REACHING SKYWARD

JUMP FOR JOY


Was doing my shopping this morning and spotted this postcard. On the back it says:

REACHING SKYWARD
An adult Humpback Whale breaches in the 'Au'au Channel, between Mau'i and Lana'i.

photo by Michael Nolan

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EEEEEEEKKKK!!!!!!!!







They are called "Cane Spiders". They are harmless, except for causing a MI. About the size of a can of tuna, sometimes a little larger.

January, 1994.

I have just moved to Mau'i and was an extended houseguest of some friends living upcountry in Pukalani. My hosts were away for the evening, I am watching television and their daughter is upstairs putting her baby down for the night

EEEEEEEKKKK!!!!!

My body dumps about 1000 gallons of 100 octane adrenaline into the bloodstream as I levitate off the couch and start running upstairs. In the middle of the narrow stairwell I meet the daughter, baby clutched tightly to her bossom, charging pell mell. She started climbing up my chest and over my head before I was able to lift them past me.

"Whats wrong? Is the baby okay?"

"M-m-m-m-mo-mo-mon-mon-monster! MONSTER!!"

She said there was a spider above the baby's crip.

A spider. Jeez. Give me a break.

I grab some newspaper off a table in the upstairs hall and enter her bedroom. My eyes scanning the room for this "monsterous" spider.

HOLY FUCKING SHIT!
There, where she had said it would be, was a cousin to what you see above. About 4 inches (10 cm) across. I looked at the newsprint I was holding and realized that I had brought a knife to a gunfight. Back then I wore western (cowboy) boots and decided that they were my best weapon. Took one off and went on the attack. Holy shit. That son-of-a-bitch was fast. I chased it for ten minutes inside that small 8'x10' bedroom. Every time I thought I had it cornered, it would do a broken backfield run behind some other piece of furniture that I would have to move. Boxes, bureaus, dressers, beds and crib were shoved multiple times. These things aren't quiet when they move either. Sound like parchment rubbing sandpaper.

THUMP!

THUMP!!-THUMP!!

THUMP!!!-THUMP!!!-THUMP!!!

Dead, finally.

The mighty warrior reigns victorious!

Cleaned up the mess and sat down at the top of the stairs and had a smoke. I had earned it. My first foray against an insidious tropical beast.

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LAST NIGHT

I made decent money, I typically do, but it was god-awful slow. Had four, count-em, FOUR 10-13's (no load/no show) and 10 paid runs.

Even the hospital run I did at 2:00am was dull.

Talked to the boss about the slow meter and he said the "meter guy" will replace it if he can't adjust it.

We'll see.



Later.....

Wil
=8^))
"Let's all be careful out there!"