Monday, September 5, 2011

Attack of the Killer Crickets

If you are squicked out by bugs easily, read no further. It's a funny story, but consider yourself warned.

So, when Irene was heading our way, we had the genius idea that instead of dismantling our entire trampoline, we'd merely take the safety net down and flip the trampoline over. It worked- our trampoline stayed in place despite the ferocious wind.

A week later, the trampoline was still upside down and I decided that the trampoline had to be turned over RIGHTTHISVERYMINUTE. My husband, being the sort to go along with my sudden obsessions, agreed to turn the trampoline over.

What I didn't realize is that turning trampolines over is hard. They're deceptively heavy.

We pushed up on the trampoline on one side, little by little getting underneath it and pushing forward. When we finally go the trampoline almost perpendicular to the ground, it happened. I was showered in dirt, twigs, wet leaves and dozens of "sprickets".

Sprikets are something I never encountered until I moved here. They look like the bastard child of the ugliest spider you can think of and an ordinary cricket. They are the stuff of nightmares.

What could I do as sprikets fell into my hair? If I let go of my part of the trampoline, it would come crashing down on my husband. I briefly considered letting go so I could scream hysterically and dance frantically, stripping my clothing off, to get the bugs off. I could feel them on me, on my head, my shirt and on my feet (I stupidly decided that heavy lifting was best done barefoot.)

Instead of screaming like a little girl, I just kept pushing that damn trampoline even harder. As soon as it was right side up, I ran into the house to inspect my hair and clothes.

Honestly, I'm not sure how I didn't get hysterical. I had sprickets in my hair.  Luckily, they had fled from me before I got a chance to wreck vengeance on them. I had my flip flop at the ready while I checked myself.

Next time, my husband can just ask the neighbor to help. I don't think I would have a repeat of my calm behavior.

3 comments:

  1. Crazy! I'm glad you could keep your cool and that they fled.

    I'd never heard of sprickets before. Time to head to wikipedia to learn about them!

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  2. EWW EWWW EWWWW EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! i would have freaked out immediately and dropped my end screaming! you did so good!!!

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  3. Maryam, I don't know what they are really called. People around here just call them sprickets, so that's what I learned. They're probably just a really ugly cricket.

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