the Good, the Better and the Downright Ugly

ok - so I promised some pics of pretty knitting - here we go - please refer to these two photos as needed during the reading of this blog - you may need them......

The good.
Here is the status of my little bear Buffy - she is stuffed, but not sewn together - and no clothes yet - something has been occupying my time ...or should I say some things....??? keep reading.......








The Better - hah - take that you fearful clapotis people - it is soooo easy - I am loving it - and the lion and lamb yarn.....thanks Michelle for harassing me to cast it on!




The Ugly - let me set the stage.....I have been living out of a suitcase for the last 3 weeks. Housesitting. Friends in need. Rescuer of what would be lonely animals.....
One week sitting the parents of my precious yorkie - all went well - no issues with the little ones.

Next - my friend mentions that she needs someone to sit with her 2 dogs (black lab and yorkie (my dog's little sis - from next litter) and cat.) No problem. So..I stop by and see the house - HUGE house, beautiful interior - walk in closet that is as big as my guest room AND craft room - no joke...Michelle can back me up here.... Anyhoo - interior of the house fab, the backyard is comprised of huge deck, pool, huge wooded area - feels like I am at a spa. Oh, did I mention that the owners of the house suggested I have people over - AND they have stocked several fridge's with beverages of alll kinds...wow!

So I hear you all now - why is this in the ugly section of the post. Wait - read on ...

So...I go over to their house on Saturday - no problems - the yorkie is a little nervous - she is a momma's girl - but she quickly warms up to me. Walking around the house, I find a yellow jacket or wasp on the stairs. Ok - I think I am allergic - vaguely recall something about that from childhood....so I quickly dash to the kitchen find a glass and trap the evil guy and throw him away outside. Way far down the driveway....faaarrrr away. Thus ends Saturday.

Whew. I return to the house and all goes well.

For a while.

Tuesday am, I get up and run the dogs downstairs to go out for the am....

Let me stop here to describe the scene - me in my tinker bell pajama pants - yes...tinker bell -get over it... a cami top and bare feet.

Back to the story - I let the dogs out and as I close the door, something catches my eye...... scurrying under the rug I am standing on. Yes. Scurrying. Hmmm... eight legs... could it be a spider...no it has a segmented body and tail that curves up.

Yep. You got it. A scorpion. Phylum Arthropoda, class Arachnida....order Scorpiones.

And me BAREFOOT!!!!!

So out comes the same glass that caught the wasp...I catch it. Then I have to figure out how the heck to get rid of it. Throw it outside? Nah...It will either land on me, my car, or one of the dogs. Nope - has to be fool-proof.

Wait - flush it. Right?

So I have to find something to slip under the glass. Paper? Nope. Too flimsy.

Nothing to be found...so I decide - Sacrifice the cereal box. As I get close to the glass, I hear 'tink tink tink' . No - nothing related to 'Tink'er Bell....no it is one ANGRY little arthropod. Hitting the side of the glass with his tail. Sorry guys - I am assuming it is a guy - get over it.

So - I grab the camera - I need proof. Proof of life...right?

I put it near the toilet. Go out to the hall - where the offender is - still 'tink-ing' away...

Pick up the glass and walk carefully to the toilet and drop the little sucker into the bowl.

Here is the proof.

Next - I flush 5 or 6 times, then fill the bowl with bleach. That sucker is not comin' back!

So I go to work, and I am telling some of my peeps about the fun - and what do you think I hear from them - support? Compassion?

NO.

One wiseacre - "you know they travel in two's" . Smarty pants #2 - "don't they travel up pipes?" "He can get up to the other bathroom"

Droll....very droll. I was not amused.

Weds, the cat, thinking I am starving - brings me a salamander - no legs or tail. yummy. I find 2 more scorpions outside....

[score for those not keeping count - 3 scorpions, 1 wasp/yellow jacket, 1 semi-salamander] Oh - and I almost forgot about the little cardinal that keeps trying to fly through the kitchen window!

Skip to Thursday - the day I am going home....

I am all packed - ready to go home. I pop open a beer to drink while watching BB8 - pick up the suitcase on end to put in my ziploc baggie with my alcohol for my nose ring....slide it into the front pocket (for those of you weak of heart - hang on)....

And what is on the floor next to my foot - where the suitcase was - yeppers.

ANOTHER SCORPION. All I can think of is - my purse was on the floor, so were my two bags of knitting projects.....CRAP.

Yeah - beer goes down the sink, a pyrex bowl goes over the 2nd culprit - let the homeowner handle it (she will be home in 2 hours).....plus she called just then - and said to leave it....

I drive home with my two bags of knitting in garbage bags and my dad and I go through EVERY bag and my suitcase on the driveway. I am wearing my thick canvas gloves, bat and broom nearby to beat the crap out of anything I may find.

I have to admit - I was sorta creeped out - and shaking out all my intimate apparel for the neighborhood to see was not my proudest moment - but I was not letting one of those things in my home...ugh...

needless to say, I am a bit jumpy - earlier tonight, my power cord rubbed my leg - I jumped about 10 feet .....

hopefully all will settle soon..... all I can say is that my friend told me that in 1 week, I saw more critters than she had in two years - how lucky can a girl be?

p.s. I still will house sit for her - I just insisted on having the bug guy's # and will wear shoes all the time!

p.p.s - and yes - I am still looking into all toilets before sitting down - don't know when I will be able to stop that.....