There are certain things about winter I truly appreciate. The beauty of a wintry landscape. My thighs not sticking to plastic/vinyl chairs. My down comforter. A nice fire in the fireplace. And the security in knowing that insects are not going to be bothersome. No trail of ants marching around, no mosquitoes looking for lunch, no wasps buzzing about. It’s a brief reprieve, but as someone who’s not so fond of insects, it’s a reprieve I appreciate.
Then it happened. Tuesday night I was happily going about making dinner for the family (steak, baked potatoes, corn), minding my own business, when I reached into the bag and pulled out five potatoes. As I set the last one on the counter next to the sink, something caught my eye. A blip. A flash. Movement. Then I saw it.
A centipede.
Taunting me as it crawled all over the potatoes.
Now, I have a long history of having centipedes scare the bejeebers out of me, so it should be no surprise that I screamed like a little girl as I did the heebie-jeebie dance around the kitchen (quite the spectacle, I assure you).
My winter of no-insect content was shattered. Days later, I’m still not over it. The insects and I have a deal—I helpfully relocate them from the house to the out-of-doors 90% of the time, and they leave me alone during the winter.
I think it’s time for renegotiations.
And a new bag of potatoes.
Your Herculean Task:
Tell me, are you as ready for spring as I am?
About Heather
YES! YES! YES! I can’t wait! I even put a spring screensaver on all of our computers!!
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LOL on the spring screensaver and the centipedes!!! You two are killin’ me!!!
So, yes, I enjoy Spring too…but this snow is just a hoot and then some…check out this picture I just posted on Facebook…this is what our main intersection downtown looks like this morning…hell…the snow’s half-way the height of our buildings!!!
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/photo.php?fbid=162678467116784&set=a.156013491116615.50120.100001238957002
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I love snow just as much as everyone else, but 3+ storms is enough for me to which Spring would come over this weekend.
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Being from south Louisiana, I dread the approach of warm weather for the simple fact that it means I’ll have to deal with mosquitoes again. *sniffles* I spend a lot of time on my porch year round and by far, winter is the best time for enjoying it…except for the cold temperatures, but I can bundle up just fine. You can’t ever get away from mosquitoes. *mumbles*
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So NOT ready for Spring! I am one of those Floridian weirdos who loves Winter because it’s the only time I can escape the horrible humidity and heat (for the most part).
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Yep. Totally ready for warm weather.
I don’t like centipedes either. All bugs have too many legs, but centipedes are ridiculous!
When I was a kid, out in New Mexico on a trip, we were walking through a nat’l park somewhere. Something fell down my collar. It itched, but my parents didn’t find anything. Later, back at the ranger station, they found the source of my irritation: a catepillar! But not the normal garden variety — this one had either bitten or stung me. Yep, apparently some of them do that.
Fromthen on, catepillars are OFF my list of ‘friendly’ bugs. We went to the infirmary and the attendant put some salve on my neck.
I wore it like a Purple Heart.
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Well….out here in Cali, the bugs slow down in winter, but don’t go away completely. We’ve had a foggy winter this year, weeks of it at a time, with no sun, at all. I’m ready for spring, and I hate to say it, we’ll have some spring like weather this weekend, it’s suppose to be in the mid 70′s.
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This morning’s Kathie Lee/ Hoda show (NBC Today), was Beach Party Day….too cool (P-T-Pun) :+)
My thousand-legger experience was an early morning stop in the kitchen and spying *said monster centipede* in the otherwise empty sink bowl. Ka-rrrrringggeeeeeeeeee!! I danced too!
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After day 3 of being house-bound due to snow, I’m feeling ready! It’s been fun to have so much snow, but we have some every year, so I say the city invest in salt trucks, snow plows, or whatever you need to clear the roads, and let us out of our caves!
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Raising my hand and waving! Usually I enjoy winter. Love the excuse to not run errands or weed.
Now, however, I’m anxiously on the lookout for the first tulip shoot. Can not wait for a little green around here!
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We’re expecting another couple of inches of snow tomorrow night (which is nothing compared to the rest of the country) and then more next week. I love snow, but I’m growing weary of the cold. I have to say that this winter hasn’t been as gray as usual–thank goodness. Today is bright and sunny and helps chase those winter blues away.
Jeff–centipedes do bite and I believe they’re poisonous. Not enough to kill someone, but enough to cause pain.
And of course, they’re scary enough to make a grown woman scream.
Lee & Kristine–don’t make us come after you! 70* sounds heavenly! My parents keep taunting about their 80* days (they’re in South Florida). I might have to disown them.
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I live in sunny California and I’m so ready for spring. We haven’t had a ton of rain, no snow, but fog…for days. I hate grey with a passion. Today is sunny and semi-warm, like a teaser of spring.
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