So this week I started my job with the govt.

Aside from updating facebook a couple of times, this new job has really been killing me these past couple of days, esspecially since my niece is in town now, and I've been trying to entertain her too.

Anyway, something happened today that made me think of the board and I had to post it.

My department is in enforcement for importing things into canada. If someone is trying to import an animal or plant that is endangered, we step in and kick butt. Kicking butt usually means just confiscating the item.

At some point, someone was trying to import some scorpians, they were confiscated, and instead of killing them, my office decided to keep them as pets.

Today I go into work, and there is a message from one of the officers saying they have a job for me. I go see her, and she tells me that she forgot to pick up the food for the scorpians last night, and could I go buy some crickets for her.

Have I ever mentioned I'm ascared of crickets. Like totally, almost going to cry afraid?

Anyway, I eventually find a place that is open that is selling them, and the two people in line in front of me are getting them too. While the dude is getting some out for one person, one of the crickets makes a break for it, and escapes onto the floor.

When I saw that, I had a flash back to Amy's story where a cricket stowed away on her for an entire day without her knowing. Remembering that story sent me into shivers and I had to actually leave the store for a couple minutes to calm down.

Alas I got them, and had the guy put them in extra bags so that I couldn't see them at all.. and then I later watched as the scorpians ate them. Bye bye crickets!


I'm home now, I've changed, no stow aways, it was an alright day

Thanks for reading my lame ass long story

Oh! and for my job... I drive an undercover cop car!

Under cover cop car? But I thought Canada didn't have crime!

Yay for new jobs!

Petsmart employees can smell fear. If anyone walks past the cricket bin and makes it known that they are afraid of bugs, I open the lid on the cricket bin every chance I get. You think crickets can jump, you should see some of the girls (and guys) when I lift up that lid.

It brightens my day.

I don't give a shite 'cause I got my Guinness Stout!

Hooray new job!

I don't think I could handle it because I hear that people are always trying to smuggle birds everywhere. Oh how I fear birds.

I had to feed my friend's bearded dragon when she went on vacation for a week once. Those crickets smell like ass.

Land sakes alive, the steak's alive.

When I did that weekend work for Petsmart, I found a lizard roaming the dog food aisle once, that had gotten out and no one knew. I caught him and took him to the manager and was the HERO OF PETSMART FOR THE DAY.

LOL! At my old store in the desert, we had these little bastards:



They were always escaping their cage. Often, I'd be helping a customer somewhere else in the store and would see one of them randomly perched on a bag of dog food or something, and I'd grab it and continue talking as if nothing had happened. I'd find them everywhere.

The baby corn snakes escaped often as well. We had one go missing for 3 weeks until we spotted it making a break for the front door!

I don't give a shite 'cause I got my Guinness Stout!

You know what people use to smuggle birds? Toilet paper rolls.

Why anyone would want a pet scorpion is beyond me.

Those fuckers hurt.

I don't give a shite 'cause I got my Guinness Stout!

Cool, Aurora!
Hope all works out well with your job. It sounds interesting. I'm sure you'll do well.

Oh, and hey... after you prove your worth (which I'm sure you will) in the animal import restriction side of things, do you think maybe you could do something about some of those exports?




Yes, you!

high fives Rory on the cricket phobia.

My name is Jo and I too am afraid of the swines.

We got to our local petstore quite a bit.
There be lizards there, and very large spiders and snakes.
I don't go down those aisles.

Ever.

But many a time while viewing puppies and kittens I will spy a crawly skittering about within metres.

I am so outta there at that point.

Linds has been known to pocket one or two to show me later while we having latte.

She's really a charming child

You should have a talk with her about that. Grand Theft Cricket is no joke.

You guys are all crazy.
Sounds like we are going to be getting some great stories from you all summer, Aurora

Congrats!

What about petrified crickets?

Congrats on the new job. 

I don't really get why people want to keep scorpions as pets for the same reason I don't get why people want snakes, raccoons, wallabies and other exotic animals.  In Florida some of the idiots who thought it was a great idea to have a snake as a pet have let their Burmese pythons go & they are now an invasive species.  

It's all fun and games until one gets loose and permanently alters the local ecosystem. 

Most states have laws against keeping exotic pets without a permit. California has all kinds of laws against critters that are quite common as pets. Such as:

Gerbils
Quaker Parrots
Sugar Gliders
Hedgehogs
Ferrets
Prairie Dogs
Skunks

Quakers are the little green birds that are all over the place in Brooklyn. Aaaand that is a good example of why they're illegal here (and like 10 other states as well).



I don't give a shite 'cause I got my Guinness Stout!

Hey 'rory, do you know about cave crickets? When I lived further north, I'd get them inside the house all the time. I'd usually find them in the bathroom. I think they liked the water source or would come out of the drains or something. Cave crickets are distinctive due to their ginormous legs. I could usually find them on walls and cielings, just kinda sitting there, staring at you with their beady eyes....

...like they were plotting something...


Could you imagine stepping out of the shower and having one of these jump on you from the cieling?







~ Network 54 eats my apostrophes to survive

I don't think she's going to answer. Because I'm pretty sure she's shoving her computer monitor out the window right now.

I don't give a shite 'cause I got my Guinness Stout!

Oh my god.  This thread is dead to me now.  Excuse me while I go turn my skin inside out

OH MY FRIGGIN LORD!!

I don't really mind how crickets look, it's more the idea of them. So, since that doesn't look like in my mind what a cricket looks like, it's all good. But nice try :p

Besides, in Kingston I have these waiting for me when I get out of the shower




Also, I discovered today that Oddtodd is blocked from work. I might try emailing myself a link to the board and seeing if I can get here that way.


Today I read books about wood.

FUCK PEOPLE!

GAH!!

Wow your job sounds like a lot fun. Undercover cop car I am jealous. You'll have a great, "What I Did on My Summer Vacation from School" essay. Congrats!

I actually think crickets are cute. They don't bother me at all.


Amy, there is a whole population of Quakers in Edgewater, NJ. They build their nests on the powerlines there. The power company is nice though and does not destroy the nests.

Quarkers are also on the dangerous species list. They are not dangerous. Quarkers just over populate.

Aurora doesn't believe in cave crickets. Take her to a cave sometime and see for yourself. She's the most emphatic cricket denier I've ever met.
tee hee

Way cool job, Aurora!

This was the job with the really crazy interview you thought you wouldn't get right?