Warm weather, fewer clothes...and skeeters

Spring time in San Francisco is here! We're just wrapping up May, arguably our best weather month in the city known for cold, foggy summers, brilliant seafood and flamboyant gentlemen with penchants for leather chaps and feather boas. This past weekend saw 70-degree temperatures, low-cut tank tops and citizens out en masse to enjoy the weather that non-locals would never associate with our haven by the Bay.

Yes, the beaches were packed, the barbecues were sizzling and roofdecks bustled with sun-drenched neighbors cavorting over beers.

This month, along with September, is crucial to keeping us sane during the summer months when surrounding areas enjoy 80- and 85-degree days, thanks to San Francisco's omnipresent fog layer and onshore winds.

Needless to say, after spending the weekend basking, barbecuing and beering, I was more than ready for a good night's sleep.

Imagine my shock when I awoke at 3 am, hovering 2 feet above my bed. The 15 or so mosquitoes had been working diligently to carry me off through the crack I had left in my window. I knocked enough of the weight-bearing virus carriers off to land with a thud back on the bed below. Like an old man turning on his lights, I gave a few quick claps and killed off another five.

It would take another hour of swatting in the dark before I had thinned out the herd enough to mitigate the drone of the mosquito minions. With a mere three or four zinging around my head, I was able to fall back asleep, content to wait until morning to survey the damage on my shoulders and ear-lobes. Now, I'll just wait for the onset of West Nile.