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- Aug 5, 2004
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- 84
Arachnophobia!!! But Wait....(PART II)
We got to the pet shop & it's crowded & noisy, & little kids are screaming because they can't have that puppy, or whatever. I've already broken a sweat because #1: malls are not my thing #2: I am here to buy a Tarantula, and I'm not leavin' without one, no sir.
I found the guy who is the unofficial "tarantula" guy of the shop, whom I had called earlier to "warn". Over the phone, he had recommended the Chilean Rose, of which they had 2.
Back in the noise & chaos of the pet shop, I stared through the glass at the little acrylic boxes. There they were, inches from me. Even with the glass barrier, I felt anxiety. I felt like crying and scratching my arms bloody. I felt claustrophobic and asked my fiancee, Travis, to "just give me a minute alone". He looked hurt but gave me my space. I don't know how long I stood there.
After a few deep breaths (and the effects of the "extra" Klonopin I taken earlier, kicking in), I asked the "spider man" to bring the little boxes out, wondering just how tight those vented lids were on.
The 1st fellow he brought out scared me right away when he moved too quickly up the man's hand. A small, annoying crowd had gathered- here was something creepy to ogle at (for a change, I'm not talking about me)
Someone said, "ooh, that's disgusting!". Another woman, stood too close and tried to tell me how cool her's were when they moulted. Nice, but I didn't care at that moment. I just wanted everyone to "bugger off"!
Then the "spider man" pulled out the 2nd Rose, a slightly larger T, with slow, deliberate movements. Even graceful. The man pointed out the bald patch on the abdomen, w/out explaining the urticating hair defense. He said it was "a nervous thing" (pet shops- sheesh!). But I related to this strange bug. I said, "hey, you're neurotic too!". Our 1st bonding moment.
Meet Bruno!
Bruno may be a "Brunette" I'm not sure. He is about 4 1/2" when he is relaxing. (Before anyone yells at me about the substrate, lighting, or anything else- I'm changing/ improving it as I learn.)
When we got home, we introduced him to his new home that I had set up for him earlier that day. He was instantly curious about his surroundings, and helped himself to some water (distilled, of course) from the dish I'd bought him.
To my surprise, I found myself fogging up the aqaurium, watching him so closely. "Hey...he's kinda...neat".
By day 2, I couldn't stand it. I removed the lid, reached in, with an unsteady hand, and as gently as I could, stroked his "booty" with one finger. Holy *%#!
I was TOUCHING a Tarantula! And he was soft! He didn't seem to mind and continued to sit where he was. "Hey...he's kinda....cool!".
Day 4: I had Travis gently take Bruno out of his home for a little handling session. I'm still not quite ready to let him crawl on me because if he moved suddenly, I'm afraid I would jump and really hurt him- then I would feel horrible. So, Travis had me place my hand between his hands (like my hand was a bridge). I held my breath as Bruno slowly made his way to my hand, gingerly set one foot on the back of my hand, then stop. I was whispering "omygod omygod omygod........" I couldn't believe it. It tickled!
When I tried to pull my hand away, his little "boot" stuck to me. I resisted the urge to panic, and he gently let go of my hand. I did it! And you know what?
I really like the guy. I love watching him stuff crickets into his fuzzy face (that reminds me of a Walrus). Yesterday, I caught myself calling him "BooBoo Face" in a silly voice. "BooBoo Face"???? I am so proud of this experience, I had to share with people who might appreciate it. Thanks for listening! ~Brenna
We got to the pet shop & it's crowded & noisy, & little kids are screaming because they can't have that puppy, or whatever. I've already broken a sweat because #1: malls are not my thing #2: I am here to buy a Tarantula, and I'm not leavin' without one, no sir.
I found the guy who is the unofficial "tarantula" guy of the shop, whom I had called earlier to "warn". Over the phone, he had recommended the Chilean Rose, of which they had 2.
Back in the noise & chaos of the pet shop, I stared through the glass at the little acrylic boxes. There they were, inches from me. Even with the glass barrier, I felt anxiety. I felt like crying and scratching my arms bloody. I felt claustrophobic and asked my fiancee, Travis, to "just give me a minute alone". He looked hurt but gave me my space. I don't know how long I stood there.
After a few deep breaths (and the effects of the "extra" Klonopin I taken earlier, kicking in), I asked the "spider man" to bring the little boxes out, wondering just how tight those vented lids were on.
The 1st fellow he brought out scared me right away when he moved too quickly up the man's hand. A small, annoying crowd had gathered- here was something creepy to ogle at (for a change, I'm not talking about me)
Someone said, "ooh, that's disgusting!". Another woman, stood too close and tried to tell me how cool her's were when they moulted. Nice, but I didn't care at that moment. I just wanted everyone to "bugger off"!
Then the "spider man" pulled out the 2nd Rose, a slightly larger T, with slow, deliberate movements. Even graceful. The man pointed out the bald patch on the abdomen, w/out explaining the urticating hair defense. He said it was "a nervous thing" (pet shops- sheesh!). But I related to this strange bug. I said, "hey, you're neurotic too!". Our 1st bonding moment.
Meet Bruno!
Bruno may be a "Brunette" I'm not sure. He is about 4 1/2" when he is relaxing. (Before anyone yells at me about the substrate, lighting, or anything else- I'm changing/ improving it as I learn.)
When we got home, we introduced him to his new home that I had set up for him earlier that day. He was instantly curious about his surroundings, and helped himself to some water (distilled, of course) from the dish I'd bought him.
To my surprise, I found myself fogging up the aqaurium, watching him so closely. "Hey...he's kinda...neat".
By day 2, I couldn't stand it. I removed the lid, reached in, with an unsteady hand, and as gently as I could, stroked his "booty" with one finger. Holy *%#!
I was TOUCHING a Tarantula! And he was soft! He didn't seem to mind and continued to sit where he was. "Hey...he's kinda....cool!".
Day 4: I had Travis gently take Bruno out of his home for a little handling session. I'm still not quite ready to let him crawl on me because if he moved suddenly, I'm afraid I would jump and really hurt him- then I would feel horrible. So, Travis had me place my hand between his hands (like my hand was a bridge). I held my breath as Bruno slowly made his way to my hand, gingerly set one foot on the back of my hand, then stop. I was whispering "omygod omygod omygod........" I couldn't believe it. It tickled!
When I tried to pull my hand away, his little "boot" stuck to me. I resisted the urge to panic, and he gently let go of my hand. I did it! And you know what?
I really like the guy. I love watching him stuff crickets into his fuzzy face (that reminds me of a Walrus). Yesterday, I caught myself calling him "BooBoo Face" in a silly voice. "BooBoo Face"???? I am so proud of this experience, I had to share with people who might appreciate it. Thanks for listening! ~Brenna
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