update: the great spider conflict

i said in a couple posts back that i would rather wake up to a spider crawling across my pillow than come face to face with a leafbug.  well, this has recently been put to the test.  apparently in the summer my apartment becomes some sort of spider theme park-- the destination for the eight-legged elite.  i've seen the little buggers crawling across the floor and promptly sucked them up with my vacuum cleaner.  my first close encounter came when i found one crawling across my chest.

i really did shriek "was it in my hair?!" over and over again. was i expecting the spider
to answer my question?  i don't know.

then i found one crawling across my leg.  spider traps caught some of them, but apparently others were too clever.  people kept telling me to call my landlord to take care of it, but i kept putting it off.  why, you ask?  bug shame.  i realize, logically, that spiders aren't like cockroaches or ants.  you don't necessarily have to invite them in with crumbs and uncleanliness.  but still!  bug shame!  i keep my apartment extremely tidy, including mopping the floors by hand every week.  i'm a little neurotic about it, and i was not a fan of the idea of being That Neighbor with the bug problem.

when i woke up one morning with three spider bites and the very real fear that i'd swallowed a spider in the night, that was the last straw.  i called my landlord and on wednesday, mr. exterminator came to give the kiss of death to all those bitey eight-legged buggers.

i spent the night at my parents' house so i wouldn't die the spider death in my sleep, then went directly from their house to work.  i didn't see my apartment until yesterday evening after work.  i was a little nervous going home, because i didn't know what to expect.  possibly something like i imagine a civil war battle field would be like.  or maybe the french revolution, with barricades and tattered flags. (and the battle may or may not have involved singing something along the lines of "doooo you hear the spiders creep?  creeping to biiiiiite you in your sleep..."*)

but no.  there's not a spider corpse in sight.  which is a good thing, don't get me wrong.  i'd rather not deal with little spider patriots crunching under my feet.  but still.  it's a little anticlimactic, i think.  after months of living in fear, it's all over after one phone call.

... or is it?

(please, yes.  i hope it is.  i don't want to be carried away in the night as a prisoner of war, please.)


*this is funnier if you know what song i'm referencing.  at least i think it's funny.

update: read-a-new-book month

did you know september is read a new book month?  i wrote about it on my company's blog here and included a list of thirty-one recommendations of new books.  they're mostly geared toward grade eight and below, but there's no shame in reading a book geared toward a younger audience, i say. personal favorites on that list include peter pan (of course), the graveyard book by neil gaiman, and the invention of hugo cabret by brian selznick.  so good.  if you haven't read them, i highly recommend checking them out.  there are also a lot of other books on the list that i'm interested to look at.  my "to read" list is about a kajillion miles long right now, but i'll get to them eventually.

right now, i'm reading the house with a clock in its walls by john bellairs, which will be followed by we have always lived in the castle by shirley jackson.  it's spooky story season, don't you know!  what are you all reading, or what are some favorites you like to recommend?  make my "to read" list longer!

in the kitchen: french toast with bananas and caramel

i'm a big fan of big breakfasts, particularly on the weekends. this is a recipe i got from a lovely cookbook called cook this, not that! by david zinczenko and matt goulding. it's full of delicious healthy meal ideas-- good alternatives when you're craving something but want a lighter option.

French Toast with Bananas and Caramel

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup crushed walnuts
• 2 ripe bananas, sliced into 1/2-inch circles
• 1 cup milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 8 slices of sturdy whole-grain bread

Directions

heat the butter in a medium nonstick pan over medium heat. add orange juice and all of the brown sugar and stir to dissolve. cook for 1 to 2 minutes until bubbly. add walnuts and cook for an additional 2 minutes. add the bananas and heat through. stir in 1/4 cup milk and keep warm.

whisk together the remaining 3/4 cup milk, eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla. heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. when the skillet is warm, spray with a light coating of nonstick cooking spray. working 2 pieces at a time, dip the bread into egg mixture. let soak for 30 seconds. flip each piece over and soak the other side for 30 seconds.

booday: spooky video from ghost hunters

i was watching a ghost hunters marathon the other night on syfy (does it bother anyone else that they've changed "scifi" to "syfy?").  i've never really been a fan of ghost hunters, but sometimes i like to have the tv on in the background while i do other things, and it seemed to fit with my recent spooky halloween craving.  there were some interesting little bits and pieces here and there, but this clip, from a trip they took to alcatraz, blew my mind.  it's very eerie, so if that's not your thing, then i won't blame you for not watching the video.



boo! :)