Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Girl Seeking Spider Killer

I consider myself to be a pretty independent girl. I have never really needed anyone to do things for me because I am more than capable of taking care of myself. However tonight I realized there are some things I just can't do. For example I do not have any of the skills required to cope with spiders, especially when it comes to disposing of them. I try to be brave, I try to stay calm, I even try to make a plan of attack, none of it works.

Earlier this evening I hopped into the shower and almost as soon as I did I knew that something was not right. There he was crawling in between my shampoo and shower gel, an eight legged terror. At first I hoped that I was only imagining what I had seen, perhaps it was a shadow? I braced myself and took a few steps closer, as I gazed down my worst fears were confirmed, not only was there a spider but he was on the move. A million thoughts raced through my mind "I can handle this... maybe I can kill it... I'll just have to be fast... but what if he runs at me... or falls on me... nope I can't deal with this I need back up!"

So I jumped out of the shower, grabbed a towel, and did the only thing I could think of. I opened the door and yelled "Dad hurry I need your help!!!" That's right I am five years old. Then I heard both of my parents running down the hall my mom yelling back "Oh no what's wrong?" That's when I realized that I had needlessly scared the hell out of them. I hurried through my explanation pointing at the spider as it inched along the edge of the bathtub. Of course my dad took care of the problem in seconds. He also almost slipped and fell due to the fact that I had splashed water all over the floor in my haste to exit the tub. After being assured that the spider was in fact taken care of my parents exited the bathroom laughing at my slight overreaction to the "small" creature.

After they left I realized that this was not the first incident of its kind. I had a similar incident once in Provo and jumped out of the shower making my room mate take care of the spider. Then I thought about the last time I actually killed a decent sized spider on my own. If I am at work when one appears I have someone else deal with it. If I am alone and find a spider I sometimes call a friend or sibling for advice. If I am alone it also ends one of two ways either I wait for someone else to come and rescue me or I try to take care of it myself. If I choose the second option I usually come up with crazy plans that have the potential to do me more harm than the spiders.

So there you have it I may not need someone to take me out to dinner and a movie (although that would be nice.) But I do need to have someone around to kill spiders for me. This is a 24/7 job since I never know when one may appear, I am actually quite sure that they wait til I am alone to strike. I am currently looking for qualified applicants, they must be able to deal with even the most disturbing arachnids, handle loud high pitched screaming and yelling, most importantly they need to guarantee that there is no chance of them letting a spider escape and attack later. If you know anyone who fits the bill let me know and we can set up an interview.




Sunday, January 25, 2009

I Almost Died

First off I would like to dedicate this blog to my friend Sarah Nolan, without her I would not have this story to tell. Also without her encouragement to share my story with others I never would have done so.

It was an evening like many others, we had plenty of time and not a lot to do with it. Soon we were again sucked into the nothingness, which consists of some quality computer time and a little gossiping while we kind of watch something on the TV, at Savannah's house. After a little discussion we decided that it would be best for us to venture out to retrieve a movie and some ice cream. Albertsons grocery store is not located far from Savannah's and since there was also a redbox located there it seemed to be a wise destination where we could pick up everything we needed. We jumped into the car and were happily on our way.

It was raining as we pulled into the parking lot so we pulled up to the redbox machine and debated what our next move would be. We decided that one of us could hop out and go rent the movie while another could go inside to get ice cream. It seemed that everything was settled until it became clear that no one knew what kind of ice cream they wanted. What happened next is all kind of a blur.

I already had the back driver side door open when I said "I think we're all just going to have to get out and go inside." None of us were very happy about a walk through the parking lot in the rain however we all agreed. Since my door was already open I figured that I would save myself a little sogginess and jump out there. What I did not know was that Sarah had not noticed the open door behind her and had already begun to drive away as I was getting out. While Sarah and I were both oblivious to each others differing paths Savannah began to see a horrible scenario unfold. I had one foot out the door when Sarah pressed on the gas, what stopped both of us was Savannah's bloodcurdling scream.

If it were not for Savannah's screaming I may not be here today and I shudder to think of what would have happend if she had not been as observant as she was that evening. Savannah, I owe you one and if Sarah is ever about to run you over with her car I will surely return the favor.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Happy New Year

It's the new year! Really only a day ago it was 2008 and although only one day has passed it seems like a new beginning in so many ways. I know most new year's resolutions fade only a few weeks, maybe months if you're lucky, after the year begins. So I will not make any... well at least I won't call them resolutions. Maybe just a list of things I hope to accomplish in the year ahead. So without further ado here is my wish list for 2009.

1- I'm gonna finally put that Golds Gym membership to good use, that's right you heard me I will work out in 2009... at least once.
2- I am going to finally bite the bullet and buy a place. Regardless of what goes on in the economy I'm doing it.
3- I am going to do something that scares me, as often as I am given the opportunity to. Well maybe not every time I have the opportunity but I will definitely break out of my comfort zone a little bit.
4- I will become more organized... I don't know how, but it would be really something if I could make that happen. I will find a way to make it happen.
5- I am going to clean out and wash that poor dirty car of mine.
6- I am going to do more for people other than myself. I pledge to be a less selfish Can in 2009.
7- I will make better decisions when it comes to eating choices. Basically I'm going to try to cut down on the junk food, not cut it out... Oh and as for caffeine that is probably here to stay in some form 'til at least 2010.
8- I will stop using work as an excuse to not have a life. I know some of you probably passed out after you read that, or you are shaking your head saying "yeah right." I'm serious!
9- I am going to stop spending my time and energy on activities and people that just end up making me upset, hurt or sad. So along with french fries I shall also cut down on the self destructive behavior.
10- I will be a happy person this year! I will appreciate what I have and try to forget about what I don't. I am lucky in many ways and I am going to remember it.

Well friends there you have it, my list of hopes for myself for the new year. I know that with a new start we mostly talk about making changes. I say keep what makes you better and get rid of what makes things worse. I am working on ridding my life of things that have made it a little bit harder than necessary. However there are many things about the coming year that I hope do not change from the last. So to all those people who have made my life better thank you! Hopefully you know who you are because I was planning on keeping you around. Happy New Year everyone!