"But snakes are creepy," I said.
"They don't make noise, they don't shed, and they don't eat much" Susan countered.
"But the cost!" I said.
"I'll pay for everything," Susan promised.
"I am so not cleaning up after a snake." I stated.
"Don't worry, I'll do everything!" Susan caressed.
What could I say to that? "Go ask your dad what he thinks," I said.
I thought I had her with that one.
He said yes.
I told him later, "You know that voice you heard in the back of your head, screaming 'NO! Don't do it! Noooooooo!'? That was me."
"I didn't hear anything," said he, with an almost too innocent look on his face.
Obviously I need to work on my telepathy skills.
What happened to the united parenting front we agreed on? What happened to the "I'll talk it over with mom" stalling tactic?
He said yes.
Susan began researching online, deciding what kind of snake she wanted, learning about habitat and food requirements, costs etc.
Saturday, I took Susan out yard sale-ing, looking for a cheap terrarium. I didn't expect to find anything the first time out. This was just an exploratory trip to gauge costs. I was half hoping that Susan would see how much equipment costs would be compared to her meager cash stash, decide she couldn't afford it, and treat her mother to ice cream instead.
I had forgotten that I was with the luckiest child in the world, the psychic who not only reads minds, but also has a knack for being in just the right place at the right time. Thus it happened that at the second, yes SECOND, stop on our list, we found a nice big glass and steel terrarium, with heat lamp, heat rock, thermometer, and knarly driftwood included, for a measly TEN DOLLARS. It was simply too good to pass up. Susan handed over Mr. Hamilton, and the 4 foot long glass box was loaded into the car.
Happily, we went home (one of us was happier than the other) to set up and prepare the enclosure for habitation. I envisioned Susan saving up her shekels for a few weeks, meanwhile learning how to regulate the temperature to the desired levels, and then buying the snake sometime in June. But no, Dad came through with a paternal loan, and by Saturday night the terrarium was complete with wood chips, water dish, more rocks and branches, and ready for the reptile.
Monday evening, Tom and Susan brought home Reggie, a new baby corn snake.
Awwwwwwww, isn't she cuuuuuuute?
Maybe this snake thing will be ok. Susan is in hock for about 70 bucks worth of equipment, food, and of course, the snake. I've got my own personal slave until the debt is paid. Permit me a cruel chuckle. Mwhahahahaha!
Yes, I was thinking of coming over to visit but now we will have to meet somewhere else. :) Why do pets cost so much? I have chosen to not add up how much has gone into Gabie's aquarium. :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new addition. now i can take my kids to crazy aunt lisas. just kidding. we have already owned two and i see more in our future. drew will be excited to see Susans new friend.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that great when you find a great yard sale item that saves you SO MUCH money and then you really start to pay. I remember when I got a hamster cage at a yard sale for $1. Of course all the stuff including the hamsters cost about $50. Then there was the time Jared bought a fish tank for $2 with his own money. That little savings only cost about $100 by the time we replaced fish several times when they died. I have finally come to the realization that there is no such thing as saving money at yard sales.
ReplyDeleteOne other item I would mention, is that you did not say anything about the cage having a lock on it. When Jared got his first and then second corn snake, I was rather happy when the helpful man at the pet store pointed out the advantage of paying extra for an actual reptile cage that included the lock. Even though cute little Reggie could not possibly raise the top, some day he will grow to be cute large Reggie. I personally sleep better at night knowing that our two snakes are under locked incarceration.
My next door neighbor's daughter has 3 corn snakes. One of them is named "Little Dude". Little Dude has grown to be about 3 feet long and is about 2 inches in diameter. This snake actually disappeared for about 2 or 3 months until they found him again. My neighbor figures that he must have hibernated somewhere in the walls of the house and then resurfaced. I told Jared that if his snakes come up missing he will paying for my hotel bill, because I will not be able to sleep at my house untill said snakes are found. So far, so good, no missing snakes.
We do have a way of locking the cage. It has two sliding screen doors on the top, which I think are better for keeping the snake in the terrarium, and they both have little holes in them right against the wall. We put nails in them so that the screens can't open unless we take the nails out. we were concerned about Reggie getting out right now because there is a hot rock in the terrarium that has a cord that we have to trail out the top of the cage, so we had to push the screen closed really tight and put the nail in and now Reggie will not be escaping. That's probably more of a relief to Karianne than me because she says that if the snake appears in her room bad things will happen. So I must take extra precaution not to let Reggie get out. There is also the very likely chance that the cats would find her before we do, and that wouldn't be pretty.
ReplyDeleteAnd I know Reggie is kind of a boy name, but I like it anyways. Also maybe Reggie can be short for Regina. :)
I thought she should have named her Leroy, but no.... Also specially I have no say in it because (other than the fact that I don't owe seventy bucks to my father) that snake hates me apparently. Because I put my finger up next to it's face while it's getting beauty sleep. Ooops. Cheese Louise, I was just trying to get it to DO something. I didn't even tap on the glass, just put my finger in front of it's face.
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