Six-legged Gladiators

After seeing our lab gain four more pupa from the same genetic counselor that brought me mine, the lab intern exclaimed, “Ugh, Jesssiiicaaaa, I want a caterpillar!  Get one for me!”

“You’re a big boy, just ask him.”

“Ugh, Jeeessssssiiiiiicaaaaaaa!!!  You do it; you ask him!!”

In my family there is a no tolerance policy on whining that’s carried over into my personal whining tolerance level.  I keep that level indefinitely at zero, so I tell him, “You are way too much for me right now.  Seriously.”

“Oh!  Nevermind, I’ve got a better idea!! Butterflies are so lame.  I want a praying mantis…or maybe two…and I would make them fight.  They could easily beat your butterfly…or maybe I’ll get several and then keep them together until the strongest one eats the rest.  Yeah, I’ll do that.”

“So you want a whole ootheca, but will only keep the strongest one?  Like a He-Mantis?”

His face illuminates after the suggestion, “Ohmygod, Yeeeesssss!  I totally want a He-Mantis!!  Jesssssiiiiiicaaaaa, get one for me!!”

“You’re still too much for me right now.”

She stayed a little longer this time.

I happened to acquire another pupa after a coworker was unable to take it home over the weekend.  The chrysalis started turning colors on Saturday from a jade green, to milky green, then dark black, and was clear on Sunday morning.

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Not a pupa, not yet a butterfly

Saturday morning consisted of lounging around in bed until 8 am, breakfast, and coming back upstairs to lounge some more.  Passing through my room I also observed that Pete’s chrysalis was now totally transparent, like a pill-shaped butterfly suspended from a jar lid.  The bed looked way too comfy to resist hopping back in, so I placed the jar back on the shelf.  Instead of macro documentation, I decided to put off taking photos of Pete’s newest development until later as I began burrowing under the covers.  Distractions continued as a buddy of mine who now works and lives in Abu Dhabi was online.  We started chatting.  I forgot about Pete.  Normally he would literally be hanging out in his chrysalis, but as I turned around to grab something on the desk there was now a huge pair of orange wings instead of empty space.  When I realized what was going on I proceeded to freak out as follows:

[4/25/2009 10:05:41 AM] MFM: i dunno… i had better things going on
[4/25/2009 10:05:52 AM] Jessica: like studying?
[4/25/2009 10:05:52 AM] MFM: like sitting in silence… haha
[4/25/2009 10:05:57 AM] MFM: yeah
[4/25/2009 10:06:16 AM] Jessica: you sound like me…but lately i have been dying to get out
[4/25/2009 10:06:29 AM] Jessica: DY-ing!
[4/25/2009 10:07:20 AM] MFM: its not all what its cracked up to be
[4/25/2009 10:07:34 AM] Jessica: ah!  pete just emerged!!!!
[4/25/2009 10:08:19 AM] MFM: excuse me?
[4/25/2009 10:08:41 AM] Jessica: pete is my pupa
[4/25/2009 10:08:45 AM] Jessica: and it is awesome
[4/25/2009 10:08:56 AM] Jessica: omg!!!
[4/25/2009 10:09:04 AM] Jessica: do the video thing and i can show you
[4/25/2009 10:21:56 AM] MFM: your pupa?
[4/25/2009 10:22:00 AM] MFM: what the hell is a pupa?
[4/25/2009 10:22:11 AM] MFM: sorry i was making dinner
[4/25/2009 10:22:16 AM] Jessica: you are totally missing out!

In case the frequent exclamation use doesn’t tip you off, I was really, really, REALLY excited.  Because I was so ridiculously excited I wanted to share the whole process with my buddy (to cheer him up), but my computer refused to recognize the camera connection for video chat.  Then I couldn’t find the CD to reinstall it and the chaos of my room succeeded in keeping it hidden for at least another 45 minutes.  As soon as I told my buddy I would be back later, the camera installation CD happened to pop up.

Adios Amigo

An hour later I was ready to show my buddy the “butter” that was ready to “fly”, but there was no one on the other end to show anything to.  Seeing that my six-legged friend was itchin’ to literally spread his wings, we (me, my aunt, and Pete) went outside and Pete officially became the most beautiful butterfly ever as he soared past the houses.  Take care, Pete.  I’ll miss you, man.