The travelling bed

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to try and be more positive and this includes references to the city and the people of Regina. Yesterday in an attempt to end (I hope) the battle against the invisible bed bugs I bought a new bed.

Since moving here I have greatly improved my vacuuming, washing and bed making skills. I have also furthered my knowledge in medicinal creams be it for allergic reactions to my mysterious bites or the rash that has developed below my right eye. I have also had the opportunity to learn the phone numbers for the health line, the pest control and the location of the nearby medical clinic. I have developed a greater awareness for detail and can easily find small pieces of red sweater fuzz on my bed sheets and identify that they are not actually bed bugs. I have also started a new protective pyjama fashion that involves tucking my pyjama pants into my socks and my pyjama shirt into the waistband to leave as little skin exposed as possible.

In fact the bites reminded me of the Camino and some of struggles I overcame during that journey and that is how I can actually be positive about the experience.

Bringing my new bed home turned into a bit of an adventure as well because I attempted to do it on my own on foot. It was only a twin size mattress, but with the wind it was a little difficult to steer. To the traffic it must have appeared as though a mattress had grown feet as I walked with it across the street. As I got to the other side, to my luck a couple in a white pick up truck had pulled over and offered to help. The man went out of his way to carry the mattress from his truck, up the stairs and into my apartment. Next I had the frame to carry which was a little heavy, but quite easy to manage. Finally a little less enthusiastic I went back for the box spring. Slowly I inched it forward a few feet at a time and as I crossed onto my street a man in a Sasktel van pulled up and helped me carry it the rest of the way home. So now not only do I have a new bed, but a positive experience of the friendly people in Regina as well.