Self Control? What's that?

[Minkness]

Something I am in desperate need of!!! Uhg! I thought putting a boa on hold and making payments would slake my addiction, if inly until I got the house....but no. My addiction is too great and my self control is running in the negatives!

I love ging into my local store. It's my zen...my happy place, that one place Ilook forward to going all week on a sunday (when I get to leave work early). They always have unique, interesting, and beautiful animals. And some that usually you can only get online. And most of their stock are procured from local hobby breeders and other enthusiasts. I have even been known to bring my baby geckos to this place if I can't sell them.

Well....I have been abstaining for quite some time as most of you have known. But every time I go in there i see aomething else that just makes my heart flutter. The last several times I have been intriged by several beautiful snakes. One of which happens to be a tiny rough scaled sand boa. He's been there for weeks (I know because I always pester the little angryworm when I visit).

Well, tonight I was in there, just looking around when the lady who works there approached and started talking with me. She showe me a new hypo boa that came in who was gorgous, as well as her own albino applegate gopher who was gorgous! (She is in the middle of a tough move and the store is letting her board her animals there). We walk over to the smaller snake section and I'm looking at them seeing that since last week, they have actually been just about cleaned out of snakes. All that's really left are several baby-juvie hoggies, a 15 year old gray banded, the apricot hondo I like but refuse to buy, and then...the little, angry rough scale. I open it up and get a teeny little murder worm out and keep talking to the lady about how I really liked the snake and found the extremely agressive nature so cute on such a tiny snake. Then she tells me there's actually 2 in there. Sure enough, she unburries a very unhappy 2nd one that just looks ready for murder. Awww....

So we keep talking and she tells me that they have been there for a very long time and no one wants them because they are so damn mean! (Takes a special person to take to biters I guess...and yes, these guys BITE!). So I look at the price (which is one of their cheapest snakes nect to a baby normal corn snake) and ask if that peice is for each, or both together. (It's a 1.1 pair). She said that it's each...but...if I will take them, she will give me the 2nd one basically free with a very minot fee to make the sale 'legit'.

Gah! The last bit of my already weak resolve has melted and washed away. And so....she rang me up, dipped into my store credit, and I still had some left over for when I need feeders next month....

I drove home, 2 snakes and a small bag of feeders that she gave me free as well, with sweaty palms, heart pounding as I pray to the heavens my mom is not in the living room when I get home ince I have to cross that room to get to my room. Deep breaths while I sit in my car...finally pulling on the last ebbs of my strength, I fiddle with their little delicups and head inside. She's in the living room...there's no way she won't see them! But, as naturally as I could, I lut my things down in the usual spot, kick my shoesoff, head to the ketchen and put the feeders in the freezer, and make a B line to my room.....I can't believe it!!! She didn't see them!! Doesn't suspect a thing!

I'm overcome with joy as I set them down, looking at the extra tubs that have been whispering to me to be filled for so ling, and go about setting them up. Sanichips for digging. Make sure it's nice and deep. No hides since they don't use them, and a water dish.

Then, there's a knock on my door! My heart jumps again. It's my mom! I feel like I'm a 12 year old trying to sneak a wild baby corn snake into my room all over again! I had just finished thwir set ups, they are still in their delicups sittin on my bedside table...and my door opens. She asked how I was and let me know that I had laundry in the dryer. ..She's the best mom ever! But again I'm screaming to the heavens thatshe doesn't see them! She's done talking to me at last...feels like it was an hour, but really it was maybe all of 2 minute. How did she not see the guilt and panick on my face? I don't know, and I don't care! But she's gone, and I can breath again!

I go out and get a coke over ice, telling her I'm just going to hang out with my snakes tonight. She's cool with this, not knowing that I meant new snakes. So, I shuffle back to my room, glass of iced coke in hand, and breath another sigh of relief.

At last, I can take my new babies out, snap a few pics, and tuck them away in their individual tubs. Shakily I take the pucs. Still neevous about being sneaky, but also because the female is a total pisser who unhinges her jaw to tag me several times!

But I prevail and take some pretty nice pics, drop them in their new digs, and flop on my bed to tell you all this sad ywt very happy little story. For any who are wondering.....yes...I am almost 30...no...I don't want my 'own' place lol. I love my mom, and want to be there for her as she has been for me....sadly, her limitations on my snakes will never be part of that it seems....

Anyway, if you have ready that whole bit of rambled story tellong, thanks! And as a reward, some pics of my new additions!!! Names have yet to be decided, but I want some really killer oriented names. A friend already suggested Sweeny Todd and Ms. Lovett, which are awesome, but I'm open to other ideas as well!.

The male is smaller and more 'grey' because he's in blue. He's also the more laid back one.

[EL Ziggy]

You are soo bad Mink! I thought you had satisfied your cravings for a while. I'm not a big fan of little snakes but they are cute . Good luck when your mom finds out .

[Minkness]

Honestly, if the lady in the store hadn't offered both for the price of 1 basically (and cheap to begin with) I could have survived. But....I knew they were little pissers, and the quickest way to make me melt is to give me a good 'deal'. So, between the fact they had been thwre forever, their adorable anger, and the unbeatable price tag....the last of my walls fell crumbling down. I really had no plans on getting 1, let alone 2. =/

And thanks....if you don't hear from me again.....it's because I'm dead....

[trailblazer295]

For the record I call dibs on a female crestie lol

[EL Ziggy]

She won't kill you but she might break a finger on the credit card hand .

[Minkness]

I paid with store credit. Basically...the store owed me, so they were almost like getting them free.and I still have credit for feeders next month!

[bigsnakegirl785]

I am so glad I don't venture into pet stores much, I'd probably be in the same boat as you. lol I generally have a strong resolve unless a particular individual perks my interest, but being surrounded by all those sweet deals, especially if I just had enclosures lying around...

They're a couple of cuties, and I think their bitiness adds to it, too!

[Minkness]

Yeah. All their other snakes are well over 100$ even an adult normal corn snake is like 150$.

Not to say I 'only' buy cheap snakes...but other than Treasure who I won't be getting for several more months, wvery snake I have gotten has been a steal. >_>

Makes even harder to resist!

[toddnbecka]

I don't have that problem with the local pet stores. Only 2 of them, and they typically want $80 minimum for a hatchling corn snake, same general deal with BP's. I'll drive the 2-3 hours for a good reptile show to find wider variety, even a relatively small show has better options than the local shops, not to mention much lower prices even before you start haggling.
On the good side, the bitey little buggers will most likely grow out of their antisocial behavior. Odds are they're a sibling pair, not the best for breeding, but you'll have a couple years before the male will be mature enough and a couple more for the female. With any luck you should be able to swap one or the other off for an unrelated mate if you do want to breed them eventually. Good luck finding homes for the bitey offspring though... lol.

[dannybgoode]

I wish I could sneak snakes passed Mrs Danny like got can your mum!

I think a costly divorce would follow! Still stunned I managed to get the boa!

At least I can get ham radio snuck safely in the attic so one hobby is safe!

Beautiful snakes by the way. Real character. Bet you can't wait for Treasure to arrive...

[Tsubaki]

Well... already told you before, they are definitely awesome! I can see why you melted, but you could indeed use some self control! :P I only go to my 'local' reptile store every few weeks to stock up on feeders (it's over an hour drive away) They often have atleast some kind of awesome animal, their stock is very diverse.. Spiders, insects, venomous and venomoid snakes, lizards.. every 'standard' animal you can think of in a variety of morphs, and also some more rare animals... all bred by enthusiast. Last week several caught my eye, Tricolor hognose pair, Madagascariensis boa pair, Sunfire Supertiger het albino retic.. I can resist buying them but for some it does take effort.. The only reason i am not the proud owner of a couple of tricolor hogs right now... They are non-eating neonates, that are being forcefed. Which is not my favourite thing to do as they're the size of a piece of shoestring (Very expensive shoestrings too), so i convinced myself 'i aint got time for that!'.. however if i go there again in a couple of weeks and they're still for sale eating on their own, all bets are off. ....

[RAD House]

Minkness, you are funny. Should my wife ever dare call my interest an addiction, I will definitely show her yours threads.

[Minkness]

I will be limiting visits to when I need feeders only instead of every sinday. Also, it's a 5 minute drive from where I work....temptation is boundless!

I may not even breed them, I only took the lair because the store was desperate and I'm a softie. Though the woman said Ibwas welcome to bring them back if I found I couldn't handle their feistiness. I was told they were eating f/t fuzzies weekly. I'll see if they take anytjing in a few days.

[PsychoSnake]

Soooo that's why you asked me about rough scales a while back. Naughty! Naughty! :P

[Minkness]

^_^;;

Maybe?
They do honestly interest me, and I really wasn't expecting to bring any home any time soon lol.


Oops? XD