I was listening to NPR during my drive home today.
Story after story about our floundering economy, and all I could think about was this.
The Monster Bug of Death.
Amidst the bad news, I heard that the United Nations was again in session in Manhattan.
This, of course, reminded me of The Monster Bug of Death.
Why?
Well about three years ago to the day, in 2005, I was working in New York for a few nights, and the UN had just begun its session. Hotel rooms were amazingly expensive, and I could not justify expensing $500 per night for a marginal room.
My friend / co-worker Stuart was traveling internationally that week, and said I could stay at his place on the Upper East Side.
Great idea! Staying there for a few nights was actually the longest amount of continuous time I have ever spent in NYC. Growing up about 20 miles north, there wasn't much of a need to stay overnight, and most of my business trips to the area involved staying in the suburbs or with my family.
One night after work, I came back to Stuart's place, turned on the light, and The Monster Bug of Death attacked me.
I had never seen a flying insect this large, and New York City was not exactly where I expected to encounter a beast such as this.
It appears that when screenless windows are left open, creatures can fly inside. Apparently, the fauna twenty stories about the ground level resembles that of an Amazon rainforest.
After ten minutes of this sucker flying recklessly throughout the apartment, loud thuds resonating every time it collided with a wall, it settled on this light fixture.
Enough time for a photo.
Soon after, it flew onto the fridge, and I was able to cup it, cover it with a bag, secure the monstrosity, and dispose of it.
Whew. Crisis over.
New York City exhausts me. It's just too much of everything - Too expensive. Too crowded. Too stinky.
And the flying bugs are too frightening.
2 comments:
I would still be screaming if I saw a bug that large! Especially if it made thudding noises! UGH!
EWW! OMG! I hate bugs!! Moths, spiders, mosquitoes and especially butterflies!! Why the lovely butterflies? I was attacked by a gigantic and super bright color one when I was nine years old at the camp public bathroom. Hm, it flew right at me and landed on my back when I was taking shower. I remembered that I was petrified then screamed and ran outside buck naked in the crowd and told people to get that off me!!! and I think I developed Lepidopterophobia after that....
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