"I'm never shopping THERE again!" Share your story!

[Amara]

Julian, I loved reading (and rereading) Bill Bryson's In a Sunburned Country, and one of the things I loved most about it was the descriptions of the flora and fauna--the "proto ants" to the largest earthworm in the world to the shells and snakes and spiders that have venom far beyond their own dietary needs. Utterly fascinating even if I would prefer not to meet most of them in person.

[Julian]

Amara, it must have been a very challenging experience for the first colonists.

Heck, it's challenging enough sometimes even for those of us born here!     There's nothing quite like finding a very large snake curled up on the kitchen floor, particularly if you don't know if it's venemous or not!  (Thank you Morty, you're such a brave kitty bringing that in.  Oh, it's not dead?  Crivins!)

Having said that, though, I have to say our marsupials are gorgeous. 

[Amara]

*laughing madly*

Yes, it's hard to imagine being one of the first colonists and deciding who in the group would see if that snake was edible.

"Oops! Marvin, you okay? Marvin? Marvin!!! Geez, guys, guess we better look elsewhere for dinner. Who knew something like that could happen in three seconds."

[Diane AKA Traska]

We get these guys:

Warning:  not for the arachnophobic!

http://australianmuseum.net.au/Huntsman-Spiders

Awww!  Who's a cutie!  You are, Spider!  Yes you are!  Yes you are!

[Iris]

We get these guys:

Warning:  not for the arachnophobic!

http://australianmuseum.net.au/Huntsman-Spiders

Awww!  Who's a cutie!  You are, Spider!  Yes you are!  Yes you are!

We had a big huntsman living in our bathroom for AGES. My daughter named it Aragog and was really upset when it moved out. Compare that with my mother who kept me on the phone for half an hour one day because there was a huntsman near where she had to hang up. I believe I've told the story here before in more detail. I wonder how she manages to live in this country quite frankly, given how arachnophobic she is.

I trap and release into the wild 99% of the spiders I find indoors...but one day at our camp I saw one that was, I swear, the size of my clenched fist and there was NO WAY I was going to get close enough to put a drinking glass over THAT.

I still feel kinda bad about dispatching it.

I was at work one day and captured a harmless but large spider to release into the wild. One of the guys I was working with said to me, eyes as big as saucers "You are SOOOOO brave." Hilarious. 

[ladyknight1]

One day, our student assistant came in, eyes wide, telling me about the "alligator" in the driveway for our building. I looked out one of the windows and and saw a large (10-15 lbs) soft shelled turtle. I went out to the car, grabbed an old towel, and used that with my hands to pick up the turtle and carry it to the pond nearby.

We rescue things all the time, and I look at it in a practical aspect. The turtle can pee on me and scratch me, but my hands are never near it's head close enough for it to bite me. However, I leave the alligator snapping turtles to DH and DS, they are scary!

[Kariachi]

I don't know what my mother, sister and I would do if my dad wasn't around, 'cause he's the only one who can handle spiders without incapacitating terror.

Meanwhile, he needs us (namely me) to handle snakes for him 'cause eHell no.

There was a summer where I was the only one who could check the mail because a family of wasps had set up in our mailbox. I is the wasp-whisperer, always have been. We've got an understanding.

But even I lost it when I found a three-inch hornet in the kitchen. Normally a very safe person, that scared me so bad I momentarily forgot you don't mix ammonia and bleach.

[laud_shy_girl]

I don't know what my mother, sister and I would do if my dad wasn't around, 'cause he's the only one who can handle spiders without incapacitating terror.

Meanwhile, he needs us (namely me) to handle snakes for him 'cause eHell no.

There was a summer where I was the only one who could check the mail because a family of wasps had set up in our mailbox. I is the wasp-whisperer, always have been. We've got an understanding.

But even I lost it when I found a three-inch hornet in the kitchen. Normally a very safe person, that scared me so bad I momentarily forgot you don't mix ammonia and bleach.

I bet it took care of that hornet though? 

[Kariachi]

I don't know what my mother, sister and I would do if my dad wasn't around, 'cause he's the only one who can handle spiders without incapacitating terror.

Meanwhile, he needs us (namely me) to handle snakes for him 'cause eHell no.

There was a summer where I was the only one who could check the mail because a family of wasps had set up in our mailbox. I is the wasp-whisperer, always have been. We've got an understanding.

But even I lost it when I found a three-inch hornet in the kitchen. Normally a very safe person, that scared me so bad I momentarily forgot you don't mix ammonia and bleach.

I bet it took care of that hornet though? 

No. It did not.

[PastryGoddess]

I don't know what my mother, sister and I would do if my dad wasn't around, 'cause he's the only one who can handle spiders without incapacitating terror.

Meanwhile, he needs us (namely me) to handle snakes for him 'cause eHell no.

There was a summer where I was the only one who could check the mail because a family of wasps had set up in our mailbox. I is the wasp-whisperer, always have been. We've got an understanding.

But even I lost it when I found a three-inch hornet in the kitchen. Normally a very safe person, that scared me so bad I momentarily forgot you don't mix ammonia and bleach.

I bet it took care of that hornet though? 

Hornets can only be dispatched via percussive therapy and screaming

[Kariachi]

I don't know what my mother, sister and I would do if my dad wasn't around, 'cause he's the only one who can handle spiders without incapacitating terror.

Meanwhile, he needs us (namely me) to handle snakes for him 'cause eHell no.

There was a summer where I was the only one who could check the mail because a family of wasps had set up in our mailbox. I is the wasp-whisperer, always have been. We've got an understanding.

But even I lost it when I found a three-inch hornet in the kitchen. Normally a very safe person, that scared me so bad I momentarily forgot you don't mix ammonia and bleach.

I bet it took care of that hornet though? 

Hornets can only be dispatched via percussive therapy and screaming

I can't speak for the screaming, but dropping a box of stone tile on it worked wonders.

[gramma dishes]

I can't speak for the screaming, but dropping a box of stone tile on it worked wonders.

Yep, percussive therapy!  Very brief session.   

[Minmom3]

I hope all you spider tale tellers are HAPPY that I'm going to have the Devil's own time getting between the sheets tonight.  I'm all tight in the back now and will be FLINGING ALL sheets on the bed open so I can see where I'm getting in....     Completely creeped out, I am!

ETA - because I can't type.

[siamesecat2965]

I hope all you spider tale tellers are HAPPY that I'm going to have the Devil's own time getting between the sheets tonight.  I'm all tight in the back now and will be FLINGING ALL sheets on the bed open so I can see where I'm getting in....     Completely creeped out, I am!

ETA - because I can't type.

I'm right there with you! when I was a kid, there were times I was so afraid there was a a HUGE tarantula at the end of my bed, where the sheets tucked in, that I'd sleep in a fetal position all night, since I knew if I put my feet down, it woudl get me. yes, I am irrationally afraid of spiders, why do you ask??

[Redneck Gravy]

Farmers Insurance Company - after 31 years they have deeply, deeply wronged me.   I will NEVER go back.

I use billpay through the bank to pay my monthly auto insurance (plus a number of other things).  I have three cars insured through Farmers.  One of the drivers is my teen daughter (I promise you, you never, ever want to be without coverage when you have a teen driver).

Apparently, the May 2012 payment did not arrive at Farmer's on time (I have since found out from BillPay that it must have been placed in the wrong PO box because it eventually came back to BillPay stamped NOT AT THIS ADDRESS and I have a copy of the envelope with the correct address).  The June payment was also mailed to the same address and it apparently arrived on time.  But because Farmers did not receive the May payment on time they cancelled our policy.  According to Farmers they mailed me a cancellation notice - I never received it, because believe me if I had I would have taken a check straight to my agent!  But when they received the June payment they reissued the coverage   My daughter bumped a car stopped in the turning lane while texting (still my daughter's fault, no question - no damage to her car) on June 5th, damage was $525

Because Farmers says we were without coverage on June 4th, 5th & 6th they will not pay this claim.  My agent is viligant about calling clients when they get a notice of cancellation in their office, they just missed us that month ("you fell through the crack" were his exact words) so Farmers is not going to pay.  My agent is terribly apologetic but it looks like I will have to pay for the damage.  The area supervisor (over my agent) asked, "why do you think you should be treated more special than other Farmer clients?"  30 Years of loyalty was my response and I can prove my premium was mailed on time and to the correct address, the post office must have put it in the wrong box.  Farmers says they can "prove they mailed me a notice of cancellation" because it is on their computer report and they will not pay this claim.  Again, my agent is terribly apologetic, this has never happened to him before but still, I will have to pay out of my pocket for the damage.   

The other driver wound up filing their claim and being covered under Uninsured Motorist and then their insurance company sued me for the damage plus other "assorted charges". 

We are now with another insurance agency.   So Farmers Insurance - never again!