Giving Thanks, Day 3

So, ha ha, I posted this on Facebook for Halloween:

This image may originate here. (So much for attribution.)

Early this morning, after Rob got up but before the sun and I did, I was lying in bed, minding my own sleepy business, and something with a lot of legs RAN ACROSS MY FACE. Ear to ear, straight over my cheekbones. I am a light sleeper, even when I'm dreaming, so in a nanosecond I was bolt upright and freaking out, shaking my head and slapping myself around to make sure that spider was OFFOFFOFF! Talk about an adrenaline rush. I sat there in the dark, my heart pounding. I did not, did not dream that! I pictured this spider running for his life, away from the big flailing thing he'd just mistakenly used as a highway. But no. Suddenly, I felt a tickle on the back of my shoulder and this time I stopped, dropped, and rolled like I was on fire. Good thing Rob was up already or I'd have probably knocked him out of bed by accident. I was taking no chances. A few years ago I got fanged by one of those pale green house spiders with the googly brown eyes that Rob used to tell me don't bite, and now, well, you know what they say... I'm twice shy. Exponentially shy. I can't stand spiders in the house. We are not amused.

After that, no more tickles, no more feet. I was able to catch a few more zzzzs (a testament to how much sleep I've lost lately rather than to how courageous I am). But when I woke up (after the sun) this is what I found:

Aieeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!

scattered body parts!

I am still creeped out, many hours later. Augh! It's going to be a little tough to sleep tonight.


BUT. Here's my big gratitude for the day: I won that battle. No googly-eyed spider bites for me today. And I'm sure his ancestors in spider heaven welcomed him home with many many open arms. Thankful!


Other things that didn't bite today:

• giving away the rest of the Mexican chocolate brownies
• getting to see an old friend, somebody I love like family, and meet her new baby, Niles (love you, Jamie, and it was so good to see you and Addie and the baby chunk and your sweet gram)
  
• helping my in-laws' neurotic cat with her worried peevish old lady cat thoughts (no, really)
  
• watching Neil Thornock drive away with a giant accordion loaded into his fabulous cargo bike
  
• perfect timing: at the very moment I decided I needed to find somebody with a truck to help me move a couch to Lu's house, I looked out the window and spotted the bishop, home early, and he and his truck and one of his landscaping worker bees helped me deliver Big Pink in five minutes, round trip
• new space opened up in the living room
• shuffling pictures on the walls
  
• the rest of the Harry Potters, on loan from my cuz
• Gary bringing me a gift he knows I'll appreciate: a tragic handwritten poem he found while deep cleaning his basement—it was hidden behind some duct work (sad subject matter, but it's great to have a friend who'll think to give me something like this)
• Rob's glee at having a P.A. system to play with
• Brian's songs with a little more reverb
• sweaters from the UK
• digging out the Italian book of Hanon Virtuoso-Pianist exercises and beginning to break in my fingers again (ow)
• vegetables
• praying with perspective
• looking forward to tomorrow
• my pumpkin and his Jack-o-lantern: