It started off like any other morning. I woke up, got the kids ready for school, made lunches, fed the baby, and put Sally and Prime, our little hermit crab friends, in the sink so they can play. It was an ordinary morning for Lennie too. He made the kids pancakes, exercised, read the newspaper and started the dishwasher.
After I finished feeding Ella her rice cereal, I went over to the sink to wash out the bowl and that's when it all went terribly tragically wrong. I couldn't decide between vomiting, fainting or running from the kitchen while convulsing with the heeby geebies. As I looked into the sink, I saw bits of soapy foam clinging to the sides, two hermit crab shells laying on the stainless steel sink floor with the sink water drained out...and little hermey claws and legs scattered all around the sink. Yes, every single one of their legs fucking FELL OFF!
Ahhhbleaaaghewwwbbbbllaaaa!
Apparently, it's not a good idea to run the dishwasher while you have living things in the sink because the hot soapy water backs up the drain. And if those living things happen to be hermit crabs, their legs fall off.
And, as if I didn't feel bad enough, when I picked one of the poor things up to look inside it's shell, it was still alive, cowering in the way back, and probably wondering what the hell it ever did to deserve being boiled until it's legs falls off. Damn. Now, I really feel like a monster. So, I did what any good mother would do: stand there in shock while Connor wandered over to see what all the fuss was about. He peeked into the sink and said, "But, Mommy? Why did all their legs falled off? It's not your fault." Crap. I am definitely a monster.
I put the little hermies back in their tank and underneath their hidey-hole-hut to hopefully either let them die in peace or possibly recover. Do their legs and claws grow back? I don't know, but I do know that if they don't, I'll be nursing two crippled crabs for the rest of their lives. Maybe I could make little wheelchairs for them.
I'm a monster.
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12 comments:
Oh my god. That is seriously horrific. But it was a total accident, I don't think you get too many bad marks on your Karma Report Card.
Have some ice cream for lunch and feel better.
Ack!
I have visions of tiny wheelchairs and teeny tin cups - pleeeese sur, might I have sum more?
I did do a google search (the link was too big to fit in the comment box, which is why I deleted it), but I found it rather comforting? hilarious? disturbing? that as I started typing in "hermit crab legs" it gave me the drop-down option "hermit crab legs FALLING OFF."
Google knows all.
It turns out their legs fall off when they are stressed (like being enveloped in foaming gushing HOT water) and their legs can grow back! It may take a molt or two, but hey, all is NOT LOST!
I am commenting several minutes after reading the original post only because it took a while to clear the tears from my eyes from laughing hysterically!! Oh the joys of having a VERY active imagination and visualizing this whole scenario!
Yes, I wouldn't blame you either for this...blame the man..its always their fault! hehe
That is horrible. And horribly funny. I sincerely hope their legs do grow back.
I've been known to bathe babies in my sink, so now I know to be aware of the... um... dishwasher backup danger.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_happens_if_your_hermit_crab's_leg_fall_off
and totally blame Lennie. ;)
Holy shitballs! I had to go to the link Melissa left to see what happened since you left me at the "stay tuned for more information" point. I hope their poor legs grow back. Every lizard whose tail I've accidentally knocked off has grown back. Yes, I can tell my lizards apart. Ok, I can tell which one has a stumpy tail and watch to see if it's growing whenever I see them. To be fair, the fucking thing was in my house and I was only trying to set him free. I just went and made this all about me, didn't I?
Sorry about the crabs. I would make an STD "you've got crabs" joke but I know you're probably feeling pretty badly about now. It was an accident, give yourself a break (but don't break a leg).
Holy crap, I have been laughing out loud about this for 5 minutes! Oh wow. I skeeve in sympathy for you!! EW.
Maybe they grow back? EW.
It's the "It was still alive" that is making me want to shake the skeeve off me.
This same thing happened to me when I was bathing my daughter in the sink.
Their legs grow back.
Holy crap - that is one of your funniest posts yet!!!!!!!!! For some reason I have cartoon images similar to something you'd see on spongebob squarepants - the whole legless crab thing in a wheelchair! I just shared this with my 9 year old and we're DYING! PS...put the damn things down the disposal and get them on of their misery!! Please!
And by the way, the comments for this post are about as funny as the post itself....I 'm heading over to check out the links. Even though I've never owned a hermit crab, who knows what is in my future, right??
if thats how you treat your pets may I suggest spiders next?
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