Jed's Super-Dooper Newbie Question-of-the-Week Thread

summer, whee!

I am a teacher so my summer is always super-dooper. This summer hubby and I are backpacking in Europe (the middle bit) and then going to Canada. After saying hello to parents in Calgary (the western side of the country) driving half-way across Canada to deliver furniture to my daughter, who will be starting uni in Guelph (the center part.) Then back to Qatar for work. So most, I am looking forward to, well, all of it, I guess.

What am I looking forward to?

The Big Family Trip, which my family and I haven't taken for... four years, now, and we're going to Europe, where I can practise my German on unsuspecting innocents and write furiously in my shiny new journal.

New question coming soon.


No, seriously.

jvc said:

Click to expand...

Really? From you, of all people?

New QotW

All right, folks, time for a new Question of the Week!!

*much fanfare*


Ok, ok, it's past time, really, but I was finishing up the first summer session at uni and then I went camping, which leads me to our current question:

What creepy-crawly, slithery-skittery, flippy-flappy things freak you out the most, and why?

(Assuming there's a rational reason for it, that is.)

I ask because I was out in the great outdoors, where many such things reside. And while most of them don't scare me, I am rather intimidated by wasps, yellow jackets, hornets, and the like.

And as of this weekend, the little tiny sweat bees that I had *thought* were stingless.

Ouch.




Oh, and bats. But only when they are indoors.

slcboston said:

What creepy-crawly, slithery-skittery, flippy-flappy things freak you out the most, and why?

Click to expand...

Really anything flying or jumping insect and I are not going to get along. I can handle spiders, beetles, etc. But giant grasshoppers leaping toward me or, ugh, cicadas? Oh, I'm running the other direction. They're too wily.

Swarms of flying ants will do it every time... *shudder*

Not to be horribly unoriginal...but Spiders.

And birds. Well, anything with wings that flit about. Butterflies. Moths. Bats. But mostly birds.

The spider thing? I'm not sure where it came from. The bird thing probably goes back to a bad incident in a pet store. You know, those glass rooms with all the cages. But honestly, I can't remember when I first developed that fear.

I can't go in the bird exhibit at the zoo or the butterfly room. Seriously.

Especially because they scare the living daylights out of you in the butterfly room when they tell you to watch out and don't make sudden movements or loud noises because you'll kill them easily. Like I need that on my conscience.

Butterflies?

That's a new one.

Look, I've read 2 (TWO) horror stories recently about butterflies.

Laurie would back me up here.

I always just accept and enjoy. It doesn't matter what is possible in this world, only what is possible in the world the author has created.

^ well crap, I read the wrong question. YOu know what freaks me out... Earwigs. I had one crawl on my leg yesterday and I still am shuddering over it. Gross.

soapdish said:

Look, I've read 2 (TWO) horror stories recently about butterflies.

Laurie would back me up here.

Click to expand...

I read that one, too.





*snickers quietly*

KBtheWriter said:

^ well crap, I read the wrong question. YOu know what freaks me out... Earwigs. I had one crawl on my leg yesterday and I still am shuddering over it. Gross.

Click to expand...

Yes! I'd forgotten about those until yesterday when I saw one indoors.

Or those silverfish things with the flat bodies and way, way, WAY too many legs. I tolerate lots of other things in the house, but those are kill on sight.

Spiders, snakes, slugs, worms, you know... Anything that lives outside.

Momof2 said:

Anything that lives outside.

Click to expand...

Lions, and tigers, and bears! Oh, my!

Momof2 said:

Spiders, snakes, slugs, worms, you know... Anything that lives outside.

Click to expand...

Other people?

Snakes!! I am so terrified of them they make me cry. I find them in the yard all the time, call the law and they won't help me

torrielynn said:

Snakes!! I am so terrified of them they make me cry. I find them in the yard all the time, call the law and they won't help me

Click to expand...

Did you try animal control?

Or, barring that, buying a mongoose?

Earwigs--they make me think of those horrible creatures used for mind control in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan. (Yeah, I'm dating myself. Sue me.)

And centipedes / millipedes. I hate all those legs. I hate the way they move. Found one on our tablecloth in a nice restaurant about a month ago, and I shouted and jumped about three feet away from the table. They seated us somewhere else very quickly and were VERY attentive the rest of the night.