Red and Black, Friend of Jack

One of the first things I ever remembering learning in a school-type, formal lesson was snake safety. Ironically, this lesson was not taught at school, but at a class for us kids before kindergarten organized by our parents when I lived in Arizona. The especially ironic thing about it is that this is after I had already started kindergarten and proceeded to get kicked out. And do I remember any lessons from my first time in kindergarten? No. I only remember how excited I was about the time I took broccoli for lunch, and how distressed I was the time my best friend threw up on the bus but everyone thought it was me. But, back to this earliest class-type memory of mine: after talking about how snakes sense movement, the parent teaching us that day told us that as a result, the thing to do when confronted with a rattle snake is to stand perfectly still. She had placed outside in her yard a paper snake somewhere, so we were all supposed to run around until we found it, and then freeze. This we did. As I recall, I was either the first or second to find it (it was on the slide), but that could just be my memory trying to glorify myself. I'm sure I stood very still. I'm usually good at that. =) The next part of my memories relating to snake safety is one that I don't recall the origin of, but I know I know it. The following poem is meant to help me distinguish between two types of snakes (whose names I don't know) that look similar, but one is poisonous and one is not:
Red and Black, Friend of Jack,
Red and Yellow, Kill a Fellow.
Thus, if the red and black stripes are next to each other, the snake is not poisonous, etc. There is one of these types of snakes painted in a giant winding shape on the sidewalk at the San Antonio Zoo, and I always loved to walk on it and decide if it was poisonous or not. Unfortunately, I can't remember if it is or isn't. And although I cannot remember for certain, I doubt that the red and yellow snake is a copper head snake. Which means that despite my extensive training in snake safety, not a whit of it would have helped my roommate (who is really cool, named Sisi, and from China), who recently got bit by a copperhead snake.
That's right. On the foot. What are the odds, anyway? She was hiking on a ranch in Virginia with some of the other interns. I was not there. They convinced her to go to the hospital, so she did, and ended up having to stay two nights there while they gave her some anti-venom stuff. Then she had to be on crutches and not go to work for a whole week! Crazy, eh? And the funny part was, she did not seem to realize what an unusual event this was; I distinctly recall at one point the following conversation as we all huddled around in the emergency room waiting for her to be seen:
Us: "We can't believe you got bit by a poisonous snake. That's so random."
Sisi: "You mean you don't get bit by snakes in America all the time?"
Us: "No, of course not. Is it a common occurrence in China?"
Sisi: "No, not at all. I just thought it was part of the American experience and all."

Unfortunately for her, it has become a part of her American experience. I'm just glad she survived, and that the post-bite infection seems to be going away.
Ironically, her snakebite incident occurred only three days after the removal of my wisdom teeth. The whole general anesthesia thing was really quite an experience; I don't recall every being quite so loopy in my whole life. (Yes, that includes after I wake up from naps.) My Aunt Danita, who lives out here, and four-year-old cousin Lindsey were kind enough to pick me up. I'm not sure Lindsey really remembered me, but I bet I was a lot of fun being all crazy after waking up. That first day sitting at there house was incredibly relaxing - I am so grateful that my aunt was willing to pick me up and take care of me! And now, in case you are wondering, I have pretty much completely healed and can eat anything I want once again. So, despite a few days where my roommate and I both were pretty much out of commission, now I can eat again and she can walk again, and all is right in the world.