Cartoons and Convicts

Yesterday demonstrates just how bizarre my life is.
It started as a normal day, with me feeling some weird pressure to finish up some projects at work. I was trying and being fairly successful, but I had to cut it short to make a run down to Menard Correctional Center. It was to be a simple visit--just pick up some paperwork and get it filed for an inmate--and it was ready and waiting for me. Getting to Menard is not easy. It is only 75 miles from me, but it takes right at 1:45 to get there--it is all two lane roads, at this time of year, you are bound to get stuck behind a tractor. Which I did, but it was still a nice drive as it was a gorgeous day, I had the sunroof open and good music. It was a great break from the stress I was putting on myself.

Menard is right on the banks of the Mississippi River but that is about the only thing to recommend it. It was built in 1878, and has around 3500 inmates it. It is a maximum security prison. It used to have death row there, but not anymore. John Wayne Gacy was at Menard for a long time. Robert Ben Rhoades, the serial killer, was there. I represented him for a while. Anyway, it is so scary that horror movies have been filmed there. Almost every time I have ever been there, it has been storming, which makes it even worse.
This is the view of the Mississippi that some of the inmates have. Not bad, eh?

Anyway, that is what I did yesterday, I went to prison. It is the biggest employer in that town, but it is not the only thing Chester is known for.

It is much more famous for this.

This is where Popeye is from. This statue is in a park at the base of the bridge. So really, the view posted above would be Popeye's view. If he could see. Since I was there last, they have added to the collection. I found Olive Oyl and Sweet Pea on the corner near the County Court House.

When I turned the corner and went a few blocks--there was Wimpy. He is my favorite. Other than Alice the Goon of course, I love her the most, but no statue of her has shown up yet.

This covered bridge is outside of town. Isn't it pretty?


That was the work part of the day, and I guess to most people that is a little odd. To me it is not strange.

What is strange is how the wildlife turned on me last night. You already know about the skunk in the tack room in the house barn and the demon kitties. You probably already know about the fat groundhog family, one of which is giving me the finger every time I see him. What you do not know is about the raccoon who tried to kill me last nite.

While I as at the farm feeding and cleaning stalls around 7 or 8 last nite waiting for the vet--who came to ultrasound HaidaGirl who had done nothing at all to warrant the expense of that, and to lavage Gypsy and do IgG test on the baby, both of whom refused to be caught so got nothing--I heard a ruckus. I assumed it was the cat on top of something climbing up to the loft over the tackroom area. It was not the cat though, as he was resting on a cabinet. I watched for a while, and saw a striped tail hanging down from the loft where the varmint must have been climbing up there. I hollered at it a while, telling it that I did not need another SOB stealing my horse feed and shitting up my barn and carrying disease and he needed to move along. He did not answer me and it got quiet up there.

I had just turned my back when I heard the ruckus start up again. I turned around and there was a raccoon flying at me! I am not known for my quick reflexes, but thank God, I managed to get out of the way before the raccoon took me down.

I do not think this is normal. I do not think that raccoons are supposed to fly. I know for a fact they are not supposed to launch themselves at me. That stupid raccoon stood there looking at me for a while, then he went in the groundhog hole and looked at me from down there. Somehow he made me feel like was bothering him.

The wildlife revolt that is going on here has got to stop.

And it that day does not show just how weird my life is, I do not know what does.