#125 - SATURDAY SURPRISE (AND MUSINGS)

It isn't easy to see something surprising after so many years of tarantula keeping. Today I went into my home office, which used to be called "my spider room" but now houses less than 40 lingerers and loiterers, and was shocked. Truly. I decided to clean/feed/water my tub of crickets and saw something strange in one of the big tubs that serve as enclosures for the five adult female Monocentropus balfouri I still have. Perched near the lid was a balfouri, but it was about 1/6 the size of the spider that supposedly lived alone in the enclosure. It didn't take me long to realize that it had to be one of her offspring that somehow avoided detection for a long, long time. I looked at the info labels on the female's tub. Her last sac hatched on June 8, 2015. One year ago this coming Wednesday. The female's young had been sold over the past 6-10 months. Apparently not all though ... This about-to-be-yearling phantom tarantula seemed to be coming out into the open to remind me to buy a birthday gift. I hope it's a male. If so he'd have five dates once he matured including an incestuous romp with mum.

"Solo"

Expecting an Apple visit tonight as he'll crash at my pad after getting scratched out in Belvedere. I'll be in my basement guest house glued to the TV as I switch between UFC 199 and Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. I invited Jason over and hope he'll have the energy after returning from a trip to California for a Brazilian Jui Jitsu tournament. If Jason isn't interested I may be tempted to head to a bar to watch the sports rather than pay the obscene pay per view fee and just text John the code to my garage keypad.

Travel is always on the mind. I'm always looking to get out of Illinois. My dear mates Mark and Kim Pennell are chillaxing in Langkawi, Malaysia where I will return February 2017. Mark is spider hunting on Monday (top secret spoiler alert: there is a new species of Omothymus there that he saw this past February). We're pretty sure it's not O. schioedtei, but an island cousin of it. Remember that you heard it in KISS MY BIG HAIRY SPIDER first. There are perks to reading my twaddle.

While Mark and Kim have been in Malaysia my stepdad, sister and brother-in-law have been on a tour of Spain that has included Portugal, Gibraltar and Tangier, Morocco. Jealousy isn't a desirable thing, but I confess.

So what's on my own wanderlust-fueled agenda? Budapest, Hungary - October. I'll be going there for a week mid-month. For the past two years, Mária and László of macilaci spiders have worked in conjunction with TerraPlaza to put on what has been called The BTS Big 6. Basically they invited some of our BTS Committee former and present and also longtime BTS stalwart Ray Gabriel to lecture. They asked me about speaking in year 4, but this will still be year 3 and is the first time that Mark is lecturing. So there will lectures by: 1. Mark Pennell 2. Andrew Smith 3. Ray Gabriel 4. Peter Kirk 5. Ray Hale 6. Dr. Stuart Longhorn. I think. They aren't exactly good about updating webpage info and such. Doesn't matter. They're all my mates and I've heard them all speak many times. I'm mostly excited about seeing Budapest and the beautiful Eastern European women who call it home ;)

With my new business now underway (moved into my new classroom/office one week ago), I guess that will be it until Langkawi, Malaysia 2017, which I hope might include an excursion to Borneo.

Of course I will always be tempted for a jaunt back to my home away from home in Bristol. I actually discussed the possibility of Xmas with Mark and Kim's daughter Brandon. But, hopefully, Mark will be visiting me the last week of September. We've talked about him maybe flying into another city where I'd meet him in my car. It would be great to show him more of the USA. As of now, his plan is to not work (not tattoo) and just enjoy some American down time. That would be amazing (especially if he cheats by inking me some more). Regardless of what we plan, I know it will include Tiger lager, great food and shooting.

Until next time... MJ