Bedbugs and Nut Dilemmas

Kevin is convinced we have bedbugs.

It all started when he developed a nasty welt on his wrist that he determined was some kind of bite. There have been some subsequent "bites" although I don't believe any were as ugly as the first one, and he complains often about his whole arm flaring up.

My body is completely unbitten. I'm fine. I start to itch by the power of suggestion when Kevin starts insisting we have bedbugs, but otherwise I'm feeling just dandy. The only marks on my body are the ones I get scratching myself at night as I'm so prone to doing.

I see no evidence of bedbugs on the sheets and mattresses either. Nonetheless, Kevin has called the exterminator. The exterminator agrees that we have bedbugs after hearing Kevin's side of the story. Of course he would say that. He's going to charge us just for the visit. Even if we have no bedbugs, he makes money.

Let him come. I want to play with the beagle.

I just wish he would calm down. He's so paranoid about the bugs that he can't sleep at night. Now he wants to make sure no one else in the house can sleep. He keeps me awake at night telling me he can't sleep. If he's that paranoid about sleeping in our bed, I suggested that he make up the futon in the guest bedroom, or if he's going to sleep on the living room couch, to please use sheets (sheets are easy to wash and getting one's bodily effluvia directly on blankets that aren't washed as often just invite more critters). He keeps sleeping in our bed and making me miserable.

I feel his pain that he can't sleep at night, but I wish he would remember what a delicate thing sleep is for me. I am so prone to insomnia. When I sleep, I sleep lightly. If anyone or anything wakes me up once I'm asleep, it takes me a long time to go back to sleep. Last night I went to bed while Kevin was still up watching the Jets game. "a dream had scarcely approached my ear, when it fled affrighted." I was awakened by Kevin's ranting. All I wanted to do was go to sleep and I had to hear more about the bedbugs.

The exterminator is coming tomorrow. I hope this is all taken care of quickly. I'm tired of being made to suffer for someone else's discomfort!

Yep, that's me. Queen of Selfish.

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And now for something completely different...

I had a crazy ethical dilemma last week.

I was having a dinner party on Sunday and I was making, among other things, duck breasts with a fig balsamic glaze and a chocolate cake filled with hazelnut ice cream.

The one place where I know I can find duck breasts and fresh figs is Whole Foods. I thought I could make a visit on my lunch hour. My current office is between two stores. There is one in Westport and one in Darien.

I opted to go to the Westport one as I also wanted to go to the bank and there is a branch of my bank right down the street from the Westport Whole Foods. I unfortunately forgot that the store was undergoing renovations. When I walked in, the bulk food department was right in front of me. I decided to grab the nuts for my hazelnut ice cream from here since it was so convenient to do so. I took a bagful of nuts from the bulk bins.

I went on to find the rest of my groceries. I found a bottle of xtrav olive oil. I went to the meat department to look for my duck breasts. I knew exactly where to find them. They were usually in a small case of frozen foods right next to where they keep the packages of chicken. Unfortunately, I didn't see them there.

A store employee asked if she could help me find anything. I said I was looking for duck breasts. The woman went to the butcher counter and asked the man behind the counter if he had duck breasts. He said he could give me a whole frozen duck. I said no. I wanted the Bell & Evans frozen duck breast cutlets that were always in the case by the meat department. The woman who originally spoke to me said to try the frozen food aisle if they normally came frozen. How can this woman work for this store and not know that Whole Foods never has any meats in the big frozen foods aisle (just those nasty, heavily processed, unhealthful, artificial, chemical-laden soy fakeouts)?

I went to the produce section for my figs. Also not there.

I realized that this store was not worth my time. I would just have to stop by the Darien branch, which is bigger and better-stocked to begin with anyway.

I put back the few items I had in my basket. The problem was that I had the nuts. They were plucked from the bulk bin and bagged by me. Now what? Could I put them back?

I hadn't really handled them. I hadn't touched them with my hands much. They were scooped from the bin with minimal skin contact. I could probably put them back without touching them as well. Could I do that? Was it allowed? Was it gross?

I decided to give it a shot. I thought if I did it really quietly when no one was looking, I could get away with it. Unfortunately, the entire row of shelving was under construction. Two workers were standing at one end and moving the row around. Some other guy had a dolly and was unloading big boxes right near the hazelnut bin. I could not let them see me pouring nuts back into the bin!

In the end I paid for just the nuts and left the store. I had a tiny piece of my shopping finished. On the way home I went to the Darien branch as planned and bought my figs, olive oil, and duck breasts. Dinner was saved.

That really does make me wonder what one should do if one has a change of heart on something pulled from the bulk bins. I could put olive oil back on the shelf with no problem. I had no recourse once I realized I didn't want those nuts anymore. Such is the dilemma of the modern shopper!