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Yesterday afternoon I found a bat clinging to the brick outside the back door at work. Adorable. Probably rabid, but adorable.
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The urge to poke nature with one's finger is difficult to overcome at times like these.
I immediately called a co-worker who was at his desk at the time. I wanted to keep my eye on that bat, and leading my co-worker down to personally look at a bat only to find it gone would be disappointing and crazy-seeming.
"Look! A bat!""You called me on the company cellphone for this? Sweet!"
"Should I poke it? I was thinking about poking it.""Hang on before you poke it. I'm going to get a picture with my cellphone."
"What if poking it startles it? It could fly away.""Would that be so bad?"
"Sunlight kills them. Turns them to dust and stuff. I think I saw that on Animal Planet.""I'm pretty sure that isn't bats."
"You're right. That's I.T. people."[laughter]
[fist-bump]
"I'm poking it. I sent Shana a picture and she wants me to get this bat for her.""Okay. Go."
"One more picture, in case they need it for identification at animal control or in the emergency room."
After that, the conversation became mostly shrieking and
"It's in my hair! It's in my hair!"