What To Do When... There's A GIANT Spider In Your Bathtub

What to do when there's a GIANT spider in your bathtub.

Step 1: Walk into bathroom, glance in the bathtub, see aforementioned GIANT spider (seriously this thing was huge), and FREEZE in HORROR!

Step 2: Thank the sweet Lord above that you are not deathly afraid of bugs (even though this giant spider is testing your fearlessness). Alternately think of how living on a tropical island has prepared you for dealing with large mutant insects.

Step 3: Assess the situation - Spider is in the bathtub and not likely to jump out at you, however, there is a distinct lack of weapons in the bathroom. Realize that to retrieve a suitable weapon, you would have to take your eyes off of the Godzilla spider (AND THAT ISN'T GONNA HAPPEN)!

Step 4: Spy the bottle of hairspray (AquaNet might I add).

Step 5: Grab AquaNet and spray the mess out of GINORMOUS spider. Giggle a little internally as the spider convulses but is essentially frozen in place (AquaNet don't play).

Step 6: Assume that the spider has asphyxiated from the hairspray.

Step 7: Wash the hairspray frozen spider down the drain.

Step 8: Clean the bathtub with scalding hot water and bleach products.

Step 9: Go about the evening trying not to dwell on the fact that one of those GIGANTIC spiders was IN MY HOUSE!!!!!

#20 Donate my Hair - accomplished 11-10-17

On November 10th, 2017, I cut almost 12 inches off of my hair and donated it to Pantene Beautiful Lengths. It was so scary. There are times where I really miss my long hair, but I know it was for a good cause!

#30 Buy a House - accomplished 8-31-17

I bought a house!!!!

Netflix's Anne with an E Review

http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/05/anne-of-green-gables-netflix-review-anne-with-an-e-bleak-sad-wrong  (Where I got my quotes)

So last week I tenatively began watching Netflix's new series "Anne with an E". Anne of Green Gables (along with the rest of the series) has long been one of the books that really defined my childhood. I have devoured the entire series multiple times as well as adoring the 1985 movies Anne of Green Gables and the 1987 Anne of Avonlea (But not Anne the Continuing Story - we don't talk about that one). 

So it was with great hestitation and bated breath, that I began watching Anne with an E. At first, I was ok. But as more and more of the series commenced, I let out my breath and wallowed in disappointment. I did stick it out and finish it simply because I wanted to see if there was any salvaging my poor impression of it.

Before I get into the bad though, there was actually quite a lot I enjoyed. Amybeth McNulty was particularly well cast as Anne Shirley. She handled the frantic page of Anne's talking and imaginative flights of fancy quite well. She also looked the part extremely well, better even than Megan Follows did. However, I do wonder how they will deal with her if she doesn't grow up to be more beautiful as Anne does. 

I also enjoyed Geraldine James' portrayal of Marilla and Lucas Jade Zumann's Gilbert. He was the perfect little saucy dreamboat that he needed to be so that all the girls would fall in love with him. I did enjoy the addition that Anne had to carry Gilbert's assignments to him so we could see them interact more. I was also thrilled that they included more backstory between Marilla and John Barry. It was gratifying to see a young Marilla and the understand a little bit more why she never married (I know the reason wasn't the same as in the book, but I felt like it was actually more in character for Marilla to turn down true love due to familial loyalty than to a fit of anger). I wasn't thrilled with Dalila Bela's Diana, but Diana is a fairly passive character in general so her bland portrayal doesn't really bother me.

AND ON TO THE BAD!!

Frankly, I didn't even make it to the end of the first episode before my heart sank to the bottom of my shoes and stayed there. The horrible additions that were made completely ruined the series for me. 
      "Producer Moira Walley-Beckett (who also produced the acclaimed series “Breaking Bad”) has said that she wanted to “push the boundaries” by creating a more dark and “realistic” adaptation. She certainly succeeded at changing the tone and atmosphere. But in so doing, she completely lost Anne."

Now I did not mind the additions referencing Anne's tragic past as much as others. As one reviewer pointed out, the falshbacks were probably fairly close to what an orphan would have really experienced. And Anne did reference her tragic past many times. I did feel like they went overboard on some of ther cruelty (Mr. Hammond and girls with the mouse, I'm looking at you) but that didn't put me off as much as some of the other additions did.

The main issues I had with the series are as follows:

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!

• Marilla and Matthew sending Anne away for the brooch debacle and then all the ensuing drama that had Matthew tearing off to rescue her.

• Matthew's vastly different personality and LOVE INTEREST!?!

• Making Gilbert an orphan

• Anne saving a house from fire

• Anne having such a hard time making friends and the town hating her.

• Anne's trip to sell off valuables because...

• Matthew is sick and Green Gables is overly mortgaged (although this is technically correct, it doesn't come up until much later after Matthew passes) which leads to...

• Scary (ruggedly handsome) thuggish thieves boarding at Green Gables and leaving us with a cliff hanger....

All of these things change such integral parts of the story line and just make me sad. I actually had to turn it off and come back later because I was so frustrated with them. To me the most egregious change they make is altering Matthew's story line. After I finished the series, I went and sat down with my dog eared copy of Anne of Green Gables in order to remember that the original series is as joyful and sweet as I remembered. 

Friendship

Friendship is hard... especially as an adult. Last week a friend who has moved away met me halfway with her kids just because I had a bad day and wanted peach ice cream and to talk. As we stood there pushing her kids on the swing set and chatting about our complicated lives, I started thinking about friendship.

 In the past 48 hours I have interacted(at least via the internet) with people on three continents, four states, and various points in their lives. One friend is a medical missionary in Africa, one is getting married this weekend, one is a teacher in another country, one is a nursing major in college. One special friend just gave birth to a bouncing baby boy and another is expecting a sweet little bundle of sugar and spice. Another friend has been through the wringer these past few months, but is always cheerful. Still another is one of the most talented people I know and always has something fun up her sleeve.

I have always struggled with friendship. In high school, I dubbed the syndrome that seemed to plague me as being a "Spare tire friend". As in the friend that is always there when needed, but can also be stored out of sight and forgotten about. That image and syndrome has never really left me. I still struggle with friendship.

This year has been especially hard for me with friendships. Several people that I thought were my friends stabbed me in the back, said really hurtful things to me, or just walked away completely with no explanation. Others (who are still friends) are moving away leaving me behind. (I understand that we will still be friends and see each other, but it is not the same as calling people up randomly and showing up at their house with a lemon meringue pie I made because I wanted to.) A year and around 4 days ago, I felt richly blessed with friends. Now I seem to be in a bit of a friend drought.

In middle and high school, it was so important who your best friend was. You normally only had one at a time. This was the person you could depend on for everything: sleepovers, movie partners, late night chats on the phone, someone who would be there. But you know what? I don't have a best friend anymore. I have lots of good friends, but no one who is that one...

But as an adult, I have come to realize that it is okay not to have a best friend. As an adult, friendship looks different. Sometimes friendship comes from random places - people that you never thought you would be friends with. Sometimes people you thought were your friends leave you behind or walk away. But friendship is always unique and always valuable. Some friends come into your life for a season and then grow apart. Some friends come into your life and never leave even though distance and circumstances separate you. Some friends are always going to be there with encouragement and some friends will (kindly) give you the truth you need to hear even when it is painful.

All frienship is valuable - in whatever shape and form it takes. And sometimes it manifests itself by a meeting to eat peach ice cream and push children on swings.

18. Go to a Concert!

I went to a concert. A Pentatonix Concert to be precise! The concert was my little (big) brother's birthday gift. And while Pentatonix (and Us the Duo) gave a great concert, the best part of the day was getting to spend some time with my brother,Judson, and sister-in-love, Anna.

Judson and I fought like cats and dogs through our childhood and teenage years. And just when we started to like each other a little bit - BOOM - I was off to college. And then so was he. And then we both started adulting and - BOOM - I moved overseas. Then - BOOM - he got married... and here we are. But I realized something recently. One day he will be all that is left of my family. So I really need to start cultivating that relationship more. It helps that he is a ridiculous amount of fun to be around and his wife is equally-if-not-more amazing! So here's to Judson's 26th birthday, my first completion of a 30-before-30 task, and family becoming friends.

30 Before 30

Here I go... 

Upon contemplation of turning 30 years old, I realized there were so many things I wanted to do, but kept putting off. So I decided to make a list which somehow morphed into a 30 before 30 challenge. Before I decided to do this, I had no idea how popular they were. After looking at a few (a bunch) or other lists, consulting my friends, and really thinking about it, I decided on these 30 things. Judge all you want, but there are the things I want to accomplish before my 30th birthday. 

1. Run a 5k
2. Take a solo trip
3. Learn how to shoot a gun
4. Go camping
5. Go to Harry Potter World
6. Sing Karaoke
7. Take a spontaneous trip
8. Go to a brewery to find a beer that I like
9. Watch IMDB top 50 movies
10. Be comfortable riding Shotgun.
11. Learn how to cook three fancy meals
12. Have a photoshoot of myself
13. Go on a wine tasting tour
14. Go on a Women’s retreat
15. Buy a nice gold bracelet.
16. Go to the Zelda Fitzgerald museum.
17. Blog once a month.
18. Go to a concert.
19. Name a star after myself
20. Donate my hair
21. Be debt free
22. Go hot air ballooning
23. Make a baked Alaska
24. Lean how to box
25. Learn how to Smock
26. Complete 30 acts of kindness
27. Get a spray tan
28. Find a new church
29. Take a cooking class.
30.  Buy a House.