So last night I managed to get this huge spider (see previous blog post) inside of a lidded bowl.  Now that I can get a good, close and safe look at him I cannot tell for sure if he is a common Giant House Spider or the poisonous Hobo Spider.  He does appear to have the chevrons on his body, which indicate a Hobo.  I happen to have exterminators coming out to the house next week, so I am hoping they can tell me for sure.  Hobo Spiders are found in Seattle and the Pacific NW - an accidental immigrant from Europe.  Their bites cause necrosis - which is a rotting of your flesh.

What scares me is that this big dude was in my laundry room - where my little kitten could have happened upon him.  Being more curious than my older girls, I’m sure he would have gotten bitten by this thing.  I must say however - I have to attribute the hypnosis I had years ago for even making it possible for me to hold the container up to a light to take the photo above - let alone stare for an hour at various spider identification photos.  My skin still crawls though…

There’s nothing I hate more than spiders.  When I see one my skin crawls and I sort of start to feel like they are all over me.  Back in 2000 or so I had my then therapist attempt to hypnotize me into not being afraid of them - it worked slightly but not fully.  It used to be that if I knew one was in my room and it escaped being killed by whomever I screamed for that I would literally sit up all night watching for it.  At least now, since the hypnosis I could care less if one gets away.  Just so long as I don’t wake up at any point and find it in my immediate vicinity.

This morning I got up to do my usual morning ritual of cleaning cat boxes and I picked up the kitty litter container to find a HUGE spider that seemed like it was dead.  It was a good 2.5 inches long with it’s legs stretched out.  I took the poop scoop and nudged his leg and he sprang to live - almost giving me a freakin’ heart attack.  Again - I attribute my hypnosis for my ability to prod such an enormous and sickening thing like that with a poop scoop.  He scurried under my rug shampoo machine and I ran into the kitchen looking for something to stick over him.  When I came back I moved the shampoo machine and dropped a big plastic tupperware bowl over him - clear so that I could see his every move.  Later when I’ve lost that “they are all over me” feeling, I’ll stick a sheet of paper underneath and see if I can get a lid on the bowl.  I can’t rest until he suffocates.

A quick search this morning online reveals that he is likely a Giant House Spider - not poisonous thankfully.  I grew up in California, where Black Widows are prevalent, so I don’t mess around with spiders.  I also discovered while searching online that August - October is considered spider season and when one sees one of these Giant Beasts in the house it’s almost always a horny male in search of a female.  The females stay out of site - and I honestly think that the males should too!

I’m attempting to get my house sprayed - the landlord wants to take care of a carpenter ant issue we’ve got going on and I guess spiders are taken care of at the same time.  I can’t wait!!!!

Watch Casey & His Brother pay homage to the “Big Spider” during the “Uncle Muscles Hour”.

Tim & Eric \”Big Spider\”

I spent my weekend spackling and repainting my bedroom following a 2 week long repiping of my house (not done by me thankfully).  I love working on my house - fixing things, restoring things and such.  All this DIYing left me with some uninvited sciatic pain unfortunately.  But other than that it was a great experience and my bedroom now looks brand new.  I even got a can of High Heat spray paint and turned the ugly base board heater into one that looks like it was just installed.

Since I’m on the subject of DIY and fixing things around the house, I thought I’d point out a great site for all of my fellow women who like to do the same or aspire to do the same - without intimidation.  You all know you can do it - and don’t need a man to help!  Check out this great site The Women’s Toolshed.  While you are there, be sure to also sign up for a free excerpt from Leah Burton’s eBook entitled “Splintering the Plywood Ceiling - A Woman Carpenter’s View From the Inside”, book one from the series “Knocking Down Walls”.  You’ll be glad you did!!!

Whenever my friend Adam references M.A.S.H (which sometimes is quite often) I make a related blog post about it.

(9:02:38 AM) “very, verrrry interest-ing” as Maj. Francis Marion Burns, M.D. would describe it.

“That’s not my department, sir - intelligence is something I try to avoid.”

I have Vonage and so far I love it.  I also love their commercials.  Enjoy the Dolphins! =8-)

I was watching the movie “Just Married” and realized that the father of the bride looked very familiar.  It was David Rasche aka “Sledge Hammer”!!!!  And he does not look like he’s aged one bit.  I had totally forgotten about that show - I loved it when it was on, briefly in the late 80’s.  I felt it deserved a mention here on my blog.  I love violence!

There is an official website that exists for the show - and the episodes, like with most shows are now available on DVD.  Yay!!!  Check out The Official Sledge Hammer Website!

As usual I’m featuring two adoptable kitties - available at West Seattle’s ASHA Kitty Harbor.  They are open Saturday’s and Sunday’s 11am to 7pm PST.  For more information please visit them online.  They have many cats and kittens who are in need of loving homes.

Sheena

“Boing! I’m Sheena, a spritely 9-month-old girl, and I’m brand new here at Kitty Harbor. I’m mostly white with pretty grey tabby splotches, which I think set off my cute pink nose perfectly. See you soon! Boing boing boing!”

Onyx

“Howdy! I’m Onyx, a small, black, 1-year-old female kitty with intense yellow eyes and the tiniest little white star on my chest. My favorite activities include purring, laying in the sun, rubbing noses with humans, and napping. What’s your house like?”

Well, it does for me at least.  The type of music I am into at any given time usually goes full circle over the years.  I started out, the earliest I can remember, being into my Dad’s classic rock music (Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, etc).  I then got into the then popular 80’s pop (Toni Basil, Men at Work, The Go-Gos, etc) and dance music (Bobby Brown, Pebbles, Paula Abdul etc).  Following all of that I started to get into Metal and Stadium Rock (Motley Crue, Poison, Skid Row, Metallica, GnR, REO Speedwagon, Queensryche, Megadeth, etc etc etc etc).  I was into metal for quite a long time before I started being more interested in Death & Black Metal, moreso death.  (Carcass, Dissection, At the Gates, Arch Enemy, ETC).  Somewhere in between that time I also had gotten interested in Reggae (Bob Marley, Black Uhuru) and Punk music - namely old Misfits stuff, Fugazi and The Descendents.

Over the past year or so I had gotten really tired of all the death and sort of gravitated back to the 80’s pop.  I was longing for some happy music I think.  Granted I still love it very much, but over the past two weeks I’ve been frequenting the 80’s Metal internet music channel and finding I’m way into it again.  I’m hearing old favorites by LA Guns, Motley Crue and others that I had forgotten about.  It’s great stuff!

Speaking of metal - im taking a little jaunt over to Seattle Center later today to see Nevermore play at the Tattoo Convention.  Sounds like a nice way to end the week - I love those guys!!!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Sorry for the late post today!  It’s been a busy one, but I wanted to tell anyone who may be listening about my new tattoo!  I am extremly happy with it!!!  It’s still in need of scales and some blood red color in the flames - that will be happening at the start of September.  But even in it’s naked form I already love it!

It’s been 9 years since my last tattoo - I can’t believe that much time has passed already.  It wasn’t nearly as painful as I remembered it being and I managed to sit still through the entire thing.  There were some points where it was really uncomfortable but I just focused on my ujjayi pranayama yoga breathing and the very strange abstract painting that was in front of me on the wall.  I was seeing some pretty scary stuff in that thing!! Christy also was good about keeping me talking which helped a lot too.

It felt like road rash on the drive home.  Probably didn’t help that it was pretty hot here yesterday.  Once I got home I hopped into a cold shower and it’s felt great ever since.  I so love brand new tattoos - the ink is so fresh and dark still!  I’m going to do my best to take real good care of this one.  I just love it!

While I was getting this done, Christy let me know about laser tattoo removal.  I’m thinking about getting the one on my stomach removed so that it can be redone - correctly.  Or maybe even something different.  So I am considering that now also.

Anyway - if you are considering a tattoo but you are afraid it will hurt - well, IT DOES!  But you know what?  I’m someone who sweats bullets when I know I have to get a blood draw or a shot.  I think when you go through all that pain and actually leave with something cool (that doesn’t cry or require 18 years of your life) it’s all worth it!

Today I am getting my third tattoo.  It’s been about 9 years since my last which was not the greatest experience for me.  I had a rather large tattoo done on my lower abdomen that was not done exactly like my drawing.  The lines were way too thick and also resulted in a lot of scarring.  Not to mention it was probably WAY more painful than it needed to be.  So I have waited all these years to find the right person to do my next and future tattoos.

Recently I found that person right here in Seattle.  Her name is Christy Brooker and she tattoos in Georgetown at ArtCore.  She is amazingly good at portraits (see tattoo of Johnny Cash to the left) also.  Today I’m having her do my dragon drawing on my upper right arm.  I drew it back in 2003.  But later on I will have her tattoo a portrait of my late grandmother “Meemaw” on my left upper arm.  These things cost a lot of money - rightfully so when they are done well.  So I’ll have to save up for that one.

When done I’ll snap a photo and post it here.