So the fleas in my apartment have been getting me down lately. July has not quite been the fun-filled party I was hoping, and the fleas are mostly to blame. Plus to make matters worse we are still baffled about how they are getting in or why they're here in the first place, since we don't have pets. I could rant about the fleas for a long time, but I will spare you. I'll just give you the flea story in a nutshell and then move on...
When I got back from Chicago, my roommate showed me a collection of awful looking bug bites on her feet and legs. After some Google research, we concluded fleas were probably the culprit. Then she started seeing them in her bedroom. I bought flea spray and sprayed all the carpets and furniture. I read that they don't like the smell of Pine-Sol, so I Pine-Sol-ed our whole apartment over the course of an afternoon. It still smelled a few days later. But still the fleas were biting poor Bethany. Then they moved into my room. Before the exterminator came the first time, I had only seen one, but it had made me SO MAD. It just kept hopping away when I tried to get it with a Pine-Sol soaked rag. Quite infuriating. After explaining to our landlord many times that no, we don't have any pets and no, no pets have visited our apartment ever, she got the exterminator to come. Lots of chemicals and no more fleas. Or so we thought. I left for Kaitlin's wedding thinking the problem was solved, and then at the wedding, Bethany told me that they were back, and the night before she'd seen lots, and they were even hopping on her shoulder when she sat on the futon. Oh, the audacity. Well, I got back, and yes, they were indeed everywhere. Over the past week, I've learned lots of helpful tips that help me cohabitate with the little guys. They die when you stab them with your thumbnail. They don't like Off Deep Woods bug spray. Wearing really high socks helps, but it's also uncomfortable in 100 degree weather. OK, wrapping up...the exterminator came to do a second round of spraying, and I really, really hope it worked. The fleas are probably coming from some stray cat or possum or mouse or other creature that may be living in our basement/walls. So the landlord is trying to trap that too. For now, I am just enjoying being able to walk around without my socks and bug spray.
Lots of other things are happening other than fleas. I got put in charge of doing home visit interviews for new students at our school. That has been an adventure. Partly because no one was able to tell me what I'm actually supposed to ask them for their interview, so I just make it up. And then tell them they've been accepted. Ummm...maybe I shouldn't tell you that. Oh well. I do appreciate getting to be involved in another aspect of the school, and I figure it's probably a useful experience.
This week I'm teaching Vacation Bible School at my new church. It's been fun so far. I've got to admit, it's always nice to be someplace where people clearly appreciate the fact that I'm there and the work that I'm doing. When I think about my past teaching experiences, I've always had people around to tell me I was doing a great job on a very regular basis (student teaching, working in the EEC, when I worked at Chesterbrook, teaching Sunday School, etc.). I don't have that same experience at Urban Promise. And it definitely makes sense to me why I'm at a place like Urban Promise, where I fairly often feel like I'm doing a bad job, instead of a place where people tell me I'm wonderful all the time. I think the challenge of it all is making me grow a lot and also rely on God instead of just taking it easy and being prideful. But it's still nice from time to time to be reminded that I am gifted in teaching and that I am good with kids and that shouldn't quit everything education-related and become a hermit. So Vacation Bible School was good.
I actually wrote this blog entry over the course of a few days...not too impressive considering it's mostly just an extended rant about how much I hate fleas. But for now they are dead. We've only seen one living one since the exterminator came. And I'm peacing out to Chincoteague for a week with the fam. So when I get back, I'll be anxious to know if they are really, really dead or back in full force. I'm giving myself a week off from thinking about it. Except maybe scratching my itchy flea bites from time to time.
So I am off to get a tan and eat ice cream and walk on the beach and fill up my journal and hopefully read a lot and do crossword puzzles and play Big Taboo and Egyptian War (aka Egyptian Ratscrew or Egyptian Compromise, depending on who you ask).
Next post will be about my experience as "Interim Head of School" for the month of July. Glad that July is done now!
When I got back from Chicago, my roommate showed me a collection of awful looking bug bites on her feet and legs. After some Google research, we concluded fleas were probably the culprit. Then she started seeing them in her bedroom. I bought flea spray and sprayed all the carpets and furniture. I read that they don't like the smell of Pine-Sol, so I Pine-Sol-ed our whole apartment over the course of an afternoon. It still smelled a few days later. But still the fleas were biting poor Bethany. Then they moved into my room. Before the exterminator came the first time, I had only seen one, but it had made me SO MAD. It just kept hopping away when I tried to get it with a Pine-Sol soaked rag. Quite infuriating. After explaining to our landlord many times that no, we don't have any pets and no, no pets have visited our apartment ever, she got the exterminator to come. Lots of chemicals and no more fleas. Or so we thought. I left for Kaitlin's wedding thinking the problem was solved, and then at the wedding, Bethany told me that they were back, and the night before she'd seen lots, and they were even hopping on her shoulder when she sat on the futon. Oh, the audacity. Well, I got back, and yes, they were indeed everywhere. Over the past week, I've learned lots of helpful tips that help me cohabitate with the little guys. They die when you stab them with your thumbnail. They don't like Off Deep Woods bug spray. Wearing really high socks helps, but it's also uncomfortable in 100 degree weather. OK, wrapping up...the exterminator came to do a second round of spraying, and I really, really hope it worked. The fleas are probably coming from some stray cat or possum or mouse or other creature that may be living in our basement/walls. So the landlord is trying to trap that too. For now, I am just enjoying being able to walk around without my socks and bug spray.
Lots of other things are happening other than fleas. I got put in charge of doing home visit interviews for new students at our school. That has been an adventure. Partly because no one was able to tell me what I'm actually supposed to ask them for their interview, so I just make it up. And then tell them they've been accepted. Ummm...maybe I shouldn't tell you that. Oh well. I do appreciate getting to be involved in another aspect of the school, and I figure it's probably a useful experience.
This week I'm teaching Vacation Bible School at my new church. It's been fun so far. I've got to admit, it's always nice to be someplace where people clearly appreciate the fact that I'm there and the work that I'm doing. When I think about my past teaching experiences, I've always had people around to tell me I was doing a great job on a very regular basis (student teaching, working in the EEC, when I worked at Chesterbrook, teaching Sunday School, etc.). I don't have that same experience at Urban Promise. And it definitely makes sense to me why I'm at a place like Urban Promise, where I fairly often feel like I'm doing a bad job, instead of a place where people tell me I'm wonderful all the time. I think the challenge of it all is making me grow a lot and also rely on God instead of just taking it easy and being prideful. But it's still nice from time to time to be reminded that I am gifted in teaching and that I am good with kids and that shouldn't quit everything education-related and become a hermit. So Vacation Bible School was good.
I actually wrote this blog entry over the course of a few days...not too impressive considering it's mostly just an extended rant about how much I hate fleas. But for now they are dead. We've only seen one living one since the exterminator came. And I'm peacing out to Chincoteague for a week with the fam. So when I get back, I'll be anxious to know if they are really, really dead or back in full force. I'm giving myself a week off from thinking about it. Except maybe scratching my itchy flea bites from time to time.
So I am off to get a tan and eat ice cream and walk on the beach and fill up my journal and hopefully read a lot and do crossword puzzles and play Big Taboo and Egyptian War (aka Egyptian Ratscrew or Egyptian Compromise, depending on who you ask).
Next post will be about my experience as "Interim Head of School" for the month of July. Glad that July is done now!
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