thank you for sharing, melbadaze!! it's nice to reflect on how much we've progressed .

re: bug phobias... i have my own little progress story from last night. no one's allowed to laugh, though, ok? i have a serious serious serious phobia of bugs, or moths, or cockroaches or ants or anything creepy-crawly really. i dont actually expect them to attack me or anything, i just cant stand being in the same room as one, even if it is dead. usually i have full blown panic attacks until someone else comes and removes it for me. but last night no one was at home, and i found a moth which was dead in my room, and i wanted to go to bed. i've been known to go to sleep on the couch instead of having to re-enter my room while there's something in there that i know of. but last night i managed to kind of flick/scoop/catapult it into a bin. YAAAAAYYYYYY GO DELI!!!!!!!!!

obviously i didn't go that well, because i also screamed like a banshee while i did it (and for a few good long seconds afterwards) and someone rang the bell on our house to make sure i was ok (our street is really busy - there's always ppl walking in front of my house).

BUT the point is that i even did it. i'm so proud of myself. i hope i never have to do it again. i am scared about what will happen when i move out and if something bigger than a moth dies (one of my friends lives in a share house and recently found a dead rat in their house. i am wondering if there are services you can call to get someone else to remove those things for you. i would gladly pay $200 for someone to take away a dead rat).