Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Amy: 2 Mosquitoes: 10

We have a lovely apartment, but it appears to be mosquito-permeable. My suspicion is that they come out through the drains. We keep the windows closed starting late afternoon, and we have wee mosquito-toxic Plug-ins. The apartment complex gases the shrubbery and building lobbies every night at 6 PM. However, when you live somewhere that never gets colder than 60 degrees that has open sewers, there's no getting away from them.

I killed two at my desk tonight, but not before getting TEN BITES on my right leg. Thank god for After Bite. I can't imagine what it's like living someplace where the mosquitoes (or malaria) are even more of a problem, like Mumbai or Minnesota.

Like Jaws but More Annoying

The itchiness fades pretty quickly (especially if I don't scratch and apply After Bite), but sleeping in a room with a mosquito is awful. The tiny thing makes a shrill noise loud enough to keep me from falling asleep, mainly because I know I am about to get bitten on whatever flesh is exposed (usually only hands, ears and face). And--in an unfortunate event of literary appropriateness--another one just landed on my back as I was typing this entry. Other than my general lack of talent for falling asleep, mosquitoes are my top source of insomnia.