I Guess It Serves Me Right

Let me apologize for the perfectly crummy mood I was in this week. I mean, I still feel that I was completely justified in being a "grumpy giant," but sometimes I wonder if I complain too much. I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable; I just needed to vent (and yes, Angie, it was..."the mean one" -- if, indeed you are referring to the one who seems to have a special place in her pit of meanness reserved especially for Rachel)...

Aside from that, I had kind of a funny/ironic/creeeepy experience this week. Brooke was in the darkroom a few days ago when I heard her scream. She had discovered a spider on the counter, right next to her. Well, I hate spiders just as much as the next girly-girl, but I decided to be heroic and save Brooke from the venomous monster. Okay, so it turns out that it was an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny spider (no yellow polka-dots, even). I smooshed it with a pair of scissors and threw it in the trash. I kind of laughed to myself, because seriously -- it was a nothing of a spider. Maybe I shouldn't have thought her so silly, because you know...what goes around, comes around. Thursday night, I got home late from visiting with my family. It was really dark outside, but when I opened my front door I could see that there was a spider on the ground, just outside my apartment. And not just any spider...a huge black widow! EEEEEEEEWWWWWWW!!!!! I was wearing flip-flops, so I practically jumped over the threshold to avoid it. I knew I had to kill it, though, so I ran and put on some tennis shoes, then jumped around my living room shrieking for a couple of minutes or two (I think the shrieking helped me summon my courage). I finally managed to send that big ugly bugger to its cobwebby grave, but I had the creepy-crawlies all night long. I was jumping and jerking around in bed all night because I SWEAR I could feel things crawling on me...

This week I am spraying down my whole apartment building. I already have all the stuff to do it, and I'm not taking any more chances. I've learned my lesson, too: I promise not to laugh at any of you ever again if you freak out over a little, tiny spider.

Some Chain Maille Might Have Come in Handy...

If you all will indulge me for just a moment...

Today I encountered a beast of epic proportions. She appeared as one of my clinical instructors and reared her ugly head at me over and over again. I nearly melted from the heat of her fiery breath (or maybe just from embarrassment) as she publicly harangued me; I had not made any serious errors, at least not the ones she was accusng me of, nor did I deserve such a severe tongue-lashing in front of my patient and my peers. I was so upset I contemplated walking home, just to blow off steam. I decided, though, that since it was nearly four miles, I would likely be more agitated by the time I got here for having used up my whole afternoon. So instead, I rented a Rug Doctor and shampooed my living room carpet. Perhaps a strange way to deal with my indignation, but it was pleasantly cathartic. In fact, although a couple of "mystery stains" still haunt the floor in front of my couch, it looks almost a million times better. Plus I found some sick, secret enjoyment pretending I was dumping her down the drain along with the ten gallons of thick, grey water that came out of the Rug Doctor...

And now, I'm a bit exhausted from my venture into the grimy depths of ancient apartment floor coverings, so I'm all nestled up in bed with my lappy. Colby is down at the hospital tonight doing a sleep study, so I think I shall sleep quite soundly -- providing I don't have nightmares about monsters in lavender scrubs.

Holiday Fever

I don't know what's come over me, but I am suddenly obsessively excited for the holidays! A couple of days ago I went into Roberts to get some stuff for a school project. They had all of their fall & Halloween decorations out and I just about lost it! I'm like a little kid all over again, or maybe like Martha Stewart -- or maybe Martha Stewart as a little kid, because all I want to do now is hang things and wrap things and make costumes and buy a huge, cute bowl for our Halloween candy. Yikes! I've become a monster! A monster who can't wait to put up her Christmas tree...I even started my Christmas shopping. Yep -- last week at Swiss Days I purchased a present for...well, for someone...I can't say who, even though she doesn't read my blog. But, let's just say it's something that needs a mat and a frame. Unfortunately, I didn't realize how expensive mats and frames are, especially when you have to have the mat custom-cut because the gift in question is a funny size. I decided after checking prices at Roberts and Michael's that I will probably have to sell my soul to the devil to afford the rest of this Christmas present. Oops! Well, at least I won't have to worry so much about my Halloween costume...just don't be scared if you notice my eyes are glowing red or my voice is a little bit raspier. I will be a happy little Christmas demon, and that is all that matters!