Living in Fear and a Prayer Request

The title pretty much sums it up. Ever since the camel cricket incident I have been living in fear in my own house. Just last night I went to pick up my shoes off the floor and a "camel cricket" caught my eye. I dropped the shoes and took a few steps back, this time watching the cricket to make sure I would see where it would jump. However, it didn't move. I got a little closer only to find that my camel cricket was a dust bunny. Whew. I can breathe again. But seriously folks, this is the way my life's been. Everything little and dark on the floor has become a camel cricket. So if anyone out there knows how to get rid of them - without having to smash them (cause I will not willingly get close to one to smash it), please let me know.

On a different note, and I probably should have started with this one first, but too late, Eric will be going into surgery tomorrow for his back. Please keep him and his doctors in your prayers.

Camel Cricket Phobia

So, I have done some research but have found nothing on an actual phobia of camel crickets. I think there has to be one out there. It seems there are names for phobias of apparently anything and everything but the fear of camel crickets. I guess I should let you know why I am so interested in finding out the name of this phobia.

It all started the other night when Eric was gone hunting. I had cleaned up a bit and decided to try to make a dent in the mountain of our laundry pile. I pulled the basket from the dark, cool cedar closet to my brightly lit room. I dumped out the whole basket of clothes onto the floor so I could separate all the colors. I knelt down and grabbed a couple of shirts to fling to the "dark" pile when all of a sudden, a GIANT camel cricket jumped up to attack me. I don't mean to be overly dramatic, but seriously, the thing jumped right at me.

I know realize that I was home alone and there wasn't anyone to hear my screams, but that didn't stop me this particular night. The cricket jumped at me, I screamed at first in shock and then let out many screams of fright once I realized what jumped at me. I ran out of my bedroom, with clothes in hand and ran to the dining room. I couldn't tell where the cricket landed so my worst fear was that it was somewhere ON me. I threw the clothes on the ground and ran through the house screaming, shaking my head and convulsing my body in an attempt to shake the cricket off me and scare it away with my little school girls screams.

Once I realized the cricket wasn't on me a new fear set in...it was still in my bedroom. I immediately ran to the room, grabbed the door knob and flung the door shut. I then ran, screaming to the living room where I decided to wait until Eric got home so he could find it and kill it. I finally calmed down and decided I'd practice my guitar so I wouldn't be thinking of the monster cricket that might be in my bed now. Eric finally got home and I told him the enitre graphic story and led him to the room where this beast was locked up...only the door had somehow come open. I'm not putting it past the cricket to have somehow managed to get it open. So Eric's response was, "Well, how am I supposed to get it now? It could be anywhere." I guess if he had been home to witness the terrifying event, he might have chosen his words a little more wisely. We then went on a journey to find the hiding camel cricket. I say we, I mainly just followed behind making sure the thing was found. So after checking every little crevice in the bedroom, we came up empty.

I still fear the camel cricket is lurking in the house somewhere and have been living in fear the last few nights worrying every time I pick something up that the cricket will be back and might actually give me a heart attack next time!

All that to say there must be an actual phobia for these things. Now, when I was doing my research I did find out that the camel cricket can't actually hurt you as they have no teeth, fangs, poisionous anything, but I think they could literally scare someone to death. It seems they have very poor eyesight becuase they like living in cool, damp, dark places. You know, like basements, crawlspaces, etc. Anyway, since they have poor eyesight they jump directly at whatever is approaching in an effort to scare it away. Their defense mechanism works.

The photo at the top was not taken by me, I grabbed the link from this guy! (also posted about the phobia!)

Rockin' Docs 2008

This was the second year for our Rockin' Docs event at the Tulsa Area United Way. Rockin' Docs is a fundraiser event to raise awareness in the health care industry. Several bands, all having at least one physician in their group, compete in a battle of the bands format with the winning bands recieving a donation to the agency they volunteer for. This year there were 6 bands, ranging from Christian Rock to Klezmer! It was a great event and we had a good turn-out, doesn't hurt that the concert is held at Tulsa's own historic Cain's ballroom! So here are some pics from the evening, hope to see you there next year! Check out Daniel's pics here.

Birthday Fun!

This past weekend was my birthday, and let me just say it was quite eventful! I figure if your birthday lands on the weekend, you get to celebrate all weekend, if it's during the week you get that day! So I got a weekend of celebrating...well, kind of.

Eric and I went up to the Tulsa Rose Garden and walked around and got some really cool pictures of some beautiful roses. The roses there are in bloom on into Oct. so it was a great weekend to go! Visit my flickr set to see some of the flowers.

After the roses we went over to my sister's to babysit her 3 boys because they had a high school reunion to go to! Ashley and the boys had made me birthday cupcakes with sprinkles, decorations and the whole bit!! We ate dinner, played and then the weekend got a little crazy! After about an hour into babysitting Eric got violently ill! He was outside involuntarily ridding his stomach of all toxins, leaving me inside with the boys. Corbett, the oldest, decided he needed to go outside and help Eric, becuase he "had thrown up before, you know." About that time, it was time to feed the youngest, Everett, only he wasn't too happy for some reason. I was trying to figure out why he was upset (which is more difficult if you've never had kids!) when the middle child, Hudson, hurt his toe! At this point Eric's outside puking, Everett's crying for reasons I'm not quite sure and Hudson's crying because of his hurt toe!!!

I felt like crying at this point. I decided to try to put Everett down in his bed so I could get the other 2 boys' teeth brushed and on to bed because their bedtime was here and going fast! Turns out, Everett was just tired! As soon as his little body was in his crib he was out! Thank you!

I was then able to get the other ones brushed, changed and stories read. Finally, a moment to breathe. The boys really were great and I loved being there and hanging out with them. Maybe next time my husband will help a little and not be so sick! Ashley was worried that I'd never want kids after that, not true, just not three at the same time!

On to Sunday. I'll make this brief. Eric and I got paid for the use of one of our wedding pics to be used in an ad campaign in NY. They wanted to extend the license another 3 months so we got paid again!!! We decided to use the money and get me a guitar! Yep, I now have a Taylor acoustic/electric guitar. Watch out world, here I come!

Happy Birthday to Me!

FYI, today is my birthday!!!

The Bottom Line

Tulsa State Fair

Just a reminder, the Tulsa State Fair is almost over. I know, it's sad, but you still have tonight, Sat. and Sun. to go and celebrate. I haven't been yet, though I plan on going tomorrow as pre-birthday celebration! You know they schedule the fair around my birthday right!?

Any way, I hear the world's smallest woman and snake lady are quite the draw...and for only 50 cents, who wouldn't want to check it out!