting for the BBQ invite. :)
You're right about those snarly little buggers! LOL. I hate it when a deer gets killed by a car.
Kim ..did you grow up in Orange County in California .. I did. What high school did you go to? I read your post and I did the same thing growing up ..Knotts, Dland or the beach. LINDA
No Linda, I grew up in San Diego, then moved up to the desert for my last couple years of high school.
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