Welcome to 2017!

[Gob]

Hope you have a happy, prosperous and safe 2017 my friends.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Ditto. 2016 ended poorly here.

I cooked a great steak dinner until my kitchening was rudely interrupted by a camel spider that had to be Doom'd. Much running around and the food suffered a bit. Lynn got my laptop PC ready so we could watch a video and promptly spilled my glass of wine into the keyboard. Much wrestling with paper towels and blowing air at it until it expired. Got it going again (but the battery is gone) and I noticed a movement in the corner of the room - yes, a bat. Much running around switching lights on and off, fetching a large glass to try and trap it and take it outside. Bat vanished. Not outside. Another camel spider ran across the room, to fast to Doom. Oh faggedabartit. Watched the video while eating cold congealed dinner (excellent cab sauv though); the movie reached the climax and the laptop made the final celebrity death of 2016. Got it going again. Finished the movie; tossed most of my dinner out for the grey mongoose. Happy New Year. Went to sleep.

PS how does 2017 start? Lynn and I were making the bed (about ten minutes after I vacated it) and she held up the sheet saying, "Where did that come from?" Turns out she saw what she thought were drops of blood on the sheet. From my side, I could see the huge camel spider that was clinging to the sheet she held up. "Why are you so calm?" I asked, pointing at the vicious animal. Aaaaaaaaargh! I was left to Doom the thing.

[BoSoxGal]

Hey, they're not venomous - couldn't you just relocate it outside? That poor spider probably thought you were roommates, and you go all murder crazy on it.

Besides, given what a good Christian you are, you should know why it's terribly unlucky to kill spiders . . .

[BoSoxGal]

Just got home from my overnight with Lewy Body Dementia patient . . . such a nice man, such a horrible disease - I can understand entirely why Robin Williams took a controlled exit. I'm happy to help this lovely man, but it's heartbreaking to see him lose himself.

Anyway, it's lovely here, sunny and going to be mid 40s - I'm thinking of a New Year's Day walk later, maybe on the beach?

[MajGenl.Meade]

Fortunately, they are neither camels nor spiders. More closely related to scorpions but not at all nasty like those.

I'd like to leave them alone - they are too fast to trap - but I can't abide going to bed knowing one is likely to walk over me. Yech! I'd probably swipe at it and (with my bad luck) actually squish it - and they do make the most terrible black smears all over the place. I was a lot less bothered by them when I thought they were floor dwellers only; but they can climb like crazy. But don't worry - Doom doesn't really kill them..........

A South African pastor who has been dubbed the ‘Prophet of Doom’ has been slammed by a group representing 88 denominations and churches for spraying his congregation with insecticide, claiming it can heal cancer and HIV.

Self-proclaimed prophet Lethebo Rabalago has been using an insect spray called ‘Doom’, spraying the product into people’s eyes, among other body parts, claiming it can heal individuals from several diseases.

PS this was prompted only by your post about not killing 'em. You posted again before this one went up. Sorry for any inappropriate timing! Not intended!

[Lord Jim]

Much running around and the food suffered a bit...

Much wrestling with paper towels and blowing air...

Much running around switching lights on and off...

Well, at least it sounds like you got some good exercise...

ETA:

I noticed a movement in the corner of the room - yes, a bat.

[BoSoxGal]

No worries - did you recall the spider story? Spins a web to hide Jesus from Herod? I think that's how it went . . .

[Guinevere]

Happy New Year one and all!

I made my first fondue ever last night - I was surprised how easily it came together without a fondue pot -- no separating, no burning, just creamy melty yummy cheese and wine. We ate too much of that, with a locally made stale brioche for the bread, and blanched asparagus which were a perfect dipping tool. A farmers fizz (all the grapes single estate grown) blanc de noirs from Champagne, chocolate peppermint cupcakes, and we were all set.

I made breakfast early and my Swede is off to ski with his daughter before a trip to the Alps next week. I'm meeting friends shortly for a Mass DCR First Day Hike on the main beach here, then watching the Pats sew up the No.1 seed in the AFC.

2016 had some interesting moments. Some great highs -- turning 50 and celebrating all summer with family and friends; meeting hugging and kissing Bruce; fun in NOLA with my college posse of girls; a couple of big victories in court; and continued health and happiness. The election was the biggest dark blot on the year for me (NSS), but I have actions in motion and will be working hard to make sure the Trumpanzee is nothing more than a blip, and our civil liberties are protected. It is, however, always something of a relief when the page turns, and we get the chance to start over again. As they say in NY State -- Excelsior!

[MajGenl.Meade]

No worries - did you recall the spider story? Spins a web to hide Jesus from Herod? I think that's how it went . . .

Oh. No, I'd not heard that. Now I've googled it and it's a charming but quite silly story that seems to go back to David hiding from Saul and then is used in the vs. Herod story and even shows up with Mohamed later!

I have much more patience for preying mantis and large beetles. Even rescued one of the latter from a bowl of water outside the house last week.

I will try to be nicer to spiders in 2017

[datsunaholic]

meeting hugging and kissing Bruce;

Springsteen?

One of my friends down at the Museum I volunteer at got to meet The Boss in October at his concert in Portland (Oregon). She said it was one of the highlights of her life; she's a die-hard fan - her license plate reads BRFTGRL (Barefoot Girl).

I didn't get to meet or hug or kiss either of the performers of the 2 concerts I went to last year (the first concerts I'd been to since 2004). One would have been weird and a little creepy. The other was Alice Cooper.

[Guinevere]

Yes, Springsteen. I met him at a book signing at the Harvard Coop in October.