Leezard-Bloggery
“A blog is an ideal way of doing a brain dump on a daily basis of what is going on right now, the weird, the exciting and the awful things ... I also wanted to have a record for myself, just for posterity.” ~David Adams
May 14, 2010
The last month has been very trying, and very taxing. Thankfully, this was not unexpected.
All in all, it was productive and educational, both in regards to the business and as an organizer for the ERAS show.
Being the first show as a vendor and organizer was a little much. Thankfully the expectation of that allowed me to accomodate for it and take some time off for a little while after. After, of course, vending at the Calgary show the weekend after, and then driving 8 hours to pick up a pair of sudanese uromastyx, and then, of course, taking the time to share a death plague with my husband after it's all said and done. I know my limits, and while I know I can push myself pretty far, I also know that I pushed myself a little further than normal. C'est la vie -- I can't say it wasn't fun, and I can't say it wasn't worth it, because it was on both counts.
The biggest issue for the show (besides a time restraint) was the amount of bugs that I had ordered. As I didn't know what to start with, I simply ordered a nice, round number of 10 of each size of each kind of feeder. It gave me a good start. I was left with very little in regards to most things, but had an excess of small super worms, king worms and crickets. At least this product can be used, for the most part. Many of the critters have had cricket treats, since they are not a product I tend to use. After feeding the larger crickets off to my breeding leopard geckos, though, I have come to realize WHY I don't use them. The ones who have recently laid eggs have been much slower than usual to regain their weight despite me watching them eat the crickets ravenously. After offering super worms again, though, they visibly perked up again after a mere few days.
Not much science in this experiment is needed...
Otherwise, all product did well, and I'm happy to say that I'll be continuing to carry it all.
The books weren't as popular as I was hoping, however. Sure, they're a fairly small ticket item, but my hope was to have people educated in the pets they were purchasing. I do, however, plan to keep them in stock. I think researching any hobby is the key to success, but this is also the key to healthy animals, so I will encourage it as much as I can, even if it means I am carrying around too many books at each show....
As for my own purchases at the shows, I made off fairly well. I had already planned on obtaining the herpstat pros from Greg West, and was able to pay for all expenses as well as those at the ERAS show with the money I made. I think I was simply too tired to do much else for shopping, and the best thing I could have hoped for was happily received -- a cozy bed at the end of the day. The Sands Hotel may seem a little run down, but I was very happily surprised at the comfort of the bed. Perhaps this was due to sheer exhaustion, and the desk would have felt the same, but in any case, it will definitely be an easy habit to get into while I am organizing and vending at the shows!
The TARAS Show, however, taxed my willpower enough to break it.
Dave and I had spoken about the tailless whipscorpions I brought home from Ectophiles, so they were fine. We also discussed putting a deposit on a pair of red saharan uromastyx, so that was also fine. The tomato frog, however, was definitely an impulse acquisition, but his little eyes look so moody that I had a hard time resisting.
And then there was King Boogert.
King Boogert is a Budgett Frog, and possibly one of the ugliest amphibians I have ever set eyes on. Which is why I love him so -- I love the wild and wacky of the living world, and he definitely fits into that category! He reminds me of an old, stale sneeze, but has little vampire teeth on his lower jaw that just set the table for the perfect thing to bring home. Dave wasn't so keen on this purchase, but forgave me after watching him flop around. Some people find the pac-man frog family boring, but they are definitely animals that have my interest.
Then there was the cork bark and a different uromastyx book, but hard goods don't need to eat, so are forgivable.
I also tell Dave that I do the things I do because I'm better at asking for forgivness than for permission. In a sense, I think he understands, but thankfully while I joke that the newest pet will be my divorce, it is nice to have someone who can put up with my stubborness, and understand my impulsive behaviour.
Granted, he is just as impulsive, so us shopping together is generally a bad, bad idea....
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