CHIGGERS ATE MY BODY and now I Itch...Bad

Chiggers ate my body.

They are mites, not under the skin like scabies, but they eat your skin and then lay larvae in the holes. Disgusting I know, so I spread this knowledge that when in the Ozarks of Missouri, WEAR LONG PANTS!

I saw an eight foot long black snake. Okay it was probably only three feet long but nonetheless I yelped like an old man getting mugged by a six year-old at a 7-11 on a Sunday morning. I did have a .22 with me but it was unloaded and I was so shocked by the situation that I just stared at it. He didn't move. It was not a famous Mexican standoff but totally noteworthy in my daily, day to day, Ozark living.

I might add that my boyfriend, upon hearing my Old-Man Yelp, came a' running with a loaded gun, to protect his woman. Lucky for us all, the snake slithered on and I came back to Nerissa-like senses.

Snakes ARE very common there. Specifically poisonous snakes ARE very common in Missouri. This snake, well, was not one of them. But he could have been!

I saw turtles. I saw turtles in a pond. We were sent to that very pond, by family members, with a specific turtle population mission. It was a more a quest. A quest with loaded .22 rifles...

We played cards at night while watching funny movies from our 80's past, drank coffee out of mugs from the 1970's, swung the porch swing every morning while gazing at herds of deer, hung out at Patsy's Bar where a nine month old served me a shot of Jameson, and I met two grandparents at the Shirley Cemetery, which is NOT a town but a lovely place to bury your dead. 

The drive back today was long, twisted and devious, with a tinge of coffee overload, sugar shock, Jack in the Box, Pizza Lunchables, Alien questions with answers, Art of War remembrances, and Sunflower Seeds.

Now I sit on the floor of my home in some sort of glaze in life that only a 13 hour drive can truly provide the soul. I survived. Better yet, I am awesomely alive. Yo.

But will be in bed very soon.

I'M HOME!

AND I SAY, HEEEEEELLLLLLLO!!!!

The world is my oyster...

Booted from 3 different areas while watching a Cardinals Play-off Game!

Talked life with a sweet Grandma as we walked down photo-memory lane.

Ate at Pietro's, an Italian restaurant in old town St. Louis, which has been around for over 50 years.
www.pietrosdining.com/

Ran in the leaves with 2 crazy, awesome puppies at the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial National Park...THE ARCH!

Lost my cell phone while running in the leaves with 2 crazy, awesome puppies at the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial National Park...THE ARCH!

Ate PROVEL, the classic St. Louis cheese blend, brought to the world by IMO'S Pizza. Thank you IMO'S. www.imospizza.com/

Took a run and thus further pulled the muscle in my foot.

A hillbilly called me a hippie and told to get a job, while I was running. I'm surprised he didn't throw a beer can at me.

Screamed at a rigor mortis raccoon hidden by the night, while I was running.

Ate a Hebrew National Hot dog and a half hour later proceeded to watch it bounce off the back of a porcelain toilet (pancreatic backlash).

HELLO WORLD!

I'm awake today.

Union Troops Burnt it Down

Packing bags.

Boiling eggs.

(totally funny aftertaste)

Food in refrigerator ready to fly.

Taking Mom's Apple Pie...

 

Cardinals will be playing.

Standing room only,

But we have tickets

To a playoff game!

 

Grandma we are visiting

Pinochle rules I'll be learning

Aunt Linda to say hi to

The farm in acreage of 40  

and me a prancing pony.

 

Ozarks will be rolling

With the Hills of

Civil War Glory

Burnt down city

by Union Troops

Doniphan was Rebuilt

 

Am I ready for you?

Are you ready for me?

 

Tomorrow...

 

we will find out,

what's meant to be.

GOODBYE BUENOS AIRES; Chile Journals

JANUARY 18^TH BUENOS AIRES AIRPORT 4 AM

So I’m leaving to go back to Chile’. I’m not excited. In fact, I’m rather ****ing sad. Buenos Aires was great. No guy jacking off on my leg. The men here were more than respectful and I made a new friend, PLYMOUTH.

I could read this in 2 months and go who? PLYMOUTH who? But for the two days spent, well, he was my buddy. We agreed to keep in touch… which if life has taught me anything, only means what you make it.

I left K in Buenos Aires. She flies out tomorrow—well technically today. Her flight was full for this afternoon so I had to take the freaking 5 am flight back. Yuck—AND ALONE! With no translator… D and K have been lifesavers for that.

She’s lucky though, she gets to sleep and see more of Buenos Aires. I haven’t slept yet. Yes I am tired. It’s 4 a.m.

I leave for the states in less than a week! I am excited and nervous. What if I just fall back into my old bullshit? Not studying for the GRE—not applying myself—OMG  NOT TRAVELING! What?!

I would love to go back to Buenos Aires! Never forget that!

Now that I’ve lived in Chile I fear I don’t really like it or at least not Valparaiso. The place I desperately wanted to live is a place I am desperate to get away from now. That’s how it goes…

But what am I doing? What did I learn? Why did I do this? I moved to Chile because it was “home” and I loved it so much when I came in September… it’s not what I thought. It’s so much harder than I expected… and I’ve been told it’s because I live in Valparaiso and it would be different in Vina—because it’s a city with money and more access to things… They say Vina is more like the US.

I am just a weenie. A tired weenie.

Oh, I would like to continue my travels before I leave South America! Like Mendoza and Northern Chile’ but I am dangerously close to outta moola which means outta luck my friend.

Otherwise, in Buenos Aires I saw the Andy Warhol exhibit at the Malba! Such a fantastic place! It puts our Walker Modern Art Museum to shame! I saw the Campbell Cans and Edie Sedgwick and Marilyn! It was amazing and I felt like I was really experiencing something.

I ended up in a jazzercise class too! In the middle of a freaking street! Kicked my ass it did! I was so into it though that I accidentally smacked a lady right in the face. She sat down right after. PLYMOUTH said I crushed her spirit but I think she was just tired. Besides, she wasn’t getting it—and that’s why I accidentally smacked her—she wasn’t keeping up. The music was so 1970’s disco! It pumped me up to hear English music!

I ran around the botanicals and the zoo—meditated by a pond—watched a dog jump into the pond chasing a stick over and over again.

My hostel was fantastic! Dormitory style called the Palermo House! I met so many people—so many Dutch people now that I think about it.

I forgot to tell you about BOLOGNA! He’s my travel buddy—though some would say he’s just a plastic toy from a chocolate candy—but I say, “phish” to that. Now Chongo doesn’t have to be alone—he’s got Bologna (and cheese.)

12 DAY TIL I BECOME MISSOURIFIED!

Missouri! Yes we are off to St. Louis, Missouri on the 19th of October for one week.

The Cardinals, if they get their act together, might be in the playoffs, and wouldn't that be a bit of crack to catch a game of the home team.

There is a wonderful Slovak Grandma in St. Louis excited to talk Haluski.

An arch is ready for me to ascend and so many eat streets! Pretzel buns and BBQ's and in certain circles they are known for their pizza. IMO'S PIZZA in St. Louis has a special cheese blend combining Swiss, Cheddar and Provolone; the pharmaceutical combination is called Provel.  

From there we hit Doniphan, Missouri to hang on a family farm of 40 acres of beautiful pine wooded land.

Doniphan is surrounded by hilly roads, houses made of tarps with dudes drinking beer inside, and warning, wasps! Across the road from Doniphan is Arkansas, where the folk would seek a glass of the goodies during prohibition.

I believe it will also be in the 70's-80's which will be a wonderful change from our current 48 degrees. I can't complain. I'm from Wisconsin and cold is built into the bones but, cheese on crackers, I wouldn't mind a few more runs outside before I turn in my Vibram running shoes for boots and a mismatched hat.

12 more days until I become Missourified.

Gnome saying?