(no subject)

[auntiemeesh]

One bright moment. My knitted celery arrived today and I was able to find a ziplock bag to stash it in until I get the bug sitch sorted out.

Landlady called Orkin and they're coming out first thing tomorrow morning to do an inspection and see if there's any sign of bugs. A couple people have suggested that it might be fleas. It could be, but the cats have shown no sign of discomfort. Every great now and then I see one of them chewing or scratching at something, but never persistently or often. And I checked Zoe, who will actually put up with being poked and prodded, but didn't see even one little speck that could be flea-like.

Almost all of the bites are around my ankles and on the backs of my legs, butt, or lower back. Which could mean they (whatever they are) are in my living room carpet - I live on the floor. I almost never actually sit on my sofa, it mostly just holds my mail and other random crap that would otherwise be taking up too much space on the floor.

A friend from work, M, came over this evening to help me clean-up, do a bug search. She helped me go over the bed, sofa and carpet. We found a couple of suspicious little black things that we taped to an index card, but no actual bugs (live or carcass). And then she made me eat when she realized that I hadn't eaten more than a Powerbar and a tiny little bit of pasta all day. I was so brain dead that it was almost more than I could do to focus well enough to make a salad with some lettuce, tuna and dressing. Stupid Meeshie Brain in action.

Now I'm torn between wanting to wash/vacuum/etc. everything in sight and wanting to leave any evidence that the Orkin man will need to decide what's going on.

Oh, and when I talked with the landlady this evening, she let me know that she has very reluctantly decided she needs to sell the house within the next year, so I need to start looking for a new place to live. I've been expecting that conversation for a while, but it just adds that little frisson of extra stress. Yay! I can't even really focus on that right now, though. I need to get through the rest of the summer, make it to Dragon Con without taking a cheese grater to my skin to get rid of the burning, itching, horror that is these bug bites. And then it's do or die time. Find a new job and a new place to live before this place disappears out from under me. It's time, anyway. I've been here for four years and haven't even unpacked some of my stuff. Time to do a huge purge and find a tiny/cheap place to live. That has enough room for two cats.

Oh the second, my steampunky choker necklace shipped today. I can't wait to see how feasible it's going to be to take it apart and remake it in the colors/style I want.

Comments

[shirebound]

Could it possibly be hives from an allergy? I recently went through two bouts of what I thought was bites, but turned out to be allergies to Aleve and (about a month later) fish oil capsules.

Sorry to hear about the house being sold. :(

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

I thought about hives, too. I just looked them up and it says they subside within 24 hrs. I've had some of these bites since Thursday. Bed bug bites should subside in about a week so if some of the older bites don't start feeling a little better soon, I may have to go to the med-express and make sure they're not infected. The affected areas are really hot to the touch and the only thing that makes them feel better right now is an ice pack.

[antbee362.livejournal.com]

When it rains, it pours. However, at least in Philly if you have a lease the new owner can't kick you out until it expires. Of course, after 4 years you may not have a lease. Just a suggestion.
I hope the Orkin man figures it out and solves the problem. I hear that specially trained dogs are the best way to ferret out bedbugs. I wonder if he will bring such.

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

I don't have a lease - my landlady was a coworker and let me have the apartment very informally.

I've heard about bedbug sniffing dogs. Sounds weird and I wonder what else they'd smell in my messy apartment.

[ansostuff.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

I'm hoping the bug situation gets resolved quickly and at you find a lovely place to live.

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

I'm torn between starting an apartment search right now, and waiting until I find a new job, especially since there's a fair chance the new job will be in a different town/state.

[kay-brooke.livejournal.com]

I hope Orkin can help you out. Mysterious bites and rashes are so frustrating, especially if they don't go away.

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

So, now that I know it's a rash and not bug bites, I can at least relax a little.

[ani-no-mouse.livejournal.com]

Wow. Just reading through your list of stress-inducing things makes me feel teary. Not that this is in anyway related to my own ongoing constant minor panic - ha! All I can say is keep your chin up, and (for now) your butt off the floor!

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

I'm so relieved there's no bugs in the carpet, because I NEVER sit on the sofa, always on the floor.

[ani-no-mouse.livejournal.com]

Yes, I would say that no bugs in the carpet is very good news. As uncomfortable as poison whatever is, once it is done it will be done. You won't be spending months trying to eradicate it!