~Fleet Foxes ("Drops in the River")
I'm happy to report the Klug household has been virtually ant-free for two weeks since I put out my killer-concoction of cinnamon, bay leaves and cloves all over the house. Although, for the first time, I did see two ants while I was cleaning today...maybe it's time for a refresher...or something a little more lethal.
There's been all sorts of stuff to post about recently, but I've been in one of my I'm not busy enough so I become unmotivated in every area of life situations lately, so the blogs, along with everything else, have lagged behind. C'est la vie, I suppose.
I did realize that, since returning to the part-time catering barista realm, I have heard some funny/annoying/disturbing things from behind the cart that I may as well share on MY blog since Overheardeverywhere.com seems to not like my stuff enough to post (I'm 0/2 and that's shocking, given some of the ridiculous crap they allow through!). But I digress. For your pleasure, abhorrence, et cetera:
1) Lady #1: Do you hear from Becky at all any more?
Lady #2: OH no! We used to be friends, but then she tried to ram Jesus down my throat. (ouch, that must have hurt!)
Everyone standing around: uuuhh HUH!
Lady #1: Yeah, she was a nice girl...but...um...*very* christian.
2) Microsoft guy: So, did you finally find a nanny?
Microsoft gal: Yes, we found a *great* one - she even unloads the dishwasher! (wow, should I nominate her for a Nobel?)
Microsoft guy: I take it she doesn't have any piercings or tattoos?
Microsoft gal: Gawd no! That one girl we interviewed was SO weird! No, this nanny is great - she even has a great boyfriend who comes over sometimes. We really like him...well, except, he has these big plugs in his ears. But, I mean, other than *that* he's totally a normal, nice guy.
(WHAT THE HELL?!?!?!?! Can I just interject my distaste for people like this?! So, there's no chance that the girl with the tats could have been an amazing nanny? What the &*$# is "normal" - is the new phrase for being boring, unoriginal and apparently trustworthy? I'm actually going to blog about my feelings in this area soon. I've HAD it, folks! HAD it!)
3) Me to the birthday girl: I love your outfit!
Birthday girl: Oh...thanks. I'm a little embarassed - I didn't get a chance to iron it!
Me: PSSSH! Who irons anymore? (I refrained from following that comment with "I hardly even take showers!")
Other lady: Um. I do.
Birthday girl: So, do I.
Me: Uh, well...um, that's cool. (???)
Other lady: I iron *everything*.
Birthday girl: Yeah, I iron my sheets - I *have* to have them smooth.
Me: What?! Whoa!
Other lady #2: My husband does the all the ironing, so I don't know what gets ironed and what doesn't (...safe to say not much?)
I was like WHOA! Who the heck irons their SHEETS?! People, do something productive with your time.
That is all.
4.30.2009
4.16.2009
you're drawing flies everywhere that you go, 'cuz you don't take your showers anymore
~Weird Al Yankovic (You don't take your showers)
At the Klug household of late, we've run into a bit of a problem.
The title of this blog may suggest said issue is my infrequent showering, but, no, we've got ants. Tons of 'em.
When the four of us moved to the lake when I was seven, we had a hardcore carpenter ant situation at hand. Those suckers were BIG and hard to kill, what with their impervious armour, but replacement of the rotting wood in the house remedied that one.
Fastforward seventeen years. A month or so ago, I started to notice tiny black ants crawling around my desk when I'd be planning chem lectures. Horrified by the smell they give off when squished (one website said it's formic acid, which definitely explains the stench), I hoped they'd go away. When they didn't, I discussed the issue with my dad.
His ideas? Leaving dishes in my room overnight (guilty). There is another issue of my room being a complete war-zone after four months of full-time teaching and learning, and seeing the little punks crawling out of stacks of paper made me wonder if that could be a contributing factor. Strangely, the problem seemed isolated to my bedroom, which, other than being a little embarrassing, mystified me immensely. So, I went digging through the piles (note: I didn't actually clean them up...who has time for that?) to see if there were any random items of food I wasn't aware of, and I certainly stopped bringing my meals downstairs.
No improvement. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I was watching tv in the living room and enjoying a little snack, when all of a sudden, I noticed that there were about five ants cruising around on the very step I was sitting! Nasty! Last night, I was laying in the tv area (lovingly named "the pit") and had several ants up in my business. Okay, let's really do something about this, please?
But, still, all of these run-ins had something to do with me. Do I smell? I mean, I know I don't shower a ton because of my skin and my recent inactivity, but really? Would that make any sense?
Today, while reading up on the couch, I spotted a legion of ants who had descended on the corpse of a dead spider. Took care of that quickly. But, In only 30 minutes, I had two ants crawling ON me. SICK.
So, I did what any scientist would do: I set to work trying to find a non-toxic household remedy that would rid my life of these pesky invaders. In one simple Google search, I came upon The Frugal Life - an amazing site with ideas for using what you already have to remedy, exterminate, repair and live. There are over two pages of ideas from other cheap people like me trying to kiss ants goodbye.
Here are my favorites:
1) Draw a chalk line where they enter the house - they won't cross it. (!!)
2) Spray a mixture of vinegar/water or soap/water where you see them.
3) Spray Terro inside the house. Spray Terro outside the house.
4) Set out a bottle of cheap maple syrup for them to drown in.
5) Mix Karo, water and Boric Acid for a little toxic treat.
6) Set out cornmeal or cream of wheat - they'll eat it and explode when it expands.
7) Set out cloves, cinnamon, dandelion root, bay leaves, eucalyptus leaves, black pepper, cayenne pepper....
8) Use citronella oil, orange oil, mint oil (one suggested leaving a stuck of mint gum out!).
9) Spread coffee grounds all over the outside of the house.
10) Play obnoxious country music. (okay, I made that one up...but it would work on me!)
Because I don't know exactly where they're entering (thanks to my unbelievably messy room), I decided to give one of the easier ones a try for now: spices. I mixed up a little concoction of cinnamon, whole cloves, ground cloves and ground bay leaves and set it in my room, and in the living room. (Of course, any good scientist would question my faulty scientific method of failing to isolate experiments - yes, I should have tried just one spice and then another, et cetera - but I want these things GONE!)
So, we'll see what transpires. As I've written this blog, I haven't seen any ants in my room...of course, they're probably just messing with me. Let the critter-abation commence!
Update. 3 hours since I wrote this. Seen/killed 3 ants. Maybe I'll buy some boric acid tomorrow.
At the Klug household of late, we've run into a bit of a problem.
The title of this blog may suggest said issue is my infrequent showering, but, no, we've got ants. Tons of 'em.
When the four of us moved to the lake when I was seven, we had a hardcore carpenter ant situation at hand. Those suckers were BIG and hard to kill, what with their impervious armour, but replacement of the rotting wood in the house remedied that one.
Fastforward seventeen years. A month or so ago, I started to notice tiny black ants crawling around my desk when I'd be planning chem lectures. Horrified by the smell they give off when squished (one website said it's formic acid, which definitely explains the stench), I hoped they'd go away. When they didn't, I discussed the issue with my dad.
His ideas? Leaving dishes in my room overnight (guilty). There is another issue of my room being a complete war-zone after four months of full-time teaching and learning, and seeing the little punks crawling out of stacks of paper made me wonder if that could be a contributing factor. Strangely, the problem seemed isolated to my bedroom, which, other than being a little embarrassing, mystified me immensely. So, I went digging through the piles (note: I didn't actually clean them up...who has time for that?) to see if there were any random items of food I wasn't aware of, and I certainly stopped bringing my meals downstairs.
No improvement. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I was watching tv in the living room and enjoying a little snack, when all of a sudden, I noticed that there were about five ants cruising around on the very step I was sitting! Nasty! Last night, I was laying in the tv area (lovingly named "the pit") and had several ants up in my business. Okay, let's really do something about this, please?
But, still, all of these run-ins had something to do with me. Do I smell? I mean, I know I don't shower a ton because of my skin and my recent inactivity, but really? Would that make any sense?
Today, while reading up on the couch, I spotted a legion of ants who had descended on the corpse of a dead spider. Took care of that quickly. But, In only 30 minutes, I had two ants crawling ON me. SICK.
So, I did what any scientist would do: I set to work trying to find a non-toxic household remedy that would rid my life of these pesky invaders. In one simple Google search, I came upon The Frugal Life - an amazing site with ideas for using what you already have to remedy, exterminate, repair and live. There are over two pages of ideas from other cheap people like me trying to kiss ants goodbye.
Here are my favorites:
1) Draw a chalk line where they enter the house - they won't cross it. (!!)
2) Spray a mixture of vinegar/water or soap/water where you see them.
3) Spray Terro inside the house. Spray Terro outside the house.
4) Set out a bottle of cheap maple syrup for them to drown in.
5) Mix Karo, water and Boric Acid for a little toxic treat.
6) Set out cornmeal or cream of wheat - they'll eat it and explode when it expands.
7) Set out cloves, cinnamon, dandelion root, bay leaves, eucalyptus leaves, black pepper, cayenne pepper....
8) Use citronella oil, orange oil, mint oil (one suggested leaving a stuck of mint gum out!).
9) Spread coffee grounds all over the outside of the house.
10) Play obnoxious country music. (okay, I made that one up...but it would work on me!)
Because I don't know exactly where they're entering (thanks to my unbelievably messy room), I decided to give one of the easier ones a try for now: spices. I mixed up a little concoction of cinnamon, whole cloves, ground cloves and ground bay leaves and set it in my room, and in the living room. (Of course, any good scientist would question my faulty scientific method of failing to isolate experiments - yes, I should have tried just one spice and then another, et cetera - but I want these things GONE!)
So, we'll see what transpires. As I've written this blog, I haven't seen any ants in my room...of course, they're probably just messing with me. Let the critter-abation commence!
Update. 3 hours since I wrote this. Seen/killed 3 ants. Maybe I'll buy some boric acid tomorrow.
4.10.2009
To be alone with me you went up on a tree
I'd swim across lake Michigan
I'd sell my shoes
I'd give my body to be back again
In the rest of the room
To be alone with you
To be alone with you
To be alone with you
To be alone with you
You gave your body to the lonely
They took your clothes
You gave up a wife and a family
You gave your goals
To be alone with me
To be alone with me
To be alone with me you went up on a tree
To be alone with me you went up on the tree
I'll never know the man who loved me
~Sufjan Stevens ("To be alone with you" off of the Seven Swans album)
I'll never come close to understanding the intensity of His love, the horrific pain He felt, the beauty of His sacrifice or the utter rejection He experienced. Christ died for me (and for you), and I daily reject His selfless gift and His desire to hang out with me, commune and know me better. Instead of living out my faith, I think a better use of my time would be complaining, thinking of how much better my life would be ("if only...") or gratifying myself through whatever means seems best at that given moment.
Though I cannot even fathom what dying for someone else is like, tonight it was a little more real than usual. Thank you, LORD, for doing that for little, messed-up, insignificant me.
4.09.2009
Things that make you go "hmmm"
~C+C Music Factory
I'm back! After almost a month straight of not sleeping in my own bed - housesitting, traveling to DC for an awesome vacation, and driving to Portland for a wedding - I am actually happy to be home for a bit now. It helps that my bed is extra comfy. Of course, my dad just returned from a week and a half long business trip to Holland, Austria and Italy (!!!) last night, and his stories were enough to make me want to go straight to my computer and search flights. But I digress.
Though I'm only teaching two Chemistry classes this quarter, and my life, thus, is much less stressful, I still have some tales to share since it's been a while.
1) After spending two late nights in DC with Mr. Excel trying to figure out the best way to adjust my Gen Chem students' grades to a reasonable result (and let me tell you, I was generous), I started getting some emails to the tune of:
"Professor Klug: I would like to make an appointment with you to discuss my grade this quarter. I am very disappointed and would like to know if there is anything I can do to increase my grade."
WHAT?! What college student honestly believes they can do extra credit AFTER the term is over and their grades are submitted? It's fine for them to come in and see how they did on the final, but those grades aren't changing, baby. The way I have dealt with this frustration for almost two weeks now is by not responding to their emails...perhaps not the best way, but it's working by and large.
2) Last week, between DC and Portland when I was teaching the first week of classes, one of my favorite student quotes slipped out of a students' mouth when I was asking them what they did over spring break:
"I went to karaoke with some friends and found that the remedy for nervousness is vodka."
Well put. Though, it is a dry school. I had a good laugh over that one!
Onward.
I'm back! After almost a month straight of not sleeping in my own bed - housesitting, traveling to DC for an awesome vacation, and driving to Portland for a wedding - I am actually happy to be home for a bit now. It helps that my bed is extra comfy. Of course, my dad just returned from a week and a half long business trip to Holland, Austria and Italy (!!!) last night, and his stories were enough to make me want to go straight to my computer and search flights. But I digress.
Though I'm only teaching two Chemistry classes this quarter, and my life, thus, is much less stressful, I still have some tales to share since it's been a while.
1) After spending two late nights in DC with Mr. Excel trying to figure out the best way to adjust my Gen Chem students' grades to a reasonable result (and let me tell you, I was generous), I started getting some emails to the tune of:
"Professor Klug: I would like to make an appointment with you to discuss my grade this quarter. I am very disappointed and would like to know if there is anything I can do to increase my grade."
WHAT?! What college student honestly believes they can do extra credit AFTER the term is over and their grades are submitted? It's fine for them to come in and see how they did on the final, but those grades aren't changing, baby. The way I have dealt with this frustration for almost two weeks now is by not responding to their emails...perhaps not the best way, but it's working by and large.
2) Last week, between DC and Portland when I was teaching the first week of classes, one of my favorite student quotes slipped out of a students' mouth when I was asking them what they did over spring break:
"I went to karaoke with some friends and found that the remedy for nervousness is vodka."
Well put. Though, it is a dry school. I had a good laugh over that one!
Onward.
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