Gross Things #1

It seems that I have been witness to many gross things lately. Dear reader, I have decided to share one of these things with you now, mostly because it's fun.

The other day I went to UMD to their Annual Massive Bookstore Sale of Insanity (I don't remember the real name) with my mother. My aunt was working there, so it was a regular family affair. Now, they don't have the sale stuff in the bookstore. Oh no, it's down in the basement ("bargain" basement, if you will), essentially in an area roped off from the hallway. People were bustling around, as people do during finals week, and there were lots of folk at the sale. (They were doing book buyback just down the hall; sell your trig book, buy a bargain sweatshirt.)

I'm not really into college apparel, especially apparel from a college I've never gone to, so I didn't get anything, but my mother did. She was standing in line, and my aunt and I were chatting it up off to the side, when all of a sudden, as if compelled by a force beyond sight or sound, both my aunt and I looked up. (Here's where the gross part happens, if you need to cover your ears.)

There, about fifteen feet away from us, was a woman walking rapidly down the hallway. She was a middle-aged woman with a nice older-lady haircut, glasses, and a nice older-lady outfit. She looked real put-together, except for the whole vomiting thing. I knew she was trying to make it to the bathroom, but it was way too late. She was puking, but she kept walking. She tried to catch it with one hand, but of course you can't catch puke with one hand (as any drunken kid at a frat house could tell you), so trying to catch the puke only resulted in the puke spurting out from between her fingers, creating the classic projectile vomiting action. She just kept walking, and when finally out of sight, my aunt said, "She must be sick."

I said, "Yep." I hadn't even started my day yet, really. You'd better believe I still have that image in my head.