OK, if you've been reading at all this month, you know that we've had a horrifying "pets gone wrong" situation here. Our Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, who we were assured wouldn't reproduce, did so in a spectacular fashion and at least one of the tiny nasties escaped the cage.

We were told that they couldn't survive in our climate, so we needn't worry about any escapees, and we jettisoned the tank, the mothers and the spawn and thought we were off the hook.

Then Julie hit the scene.

Julie, you need to know, is a complete genius. She is my little sister, and while I'm sure I've called her all sorts of mean names over the course of our lives, and often called her intelligence into question, I will do so no longer. I do not doubt her intellectual superiority, I EMBRACE it, and urge you all to do the same.

You see, it may not be obvious from reading my blog, but I am stubborn. And I am especially stubborn when I don't want to think about something, for instance an army of non-native, giant roaches breeding in my kitchen. And giant they are, open this link at your own risk. Picture me with my hands over my ears singing, "LA LA LA LA, I DON'T HEAR YOU! LA LA LA LA!" When this subject comes up...

Julie's no dummy, and she did a lot of research on these nasty creatures. Then she applied logic to the situation ("The people who told you they couldn't survive in your climate, weren't they the same ones who told you that two females wouldn't breed?") and more importantly, used her time-tested sister training techniques to make me listen. She told me terrifying stories of places she's had to travel for her job, and the infestations she's seen there. She persuaded me, even though I was in deep denial, to buy roach foggers and set them off, even though there was probably no good reason to do so LA LA LA!

Well, we came home, aired out the house, and found FOUR (4)! dead baby roaches in the kitchen. As we all know by now, it only takes two, regardless of gender apparently, and so we've hopefully avoided an invasion.

Thank you, Julie, for being persistent. Thanks for telling me what to do, even when I didn't want to believe you. Thanks, above all, for keeping my house from looking like this.