Well, I’m just pouring the kettle for my morning coffee, when I notice a largish insect crawling on the handle, right next to my hand!
I don’t know if it’s hardwired into the human psyche, or only with me, but gut reaction when I see an unidentified many-legged thing crawling on the thing I’ve just picked up is I want to drop it! Luckily, I had just enough time to check the reflex, and think: “I can’t, I can’t - it’s a kettle full of boiling water!”, and put it down on the counter sharpish, without actually throwing it anywhere.
Nameless thing, on closer inspection, turned out to be an earwig. On a boiling kettle, of all places. Not a very pleasant start to coffee!
lts the legless variety l hate - our milkman delivers about 10pm - and l have often gone to pick up the bottles only to find that slugs have crawled all over it - the recent monsoon conditions seem to have brought them all out.
l do try not to be too girly - but grasping a bottle with slugs on it does make me shudder.
My cat is a great hunter -and brings her ‘catch of the day’ into my bedroom at night. Thankfully, never birds - but an assortment of furry critters - mainly baby rats/mice/voles. l use my ‘helping hand’ to pick them up and flush down the loo!
Ewww! You did well to control your gut reaction, Tina
My real problem is with big spiders. Anything larger than a 10p coin especially the big, black ones with proper knee joints. shudders at the thought I’ve often wondered what would happen if one should appear in my car when I’m driving and I fear it would lead to a nasty accident …
I don’t like creepy-crawlies, although I recognize most in this country can’t hurt you. I think an earwig can give you a nip, though - but I’m not sure if it’s an old wives’ tale, and the fearsome pincer-looking things on the rear are actually something to do with reproduction.
Regardless, I didn’t know what it was at first sight. I think the shock of seeing something running on the kettle, but not knowing what, was the worst part. I had to quickly choose the lesser of two evils - drop the kettle OR risk being bitten/stung by something.
I certainly don’t fancy being out of action either. Funny how we can worry all the time about what MS is going to do, and then it only takes a moment’s bad luck or lapse of judgement for something completely unrelated to happen.
I’ve still got bad memories of my trip to A&E back in October (hit by bike!), and one or two problems still from injuries I sustained then. I definitely don’t want to go again so soon, so boiling water all over my feet is not a good idea.
I’ve developed a morbid fear of the kettle, now! Despite the extreme unlikeliness of it happening again, I’m inspecting it carefully for insects, before every cuppa.