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Good News

What shall I start with this week? Good news, I have managed to breed the Ethiopian crickets that I purchased as nymphs back in September. They are reasonably similar to black field crickets but they have a great song, it sounds like a smoke alarm, it's really striking when they get going. My Barking Birdeater babies have started to moult into proper furry spiderlings, they are no longer in the 'eggs with legs' stage. I must remember to feed them this morning, I don't want them to start eating each other.

Some more good news (certainly for me) my office is finally finished, well finished enough to move back in this weekend and get my house back in order before Christmas. There are still plug sockets to go in, shelves to go up, curtains to hang, etc but at least I can get the computer back in there and get all my paperwork sorted out. I won't be sitting in the front room surrounded by boxes and things everywhere as I am at this moment! I can't wait. The bad news this week is that I have been laid up with a flu bug (one bug I don't like), I have been trying to carry on but I feel absolutely dreadful and I'm living on Lemsip. I have managed to get some orders sent but quite a lot of work has been put off until next week so Monday will be pretty frantic. I am very rarely ill and I don't like it one bit, to say I am ratty would be an understatement. I can't believe that Christmas is approaching so fast. My last posting day before Christmas is less than a week away. My brother suggested coming up this weekend to exchange presents, I told him I've hardly done any Christmas shopping yet, I've nothing to exchange!

I did say that I was ratty so I just want to have a moan about people continually asking for things that aren't on my site. I try to be polite but if it isn't on the site then I clearly don't have it! I update the site almost every day and I put on any new stock and remove anything that has sold. I am grateful to people who check if something is in stock before putting through a payment as I may have just sold it or I may only have one of something when they wanted two or three but the constant emails asking me if I have items not on my site drives me potty. I try not to ignore any emails but it is taking up a significant amount of my time. Some people just give a scientific name, if it's a tarantula I have a fair chance of recognising it but if it's a beetle from outer Mongolia how on earth would I know what it is? (well there's always Goggle). I do have a number of cut and paste messages that I use regularly, mostly telling people when I will post their order or thanking them for informing me of their order's safe arrival but I think I may sort out some new ones for the New Year. Could go along the lines of 'Please read the site before asking me dumb questions' or 'No, I've never heard of it, is it from this planet?' - perhaps I should work on the idea when I'm feeling a bit better.

I will finish on a high note, I've had some nice Christmas cards from customers this week and yesterday I received a parcel from a lovely girl (bug mad), she had sent me some gorgeous bits and pieces for Christmas, chocolate bugs and a photo frame with bugs on it (will look great in my new office).


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