jeudi, juillet 26, 2007

Call Me Spider Buster

I wake up, prepare myself and usually start the day unpacking. Probably still another week of boxes to unpack at this rate. Then I will take a few breaks in the day to feed the kids and eventually the blog (my way of relaxing is to write). Where necessary, I'll do a wash, clean the house a little, drive to the supermarket to shop for food and buy the kids a few gelati along the way (better have a budget for ice cream when you live in this country). And one other thing I've discovered that I have to do at least every other day is go around the house clearing out insects especially spiders, their babies and their webs.

The first time I saw a spider I freaked out, had goosebumps and jumped up and down. In Stuttgart, I usually amused myself by spraying them (rather big ones) with insecticide and watching them die a slow death. Since moving to this house and facing the armies that they make up, I've had to change strategy.

I now go around with my duster attached to a long stick, sturdy slippers, a powerful torch and a few wet ones. If I had to kill them with insecticide, I would end up broke or would have suffocated myself with it before the spiders disappear.

The duster is for reaching really high ceilings and literally sweeping webs filled with big and small spiders (trust me, they are everywhere!). The slippers for smashing and squashing them whenever I see them and where they are within reach, the wet ones for cleaning up the mess. The torch I would need to help me source out almost invisible webs (loads of them) and get rid of them before they become too big. The baby spiders look like flecks of dust, but I was told that if you do not get rid of them, in 10 days they would become adults and at least 20 times bigger. Anything left untouched for a day or 2 in this house is sure to be colonised by spiders. #@*+%$¿

I'm only talking about spiders as there are also loads of ants, wasps (I'm getting quite good at killing them), flies, silverfish, centipedes and believe it or not, found a scorpion in the kitchen last night!!!

I thought at first that it was one of my kids' plastic toys, but luckily remembering that one can find almost anything in this house (maybe even snakes), I called Hubby over to check it out. It started moving when he arrived so that we could be in no doubt about its substance. Hubby squashed it with his slippers. Now you know why we all have to wear good slippers in this house.

I'm still all squeasy about it. I don't think that I'll ever learn to get blasé about this one. After all I'm a Scorpio myself.

PS : I'm seriously thinking of buying a gun to shoot the pigeons who are shitting everywhere in my arcade and especially on my new car.

5 commentaires:

Anonyme a dit…

Elaine : Soon you can set up your own company called : Pest Busters! :-P

Anonyme a dit…

aiyoh you poor thing lah sayang. I feel so bad for you having to face all this. You are truly a brave woman. I would have freaked out and paralyzed big time at the sight of spiders, wasps, scorpion etc. And I would have packed my bags and take my kids and get out of that house as soon as I could and threaten my hubby that if he doesn't get that house cleaned up, I won't be sleeping in there.

Btw: Nantes is also having lots of problem finding creche. I registered for one when I was 2 months pregnant and that is considered too late already.

Beau Lotus 涟 a dit…

Beggars can't be choosers, nowhere else to go to if I piquer une crise leh. I just comfort myself with the fact that in the HDB flat where I grew up in, we had no spiders and wasps, but flying cockroaches and slimy lizards which are probably more yucky to smash.
Creche in France if you want a place, you will have better luck if you are a single mom, a student, do not have a high income and/or are good at crying. Don't ever think that it's 1st come 1st served. Which if you ask me is shitty as people paying good taxes finance them and have the least priority, having either to look after their kids themselves or hire African nannies who are easily available but not necessarily trained for the job. Plus no facilities etc. Ahhh...don't start me on the topic!

Dutchess a dit…

OMG! I don't mind spiders too much but wasps and scorpions.... yikes!

How long did you lease your house for? I really kowtow you!

Beau Lotus 涟 a dit…

The lease? Normally for 3 years. Just found a 2nd scorpion in the kitchen...
I tell you girls something, all these insects have awakened my murder instinct. It's horrible the satisfaction I have in killing these creatures.