Yikes!!!!  Last Sunday nite I came home from working at the theater and ran in the trailer to the bathroom.  In my HASTE, I guess I didn’t shut the door all the way as I found out later.  Rich called and I sat down to talk to him.  The tv was on and as I sat on the love seat suddenly …….

“”””Something Lightly Ran Across My Neck Right Under My Face.“”””

It happened so fast, all I felt was a little flutter as it went across my neck.  I felt ……INSTANT QUIET PANIC…..At that point the mind races and thinks of so many things.  I settled on 2 things….Palmetto Bug!!!….Tarantula!!!!

The  mind quickly starts to process and figure out the lesser of 2 evils….I HATE BUGS AND SPIDERS.…  The reason Tarantula came into my mind was that I was with some lady’s earlier in the day and we were talking about them.  They are common down her in Texas.  Well I’ve never seen one out crawling, but I have seen several dead ones.  That is my fear to walk out someday and see one walking across my patio.  Everyone says they are good.  They eat bugs.  But to me they are furry, scary, creepy little creatures.  They need to stay away from me.

Well I looked over my shoulder to the back of the love seat, and I seen a small shadow moving quickly across the top.  Now remember it is night and all the light I had on was the TV and the light above the sink.  The “THING” then went off the other end and went into my bunch of papers next to the love seat. I heard the papers rustle as “IT” crawled through.  I’m still silent as Rich is talking on the phone.  I believe I’m in a small state of shock…..lol….Then “IT” went up front under the drivers seat and across to the front of the coach near the steps.  Richs Pool que was their.  I could now see “IT” crawling in the shadows.  “It” crawled up over the que and down into the step area.  I got up and climbed onto the passenger seat and tried to open the door but couldn’t.  As I reached for the door, …..”IT”….crawled up the side of the step and under the passenger seat I was perched on.  I flew back to my love seat and sat their.  This all happened very quickly, and the whole time, I had the phone to my ear listening as Rich was talking…..

Finally I told him,  “Something just ran across my neck“…..He started laughing and I told him all about it.  I kept starring at the chair waiting to see if “IT” would come out and listening to hear more sounds.  But their was no more…….Silence…..  Now the cat was near when this all happened.  Of course he was very curious.  He followed the …”THING”…and watched….he just sat and watched some more.  His head would go one way….and then the other way…He was on guard duty…..Good Kitty….Rich and I talked for quite awhile and he was laughing at me.  I finally decided it was a Palmetto Bug.  In the shadow, it had a wider body and NOT a Tarantula shape.  I am now sitting up on the sofa, I turned all the lights on,  waiting…..waiting….He finally said good nite as it was getting late.  I told him I was afraid to go to bed.  I was going to wait for ….”IT”….to come out.

So after we hung up, I put my shoes on to prepare for the ….KILL…  I had all the lights on,  I was sitting up on the love seat.  I turned off the TV, so I could listen closely……Nothing happened.  I went over by the door,  lo and behold, I hadn’t shut the door when I came home from work.  I could see daylight.  That has to be how ….”IT”….got in.  The Guard cat went to bed…..He left me alone…..I kept thinking, if ….”IT”…crawled up on the love seat and across my neck, …”IT”…could crawl up the bed and across my face…..NOOooooo…..but finally around 1 am.  I gave up.  I was getting so tired.  I got out the flashlight to take with me to bed.  I usually get up during the night to go to the bathroom.  I wanted the flashlight to light every step  LOL.  Am I chicken???…..”H’ll  yes I am”  I walked into the bedroom and the cat is sound asleep in bed.  He always gets his treats before bed.  He never forgets.  I guess he gave up waiting on me.  So I carefully got in bed and covered up entirely.  I went to sleep with thoughts of ….”IT”…being near, ….somewhere,  …..by my bed, and …”IT”…crawling up and across my face.

I woke up around 4 am to a gently clawing on my arm.  That darn cat.  He must have realized he missed his treat.  He wouldn’t leave me alone.  So I got the flashlight, turned it on, walked to the kitchen and illuminated every step with the light.  I feed the BRAT CAT, I shined the light all over, the floor, the wall, the ceiling….nothing….So went to the bathroom and carefully went back to bed.  I actually fell asleep again.

6:30……That Dam Cat now wanted his morning treats.  He was now pawing my arm again gently.  He wouldn’t quit.  He knew it was time to get up.  So out came the flashlight again.  So that morning I was pretty much on guard.  I started looking for ……”IT”…….I pulled the blanket out beside Richs chair and washed it.  Looked under the passenger seat.  stacked up the shoes behind his chair.  cleaned out some papers.  I didn’t find anything.  Rich called to see how my nite went with the bug.  He was laughing at me again.  

Now I’m sure you wonder what a Palmetto Bug is…..The common name is….Cockroach….. Yes, such a disgusting thing.  They are prevalent here because of the Palm trees.  All coastal areas that have Palm trees are full of them.  They are almost as common as ants. Up north if you have cockroaches, your house is considered dirty.    Down here, they just sneak in.  If you have a small hole, they come in.  They can climb trees, walls and then let go and sort of fly to the ground.  So they can also attach to your clothes outside, like beach towels, or clothes on the line.  They are about an inch and a half long, brown and ugly.  When they die, they are always belly side up.  I don’t understand that.

So I am now thinking that it was a Palmetto bug.  That puts my mind at rest over the Tarantula.  Now a week later, and still no sign of ….”IT”…. I finally decided it must have climbed back down the step and snuck outside before I found the door open.

I have been trying to walk and get some exercise but its been difficult to make my self go.  I like to walk at nite.  I did several nites last week, but this week was the start of the new season on tv.  I was too tired to go after the news was on.  So last nite was a football game.  Green Bay Packers versus Chicago Bears.  I’m not a fan so I decided to go for a walk.  I got my tennis shoes out from the shoe pile I had stacked up……………I put my foot in one, and felt something…………OMG….so glad I had put socks on……”IT” was their…..”IT”… died in my shoe…..belly up…..”IT”… was a Palmetto bug…..a Cockroach…..I was so happy to find …”IT”… so I knew for sure It was DEAD.   I dumped him outside.  I sprayed bug spray in my shoe, then dumped in Foot Powder.

So finally at last…………….Mystery Solved……I can now …..Sleep Easy at nite…………..and ……”UNCOVER MY FACE”…..