# Hello from Mr. MOM!!! :P



## kmsgameboy

Hey everyone the name is Jayson but you can call my kmsgameboy. (or just kms for short) I have lived in NC for almost five years now but was born and raised in the GREAT STATE of Illinois! I have always loved insects and I have to say that mantids have always been one of my faves, however when someone from this forum came to an award thing at my church he brought a mantid and a want to raise my own mantids was sparked!!! I have done TONS of research and have learned so much and even met a few more people that duck in and out of these forums! I was just layed off this past Saturday so I dont have much room for extra spending but I do have plenty of free time now since Im not working and spend my days looking after my daughter so I realy want to start mantid keeping ASAP! I have a few plasic containers (aprox. 4x4x7) which may be a bit to small for mantids but I think I may be able to get something larger sometime soon. I am thinking about starting with a Chinese Mantis or a Carolina Mantis simply because from what I hear they are fairly easy to keep but also because I think I may be able to get an ooth for very cheap or maybe even free! (Unless one of you kind people can cut me a better deal on something else  ) Anyway I enjoy doing lots of things unique and creative and am a bit of an artist. If you would like to know more about me just say the word and also any kind words, help, or advise would be totaly awesome!!!


----------



## Katnapper

Hi Jayson, and welcome to the forum!  Where in Illinois did you live?


----------



## kmsgameboy

Katnapper said:


> Hi Jayson, and welcome to the forum!  Where in Illinois did you live?


I was born in Galesburg and lived there for 13 years and then I spent another 8 years in the tiny little town of Alexis.


----------



## Katnapper

kmsgameboy said:


> I was born in Galesburg and lived there for 13 years and then I spent another 8 years in the tiny little town of Alexis.


That's not too awfully far from Bloomington, where I live.  I've lived here 10 years now, but am originally from the Hillsboro/Coffeen area, and have lived in Decatur, Springfield, and Carbondale too. Do you miss the corn and beans, lol?


----------



## Rick

kmsgameboy said:


> I was born in Galesburg and lived there for 13 years and then I spent another 8 years in the tiny little town of Alexis.


I have an aunt that lives in Galesburg. I am from the Rushville/Beardstown area. Moved from there when I was 15 though.


----------



## hibiscusmile

Hi Jason, welcome to the forum from OHIO


----------



## kmsgameboy

Katnapper said:


> That's not too awfully far from Bloomington, where I live.  I've lived here 10 years now, but am originally from the Hillsboro/Coffeen area, and have lived in Decatur, Springfield, and Carbondale too. Do you miss the corn and beans, lol?


Yeah I believe I have been to all of those towns. I used to go to Bloomington quite a bit with an old friend of mine to explore arount the cave.


----------



## kmsgameboy

Rick said:


> I have an aunt that lives in Galesburg. I am from the Rushville/Beardstown area. Moved from there when I was 15 though.


Awesome! I wonder if I know her. Galesburg was pretty big when I moved....but its realy became a Ghost town since then.


----------



## d0rk2dafullest

hello from san diego, hope this forum will help u like it has helped many others!

btw...that's a funny dope kinda worrysome avatar! =)


----------



## Rick

kmsgameboy said:


> Awesome! I wonder if I know her. Galesburg was pretty big when I moved....but its realy became a Ghost town since then.


Doubtful. Extended family. Only recall visiting when I was very young. I miss the hunting/fishing of Illinois but not much else. Most of my family is still there and I try to visit every couple years. I much prefer the southeast US these days. I moved when I was 15 and am about to turn 31.


----------



## kmsgameboy

Rick said:


> Doubtful. Extended family. Only recall visiting when I was very young. I miss the hunting/fishing of Illinois but not much else. Most of my family is still there and I try to visit every couple years. I much prefer the southeast US these days. I moved when I was 15 and am about to turn 31.


Im about in the same boat as you I think. Most of my family is back there and I try to visit as much as I can but its hard when you have a 14 month old child and gas costs so much to drive the nearly 1000 miles! It has been about two years since I have been back there and I probably wont get to go again until May. I think what I miss most about Illinois is the wide open sky though! Living in a tiny little town like I did there wasnt all the light polution that you find here in the south! So, on a clear night in IL you can see just MILLIONS and MILLIONS of stars. I remember one night I went to to my friends house (he lived on a farm) and we all layed out in the lawn to watch a meteor shower. You could see the Milky Way stretch all the way accrossed the sky as tiny fire balls streaked through the summer night sky...then around 3AM I got one of the best suprises of my life! In addition to the magic of all THAT we were also treated to a show of the nothern lights!!! I will never forget that night...

 I realy miss that kinda stuff...oh yeah and the snow too!


----------



## fishstick41

lol whats up jason =D its martin


----------



## Rick

kmsgameboy said:


> Im about in the same boat as you I think. Most of my family is back there and I try to visit as much as I can but its hard when you have a 14 month old child and gas costs so much to drive the nearly 1000 miles! It has been about two years since I have been back there and I probably wont get to go again until May. I think what I miss most about Illinois is the wide open sky though! Living in a tiny little town like I did there wasnt all the light polution that you find here in the south! So, on a clear night in IL you can see just MILLIONS and MILLIONS of stars. I remember one night I went to to my friends house (he lived on a farm) and we all layed out in the lawn to watch a meteor shower. You could see the Milky Way stretch all the way accrossed the sky as tiny fire balls streaked through the summer night sky...then around 3AM I got one of the best suprises of my life! In addition to the magic of all THAT we were also treated to a show of the nothern lights!!! I will never forget that night...  I realy miss that kinda stuff...oh yeah and the snow too!


This is true. I do a bit of astronomy and have a nice 8" reflector telescope. Last time I was home at another aunts house outside Rushville I looked at the sky and it was so clear and I could see everything.


----------



## Katnapper

Gee... but nobody said anything about missing the corn and beans! :blink: :lol:


----------



## Rick

Katnapper said:


> Gee... but nobody said anything about missing the corn and beans! :blink: :lol:


That's about all they have around where I grew up. Don't see much down here. A lot of tobacco and cotton though lol


----------



## kmsgameboy

Rick said:


> This is true. I do a bit of astronomy and have a nice 8" reflector telescope. Last time I was home at another aunts house outside Rushville I looked at the sky and it was so clear and I could see everything.


Wow...we have quite a bit in common thats pretty cool! I have always loved astronomy!!! I wish I still had my old telescope but the city I live in is realy hilly and has a lot of trees and light polution so it probably wouldnt do me much good anyways.


----------



## kmsgameboy

Rick said:


> That's about all they have around where I grew up. Don't see much down here. A lot of tobacco and cotton though lol


True true! It was so funny I went down to SC with my wife's family and we saw a corn field there and my mother in-law was all like "thats the funniest looking tobacco I have ever seen!" and I about laughed myself out of my seat!!!


----------



## Rick

kmsgameboy said:


> Wow...we have quite a bit in common thats pretty cool! I have always loved astronomy!!! I wish I still had my old telescope but the city I live in is realy hilly and has a lot of trees and light polution so it probably wouldnt do me much good anyways.


I haven't had mine out in months though. Thing weighs 50+ lbs. We live in town so until I find a place outside town it is just going to sit. Below is a pic I took through my telescope of Saturn. Keep in mind that neither my scope or camera are designed for astrophotography. I just held the camera up to the eyepiece. The first time I saw saturn through the scope was one of those times in my life where I was breathless at what I was seeing. It was very exciting. It of course looks better in person compared to the pic but it does give you an idea.


----------



## Katnapper

That's cool, Rick...


----------



## kmsgameboy

d0rk2dafullest said:


> hello from san diego, hope this forum will help u like it has helped many others!btw...that's a funny dope kinda worrysome avatar! =)


LOL Thats my little girl on her one year birthday just a few months back! I took her to the zoo and just HAD to give her a rubber snake from the gift shop! (My wife hates anything "creepy crawly" so I got a good laugh!)


----------



## kmsgameboy

Rick said:


> I haven't had mine out in months though. Thing weighs 50+ lbs. We live in town so until I find a place outside town it is just going to sit. Below is a pic I took through my telescope of Saturn. Keep in mind that neither my scope or camera are designed for astrophotography. I just held the camera up to the eyepiece. The first time I saw saturn through the scope was one of those times in my life where I was breathless at what I was seeing. It was very exciting. It of course looks better in person compared to the pic but it does give you an idea.


Man thats AWESOME! Did you happen to catch the conjunction of Jupiter Venus and the moon the other night? If not here is a pic!


----------



## revmdn

I caught that, made the kid look at it also. Nice pic.


----------



## Rick

I did but didn't take any pics or get the 'scope out. Should have though.


----------



## The_Asa

Yep! Though it was brighter than that where I live. Felt an obligation to my old Astronomy teacher. :lol:


----------



## PhilinYuma

I saw it, but I'm a bit disappointed. Thought it was only visible in Yuma!


----------



## kmsgameboy

PhilinYuma said:


> I saw it, but I'm a bit disappointed. Thought it was only visible in Yuma!


LOL NO! *pats on back* but thats ok.


----------



## nasty bugger

Howdy.

She handles that snake well. Maybe you gotta professional animal handler there  

I used to live in the high desert of eastern AZ and the sky was huge there. I've seen many meteor showers there, and they were pretty cool. The moon fills the sky. Haven't seen a place that compares, yet, but then I was at 6,400 feet also.

Best corn I ever ate was in ohio, haha  Rented a harley and rode through Amish country and ate the best corn I ever tasted there. If Illinois corn is that good, well then I can see why you wonder why nobody misses it, but then I'm a fat dude anyway


----------

