Bed bugs attack!

I have suffered a devastating blow to my psyche. It appears that while I was out preparing to fight the rats, they sent their minions the bed bugs to throw my life into chaos.

I know there are people truly suffering in this world and that I am one of the luckier ones, but it really, really feels like God is out to get me. Here’s what’s going on:

I came home at about 7:30 last night, which is becoming my norm after working late and then composing these emails. Under my door was a four-page memo from the apartment owners saying that exterminators are coming Saturday from 8 am to 5 pm and they will be treating the entire building for bed bugs. What does this entail? I have to do all of the following things before the exterminators come:

1. Bag up all of my clothes and bedding to be washed in HOT water after the extermination.
2. Remove “clutter. “
3. Clear off all shelves and other places with “dark corners.”
4. Move all furniture away from the walls.
5. Remove all drapes and bag for laundering.

So essentially, after reaching the point where I am very nearly unpacked, I must pack it all up again, since everything I own is “on bookshelves” and “in dressers and closets.”

After the extermination, I have all this to look forward to:

1. Washing everything I own in hot, hot water.
2. Washing all of my dishes and the cabinets. AGAIN.
3. Wait to clean for 14 days. (14 days! Living with God only knows what chemicals and dead things!) Then clean like a mad person. Seal everything in plastic bags.
4. Pray the bed bugs have been eradicated.

Now, I have been living among clutter for the past three months. I’ve been living out of boxes for about two. I am just getting to the point where I am organized and now I have to rip it all up again. If you know me, and I believe most of you do, you know that there is only a low level of clutter and disarray I can deal with. After that it becomes mentally taxing. I’m sure I’ve got 80 versions of OCD, but I like cleanliness and orderliness. And to be without it drives me batty.

So upon learning I was going to have to repack, I broke down last night. I don’t know if I can deal with this again, but I guess I have no choice. I can’t go stay with mom and dad like I could have if I was still in CT. And that’s the price I have to pay in my war with the rats, and the bed bugs.

It is important to note that I haven’t seen any signs of bed bugs in my apartment, but apparently others in the building have them or have had them. And they are difficult to get rid of. Apparently they’ll just move from apartment to apartment unless you bomb the whole building. So on one hand, I guess it is a good thing the landlord is being thorough. On the other hand, I am now itchy everywhere and imagining I do indeed have bed bugs. Who knows. What I do know it this: I’ll be very busy all weekend.

So I was hoping to catch up on emails this weekend, but that won’t be happening now. It’ll probably be another week, maybe two. I’m sorry! I’ll let you all know how the extermination goes on Monday though.

Until then, keep your Raid close at hand.