OK, for any readers outside of Texas (not that many, I don’t think), let me preface this by saying that, in Texas, it’s almost impossible to be outside during the summer and not see big cockroaches, more colloquially known as “waterbugs.” These things are enormous. They have wings. They can fly. It’s not pretty, but it is what it is, and it’s just a hazard of living here. People from other parts of the country generally don’t understand. My favorite example was when a guy from NorCal saw one on the floor of the (utterly creepy) house he was renting in Austin, jumped up on the couch, screamed, and asked me what to do, whereupon I picked up a shoe and smashed it, because I’m a hoss. Anyway, the roaches generally seem to want to get inside your house because (1) it’s hot outside, and (2) your house has better food than anything these guys could hope to scavenge out in the wild.
Last night, I opened my door to leave, and a cockroach just walked right in my front door like he owned the place. He immediately met his demise courtesy of a worn-out, cheap flip-flop, the nearest shoe within my reach. Not a very dignified way to go. The point of the story is that cockroaches are getting a little brazen around here. Cockroach, you might be able to get into my house (where nothing but poison and shoes await you, by the way) through a weephole or some passage from a neighboring apartment, but you’re going to have to work a lot harder and be a lot more clever than just walking in my front door. Nice freaking try, jerk.
2 responses so far ↓
Alissa Beard // July 23, 2009 at 5:46 pm |
So, please tell me you fumigated and are not leaving them around as reminders to their still living buddies.
joywreck // July 25, 2009 at 12:19 pm |
Yes, I sprayed the perimeters of the house about a week or two ago. Several succumbed in the kitchen. Swept them up immediately after the Con Law final. I thought of that after you went to the house, I was like “OHHHH GOD the dead roaches…” Embarrassing!