It has officially been three nights since the last fumigation, and bites are evident. As of this moment it is clear that there are still bed bugs lurking in the dark, waiting to come out and feed. I hope that they manage to lose their grip on whatever furniture they're hiding in and fall to the carpet, where they will suffocate on toxic pesticides. It would be a lie to say that I wouldn't enjoy seeing little bed bug corpses everywhere.
My fiancé, Chris, and I have been putting books and junk back on the shelves for the past few days, but it doesn't look like those objects will remain at home for long. If bites are still present after about two and a half more weeks, it means that the fumigation was not successful and that a third episode will be required. Good-bye $177.00, although I can't say that I'll be the one missing it since the apartment has decided to cover the costs.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Sex and Teens - Wha?
A lot of my time tends to be lost on the internet, and for some reason I am attracted to yahoo answers like a fly is attracted to a bright light. Okay, perhaps I'm not quite that mesmerized, but it's close enough, and I have to admit that some of the questions that come up on that site are just insane. It's completely natural for pre-pubescent kids to be curious about the world of sex, but what on earth are they doing asking about what position is the best? There are so many of these kids asking about ways to skip their periods, or how to get into a girl's pants that I really wonder where the hell they've come from. A teenage girl talking about having missed her period refuses to accept the fact that she may be pregnant after having unprotected sex over and over again... and yet she continues to ask why she doesn't feel well in the morning... Is there any sense to this at all? I have this odd feeling that I'm traveling in circles, and will eventually end up in a pit of stupid. Someone save me.
Craters in London
The subject of how terrible London, Ontario roads are is certainly not new. Take the sinkhole in the downtown core, for example:
(http://www.atv.ca/images/shows-london-wingham-windsor/NEWSERPIC.jpg)
Unfortunately, the ultimate disrepair of London's streets doesn't stop with a single sinkhole. Craters, sinkholes, potholes, and the underground pathway to China are just the beginning of the problems all across the city. I personally have lost a tire to one of many craters, which in the end cost me my job (yes, I'm serious). The city, well aware of these problems, did little more than fill the holes with tar that sank again within a week. However, streets/roads that are not desperately in need of repair seem to find themselves constantly under construction. How on earth does this make any sense?
I think I'll go slam my head against the wall until the answer comes to me.
(http://www.atv.ca/images/shows-london-wingham-windsor/NEWSERPIC.jpg)Unfortunately, the ultimate disrepair of London's streets doesn't stop with a single sinkhole. Craters, sinkholes, potholes, and the underground pathway to China are just the beginning of the problems all across the city. I personally have lost a tire to one of many craters, which in the end cost me my job (yes, I'm serious). The city, well aware of these problems, did little more than fill the holes with tar that sank again within a week. However, streets/roads that are not desperately in need of repair seem to find themselves constantly under construction. How on earth does this make any sense?
I think I'll go slam my head against the wall until the answer comes to me.
Abuse - A History Creating the Future
While we are awaiting a bed bug update, let's switch avenues for just a little bit.
This blog post is going to be less of a generalization and more of a personal viewpoint on past experiences, although I will post some links at the bottom for further reading.
Just like so many other people, my parents are divorced. The divorce was not friendly, and there really isn't any love lost between the two sides of my family. Both of my parents claim that the other was abusive, and to some degree, I can see a bit of truth behind the pointing fingers and nasty side commentaries that my older brother and I received for so many years. Neither was innocent, but both claim to be, as is very common with many couples who break up.
Anyway, the true focus of this post is to share a sudden realization that just struck me at approximately 10:00 a.m. while I was in the shower this morning. I was reminiscing back to when I was a little kid shooting hoops with my older brother, who at the time had a violent temper. I took a shot at the net, the ball bounced off the rim, and wham, it made contact with the back of my brother's head. Before I even knew what was happening my brother was flying at me and landed a solid punch right into my mouth. Yes, blood spewed and my top tooth went right through my bottom lip. It was awkwardly painful.
Bawling and wailing, I stumbled up the porch steps, leaving a bright red trail of blood in my wake. My mother came out to see what the heck was going on, took one look at me, and then turned and cuffed my brother upside the head. Apparently one degree of abuse deserves another, but I have to admit that it was rather satisfactory at the time to see him get slapped.
A few days later my lip was still in the process of healing and had scabbed over (not very attractively, either). My grandmother from my father's side came to the door for a visit, took one look at me, and asked what had happened. I told the story, and she took a deep, gasping breath.
"What did you do?" she breathed.
What did I do?
What she really meant was, "What did you do to deserve getting punched in the face? You're at fault for something."
At the time I was just angry with her for blaming me for a complete accident, but only this morning I came to realize the origin of her ways of thinking.
My father has often told my brother and me of the childhood that my father went through, which was filled with abuse from his father, whereas his sister's life was full of abuse from his mother, our grandmother. Could it be that my grandmother was an abused spouse who just took from her own personal experiences and projected them onto other people? Did she get caught in
a blind belief that if she were beaten physically or mentally, that she believed it all to be her own fault?
My grandfather was a tough bird, an Englishman through and through. He was strict, rarely smiled, and never gave any open affection to my grandmother. His criticisms were harsh, and his forgiveness impossible to gain. Perhaps, in all the years that I resented my grandmother for her seemingly snooty attitude, were years and years of silent suffering that she took to be her own
fault.
For more reading on abuse issues, please refer to:
Human Trafficking: http://socyberty.com/activism/the-horror-of-human-trafficking/
Information on Woman Abuse: http://beyondjane.com/lifestyle/issues/woman-abuse/
Living After Abuse: http://socyberty.com/advice/rebuilding-life-after-abuse/
Abuse for Sexuality: http://socyberty.com/gay-lesbians/the-concept-of-gay-persecution/
Bed Bugs - Journey Back to the Elderly Couple
Remember the night stands that I mentioned earlier? The ones that I bought from an elderly couple, and that were infested with tiny little bed bugs? Yes, well, I paid a whopping ten dollars for those night stands, which really translated into $364 after two fumigations.
Anyway, my fiancé and I debated long and hard over whether or not the couple realized that they had bed bugs, but after witnessing a couple of mattresses sitting out by the curb, decided that they probably did know. Despite this fact, however, we decided to pay them a visit to be absolutely certain.
We knocked on the door, and the elderly gentleman answered. We told him our story about the night stands and the bed bugs, and his response was...
"Huh."
HUH???
No offer to refund my money, no apology.
He continued on to mention that they knew about the problem and that they had taken care of it (I highly doubt that, since their house was still in perfect order). A thank you for coming and a closed door was our reward for our efforts.
Anyway, my fiancé and I debated long and hard over whether or not the couple realized that they had bed bugs, but after witnessing a couple of mattresses sitting out by the curb, decided that they probably did know. Despite this fact, however, we decided to pay them a visit to be absolutely certain.
We knocked on the door, and the elderly gentleman answered. We told him our story about the night stands and the bed bugs, and his response was...
"Huh."
HUH???
No offer to refund my money, no apology.
He continued on to mention that they knew about the problem and that they had taken care of it (I highly doubt that, since their house was still in perfect order). A thank you for coming and a closed door was our reward for our efforts.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Sleep Tight...
Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite
Once upon a time, that was my favourite saying before going to bed. I used to say it to my mother just about every night as a kid, never suspecting that a bed bug wasn't actually the equivalent of a bed mite.
Well, just for the record, please allow me to clarify that a bed BUG and a bed MITE are extremely different entities. A bed BUG is not only very visible to the naked eye, but is a messy, nasty little creature. While mites tend to add about ten pounds to your mattress every year while they reproduce like bunnies and leave feces all over the place, a bed bug will leave very large feces behind, as well as fairly large red stains on your pillows, mattress, and sheets. Bed bugs also leave a pretty gross red smear when squished.
What is the red smear?
Take a deep breath...
It's your blood.
Yes, indeed, they feed off your blood, but not like a mosquito. Bed bugs will often line up down your vein and push their little beaks in, injecting saliva while sucking blood. The saliva can cause massive swelling and itching at the site of the bite. It is also a signature of the bed bugs to leave several bites in one location.
In my own personal experience, I had over seventy bites on my body within the first week of infestation. It was horrible, and I looked like I had chicken pox on my belly and legs.
For me, these disgusting bugs came from a set of night stands that I bought from an infested elderly couple (whom I did not know was infested, of course). The bugs started off as tiny little white movements in the bottom of the drawer, and then grew and evolved into fair-sized, red vampires. Insomnia became my best friend, as the bugs only come out at night when all is dark.
Over a month and two exterminations later, I am still finding pockets of these rapidly reproducing, sick little monsters.
The countdown begins for being bug free!
Once upon a time, that was my favourite saying before going to bed. I used to say it to my mother just about every night as a kid, never suspecting that a bed bug wasn't actually the equivalent of a bed mite.
Well, just for the record, please allow me to clarify that a bed BUG and a bed MITE are extremely different entities. A bed BUG is not only very visible to the naked eye, but is a messy, nasty little creature. While mites tend to add about ten pounds to your mattress every year while they reproduce like bunnies and leave feces all over the place, a bed bug will leave very large feces behind, as well as fairly large red stains on your pillows, mattress, and sheets. Bed bugs also leave a pretty gross red smear when squished.
What is the red smear?
Take a deep breath...
It's your blood.
Yes, indeed, they feed off your blood, but not like a mosquito. Bed bugs will often line up down your vein and push their little beaks in, injecting saliva while sucking blood. The saliva can cause massive swelling and itching at the site of the bite. It is also a signature of the bed bugs to leave several bites in one location.
In my own personal experience, I had over seventy bites on my body within the first week of infestation. It was horrible, and I looked like I had chicken pox on my belly and legs.
For me, these disgusting bugs came from a set of night stands that I bought from an infested elderly couple (whom I did not know was infested, of course). The bugs started off as tiny little white movements in the bottom of the drawer, and then grew and evolved into fair-sized, red vampires. Insomnia became my best friend, as the bugs only come out at night when all is dark.
Over a month and two exterminations later, I am still finding pockets of these rapidly reproducing, sick little monsters.
The countdown begins for being bug free!
Pervoids and Princes - A Glimpse to Online Dating for Women
The Pervoid
"Hey, sexy, how about you come over for a massage?"
Wow, ten nano-seconds into a conversation and you're already getting the infamous offer of a massage and a glorious night of pampering. That's fantastic! Can you picture it already?
Of course not.
These types of offers are sickeningly notorious to women in the online dating world. The majority of men who are quick to respond to an online dating classified have not only skipped over the paragraph about how you love to go for long, romantic walks, but have actually skipped over your entire profile. These are the men that we shall classify as the 'pervoids'; they seek a night, or possibly even just an hour, of your worthy company for their own personal agendas, and then they shall be on their way. They are blatantly crude and hoping to score an easy catch.
How do you spot this species?
It's simple. These types of men are usually very quick to turn a conversation sexual, or to offer a meeting of sorts. They will extend an invitation to you at two in the morning to meet for coffee or a movie, but nearly always in a private, intimate place.
My Advice: Unless you're looking for a one night stand, be wary of these men and just stay away. Don't bother trying to be nice, because you're not going to hurt their feelings by instantly shutting them down. I personally have had this experience over and over again, and the easiest way to get rid of them is to tell them that you simply are not interested, and that you find them completely repulsive. Often times blocking is necessary.
The Prince
Your most likely chance at success in gaining a meaningful relationship from online dating is to pursue the men who seek conversation. It could start out as a battle of wits between the two of you (as what happened with my fiancé and I), or it could just be casual conversation where you get to know each other. Don't rush meeting; take some time to coast along and savor the laughs. Talk on the phone! Get a real feel for each other before deciding to meet. This will not only let you get to know the guy, but it will also give you a chance to see his true agenda. Is he looking for a true relationship, or is he a pervoid in sheep's clothing?
Here are some quick tips for finding your match:
1) Actually read his profile. It will reveal a lot about him if he is being honest.
2) Be honest in YOUR profile.
3) Do not reveal whether or not you have kids in your online profile - this is how pedophiles target victims.
4) Do not allow pictures to take first priority - your prince might be in a frog suit.
5) Posting your own picture will get you more profile views, but if you're not looking for a bawdy encounter, keep your picture clean and classy.
My Qualifications:
My fiancé and I met on a free online dating website. We talked on MSN messenger and on the phone for two months before finally agreeing to meet. In that time period I dealt with a lot of pervoids, sly wolves, and some true gentlemen, but in truth there was only one real prince for me.
"Hey, sexy, how about you come over for a massage?"
Wow, ten nano-seconds into a conversation and you're already getting the infamous offer of a massage and a glorious night of pampering. That's fantastic! Can you picture it already?
Of course not.
These types of offers are sickeningly notorious to women in the online dating world. The majority of men who are quick to respond to an online dating classified have not only skipped over the paragraph about how you love to go for long, romantic walks, but have actually skipped over your entire profile. These are the men that we shall classify as the 'pervoids'; they seek a night, or possibly even just an hour, of your worthy company for their own personal agendas, and then they shall be on their way. They are blatantly crude and hoping to score an easy catch.
How do you spot this species?
It's simple. These types of men are usually very quick to turn a conversation sexual, or to offer a meeting of sorts. They will extend an invitation to you at two in the morning to meet for coffee or a movie, but nearly always in a private, intimate place.
My Advice: Unless you're looking for a one night stand, be wary of these men and just stay away. Don't bother trying to be nice, because you're not going to hurt their feelings by instantly shutting them down. I personally have had this experience over and over again, and the easiest way to get rid of them is to tell them that you simply are not interested, and that you find them completely repulsive. Often times blocking is necessary.
The Prince
Your most likely chance at success in gaining a meaningful relationship from online dating is to pursue the men who seek conversation. It could start out as a battle of wits between the two of you (as what happened with my fiancé and I), or it could just be casual conversation where you get to know each other. Don't rush meeting; take some time to coast along and savor the laughs. Talk on the phone! Get a real feel for each other before deciding to meet. This will not only let you get to know the guy, but it will also give you a chance to see his true agenda. Is he looking for a true relationship, or is he a pervoid in sheep's clothing?
Here are some quick tips for finding your match:
1) Actually read his profile. It will reveal a lot about him if he is being honest.
2) Be honest in YOUR profile.
3) Do not reveal whether or not you have kids in your online profile - this is how pedophiles target victims.
4) Do not allow pictures to take first priority - your prince might be in a frog suit.
5) Posting your own picture will get you more profile views, but if you're not looking for a bawdy encounter, keep your picture clean and classy.
My Qualifications:
My fiancé and I met on a free online dating website. We talked on MSN messenger and on the phone for two months before finally agreeing to meet. In that time period I dealt with a lot of pervoids, sly wolves, and some true gentlemen, but in truth there was only one real prince for me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
