Irrational Fears... Tales of Condo spiders Part I

I have told you I have a total irrational fear of spiders, right? Remember THIS post? One December my family was out caroling. I was riding shotgun in Darrel's car. Me: "Is that on the inside or the outside?" Darrel: "Is what on the inside or outside?" Me: Frantically scooting over to my right just in case it was on the inside... "That spider! Is it inside? Voice getting panicky... "It is on the inside!!" Getting more panicky now... " I need a tissue!!!!!!!!" Soni from back seat hands me a tissue without a word. Me: Try to kill spider and miss... and start screaming, "Where is it? I missed!" Darrel: "It's JUST a spider!" Me: "WELL FEARS ARE IRRATIONAL!!!" I screamed that and threw down my tissue as I started sobbing.

So as you can see, TOTAL fear!! Since moving in over here I feel like the heavens are trying to get me over my little fear. One day, I had just bought a sweatshirt from Disneyland & hung it in my closet close to the door so I could wear it the next day. When I put it on the next day, just as my left arm went into the sleeve and my hand came out a spider came dangling off (I just got chills up my back remembering this!!) and dropped to the ground. I had already let out a high pitched squeal and jumped back, and am now just starring at the spider as he races for cover under my bookcase. Finally, rational thinking starts in my brain and I grab a shoe. I had to just squish him enough to make sure he wouldn't come back to life, send a signal to all his friends to attack me, and jump up in my face and then suck my bodily juices dry... but not too much b/c the carpet is new and I didn't want spider guts permanently stained into my bedroom floor! I then proceed to get the dust buster, suck him up, and flush him! I was still teary eyed when I arrived at work 25 minutes later. (This is really a problem!!)

To Be Continued...

Merry Christmas..

.. ya filthy animal! ... and a Happy New Year!

Home Alone anyone? Anyone? They didn't have that as an option at Costco.com, but maybe next year! I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!! Love to all my friends and family! Let's make 2011 even better!!

I'm thinking about getting...

...my electrician's license!! :)

You all know the hassle Soni & I have gone through with fixing up our condo! (sigh...glad that's all *mostly* behind us!) We still have some things that need tweaking:

• changing out my ceiling fan
• the pantry light
• the downstairs toilet now leaks slightly-GAH!
• hemming our curtains ( we can do it, we just are lazy.)

... Anyway- I was frustrated trying to find something in that dark, disorganized pantry, so I decided I was going to change out that old non-working light for the new one.

Yup. I decided. -And, I was not going to turn off the electricity! (OK, not that I didn't want to, more so b/c I had a cheesecake in the oven, and I was too lazy to try to figure out which 1 switch was for that certain area.)

I grabbed some tools and my work began. Everything was going really well. I had unhooked all the wires but one set, so I grabbed them with the plier I had and *POP! POP! SPARK! SCREAM!* -YES. The scream was from me! :) It took me a couple minutes to get my courage back (and my heart rate to slow down), but I was back at it! Got everything put back together without electrocuting myself, I'm proud to say, pulled the cord and .... NOTHING! DANG! Well, at least I tried, right?

5 minutes later I noticed the refrigerator was not on... I had blown a fuse. So, turned it back on, checked the fridge (light was on so it must be working), looked up and....*

SAW THAT THE LIGHT WAS ON!!!

I totally did a happy dance! Woo-Hoo! I'm seriously thinking about trying to tackle my fan myself just so I could say I tried it... and if I actually do it, that would be even awesome-er!

* I tried to download a video and it wouldn't work. I'll keep trying!

Have I mentioned...?

...That I LOVE this time of year?! 10 Things I LOVE about the last 2 months of the year!!!

1. Cooler Weather... you can never take enough off when it's hot! You can always put more on!
2. The Music... YAY! (I've been listening off & on all year anyway, but now it's acceptable! :)
3. Decorations/Christmas Lights... LOVE LOVE LOVE... probably b/c my 2 brothers & I would start counting how many homes we saw with Christmas Lights on all our car trips! Good memory!
4. People are generally in a nicer mood this time of year... exception- Scrooge!
5. It means Winter is right around the corner... which = even Colder weather!!
6. Christmas Shopping... I do like it, even though I hate fighting crowds. Secret shopping tip... don't get a cart! You'll be giddy when you zoom in & out of slow shoppers!!
7. Christmas Baking! I have already made 2 cheesecakes, a double batch of banana bread w/ choc. chips & 2 double batches of chocolate chip cookies. Planning to make at least 1 more cheesecake (maybe 2), lots of brownies, and at least 10 dozen more batches of various cookies! YAY!
8. Christmas Caroling! I think the Christensen Caroling tradition started when I was 12 or 13 and I have LOVED it ever since... more so since I developed a penchant for baking. Even though we didn't go last year... Soni & I decided to just duet this year simply b/c we LOVE doing it!!
9. The SMELLS!! The candles, the baking smells, the crispness in the air... I LOVE IT ALL!!
10. The Feeling... can't quite describe it... maybe just b/c I love this time of year, I'm happier, but it's just that good feeling you have that puts a little spring in your step, and makes you sing/hum the last Christmas song you heard ALL day! (Yesterday I was singing Barry Manilow's- Christmas Is Just Around The Corner)
11. I know I said 10, but I had to add... The MOVIES!! I love Christmas Movies & TV!!

What's your favorite Time of Year? Or Favorite Things about this time of year?