Another week has managed to creep by without my noticing it except in the number of times I sleep and the number of words I’ve written–or not written. Since Monday of this week, every time I sit down to write, something unexpected interrupts. Yesterday, it was the “Attack of the Wasps.”
Yes, wasps. Paper wasps are all over the sides and eaves of our house, looking for good places to build more nests. I really don’t like poisons, but I can’t have these aggressive things (and yes, these are aggressive) so close to where I and the dog walk and garden. They don’t much like visitors, and they make that quite clear. So I’ve sprayed their chosen abodes with wasp spray, and they go make more, a few feet or so away. sigh.
I sprayed again yesterday, then went out the front door to take the dog on his walk. I opened the door, and in flew the biggest, baddest paper wasp! Before I could slam the door, it flew right at me and into the front room. I sprang away, pulling the dog with me. Then I went for the flyswatter to dispatch the beast.
Unfortunately, poor Dasher apparently has had some trauma with flyswatters (and rolled newspapers), because swatting things makes him run and hide, and cower, then look hang-dog and conciliatory when I track him down afterwards. (I really, really hate my dog cowering from me.) So after killing the wasp, I spent long minutes praising him, petting him, consoling him that I’ll never, ever swat him. Only bad bugs.
Then I spent time looking up exactly what kind of wasps these are, and I came across this video. OK, panic time. Now I’m freaking out every time I see a wasp. Gah! I think it’s time for a wasp-related dark fantasy or horror story, don’t you? But I’m not sure I could do much worse than that video…//shudders//
In better news, yesterday I did get a number of short stories edited and submitted before the whole wasp incident ate my day and sanity (well, what little sanity I have 😉 ). So I’m back up to “more than 6” submissions out at once. Hurray!
And in the best news, today I actually wrote more than expected, with no nasty interruption derailing the process. I finished out that scene and chapter, and feel really good about the whole thing just now. Super hurray!
Everyday Magic | M. E. Garber 