Creepy Crawlies in 2024

Isn’t it odd when a random memory pops into the front of your brain and you are like, “OH! So that’s where that little mannerism came from.”
I have many, many quirks that I get picked on for doing. For example, not eating either end of a banana. Nope, that’s where the bugs live. Or not blowing out a jarred candle. It’s bad luck. Just put the top on and let it snuff itself out. Is that true? I dunno but I’m not going to try it.
However, for all of my oddities there are two that no one ever picks up on that I find the oddest (with the most disgusting origin ).
Whenever I get a drinking receptacle (mug, glass, cup, tumbler, etc) I always wash it out. Even if I just washed it or it came out of the dishwasher. I don’t care where I am, if I get my own drink and it’s not in a can or bottle, I’m rinsing it. It’s like a compulsive act that, most of the time, I don’t even realize I’m doing it.
The second, I leave the kitchen light on. No, not all the time. When I cook and leave the kitchen to eat, the light stays on. It stays on until the food is put away and the kitchen is as clean as it’s going to get. We all know I hates the dishes.
I will actually get highly pissed if someone turns off the light.
I often wondered where I picked this little annoyance up. My grandmother would leave the kitchen light on until the dishes were done. The light being off always signified the kitchen was “closed.”
I do tend to get pretty pissy when someone questions one of her mannerisms that I continue to do.
But, no…these did not come from her. In fact, I guess one could say they came from my parents.

Growing up, we lived in an older part of town. The “Historic” part of town. There was a road of just antique shops and restaurants. When people came to town they HAD to visit Antique Alley. Kind of like going to New Orleans and Bourbon St.
The city tried to play it up, but we all knew what it was; the po’ side of town. The rent was cheap and the houses, well they were a roof over your head. I can’t recall any of those houses having central air. It was all window units or attic fans.
I do miss the attic fans.
Sleeping with the windows open. Curtains billowed out, making a soft whish noise on the hardwood floor every now and again when an actual breeze came in. Crickets and locusts chirping away. In the distance a lone train whistle.
Sigh. I do miss it. I just wish it wasn’t such a toxic place. Besides, I don’t think I would sleep with my window open now.
Anywho…..yall see that squirrel?
This Historic Jewel of the South was right on the levee of the Ouachita River and we lived about a block from it.
I don’t know how many of yall grew up next to a river but it’s…interesting. Lots of things like to wander away from the river. Or wander TO the river.
When you combine an old neighborhood with old houses and then plop a river in the middle of it, well, you gonna have some critters.
What did we have?
Roaches and water bugs. Yes, they are two different things. Water bugs are huge and they fly usually at night so you are convinced that an intruder is in your room.
Roaches are the little brown bugs that just hang around your house, shitting on everything and ruining any electronic gadget they can find.
I’m sorry, but give me a mouse any day.
My poor mom tried and tried to get rid of the bugs. She had a professional come in and spray (I have no idea where we got the money for that). Bug bombing, or fogging, was a monthly thing. We started getting pretty good at deconstructing our rooms, putting everything on our beds, and covering it was a sheet.
I remember once she even made something called “roach bait”. I’m not sure what all was in the mixture except for peanut butter and boric acid. It dried into hard little balls that were hidden all over the house.
It didn’t work.
We never stopped fighting them.
What we did learn was before using any dish for food or drink, always rinse it off. You never know if there is a roach carcass in the bottom of your glass. Sharing a Coke and a smile with a floating roach carcass is not ideal.
I guess that just stuck with me.
As for the kitchen light, well, roaches are nocturnal. As long as the light is on, you are less likely to lose your food to a roach swarm. I’m not saying it won’t happen, I’m just saying that your chances are slimmed down a bit.
So whenever food was out, the kitchen light stayed on.
Obviously we never hosted any family meals and were pretty mortified when anyone stopped by (on the rare chance they did).
Huh.
Random entry.
There might be more of these (not insect related). I’ve been having a hard time sleeping lately and lots of random randomness keeps coming up.
It might help to get it out of my head.

I’m cooking supper as I write this and guess what?
The kitchen light is on.
Ha!