The Spiders in My Life.

     If you are a spider, and you think you're going to live rent-free in my house, you may have to rethink your last thought. I am not as spider-friendly as some. In fact, there are times when I would just as soon smash one that is crawling around on my floor as quickly as possible. I may end up throwing an article of clothing over it first before doing the wild and crazy necessary dance, but I don't just allow these things full access. I say that, then I remember the three years I lived with a Daddy-Longlegs in my bathroom. To be honest, it wasn't my bathroom, but my parents' bathroom. 

    I can't remember the exact dates, but I was living off and on with my mom and dad for weeks or even months at a time between going back and forth somewhere. I would hesitate to take a bath, knowing that the little creepy dear was watching me. He'd been given a name. You can't just sweep down a menace if he's been given a name. I have no idea to this day whether or not it was a boy spider, but since it was a Daddy-Longlegs and not a Momma-Longlegs, it went without saying that Henry was in fact a boy! He can get back at me later if I was misgendering him or her; someday, when we're all in Heaven, and he finds me again.

    Henry unceremoniously lived in the bathroom because it was quiet, and it was warm and sometimes steamy. He'd hang out on the ceiling, edging his way over to the shower. If I saw him anywhere near the shower head or any of the faucets, I would simply postpone my bath or shower until he decided to move again. It wasn't often that he forced me to change my mind. He was, in that regard, a very likable and amicable roommate. I did learn a bit about the species from talking to others. Every now and again, I'd see a fly or something caught up in a web in the corner, and I knew Daddy-Longlegs aren't actually spiders in the first place. They can't make webs. There must have been something else in the bathroom bringing Henry food.

    I'd exit the bathroom, and my mom would call out, "Say hi to Henry for me!" I'm not sure if she was mocking me, or if she was as sick as I was for not just killing the damn thing.  The spider I saw in my house today is just lucky I didn't have a blow torch handy! I just really don't do spiders. I'm not jumpy when I see them, but I don't want them hanging out where I can see them. I know the old adage that we're only 10 feet away from a spider at any moment of our lives. I get that, but I don't have to see them, do I? I don't have to interact. I can still hate quietly and either walk away, or find something to pick it up and assist it going outdoors where I think they belong.

    Of course, we could try to see if from the multiple-eyes view of the hairy little monsters, and say maybe I'm invading their space. Maybe they were here first, but they're not paying the mortgage, I am. They will either stay out of sight or face the bug-bomb if I see them too often. Then there's Laura. She defends every one of them unless it's a Recluse or Black Widow. She'll go to bat for every Wolf spider on the planet, explaining why they are so needed. Fine, he can feel needed in her room, not mine! He needs to understand that.

    I didn't have anything handy to squish him with before he (again, me assuming the spider's gender) under the baseboard and found safety. I did fumigate his fuzzy little butt with 1/4 a can of spray disinfectant. My room smells good now, and it will be germ-free for weeks. The dog can't go into the space for another hour or so, but the spider, you know, will survive! He will likely scurry his little self over to another place, another space, and just hang out again -- until he attacks me in my sleep or something. He may have to be found.

    I was a little rattled by it, so I did what I thought was a good thing to do. I ate a Hostess Ding Dong, gulped down a 20-oz bottle of water, took in a few deep breaths, and told Laura she needs to try and find him because if I do, he may not survive it. She's still sitting at her computer, laughing at me. If she keeps it up, I'll grab the entire box of Ding Dongs and not share. I am not above that. I know how to punish that woman. I gave birth to her! You'd think she could at least save me from the grips of a harmless insect now and again.

    Photo Credit: Thrive Pest Control (this isn't really Henry, but this is what he looked like) 

Food / Grocery Comparison. (I love this)

     I love food. I'm sure you do too. It's something we all, more or less, have in common. Yes, of course, some eat more of it, and those who eat different types, but we all have to agree, we all love food. Well, I now live in a different city than I have lived in for over 11 years. Before I lived in the bigger city of Oklahoma City, I was in a large city in Indiana, and I never got around to doing much of a food comparison because it didn't interest me. I would buy something at this or that store, and if I found it cheaper somewhere else, I wasn't going to drive around town to pick it up because it would waste time, energy, gas, etc. 

    Now that I'm older, living in a smaller town and able to do so, I have been checking the prices of food at the local United Supermarket, whose name brand is Best Choice. I think Best Choice is mainly associated with a group called "Associated Wholesale Grocers".  Homeland stores carry the brand as well. We have one about 1.5 miles from my house. I pulled into the parking lot today around 9:30 a.m. (Saturday) And I counted the cars. There were 12.   Twelve cars, and that did include the workers as well.  

    I walked around the brightly lit store, and I was virtually alone.  I had a list, a prepared list of things we needed, but also things I hadn't recently purchased anywhere. I wanted to get my long receipt and compare the prices with both Walmart and Kroger to see which store(s) were cheapest and most reliable. The result of my little experiment may or may not shock you. I was able to get everything on my list, and then I picked up something else that was NOT on the list, but I absolutely could not have refused it -- they were not only on sale, but they were also practically giving them away.

    Frito brand chips were 3/$5.00, and they are the 9.25 oz size bags! You bet I did that. I bought the honey BBQ twists, the chili cheese, and a bag of original chips so I can make Frito pies. I never buy corn chips, but did today! Laura was quite happy when she saw them.  At $1.66 a bag, I'm not saying no. Someone I know says, "You can't leave them on the shelf at that price", and I agree wholeheartedly.  They came home with me, along with beef franks, Polish sausage, olives, pickles, frozen veggies, milk, sour cream, butter, and a few other things that you can get at all three of the stores I was using for the comparison.

    Once finished, my bill was $119.35 after tax. Oklahoma doesn't charge a food tax, but there is still a city and county tax to pay. I'm happy it was only 4.5%. It makes a difference when you shop online at Kroger, and they charge more. Walmart had literally everything United had, no exceptions, but their Frito products were upward of $3.79. Where that's not a bad price, we just never buy corn chips. Now, I suppose if I'm driving around and get a hankering for corn chips, I'll pull into United before I pull into Walmart. They are also located closer to the front of the store. 

    OK, so here's the final tally -- and like I said, it may or may not surprise you.  United is 3% cheaper than Walmart (generally speaking) on the items that I purchased, but there were several times that Walmart was cheaper. It's just that what I ended up buying today favored United. If I shopped mostly at Walmart for staples like flour, sugar, meats, and produce, Walmart would win every time. Kroger, sadly, even though I wanted it to be different, failed. They are upwards of 27% higher than United and 22% - 25% higher than Walmart. Then, when you tack on the tax and tip -- well, they lose.

    We recently bought a week's worth of groceries at Kroger, just to get things started at the new home. I paid $102.00, and it lasted 6 or 7 days. I just spent $119 at United, but I didn't buy the meats or produce, so I can't say for sure how long it will last.  I'm positive, however, that if I were to buy my meats and produce at United, it would be at least 10% higher than Walmart. I do have the added benefit of going to a store that is virtually empty, and I can get in and out without any issue. That is a big factor, and it will make a difference depending on when I'm out and about doing my weekly shopping.

    Walmart, unlike Kroger or United, has many more things in the store to pick up if I'm already there. I could never, and I mean never, do that in Oklahoma City proper, for fear of being followed, stalked, or even accosted.  Any store that has to have metal detectors and people scanning your receipts to see if you stole from them is not a place I want to shop at or give my money to. I want peace. I want tranquility. I like good, friendly, genuine customer service, and I get it at both the El Reno Walmart and United Supermarket. (I get it at Kroger too, but that's because it's online shopping.)

    There you have it. United for the win if I'm running in to pick up this or that. Walmart is my main shopping spot, and I don't think I'll hit up Kroger again. Sadly, they are probably out the door. They do, however, have orange DreamCycle ice cream, and I can't get that at United or Walmart. It's a sad thing, but true. I have Braum's! I don't know if they have that flavor, but I can write to them and ask them to start making it. When I tell you it's great, you have to know, it is SO VERY wonderful. 

Photo Credit: Me

That Didn't Take Long!

     If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times, the best thing about horse people is their dogs. It's so true. It doesn't matter who the people are, and I'm including myself in this mix, but no one tells the complete truth when it comes to the horse they are trying to sell or trade. It just doesn't happen. Well, it does happen when we sell or trade. It's like online dating; when I was stupid and did that for a while back in the late 90s, I always told the truth about my age, height, weight, etc., but I was the only one who did. 

    So, here we are, just one day into having the horses on our land, when it became very apparent that the people we got the Paint mare from didn't exactly tell the whole truth about her. Sure, they said she was likely pregnant, and she is, but they also said they believed she had been ridden in the past and that she had been out in the pasture the last year or so.  They said she was around 15 to 16 years old, and she's not. The good news is she's younger than they said, but the bad news is she's not really even halter-broke. She is, but she's only had one on her face a few times. She didn't know how to lead.

    Not to worry. I will sell the mare immediately, and then, instead of getting myself another horse, I'm just going to let Laura keep all the horses. I'll feed them, groom them, watch them, love them, and video, but I don't need to ride. I thought I wanted to, but I really don't. I don't think my hips can take it. This cold air is really doing a number on me, so if I did manage to get up on top of the animal, I may not have the control I need, and that could turn out disastrous for me. If I got up there and couldn't get down, I can't guarantee any of the firemen in our area wouldn't laugh and post about it later. 

    Nope, I thought I wanted a horse. I really did. When they arrived last evening, and it was just over 30 degrees outside, and my mare decided to stay where she was in the big trailer she'd spent a few hours in, I stood outside shaking and freezing myself to the bone, hoping to get some sort of video. Laura had to put a little training into the situation, and when we got the mare into the paddock, she almost immediately began testing the fenceline. Nope...she's outta here! I asked Laura to post her on Facebook, and within a few minutes, we had several people interested. She's gorgeous! She's also pregnant, and a lot of people really like baby horses.

    Am I sad? No. Actually, I'm not. I'm happy, really, because it means Laura gets another horse for herself, and I don't have to pay for feed, vet bills, tack, or anything. I'll continue to buy the carrots and treats, though. I will forever be the treat-lady. That's me. I can do that. I can brush them when it's warmer, and I'll hang out with them, but no, I don't need to ride. I'll have hundreds of millions of years to ride when we get to Heaven, and I won't worry about breaking something. I can just see myself falling off, being bucked off, or just not being able to get down from it - and needing to roll off. No, thank you.

    Laura's little Arab-cross mare (Lady Sif) is an amazing girl. She's pretty, pristine, and polite. The paint is gorgeous for sure, but she's nosy, bossy, marish, and pushy. I don't need that. She'll make someone a good ride when they get her trained. We don't have the patience or time for that. With her being pregnant, she won't be able to be trained until after the baby is born and weaned. It will be June or July before the training can begin - I don't want to keep paying for feed and bills on something I can't use. If Laura wants to do something that, or if someone else wants to, that's FINE, but not for me. I only keep horses that are both useful and rideable. Anything else is wasteful. (for me)

    At least I can always find Laura now when I don't see her inside at her desk. She's been non-stop hovering over the two horses since they were delivered. She's checked on them at least a dozen times to my once, and she's so giddy and happy...you'd think she had won the lottery -- she may need to. Horses are expensive. The other thing I always say is, "If you have horses, you need money because you won't have any if you keep them."

Photo Credit: Me (Jace)