Tag: yuck

3Splitz Farm

Welcome All or Not?

2chicksandapen

Well this Thanksgiving was a bit unusual when I think about the guest list or maybe I should say the uninvited guest list.

Let’s just take a look at this slithering shiny black snake who decided it would be great to join the Thanksgiving festivities at our little mountain cabin. Rustic paradise may be how I refer to the cabin but that doesn’t include snakes of any kind. It you consider the counter height, the kink in the snake in the photo and how it wraps along the baseboard, I’d guess this sucker to be 6 foot or more!

This big, long and creepy-looking thing greeted our guests as soon as they opened the door. Had it have been me, I might have let out a scream that would have sounded as if someone was bludgeoned to death in the valley. This creeper made its way to a cozy spot right behind the coffee maker nestled between the wall and the countertop. A space I didn’t think would hold such a big snake, yet it did. I’m still in disbelief to an extent.

Enter a friend who somehow got voluntold to be a snake wrestler for the day. She was a trooper and I have video to prove it. That snake was not happy we interrupted it’s Thanksgiving field trip inside! He or she was a little nippy. See the below photo. Attempting to nip at the wrestler’s hand on more than one occasion. Although the snake is not venomous, nobody wanted to get bit! Thanksgiving is about feasting not being the feast. I of course added being marked safe from snake to my thankful list this year.

Before the festivities even began, rustic paradise was a little creepy in my mind. I’m glad thanksgiving wasn’t ruined by the uninvited guest. For now this is just a story for our memory book. One I hope never resurfaces again. Hoping my uninvited snake decided my neighbor’s house was warmer this Thanksgiving after being evicted from our cabin!

As I wrap up this post I’ll leave you with this parting goodbye photo. Even with a humane goodbye the snake was staring down the snake wrestler who took him/her out of the warmth of the cabin with determination. A death stare of sorts even when hanging by thread 50 foot in the air.

challenges

The Review

2chicksandapen

The research was done. 4 stars with almost 800 reviews. Great written reviews at quick glance. The research revealed this restaurant as a viable option compared to the other area options. Everyone was hungry. The drive was 24 miles from the hotel, but 4 stars seemed worth it considering other options that hovered around 2.5 stars.

We took the drive. It wasn’t bad. We arrived to a decent wait of 35 minutes or so. No rush on our end, thus we waited. Observing the wait time grow due to low staff levels. Employees were strategizing at the hostess stand on how to cover the evening with such a limited staff. 

Many large groups left when the wait time reached 1.5 hours. The lobby began to dwindle. Those coming out seemed full and had leftovers. All of which leads me to think they all enjoyed their meal. The text came that the table was ready. Once inside we noticed the establishment was barely at capacity. Such a sad sight given the number of customers that left without buying or even sitting down. Then again the bar was buzzing with those who did wait which I suppose helps with the day’s profits.

The waitress was prompt and kind upon arrival to the table. The waitress offered suggestions as we were just visiting this area. Again all action led me to think we were in for a great experience. All three meals were ordered off the waitress suggestions. This is normally a smart choice. Unfortunately, today was not my day at this hot spot of a restaurant. There were a few red flags.

  • The first problem was a giggle and shriek. The shrimp pasta dish had one long hair interwoven in the fettuccine. Upon further inspection, there was a smaller kinky curled hair. So disgusting. The other person with the same dish couldn’t enjoy their meal thanks to this encounter.
  • Across the table from where the giggle was sat another person who might have indulged in the misfortune of her table mate. That was short lived. Her shrimp and grits dish came to the table with a very strong smell of garlic and onion. Just one bite. One small bite and it was over. It was as if she bit into a very strong onion. Upon further review it seemed there was minced/chopped garlic and onion instead of grits. Not sure who thought that was funny but the foul taste is still in her mouth hours later.

Our small group paid the check and left hungry. It was just one of those moments you shake your head at and move on. Then my text chirps asking me to fill out a survey and how five stars would help a small business. I ordinarily would jump at a chance to help a small business. Today, however, I couldn’t do that in clear conscience.

I decided to blog about this incident for a few reasons. Brushing of the teeth, tongue and using mouthwash still has not removed the onion flavor from her mouth even after several hours. The five star rating one asked for was definitely not worthy based on my experience. I also had some spare time in my hotel and felt a rant was warranted.

Have you ever had hair in your food at a restaurant? I know this restaurant was a big box design instead of a mom and pop place. I guess when you grow big, you may be willing to compromise quality. No business names are listed in this post intentionally. However, I would never return to this inferior establishment. A first impression is a lasting one in my mind.

family

Guess the Smell

2chicksandapen

It’s 7 am on a Sunday. Time to hit the field for day 2 of a tournament. You are in a hotel that thankfully has a bedroom and an open area meaning there is a room with a door that closes. You remain on the open space side for many reasons.

At 7 am you open the door to bedroom to gain access to the bathroom and poof. You are immediately stopped in your tracks with the smell. The scent of sweaty socks. The aroma of a uniform that baked in the heat the day before. The lingering stench. Oh so awful. 

These items are doused with spray to make it another day in the heat wave. On the same body that drenched them with sweat the day before. What will the outcome be at the end of today? Let’s start with a dripping wet uniform and socks that must be immediately removed and placed in a bag to be sealed and put in the trunk for the entire ride home. 

You see the car ride is a whole 12 hours from this tournament. The stink must be contained or we may possibly die of the fumes while in motion. Let’s also note this is not just the uniform and socks. I have yet to get to the bag. The bag which was in the car all night that has cleats and turf shoes in it. One pair is new one pair is old. It simply doesn’t matter. Once the shoe is worn once the stink is embossed in the shoe. Another level of nasty. The foot stink of an elite athlete. Is there anything worse?

I thought my brother’s hockey bags were bad as a child. I thought my gym bag was awful growing up but I have met a new level of gross. My child’s sweet nasty funk. The lingering stink that will turn your stomach. The nasty uniform that you must retrieve from that sealed bag to launder. The socks that were new but now look like they have been worn for weeks without washing. Can bleach even help?

At my house we use laundry detergent. We use bleach on the items that can be bleached. We then use a sports powder to soak away the nasty and it does as the water definitely turns black or grey. We trust in Downy to freshen up what it can. We move on. We repeat this numerous times over a 10 week summer season. Over and over again as somebody thought it was a good idea to use the jersey for games as a pinnie in practice two days a week. 

That means that poor stinky jersey sits in the nasty gym bag fermenting for two days between the weekend of games in which it is then sealed in a plastic bag. I don’t know how this jersey doesn’t grow mold. This is such a disgusting topic but one I know I’m not alone with.

Stinky shoes. Stinky feet. Stinky jersey. Is there a reward with all the stink? I think not. However, I have the pure joy of watching my child do what they love at an elite level while chasing dreams. When I put that perspective into the mix I undoubtedly say the stink is okay with me. Although I will be fumigating my car and anything in close proximity to the infamous bag or uniform pronto.

No deep breaths today. Lots of mints in my mouth to inhale the scent of mint to get through yet another day. What’s your worst stink story? Can you relate to my stinky experience? Can you smell this post?

challenges

Too Much Poop

2chicksandapen

One poop.

Two poops.

Three poops.

My puppy decided to sneak into my home office to poop. Not once. Not twice, but three times! The stinky poops in an average size home office space. Stink lingered but there is a back story.

Poop one was spotted upon entry to the office. Off I went to get Lysol, paper towels, swiffer and so on. Cleaned up only to see poop pile two lurking in the general vicinity. Seriously, I said to myself. Back for more paper towels to clean round two. I thought I was done. I put the cleaning supplies away. Washed my hands and burned a candle to offset the stink.

I settled back into my chair or cockpit. Answered some calls. Sent some emails. Wrote on my to do list. All the while it smelled like poop. I couldn’t figure out why the scent was lingering. I went to the restroom and realized the stink followed!

Poop was on my shoe. I had to clean my shoe, the trail to the bathroom and so on. Back to the chair I go thinking I’m done and ready to work. Nope! Not the case at all. The poop bandit left me a third gift of poop that I didn’t notice initially. Little booger did it under my chair. My rolling chair. The one with wheels with tiny little crevices where the wheel attaches to the base.

I wanted to take a deep breath. I wanted to scream. I maybe even wanted to cry. Why this on a Monday. Not a good way to start a day let alone a week. It was a shit fest. A nasty mess to clean.

Off I went again for supplies. Cleaned. Cleaned some more. Cleaned again to be sure. Today was the day to clean and disinfect. 

One poop.

Two poops.

Three poops.

No more poops.

I definitely had my share of poops.

This poop saga was too poopy not to share. I hope you enjoyed a little giggle at my expense. I think I would have liked to deal with three explosive baby diapers than three dog poops with my circumstances. pile of poo

challenges

Creepy Spiders

2chicksandapen

These black and yellow nuisance spiders are everywhere. I wake in the morning to their newly spun webs when I take my dogs out. They are not thin webs you just pass through. They are crafted by web masters who want you to feel their presence. The stick to you Like glue. The spiders themselves grow and multiply like nothing I’ve ever scene.

That web hits you. Sticks to you. Startles you. As you get the creeps, you look quickly for the lurking spider that is somewhere watching you. Then when you see it, you realize you are doomed. There are eggs in the webbing. And normally friends come over at night and camp out in their adjacent web. before you know it there is a colony of spiders surround your house. I had a legit panic attack when I got caught in the chaotic web this morning.

This past weekend I found them on my vehicle. From the side mirror to the back of the car. Across the truck bed on another vehicle. We even left one and road on the highway. 75 Miles per jour and that damn spider sat it’s it’s web like it was having the ride of its life. Maybe these spiders are going to take over.


If you go on vacation, beware. The suckers multiply and grow much like a weed. I house sat last week and the spider infestation  was disgusting at best. Black and yellow spiders need to go far away. However it seems my community is ground zero for these invasive spiders. Most people I know are plagued with them. They are just foul.

I will Most likely have spider nightmares tonight after writing this creepy post. Hope you enjoyed the creep Factor included in This post. Look at the spiders lurking in the air but it’s really that carefully spun web of nastiness.

Did I mention I don’t like spiders?