Oh yeah -- I meant to comment on that non-answer from ita. IS there a twin? A robot twin? A space-time continuum shift twin??

Thanks, y'all. I had to run out to go rescue some cats (from the vet) and my friend C (from a meltdown). She spent today everything she owns at a laundry mat, while the cats were hanging at the vets and the exterminator was in her apartment. She has bed bugs.

I don't know if you know anything about them, but Jesus. Here's a Times article that gives you an idea. [link]

Frankly, I'd be burning all my stuff and moving. As it was, all I could do was jump in for cat care ( and they close at two! And nothing will be fully dry! Which means I'll have to come back here again tomorrow, and if I bring these things back I might bring the bed bugs back and...!) It was not pretty. She's about as mellow as I am, more even.

So I went and picked up two large duffle bags full of cat, cabbed it over to her place, then dragged her out for drinks near my new place. (Did you catch that? My New Place!) And lo, it was good.

Better pics when I get access again. It's really cute.

Bed bugs scare me. Lots.

I feel like when I was younger, no one used "gay" as a perjorative at all. It was all "retarded". Now the kids are all "that's so gay".

Congrats on new place!

Bed bugs can feed off cats, but don't usually stay on them for any length of time. They're absolute bastards to get rid of, because they can live without food for up to 18 months. Months!

I had an outbreak of cat flees at my last place which happened completely out of blue (my cats don't go outside ever) -- I think one must have attached to me on the bus to get in. That freaked me the fuck out.

There were a few girls who were out at my high school, starting around eighth or ninth grade. One boy senior year, but no other boys who talked about it. I remember big scandal the year I was in ninth grade, when the eighth graders came back from their several-day field trip with the gossip that two of the girls in the class had been seen kissing each other.

I am super glad to have never dealt with beg bugs. (Yet. Knock on wood. Etc.) I was just reading about some development in my neighborhood, and one of the things people were saying against it is the number of mattresses that are always outside on trash day. YIKES.

I understand (well, C understands) that as long as there are tasty tasty humans around, bed bugs can't be bothered with the cats. So, um, that's good. Meanwhile C looks like she's been on Survivor. Horrid red bites all over.

I had them a while ago. It is something that can drive you crazy,and I consider myself terribly lucky that we were able to get rid of them. We don't have them anymore, but I still feel like I shouldn't tell people lest I become a bedbug pariah.

I'm assuming that hardwood floor help insulate me against bedbugs, though I don't know if they really need carpet to live in.

Today I get to feel both productive and fun-filled, as I did 3 miles of walking and then 3 hours at the pool (OK, so the latter mainly involved producing a sunburn), followed by finally going to see Waitress again as I'd been intending for several weeks. Oh, and hung out for a bit at lunch with Smoking Hot Bartender, who revealed he just bought a motorcycle. And apparently joined a 1950s era biker gang, from the looks of it. Or the Prussian army.

Now it's off to Bahama Breeze to treat Best Friend to a birthday dinner. Fortunately, his Devil children are away with the in-laws, so we likely won't be thrown out of the restaurant or end up wearing our food.

I'm assuming that hardwood floor help insulate me against bedbugs

Nope, they can live between the floor boards in cracks and stuff.

When I moved into my new flat (well, now 6 month old flat) I got a Roomba robot vacuum cleaner. Each day I go to work, each day it cleans the hardwood flooring and the carpets. Magic. I loves my robot vacuum (Boomer the Boomba I call it. Yes, I named it.)