Today was a triumphant day! Hubby set up my new mouse, wireless this time, before he went off to work! A couple of weeks ago, I was typing on my laptop when I went to right click the bottom of the finger pad. And it got stuck! It was terrible! The computer started freaking out but finally hubby got it unstuck and found an old usb mouse he had for emergencies such as this. A thin cord plugged into the usb drive. So I was able to use the laptop again. Well, I carefully watched the rattie boys to see if they would pay attention to it and they didn't. Until the evening of the 29th. I was on the computer, getting ready to type in my journal entry, when Zeke, casually reached over with his mouth, and tasted the cord. As it's a very thin thing, his sharp teeth, which he is so gentle in tasting thing, went right through it. That was the end of me using the computer until we got a wireless mouse. Which we just did. So hubby set it up for me this morning. Yeah!
The war on bedbugs goes on. I woke up this morning when hubby called from work. He left the thumb drive at home for the printing he was doing for the Zoo Docents of the training manual, so would I please bring it over to him. And while I was doing that, could I please bring him leftover spaghetti and meatballs for his lunch. If I would do this,and he didn't need either until around noon, he would be so happy. So I told him sure, told him that I loved him and let him go. I looked around, his call had woken me up from a dead sleep, and saw three bedbugs in the corner, climbing up the wall. They were up high, close to the ceiling, so I couldn't get to them. Wonderful! But I watched. Eventually one of them did climb back down to where I could catch and squish him. The other two fell and I never found them.
We continue to change the bedding and repair the bag sealing the mattress and box spring every two days. Every one day if we get bit while sleeping. We inspect the sheet, lifting them up from being tucked in all around and check for bedbugs. Sometimes we have found and squished them. I now do it with my fingers, just squish them against whatever I find them on, not picking them up or anything, but hubby likes to use a tissue. That way it doesn't leave a blood smear on whatever it was on. Sometimes the blood stains.
We haven't been as good about vacuuming as we should be, but once a week the whole house gets vacuumed thoroughly. I need to be vacuuming every day in the bedrooms. That combats them the best. When we got paid this pay day, we found a Bedbug Encasement Bundle on the internet from American Wellness that contains the mattress bag, box spring bag, and two pillow cases for around $65. They all have seal-able zippers that the bedbugs can't get through. No more splits in the bags! We also found the interceptors, the things you put on the feet of the bed that traps the bedbugs that try to crawl up the legs into bed with you. They get caught in a trap, then you squish them every day, which will help cut down on them too!
We have to wait until we can find and pay for a hotel to take the rattie boys, the cockatiels and the two indoor cats before we can do the foggers and spray. I know, I have read that most pesticides won't touch bedbugs, only intense heat of 120 degrees for 20 minutes or longer. But I found these foggers by Raid that are marketed specifically for bedbugs and I'm willing to try it. The heat treatment is $3000 on up for our size and tri level house. And we are doing everything to combat it, keeping clothes and bedding washed in hot water and dried in the dryer on high heat for 60 minutes each load. Our utility bill was over $250 for this month! Everything is bagged and double twistie tied. The cats have shredded the bags in the closet on the floor, that we didn't have room in the dressers for. Even with the closet doors shut, since they are slider doors, two of our cats found they can push on the center and the door in the back will slide back and they can get in. Heavy sigh.
Today I signed up for the Silver Sneakers membership at the YMCA. I got my Medicare Advantage started, effective 1/1/2016. With it came the Silver Sneakers program. I get a free gym membership as the Medicare Advantage plans emphasize preventative medicine and want us to work out, get healthy and stay healthy. And I found out from some ladies in Red Hats, that the Y had programs and classes specifically for seniors that haven't been real active and needed to start. There are water classes and other classes just for SS members. I am really looking forward to them.
So I went over to the Y and showed them my Silver Sneakers card and signed up! the membership lets me use any of the Ys in Colorado Springs, the indoor community centers that have pools and during the summer, the community outdoor pools too! I can bring in as many guests that I want, two at a time, for 3 times per person before I have to pay a $10 fee for day visit for adults, $5 fee for day visit for children. I think it would be fun to take my nieces and nephews to the Cottonwood creek center to play in their pool. They have a big slide, a wave pool, an inner tube course and it's lots of fun! But first, hubby has wanted to go swimming all year. Now we can!
While I was gone, Frank did all the extra bedding that was sitting downstairs waiting to be washed and dried! I was so happy when I got home! I got to relax and just watch tv, feed the beasties, clean the litter boxes, play with Tommy and clean up the kitchen.
Even though hubby went in early, he just called and it's after 10pm. He is done with work he has to do but is finishing the Zoo print job, so will be another couple of hours. So I'm going to go strip the bed, squish bedbugs and put on clean bedding. Tomorrow we are going to take down the tree and assemble the new cat tower that I ordered before Christmas that came a couple of days ago. I found a deal on Groupons, an online site that has special marked down or deeply discounted deals for goods and services to promote companies. I got a $150 cat tower for about $65, delivered. Assembly required.
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