I found a body in my powder room this morning when I went in to clean.  It was a large rust colored corpse with many legs. 

The bug was belly up on the floor as if it had been attacked from behind by something with claws.  Kitty treats for everyone!  I didn’t want to think about it, so I quickly vacuumed the body and went about my cleaning.  

Fast forward a few hours later…I was on the complete opposite side of the house where I was loading the dishwasher for the first cycle of the day.  I opened the cabinet under the sink to fetch the dishwasher detergent when something rather large darted out. 

A mouse?

No…a bug!  A very big, Florida type bug!  Inside my house! 

It looked suspiciously like the corpse from this morning.  I ran for the vacuum.  I was going to suck him up and dump him back where he belongs…in the yard.  But when I got back with the vacuum, he was gone.  I did a quick search in the cabinet with no luck.  I scanned the adjacent cabinets and the floor.  No bug.  But I was certain he was still there somewhere.  Hiding.

New mission for the day: Find the damn bug!

After several hours of scouring the lower cabinets in my kitchen with a strong solution of organic “green” environmentally safe cleanser (if my husband asks that’s what I used), there have been no further bug sightings.  I’m convinced that he is still hiding, waiting for nightfall so that he can creep around the baseboards in search of whatever it is bugs search for along the baseboards in the dark of night.  He won’t find it.  I’ve cleaned the heck out of my kitchen.  There is nothing for a bug to feast on, nowhere safe to hide.  My cats are on patrol, and he will be found.  Oh yes, he will be found.

I have a thing about bugs.  Not quite a phobia, but definitely a strong dislike.  And finding two in one day (even if one of them was dead) constitutes a bug problem in my book.  It’s all this rain we’ve been having—and the ridiculous heat—driving the little creatures into my house.  But I refuse to obsess over a damn bug.  I’ll leave that to the cats.

I have other things to obsess over. 

My new OCD fixation of having a sparkling clean house is paying off.  My husband is thrilled with the results.  Everything seems more balanced and stress free in our house.  Still, it has its moments.  I had to restrain myself from cleaning the shower again at midnight last night.  I didn’t do it…I may have OCD, but I’m not crazy. 

Maybe a little crazy.

I put a plastic fork in the dishwasher today.  I wasn’t even planning on saving it, but I didn’t want to throw it away dirty.  I don’t know why, but it just seemed like the thing to do.  Although with this bug problem, I suppose I can’t be too careful about having food items in the trash.  Mike has me composting everything that is compostable.  Apple peels and egg shells are.  Plastic forks are not.  So I took it out of the dishwasher and threw it the trash. 

Tomorrow is the day the new puppy comes home.  I feel almost like I’m having a new baby.  I bought him a new bed, and a new collar, and a new leash, and I have thoroughly puppy proofed the house.  Now I just have to get a good night’s sleep so I can get up at seven-thirty to make the two plus hour drive to the remote reaches of Tennessee to pick him up.  I shouldn’t complain.  My husband drives that long to get to work most days.  Atlanta traffic and all that.  But still, I’m not used to getting up that early.  I think I’ll shower tonight.  And if I shower, I’ll probably have to use that daily shower cleaner to make sure the shower stays clean.  It’s a vicious cycle.  But hey, I’m on a roll!

Until the next time…I’ll be puppy proofing the car!