Barbecues and Irrational Fears

I am desperately, desperately, desperately hoping for a spiderless night tonight.  I was feeling pretty good after I chased the cane spider I discovered in the kitchen… it was nowhere to be found the next morning.  But then last night, as I was turning off the lights in my office to retire to my bedroom for the night, I spotted it again, this time on a doorframe just down the hall from my bedroom.  Every time I see it, a shock wave goes through my entire body—pure electric panic.  I really wish I could show you all just how big this monster is, but I’m too terrified to get within 15 feet of it to take a picture.  I can’t even bring myself to copy a picture from Google (Google them yourself to see how hideous and huge they are!!)… I almost pass out every time I look at the pictures, let alone the actual specimens.  You think I’m kidding or being dramatic?  I really wish I were. 

This morning I walked out of bedroom with a towel over my head just in case the spider was on the ceiling outside my door.  Even now, as I’m sitting here typing, I get up every 15 minutes or so to scan the hallway, the kitchen, and my bedroom to make sure they’re spider-free.  I sit cross-legged in my desk chair because I’m paranoid that if I put my feet on the ground, the spider will crawl up my leg.  I sleep in the fetal position because I don't want my limbs to even come CLOSE to the edge of the bed.   

I’ve noticed, by now, that the cane spiders come out at night.  I’ve never seen one during the day—all of my “confrontations” have occurred at night.  I’ve begun to get severe spider anxiety around 5:00, knowing that I only have an hour or two before the house is filled with shadowy corners and dim lighting… and spiders.  Tonight I got invited to a barbecue, and I almost didn’t go just because I didn’t want to come home to a dark house.  NOT because I’m afraid of robbers or kidnappers or the boogie man… because I’m afraid of cane spiders… indoors.  My brain just refuses to be logical about this.  The sun is going to set whether or not I go to a barbeque… but somehow, I felt like if I stayed home and did a spider scan every now and then, I would be safer than if I left the house unattended and came home oblivious as to where the creature might be lurking.  What’s wrong with me?!

I need to get over this. 

I’ll write about something else to get my mind off of it. 

So I went to a barbecue tonight!  It was an interesting experience.  The landscaper, a nice, quiet guy named Mark, called this afternoon and invited me to a barbecue at his friends’ house.  It was a very nice thing for him to do given that he doesn’t know me very well and would have to spend most of his time playing hostess to me instead of socializing freely with his friends.  But it wasn’t that long ago that he was new on the island, himself… so I imagine he knows what it feels like to be here on your own.  For that, I’m thankful. 

The barbecue ended up being more of a family reunion than a gathering of friends.  There were close to thirty people there, and almost everyone (barring Mark, who is their good friend) was related—cousins, aunts and uncles, parents and grandparents.  The whole gathering felt like some sort of hearty Italian celebration.  Everyone was drinking wine (and beer… and absinthe…) and laughing, the kids were wrestling and playing tackle football, the people in the kitchen were tossing around pots and pans and cooking up a storm.  The grandmother definitely looked and sounded Italian (though Mark said she was some other nationality… can’t remember what.)

Anyway.  We played Bocce Ball, sat around swapping stories about European travel (I couldn’t join in on that one, unfortunately), and then ate a delicious meal of fresh roasted pig (soooo salty and delicious!), mashed potatoes, rice, fresh fruit (one fruit tasted like an apple crossed with a pineapple crossed with an onion… it wasn’t my favorite, but it was interesting!), and sushi!  I’d never had sushi before and was excited to try it.  Basically it was rice and sushi wrapped in seaweed.  I’ve never liked seafood, but just in the last few months I’ve started to come around... so I didn’t mind the sushi at all.  I actually liked it.  I think. 

The night ended with gourmet triple-layer cheesecake (not sure what the three layers were… chocolate, coconut, and… cheesecake?) and the cousins (mostly rowdy boys between the ages of 5 and 12) tackling each other on the Love Shack (name brand of an enormous, soft beanbag.)  All in all, it was a good night.  It was the sort of situation that probably should have been awkward… I mean, I showed up at a family reunion where the only person I knew was the only other person not related to the hosts (a few others weren’t related, but I couldn’t really keep track of who was who.)  But somehow, it wasn’t too awkward.  It got me out of the house, at least! :)

Since I’ve been mostly working the last couple days and haven’t don’t much since the waterfall adventure, I’ll share a couple random pictures just to keep the blog looking spiffy. :)

Here’s another shot (different angle) of Harry’s web.  I don’t mind admiring him and his work when he’s outside… up high and out of the way… never moving more than twelve inches.  The web is easier to see in black-and-white. 

And here’s a shot of the view of the ocean from the living room (this picture was taken from the kitchen, which is behind the living room)... but it's sooo much more glorious in person.  

This isn’t the greatest shot, but here’s a picture of one of the tiny geckos that runs around the house.  They’re everywhere here—some big, some small.  Check out how small this little guy is compared to the doorstop.  So cute. :)

Back to work for a few hours before bed.  Love and miss you all!