the current population, part 2...

... has increased exponentially. To the point that I had to resort to the broom and dust pan this morning. In recent days, I have been able to count the number of creepy-crawlers on one hand, but this morning they got completely out of control. I don't know how long it takes a millipede to find a mate and reproduce, but they were obviously up all night partying.

P. reported when she came in late last night that they were all around the front door when she left earlier in the day. And after eye-balling the floor in the pantry became convinced they were coming into the kitchen through a (literally) worm-hole in the corner. I found some bug spray and she gave the farthest corner of the pantry a good squirt, then went out and coated the area around the front door. I cannot explain why there were several dozen of the little wigglers inching their way along on the kitchen floor this morning. But I swept them up, several times, and deposited the lot in the trash.

I am surprised there were no more, lying around, curled up and crispy when I came in from work this afternoon. I was convinced after this  morning's efforts that the bug spray was actually some sort of reproductive enhancement that caused them to be especially amorous, and create several new generations overnight. But after coming home, weary and in no mood to wrangle millipedes, I was pleasantly surprised to find: none.

Speaking of exponentially: you would never expect someone who admits to being chronically math impaired to have brought home a book from the library about 'Finding Zero'. It was pretty interesting, but somewhat over my head, there being parts where the author felt compelled to explain things I would never, ever grasp. But over all the story of trips to the far east, searching in Cambodia and Thailand, plowing through temples covered in rainforest type growth, was a good read. He found what he believes is the first usage of zero, that was actually a dot, as a  place holder in a carved piece of stone, likely taken from a temple around the sixth century.  The author is Amir Aczel, who also wrote 'Fermat's Last Theorem'.