I always keep the car doors locked, and I generally keep the windows up. Last night was such a nice evening that I opened the moon roof as I drove home. I was a few blocks from the office when I had to stop at a red light, and out of the corner of my eye I saw a young man break away from a knot of people at a bus stop and start walking across the street.
He looked like he was heading straight for me, and I almost closed the moon roof, but my midwest upbringing has made me loathe to be rude to to anyone, even a complete stranger that may or may not be threatening to me, so I didn't do anything, and I didn't make eye contact. He was heading for me--a young, slender Native American man, shirtless, a wispy goatee, long black hair floating across bony shoulders (I'm a sucker for long hair).
He carried a red shirt wadded up in his hand, and when he got to my car he started scrubbing at the corners of my dirty windshield, one side and then the other. He didn't do a very good job; he wasn't even trying, really, just making a show.
The light changed and I shook my head, gave him a wry smile, and handed a crisp dollar bill out the still-open moonroof. He held it high over his head as he walked back to his friends, giving them a triumphant grin.
The coolest thing happened last night.
We had just gone to bed. My eyes were bothering me--allergies, I think--and I rubbed them, and as I did, I saw a green flash near the ceiling. I just figured it was one of those eye-fireworks things that happen sometimes when you rub your eyes, but when my eyes cleared, I saw the green flash again.
I laid there and watched the ceiling, and it flashed again--three times, then a pause, then three times again.
What could it be? Something on the floor or on Bob's bedside table that was reflecting off the ceiling? We have a flashlight that flashes so you can find it when the lights go out, but it flashes red, and anyway, it was downstairs. Bob's phone maybe? Mine flashes green while it's on, but I don't think his does, and mine was downstairs in my purse.
I asked, "What am I seeing?" and pointed up at the ceiling. "Lightning bug," Bob said, and, getting up, said, "I'll kill it." (Male response to almost anything: "Just a second, I'll kill it.") I said: "No, don't kill it, I like it!" (Female response: "Don't kill it! It's pretty!") He turned on the light to check, and it was indeed a lightning bug. Disturbed by the light, he flew around a little bit, flashing all the way, until he came to rest again on the ceiling.
I didn't know if it would cause a problem, whether the kitties would go crazy trying to catch it or not, but as far as I know, they didn't. I went to sleep watching the LED-green colored light flashing on the ceiling, and when I woke up this morning, it was gone.
