northern hospitality

Tallu tosses me a bouncy ball that appeared to have weathered quite a few years hard core bouncing. Questioning its origin seems only appropriate. Here's my version of the story I heard...

Tallu was sitting at _________ (some restaurant) and there is a lady at the table next to her decked out in anti-Bush gear. In the thickest of northern accents, the lady leans over and says, "what are you having?" There began their fateful relationship. She procedes to inform Tallu that President Bush was visiting her town today and she had to escape to nearby New York City. The conversation is short, but the lady feels obliged to offer Tallu a token of gratitude. Gratitude for amusing (I just had a discussion of what the appropriate word would be in place of "amusing," but have come up with nothing) her thoughts on the state of the presidency or maybe for suggesting a decent meal in this restaurant--her sanctuary from our dear President...I'm not sure. She digs through her purse, pulls out a yellow bouncy ball with an eye on it and says [don't forget the thick accent] "Here ya go schug (i dont know how you spell that, but its "sugar" without the "ar"), its been in my purse for years."

I can't decide if this is a really beautiful moment where one parts with something that has been a part of them for so long or if its just gross. Clearly, Tallu being a graduate student loves bouncy balls, so it was the only appropriate gift. All the while, I'm just concerned about what diseases I might have just contracted from this little peice of northern hospitality.