venting

Today, yesterday, and tomorrow, mosquitoes are, were, and will be my mortal enemy. I fight with them all day, but especially at dusk as they bite my feet, back, and arms. When I try to seek refuge in my own postage stamp room, they patiently wait for me within my clothes in my closet until they know that I have crawled into bed. It is then that they emerge and they buzz in and around my ear to let me know that they are there, while I am defenseless in the dark moments of the night. Tricky basterd. See I feel that I have lived in this country long enough to not have to look like I have been overcome with a permanent case of the mumps, measles, small pox, or chicken pox. However, for the past three nights I have had very active fights with one active pest. He has been winning until just recently. While I have been writing this, I can proudly say, “I have taken the punk DOWN!” and he did not leave one drop of blood on my strong hands either as I pulled him off.
Yes, I know what you are thinking: A. Ew! Elizabeth that is so disgusting, why did you need to share that?! (the answer to that is to prove further that I won this battle, he can’t bug me anymore, and he didn’t get me once tonight, although let me tell you that little bugger tried!). B. Wow, I think she has spent a little too much time thinking about bugs while in Africa, and I’m scared (and I have). C. When did my gentle loving of all creatures, Eliz, turn into such a blood thirsty murderer?! Or. D. All of the above
If you chose D, don’t be embarrassed of yourself, least of all me! This is because I am embarrassed enough for the both of us. Please, don’t think for a second that I like the murderer that I am turning into. I am a little scared of her, yet the worst part of it all is that I have begun to enjoy killing these foes long ago. Even worse, I have started to look forward to the different sound that each one makes as I step on it or smack it to its doom. I know, I know, I preach being a pacifist, I am ageist the death penalty, and as little as five months ago you could have found me walking a spider outside. It’s also true that I study Buddhism, and strongly relate to this religion. But pray tell me . . . how many times are Tibetan monks disturbed a day up in their cave or monastery, way up in the mountains, to ants crawling up there feet and legs biting you every step of the way!? As you may have read in a past post . . . I am now dealing with roaches, and I only know of one way to get rid of them, and that it by killing them, ahh, but if you just knew that satisfying “pOp-ing” sound they make as they get squashed. The sigh that I breathe out after this is a great one, and the only thing that I can think of is, “This is one less roach that will try and crawl in my ear tonight!” And if you are wondering, NO, no roach has ever been caught on my body. However! I have heard stories and if you want to hear them just ask my mom about her early nursing days
Let me just close with this, as I pause to scratch another bug bite, I realize that this whole thing was written because I am sick of feeling like a horse shacking and swatting fly’s off my body, or even near my body. I no longer, if ever, care to see and observe the powdery residue left /loose on the wings of a moth after it is killed, I don’t like being woken up to ANYTHING buzzing in my ear, and I don’t think it is cool to have different kinds of spider bites mixed in with my mosquito bites. So, in conclusion, I am going to need a little vacation from bug on my return to the States, and if you want me to come over, have your exterminator’s receipt out for me to see and confirm upon my arrival to said places. Thank you and I hope that you really enjoy your bug free nights rest, because I rather not think about how many bits of “protein” I will be able to enjoy as I sleep and my body and mouth relax.

Oh and on a much lighter note, if anyone is looking for a good new band, I really like Vampire Weekend. I also know from personal experience that they are on the Jukebox at Shubba’s. I you happen to go there for any reason, play one of there songs and think of me, I will be sure to send you good vibes back. Oh and high fives all around . . . don’t get too excited, but if you want to jump up and down, well that’s understandable . . . Margot and the Nuclear So & So’s new album is coming out in months! My count down has long since started. And NO, “Broadripple Is Burning” did not make it on the new album, and your right, NO, I don’t want to talk about it.