No good deed goes unpunished

Ross has a low cost (free) spay/neuter program for locals. Over a month ago I passed the sign up sheet around on a Friday night when the Chicken Lady cooks. I got 2 takers, plus my apartment’s handyman (Spoose) who has 2 dogs.

Last week, Spoose was supposed to bring his dogs in for a pre-surgery checkup, but he forgot. We made another appointment (for today), but his transportation failed him.

Additionally over the weekend, to prevent a no-show, I spoke with one of the local dog owners and we decided I’d take her dog in to make things easier. At 7am this morning I got a call from her, panicked. Her dog had gotten wind of what was in for him so he took off to visit his lady friends and would not come back. Happens to all of us.

So I rearranged the appointments so that the other locally owned dog could come in. I got in the car to fetch this second, spare dog to drag in for his pre-surgery workup. Low and behold when I drove up, there was dog #1 thrilled to see me! I still took dog #2 just because I’d already switched their appointments.

I drag this poor guy to the clinic and put in him a cage. There’s a flea study going on, so I run to tell a professor that he has fleas, as I pick one off my neck. On my 20 min break, I rush back to the dog, who is wildly thumping his tail happy to see me. A friend and I start combing the fleas off him, putting them in a tube. We got quite a bit, and one tick, and then I rushed back to class.

I’d say it was about 15 min of me sitting in class when I first felt it—the flea. It was running through my hair. Around and around it went, first on the right then on the left, going from my scalp to the nape of my neck. I started to itch.

My classes dragged on for hours, plus a review, then more class. It still itched under my tight ponytail. During a break between classes, I had Jossie start picking through my hair like a monkey. Two others joined her. I could feel it running, hiding, evading them. They couldn’t find it and decided it was a psychogenic response.

I can still feel it rushing through my hair. Bugs, bugs, bugs everywhere. Last night I couldn’t sleep because I felt like there were ants all over me. Eventually I got up, thinking that I’m crazy. When I flipped on the light, my bed was covered in ants. Covered! I opted to relocate to the couch.

I guess it could be worse—the malaria-ridden mosquitoes have vanished. Three dogs to go, lets hope my flea really is psychogenic. I still itch all over.