Friday, June 3, 2011

And then there were crickets

Some neighbors and friends have been out of town for the past week and I have been feeding their animals. Before they left, SA was giving me the rundown of everything to do when she mentioned that I would need  to pick up crickets for the bearded dragon. "Crickets? Are you serious?" I said. She was very serious; but, it wouldn't be a problem, because the people at the pet store would get them out and tie the bag shut. The bag would then stay shut until I had come back to the cage to let them out.
So, yesterday I got crickets. Thirty-one of them, to be exact. Then I left the crickets in my car in the parking garage and went into Starbucks to study for a few hours.
That bag that was supposed to stay shut? The one that the crickets wouldn't escape from? When I got back to my car, that bag was empty.
 Totally empty.
And 31 crickets were hopping around in my car. IN MY CAR! You must understand, dear reader, that I just don't do insects. Don't pick them up, don't let them touch me, don't like them, etc. And now, there were 31 crickets in my car just waiting to attack me.
About half an hour later, 27 of the crickets were hopping around in the parking garage.Yes, I counted. There were still 4 at large. On the way to pick up my brother from work I found Number 28. He was thrown out the window at a stoplight in Houston.
After dropping my brother off at his destination, I went back to the pet store to purchase more crickets. I had a rather lengthy conversation with the manager explaining that the crickets escaped and that they needed to give me 31 free crickets. He wasn't amused. I asked if there was a female manager that would be more sympathetic, and was laughed at. No, I would still have to purchase replacement crickets. So I did. But not before having them double bagged and fastened shut with 6 rubber bands.
Those crickets managed to stay bagged long enough to get them to their cage, where they await certain death from the bearded dragon for their unfortunate brothers' crimes. I also found Numbers 29 and 30 in my car this morning. Number 31 still hasn't been found. Hopefully either the pet store person was incorrect in his counting and there was only thirty crickets to begin with, or Number 31 managed to escape into the parking garage. I may never know.
I do know, however, that I will not be purchasing crickets again.
Never.

3 comments:

Allison said...

I'm sorry for your cricket problem, but your story made me laugh. Out loud. ;)

Daniel said...

Hehehehe, I must admit I find it funny. Though I can at the same time sympathize.

a penney for your thoughts said...

No #31, hmmm? That reminds me of the prank where the high school students let three goats loose in the school building. The goats were spraypainted 1, 2, and 4. School was cancelled while the officials looked all over for goat 3. ;-)

And then there were crickets

Some neighbors and friends have been out of town for the past week and I have been feeding their animals. Before they left, SA was giving me the rundown of everything to do when she mentioned that I would need  to pick up crickets for the bearded dragon. "Crickets? Are you serious?" I said. She was very serious; but, it wouldn't be a problem, because the people at the pet store would get them out and tie the bag shut. The bag would then stay shut until I had come back to the cage to let them out.
So, yesterday I got crickets. Thirty-one of them, to be exact. Then I left the crickets in my car in the parking garage and went into Starbucks to study for a few hours.
That bag that was supposed to stay shut? The one that the crickets wouldn't escape from? When I got back to my car, that bag was empty.
 Totally empty.
And 31 crickets were hopping around in my car. IN MY CAR! You must understand, dear reader, that I just don't do insects. Don't pick them up, don't let them touch me, don't like them, etc. And now, there were 31 crickets in my car just waiting to attack me.
About half an hour later, 27 of the crickets were hopping around in the parking garage.Yes, I counted. There were still 4 at large. On the way to pick up my brother from work I found Number 28. He was thrown out the window at a stoplight in Houston.
After dropping my brother off at his destination, I went back to the pet store to purchase more crickets. I had a rather lengthy conversation with the manager explaining that the crickets escaped and that they needed to give me 31 free crickets. He wasn't amused. I asked if there was a female manager that would be more sympathetic, and was laughed at. No, I would still have to purchase replacement crickets. So I did. But not before having them double bagged and fastened shut with 6 rubber bands.
Those crickets managed to stay bagged long enough to get them to their cage, where they await certain death from the bearded dragon for their unfortunate brothers' crimes. I also found Numbers 29 and 30 in my car this morning. Number 31 still hasn't been found. Hopefully either the pet store person was incorrect in his counting and there was only thirty crickets to begin with, or Number 31 managed to escape into the parking garage. I may never know.
I do know, however, that I will not be purchasing crickets again.
Never.

3 comments:

  1. I'm sorry for your cricket problem, but your story made me laugh. Out loud. ;)

     
  2. Hehehehe, I must admit I find it funny. Though I can at the same time sympathize.

     
  3. No #31, hmmm? That reminds me of the prank where the high school students let three goats loose in the school building. The goats were spraypainted 1, 2, and 4. School was cancelled while the officials looked all over for goat 3. ;-)

     
 

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