30 January 2007

Spider Time

I transfered here to the desert back in 97. When i first got here i have to tell you that i was amazed. Heck i am from SouthWest Louisiana and living in the High Desert took some getting used to. One day Ricky and i were driving to New Mexico and i noticed these things on the highway. I asked Ricky what they were and he said spiders.

I said "What"
He said "Spiders"
I said" you got to be kidding me."
Ricky said " no they come out and warm themselves on the hot pavement"
We kept driving along and i couldn't help notice how many spiders were out. I'm talking about 300-500 spiders per mile. I was amazed.
Well as we were driving Ricky starts telling me that most of the spiders are tarantulas. Tarantulas are know for jumping. As you can imagine i start getting the heebe jeebes but i couldn't let on to Ricky. If Ricky or any of the other jackals i work with smell fear, they will torment the hell out of you. It's best to just keep it a secret.

So we are driving along and i swear the biggest spider i have ever seen is chillin out in the middle of the highway. That dang spider was bigger than my hand. Keep in mind that i am 6'5" tall. I slowed down to get a better look at it and Ricky wants to catch it to bring back to the shop and show the guys.

Against my better judgement we stop and Ricky grabs a Big Gulp cup to put the spider in. I didn't want to look like a chicken so i walk right up to the spider with Ricky. Then all of a sudden for no reason Ricky reaches out with his leg and kicks that damn spider right onto my boot. I about crapped myself right there in the highway. I was shaking the hell out of my left leg to dislodge the spider and trying to stomp on it with my right leg. I had to look like a drunk chicken trying to dance. Ricky was laughing his dang fool head off and went and jumped into the truck and locked the doors and left me there with a jillion spiders and one pissed off huge tarantula crawling up my boot.

I eventually got the spider loose and back into the truck. i learned several things that day: Ricky is an ass, never leave your keys in your truck, don't play with spiders.

For a couple of years after that the guys would walk into my office with a Big Gulp cup pretending to be drinking and act like they trip and fall and spill the cup on my desk and out comes a spider. It gets to be nerve racking. Eventually all the screaming from the office girls prompted them to stop that little habit of theirs.

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