Another strange phrase . . . "Dropping like flies" implies that flies drop from the sky. My experience with flies is quite the opposite. The damn things never settle down anywhere when you want to smack them and if they do stop their incessant buzzing around your food or your head they ALWAYS land in a spot where it is totally impossible to get a good shot at them, like the corner of the window sill or in the middle of your plate full of food. Disgusting little bastards !
But this is not about flies . . it is about the phrase . . . Dropping Like Flies is a term used to describe a series of events that happen all at once or in a relatively short span of time, usually involving injury, illness or death. Teachers often use this term to describe their students when it is flu season or when a particularly nasty stomach virus hits the community. Kids will drop like flies when the germs run rampant through the school often dropping the contents of their stomachs right on their desks or floor at which point the teacher and the remainder of the class either drop their stomach contents or just plain pass out from the grossness of it all. (Having been a kindergarten teacher I have witnessed this first hand and it ain't pretty!) When something like this happens it is a perfect time to use the phrase "dropping like flies" and everyone totally understands what you are talking about. At this point they are then be forewarned to avoid your space at all costs for at least the next 7 days.
Going along with this "fly" phrase there is the old "wives tale" that states that things always "Happen in Threes". I know that as soon as I hear of someone dying I am on alert waiting for the phone call or news report informing me of another two deaths. Things ALWAYS come in threes ! Babies being born . . . major illnesses . . . weddings ! It is an unexplained phenomenon but for what ever reason it DOES happen. It may take 12 years for all three events to occur but they WILL happen. Just be patient.
My three events started last night when I talked to Mr. Man and he told me he was feeling lousy, chills and just plain wiped out. The fact that he is foolishly still in upper Michigan in Mid November and the temperatures across the country have been particularly COLD since mid October could very well be playing a major part in this but we won't go there. I spent a good part of an hour giving him advice on how to feel better and then making sure he knew that it was 84 degrees outside our Florida home so next year remember this when planning his annual migration to South Florida! (My level of compassion fluctuates in direct proportion to the degree of stupidity and or stubbornness on the part of the "victim") I did speak to the Man this morning and he is feeling much better after my reassurances last night that he was probably not dying and would indeed feel better after a good nights sleep.
That was "Fly" #1
This morning I got up and cleaned up the house and baked brownies because my youngest child and his 3 kids were coming up for the day. (Veterans Day = School closed.) I haven't seen them in a couple of weeks and they haven't come up to my place in quite some time. It's a longish drive with 3 young kids in a car so its easier when I go down there. But today was going to be a fun day at grand ma's with plans to hook up with the cousins who live up here. There was going to be a trip to the ocean with a picnic and the weather was just perfect. UNTIL I got the text saying the kids weren't feeling well and dad wasn't a hundred percent either so they aren't coming. BUMMER !!!!!
FLY #2 has now hit the fan .
Having a day unexpectedly free I decided to call cousin Lucille to see how she was doing.
FLY #3 . . . she too is not feeling well and she sounded like crap. (She usually does sound this way when she she answers the phone but then revives after she talks for a few minutes.) She went into EXPLICIT detail of her bodily functions over the past 36 hours, which I REALLY did not need to hear. Some how or other just sharing this information with me seemed to make her feel much better.
Unfortunately after that phone call I may be dropping like fly #4
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