Wow--at least it wasn't a grizzly!

Today was panning out to be another marginally useful day for yours truly. First, I took the dogs for a walk (Shwea has been to Dog Heaven twice--twice!--this week without bleeding, I am very happy to report); next, I went to the "new" mechanic to get the tire pressure gauge fixed; then I walked into town to meet a friend for lunch; and then I walked home to get ready to go to the cottage (or is it camp? Linda and I seem to be calling it different things for some reason).

Anyway, all went according to schedule until I walked home after lunch. I had a silly large burrito for lunch (fast becoming my second-favorite food group, after pizza--yes, we Midwestern types are suckers for lean cuisine) and it was silly hot, so by the time I got to a park near my neighborhood (Childs Park, for those of you in the know about Northampton), I got a side stitch and needed to sit down. Since I knew I was probably going to sit for a while (I found a bench in the shade and had a cool beverage to sip, lucky me), I checked my messages in the off chance one of the 60+ resumes/cover letters/pleas I'd sent out hit paydirt.

I didn't get any calls from prospective employers, of course, but I did have one message, and it was a good one. My friend Hilary had called to check in, so I called her back. From a park bench. In a park.

Perhaps there is an upside (or two) to this semi-employment business?

Anyway, I was chatting with her and heard a commotion on the street behind me (Elm); I didn't see anything but a bunch of cars stopped for no apparent reason, then I thought I saw an enormous black dog running towards me. Then, in a heartbeat, I realized the enormous black dog was not a dog at all, but a big black bear. And he/she was heading my way.

Yikes!

I jumped up and faced the bear, who I don't think saw me until that moment, for he put on the brakes a bit and changed directions, so he was no longer heading at me, but off to my left. Now, I have read more times than I care to admit the rules of bear "engagement," and know in my brain that running is not the thing to do, but I couldn't help myself. That story about the grizzlies eating that bear nut and his girlfriend was fresh in my mind, so I sort of jogged backwards a bit, facing the bear as he ran away into the open field, where he proceeded to let loose a cascade of bear droppings the likes of which I've never seen. (Well, to be honest, I've never seen a bear do his business before--it reminded me of horse droppings, if you need a visual, no need to thank me). He then ran into a thin strip of woods on the other side of the park, and I don't know where he went after that.

What a commotion!

Which leads me to ask the immortal question: Do bears shit in the woods? I can't say for sure, but they definitely shit in Childs Park.

Poor thing must have been scared out of his wits.

The entire time, I was narrating this tale to my friend, who laughed and said, "You're making this up."

Now really, I may be semi-employed and a fan of The Comedy and all, but I do have better things to do than to call friends with imaginary animal sightings.

At least so far.

Otherwise, not much is going on--did "apply" to two more temp agencies today on the Internet, in the hopes they will call me in for tests next week. We shall see...

What are our options?