Ups and downs of life
Ups and downs of life, I was going to write a far more cheery blog this morning. I did in fact sit down at my desk and intended to start the blog Hurray! But before I got started I had a phone call informing me that my next door neighbour (up until May when she moved into sheltered accommodation) died yesterday. She was a great friend and a great help too as she took in parcels for me (I had a permanent notice on my door saying "if not in please leave next door"). We had "tea and a chat" most days and I will really miss her. The only good thing is that I visited her the day before she died. With all my woes recently I hadn't managed to see her and I would have felt absolutely awful if I hadn't seen her.
The better news is (the reason the blog was going to be titled Hurray) that I saw the physio on Wednesday and she said I could go back in the gym. I have to take it very easy but I went in that afternoon and yesterday and my back hasn't been any worse. She also told me where to get a back brace as I really think I should have one for all the lifting that I cannot avoid in the bug room. The beetles and millipedes may not weigh much but the box of soil, wood and leaves weighs a ton (probably a slight exaggeration). Anyway I'm sure I will be far more sane now that I can exercise again.
The bugs are going well and I've had lots of orders this week so I have managed to cut things down a bit. With everything that is going on and my hubby changing jobs this month I don't intend to get much more in until after Christmas. I have plenty to be going on with and lots of wonderful bugs to try and get breeding (just remembered I left my Sri Lankan Ornamental tarantulas together last night as they were showing no interest in each other). Phew - just checked and he is alive and kicking still, I'm not actually sure that the female is fully grown, it is always so difficult to know, she may have another moult to go? Things keep escaping in the bug room since I hurt my eye. I can't get new glasses made up until the eye heals properly so I am managing with an old prescription (I so miss my wonderful contact lenses, after my iPhone, my lenses were my favourite objects in the world). I had two giant black scorpions break out during the night this week but both were soon found and a couple of days ago I was feeding a Feather Leg Baboon when it shot up my arm. I panicked (they are not exactly friendly) and pulled my arm away, it then jumped onto the table and ran under a large Exo Terre vivarium. I said a few rude words as I clearly couldn't risk moving the tank with my bad back. The only person in was our daughter's partner, he was off work with flu. The poor guy only moved in last month and is terrified of bugs (he grew up in South Africa) but he couldn't say no to my pleas. He dutifully lifted the tank (in his dressing gown, he had only got up to get a drink) and we discovered it must have run under the next one. Three very heavy tanks later the spider was nowhere to be seen. Stefan crawled back off to his sickbed and I feared that the monster spider would reappear and 'get me later'. I was very pleased to rediscover him/her yesterday. I did actually put my hand on the spider as I lifted a box of cockroaches but luckily it decided to run, rather than bite and this time I caught it. Stefan was relieved and commented that it was just another day in the Cheeseman household.
Must be super quick now as I am all behind this morning and I have to collect my sister soon, I am taking her to Tiggywinkles wildlife hospital (just reread that - I will be bringing her back too). One day I will have some time but obviously not this week!
Totally given up on Worldpay as an alternative payment option on my website. It became an absolute farce and I never want to hear the name Worldpay again.
I have finally started adding information to individual tarantula species. Please, please let me know of any mistakes you find or anything that you don't agree with. It isn't very technical, I am a pet person rather than a scientist but it will at least give everyone an idea of what I think about the spider (and I have been keeping them for a very long time).
Kilimanjaro Baboon spiders! They are now months old and nobody seems to want them even at £1.00 each. I am going to have to just put them all in a large box together and let them get on with it. It is sad but I cannot keep feeding all of them individually when they are just not going anywhere. It makes no sense, I don't have the time and have to take better care of myself. It is a job that I could really do without.
Lastly, I am typing so fast that my finger is going numb (yes, I do only type with just one finger). I bumped into an old friend from my previous gym this week and after telling her of my woes she offered to come and do a risk assessment of my work and handed me her card. RISK ASSESSSMENT! Why on earth would I want that, I'm quite sure it wouldn't pass. I politely said thanks and slipped the card into my pocket (I'm not sure where it went).