Good Vs. Evil

Yesterday was amazing.

I woke up early and more full of energy than I have all year. Mornings are usually not my best friend.  At 8 am, I was in the driveway cleaning out my van. Seats were moved, every surface wiped down and then floor mats were washed. Then my favorite mother -in-law arrived and we met Damion for lunch at a great restaurant that we love. It has a great outdoor seating are with a giant sandbox. This was Princess Newbies first time playing in the giant sandbox. She loved it and was so cute. I think my hormones hit an all time high watching her playing in the sand.

Then while we were eating I happened to look across the parking lot to notice a new store that was opening. You'll never guess what it is. Ok.. I'll tell you because I'm so excited that I want to scream! (I think  I actually did a little when I saw it) Home Goods is opening up about two miles from my house!!! *Happy Dance*.  The closest one to use right now is 25 minutes away. But not anymore! If you haven't been to Home Goods than you are not experiencing life to the fullest.

Then yesterday evening I went to the Galleria to meet up with other Houston Bloggers. It was great. I made new friends and learned a lot. Now my head is swimming with ideas for my blog and where I want it to go from here.

After that Damion and I had a mini date at Barnes and Nobles and then home to sleep.

Great day. Lots of fun with neighbors, family, and community.

Then today happened.

It started out great.

I was up early again and outside to build an outdoor habitat for our new pet turtle, fluffy.  My neighbors rallied around me and provided tools, help and advice. ( I have great neighbors). It was a fun morning.

Until all the neighbors left and Damion came out to help me move the turtle habitat that I had just spent 3 hours building. We put fluffy the turtle into a flower bed that he likes to hang out in and when we came back to get him after we moved it, he was gone. Let's recap shall we..... I had just spent three hours and about $40 to make this outdoor enclosure and the turtle was gone. We're not sure what happened. I think one thing, Damion thinks another... it was depressing and sad to us.

Our neighbors came out to help us look but we just couldn't find him. Finally I decided that I would look one last place, under the little cabinet that keep our water hose in. I moved it to look for him and noticed a big snake coiled up in there.

In case you didn't know.. I am TERRIFIED of snakes. It's something deep inside of me that I cannot control. I will shake, cry, scream, loose it all because of the smallest garden snake. But this was a big snake that was definitely not a green garden snake. I screamed and ran to get Damion. He's used to me freaking out for an earth worm sized snake so I don't think he took me seriously at first but when he saw it..... I know his heart jumped just a bit. I went in the house and just sat in a chair. I didn't want to be out there. I didn't want to think. I just sat.  It was horrible.

So now I have a 5' x 3' turtle habitat with no turtle and a chopped up snake in my trash that I'm convinced will somehow come back to life and attack me.

It was a bad day. Yesterday was a good day. Tomorrow I'm just hoping for mediocre and snakeless. And more than anything, I'm hoping for Fluffy to be returned. I miss the little hard shelled guy.

Snakes on a gate.

This post WILL NOT contain a picture of the subject matter because then I would wet my pants. I already clean up enough body fluids every day from my three kids.

The subject is: Snakes. Ugh. I literally shutter at the word. It is a fear rooted deep within me that I really wish would go away. My fear of snakes is the #2 thing that I would change about myself if I could.  The number one thing is the size of my butt but we won't go there tonight.

This weekend I wrote about finding a brown snake in our flower bed. Today we had some men here removing an old sidewalk and they found another brown snake under it. I had already told them not to tell me if they find a snake because I'm scared of them. So when I asked, "did you find any snakes", they said no. But then they left the dead snake in the grass right by where I get out of my van. Long story short, Damion was telling the girls tonight not to let mommy see the snake because I'm afraid of them when Princess Girly Girl thought it would be funny to chase me with it. I hate with every bone in my body the feeling that I get when something like that happens. It was so fearful and yet the snake was dead and only about a foot long. Honestly I cried about it. One of our biggest fights right after we were married was because I locked Damion in the backyard when he chased me with a little garden snake.  He did not understand how afraid of them I was and he thought it would be funny. I didn't lock him back there to get back at him, it was just my reaction to run and lock or block any entrance between me and the snake.

So not long after I had that lovely experience outside this evening, I came in and opened to email to find a funny email. It was about a snake experience and it was funny because I can relate. Really it's a very well written and funny email anyway but if you have any type of snake phobia... it just gets funnier. I laughed so hard I almost cried again. Below is a copy of the email but I can't tell you who wrote it and dog names have been changed to protect the innocent.  Enjoy and beware of snakes!

Bobbie, I had a snake encounter last night and I thought about you. It was right at dark and it was storming here. I walked thru the back yard to open the side gate to let Fido in. I had my hand out to open the gate when I saw something really long draped around the top of the gate and the remainder of it was dangling down. I was trying to figure out if it was a rope or possibly the hose.......... Suddenly I realized I was looking at a snake. I seriously think I left a trail of turds on the sidwalk. I ran back in the house and locked the door. Seriously, what good is locking the door going to do but I was panicked. I've been too afraid to go in the back yard ever since. I won't even open the patio door. Fido's dog food is out there but she's been getting cat food because I'm too scared to go out there to get the stupid dog food.

hmmm... hope they don't expect me to come visit anytime soon.