Christmas time is here…really?
Well, every so often I think Christmas and remember that it is coming. I think it’s the decorated tree in our living room that reminds me. Or, the repeated times that I’ve found myself at Walmart this week and the parking lot is filled and the lines are long. Oh, yeah, it’s Christmastime. Besides that, here, “Christmas” amounts to that tree I mentioned, and a black plastic garbage bag in my bedroom labeled, “Christmas.” It’s labeled as such so that after the pest guy comes and goes and I wait 48 hours, vacuum the whole house, thoroughly of course, I can find it quickly as I begin to open the 50+ black and white trash bags and put our lives back in order. Depending on how things go, I may just open that bag. Or not. It doesn’t have enough in it. Ok, it has my little family covered, and Julie’s as well. That’s it. I missed the craft fair where I was going to pick up the cute little thank you gifts for all the special, faithful people who do little or big things that we benefit from. Then there were going to be cute new cool things that I was sure to find at that annual event for my wonderful aunts, Gram, Mom, Dad. Yeah. Right. That didn’t happen. Coming out of the fog of recovery from falling my down the stairs on the morning of the craft fair, I was well on my way to finding those boot straps and planning a walk down Front Street in Bath. Of course, whatever day I chose for that it was going to snow soft big flakes and the quaint shops would have yielded all the types of things that I didn’t get to look for at the craft fair. Well, my week has gone, and that hasn’t happened. Who knew that my Christmas gifts and White Elephant tradition might morph into one as I’ve been forced into this clean sweep. Goodwill is happy. The Bath landfill will receive it’s share, too. Last night I commented to Fran that we’re all set for the movers to come. No, of course we aren’t moving, but it is reminiscent around here of moving prep. The difference is that our life has been packed into black and white trash bags rather than banana boxes. So, while doing this big purge, to the sound of the washer and dryer turning non-stop, and one visit so far to the 24-hour laundromat, I’ve found a few things I think I’ll wrap as gifts for at least one of those whom I’ve done no shopping for.
So, what’s going on at the Simmlers’ anyway. I’m laying it all out there to tell you we have been fighting the blight that has embarrassed and humiliated me. Bed Bugs. Seems our frequent travels south and stays in hotel rooms yielded more than we paid for. After a two year long battle that we thought we had licked, we’ve finally called in reinforcements, (read $$$,) and they will be here at 11:00 today to treat the house. Then they will be back quarterly for a year. I write this to tell you that if you ever think you have them, don’t try to fight them yourself with concoctions from the internet. Call in the professionals right away.