No Safe Haven

Let me tell you about the palace on the hill. It shines bright with its marble floors and functioning air conditioning and (you won't believe this)windows! (Who would have ever thought that a School District X employee would have a window in his/her classroom/office?)

Still, life is not always greener. So, the next time I mention to someone that I work at The Administrative Office and they chime back with, "Oh, the Taj Mahal," I am going to let them in on a little secret.

I was working away at a fever pitch last week--trying to wrap up some end of fiscal year yuck-yuck. The phone was ringing and I was typing as I fielded questions on various projects. When I felt a tickle on my arm, I assumed the air conditioning has caused a paper to flutter or my sleeve had shifted. Never did I imagine that The Administrative Office might be full of overly aggressive roaches that would climb their way to my attention.

Now, I am no wimp about bugs. Spiders and ants? No problem. But a roach on my bare flesh without warning? I jumped and shrieked and got roach guts all over my arm. I could hear the secretaries chuckling, "that VB, she is some comedian..." The monster was oozing vital fluids all over my desk, but it refused to die. As the battle raged on, not a soul came to my assistance.

It could have been murderous marauders, but no one was galloping to my rescue. It seems that all of the key codes, name badges and security guards in the world cannot defend us from some terrifying enemies. What sort of embargo or preemptive strive might give me the confidence and security-of-self I need to return to the office? Perhaps we should take out the crickets. After all, an insect in an insect, and they must be in cahoots. A regular Thorax of Evil.

(Did not mean to get all editorial at the end there. It just slipped out. Sorry.)