I hate..ok...I dislike..roaches

Something about roaches freaks me out. Years ago when I lived in an apartment building in Brooklyn I had brief mouse issue....even caught one on my birthday..nice gift huh? But they didn't creep me out as much as roaches do....And I am happy to say I still, after 3 months, DON'T HAVE roaches at my new place...... :)

See I thought I was cute....I got a co-op in a 'garden-style' complex...meaning none of the units are higher than 2 floors...very few direct neighbors, which means less bugs!! or so my naive mind thought...

A while ago, I blogged about my new roommates, the bathroom ants. They have since been attacked worse than any "enemy" of the great U.S. of A.....and have since found other residence....

But you know that can't be the end of my story, right???

One bright, sunny Saturday morning, still rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I went into the kitchen.....to be met by a crew of insects...and when I saw CREW.....it disgusts me to say it, but about 40 of em suckas....all over the floor, the window, the windowsill......armed with my can of Raid and anti-bacterial Lysol wipes, I killed every last sucker, and scrubbed the kitchen from head to toe with every cleaner imaginable....had to open the windows cause I was getting a little high from the fumes!

So I immediately called the expert - MOM. who said call the maintenance office. My pal Ray, told me from my description, they sounded like ants (never knew ants could have wings) and to have the exterminator come. He was not alarmed in the least bit, and calmed me saying they are common......

*now, keep in mind, my other blog, about my horrible floor that caused me to install a brand new, still being paid for, hardwood floor....*

I saw a smaller crew of the same "ants" a couple weeks later, and said to myself NAH.....Mom asked me if I saved any....umm NO!! they have all been given their official burial in a beautiful green dumpster outside....she told me go on the internet and see if I could find the exact thing I was seeing, since she couldn't tell from my panicked description....

The Internet is an amazing thing, so helpful! With very little effort I found exactly what I've been seeing, and forwarded the link to her....low and behold, they are not ants, BIG SUPRISE.....they are....TERMITES!!!!!!!!!!!

So here's some things I learned! Crews of termites are called swarmers. They aren't the actual ones that EAT YOUR WOOD....they are like the guys who stand on the corner, just trying to find a good spot to hang out, while people around them are hard at work...they are also very stupid, and can't survive in bright sunlight, yet they are drawn to it. which is why you'll often see them by a window, on a sunny day......So, they are actually a good thing to see, cause it lets you know that their buddies are planning on coming for lunch...

I'm now waiting for the termite experts to come, inspect my place, and the structure below, to see how much if any damage has been done....I have a great urge to murder the real estate agent/brother of the owner, who I'm sure had SOME idea as to what was going on....and my lawyer who said I didn't need to hire an inspector outside of the one I paid for with the bank.....BUT, instead, I'm tryin to look at the bright side.....at least I don't have roaches! *sigh*

Random "Errors" for today

-today I woke up and learned the flight I wanted to take to ATL tonight was cancelled. Yet there was no snow actually on the ground.....

-today I learned when I got to work, my tights that are to keep me warm in the "snow", have no more elastic in the waist. So every time I stand up, the waist of them is near my thighs instead.

-today I also learned my ex (who I was living with less than a year ago) had a baby...hope he's healthy (the baby that is)..... and even though I usually make errors in math, its only march hmmmmmm.....

-today at work, I accidentally deleted EVERY SINGLE sent email I've ever sent for work in the last two years. And because I work on my mac, and my building's "IT" doesn't support macs, I think they are gone for good.

-today I also learned that every student loan payment I've made for a year, went completely to interest, and nothing went to the principal. Something about that doesn't seem right....

-its not today, but last night...i say it still counts....instead of a regular tan folder like everyone else's, the accountant put my return in a "RED" folder because of my little audit issue, then turns around and tells me don't worry and get a good nights' sleep......

-at least today I ALMOST fell walking on the ice...I didn't ACTUALLY fall. So there's always a positive side to everything!!!

If I can make it home incident-free, I don't think I'm leaving my house until Monday or Tuesday......

"My tears don't compromise my strength"

I just saw the coolest commercial, and I love that line.....Kleenex has these commercials, where there a guy, a couch, and a box of Kleenex. Different folks sit and tell there story....there's one with a young woman, talking about losing over 30 friends in Katrina and her reaction/adjustment. She said she often cries but "my tears don't compromise my strength" and that she does what she has to do to get through each day and continue living.

And I'm a crier, so of course I like that line! I can cry out of being hurt, being upset, being saddened...I can cry because of an arguement with a friend, a rough breakup (what other kind is there to have right? lol) a really good commercial or a good chick flick. Those are all normal for me.

What annoys me is when I want to cry out of frustration. And here's my story -
SO...I need to cut back on expenses. I'm a girl that loves to travel and eat out and rarely looks at the pricetag when its going to mean having a good time and memories to share with family or friends. But all frivolousness aside, a mortgage change make you pump the brakes. So I sat and thought, where can I save some money in my monthly expenses.

For years I've put off taking the SIX hour defensive driving course that is SIX hours long....Did I say its SIX hours of mindless, boring and/or gross videos of the hazards of drunk driving and speeding? But it'll save me some money for three years to take the class, so FINE. I figure I'll take it at CUNY. Support em right? *sigh*

$60 for 2 nights 3 hours each. I register and get the confirmation with all the info on where to go. Its uptown at John Jay and starts at 6:30 in room 613. But of course when I get there at 6pm there's a class in there taking notes. CLEARLY not my class.....Ask a security guard where the class is. He gives me another room number. But at 6:25 when its just me and one other guy, we know, something ain't right. While I'm sure no one is beating down the door to take defensive driving, there has to at least be one more person - the instructor. I go back to the front desk. He doesn't know anything. Can you call someone who does? No, the office is closed for the evening. After making another lap around the floor, another instructor said the class is probably at another building and tells me to ask security to call across the street.

Back to security. He calls across, and AH HA! yes! the security guard there tells him the class is at that building. Off I go to the next building. Get to security and ask the room number. Well, of course, he doesn't know. UMMMMM do you know WHO would know the room number? No, its probably on the 2nd floor. Ok, so I go up. Maybe there's a sign in the hall. Do a lap, no sign. Back to security. After explaining that the 2nd floor isn't enough info to get me to my destination he says maybe its in 234 or 224...UMMM ok. Back up. But nope. Both of those classes have folks writing feverishly, and notes on the board that have nothing to do with speed limits..back down I go. Not sure how many more times we did this. Everything in me wants to cuss!!!! Do I give up with the likely chance that they won't refund me and the whole point of this was to save money? Do I try to find it because I've spent over an hour hunting for the class and why give up now? But now, feeling like tears are about to fill eyes, I resolve to go home. And I can't help but to think of my father and his favorite line "what you cryin for? Want me to give you something to cry about?????" Not only am I pissed off at everyone from the person who sent me a confirmation with the wrong info, to the useless security guard, I'm pissed with me..........why on earth should this be soooooooooo grave that it makes me want to cry?

And then I FINALLY got home, and heard that commercial. In no way can you compare the Katrina disaster with my class disaster. But to me the principle kinda stands....everyone's got a different release. Some drink. Some smoke. Some beat their spouses or even small animals. And for me, sometimes a good couple tears shed, can make me go WHEW! glad that's done, now let's move on. Sorry Dad, but I gotta say I think you're *gasp* wrong on this one. While I wouldn't recommend that I bust into tears in front of the security guard, there's nothing that says my tears compromise my strength. And lord knows that Continuing Ed Department will HEAR my STRENGTH tomorrow when I call them for my money.....

My TnT Carnival 2k7 Trip

This trip gave me more material that falls under the comedy of errors category than I thought possible. Nevertheless, I had a wonderful time with friends, new and old......

Some of my observations/experiences -
-the woman in the front passenger seat of a car, holding an infant in her lap, while the car seat was empty in the backseat....

-buying a "pre-paid cell phone delivered to your door" by bmobile. only it had no SIM card, and no pre-paid calling card with it, making the convenience of it being delivered WORTHLESS. Because you have to PICK UP the calling card.

-when I asked if I can pay over the phone with my credit card, she said no. In order to pay with your credit card over the phone, you have to COME INTO THE OFFICE first, and fill out the credit card application. THEN you can do it.

-Being told by the woman in KFC that "its carnival. so there's no chicken sandwich, corn, coleslaw......" what DO YOU have?

and my all-time favorite
-being told in a matter-of-fact attitude by the American Airlines agent that the flight goin back home was oversold, and its a smaller aircraft. So my 60 pound overweight bag can't be accepted. I can't pay the $25 fee. It can only weigh 35 pounds. (15 pounds less than the standard acceptable weight) I never heard of anything like that. But even so....Was it my fault they oversold the flight????

I'm sure as my memory defrosts from this cold I'll think of more. I love Trinidad dearly but sometimes I really wonder......