Insectoid Confrontation

We are easing back into life in New England. It’s easier for me as I kind of like the “brisk” weather, a definitive change from the idyllic mid-80s we enjoyed on the beach for the past three months. My Favorite Panamanian is of a different opinion, of course. She feels it is way too cold. She claimed the house was freezing, even after I showed her the thermostat reading of 70. It will take a while. She started her reacclimating today with a trip to the mall, ostensively to order new eyeglasses, but that doesn’t take the four hours she’s used, so far. Her iPad, according to the latest photo update from the Upstairs Neighbors visited a chocolate factory and a labyrinth in Honduras as it makes its way north.

One of the first orders of business that we had to take care of upon our return was medical appointments. We had to get a new primary care physician which, with medical insurance (at least ours), is the coin of the realm. We both liked the new guy, a young Korean-American conveniently located just down the hill from us. I am under standing orders from Great Aunt to keep her advised of all medical developments (based on past failures to do so). She will be happy to learn the doctor thinks I am in good shape, despite my advanced age. We got all the lab results back and I was pleased to learn my penchant for sunset social hour beers had not sent my cholesterol results through the roof. It is pretty weak beer.

The only unpleasant discovery upon our return was finding a solid trail of very small ants making their way in the kitchen window. Ants are always a spring event in the house, but it was usually the larger, black variety and they always retreated in the face of ant traps and some spraying. That was the initial tactic I employed and after a couple days it seemed to be working. However, this morning I walked down to find the solid trail was back and rumbling right over where I had sprayed and ignoring the traps.

I decided to investigate. I noticed instead of carrying things outside, the ants coming in were the ones carrying things. I followed the trail where it went along the back of the counter and disappeared under the cable box. I checked under that and didn’t see anything. They weren’t exiting the other side, however. I’m no Sherlock Holmes, but I was turning the box over to look at the underside when my wife noticed a lot of ants emerging from the box itself. The little buggers had set up inside the box. I don’t know a lot about electronics but inundating the thing with spray didn’t seem like a wise course of action. I disconnected all the cables, put the box in a plastic bag, and then but it in the freezer.

We’ll see how the ant queen likes the -14-degree environment after having the temerity to set up house in our kitchen. I was wondering why they weren’t interested in the food prep areas but obviously, since the house had been vacant for a while, they didn’t know they were living in that situation. They thought they’d found a nice comfy home away from the harsh winter. Think again! It’s easier to anthropomorphize when engaged in societal destruction efforts. I’ll let you know if this solves the problem in addition to coating the underside of the box with vinegar and if the cable box turns back on after its deep freeze.

Cable Box Going into Deep Freeze

We reinstituted another tradition on Tuesday with a return to Date Night movies. I’d forgotten this was school vacation week and the theater was inundated with kids and harried parents checking out the latest animated “gotta see” flick. We opted for more adult fare with Normal. Bob Odenkirk has become the unlikeliest of action heroes with the two Nobody movies. He follows those up with another turn as a mild manner temporary sheriff who suddenly finds himself fighting the yakuza, his own police force, and most of the townspeople of Normal, Minnesota. This had a lot of the dark humor of the Nobody plots as the body count rises towards the inevitable conclusion. Odenkirk doesn’t have to go all Hutch Mansell this time out, but he holds his own with the action sequences. This is a very funny movie if you don’t mind all the explosions and the odd decapitations. I really liked it.

It’s Baaack!!! The A-Z watch recommences, and it will all be new additions to the library for a few posts because I’ve got to add in the Christmas present movies before I hit the final stretch. Four movies fell in the A-Z watch, all keepers: The Amateur – sneaky good spy thriller with an empowered nerd; Captain America Brave New World – okay addition to Marvel iconography but not up to their usual standard; Nobody 2 – completely awesome sequel for the most unlikely of action heroes; Superman – James Gunn knocks it out of the park with the reset, better on second watch.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete – my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; CRC - Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn; Czech Connection – Czech couple who’ve become good friends along with their daughter (the Czech Shadow); Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd Musquetera (musketeer); Namesake Nephew – son of Great Aunt and Soxfather named after me; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; PanaGals – female relatives /friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; PCR - Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; PCR+1 - Pittsburgh College Roommate’s wife; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Seis Amigos - two couples from our condo complex and my wife and I; Soxfather – my brother-in-law (whom I miss more than I can ever explain); Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Upstairs Neighbors – American couple and great friends who live in condo above us in Panama; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course