Monthly Archives: May 2011

middle tennessee

Cicadas… attack!

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Every since I met him, my husband has talked a lot about the cicada invasion 13 years ago. He’d talk about mowing the yard and getting dive bombed by them. He’d talk about how they were just everywhere. He’d talk and I’d nod along thinking, “Uh… yeah. Okay. Sure.”

Honey? I take it back. I am sorry I didn’t REALLY believe you.

I grew up with cicadas buzzing in the trees in the summer. It was not a big deal! It’s part of summer’s soundtrack to me. The days get hot and the cicadas sing at the top of their little… lungs?

Then the articles started to emerge that this was the year that THE CICADAS WOULD RETURN. It was all over the news like the plague was being forecast. This was a big deal.

And yet still, I listened with a, “Yeah, okay. Sure. Whatever.” attitude.

Then last Saturday, I saw my first cicada. They had ARRIVED. Or rather emerged.

179: THE Cicadas have arrived

It was the first moment that I went, “Uhm. There just might be something to this whole cicada invasion thing.”  Literally, 24 hours later, my husband pointed out that the tree in our backyard was covered — COVERED — in cicadas.

Uh oh.

It’s only gone downhill from there… and its expected to get worse before it gets better.

I have to — HAVE TO — sweep off the porch every day. It’s not a case of being able to wait until the next day. No, if I wait, the little cicada bodies would be about an inch deep. It’s the most bizarre thing I’ve ever experienced.

They are in the trees and on bushes. And when the cling on to something, they hold on tight! I can hardly knock them off the house with a broom!

A pressure washer works pretty well, though. They can’t seem to fight off a high-powered water stream. That’s kind of fun.

But… as we go along… they are starting to fight back. Today, going to check the mailbox, I had to duck a few times as they dive bombed my head! After I cleaned up the porch, one decided to ride into the house with me on my back. How did I find out about it…

IT CRAWLED UP THE BACK OF MY NECK!!!!!!

The first little tickle, I thought it was a tendrel of hair came loose from my messy clip-action I did today. Then… it was still moving even though I wasn’t. You can bet I got it off fast and I am STILL getting the heebie jeebies from it!

I  can’t wait to see what happens when we mow our lawn. Might have to go buy a hard hat or something.

Again, I owe my husband an apology for not really believing him and his tales of cicadas 13 years ago! I heard they should be gone by mid-June. Can’t get here soon enough for me! They’ve been around a week, and I’m already over it!

But. That being said… their buzzing is loud, but its just a part of summer to me… As long as they stay off my neck and away from my head, I don’t mind the buzz in the air. (Not YET atleast…)

general-post, problem solving, random musings

Nap time

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I’ve been doing something lately that I never do.

I’ve been taking naps. And it is AWESOME.

Last week, I finally went and got strong antibiotics for a sinus infection I’d been fighting for a month, and therein lies where it all started. Just prior to getting the medicine, I would literally sleep a day away. A huge tip off that something was wrong, because… frankly… I am just not a napper. If anything I will force myself to live on a lot less sleep than I should.

I got my medicine and the instructions were to take it twice a day for 7 days, and due to the timing of when I took my first dose, I was set up to have to get up about three hours earlier than I would normally get up just to take medicine. So, I’ve been getting up earlier, having breakfast, taking my medicine and… I’m awake. No matter how fast I tried to do it before I woke up all the way, it couldn’t be helped. By the time I got it all done, I’d had enough sunlight, etc. to get my body in go-mode.

So the last few days, I’ve just stayed up and checked my email, etc. as I would normally do when I get up for the day. Putter around the house for awhile, then sleepiness would sneak back up. With the recent little heatwave, its worked out nicely. I go crawl back into bed and take a nap through some of the hottest part of the day, and then I get up just as its getting close to time to be able to go outside and get some exercise. It’s a total win!

Now, I don’t anticipate this being a steady thing. I mean, I do have to run some errands in the next few days right when I’ve been taking my little power naps, so its not like this is my new regular schedule. BUT I suddenly see the benefits of napping. I used to say if I took a nap my whole day would be wasted.

Just the opposite. I end up feeling like a million bucks after a naps! And I end up more focused and relaxed about the day. And as a result, I get more done in an hour than I would have done had I stayed up and tried to do it over the course of a few hours.

Naps are a good thing. Babies have it figured out. Cats have it figured out! I’m going to follow their lead a lot more and get more Zzz’s when I need them.