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July 16, 2010
Get gatored up
Worth getting up for, originally uploaded by toastforbrekkie.
So as some of you know, I've been seeing a lady who lives in Florida. It's a nice change for me, and I have come to appreciate exactly how pleasant a typical Chicago summer is. Why, in Florida, you can't even go outside at 10 pm without breaking a sweat. Wtf!
On the plus side, Florida has a lot of interesting things we don't have in Chicago, like all sorts of outdoorsy things. (Not that Illinois doesn't have that, but you catch my drift.) So, last time I was there we went to this park called Merritt Island, where the water contains microscopic organisms that actually give off faint light when disturbed. They quite literally glow in the dark! I'd never seen anything quite like this before.
Now, another great thing they have in Florida is alligators. Apparently they are sort of like raccoons are in Ohio. They're everywhere, and you never know when one is going to pop up. One minute you're drifting down the lake in an inner tube, next minute you're thrashing in the water wondering what Mick Dundee would do. (Yeah he was crocodiles, but I think it's still applicable.)
So, Florida has its share of fools who think alligators are big cuddly pets. If I saw a gator, and he was anywhere near me, I would run as fast as I could as soon as I was done peeing my pants. But not this guy. Nope:
Wildlife officials said Dirk Willms, 44, appeared to be drunk when he decided to try to catch a 45-inch alligator Sunday night.Bra...vo.
The alligator bit Willms and ran into some nearby bushes, but Willms chased it again and grabbed it, resulting in another bite, wildlife officials said.
Willms subdued the gator and took it home, but someone saw him and called the Seminole County Sheriff's Office, the FWC said.
...
Wildlife officials issued Willms a ticket for possessing an alligator and an officer released the reptile in nearby Lake Jesup. The maximum penalty for the citation is 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.
entry no. 1486
Posted at July 16, 2010 04:19 PM