I just found a dead worm on my windowsill. I’m trying to interpret that as a sign that spring is coming (good), and not the apocalypse (bad). 

Hello, by the way. This is Andrew, from the TBTL podcast. I hope this email finds you well.

I asked my cat Bingo if he knew anything about the worm, since he sits on that windowsill a lot, but he wouldn’t give me a straight answer. He just pressed his muzzle up against the corner of my laptop screen and purred a little. It was cute, but not helpful. 

I showed the worm to Genevieve. She had to stand on her tiptoes to see it, then said “EW EW EW” and raced out of my office. It was about as helpful as Bingo’s response and, frankly, less cute. 

I called my neighbor, David.  

“Hey, David,” I said. “What do you know about this whole worm thing?”

He said he didn’t know what I was talking about.

“There’s a dead worm on my windowsill, David,” I said. “I don’t know where it came from.” 

He told me I’m only supposed to use his cell phone number for emergencies, and then our line accidentally dropped. Before I could call him back, my doorbell rang. 

“Is this about the worm?!” I asked as I swung the door open. 

“I don’t know,” the UPS driver answered. She pushed a package into my hands, took a photo of me holding the box, then walked back to her truck. 

“I’ll let you know if I find anything out!” I yelled after her, but I’m not sure if she heard me. 

I took a photo of the worm and shared it on my neighborhood listserv. Nobody there seemed to have any ideas, either, except for one person who had a suggestion of what I could do with the worm. While I appreciated the advice, I didn’t see how it would help anything, and it sounded like it might pose a health risk, besides.  

I’m not exactly sure what my next steps are. I can send you a photo of the worm, if you’d like. But I’m not going to share the picture here, because I don’t think it would be to everyone’s taste. I’m open to any thoughts you might have, though. You know how to reach me. 

Meanwhile, I think it’s safe to say that I don’t have any actual TBTL news to report today. And even if I did, it would have been overshadowed by this new development, anyway. So I’m going to leave things there for now. 

But if you’re looking for some more worm content -- especially something that is more life affirming than what I’m dealing with over here -- I recommend this classic segment from Sesame Street. It serves as a reminder that both worms and grouches can play an important role in our lives. 

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Luke and I will talk to you on Monday.

-- Andrew

What’s your name and where do you live? 
Melissa Harnish. Texas.

When did you start listening to TBTL? How did you find the show?
A few years ago…I’m not sure how long. It was after covid mandatory mask wearing. And I’m not sure how I found TBTL, but I’m so glad I did.

How would your friends describe you?
Pessimistic, hardworking, worries all the time.

What was your favorite cereal when you were a kid?Is it still your fav? 
Dry Grapenuts added to Hy-Vee brand fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt and stirred all together.

What food do you love to eat the most of?
Tacos of any sort. They are the best in San Antonio. I love homemade corn tortillas and papas a la Mexican ones.

What’s the best or worst nickname you ever had?
“Pissy Missy” was worst and “Meathead” for a CB name was horrible.

If you could play one song on TBTL, what would it be?
Feeling Good by Nina Simone

What’s a special skill that you have?
Self employed, 32 years. A gift to recruit more business, all referrals based.

What’s a skill you *wish* you had?
Being a rich trust fund baby.

If you were driving down the street and you saw Luke and Andrew on the sidewalk, what would you yell at them as you drove past?
“I love you Luke and Andrew!!”

Hey, it’s Andrew here again. Just a reminder that you can find our Ten of the Week form here! If you’ve never been a TOTW before  (or if it’s been a really, really long time) fill out our little questionnaire. And check out our Ten of the Week archive here!