DAY 54 - A Bugs STRIFE 2: Electric Boogaloo

I've been thinking a lot about bugs lately, partly because of the sudden warm-up at the end of summer. There was a good amount of time where it was sub-80 I think and all the bugs were napping, but now? They're everywhere. Cicadas have a particular fondness for showing up at my feet. Creepy bastards.

Mostly, though, because of one of my friends' houses. He's always had a cockroach problem, even after living in three different houses over the last two decades or so. It's really messed up when you can't go a minute without seeing one. It's gotten to the point where I need to make sure that, if I bring a bag, it needs to be sealed at all times and that, when I leave, I have to shake my bag down. I ain't risking that, no way no how. 

The last few times he's brought video games over to places, I've always seen a roach or two crawl out of it. It's usually killed on the spot, but holy crap. I've danced around the idea of fumigating his house a couple of times, but I think if I'm ever going to go there again, I'm going to want to push it. Maybe he's used to it, but I don't know. What I do know, though, is that it's simultaneously gross and annoying.

Eric

DAY TEN - A Bug's STRIFE

Starting this blog the classy way--with a pun!

Puns aside, as it is summer, it is prime time for all the bugs to get all up in my business. Some folks tend to be creeped out or scared of bugs, and I happen to be one of those folks.

Most recently, two rather large bugs (maybe the size of a nickel, and they FLEW) happened to sneak in through the back door at work. One greeted me as I was headed toward the back room, and I was... considerably perturbed. Knowing we had a flyswatter in the back, I moved past the miniature monster to the backroom, got the swatter and smacked the bug out of the air. I then proceeded to "jump" on it, as my coworker put it.

In my opinion it was more of a lunge, but yes. Later, a second bug dropped on my head and right in front of me, to which I responded with a loud profanity. Thankfully there were no customers around because I am pretty sure I still would have sworn. My coworker was fairly amused by all of it, even remarking at one point that she felt sorry for the bug(s). "God have mercy on those bugs," she said.

I've thought about why I'm so scared of bugs for awhile since then. I don't mind bugs from afar or if there's something separating me from them, like a glass window at a zoo or something (though seeing more disgusting bugs wriggling about is still kind of gross). Bug types also happen to be one of my favorite types in Pokemon, though I think that's due to the designs being cooler or cuter or what have you.

I remember several times where I crossed paths with bugs in my childhood.

One time, when I was visiting my aunt and uncle's new apartment in Chicago, when she was putting Parmesan cheese on my spaghetti several roaches popped out. Needless to say that apartment was probably not in the best of condition. (I still love both spaghetti and Parmesan though.)

Another time, while I was in the Philippines visiting with my family, I remember sleeping on the floor and seeing roaches skitter about on the floor. I don't know if you know what a roach looks like in the Philippines, but roaches here are maybe the size of a nickel or quarter. The roaches in the Philippines are maybe the size of a How Wheels car. It was awful.

Once when I was still fairly young, I was playing in my room with a fly buzzing about. I wasn't actively trying to kill it, I was just sitting on the floor playing with some figures or something. At one point, though, I guess it died or I hit on accident, because I noticed the very dead fly just sitting on my lap... and it freaked me out. I couldn't get myself to move for awhile, but eventually knocked it away.

I don't know what it was. I got the impression that kids were fascinated with bugs and liked to catch them and things like that, but me? I'm not as deathly afraid of bugs nowadays as I was then, but I think my visceral reaction to bugs is mostly due to them just coming out of nowhere and surprising me.

Insects, if you're reading this, respect my personal bubble or prepare to DIE.


Bugs buggin' me,

Eric