Tales of Thresh and Fizz *Update*

Hi everyone!

So Deb was amazing today and came over and helped me pick out the new baby for the family. Except he isn't so much of a baby. And he may also may not be a he. :lol: He's from the same clutch as Baron was from, so his birthday is March 10th! And holy moly what a healthy juvie.

Even though he is a bit small at 12 inches, he can eat. Let me tell you, he can eat. Deb got pictures of him eating when I first gave him food 5 minutes after him being in the tank. 2 bowls of roaches later and a bowl and a half of baby bok choi and he seemed content. SO. PICTURES. I only got 3 before my camera died.

The last two are kind of crappy...But the camera was making angry red flashes at me and I was trying to get some.

 

[Annalee]

Annalee,

It is, there are...3-4 major feeder suppliers online in Canada I think. Maybe 5. It's incredibly expensive(min 18.00 through Canada Post and UPS, which most people deal with). It's not that the prices are bad, but they are no where near as cheap as down there! 1K Silk eggs will run 29.00, plus a pound or so of food, which is also 29. Since we can't get dubai, I'll supplement 500 crickets which is 15 dollars, and 1k Supers will run 22-34 or so? So not including shipping, we're already at 95-107.

It really sucks getting feeders up here!

Wow. That's horrible. :shock: There's no way I could keep this many lizards if I lived in Canada.

 

[CountofCasualty]

Some people manage, through setting up cricket colonies, super colonies, things like that. Or they just pay the price. I think that's why lizards aren't as popular up here. I hope it changes are the prices go down, but until shippers like Canada Post drop their prices, or UPS does as well, it's hard, and expensive, especially if you don't have the means to house mass quantities.

I think the worms I sell will be popular because the closest one is Pheonix worms, and they are only offered in 100 packs, as cheap as 8.50, but as expensive as 9.50 per pack. I'll be offering up to 1,000 and even my 100 counts will be 7.50 dollars.(Still deciding the firm prices, since the Canadian dollar is below the US and I need to account for that as well, will see how it goes)

 

[CountofCasualty]

Some examples of how Thresh has put on the pounds(...grams??) and how great she's doing!!

Sheded head!

 

[zandi202]

She has such a beautiful and vibrant color!

 

[beardie parents]

wow, she's gotten really big! She's gotten some really good colors.

 

[sweetiepie9]

WOW her colours sure have popped. So for Saturday I'll let you know the time, but I'll be taking you home so I'll get to see Thresh again. Seeing as we'll be coming home from Richmond, I'll have a map but it's not as far to your place from there as from here, so that should work. I'm going to give Joanne $10 towards the gas, want to add another $5? My chiro apt was cancelled, so come over anytime in the morning, I'll pick you up at Columbia station like last time. Why don't you plan to be here by 10:30a, or even earlier if you want, I'll be up and able to pick you up anytime. So let me know k? And I'll be talking to Joanne today, so will get it all confirmed. Even if she can't make it, we'll just go together. So either way, we're going, k?

 

[CountofCasualty]

Thanks everyone. And yes, Deb, that sounds good! I'll make sure to have $5 to pitch in for gas. Hopefully there will be some cheap feeder options there, though by the end of the week I should have the worms, it would be nice to maybe find some cheap horns or silks.

Edit: Oh shoot, Deb! I forgot, my manager is out of town and I work on Saturday...I can't get the day off. Looks like I won't be going then! I'm sure you can give my name at the door and get you and Joanne in for free though.

 

[sweetiepie9]

Awww, Jolene, sorry to hear that, I'll miss you. Do you want me to come over tomorrow and pick up the tickets? Would give me an excuse to see you guys & Thresh, I have the day free, so let me know. And I have a full tank of gas, which is good. So let me know!

 

[CountofCasualty]

I didn't get tickets mailed, my name+1 is on the guest list. The lady from BCRC said just go up to the people at the door, say I'm on the guest list plus one. I'll email her and ask if I can give it my entry plus one to a friend, if that could work as I can't make it.

It'll be sad, but you'll have to take lots of pics for me to make up for it!

As for coming over, I'll let you know later, Brandon and I have today and tomorrow off. We're moving stuff around today, but tomorrow is a bit more relaxing so we might go out if the weather is nice.

 

[CountofCasualty]

Arg. Money is frustrating. Brandon and I talk about it a lot. And excuse the incredibly long rant below.

This has been bugging me since I moved out of my parents house. I hate to delve into personal things on here(mainly as I think no one wants to hear it), but I resent my parents a lot because I was never able to be a 'kid' due to their drinking. I grew up way to fast, especially in an abusive environment with my parents fighting a lot and me trying to solve the problems. Once my sister hit 16-17, I was on my own because she moved out, so I was 6-7 and in situations I shouldn't have been in, and it was really only until 2 years ago my parents really realized how much that life has messed me up today. While they've slowed down, it's no where near stopped, and when it comes to family get together's, I avoid them like the plague because alcohol comes out and fights happen. I also do not drink often because of this, maybe 2-3 drinks per year.

The wedding I went to in May, for my aunt and uncle is the reason why. Brandon and I got our own room at a hotel, left around 8:30(right after the first dance, and the bouquet being thrown(Which I caught!), we watched a movie together in the hotel room and that was our night. When we left to come back home, my sister wanted to dunk us in Surrey with all of our luggage and for us to transit home since she didn't want to sit in traffic(the transit ride from Surrey to N.Van is over an hour long).

While I wasn't happy, I wanted to avoid confrontation and asked 'Okay well just let me know what the plan is before we leave so I can plan around it.'...Which turned into a total -bleep- fest and everyone jumping down my throat for asking this, me having a panic and anxiety attack, and retreating to the car. I didn't say goodbye to anyone, only my mother and aunt that came to say goodbye to me, and I didn't speak to them at all, just nodded in silence, accepted their goodbyes, and the next 8 hours down to Vancouver was spent not talking to anyone. While it ended up us getting a ride all the way home, it was way to much stress over one small question, which I think I had the right to ask. Keep in mind, this was also how much of my teenage years panning out, my sister wanting something(or simply not liking something I did), my parents taking her side(even if they didn't agree with her, they wanted to avoid confrontation), and me left out in the cold because I'm naturally passive and don't stand up for myself and would just accept whatever was thrown at me while lying on my back.

Whew okay. That was a bit deep. UHH.

I will also note I am incredibly lucky to have Brandon, who is so understanding about this and only really drinks if I give the okay about it. He understands my anxiety and how hard it is for me to come to terms with casual drinking, or having a beer once and a while won't do harm. He is also the reason why I refuse to spend time with my family without him now, because he will stand up for me and keep them off my back(though it's hard, 3-4 vs 2.).

Back to the original point.

My parents spent a LOT of money on alcohol(and in many cases, still do). And I wish they had put that money instead in a savings account for us kids. They would go out and buy a 12-24 pack of beer seemingly every night just for the two of them...And that's a lot of money. Match that with their smoking, if they had put that money into a savings account for us kids, or hell even for themselves to retire, a lot of strife between me and my parents wouldn't exist today, and I feel like I would, in a lot of ways, be a totally different young woman.

Don't get me wrong, I love my parents. I do. But this has always, and I think it will always, bug me. I could have used that money for school, I wouldn't be in debt with Student Loans right now, I could be doing so much more with my life right now if I had access to that, and I would be a much stronger person if my parents had stood up for me more often.

I know I shouldn't focus on the past, but it keeps me on the path of what I will and will not do for my own children. I want them to have a better life then I did, and better future then I did(and in many ways, do). I make the best out of what I have, and where I am is incredible since I could be in a totally different position if I hadn't left Williams Lake(I wasn't planning on it, truly. But I went for school anyways, despite it being a bunk).

Sorry for the rant. I just really needed to get it out...

 

[zandi202]

I'm glad you have some like Brandon in your life. Everyone needs a rock and he's yours and visa versa I'm sure. It's also wonderful how he respects you and knows what to do for you. Some men never learn, but he sure did and you two are great together.

Parents are tricky - I don't know much about them myself, but do have my issues with my grandparents. I guess I do hold resentment for my father for taking my mother away from me, but this is your thread. That is the closest I can come to understanding how you feel.

I guess not everyone is lucky to have a great family and get along with everyone.

Lots of love and hugs your way.

 

[CountofCasualty]

I find people with great families that get along all the time are very few and far between. :lol: While I admire then, I don't think a family is a family without problems and strife. I wish my parents had done things differently, but I do understand I wouldn't be who I am, or where I am, without it all. And in a way that makes it okay, but dreaming about what it would be like is nice sometimes, too.

Thanks for the kind words, Liz. I appreciate it.

 

[sweetiepie9]

It's really hard to have that kind of background, where you weren't supported emotionally when you should have been. I can so understand your rant. I didn't have any of those issues with growing up, but I grew up in the 60s when it was good to bash your parents. I've since learned that my folks were always there for us, a great foundation to grow up with, plus they didn't drink and my mom quit smoking when my youngest brother was born. They always put everything behind us as much as they could. They didn't have a lot of $ when I was growing up, but they did buy a house in a great neighbourhood and we all had lots of friends. It was a good time to be growing up. There were lots of arguments (especially between me & my mom) but being on my own with Eric back east when they were here, helped me grow up in a lot of ways. My ex was a druggie and a drinker, so I learned all about that the hard way. Being here now 26 years, even going through all that crap with Roger, helped me grow up more.

So you have made a good life from a lot of stuff from your youth, which means you're getting stronger with each year and that's good that you were able to do that. It's a drag, but you can't change your parents, your sister, your brother or your relatives. I think you're handling it all admirably and Brandon, being your rock, has been a great help to you. I'm glad you found each other, real soulmates are very hard to find!

And don't worry about ranting, that's what your thread is all about, Thresh, you, Brandon, your life and your other pets. I've done lots of ranting in my thread, it's a great place to get things out!

 

[CountofCasualty]

Thanks for the kind words, Deb. That's just the tip of the iceberg, really. But that's how it always is, and it's a huge step for me to post on an open forum about it, as well. It took me years to pin my parents down in a room and actually confront them about all of this and flat out tell them about my depression and what had started it(growing up to fast and being in those situations). I didn't like putting the blame on them-I take blame more then anything, and I had to really teach them about depression and how my brain works through the talk, as well. They still don't quite get it, I think, they don't treat me differently, but they notice when I start to shut down much faster then before. Dad has started to stand up for me more, but he's not a very talkative guy, but when he gets mad, he's boss and that's that. It takes him a while, and only when he notices Mom and Kyla really ganging up on me alone and me start to shut down...but it's nice having him there, if Brandon can't get it to stop.

I can't change my family, but I do limit my interaction with them. I try to talk to Mom daily, but it's hard sometimes. I don't talk to my sister, as she's really toxic to my life. As much as I don't like it, it's true and I need to rule who and what influences me now. It takes me weeks to prepare mentally for interactions with her-I'm already preparing for Christmas-, and I'm mentally and emotionally drained for months after it as well. I tolerate it, but I don't make it happen more then absolutely needed. (She told me having a dragon was pointless, even if it made me happy, because it was financially irresponsible...like she knew what my finances were.)

My brother isn't so bad. He's 38 now, 17 years older then me. He's just a hippy, makes great jam, and over all is pretty passive too. He did take after my parents in the drinking, though. Doesn't get abusive, just talkative and funny. He tries to mediate, too, but it doesn't work so often. When my sister and mom go off, they won't listen to anyone but Dad, really. Even then it takes Brandon, Ryan and my father to get them to shut up and lay off.

The rest of my extended family is much more conservative then me, so interacting with them is hard. They don't understand my love for animals, or why I would spend so much on my cats, or have a reptile, or a hedgehog. Even though they have pets too, they don't have the same mentality, I guess. Especially when it comes to food, or toys, or other things I've treated Gibson too.

Speaking of him;

This is my dog. Mom and Dad have him, as I can't in my apartment. Every time I see him, I spend probably upwards of 50+ dollars on toys and treats and little things for him. I can't help it, he was my FIRST fur baby and I only see him 2-3 times a year if I'm lucky. I get so much say in his nutrition, too, which is great, as I want him to be as healthy and happy as possible.

Family is great, and I wish I was around my parents more. Them alone now and it's okay most of the time. It gets a little rough, but it isn't anything I can't handle anymore. They listen to me more, and respect me and my opinions. Add on other family members and that's when it gets to be a little overwhelming.

I don't think I shared this, but also here is a family picture of all of us during the wedding(the first in years).

Also, I agree...Brandon is great. I love him so much, and I am so lucky to have him in my life. I couldn't have found a better person to spend the rest of my life with.

 

[zandi202]

Cute pic of everybody