It was a long drive to #marchforscience for Newton. He’s my border collie. I remembered to bring him, his leash, his food and his treats. I forgot to bring his comfy doggie bed. He’s a smart trooper so he managed. Two hours into the trip, we pull over at the first rest stop.
We re-use plastic grocery bags to scoop Newton poo and also for in-car litter control. My husband leashes up Newton and asks where the bags were. Oops. Forgot to bring those too. We had to improvise with paper towel.

I did remember to pack some healthy snacks for the trips, however. Back on the interstate, hours later, I decided it was time for that fresh, whole grapefruit I love so much. For those of you who don’t like it, you can’t appreciate the pile of mess after removing the rind and the bitter white membrane that remain. I usually go the extra step and remove the individual wedge membranes too. In other words, getting to the sweet fruit left a sizeable citrusy pile on my lap, with no bag to put it in.
Seated in the passenger seat, with husband driving along the highway at top legal speed, I was mentally berating myself. “What am I going to do with this MESS?” “Why did I forget those DANG bags?”

I wasn’t about to forfeit one of my favorite foods though. I was enjoying my second segment when I look out the windshield and there, fluttering across the median and into our path, blew a plastic garbage bag. It was looping and dropping chaotically. I watched as it bounced off our windshield and caught on my husband’s side rear-view mirror.
Now, it didn’t catch precariously. It was on solid, flapping away, seemingly rapping to be let in on his window.
Husband just looks over at me and chuckles a bit. I can’t remember our exact words, but it was like:

Me: “Get that! Get that!”
Bag: (flap, flap, flap, flap…)
Husband: “What?”
Bag: (flap, flap, flap, flap…)
Me: “Roll your window down and give me that!”
Bag: (flap, flap, flap, flap…)
Husband: “THAT?”
Bag: (flap, flap, flap, flap…)
Me: “Yes! HURRY!”
Bag: (flap, flap, flap, flap…)
Husband: (Taking his good-natured time rolls down the window, huge swoosh of air rushes in)
Bag: (FLAP! FLAP! FLAP! FLAP!…)
Husband: (Leisurely pulls the bag free of the mirror, with some effort, even ripping it a bit, and into the car) “Here.” He rolls the window back up, hands it to me and looks at it. It was ratty and now even torn a little. “You want that thing?”
BAG: (gently settles into my lap)
Me: “YES! I was just thinking that I really needed one of these!”
I GLEEFULLY scooped up the pile of grapefruit remains from my lap and put them into the bag.
Me: “Cool! I was just beating myself up over not bringing some!”

I finished the rest of the fruit, joyfully placing the membranes and pips into the bag, NOT on my jeans! It’s the little things.

Just curious #marchforscience math folks: What are the odds? (I’m thinking 1:1)
We had a great laugh in the car. I’ve shared this hand-on-my-heart #truestory as one of the highpoints of the whole trip and since it’s so funny and true, I decided it was worthy of a public share.
And Newton had a great time visiting with his doggie friends, Roxy and Maple. He always travels great.