Cuidado, chinches!
I was recently called to task by a colleague for using the word urbanity innappropriately.
Pft. Says her.
When I use the word, I am often bemoaning it's lack in my everyday life - like when I say I live in Ann Arbor and hunger deeply for urbanity.
No. It does not mean metropolitan, it means polished. I meant to use the word with all of its ensuing judgements about rural and urban lifestyles...principally that in no self-respecting town of any polished consequence, can you no longer purchase dinner after 9:00pm.
Hence, *urbanity* and the lack thereof.
However, I have, this week, been exposed to the seamy and sordid underbelly reflecting the horror of living so intimately with so many different people.
Chinches.
Bedbugs.
I don't think I've ever been so grossed out in all of my life - high point of which was when I popped one.
One of my housemates, a pasty, sugar-consuming, peroxide blond from Indiana, brought them with her from a recent hotel stay in Maryland. Proceded to infect her bed, and cause a huge kafuffle, involving the disposal of two couches, a mattress, inumerable pillows, and a full-house spray of residual insecticides which caused me to dream of tornados all last night. This housemate refused to help clean up, complained about having to put her stuff in plastic bags, and refuses to wash or dry her clothes on hot - as she is afraid to ruin them. She, the infector, has been singularly unhelpful with the entire process.
Luckily, the bugs never came up to our floor, and we are doing our best to make sure they stay that way. I, sweet as I am, have yet to recieve a single bite, thank god, and am being outrageously careful and clean about the entire business.
The couches are out on the patio - and in the hopes that they do not get recycled by some unsuspecting garbage-pickers (I know we have strapped at least three garbage couches onto the car roof), I have put signs on them - "Warning, Bedbugs!"
I thought for a moment, went back inside and made more signs, this time in spanish.
Pft. Says her.
When I use the word, I am often bemoaning it's lack in my everyday life - like when I say I live in Ann Arbor and hunger deeply for urbanity.
No. It does not mean metropolitan, it means polished. I meant to use the word with all of its ensuing judgements about rural and urban lifestyles...principally that in no self-respecting town of any polished consequence, can you no longer purchase dinner after 9:00pm.
Hence, *urbanity* and the lack thereof.
However, I have, this week, been exposed to the seamy and sordid underbelly reflecting the horror of living so intimately with so many different people.
Chinches.
Bedbugs.
I don't think I've ever been so grossed out in all of my life - high point of which was when I popped one.
One of my housemates, a pasty, sugar-consuming, peroxide blond from Indiana, brought them with her from a recent hotel stay in Maryland. Proceded to infect her bed, and cause a huge kafuffle, involving the disposal of two couches, a mattress, inumerable pillows, and a full-house spray of residual insecticides which caused me to dream of tornados all last night. This housemate refused to help clean up, complained about having to put her stuff in plastic bags, and refuses to wash or dry her clothes on hot - as she is afraid to ruin them. She, the infector, has been singularly unhelpful with the entire process.
Luckily, the bugs never came up to our floor, and we are doing our best to make sure they stay that way. I, sweet as I am, have yet to recieve a single bite, thank god, and am being outrageously careful and clean about the entire business.
The couches are out on the patio - and in the hopes that they do not get recycled by some unsuspecting garbage-pickers (I know we have strapped at least three garbage couches onto the car roof), I have put signs on them - "Warning, Bedbugs!"
I thought for a moment, went back inside and made more signs, this time in spanish.
posted by shagreen at 2:35 PM
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