I Hate Bugs... and South Carolina

i am thoroughly grossed out right now. and i have been in a mildly grossed out stage since… ohh… may. ever since i moved to charleston, there has been a severe influx in the bug population within my living space. my apartment. where i sleep. where i eat. where i do everything.

this summer, it was the mosquitoes (i hope they all die) and the giant spiders. everyone told me they were harmless, but who believes that about a spider the size of your hand? even if they were harmless, they were creepy. and disgusting. and they dangled above my door waiting for me to become entirely unaware of their existence so that when i came home at night (or even in the afternoon) they’d be waiting patiently. for my face.

or they’d strategically place themselves on my doorknob so when i’d go to open the door, i’d simultaneously pee my pants and scream as though i was being stabbed.

lately, it’s been better. there have been a few (like 12) cockroaches that have found their way into my apartment. even though i’ve sprayed the porch with bug killer. they made their way in, and i sucked them up with the vacuum. or i stomped on them and tossed them out the door. the stomping depends on whether or not they’re on carpet, in which case i’d rather not rub bug guts all over.

the biggest problem lately has been daddy long legs. it’s hard to see them against my door frame/floor so sometimes they sneak in, but it usually doesn’t take long for loki or thor to stomp on them for me or play with them until they fall apart. they are pretty good at taking care of pests.

just a couple of weeks ago, thor found a lizard (i have NO idea how that little bastard got into my apartment, either) and killed it. i found it belly up in the middle of the living room. once again, animals took care of the dirty work for me.

BUT. not today. i just sucked up a 4-5 inch centipede off my living room floor. i have no idea how i didn’t notice the damn thing wiggling its way to the center of the room but i found it right where i had just been sitting wrapping christmas presents. loki found it first and as soon as i saw it, i ran to get the vacuum out of the closet.

i got him with the hose and felt him go all the way through the tube. my skin has been crawling for the last 15 minutes.

i hate this state. and charleston. aside from the bugs, it’s 60 degrees in december, and it doesn’t snow.

i am so glad i love my job.