Some Things Just Bug Me!...

...Like bugs, for example.

Well, not just bugs, but everything that goes along with bugs. If I had been Noah, I would have conveniently forgotten to take the insects on the ark. Sure, I probably would have been the recipient of some divine smiting, but I would be willing to take one for Team Humanity.

My apartment complex has a bug problem. I have a cat, so my room is blessedly bug-free. (Cheapest pest control ever. All I have to do is feed her, play with her, and change her litter. In return, she de-stresses me and eats bugs.) Anyway, due to the bug problem, the apartment management has decided to spray pesticide. It goes like this:

On Thursday night, a note is taped to the door of the apartment. It usually gets posted sometime between 8 and 10 pm. The note informs us that the pest control people are coming to spray sometime between the hours of 9 and 5 on Monday. Then there's a list of preparations that need to be made. We have to vacate the apartment for the duration of treatment and 4 hours following. That part isn't too bad. The annoying part is that we have to bag all of our clothing and linens, seal up all of our food, and move all of our furniture at least 24 inches away from the wall. We also have to remove our bedding and take our mattresses off of our bedframe and lean them up against the wall.

This whole preparation process took several hours the first time, but I've gotten it down to a science, and I can prepare in about an hour. Since I have a cat, I have to kennel her for the day. I can't exactly take Ebony with me to work and school.

This morning was pest control day again. I got up bright and early at 5:30 in the morning to prepare. (Jen wisely decided to spend the night at our parents' house, so she avoided the worst of it. I get the last laugh, though, since she gets to put it all back together.) I got Ebony into her crate and headed to the kennel.

I arrived at the kennel at 7:00, when they open. I began the check-in procedure, and the guy at the front desk said that I needed to show proof of Ebony's vaccinations. I had come prepared, and I produced the report I had gotten from the vet on Friday. However, the codes in the kennel's computer system were some sort of cryptic abbreviation, and the receptionist didn't know which abbreviation went to which shot on the list. (The list from the vet had the proper names of the shots.) He asked a few of his co-workers and none of them knew either. He tried to call my vet, but the vet doesn't open until 8. He said that he couldn't take Ebony until he talked to the vet. I suggested he google the abbreviations to see what he came up with, and he looked at me like it was the stupidest idea he had ever heard and said he couldn't do that.

I collected my cat, my vet report, and my irritation and left, informing him that I would be taking my business elsewhere, since the service was so poor. (I had had problems the last time, too.) So, word to the wise, if you're looking for a place to kennel your pets, don't go to PetSmart.

Anyway, I got home at 7:30 am (I had to be in class at 9:15, so time is ticking at this point.) I fired up my laptop and started searching for kennel options. After all, I know how to use Google! I found a local vet that offered kenneling services, so I dropped Ebony off and headed to class. Traffic was kind to me, so I wasn't late.

Naturally, the kennel closes at 6:00 pm, and I don't get home until 9:30 pm. So, I e-mailed Jen with the info on where to get my cat, and she agreed to pick her up on her way home. Jen just texted me to let me know she retrieved Ebony safe and sound, but that her collar is missing. I'm going to have to track it down, because I don't want to have to pay the city of Fremont for a new license.

And, of course, when I get home tonight, I'm going to have to wash all the kitchen utensils that I forgot to put away. That's like 3 loads of dishes. I so don't have time for this!

Edit: Thankfully, Jen found the collar right after I published this. One less thing to worry about.