What was the biggest surprise you ever had?
Watching a rattlesnake crawl out the the space between 2 rocks where my hand had just been a few seconds before. I was fossil collecting near Canadian, TX and was moving rocks to examine them when it crawled out - rattled a bit - then crawled back into the rocks. It was kind of like "I'll let this incident go this time, but watch it...".
For those age 50 and up: what has been the biggest surprise of your life?
My biggest surprise is how much happier I am now than I was in my 20’s. Or my 30’s or most of my 40’s, for that matter.The young tend to look upon old age as something to be dreaded. When I was young I was very much into science fiction. The year 2000 stood for The Future in my young eyes. I distinctly remember thinking then that in the year 2000 I would probably be alive, but I would be 41 when the century turned, and thus too old to enjoy the futuristic wonders that I was imagining. 41 seemed ancient.At 57 I consider myself middle-aged, not elderly. I live comfortably but not lavishly with my husband of 31 years, who is the joy of my life. I love my friends, my family, my cats and (for the most part) my life in general. I have some health problems, but most folks do, and modern medicine is amazing stuff. I would not willingly be 20 ever again, but 57 feels pretty good.
What has been your biggest surprise in parenthood?
Many surprises have been about how difficult balancing a busy work life schedule is with being a great dad to my kids. Which is how WonderDads started. WonderDads gives access to resources, tips, ideas and much more for being the best Dad ever. Check it out here! https://www.wonderdads.com/explo...
What’s been your biggest surprise while gardening?
Found this guy a few weeks ago and thought he was harumphingly photogenic, so I snapped a bunch of pictures:He took over a rodent hole and just hung out enjoying our scenery and never-minding my clicking shutter a few inches from his face.Turns out he’s probably a Colorado River Toad.If so, there is a potent venom in that sack by his eye.If our Golden retriever Tenchi tangles with him, he could paralyze or kill her.If he's a she, she will lay way too many eggs to be worth her keep in service of killing insects and small rodents.Other interesting facts I learned:“The Colorado River toad can grow to about 190 millimetres (7.5 in) long and is the largest toad in the United States apart from the non-native cane toad (Rhinella marina). It has a smooth, leathery skin and is olive green or mottled brown in color. Just behind the large golden eye with horizontal pupil is a bulging kidney-shaped parotoid gland. Below this is a large circular pale green area which is the tympanum or ear drum. By the corner of the mouth there is a white wart and there are white glands on the legs. All these glands produce toxic secretions.Raccoons have learned to pull a toad away from a pond by the back leg, turn it on its back and start feeding on its belly, a strategy that keeps the raccoon well away from the poison glands. Unlike other vertebrates, this amphibian obtains water mostly by osmotic absorption across its abdomen.It often makes its home in rodent burrows and is nocturnal. Its call is described as, “a weak, low-pitched toot, lasting less than a second.The breeding season starts in May, when the rainy season begins, and can last up to August... The female toad can lay up to 8,000 eggs.”Images from the movie scene where toads dropped from the sky took over my imagination. What movie was that?We have a verdant pond area on our wildlife refuge. Plenty to keep a large family ribbiting.So…. I casually pulled out a stick of gopher gasser. By then, the toad had retreated into the burrow. I lit the fuse and dropped it in, observing the noxious poisons being sucked into the hole as I covered it with a rock.And I still listen anxiously each night for a low-pitched toot.
What has been your biggest surprise when opening your mail?
True Story. Opened a letter from the IRS one day (no one wants any letter from the IRS) saying I owed $8,000 including interest and penalties. After getting over the shock, I carefully checked the disputed year’s tax return and it was clear to me the IRS was mistaken about unreported income.I gathered my analysis and shipped it off to the IRS. Then silence and wait.Six months later received a short letter saying matter is resolved and no monies are due. But no apology for their mistake. To this day, I have that letter from the IRS framed on my wall. Makes me smile to look at it.PS Letters from Nigeria indicating monies are awaiting me don’t count :)
As a military person, what has been your biggest surprise?
Honestly how we try to adapt to society so much. I just read the article on the Army woman who is trying to sue because the Army forces her to remove her hijab. And before people start freaking out I'm not racist towards muslims or every other religion. But the fact that someone would entertain this completely blows me away. I'm catholic, I cannot wear a rosary on the outside of my uniform. If it was that important to me I would not join the military because our beliefs and values did not align. She joined the military and accepted all rules and regulations of that organization. I'm sorry if you are unhappy with your choice but we all have to live with our choices. I hate that qe have to care about everyone's feelings all the time. Bullets dont care about your feelings and they sure as shit will rip through your buddy and kill him regardless of how he feels. I'm not in the military to make people feel good I'm in a position now to make sure people are ready and able to take on the fight in front of them. Hugs and flowers will not do that I can promise you ththat I hate how equality is completely preached which I agree is a good thing. Yes we should be equal but how aabout making physical fitness standards equal. Why does a female get a higher score than me doing 8 pull ups and I do 22. How is that equal? So I could lose promotions based off a system that is designed unequally? I may give shit to the Army every now and then, I have to I'm a Marine but as far as that article I commend you guys. Enforce regulations and send the ones home who cannot adapt to what they signed up for.