When bees attack.

Sunday night good friends of ours invited us over for dinner and to see their new baby. We were excited to go, threw the dog in the car (they're Lab friendly), and headed out.

After a monumental amount of wild shrieking (courtesy their daughter...whom you might remember from the February 27th episode here at Mairzydoats...seriously, I've never heard so much noise come out of one little body), one very accurate bonk on the new baby's head with a nice hard book, and some I'm Sorrys, we adults adjourned to the patio for some drinks and dinner.

These friends have a beautiful yard. I sometimes wonder if they've sold their gardening souls...hmmmm.

oh those are wave petunias....

Anyway, Dave, LW and I sit down at the Pelligrino-umbrellaed table outside for chips and beer (well, water for me, but whatever), while MW cooks the chicken. MW eventually sat down and almost immediately said "OW!" and swatted at his leg. ...cue impending music of doom...plus a low ominous buzzing, if you will...good perfect..

As he leaned over to the right to swat the offending bug, a swarming mass of yellowjackets erupted from under his chair to the left. Run, I screamed! Then I called for the yellow Lab rescue dog that lives next door--> STELLA!

Okay, I didn't. But wouldn't that be a great story? One of these days I'm going to find a reason to call her...

STELLA!

(Don't think I won't. I will. Ask Dave)

So, really, after a moment of shock, we all went in different directions--even the dogs. LW, the baby, and I headed for the door. Timber also headed that way in a panic after I called for her.

I'm not sure the dogs knew why we were all freaking out. It was more like, "We must also freak out!". As she ran in, I swatted a yellowjacket that was on her. Sting 1 for me.

I'm not sure which way Dave went, mostly because I was fascinated by the yellowjacket mating dance that was going on outside. MW had taken off across the yard, followed closely by a large black Labrador, and 568421862 yellowjackets.

You know how you see African or South American tribes on TV, performing dances with elaborate arm movements? Yeah.

Stings 1, 2, 3, and 4 for him. What do you do for bee stings? Benedryl? Rats no adult Benedryl. Infant Benedryl! How much? 4 teaspoons, 4 teaspoons. Drink this.

So we ate dinner uneventfully, but talked at length about the wonders of 20 foot knockdown wasp spray. So, after dinner, the boys did a little brokeback shopping* and came back with some Wasp Not. I only briefly looked out the window to witness the killing fields, but apparently the stuff works. 2 nests kilt (one under my! chair!)--one of them about 4 inches round.

Whiile we were watching a very rude, but very funny movie (after eating ice cream fetched by the walking wounded), we began to hear some strange noises.

feel shtrangh. zhon't feel goooo. sho shired.

Funny what 2 beers and 4 teaspoons of Benedryl will do for you.


*phrase brazenly stolen from Nick.

The internet says:
adj. Descriptor for any activity performed together by two heterosexual men (e.g. brokeback brunching, brokeback shopping, etc.). PROVENANCE: Suburban cineplexes. USAGE: "Where's Bob?" "Oh, he's out brokeback bowling with Dale.

(http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/002913.html)